What About Wednesday: Mixed Media Layout

Aloha!! It’s Hannah here today!!

How is your week going? My hubby had a 4 day weekend and that always throws my week off. But I thankfully got an extra day off to scrap all day. As much as the week is all crazy, I can never say no to an extra day of all day scrapbooking. I know I am lucky to have a spouse who kicks me to my scrap room.

Since I had all day to play I decided to play with some mixed media. I like to my time and really play. I used to use media a lot more than I do now, and when I pick up my paints it’s like riding a bike. I love the ride playing with mixed media takes me on.

I started with some clear gesso on white card stock. I wanted a little protection since I really didn’t know what I would end up using on the background. I like to go into my layouts open to whatever feels right. Sometimes this works well for me, sometimes it doesn’t turn out quite right. I am ok with this journey though. It helps me learn and grow as a crafter and scrapbooker.

I grabbed some acrylic paints and cup of water. Typically on a canvas you wouldn’t want to mix water and acrylic paint. The water effects the structure of the paint. On a canvas this could mean the paint could not adhere properly. I think in the case of paper though, water mixed with the acrylic paint it really helps it be more fluid, and dry quicker. I haven’t noticed that the water has affected my paint on the paper in the layouts I have made in the past. ( I say this as a warning, that any media that isn’t photo safe, could have an effect on the photo if you don’t use enough layers between the paint and the photo. Use your gut, with this info. If you feel weird and wrong for any unknown product and it’s ability to effect your photo, don’t do it. For me I make many of these layouts for my enjoyment and it doesn’t bother me. That is just me though.)

I used my paint brush to add drops of the watered down acrylic paint. I do this technique often. It is easy, and it’s hard to mess up. You can add as many or as few droplets to your page for the look you want. I like to mix big and small paint drops.

This is an image I took while my paint was drying.  I added each color. Then dried it for less than a minute with my heat tool. I then let it air dry for about 15 minutes. I added blue plus signs with a thin watercolor brush. I thought this would be fun. Seeing plus signs sticking out throughout the layout. I also added paint lines on the corners of the layout. To tell you the truth this is part I wish I would have left out. I wished I would have hand drawn lines with a black ink pen. But I didn’t and This is where you have to decide to keep going and see how the layout will turn out or stop and toss it. It really is a personal thing to choose. Some days I have been known to start pulling things off a layout in the middle of making it because I hated it. It again is part of this process of learning and growing and becoming the scrapbooker you want to be.

Once dry I started to build my layers. This is my favorite part. I love finding, searching for all these bits and pieces and fitting them in like a puzzle.

For this layout I used one 4×4 square photo. I really enjoy this size for building layers. I really try to switch things up and not use it all the time though, because it is easy for things to feel the same when I use this size all the time. Even though depending on the papers you layer each layout can look completely different.

I love this photo of my puppy!! At the time of this picture (when I took it) she was about 5 or so months. So curious about everything I was doing in my scrap room. One day I was trying to take pictures of my layout with her inside. She wanted to be in on the action. I am so glad I took this image while trying to hold her in my legs to keep her away my layout. It really makes my smile. Having a small puppy can be so much fun, even though it really makes everything much more difficult to get done. Haha!!

While building my layers I grabbed papers I thought would match the photo and papers that I had laying around. I love mixing sizes and fitting them in around.

I added a white doily and a medium shipping tag in my layers. I love the texture they add. Also the shapes are much different than the strips of patterned paper which works really well the pull everything in, but make it unique.

I tucked die cuts in my layers too. This is the fun part of layering, finding pieces that are odd and  making them fit. Sometimes all it is a color that works. Like this die cut.. Hello.

The color worked and I love how it just fits.

I added some grey feltie hearts on this layout. They are my favorite!! Literally they are amazing. Paired with some white thread and a flair badge from The Spiegel Mom Scraps collab with Accent Scrapbooking. I love how the green in you is picked up by the strip of green paper I used.

I scattered some Holly Berries Sequins around the whole layout. I really like how this holiday inspired mix works because of it’s nature feel.

Especially with these wood pieces that I picked up in the clearance part of the shop.

I really played up on the fun and silliness of the photo with this layout. I really like when the tone of the photo matches with the layout.

I love using stickers for titles especially when I mix that with Thickers. These white ones are so puffy and fun.

Here is the whole layout.

Look out for the Process Video on my personal Youtube channel. You can see it below.

Also don’t forget to head over to the SpiegelMom Scraps Facebook group to share with us the layouts and projects you are making with the products you get from the Store. There is always so much inspiration there!!

I hope you have an excellent and inspiring day!!

Hannah