"Believe In Yourself"

Hi everyone,

Monique back again today with my second layout for Scrap Matrix's "The Point Is" Challenge.
To refresh your memory - here is the moodboard for the challenge:

This is just such a cool mood board - and so much inspiration in one picture!!

This time, I used stars to "make my point,"  inspired by the gorgeous 7 Dots Northern Lights "Frayed Knot" paper.

Here is a quick step by step of how I created this layout:

1.  Select 3 pieces of coordinating paper.  Leave one paper whole, cut one sheet about 4"x12" and the second sheet 8"x12."  I used 7 Dots Studio Northern Lights papers - "Frosted" and "Frayed Knot."

2.  Use your 12"x 12" paper as your base and layer the other two papers on top - you can distress the edges to add more texture, if you want.  I used Tim Holtz Distress Ink in Iced Spruce.

3.  Stencil on some detail with a stencil and some ink.  I used 7 Dots Studio Cotton Candy Dreams "Stars" stencil and some Distress Ink in Iced Spruce.  Add some Gesso to a craft sheet, and water it down.  Use a credit card or paint scraper to lightly scrape the gesso on the layout just under where you will place your photo, once dry, add some colour by scraping on some watered down acrylic paint.  I used Dina Wakely Acrylic Paint in Marine.  I later added some gesso and paint the same way to the lower right hand corner.

4.  Start putting together your photo mat.  Cut a piece of paper to go under your photo (I used 7 Dots Studio "Northern Lights Board Games," distress the edges and ink.  I also popped a couple of tags from the 12" x 12" Northern Lights Tags sheet, which I also distressed and inked, under my photo.  I also used a darker piece of denim fabric under my papers - I just wanted something dark to "ground" the photo mat a bit.

5.  Add your photo to your photo mat, and then adhere to your layout.

6.  Next, use a die to cut some stars out of some coordinating paper (I used 7 Dots Studio Northern Lights Board Games.)  Paint some chipboard star shapes in acrylic paint.  I used Dina Wakley Acrylic Paint in Marine.  Arrange the stars across your layout, leading the eye to your photo.

7.  Layer some coordinating paper, stickers and tags to the lower right corner.  This is the space to do some journaling.

8.  Finally, add some word stickers (I used 7 Dots Studio Northern Lights Word Stickers 6 x 12,) and your title.  I used chipboard word from the 13 Arts Strength in Numbers chipboard sheet.   I flicked on some more paint and did a bit more doodling 

Here is a complete list of the products I used which are available in the Scrap Matrix shop.

7 Dots Studio"Northern Lights" papers "Frosted," "Frayed Knot" and "Board Games"

7  Dots Studio "Northern Lights" 12 x 12 Tag Sheet

7 Dots Studio 6 x 12 "Word Stickers" 

Dina Wakley Media Acrylic Paint "Marine"

Kinder Kreations Chipboard Stars

13 Arts "Strength In Numbers" 12 x 12 Chipboard sheet.

Tim Holtz Ideology - Label Letters.

Well that's it from me today folks - don't forget, you have until midnight on the 14 June to upload your entry.  Simply add it to the "What's the Point" album in  the Scrap Matrix Shares page on Facebook.