Vicki Boutin

Color Study Stamps & Fussy Cutting | Nicole Nowosad

Hi there and TGIF! Nicole here today to kick off the weekend with some Color Study inspiration for you.

Today, I am going to use one of the new stamp sets from Color Study - actually, I used both, but primarily I used the floral stamps as you will see very soon !

I started with the Color Study stamps, some Art Crayons, a sheet of Foundations paper as well as a transparency sheet. Sorry, it is pretty gross looking! 

I added some water to the Art Crayons and watered it down slightly with some water and kissed each color around the Foundations Paper. I am going to cut the paper apart, so I just grouped by color on the page.

Once the Art Crayon was good and dry, I used three floral stamps from one of the Color Study sets and used some archival black ink to stamp the flowers into each color of Art Crayon.

I stamped the whole sheet - although I didn't need it, but if you are going to stamp somehting like this -just do the whole thing and you always have a little extra ready for another project.

When my sheet was full, I sat back and fussy cut all of the flowers out. It took a while, but I think they look great on the project, so it is totally worth it.

You can see that I added the Polka Dot stamp from the other Color Study stamps to some of the colored ink, before I cut the flowers out. The polka dot is a great, simple pattern that adds a lot of texture to the design. 

I added in lots of stickers and chipboard to my page and loaded the layered flowers in around those pieces based on the color of the paper in the background.

I even love the purple on this page, although purple is typically not a go to for me! I added in several pufffy stickers and heart/star stickers from the collection in each of the color blocking groups.

The background paper is one of my favorites in the collection - a rainbow of sorts without being super rainbow! i love the subtle color blocking on the background too. 

 

I love how this one came together, and I hope you do too! I would love it if you would share your projects using this technique in the Vicki Boutin Facebook community group!

See you soon,

Using Mixed Media on Smaller Format Documenting | Nathalie D.

Hello there!

Nathalie here with a few ideas on how you can add mixed media to your smaller format documenting.   Well, if you were able to watch Vicki's latest Friday Night Live, then you also watch Vicki work with black paint for her background.  And, if you have seen my work, then you know that I happen to love black and mixed media.   So, I put Vicki's ideas to work on my daily documenting, and here are the results:

 

 

I started with following Vicki's technique of adding the paint with a brayer, then stencil with a white art crayon followed with a color art crayon on top; to then finish with a second stencil and texture paste. 

 

I am using cool and neutral art crayons with a new Fernwood stencil.  The gold texture paste was applied through an exclusive Vicki Boutin stencil.

 

And here is how I transformed it into a title page for my pocket spread (personal journal).  I am using Fernwood to create my pocket page cards,title, and embellishments.

 

For this page, I stated by painting the black paint with a wide brush on Foundation paper.   I mixed art crayon with iridiscent glaze and added it through a new Fernwood collection stencil.   The leftover glaze was diluted and added as splatters to the page.

 

 

I used this background in my Family Journal.  The colors in the photo were the inspiration for the iridiscent glaze colors.   A few embellishments from Fernwood complete the page.

 

For the last project, I  used a scrapper to add the paint to the foundation paper, then used gold glaze to stamp my background.  This works best with a rubber stamp (as they are firmer and give a better definition than polymer stamps),  I finished it with drops of diluted gold glaze

 

I am using the background to create my layout, then adding an entire ledger page (6x8 Fernwood paper pad) to add the long story that accompanies the photo.   In order to balance the photo, I created a large cluster at the bottom of the ledger paper.

 

IN case you missed Vicki's latest techniques, just click here to visit the video.

I cannot wait to see what you create with VIcki's new techniques and ideas

 

XO

 

 

Reworking Mixed Media Backgrounds | Nathalie DeSousa

Hi there!

Today, I want  to share with you a new project that shows you what usually happens to failed mixed media backgrounds.   I have always documented my days in small formats, and even though I create 12x12 layouts, my everyday life is documented in traveler's notebooks, 6x8 albums, and notebooks.  So let me show you how I added some Fernwood to my everyday with the help of mixed media

 

 

Simple pages with lots of space for stories, is probably what you will find on my journals.   These are actually part of my year-long gratitude journal. Let me show you the failed mixed media pieces 

 

These two pieces were part of backgrounds that did not make the cut.  They both have failed stenciling attempts.  The brown one has pieces of the stencil moved (so It gives it a fuzzy look),while the blue one doesn't have a crisp snowflake impression ( the paper buckled quite a bit, and the glaze seeped under the stencil). My solution, like VIcki always mentions...Die cut it!

