Vicki Boutin

Stencil play with Nicole

 

Hey everyone! Nicole here today to kick off a weekend of creativity using some simple mixed media and a fun colorful patterned paper background.

I just love the Wave stencil from the Let's Wander collection - it is just SO perfect for summery photos and I love the simplicity of stamping on a background using the stencil as a stamp. I used thinned out texture paste as the medium to stamp onto the background of my page.

I layered two different colors of texture paste with the stencil to add some extra color to the background of the page. I decided to use up some scraps of patterned paper on my page and created a bit of a fish scale like background on the bottom portion of the project.

Sit back and see how the whole thing came together !

 

Hope you are inspired to create something fun and bright for summer - I am so ready for summer, bring it on!

MIXED MEDIA RAINBOW | Nathalie DeSousa

Hi there!

Nathalie here to share with you a new page that is all about rainbows and butterflies, literally!   This crazy times we are living have us wishing for all the things that we took for granted before;  If it wasn't for the virus, i would have been on my way to spend a month with my family in Ecuador, instead, i am pulling some of their pictures to create pages.  And since, rainbows are our sign for hope, i thought  i would combine them with butterflies and lots of mixed media on this page:

 

 

I think this page really defines me, lots of mixed media layers, patterned paper play and lots of black and white.   The background of this page is in reality the one that creates the focus spot for this page, and it was build as a mixed media sampler...

 

 

I used painters tape to mask the triangular shapes in the page, then used art crayons to create the rainbow explosion on the page.

 

Once the watercolor dried, i used a series of products to add small details to each paper triangle.  I made sure to color block the layers to optimize the rainbow look of the background.

 

 

To create the butterflies that adorn the page, i used and old punch and cut two butterflies from papers that match the colors in the background.   I layered this together and formed a line at the bottom of the picture.

 

To balance the page, i trim the background and then layered a piece of Paper at the bottom to emphasize the colors and shape of the layout.  Since the page is all about shopping for new eyewear, it was easy to fussy cut  a pair of lenses and mix it with the a few embellishments from the collection.  The following video will show you how it all was created:

 

VIDEO

 

I hope this brings you a bit of inspiration and you also create your own mixed media rainbow for your butterflies.  Remember to contact me if you have questions on the page.

XO

 

 

VICKI BOUTIN MATERIALS USED:

 

   

Prints with Paint with Nicole

Good morning and happy Friday! Nicole here today to share a fun project with you using lots of Vicki Boutin acrylic paints.

There are an array of different colors and some metallics now too, and you can very easily use them to create your own printed paper or backgrounds in just a few easy steps.

I used a Gelli Plate to create my prints for this project. The best part is that you need to honestly just play to find what works for you! I used a combination of colors from Vicki's paints, some of her stamps and a lot of her stencils too.

Once I created my prints, I trimmed them down to use in replacement of patterned paper on my project. I love the unique look and how much you can change the results with a new stencil or layer of paint. There are a lot of different options you could add in also - diecuts, punched shapes, the possibilities are endless.

I put together a quick process video on how the prints came together, sit back and come create with me!

 

 

I hope you enjoyed this project and are inspired to break out your Vicki Boutin paints, stencils, stamps and more!

 

Layering Mixed Media | Nathalie

Hi there!

Nathalie with you today with a fun idea about layering mixed media for your next project. First of all, i hope you all are safe and healthy in your little corner of the world.   Since we most of us are still home, i had this bright idea of creating a page that showed how easily you can layer mixed media with subtle and soft results, not realizing that i can do that cause i have time to let my layers dry.  This resulted in a long and relaxing process ( lots of other small projects in between), but that can easily be speed up.   Let me first show you the page:

 

I started to work my layers of mixed media on a non-gesso foundation paper, but i would suggest you prep your page with gesso to prevent warping on the page, and also to speed up the process  a bit. 

I added 3 layers of watercolor, starting with the yellow layer.  Once it dried completely, the next layer of watercolor (teal) was added, to finish in the blue layer.   The key is to start with the lighter color, and in this case use the kissing technique to help you form the shape of the background.

The next layer of mixed media was added using an stencil brush and texture paint.   The soft impression of the stencil on the background form a soft /shadow effect on the background...

For my last layer, i chose to add texture to the page. This time, i used a palette knife, the star stencil and molding paste to add all the small stars on the page.  These also soften the background and help with the shape of the background.

 

Embellishing this layout was very easy as the background already set the placing for each of the clusters.   I mixed papers that have the same colors as the background, and decided to fussy cut a few paper airplanes to add more movement to the page.

