Scrap Matrix Blog: "I photograph" .. with Alz

Morning peeps!

I'm so very excited to join you with my first official Design Team member project ..

I photograph

I was inspired to create this layout by the current Tic Tac Toe challenge which, for a fun twist, also challenges you to create a monochromatic layout.

I've used the far right vertical line .. pretty patterned paper, lace and paper flower. My background was created on a very pretty piece of patterned paper from the Blue Fern Studios Wanderlust collection (Mountain View). I didn't have any fabric lace so used Embossed Paper Lace (love this stuff!), and the flower I found laying around my desk gathering dust, literally.

To create my background, I ripped some pages out of a dictionary I picked up for just a few dollars from one of our local op shops and, using a good old fashioned glue stick, randomly stuck strips of varying sizes down.

Once the glue was completely dry, I started picking off the bits that hadn't stuck down. I find this gives a really soft and random edge to the dictionary paper.

I was going to use some of the Lindy's Stamp Gang sprays and wasn't completely sure how they would react on the old dictionary paper versus the Blue Fern Studios patterned paper so, using a baby wipe for a soft and diluted, finish, I applied white gesso to my page.

Next up I sprayed the background with two yellow Linda's Stamp Gang Flat Fabio sprays. I started with the lighter colour first as I hadn't planned to use quite so much of the second, darker colour but it was just so yummy (Pineapple Paradise) I couldn't stop! I did end up with some lovely depth of colour though.

Once all this was dry I created a cascading, stamped image which I thought suited my photo perfectly, with Aall & Create stamps and a Jet Black Ranger Archival Ink Pad. I stamped them on scrap white paper first to cut out the images and create masks. I've used this technique previously (see here for step by step pics).

I also used an Aall & Create stencil (#8) with Ranger Texture Paste (I used the Opaque Matte) to add some texture to my page. I love this stencil and see it being used on so many of my pages.

So anyways, that's my background done and dusted. Next up it was time to stick down my photo and get on with embellishing. Frequently I'll use layers behind my photo but decided to skip that step for this page. It just didn't seem to need it.

I used a Paper Artsy Fresco Finish Acrylic Paint in Nougat to paint a strip of white French Lace Embossed Paper Lace, a paper flower from my stash, and one of the chipboard flourishes from the Blue Fern Studios chipboard packs (Mini Flourishes). I tucked the Embossed Paper Lace in behind my photo and added a Petaloo Mini Paintables Butterfly. In this instance I didn't need to alter the butterfly, but look forward to altering the other seven left in the pack (such good value).

I created a small embellishment cluster in the lower left corner of my layout grounding both the Embossed Paper Lace and my photo, using the Blue Fern Studios chipboard mini flourish, my painted paper flower, and two metal leaves. Vicki has a great range of metal in store; you can find it all here. At this time I realised the colour on my chipboard flourish was all wrong so I got out my Prima Watercolour Pencils and coloured it yellow.

Finally it was time for the finishing touches. Whilst I had the Prima Watercolour Pencil out I coloured in some of the stamped Aall & Create images. I flicked around some Black 13@rts Ayeeda Glitter Ink and stuck on some of the yellow 2mm Molossi Crystal Gems. I used Tim Holtz Idea-ology Chit Chat stickers to create my title "I photograph" and printed my journaling using a free typewriter font I found online .. 1942 report.

So that's my first monochromatic tic tac toe layout done and dusted! In case you've forgotten (this post is very long after all lol) I created the layout for the current Scrap Matrix challenge to create a project (not necessarily a scrapbooking layout) using a line from the tic tac toe box ..

But remember, it must be monochromatic, which means one colour with neutrals. I don't know about you, but I interpret neutrals to mean black, white and creams. Oh and you have until the 14th of May to upload photos of your project to the Scrap Matrix Shares page on Facebook. Please remember to add your photos to the Tic Tac Toe/Monochromatic April album.

Oh and heh please do let us know which Scrap Matrix products you've used. We all love seeing how different peeps use different products in different ways. That's a lot of "differents" lol!

Anyways that's it for me today. I look forward to dropping in again soon to share another monochromatic, tic tac toe layout with you.

Til next time, be cool!

Cheers .. Alz :)