 

I used Altenew dies to cut my title work from the mixed media backgrounds. I paired this with some washi tape, papers and embellishments from Fernwood. I chose to add yellow accents through the page to make it all cohesive.

 

I added a few circle marks to the next layout to bring the idea of cup rings to the page, and then complemented the page with a few extra pieces from Fernwood.  I love all the small details scattered around the page.

 

 

All I have left to do is add my journaling, and done!  As VIcki always mentions, if you are not happy with a background then consider using it as a layer or die cutting it into embellishments or in this case a title work.

 

I cannot wait to see what you create!

 

 

 

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

Mixed Media and Warm Wishes Layout |Nathalie

Hello there!

Nathalie with you today to share a new project using the gorgeous Warm Wishes collection.   There is so much to love in this collection which makes it easy to mix pieces together for your memory keeping.   I think that this is my first scrapbook layout with  the collection, and I am loving how it turned out.   Let me show you what  I have created:

 

 

It was all about combining mixed media and pieces from Warm Wishes for this page.   The stencil set of this collection is probably a favorite, and I wanted to make it one of the focal points of the page.

 

 

I created the impression of the star stencil -on foundation paper- with a mixture of gesso and iridiscent glaze.  Once it dried,  I color washed it with diluted prism glaze. Just a few splatters and set it aside to dry up

 

 

In the meanwhile, I fussy cut a few of the poinsettia flowers from the patterned paper, and worked on backing the photo with papers from the 6x8 paper pad. I wanted to keep the photo layers simple as I want everything in the page to shine nicely together.

 

I set my photo to the left of the mixed media application.  I used the poinsettias to create a diagonal line along the page.   This sets the perfect placement for more embellishments and title work,

 

 

The chipboard stars and hearts are beautiful -and ones I will probably have to hoard for life-; so, I mixed a few of them at the corners of the page.   All I needed was a title (puffy stickers) and a repeating element in each cluster (puffy stars)!

 

 

I just love how this turned out, simple yet filled with color and holiday feeling.    I cannot wait to see what you create with this collection

 

XO

 

Christmas Tags with Warm Wishes | Nathalie

Hi there!

Nathalie with you today to share a bit of Christmas fun with Warm Wishes.   This collection is beautiful, and there is so much you can create with it!  From tags to layouts to home decor, the possibilities are endless.. So, today I want to share with you a few tags that are sure to cheer up your packages, cards and albums.

 

I had so much fun creating these, and were so easy to put together.

 

 

For my first tag, I use kraft paper as the base of the tag (used a die set from Pinkfresh Studio to cut the papers),then cut a second banner from the Holiday paper.    I used a second die set (Echo Park) to cut the greenery then layered it under the large floral ephemera piece.   I diluted some gesso, and splattered all over the card.  I am using a bit of foam adhesive to attach a few puffy sticker sentiments to the tag.  Simple layers!!

 

 

For my next tag, I started with foundation paper.  I used my red art crayon and a stencil brush to add a bit of color to the background.   I used gold glaze and one of the new stencils to apply a bit of texture and shine to the tag. The left over glaze was then diluted and splatter on the tag.

 

 

I used ephemera pieces to decorate the tag,  no need for much more as I wanted the background to also show in the tag!

 

 

For my final tag, I went heavy on mixed media.   I started with a bit of script stamping on foundation paper using archival ink.  Then, I used the new Warm Wishes stamp set to heat emboss white embossing powder onto the background.    Using the teal art crayon, I diluted some of it  and added it as pigment to the tag.  Once the background dried, then I used a baby wipe to  buff the embossed areas.   

 

 

To finish the tag, I pulled a few of the chipboard heart and stars and added them to the tag ( I used a die to cut the tag).   I added a ribbon bow, and then added a small sentiment from the puffy sticker words.   

 

 

I love how these turned out, and I cannot wait to use them on  different Christmas projects.

XO

 

Preparing for December Documenting with Warm Wishes | Nathalie

Hi there!

Nathalie with you today to share a few ideas for your December Documenting.   I am sure that most of us have the great intentions to document the jolliest of  months.  I love the Christmas, but it also is the busiest time of the year in our household.  So, I tend to prep as much as I can in November so that I am not as stressed come December.   So, let me show you how I killed one sheet of the Warm Wishes Specialty paper in this 3 page  set ups.