I wanted a large title to tell part of the story of the pictures, so i mixed used a bit of watercolor markers to add some color to the center of the alphas, then combined them with  a small alpha from my stash.  You can see how this page came together in the following video:

VIDEO

 

I hope this gives you a few ideas on how to layer mixed media on your next project.  Remember to check Vicki's products and please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions,

 

XO,

 

 

MATERIALS USED 

 

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Neutral Art Crayon set:  https://shrsl.com/29zsb

 

 

Resist Stamping background

Hi there Vicki Boutin fans! Nicole here today to share with you a fun technique using the stamps in the Let's Wander collection. You could do this technique with any watercoloring product - I used Vicki's watercolor markers, but the Art Crayons, watercolor paints or even watered down texture pastes would have a similar effect.

I started off my stamping my Foundations Paper with the star stamps from the Let's Wander collection. I started with the larger star and worked my way smaller until I was happy with how it was filled out.

I heat set each of the stars using embossing powder and then added in watercolor to each of the stamped stars! So easy and fun to do too!

Sit back and take a peek at how the whole project came together, then gather your supplies and give it a try!

 

 

 

 

Using cut files with mixed media | Nathalie

Hi there!

Nathalie with you today to share a new layout using the beautiful Let's Wander collection and one of Vicki's new free cut files.   I love combining cut files with simple mixed media on the background; this combination brings all the details of the cut out  and also adds a subtle touch of color on the page.   Plus who can resist those fun cut files VIcki just released on her shop.   I just needed to use one... 

Did i mention my niece is the star of this page!!!  The new cut files are simply amazing, so i used just a bit of mixed media to make them come to live in my page:

 

I used a bit of light blue and teal art crayon to add the color on a foundation paper, then followed the application by stamping a few floral images using diluted prism glaze.  To finish, i added a few splatters of fuchsia and violet  art crayon and iridiscent glaze.

 

 

I kept the rest of the layout simple, first i cut the cut file from Foundation paper (Silhouette cameo 2: coverstock settimg, 2 passes) and used foam adhesive to attach it to the background on a slant.

 

 

The pictures were backed and layered with papers from the Let's Wander collection.   However the soft butterflies from the WIlflower and Honey specialty paper are just soft and perfect for the page.

 

The last touch was coloring the title for the page,  I used the cut file to cut the word wonderful two time from Foundation paper. These were stacked and glued together, followed by a bit of coloring using the Prism glaze.  To continue the colors in the background, i combined art crayon with iridiscent  and created a soft ombre effect on the chipboard alphas.  You can see the layout come together in the following video:

 

VIDEO

 

I hope this has inspire you to check out Vicki's new shop and her cut files, and then create a project mixing them with color and texture.  I cannot wait to see what you create.

 

Keep Safe, friends!

 

VICKI BOUTIN Materials Used:

 

One stencil three ways - Cards with Nicole

Hi there! Nicole here today on the blog to provide some inspiration on how to use one stencil in three different ways! 

I am sharing three fun and pretty cards, all using the same stencil and a few different techniques. I used one of the new Let's Wander stencils on each of these cards.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The first card I created using the stencil and some Molding Paste. I used a palette knife and transferred the molding paste through portions of the stencil, leaving some areas open.  Make sure not to use too much molding paste, but add a nice thin layer through the stencil - the palette knife is a great tool for this! You can get a lot of great control with it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This will take some time to dry - but one the molding paste is dry you can color it with Watercolor Markers, Art Crayons, Texture Pastes or one of the Glazes - or a mix of both!

I chose to use some art crayons to create a watercolor like paint and used the kissing technique to add some pink to the card front.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next, I used the Pigment Powders to add some color to the same molding paste and applied that to a card front made from Foundations Paper.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I started by adding a touch of the coral color to the molding paste and then spread a thin layer to the top of the card front.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I added more Pigment Powder to the same molding paste to make a darker color and added another row of pink beneath the first row.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One more addition of Pigment Powder to make another darker variation of the pink and one last row of color to the card front.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Once all three colors of pink were through the stencil, I pulled the stencil off and set the design to dry. You will note that by adding in the pigment powder in three stages, you have a nice ombre pink textured card!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The last card was the quickest to make - using the same stencil, Art Crayons and a stencil brush. For this card, I created a square with some purple tape - this both holds the card in place and gives you a place to do your stenciling. I added in some white art crayon, along with some pink to soften the pink color a little.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This creates a nice soft feel to a card front. I love the little window of pattern it creates on the card.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Each of the cards were embellished with some fussy cut flowers from Let's Wander and some stamps from WIldflower & Honey. I love the simple stamped sentiments on a label with little clusters of embellishments to keep the cards simple but each unique too!

