Making Mixed Media Easy

Aloha It’s Hannah here with you today. I am super excited about my first post here on the SpiegelMom Scraps blog!!

Mixed Media is super trendy but can be really intimidating. There is so many things that could go wrong. It can be really messy and unpredictable. If you do it right it really can look awesome and make an unique background that is perfect for the story you are wanting to tell.

Pinterest is a fun place to gain some inspiration for backgrounds. I love using textures and patterns to inspire me. I have been loving circles lately. On Pinterest I had seen a background with tiny circles on it. Using tiny circles in a few areas is a easy way to add color and media to a background without being complicated as well.

I decided to use the end of my pencil easer as my paint brush to dab circles on my white cardstock. I used Shimmerz Dazzlerz in Gummy Bear Blue and Sour apple Green because I knew I wanted to scrap a spring picture of my kids running.

By randomly places the dots around the layout, overlapping the circles you create a background that is unique. The eraser makes the dots imperfect and the Dazzlers is a little thick which gives texture to the dots when they dry.

You could let each color dry in-between colors, but actually wanted some of the Dazzlerz to mix a little creating a new color. This kind of background could be really busy or really subtle depending on how many dots you add. I went for the middle ground, and added a decent amount but left quite a bit of white space.

Something else that helps add personality to a background is to stamp on it. I have tons of planner or smaller stamps. I knew my little heart stamp would be perfect. I added open and closed hearts to change it up. I just placed them throughout the dots. I used a black Stazon stamp ink, but this would look darling in a different shade ink close to the Dazzlerz colors.

I let the background dry over night. It really didn’t need it though. Allowing you background cardstock to dry before adding layers on it is key. Air drying is best because it cuts on the paper from warping too much. I often use a heat gun slightly to help speed the drying time. Letting me follow through with my thought process on a layout.

I didn’t want to cover most of the dots and hearts I created so I kept my layers behind my photo simple. I used a large glassine bag as one layer. I like the way the background softly peeks through the sides of the bag. I also matted my photo in white. I added two laters of patterned paper in fun artsy and watercolor type of patterns. This helps tie in with the homemade background.

I also added some very thin washi tape on the background. I added a diagonally striped patterned paper on the side and bottom of the tape. I wanted to use these two areas to help ground my photo and build my embellishment clusters on them.

Take look at each cluster. I absolutely love how they turned out!!

The little felt clouds in the store are perfect for this layout. I also took a patterned that had clouds on it and fussy cut them out.

By adding pop dots to some of the clouds and layering them, it really makes the clouds feel like they are floating.

I used word phrase stickers in similar colors and some die cuts it helps add some other shapes into the mix.

I finished with lots of sequins from both the Spring Blooms and A Day In the Woods Mixes. I love how both these colors picks up colors in the papers and mixed media I used. In the end I just think they look cute and fun!! Cause who doesn’t secretly love sequins!?!

Inspired by Sunshine and playing in the sun, which my kids love to do. Actually they just love to run around outside, rain or shine, but more in the sun!! I started with a scripted die cut piece. I like the look of a title with different colors and shaped fonts and this layout it just went perfectly to tie all the colors together from the layout.

Here is a look at the whole layout.

I hope you were inspired today. Inspired to do a little mixed media on your layouts or try something a little different. I find these things really help me grow my scrappy mind, even if they don’t end up working on a page or project.

have a great Day and I can’t wait to see you around!!

Hannah