New Dear Lizzy She's Magic: DIY Travel Poster

Hello friends! Leigh here, to share an easy DIY travel theme poster for your wall. Teen and college age young adults love the retro and vintage vibe of Instax photos. So why not create a poster for them to display their favorite moments and travel memories on? They can clip up photos with ease and have a pretty display for their favorite room or space. 

The new Poster Shop Four Corner Floral poster has such pretty watercolor images. It coordinates perfectly with the new She’s Magic collection from Dear Lizzy! I decided to cut out banner shapes from the gorgeous patterns in this collection.  The Poster Shop collection also has lights to create your own DIY creations! 

I fussy cut the tickets from the Round Trip paper, and added one to each cluster with a photo. There are so many pretty patterns to choose from in the She’s Magic collection! With 24 different patterns, I could add a unique hand cut banner to each of the photos. You can choose patterns that have colors that are complementary (opposite) the colors in your photos, to really make them pop! I chose pink for the photos featuring mostly green. Some of the photos are highlighted with a banner in the same color as the picture. 

Have fun choosing different patterns, like the small blue floral near the Honolulu photo. I added a banner to the left or right to side of each photo cluster. You can add foam tabs under the tickets and heart punched pieces if you like. The smaller banners are punched with an American Crafts Knock Out Punch.

The bottom left of  the poster shows Paris and Bergen, Norway. The Paris photo had to have the rainbow heart pattern banner to highlight how much we loved the city!  I added a green ticket and a blue punched heart to coordinate with the colors in the Paris photo. Some of the clusters got heart punches, and some smaller banners. There are so many different tickets on the Round Trip paper you can pick a unique one for each photo. 

The bottom right side of the poster shows Cornwall, England. I layered pink banners and hearts, once again, to contrast the green in the photo. I added a puffy sticker on top of the heart because we fell in love with England! I made sure to space out the pinks and dark blues around the poster board, so that it would feel balanced. You can cut the Instax frames from AC Glitter Card Stock or use a pre-made frame from Heidi Swapp. 

I hope you have fun creating a poster for your next DIY project with the Poster Shop from American Crafts! Thanks for visiting today, Leigh.

SUPPLIES:

American Crafts Poster Shop Four Corners Floral (#355694), Dear Lizzy She’s Magic Patterned Paper (#354795, #354796, #354816, #354802, #354800, #354793,  #354807, #354803, #354806, #354804, #354808, #354801, #354799, #354798, #354797, #354812), Poster Shop Clear Light Strand Set (#345530), Dear Lizzy She’s Magic Puffy Stickers (#354820), AC Gift With Raffia (#348541), Dear Lizzy Paintable Large Chipboard Words (#343432), Heidi Swapp Photo Frame Kit (#314850), Heidi Swapp Light Banner Kit (#314853), Sticky Thumb Adhesive Foam Tabs (#340273)

Wildflower and Honey: Last Layout as a Vicki Boutin Design Team Member

Hello Vicki Boutin fans! Leigh here, sharing my final layout as a member of the Vicki Boutin Design Team! I have thoroughly enjoyed my time this past year! Just think, I used to think mixed media wasn't for me! For a whole year, I completed a mixed media project every week, and have learned so much along the way! I am so thankful for the opportunity to play with these amazing products.

For my final layout, I chose to feature many of the beautiful patterns in the Wildflower and Honey collection! Look at all the different patterns on one page, and you can see how gorgeous the whole collection is together! The red, orange, and yellow waves are thinner, and the waves get wider as they go down the page. Don't be afraid to hand cut your patterns into shapes for a layout! 

I layered each color on a glass mat, and free-hand cut them into wave shapes. By layering one color under the other, I could make sure there was enough paper to cover the white background card stock. Once the waves are all cut, you can stitch around each piece with white thread to create some texture. Then, I adhered each wave piece with a thin strip of red-line tape along one edge , so the paper could be bent up to create more dimension.  I then stamped the honeycomb from the new Wildflower and Honey collection stamp set onto a scrap of White Foundations Art Paper.  I followed the colors of the wave pieces to match up the art crayon colors with the honeycomb stamp. 

I added the photo and a long strip of computer journaling over the Foundations paper. The packaging from the Wildflower and Honey Embellishment Die Cut pack creates a mat for the photo. The Wildflower and Honey honeycomb washi tape holds the photo and repeats the honeycomb pattern stamped around the edge of the art paper. 

