Vicki Boutin

THIS IS LOVE |Nathalie DeSousa

Hello everyone!

Happy Valentine's Day!  Today, I want to share a new layout that combines a bit of mixed media, Fernwood and Warm Wishes collections in a modern way.   Here is the what I created:

 

Isn't it amazing how you can transform the feel of a collection with a bit of color and mixed media!   

 

 

I started by masking a rectangle on Foundation paper.  I used the navy and blue art crayons, along with a stencil brush, to cover the entire area with the color.

 

 

I used one of the Fernwood stencils, a bit of water, and a clean stencil brush to lift off some of the art crayon.   Then added splatter of diluted teal art crayon on the page.

 

 

I fussy cut  most strips of the Burst Forth paper, and pieced them back on white cardstock leaving a small  white space between each strip.   I then used a stitched heart die (SCT Sampler exclusive) to die cut the hearts. Then it was all about assembling the page.

 

I placed the paper pieced hearts along with chipboard hearts from the Warm Wishes collection (and if you have an extra set of this hearts, I will definitely buy it out from you!).   The warm tones of the hearts played well with the colors in the background and photos.

 

I added a few embellishments through out the hearts, especially to the joining points of all the paper pieces.     

 

For the title, I am combining puffy stickers, chipboard stickers, and chipboard alphas.  A bit of diluted art crayon brings the color of the background to the letters. To finish, I sprinkled a bit of Mica Distress spray to add the pop of shimmery pink to the page.

 

 

I hope you have a great Valentine's Day!  Take the photo, and then used these ideas to create a project of your own.

 

XOXO

 

Nathalie

Welcome Fernwood! | Nathalie

Hi there!

Nathalie with you today to share some inspiration featuring the new Fernwood collection.  I was able to get a few of the papers from this collection, still trying to find the embellishments, and decided to play with them for this layout...

 

I am using a Foundation paper for the background. Here, I used diluted art crayon to add the color to the page.  The colors come from the Neutral Art Crayons.  Once the first layer dried, I used permanent ink and a script stamp to add some interest to the background. Then I continued to add some texture  using  a combination of  Rose Gold glaze and gesso.   I finished  the mixed media part of the page by adding  a few drops of diluted gold glaze.

 

 

 

 

 

I fussy cut a few of the flowers from the Flora and Fauna paper, a few butterflies from the Hello Friends, and a few extra pink daisies from the In To The Woods paper.     The soft colors matched the ones in the photos.

 

 

 

I can wait for you to check how this page comes together in the following video:

 

VIDEO

 

 

I love how this layout, and cannot wait to see what you will create with Fernwood!

 

XO

 

Using Mixed Media to Document Fall with Nathalie

Hi there!

Nathalie with you today to share a new idea on documenting Fall using mixed media ( and quite a bit of it, too!).   If  you  have followed Vicki or me for a while, then you probably have heard her refer to my style as "black/dark".  Well, it probably is no secret that I love black, but what she refers to is my love for grunge.   So, today, I want to show you a small bit of my style using Color Study to document Fall

 

 

Let me start by saying that I love how this page turned out even when it took almost 3 hours to complete.  It is  a simple design with lots of layers, it is in waiting for each layer of mixed media to dry on its own, that the time just increased.

 

 

The base of my page is built on foundation paper using only the Neutral Art Crayon set to add color of the background.  I started by using a plate to create the wreath outline. then  adding diluted art crayon to give the background shape and color.  I, then, used a BoBunny stamp to create the two layers of stamping on the background ( one is pigment ink, the other art crayon).  A little bit of texture and shine followed with some Gold Glaze and one of Vicki's exclusive stencils, and then finished the look with splatters of diluted gesso on the page.

 

 

Once the background dried, I re-drew the paper shape a few times with a marker.  Then fussy cut a few Color Study patterned papers to create the embellishments of this page.  In addition, I used a Tim Holtz-Sizzix die set to create leaves and branches from one of the pre-made mixed media background paper.

 

 

I backed the picture with a piece of the 6x8 paper pad, and a piece of ephemera.  A bit of foam adhesive helps to make the picture from the page.  I used the fussy cut images to create clusters around the photo - making sure that they sit towards the inside of the wreath-, then used the die cut leaves to follow the circular design of the wreath. 

 

 

I added just a few extra embellishments to complete the page.  You can watch how the page came together in the following video:

 

VIDEO

 

 

I hope this inspires you to use Color Study and mixed media to document your Fall memories!

 

XO

 

 

 

Fall Documenting Fun with Color Study | Nathalie

Happy Thanksgiving!

We are celebrating Thanksgiving here in Canada.  We are so thankful to have all of you as our followers, and all the support you offer all the time.   What better way to celebrate the holiday than with color; and color study is ideal to bring Fall memories and traditions to life in a short amount of time.

 

 

I started with the New Ideas paper for my background.  The dark color is perfect to bring out the details of the embellishments, and make everything more vivid!

