Helen Tilbury's August Projects An Off-The-Page Project, a Mixed Media Card & a Layout

Hi everyone!  Helen here with you again today to share what I have been up to lately!

 

First up is an altered wood piece.  I've had this piece of wood floating about my

home for over a decade :)  I really cannot tell you how it came into my life but it

has been moved from cupboard to drawer & back again over the years & I was

sick of seeing it!

  I started off  by painting it with white modelling paste & an

old credit card.  This was a fairly messy job & used up quite a bit of modelling

paste but if you use a craft mat the clean up is easy with some wet wipes & a 

trip to the sink.  Use a HARD modelling paste so you get lots of form & structure.

Before I began layering all my elements I used some gelatos on top of the modelling paste,

once I had dried it off with a heat gun.  I used brown, red & blue to match the photo &

blended them over the peaks & roughness of the paste, using a baby wipe.

 

  The effect adds grunge & a masculine look, which is what I was after.  This piece is a Christmas gift for my daughter's boyfriend.  I also splattered some black Aladine ink at

 the top & bottom to show once the photo cluster was applied.  

I used both sizes of 2Crafty Chicken Barbed Wire {small & medium} as part of my layering.I used about a half sheet of each.  The trick is to cut off sections randomly & slide them underneath your layers {therefore do NOT adhere your layers right at the edge but rather about 1inch in - so that there is space to push elements underneath - I use my awl to do this}.   As I wanted a very rustic look on my chipboard I used gelatos to colour it & wiped them to blend, using some kitchen paper.  I avoided baby wipes because I didn't want to weaken the chipboard with moisture.  I also used one photo adornment from the 

Flourish Adornment set (they come in a set of 4) & 3 out of 4 leaves from the

 "Tiny Leaf Stems" which are a staple for me - use them all the time!

On the leaves I used 3 different colours of gelatos as well as some Aladine ink which

 you can see has given them a lovely sheen.  I used the chipboard to anchor some

gauze underneath it, which works well for a masculine, grungy look, together with 

some mesh fabric in black & beige & some black mesh stamping that I added as 

a final touch, once my photo stack was glued down using a glue gun.

If you like a layered look then chipboard is your very best friend as it can be tucked in all 

over the place & works perfectly for clustering too.  For Mixed Media effects chipboard is 

also perfect as it lends itself to so many different mediums & techniques & is a great product

to experiment with & on.  I always treat my chipboard with a primer (this time I used

clear gesso) as that definitely helps remove the absorbent quality of chipboard which

makes for more bold & vibrant results.  

I'm really happy with how the gelatos worked out on the leaves for the shaded effect & highly recommend  them for use on chipboard to create this effect.  To create this piece, once you have prepared your wood block (or you could use a canvas in the same way) get your photos & layer from the TOP TO THE BOTTOM then attach  THE ENTIRE STACK once it is complete.  Thereafter tuck in your chipboard pieces & mesh. That is the only way you will get such  a look.  Use your nails along the edges of the papers to rough them up a bit so they are not entirely flat.        

Now onto project 2 - a Mixed Media card.  This card actually took me 2 hours to create,

which I agree is way too long, but I am not an experienced card maker!  I started with

white cardstock & my new Prima Color Bloom sprays then added some modelling paste

through a stencil.  I use 13arts paste for this as it is light-weight & glossy & you don't

want something too heavy to weigh your card down.  I also sprinkled glass beads

into the wet paste which has made the card rather heavy but with double-cardstock

at the back this can be balanced out as long as you are not posting abroad!

I used the Chicken Barbed wire as before but painted it with white Aladine ink for a pearly effect that is only appreciated in person.  I used the "I Believe in Santa" title

& treated it with Aladine ink straight from the bottle as it has a dropper.  The colour

is very intense & shiny.  Perfect for Christmas!  I always use Tombo Mono Adhesive

(with the green lid) for adhering fine pieces of chipboard.  The strength of it is 

phenomenal but make sure to have a ruler & set-square handy to align your

 words straight quickly as it sets quickly & permanently!!

    Lastly I am sharing a recent layout I created for 7Dots Studio, using lots of little bits of 2Crafty chipboard once again.  Behind my photo stack I have used a couple of  Thistle Shrubs & Leafy Silhouettes.   These are THE PERFECT EMBELLISHMENT for Australian & African  scrapbookers as they are so indicative of our dry landscapes.       After priming my chipboard pieces with regular gesso I misted them to match my layout  & added some black archival ink to dirty them up a bit.  I also used 5 out of 6 of the  Leafy Silhouettes.  I love the lightness of them, being able to see the background  through them makes them blend in so easily & seamlessly.

Don't be afraid to have your chipboard pieces completely covered in the centre, with both

 the top & the bottom sticking out from under your photo stack as I have done here.

 I hope I have inspired you with one of my projects today & you head to
 your nearest stockist  to get your 2Crafty fix.

And remember, to find a 2Crafty stockist near you, drop an email to...
salesat2crafty@optusnet.com.au

 

Chipboard is something that should form a part of every scrapbookers stash for the sheer 

versatility of it & it is also an inexpensive embellishment compared to many these days!

Looking forward to sharing again with you next month!