Sunday 15 April 2012

Creative Scrappers Sketch 204 - Guitar Girl - Mixed Media & Microbeads!





Just coming up for air...glug, glug, glug, glug...!!!

This beautiful girl with the dimples in her cheeks left
for university today so that's put a bit of a damper on 
the day... I've been working furiously on a BIG reveal
for later in the week & got 3 layouts done this weekend.


But today I am here to show you my take on Sketch 204
 for Creative Scrappers.  I showed you a sneak of my crazy
 layout in my last post...The comments from my family were...
"well, they'll either love it or hate it LOL...
so which will it be???

  So far I've already got a really nice comment on it from Keren
before it even went up so  thanks :)  

Hope you like it - I do anyway!

What  constitutes a "good" sketch?
  I would say that obviously it needs to be well-balanced
and with good proportions, just like a good layout...but the
thing I love about this sketch (and most of the sketches up
at Creative Scrappers) is that it is so open to interpretation.


This layout is based on packaging card from a 12" pack of 
Lily Bee Rub-ons. I used it to protect another layout I was 
misting certain parts of and, when I removed the cardboard 
I saw that the mist had pooled (as the cardboard is semi-glossy 
and non-absorbent) SO I stood it upright against my units, 
on the tiled floor of my studio...and let it drip. 
 Quite serendipitous!  A happy accident :)


So look out for some semi-glossy non-absorbent card that you 
can use in place of cardstock - it does take it's own good time 
to dry though...A great discovery for misting though...


Much as I love the whole artistic process of scrapbooking I still
 think that the journaling is imperative.  It's an art to
 incorporate  it seamlessly and one that we need to keep trying 
to achieve to keep our layouts real and meaningful.  


That brightly coloured strip at the bottom is from an old sheet 
of  Sassafras paper & the design above it was created using
 Christy Tomlinson's new vintage doily mask AS A STAMP!  
Why not?
It's messy but it worked and a certain amount of messy
 is good...


I've had those microbeads in my drawer for YEARS...
I used to thread them onto pins - crazy I know...

To achieve that whole focal point I started with the mask -
Using paint and modelling paste - dried it with my embossing
gun ('cos I'm impatient like that...) then squished glossy 
accents all over the area & sprinkled on the micro-beads.

I used quite a lot of adhesive as I wanted the beads to become
firmly embedded.  I also incorporated some Prima bling ornate 
centres & some Kaisercraft orange bling dots too...


Dying the metal frames is achieved simply by dipping your 
paintbrush into your mist then spreading as sheer or as
opaque as you desire then sealing with glossy accents.
I used glossy accents within the frames too so the title
looks "wet" and sparkly too.  

I created my visual triangle using the blue journaling, the
blue in the beads & a tiny blue flag in the bottom right-hand 
corner.  Can you see it?  Look again...


Supplies List for "Guitar Girl" Layout

Cardstock - white semi-glossy packaging card
Mists - Maya Road Sunflower Yellow & Sunburst Orange
Modeling Paste - Reeves
Antique Doily Stencil - Christy Tomlinson for Pink Paislee She Art
& Reverse chicken wire 6" by Crafter's Workshop
Inks - Ocean & Lime Pastel by Color Box
Paints - Red Wagon, School Bus & Grass Stains - Making Memories

Microbeads & alphas - stash
Bling - Kaisercraft
Bling ornate centres - Prima
Fabric Brads - K & Co.
Glossy Accents - Ranger
Printed paper - Studio Calico Promotional cards & Sassafras strip
from "Treetops"  Offcut of "Fresh Goods" by Pebbles
Ornate Frames - Theresa Collins Blingage {Zach's Book Plates}
Concertina Flower created using Tim Holtz Die & Big Shot
Resin Flowers - Pebbles
Journaling Pen - Roller Tip pen 0.5




24 comments:

Denise Price said...

