Tam's second 'Limited Supplies' Creation

Hi all,  Tam back today to share another creation using limited supplies.

 

Last time I created a layout on a white background, so I thought I'd create with a black background this time, just to mix it up a little.

 

Whilst searching for my black cardstock, I uncovered my black art journal that I'd purchased on the wonderful Tracy Scott weekend at Scrap Matrix.  I hadn't even used it yet!

 

So I decided that's what I'd do....plus the supplies we were sent really lend themselves to art journaling.

Now I really feel like a novice art journaller - I'm much more comfortable with scrapbooking layouts, and I'd LOVE to be able to attend some of Vicki's classes - what they create at those classes always has me drooling and I'd love to learn all the little tricks along the way.

 

But boy did I have fun with this one......

So let's take a look at how this came together.

 

Firstly, the supplies.......

This month, the design team all received 5 supplies in the post, and the idea is to play with only those, adding the bare minimum.
We each received 2 paints, a spray, a stamp and a stencil.

So here's the supplies I received:

AALL & Create Stamp No 14

13 Arts Stencil - Galaxy

Dylusions Paint - 'Cut Grass'

Dina Wakley Paint - 'Ocean'

Dylusions Ink Spray - 'Funky Fuschia'


I began by applying some of the 'Cut Grass' paint directly onto the page.

I then channelled my inner Lisa Oxley and lay down the 'Galaxy Stencil' and wiped some paint off using a baby wipe.

 

I then repeated this with the 'Ocean' Paint.

I then grabbed out the 'Dina Wakley Tissue Paper pack'.
I've been hoarding these!
Time to bust them open.

 

 

I wasn't sure if the face would show up on the colour, so I added some white gesso first.

 

 

 

I then added the face using 'Soft Matte Gel'.
Once the face was down, an idea popped into my head (up until now I had no idea where I was going).
Those stamps are architectural, like a house plan - Ah Ha - like a plan!

When I created my layout the other day, I didn't like where it was going, so I'd discarded my first attempt.
I don't like to waste ANYTHING, so I decided to revisit it.

Ok, so I'll get that part up to speed....

I'd added some Soft Matte Gel through the 'Galaxy Stencil' onto white cardstock.

 

I then added some watered down paint, but I think I added too much water and it kind of wrecked the paper in parts.

So I stamped the AALL & Create Stencil No 14 onto this card and cut out a whole heap of circles in different sizes.

I then added these randomly to my layout using Soft Matte Gel.

Once glued down, I added some of the 'Funky Fuschia Ink Spray'.

I love how it mixed with the blue and created purple!
I simply used my finger to swipe it over.

I then outlined these circled with black paint and a white gel pen, adding a few scribbles, trying to be messy and random.

I added some journaling to one of them.......
It reads "I had a plan...but I forgot where I put it"

Perfect for this page....for the process, for the stamps and for the stencil.
These circles represent all the different thoughts and plans that pop in and out of my head constantly!

I then used the AALL & Create Stamp to stamp a few of the words onto white cardstock.

I stamped:
Create Art
Create Love
Create You

Ta da!!

So what can you create with a couple of paints, a stamp and a stencil???

How creative can you get with a limited supply of products? Can you make less into more? Whether you are art journaling or scrapping, we can sometimes get overwhelmed with the idea of how much stuff to use... so this challenge is about stripping it back, using less and stretching your supplies in different ways.

 

 

Head on over to our Scrap Matrix Shares Facebook Group and load up your creations, including what products you used.  We love seeing them.
Your creativity inspires us so much. PLUS you could win a voucher from the shop or a chance to be a guest designer!!! Woohoo!

 

I'll be back again real soon with more to inspire you.

 

Love Tam

xxx

Scrap Matrix Products used:

 

AALL & Create Stamp No 14

13 Arts Stencil - Galaxy

Dylusions Paint - 'Cut Grass'

Dina Wakley Paint - 'Ocean'

Dylusions Ink Spray - 'Funky Fuschia'
Dina Wakley Tissue Collage Paper Pack
Soft Matte Gel
White Gesso

Dina Wakley Paint - Black

Black Archival Ink

Limited Supplies.....with Tam

Hi there Scrap Matrixes!!

 

Tam here today....

I've popped in today to share the details of my first creation for the 'Limited Supplies' Challenge.

 

Here it is.....

Love that colour against the white, with the touches of black thrown in!

This layout celebrates my girl's recent achievement to attend NYSF in Canberra (the National Youth Science Forum).  This is a highly sought after trip with applications from all around Australia.

 

I was so excited for her when we found out!

She got recognised at Government House and sponsored by Rotary plus achieved a scholarship.....so she is off on a trip of a lifetime, to discover all things STEM based!

 

Not too bad for a young girl from little old Clare!

 

Anyway, time to stop bragging, and get on with the layout.....

This month, the design team all received 5 supplies in the post, and the idea is to play with only those, adding the bare minimum.
We each received 2 paints, a spray, a stamp and a stencil.

