Layout Share: Stamping techniques and creating larger flowers

Here's one of the last pages I created with this month's DT kit from Memorable Seasons.

This layout is titled "Still the One".

 

Here's a few detail photos...

I created a border with two other pattern papers. The yellow paper was adhered to the layout as is, and the other paper was punched with a scallop border and then inked with a sponge and blue inkpad.

To create a custom colored border to the title frame, I used a dark red ink pad and a waterbrush. I smeared the ink pad directly onto the craft mat, then picked up the color with my waterbrush and painted it onto the frame.

  When you are picking up the color from your craft mat, the more water you squeeze from the brush, the lighter the color will turn out. You can always add more layers of ink onto the paper once it's dry if you want your color a bit darker on your project. I love how this technique gives a soft water colored look.

Here's what it looked like when I finished. On the right hand side, you can see some tags sticking out. When I adhered the title block to the layout, I didn't put any adhesive on that side so it would create a pocket for my journaling. My title words were created with the monogram stickers outlined with a black pen and the mini alphabet stickers.

I also added some of the same pattern paper strips and some of the cream pearls to the pre-printed lace detail on the bottom of the rectangle.

Here's a photo of the journal tags I created. These began as plain cream tags and I wanted to age them a bit, so I rubbed the ink pad directly onto the tag. When they were dried, I wrote my journaling on them with a black pen.

These are some pictures of how I alter my stamps to fit my needs. Cutting a stamp does NOT ruin it...you can still use it as it was originally intended, or you can add versatility to that image by cutting it to be able to stamp it in various ways or to omit part of your stamp image.

Another tip with using your stamps is to place them flat side up onto your project and then pick them up with your clear block. This allows for exact placement and you can even pick up different sections of the stamps to use with different colors of ink.

 Here you can see how I stamped the different words in two different colors of ink. This gives your project a truly custom look!

One other tip I used on this layout that I wanted to share was how to create a larger flower from a smaller one. I only had two of the large red flowers and wanted all of the flowers on my layout to have the same look, so I took two smaller ones and tore off the individual petals, then tucked them underneath the top layers of the flower that I had already attached to my layout with a brad. I just used liquid glue to hold each of the petals in place. The bottom two pictures in this set show the new larger flower on the left and the original flower I wanted to match on the right.

Supplies Used:
*My Minds Eye Andrea Victoria: Golden Damask
*My Minds Eye: Dad Diamond/Lime
*Melissa Frances: Sheri
*Donna Salazar Artistic Papers: Attic Journal Cards
*My Little Shoebox Mini Alphabet Stickers (cream)
*KaiserCraft Pearls (Chino--cream)
*Basic Grey Mini Monogram Alpha Stickers: Sugared
KaiserCraft White Flowers (colored yellow with inkpad)
Prima Flowers: Red and Blue
Making Memories Antique Copper Brads
Ranger Distress Inkpads: Scattered Straw, Aged Mahogany, Antique Linen, Chipped Sapphire
Technique Tuesday stamps: Ali Edwards ("this is why I love you")
Fiskars Scalloped Sentiment Border Punch
Cream Tags-unknown
Black Pen

* These products were from the Memorable Seasons DT kit.

All other products were from my personal stash.