I love it!!! You used so many great, creative techniques on this layout, Helen. And the colors simply SING! It's a rainy Sunday afternoon, and we're all just sitting around here at home, so I showed your LO to the whole family. Their reaction was: "That's so cool!" So, you get three thumbs up from the Prices. :)

Unknown said...

I saw this on the reveal today and was BLOWN AWAY!! I freaking LOVE all the beads, the mist, EVERYTHING- an incredible piece of art Helen!!!!

Bellaidea said...

I love every inch!

Tracee said...

Brilliant! I was dying to see this close up and it is so vibrant and all fits together perfectly. Don't you just love a "Happy accident" Tx

Mitralee said...

I think this layout ROCKS! I do see the visual triangle and I love how the seed beads bring out various colors. It has a happy feel to it that is lovely to look it! If you ever capture her on video playing and singing, you'll have to link her up. They are so honest with their singing at that age and it makes me smile!

Julie Tucker-Wolek said...

Your daughter is BEAUTIFUL!! And your lo is just STUNNING!! I loveeeeeeeeeee that background and love love love love the beads!!!

Unknown said...

That looks like a lot of work. You've been slaving away at that studio of yours again..hey, keep it up. You have so many amazing ideas and seeing them on your projects are just eating dinner at an expensive restaurant made especially by the master chef herself..Bravo Helen!!!

yyam said...

Love your happy accident! Wow! I love the bright bold colours...so graphic and artsy! Fantastic use of those micro beads too! Amazing work Helen!

P/s: Were you angry when you made this??? *winks*

Bernadine said...

Love it. You do realise you have just taken you scrapping to another level?

Desire Fourie said...

This is crazy beautiful. Definitely love the African theme simmering through here, as well as the SA flag colours also coming to the surface. Seriously creative.
Hugs
Desire
PS: Hope you don't miss your beautiful daughter too much.

Sabrina Scrapbook said...

Wonderful work, Helen!! WOW!! I always love bright layout like this. But well, I do not know how to do something like this :)

tania said...

CREATIVENESS GALORE!!!! beautiful helen,love the beads and the brilliant colours:)

Evgenia Petzer said...

wow! thi is stunning! techniques, color, everything! rocks!

Lynette Jacobs said...

This is an awesome artwork well done with your happy accident!

sandi said...

Good or bad? This is FABULOUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I love everything about it! So very cool looking!

Carin McDonough said...

Ok well I totally LOVE it! Just love the bright colours and all the texture and well just everything really! :)

Keren Tamir said...

Well not only do I thank you for including me on your post but I just want to try it now even more!! gotta do it in my next grunge LO and must give you full credit for the idea if that's ok with you. I have so many beads in so many different sizes. I wonder if adding big beads or flat beads will look good too. well Helen this is my outmost favourite so far truly blown away by your creation!!

Alison said...

Does your creativity never end Helen?! I love when you talk about the journalling being so important!
Alison xx

FiKenward said...

Well there you go Helen see what frustrating causes... a wonderful mess so to speak. Love the pattern on the RH side and the way the beads have surrounded it. I bet your DD loved this one. Such a wonderful arty page.

Jasmine S said...

A W E S O M E.
Just fabulous page for those pics and the beads.....L O V E T H E M

Lynnda said...

This is so beautiful layout!!! Very artsy!!! Love the colors..Gorgeous... Hugs..xoxo

Marjie Kemper said...

This is spectacular, Helen! I was totally intrigued by the sneak of the beads, and I'm loving the full reveal. Wow... the stenciling and misting is just fantastic. Great LO!

Eila Sandberg said...

She really is such a stunning young woman, who has she got the dimples from? Your page is wild and totally crazy, but oh how glorious that the misting accident took you on this colourful creative journey - the result is amazing!! Absolutely loved reading about your process and checking out all the arty details!! WTG!! xoxo

Juliana Michaels 17turtles said...

This LO absolutely blows me away in every way possible! I love all the fabulous techniques and how well balanced it still is! Makes me want to play!!!