So here's the supplies I received:

AALL & Create Stamp No 14

13 Arts Stencil - Galaxy

Dylusions Paint - 'Cut Grass'

Dina Wakley Paint - 'Ocean'

Dylusions Ink Spray - 'Funky Fuschia'

 

Now the first thing I was relieved about was the colours - nice and bright.  My only dilemma - the stamp and stencil had a more 'boy/grunge' feel, and the colours had a more 'girly' feel.

Yes I know......no such thing!! But it had my brain freaking out for a while.

 

So I decided to focus on the stamp and stencil. 

They have a bit of a science/maths feel to them - and then the idea struck!

My girl and her Science achievement! YES

Suddenly I had direction.

Besides a bit of black paint, black ink and black pen and thread, the only other thing I added was a white background paper.  THAT's IT!!

 

So I began by stamping directly onto the paper - time to make my own patterned paper.

Don't be too fussy if the stamping isn't perfect......that just adds to the effect.

I then added the 'Funky Fuschia' Ink Spray - instead of spraying it on, I opened the bottle, and applied it with a brush.  I applied it randomly in a few spots.

I then went back in with the 'Ocean' by Dina and the 'Cut Grass' by Dylusions.

 

NOTE - I added a lot of water to these.....until I achieved a transparent, almost watercolour feel.

I didn't want to cover up all that stamping.

I then added some black paint using a sponge and the 13Arts Stencil.

Just a few pops here and there.

 

 

I felt it needed more black, and I wanted to continue the circle theme, so I grabbed the end of an old paper towel cardboard roll, and used this as a stamp by adding black paint.

 

I then used an old credit card to swipe the black paint around the edges.

 

I love the grungy look this gives.

Finally I used the word stamps within the AALL & Create stencil and randomly stamped them in clusters.

You may also be able to see that I used the 13Arts stencil to create little traced elements that are peeking out in the background. This just adds another layer and more texture to the page.

I printed off 3 of my photos in black and white. I decided to print one in colour, as the colours matched the paints perfectly, and also it would create a focal point.

 

 

 

 

When printing a number of photos for a layout, it's important to keep one as a focal point, so the eye is drawn into the layout - it gives the eye somewhere to focus, and adds to the overall flow of the layout.

At this point, I decided a title wasn't necessary - those stamped words kinda created the title for me.

 

So I added some journaling to the bottom of the layout, making sure to include those repeated words. This 'pulls' the whole layout together, and helps to highlight those words as the title.

I finished off with a few pen scribbles - again in circles.

 

Man, it was hard not to add tags and word stickers and all the gorgeous stuff I normally do.  BUT I DID IT!!  I had to walk away as my hands were itching! But when I came back, I liked what I saw.....do you ever do that?  I do, so often - I take a break, go hang out the washing or something and come back with fresh eyes.

You will often then 'see' something that needs to change. Something that you were blind to before.

 

Another little trick is to take a photo on your phone and look at it that way. 

 

Somehow it focuses your eye and gives you a renewed clarity.
 

Well that's it from me today.....the proof that LESS really is MORE.

Working with limited supplies forces you to be more creative, forces you to think outside the box.

 

So what can you create with a couple of paints, a stamp and a stencil???
How creative can you get with a limited supply of products? Can you make less into more? Whether you are art journaling or scrapping, we can sometimes get overwhelmed with the idea of how much stuff to use... so this challenge is about stripping it back, using less and stretching your supplies in different ways.

 

 

Head on over to our Scrap Matrix Shares Facebook Group and load up your creations, including what products you used. 
We love seeing them. Your creativity inspires us so much.
PLUS you could win a voucher from the shop or a chance to be a guest designer!!! Woohoo!

 

I'll be back again real soon.

 

Love Tam

xxx

 

Scrap Matrix Products used:

 

AALL & Create Stamp No 14

13 Arts Stencil - Galaxy

Dylusions Paint - 'Cut Grass'

Dina Wakley Paint - 'Ocean'

Dylusions Ink Spray - 'Funky Fuschia'

Dina Wakley Paint - Black

Black Fudeball Pen

Black Archival Ink

 

 

Monique's "Family Memories" Layout

Hi Everyone,

Monique here, popping in to share my second layout for this month's "You've Got Mail" challenge.
This time I went back to my old shabby chic/vintage style and used some of the gorgeous papers from this beautiful paper pad by Stamparia.  It has such gorgeous images of postcards, stamps and postmarks - how could I resist?

Here is my layout:

I just loved layering up all the papers to create depth and texture, as well as glimpses of all the "mail" ephemera.