The layered vellum butterfly stickers are spaced in three different areas around the layout to lead your eye and create some interest. I bent up the wings on the butterflies to show a hint of the watercolor underneath. By adding the vellum butterflies to the edge of the white foundations paper mat, you can soften the strong line between the rich colors of the background, and the white neutral of the mat. The honeycomb stamping also accomplishes this.

The gold washi tape at the top of the White Foundations paper serves as a grounding spot. I zig-zag stitched through the tape once the layout was all adhered. Once you have all the pieces attached to the background, you can bend up the edge of all the patterned papers to create more dimension. I hope you get the chance to play with the brand new Wildflower and Honey collection, and share your creations in the Vicki Boutin Mixed Media Community on Facebook! 

 Thank you for all your support and encouragement during my time on the Vicki Boutin Design Team! 

SUPPLIES:

Vicki Boutin Wildflower and Honey Papers

Vicki Boutin Wildflower and Honey Chipboard Thickers

Vicki Boutin Wildflower and Honey Ephemera Die Cuts

Vicki Boutin Wildflower and Honey Washi Tape Set

Vicki Boutin Wildflower and Honey Ephemera Embellishments

Vicki Boutin Wildflower and Honey Vellum Butterflies

Vicki Boutin White Foundations Mixed Media Art Paper

Vicki Boutin Art Crayons (Warm and Cool)

Brand New Wildflower And Honey Glaze Mixed Media Layout

Hello friends! Leigh here, with a layout featuring the brand new stencils in the Wildflower and Honey collection! I always love to see the new patterns Vicki comes up with for each new release, because her stencils are such a good value, and they add versatile patterns to your stash! 

I added Vicki's gesso, paint, and then Iridescent Glitter Glaze to a large chipboard letter that starts my pet's name. My Pomeranian, Peanut, is captured in the photo here. Peanut is a tiny guy, but I wanted a big element on the layout to add the glaze technique! :) The White Foundations paper is the perfect base for this layout.

Start with a large bare chipboard letter, or cut your own. This letter "P" is almost 12 inches tall. First I added Vicki's gesso, and after that dried, I added a mix of the three paints in the photo to create the base color on the letter. I mixed Watermelon Burst, Saltwater Taffy, and Blue Hawaiian on a mixing palette to get a good blend, then applied it to the letter. Once that dried, I mixed Blueberry Pie Watercolor Marker, with Blue Hawaiian and added in the Iridescent Glaze. Mix with Vicki's Palette Knife and apply through the new Wildflower and Honey stencil.

While the glaze on the letter dried, I worked on the layout background. You can cut a three and a half inch wide strip from the Happy Spirit paper and attach it to the White Foundations paper. Then, I stitched between each color on the Happy Spirit paper. I like the diagonal line this adds, because there are diagonal lines in the photo. I also like the bold color the Happy Spirit paper adds to this layout.

The right side of the page, began with the mixed media splatters. I mixed Blueberry Pie, and Blue Hawaiian with water on an acrylic block, then splattered them on with Vicki's Water Brush. Next, pick out die cuts that coordinate with the colors on your page. I chose turquoise, orange, and coral die cuts, and layered them around the photo. The Pure Honey die cut with the brushes sticking out of the jar, was a fun element to add to the left of the photo, and serves as the title of the page. I made sure to add diagonal lines with the placement of the leaves, and elements on both sides of the photo, so it is the focal point of the page after your eye follows the large stripes and the letter on the left.   

The finished layout is complete with some hand-written journaling at the bottom right, and different layers of die-cuts on foam dots for dimension. I added the holographic gold chipboard heart circles in three different areas on the page. The two butterfly stickers on either side of the photo balance the layout. Do you have a favorite pattern noted from the new Wildflower and Honey collection? I can't wait to see what you guys do with the new designs in this gorgeous new collection! Share with us in the Vicki Boutin Mixed Media Community on Facebook.

SUPPLIES:

Vicki Boutin Wildflower and Honey Collection Paper (Happy Spirit #342241)

Vicki Boutin Wildflower and Honey Chipboard Thickers

Vicki Boutin Wildflower and Honey Ephemera Die Cuts

Vicki Boutin Wildflower and Honey Ephemera Embellishments

Vicki Boutin Wildflower and Honey Stencils

Vicki Boutin Wildflower and Honey Stickers

Vicki Boutin White Foundations Paper 

Vicki Boutin White Gesso

Vicki Boutin Watercolor Markers 

Vicki Boutin Water Brush

Vicki Boutin Paint Brush Set

The New Wildflower and Honey Collection on a Summer Layout

The brand new Wildflower and Honey collection by Vicki Boutin is shipping to retailers today, July 10th!!! Hooray! This collection has a fresh new mix of rich palettes and textures for all your paper crafting projects!! Let's take a look at how I used it on this summer layout!

