Time Flies Tutorial by: Fiona

Begin the lay out by choosing coordinating coloured paper scraps that compliment the background paper and the photo. In this instance I decided to go with turquoise and fawn/light brown as my two major colours.

Next step is to place the papers onto the background roughly following the sketch. This gives you a bit of an idea of where your back ground will go. I mark the edges lightly with a pencil as a gauge to show me where to spray inks etc. At this point I also often take a photo of the design on my phone so I can refer back to it when it's time to re-construct it all again. 

To create a base layer, firstly spray a rough circle of "Perfect Pearls Mist" in the turquoise. Once this has dried, add "Dylusions Ink Spray" White Linen. This mutes the intensity of any "Dylusions Ink Sprays making the colour more pastel than vibrant. Then add the Vibrant Turquoise "Dylusions Ink Spray" over the top. Finally tip the page up slightly and allow the sprays to run.

Once this has dried, smear gesso horizontally across the page in a couple of places and then vertically down the right hand side as this will be your "heavy side" where you focus most of the embellishments. You can also stamp over the gesso lightly with a rubber stamp. This leaves a slight impression in the gesso. It's only very slight but detail is everything.

While you wait for the page to dry, prepare your embellishments. Mostly they are just edged  with white gesso and "Distress Ink" . I used Wild Honey and Old Paper.

Next staple the paper pieces together and stick them down onto the background. At this point you can also add some decorative washi tapes.

Next add more texture on top of the paper and back ground using a stencil and some modelling paste. I used a chevron 6x6 stencil from the "Crafters Workshop" range.

While still wet, splatter "Dylusions Ink Spray" over the page. It will soak into the modelling paste adding colour in spots. I simply take the sprayer out and tap the ink onto the page. You could also flick it or simply tap the end onto the paper. Any way works.

Using black gesso watered down, splatter black around the page. Then concentrate some puddles of paint in places that will create dribbles when the paper is tilted slightly.

Next add some random stamping with a strong black ink. I use "Stazon Ink" but any black will do as long as it's a solvent based ink and not water soluable or it will dissolve and blead into the background. Having said that if your background has any alcohol base in it such as "Alcohol Inks" then use "Memento Ink" as the stazon will be dissolved slightly by the alcohol.

You will see that the modelling past is starting to be absorbed by the inks from both spraying and stamping so next, add some more stencilling over the top. If you like you can use acrylic white paint or white gesso instead of modelling paste to accomplish a bolder effect. It's the layering of techniques that give these pages their texture.

Once your happy with the stamping, start adding the embellishments. Attach some flat on the page and others with magic mount to give the layout some height.

Finally add the photo and the last of the embellishments. Any additional stamping can also be done at this stage. I added the arrows and bracket. I prefer cling mount stamps to block mounted. That way you can bend and twist the stamp into position or roll it and stamp only some of the image. I rarely use an acrylic stamp block, I find they often just get in the way.

Some close ups.

Give it a go. It's a style you really can't go wrong with. Fate always takes over so don't try and control it just go with the flow and enjoy.

Cheers
Fiona