Here are some close ups:

Here is a full list of all the products I used from the fabulous Scrap Matrix Shop:

Stamperia 12"x12" Double Sided Paper Pad"Around The World"

12"x12' TCW Stencil "Tuscan Wall"

Paper Artsy Fresco Finish - Seth Apgar Boxed Paints (Set 3)

7 Dots Studio Hazy Days Clear Stamp Set

Blue Fern Studio Roman Clock Set - Large

7 Dots Studio "Air Mail" chipboard

Um Wow Studio - Flair "Written"

TCW Light and Fluffy Modelling Paste

Big Words - Fly Away 13 Arts 12"x12" Chipboard

Scrap Matrix Metal - Passport

Thank you for popping by the blog today, I hope I have inspired you to enter our fabulous challenge.  You still have a few more days - simply upload your entry into the "You've Got Mail" Album on the Scrap Matrix Shares Page.

Take care and Happy Scrapping!

'Dear Me' by Tam

Hi everyone, Tam here and today I'm sharing with you something very personal, something that I have struggled with over the years.
I am definitely putting myself out there and I am actually terrified.  But I am doing it for a few reasons.

1.  It's something I've been meaning to do for years, but never have - always making excuses.
2.  I believe scrapbooking/creating is a highly personal as well as therapeutic process.  It is definitely somewhere I turn in times of stress.  I need it to cope with life's challenges. So it's important that I scrap the darkness as well as the light. 
3. I'm all about words and photos. About telling your story. So much of what we create now has no journaling, no handwriting. My voice, my words are an integral part of my creating. If I don't have a story, then I struggle - I just sit and shuffle. For me, the story is the base for everything else, it's the spark.
4. Maybe, just maybe this idea will resonate with some of you.
5. It's therapeutic for me. I need to do this.

So here goes....

As soon as I saw the 'You've got Mail' Challenge, my mind began whispering "it's time..." I tried so hard to ignore it, but it was very persistent!
I have written myself a letter, a very important letter of forgiveness and acceptance.

So it's titled 'Just for You' and it begins 'Dear Me' and ends with 'Love Me'.

Once I'd made the decision to create this page, it just kind of happened, it flowed out of me and onto the paper and I'm so glad it did.  The words were added without a draft, there was no need to practice, my heart knew what it needed to say.

It was so therapeutic.

As this page was all about myself.....I decided to have a go at hand painting and then fussy cutting some roses and leaves (something else I've wanted to do for a long time) and mixing these up with my favourite 'Aall & Create' Stamp.

So let's look at how this page came together....

I began by adding a thin layer of white gesso to some white cardstock.

Whilst this was drying, I began painting my roses and leaves.

I used my Prima Watercolours - I have 'Tropical'.  I LOVE the colours.
I ended up not using the yellow roses or the green leaves, so they are on my desk waiting for something else.

Once dry, I cut them all out.

I then stamped using Archival Ink and that gorgeous AALL & Create Stamp.  As you can see they didn't stamp perfectly - I need to refill my ink I think. (lol - I sound like Dr Suess!) but that really doesn't matter. I'm happy with imperfection.
If an area really bothered me, I just went over it with my Fudeball black pen.

Ok, time to go back to the background.

I used the 'packaging technique' for the background. 
I added some watercolour to some old plastic packaging, and then I turned this over onto my backround, smoodging and smooshing as I went!!

I really love the effect this technique gives, and the amount of control I have over where the paint ends up!

I then added layers behind my photos, and I created some tags from leftover scraps of paper.

I began poking these out from underneath my photos.

I then began to add the flowers and leaves - I wanted them to look like they were cascading down the page.
I also knew I wanted to write the letter directly onto the background and so I made sure I left enough space for that.

Time to write that letter....
I added a 13Arts Clear Sticker as my title.....I popped this down first so I knew where to start the words.

Some of the flowers are adhered with foam dots to give extra dimension.

I love the look of the black and white stamped images alongside the bright flowers.

I added a few embellishments too - a little chippy heart and that gorgeous 'German Scrap Pen Nib'.

 

 

I also added in some 13 Arts Clear phrase stickers.....they were just perfect, and I love the way they become part of the background.

I will definitely be using more painted flowers in the future..... I see a whole new style evolving.

 

Have you thought about writing yourself a letter?.......what would you say to your 15 year old self? What does your soul need to hear?
I recommend it.

Here's a quick reminder of the moodboard to use for inspiration:

Just pop your entry in the 'You've Got Mail' folder over on our Scrap Matrix Shares Facebook Group. It doesn't have to be a scrapbooking layout....it could be an Art Journal page, some cards, a canvas. Just let us know what Scrap Matrix Products you used in the comments and you could win either a $20 voucher at the store or a chance to guest design in one of our upcoming challenges!!

I really hope you have enjoyed this post, don't hesitate to reach out to me.
 
Love Tam
xxx

Scrap Matrix products used:

White Gesso
White Bazzill
Watercolour Paper Pad
Prima Watercolours - Tropical
AALL & Create Stamp #20
13Arts Marta's Small Message Clear Stickers
13 Arts Stickers Clear - Secret Letter
13 Arts Paper -
7Dots Studio Paper Pad - Verano Azul
German Scrap Pen Nib Black
7Dots Airmail Die Cut Elements
Fudeball pen
Ranger Ink Black