These colors work so well for summer, or any season! I picked the red-orange, orange, yellow, and blue-green colors from Wildflower and Honey for my summer layout. 

Look how rich the blue-green looks next to the red-orange! These colors are opposite one another on the color wheel, which makes them complementary colors. Using colors opposite each other on the color wheel intensifies the look of each color. So I chose to punch squares of each color, and create a grid.

Start by punching 12 squares at 2 and 1/8 inches. I chose to add hand-stitching to a few of the squares to add textural interest. You can pierce the paper squares with a grid mat to get even spacing for your stitches. The diagonal stitches and the grid stitches remind me of pool tiles, so they repeat the elements and the feeling of the page. Add some splatters with a Vicki Boutin Water Brush and the color Blue Hawaiian Watercolor Marker to coordinate with this page. 

I spaced out the square colors to have a yellow, red-orange, and blue-green square on each row. Two of the squares have a two inch photo placed on top. The photo can serve as your color for that row! Two of my favorites, my daughter, and these red-orange Lillies are the focal point of the photos. 

You can see the layers of chipboard, die-cuts, and vellum butterflies are placed on top of the squares to add more texture and interest to the layout. I love the vellum butterflies, and placed three different sizes on three different squares. You can bend up the wings, so that the pretty ink splatters underneath show, if you like! The die cut title is placed on a square as well. I machine stitched with variegated aqua thread through the spaces between the squares. 

This close up shows more detail on each square. Have fun layering up the embellishments, and journal on a label die cut to finish off the page. I stamped the date on the banner die cut below the label. I added stitching to the top of the blue-green heart die cut, so that it coordinates with the hand-stitching below. I can't wait to see what you make with the gorgeous Wildflower and Honey collection!! Share it in the Vicki Boutin Mixed Media Community on Facebook! 

Click THE PHOTO above to watch the You-tube video:)

Vicki Boutin Wildflower and Honey Papers

Vicki Boutin Wildflower and Honey Chipboard Thickers

Vicki Boutin Wildflower and Honey Ephemera Die Cuts

Vicki Boutin Wildflower and Honey Ephemera Embellishments

Vicki Boutin Wildflower and Honey Vellum Butterflies

Vicki Boutin Wildflower and Honey Stickers 

Thank you for watching and visiting today! Have fun with your new Wildflower and Honey supplies!!Leigh

Masculine Layouts with Vicki Boutin Mixed Media

Hello Vicki Boutin fans! This week, the Design Team is focusing on Dad layouts. I chose to start with the mixed media Ready to Use Paper Pad, and create a large title. The Ready To Use Paper Pad allows you to quickly start your layout, and I usually place my page elements over the mixed media area already on the page. 

The large title is fitting, since my Dad is 6 feet and 7 inches tall! I used some generic gold poster stickers for the title, and traced around the sticker onto the Vicki Boutin Color Kaleidoscope paper (Odds and Ends). This pattern has a retro masculine look, and I love the strips it features. I then backed the Vicki Boutin paper letters with the gold stickers to tie in the gold media splatters on the page.

Step One: Create the title. Step Two: Add the strips of torn edge patterns over the pre-printed mixed-media area. I folded up the bottoms of each strip to show the pattern on the back. This adds lots of texture to your page. I chose patterns that felt masculine, and the colors coordinate with the colors in the photos.

Step Three: Add photos and embellishments. I added the fussy-cut cameras, and the journaling die cuts in a vertical meandering line to highlight the photos. I tilted the embellishments at different angles since the photos are also tilted. 

Step Four: Add your journaling and word strip stickers from the Vicki Boutin Color Kaleidoscope Sticker Book. I trimmed some of the word strip stickers to fit on the die cuts. The fussy-cut cameras are a nod to my Dad's love of photography. It is so important for me to treasure the connections and relationships in my life. I hope you get to create a page about the Dad figures in your life. Thanks for visiting today, and happy crafting! 

SUPPLIES:

Vicki Boutin Color Kaleidoscope Collection: Patterned Papers

Ready To Use Mixed Media Paper Pad

Vicki Boutin Color Kaleidoscope Die Cuts (journaling)

Vicki Boutin Color Kaleidoscope Sticker Book

How to Watercolor Your Own Floral Page Elements: Video Tutorial

Hello friends! I have a new video tutorial, featuring the American Crafts Sparkle City collection by Shimelle!! I love her tone-on-tone patterns! Below, see how I used watercolor Markers from Vicki Boutin to create custom page elements!