 

 

I think we all love Vicki's Warm Wishes collections, and my format for documenting December has always been a smaller format.  This year, I will be creating 2 albums, one with all our family December memories, and a second one ( I am still waiting for Vicki's album to arrive) with past December memories -this is  an on-going project-.   Let me show you what I have created for my 2021 album

 

 

This is most likely to become a title page for a large photo.  I am using a 6x8 album ( and yes it is yellow!!!).  So, I cut the specialty paper to 7'x8.5' and carefully attached it to a piece of white cardstock of the same size.  I, then, ran metallic wired string at the top of the page so that it resembled a hanging line.

 

 

I used my  Crop-a-dile to punch holes to two chipboard stars and one of the hearts.  Using gold twine, I strung them off the top hanging line.   To finish, I added one of the red bows from the ephemera pack.  I have yet added punch holes, as I am not sure what side of the album it will sit on,  But once we have it ready, I will add stickers and a title to the chipboard pieces on this page, to accompany the large photo on the opposite page,

 

I trimmed the leftover piece of vellum so that it fit 5x12 inches.  I folded the vellum in half and stitched through three of its sides to create a pocket for my album.  I used sticky strips to help me create the binding holes for the pocket.

 

I always buy lots of  mugs and holiday beverages, so I decided to create a few tags to house some of the photos and also my lines of journal.  The small cup ephemera is just perfect for this page,  Once again I will probably have a large photo, or 3x4 pocket page on the left of this pocket.

 

 

For the back of the pocket, I chose to add a few pieces of ephemera, and also created a tag for my journaling.  This again will be the title/journal spot for a large photo companion on the right of the pocket.

 

 

Now, the small piece of vellum left turned into a title for a cascade banner piece for my album.  I just trimmed the small shape at the bottom, folded about 0.5' at the top to create the flap.  

 

I am not so sure if I will last a list or a photo here, but I couldn't throw away the packaging of the ephemera pack.  So, I trimmed the perforated top of it, created a fold, and glued it under the vellum.   I added the small tab (journaling ephemera) to help me create the next flap.

 

 

For the last flap, first, I covered the back of the package with patterned paper.  Then attached all the flaps to the back of the patterned paper (removable adhesive for the time being, until I  am certain of the picture that will go behind the flap.  I know I am going to add a large photo and title here, and my lines of journal will go on the red side of the flap, and maybe a smaller photo will go behind the vellum layer.

 

I hope these give you a few more ideas on pages for your Warm Wishes album.  I cannot wait to see your completed albums!

 

XO

 

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

 

More cards using Storyteller | Nicole Nowosad

Hi there VBoo fans! Nicole here today to share a fun set of cards using one of the Storyteller stamp sets and a super easy water marking technique.

 

Can you spot the technique in that photo? it is really subtle. I created each of these cards using a stencil brush and art crayons as a base and then used stamps and stencils to stamp various patterns on the cards.

Next, I added some watermarking using Color Study stamps that I stamped in plain old water! I then stamped the image on each card and pressed down VERY tightly and held it in place for a minute or two for the water to absorb into the foundations paper. You can really see the heart in the image above and how subtle (but cool!) this technique is.

It is super subtle but you can see the ink splat stamp in teh bottom left corner of this photo (above). This is great for when you want splatters but not a strong pop of color.

How about the water marking on this card, can you spot it:

I used the polka dot stamp with this technique and really love the result on this one - so subtle but I can see it! Adds such great texture to the background of the card!

 

I hope you will give this one a try, it is super easy and a very subtle but cool effect!

 

Slimline cards with Nicole Nowosad

Hi there! Nicole here today to share some fun stamped cards using the Color Study stamp sets.

I think the Color study stamp sets are my most favourite of all of Vicki’s collections, I just live the texture elements in each set that you can use.

 

I started both cards using peach art crayon and the ever popular “kissing” technique. To my first card, I added some gold glaze as well over the top once the art crayon was completely dry. I added in some droplets of rust from one of my Dirmstress Oxide inks and the base of the card was complete.

I took a separate sheet of foundations paper and kissed the background with rust, and brown art crayon and let it dry. I then stamped the pretty fall leaf images over it and painted some gold glaze to parts of the leaf stamp. I fussy cut them and layered them on my card.

 

For my second card I used peach art crayon again and my stencil brush, and the added some polka dot stamps from the Color study set using Distress Oxide ink. I then added a grid of stitches to the front and a stamped sentiment from my stash to build the pattern - and add a sentiment at the same time ! 

I stamped the flowers from the Color Study set onto vellum and fussy cut those out and added them to my card to finish it off! 

I think these turned out great, and was the first time I tried the slimline style of card too!

I hope you are inspired to use your Color Study stamps to create your own cards too!

 

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