 

A bit of simple mixed media is all you need.  I added a bit of gold glaze through one of the stencils to the page.  I soften the edges of the application with my stencil brush, then diluted the left over glaze with water.  I used the diluted glaze to add splatters to the page.

 

 

I used a few papers (even a piece of premade mixed media paper) to create layers behind the photos.  My kids and sisters are wearing a lot of color, so I am bringing the large rainbow tag from the ephemera pack as a layer behind the photo.  I glued this towards the left of the page.

 

 

I pulled a few of the flower pieces from the ephemera pack, and also fussy cut a few more, and tucked them under the photo and to the right of the photo.  This large cluster of flowers balances the page.  

 

 

I brought the large "LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS LIFE" ephemera piece to  be the title of my page.  There was no need to add more embellishments to this side of the page as it is filled with color and large elements.  Instead I added  gold foiled vellum butterfly and a few pieces of ephemera to the top corner of the photo.  

 

 

I love how this turned out. Fall is filled with color, and Color Study is a perfect way to document it!

 

XO

 

Fall Documented with Color Study | Nathalie

Hi there!

Nathalie with you today to share a fun and quick idea to document Fall.  Autumn is my favorite season!  The texture, colors and coziness of the season are probably what I look forward the most during the year.   After watching the past two Friday Night Lives with Vicki, and seeing how she created her layout.  I decided to create my version of it with a shortcut and Color Study,  

 

Love the colors of the page, and how easy the leaves were created.  My secret/shortcut... Pre-made Mixed Media Backgrounds.

 

 

I used Vicki's  latest cut file to cut a 3 sets of the leaves out of one of the premade mixed media papers using my Silhouette Cameo (double cut setting).  Before peeling the leaves off the mat, I added a few splatters of diluted gold ink, and set it aside to dry.

 

 

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In the mean while, I started working on the background for my page.   I chose the Palette paper for this.  First, I used Archival Ink (Watering Can) to stamp a few script lines around the page .  Right after, I used Gold Glaze, and a Stencil Brush to create the impression of Vicki's Dots stencil atop of the stamped images. 

 

 

I started to assemble my page with the photo (a few paper layers frame the photo), I set this in the center of the page.   Then it was all about building clusters of leaves around  the area with the gold dot impression.

 

 

I made sure to leave a bit of space between the leaves.  A bit of foam adhesive helps to create the dimension you see in the leaves.   Also, I was careful not to cover all the mixed media work in the background.  Since the leaves have already plenty of interest, I only added a few embellishments around the clusters.

 

 

Finally, I used a few of the Alpha stickers to create the title for the page.  I set these to the left of the photo. A few extra stickers and phrase stickers is all I needed to complete my page.

 

 

I love how this turned out. The colors are just amazing; a clean, modern, colorful, and fun way to document Fall!  I cannot wait to see what you will do with Color Study and Fall documenting!

 

XO

More Pre- Made Mixed Media Paper Pad Magic with Nathalie

Hello everyone!

Nathalie here with with a fun project featuring  a new idea for the pre-made mixed media paper pad and Color Study.   I love the new paper pad, especially as it makes it so easy to create a layout in a a short amount of time with beautiful results.    In the past weeks, I have shown you ideas on how to add extra to your pre-made backgrounds to make them your own.  Today, I want to show you an idea on how you can make it your own without any extra work.

 

How about cutting your pre-made page to make it the focal point of your page!   Well, this is  a great way to add a pop of mixed media in a contained way to your pages in seconds.    I started by trimming my premade mixed media background (This paper is the one with the blue background and the gold foil bubble impression).  I trimmed my mixed media paper to 6.5x10", and make sure that the cut focused on the area of the paper that had the most interest, and showed a variety of colors.

 

I attached the trimmed premade mixed media paper to the b side of the Abstract paper, and added the small scalloped border edge from the chipboard stickers to add a bit of interest on the yellow side of the paper.

 

The picture of my niece and nephew if pretty neutral, I decided to bring a rainbow of color layers to make it pop from the page.   I first framed the photo with a piece of Pretty Things paper, then used one of the 4x6 cut apart cards, and a piece of the INspired paper as layers behind the photo.  The yellow of the layers works great with the yellow border in the background.

 

 

There is so much interest in the background, so I kept the embellishing very minimum by adding a few pieces of ephemera to the left top corner of the page.   The small stickers are always a  personal favorite, they add just the perfect pop of color 

 

 

To balance all the rainbow, I used a few extra pieces of ephemera and chipboard alphas to create the title of this page.   There is plenty of space to add my journal lines after.  To just add a bit of extra pop, I diluted some gold glaze and splattered it around the page.

 

 

I love how easy it was to put this together.  The key was trimming the premade mixed media paper to work for  the page, the rest is just the magic of Color Study!

 

XO

Woven Placemats using Color Study | Nicole Nowosad

Hi there! Nicole here today to share a colorful project using Color Study!

I decided to cut several strips of Color Study paper and create some color patterened paper mats to use on my page. I think this is a fun way to incorporate tons of patterned paper in a fun way! This is definitely one of those techniques that you can do over and over again in different ways to get a differing result.