I was inspired by my Mom’s favorite colors, and I painted her the floral truck watercolor painting on the left for Mother’s Day. I wanted a soft color palette, so I created my own custom page elements using watercolors. This technique is easy, and you can recreate it even if you have never painted with watercolor. I found a package of the half circle felted wool embellishment from Amy Tangerine and thought they wound be perfect at the bottom of the paper strips, like a beaded curtain, or a wall weaving. 

The watercolor florals are gathered at the top like a floral swag. I piled them over and underneath one another to create lots of texture and dimension on the page. The watercolor leaves are added in at organic angles to create movement on the layout. I will show you how to easily shade the flowers with the watercolor markers in the video below. 

You can see here that each color of the florals coordinates with the patterned paper below it. I love the tone on tone patterns in the Shimelle Sparkle City collection, because they are patterned enough to create interest but subtle enough for the photos and florals to take center stage. I added lots of embellishments from the Sparkle City Collection too.

In this close-up, you can see how I added some of the holographic circle Thickers from Shimelle’s Sparkle City under the embroidery floss stitching. The stitching went very quickly because it is basically just one long stitch in multiples over the patterned paper. There are eleven large stitches on the page.  The vehicle die cuts add the unexpected element, and repeat the truck in the photo.

This is  a fun way to create custom page elements, in any color you desire. I coordinated the splatters by using the same watercolor markers as I used on the florals. I also added more watercolor splashes near the bottom of the paper strips to create the ombre effect that matches the ombre colored embroidery floss. 

Grab a cup to sip on, and enjoy the start to finish process video below. Thanks for visiting today, Leigh.

SUPPLIES:

Shimelle Sparkle City: Patterned Paper (#351351, #351349, #351346), Sticker and Washi Book Folder (#351332), Card Stock and Lenticular Shapes (#351333), Sparkle Thickers (#351328), Dear Lizzy Clothespins (#346497), Vicki Boutin Color Kaleidoscope Patterned Paper (#351091), Amy Tangerine Wool Half-circle Stickers (#341897), Vicki Boutin So Fun Stamps (#351106), Vicki Boutin Mixed Media Watercolor Markers (#348216), Vicki Boutin White Foundations

How To Create A Travel Layout With The New Pink Paislee Horizon Project Pad

Hello friends! I have a new project to share using the brand new Horizon Project Pad from Joann Stores! This new Designer Destination line has lots of different designer collections to choose from, with something for everyone's taste. I made a layout about my daughter's favorite city from our first ever cruise this past summer.  I chose the Paige Evans Horizon line because of the beautiful travel and floral elements, and the beautiful mosaic style patterns.

The elements in this Paige Evans Horizon collection are so beautiful! It was easy to create a color scheme and add in the floral die cuts and the bicycle elements to portray our day in Amsterdam. Everywhere we went, there were people on bicycles, and flowers, and water canals. I feel like the finished page gives you the feeling of a day spent in Amsterdam.

You can see the layers of mixed media, then hand cut leaves and punched leaves, and floral die cuts. Lots of layers add interest to the right side of the layout. I added quite a few different varieties of the die cut sprigs, some of them are from the Tim Holtz Garden Greens Dies (#661206). The watercolor splatters extend past the piles of greenery to soften the edges.

I layered the blue mosaic pattern (Paper 5) and the quilt pattern (Paper 12) under the photo layers. Then I added the photo frame die cuts and a tag for journaling under the two photos. Another flower die cut from the Ephemera pack and a hand-cut leaf peaks out from behind the photo frame die cut. The Paige Evans Thickers are the perfect size to add the title below the photo cluster.

I added different stamped phrases from the  Paige Evans Horizon Stamps in blue around the edge of the greenery. The top left cluster has more mixed media watercolor under the die cuts, stickers, and punched leaves. I added the pink florals around the bicycle die cut to add more of the pink color to the top left area of the page. This was a fun page to create, and I loved playing with the gorgeous Paige Evans Horizon Collection!


Thank you for joining me, and happy crafting!
Leigh

SUPPLIES:

Horizon collection at Joann Stores:

Floral Embellishment pack 

Horizon PRoject Pad 

Horizon Ephemera Pack 

Horizon Stamps

Horizon Stickers