I hope you are inspired to break out your stencils and create some pretty cards!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mixing Glazes | Nathalie DeSousa

hi there!

Nathalie with you today with a fun new idea all about working withe glazes and texture paints.  I am always amazed at how versatile Vicki's collections are, and how easy is to combine pieces/materials from previous collections into current projects seamlessly.  So, today, i a going to share you how i used various glazes and texture mediums in this page:

I wanted a very watery look for the background of this page, so i set to create layers of mixed media to achieve this look.

 

I started by diluting texture paint (Blue Hawaiian and Blueberry pie) to create the column of watercolor. I added a bit of texture paste to the watercolor to soften the colors

Once it dried, i followed it by applying Prism glaze through the wave stencil.  I soften the application by stretching the glaze through the stencil with an stencil brush.

To finish the background, i lined up the stencil and added Glitter glaze to the application ( mostly at the center of the column).  OMG, this background is amazing.  Here is a close up:

I used a few of the Let's Wander collection to frame the pictures, then added them as layers behind the pictures.   I even trimmed the background and then frame the entire page with the Beach Wave paper.

 

To make the title pop, i painted the alphas with a bit of diluted Iridiscent glaze, and combined it with ephemera from the Let's Wander icons pack. 

I kept the rest of the embellishments minimal, so that the background will shine and pop along with the pictures.  The following video will show you how it all came together:

VIDEO

 

I hope this inspires you to pull out your glazes and texture paints to create a new project. Mix them, layered them, play with them, you will be surprised at what you can create with them!  

As always if you have questions ,do not hesitate to contact me!

Keep Safe!

 

 

Materials Used (Affiliate Links)

 

 

 

Recreating Backgrounds with Nathalie

Hi there!

Nathalie with you today to share a new project with you all.   I hope you all are staying safe in this unprecedented time.  Having an artistic outlet is the perfect way to bring some silver linings to your day.   Today, i am channeling my inner dark side to recreate a card background into a scrapbook layout.   Here is where practicing and creating small  catalogue of your ideas comes in handy.  I simply recreated the card background and updated it to this page:

The background for the page was inspired by this card (created in last week's post):

 

This background is so easy and quick to put together; the key here is to have all the materials ready beforehand, and some quick actions.

 

I started by adding  a bit of Metallic Gunmetal Acrylic paint to a foundation paper.   Right after the application, i used a stencil and stencil brush to lift and redeposit some of the paint on the page.  For this, i slightly wet the tip of my brush, and used a circular motion on top of the stencil to lift the color; then redeposit the leftover paint in the brush, but repeating the motion to the left of the paint application.

 

The last step in this background is to apply some stamping ( you can replace it with a stencil impression or textural impression).  I used the script stamp from Vicki's second collection to add the impression to the right of the paint application.

 

I used two pictures on this page, and backed them with papers from the Let's Wander collection, then added foam adhesive between the next layers of paper.   All the florals in the clusters were fussy cut from the Sunshine and Smiles paper.  A few stickers and embellishments from the sticker tablet, chipboard and cardstock sticker were also added to the clusters.

 

All that was left to do was add a title  using a large piece of ephemera and chipboard stickers, then added my lines of journal to the left of the title.  The following video will show you how it all came together:

VIDEO

 

 

I hope this has inspired you!  Keeping a small reference library of techniques makes it so easy to recreate them on a larger format in no time.   Remember you can always contact me with any questions.

 

Until next time, keep safe!

 

Materials used (images contain affiliate links)

 

Stencil Stamping with Nicole

Hey there mixed media fans! Nicole here to share one of my new favorite techniques - and I promise it is easy and addictive too!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It is so fun and easy to use stencils as a stamp! I used the new Texture Pastes that came out with the Let's Wander collection to create a thinner paint like texture and then combined that with the Let's Wander stencils to create a fun background on my page.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You can see it adds just a little bit of pattern-colored goodness to the background of my page and has such a cool effect! Although I created this with the Texture Pastes, you could use other mediums with just as good of a result- think Watercolor Makers, Art Crayons or even thinned out glazes!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The best part ? Change up your stencil and change the look of your patterns - change the colors for different looks too! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You can easily add in patterned paper to your mixed media backgrounds too - I used co-ordinating patterns from the Let's Wander collection very easily on my page here!

Wanna see how easy it is to stamp with stencils? Sit back and watch the process video here

I hope you are inspired to give this a try - this is definitely a technique I will be doing over and over!