I just love adding a fun title using the Color Study ephemera on my scrapbook projects. They are so easy to use and incorporate as the script font is so clean and classic!

I added in some fussy cut pie charts from the specialty paper to add some circular elements to the page so my page is not quite so graphic and will soften those harsh edges from the woven mats.

I hope you like how this one came together and are inspired to give this a try yourself!

 

SIt back and see how this project came together!

 

Flourescent Texture Paint Fun with Nathalie

Hi there!

Nathalie with you today  with a bit more fun with new Flourescent Texture Paint.    I just got the new texture paste; so, I am playing with it to see how it reacts with other mediums.    Slowly, I am  learning how to deal with the neon intensity of the paints.  Today, I wanted to find a way to camouflage some of the intensity of the paint but still have it be present in the page.   Here is what I have created:

 

 

I love how this turned out, plus it just worked for the images of my little sister.   I had so much fun with the background and all the layers of mixed media in this page.

 

I started with a Foundation paper, then diluted the flourescent paint and used it to paint the circles in Vicki's Large Circle stencil (exclusively available in her shop).  Once they dried, I followed with some stamping using black art crayons.  Next, I used one of  Color Study's new stamps and metallic ink to add more details to the background. Finally, I diluted gesso with water, and added splatters of it to the background.  The black stamping emphasizes the paint, and covers some of  it, while the gesso, creates a bleached look on the neon paint.

 

I used papers from Color study that matched the colors in the background.   I added a second frame to the photos with black patterned paper (Inspired paper).   I placed this on the page on a zig zag formation, so that it brings movement to the page.

 

I kept the embellishing simple so that they do not compete with the colorful background.   The round  ephemera just brings the repeated element of the background  forward.  The butterflies help to tie all the pieces together in the page.

 

 

I added a bit of color to the right of the page using washi tape in complementary colors.  This helps to balanced the page.  You can see how the page comes together in the following video:

 

VIDEO

 

 

 

I love how this turned out and all the new ways that I can incorporate the neon paints into my layouts.  Remember to check for the paint and exclusive stencils in VIcki's  shop.

 

'Til next time

 

 

 

Fun with Flourescent Paint with Nathalie

Hello there!

Nathalie with you today to share a new page that features the new Flourescent paints from Color Study collection.  I finally got my set of paints, and all of VIcki's new stencils!  So, what better way to create a page than to mix them in.  

 

I just love how this page combines a bit of me ( my love for black/grungy colors) and Vicki's love for rainbows and neon.   I started the  page by applying diluted art crayon to a Foundation Paper with a brayer. Once it dried, I used both Color Study stamp sets and Watering Can ( gray) Archival ink to stamp a few images on the background.

 

I then, used the new Flourescent paints and one of Vicki's exclusive stencils ( Art Layers)  to create a rainbow of splatters on the background.  I diluted the leftover paint with water, and added it as extra splatters around the page.

 

I pulled all the circle ephemera and stickers that I had left in my  stash to create the clusters around the pictures.   I tried to color block the embellishments to the background  -this just makes each color area pop -.  I added a few phrase stickers around each of the clusters, this unifies the look of the clusters and makes the page cohesive.

 

 

I  pulled a combination of Alpha tickers, and cardstock stickers to create the title for this page. This  was placed at the bottom of the page. You can check  how the page came together in the following video.

 

VIDEO

 

 

I really love how this turned out, and it took no time  to put together.   Remember to check all of Vicki's Color Study collection and mixed media products.  There is so much magic to create with all of it

 

' til next time

XO

Multiple Photos and a Masculine Palette Scrapbook Layout | Nathalie

Hi there!

Nathalie with you today with a new project that hopefully answers to  some of your requests... Multiple photos, masculine layout, and a quick process.   Well, this new scrapbook layout is a happy mix of the three prompts, the key was to start with one of the papers from the pre-made Mixed Media paper pad; the rest just came together in a flash...

 

The green tones of the paper where matched the tones in the photo perfectly.   So, I decided to enhanced the background a bit with art crayons and  glazes. First,  I used the  green art crayons from the neutral and Cool sets to add a stencil impression to the background.  I matched the tones of green to the ones in the paper,  this just adds a bit of interest to the paper.

 

 

Next, I added texture to the page by mixing a bit of Iridiscent  and Prism glaze  together to create the impression of the stars in the background ( the Prism glaze has been discontinued, and the stencil is from Vicki's past travel collection!)   A bit of water diluted the leftover glaze, and this was added as splatters around the page.

 

 

My choice to color block the embellishments and background just help to enhance the colors of the page. I framed the photos with patterned papers that matched the cool color palette.  Then added pieces of ephemera and  stickers that matched the background colors.

 

I opted for a colorful title -icon ephemera pack-as it stands from the background, but also complements the colors of the papers and photos. You can watch how this page comes together in the following video:

VIDEO

 

I hope this project gives you an idea on how to incorporate multiple pictures, a masculine palette, and mixed media with Color Study!   Remember you can always contact me with any questins!

 

XO