Background Frame Tutorial with Elisa

Hi Everyone,

It's my turn up on the Off the Rails Blog today with a technique tutorial !

You will probably see by now the new June challenge we have going - MONOCHROMATIC, a beautiful moodboard with lots of colours to choose from. Be inspired!

I wanted to show you how i created the monochromatic paper screens which are situated behind my photo.

Here is the layout i created for the Design Team Reveal, lots of teal coloured papers and  Colour Blast Paste, Shimmer Spray and Embossing Powder in the colour called ENVY.

Here is the moodboard for this month's challenge.

First Step - I recycled two chipboard frames, these frames were the extra chipboard that surrounds other pieces of more intricate chipboard that you may buy from a Chipboard retailer. For example the one on the left with the 5 panels actually held 5 pieces of 'film strip' chipboard that i had used elsewhere. Always look for opportunities to recycle and save money...repurpose that rubbish.

I have recycle many things onto my layouts over the years including plastic packaging, netting, jewellery, foam, cardboard, chipboard, ive even used beetroot juice to dye medical gauze.

To cover my new found frames and also the title, i used Versafine ink and Envy coloured embossing powder from Colour Blast Australia. I also used 'Deep Water' embossing powder as a second coat, giving the frames a two -toned teal colour.

Step 2 - Gather your monochromatic papers, using a collection from a Manufacturer really helps with this step as they all go together perfectly, i used Kaisercraft 'Sea Breeze' collection for this layout. Measure and cut your pieces of paper.

Step 3 - After you have cut your pieces, glue them carefully down by running a small amount of the glue around the back of the chipboard and trim the edges for a neat finish, 

Step 4 - As you can see from the photos above i had a bit of a decision to make as to which way my layout was going to flow.... I wanted the beautiful shimmer paste and spray in the background to show through properly so i went with the top photo. Stick down your frames and title and add your extra elements. Again i went with Kaisercraft matching embellishments to keep with the monochromatic look.

Step 5 - Some close ups - so you can see the depth of the frames and texture of the embossed chipboard.

That's it for me today, i hope this may inspire you to recycle some of your chipboard packaging and try to re-purpose products to use on your layouts. I will look forward to seeing your creations linked to this month's challenge...

Thanks 

Elisa xx

Creating Backgrounds for Art Journal pages with Elisa

Hi everyone,

Here's hoping you had a fantastic Easter break with friends and family and that you may have had a 'little' time for crafting!!!

It's my turn on the Off the Rails Blog for a tutorial and I decided to show you a few techniques for creating a background on an Art Journal page. These techniques can be used on layouts and off the page projects like Canvases as well etc.

First i'd like to show you the finished Art Journal double page that I created using the April moodboard.

Firstly! head off to your local op-shop or trash and treasure markets...grab a few old books and sheets of music to use as a base for an interesting background. Just check the book for 'racy' scenes....if you know what I mean, I ended up with such a scene stuck on a page a while back and only noticed at the last minute, first time i had to censor my art journal ....lol!

Gesso strips of the book pages to your page in the desired area, in the end it was about approximately 1 inch thick.

Wait til your gesso'd book pages are dry then grab your favourite stencils or masks, I used a WOW Words or Whatever Stencil and a Crafters Workshop stencil. The Words or Whatever stencil I specifically chose due to the flow of movement in the pattern, like a wave across my page, exactly what I wanted. I used 'Snow White' Colour Blast Texture Paste to leave a shimmery white wave of colour across my page, perfect for a watercolour resist technique!

Here I am completing the 2nd page with the first stencil, I tried to match the pattern from the other side so it looks like a flow from one side to the other.

After drying after the first layer, we are ready for the second layer and second stencil. I used a different coloured texture paste called 'Bling' by Colour Blast Australia. I placed it in several areas across the page. The third colour paste is called 'Deep Water' by Colour Blast. Love those awesome shimmery texture pastes which can be found here - http://colourblastaust.com.au/

In the next photo you will see the different results from the multi layering of the stencil and different coloured texture pastes.

The next step and technique that I have used is a 'masking fluid' pen, I have used the pen to create flowing lines and words 'be creative' in the background (use this pen or masking fluid to resist any liquids, let the masking fluid dry thoroughly, then you are ready to add your watercolour paint, sprays or distress stains. For my Art Journal page I used Tim Holtz distress stains in lines up and down the pages spraying with water on top to blend them slightly. Once dry I then sprayed a few shimmer sprays over the top in gold and white.

Once the colours have dried to your satisfaction, it is time to remove the masking fluid. Gently rub with an eraser or your finger or get a steel craft knife and gently lift the end of each line or word and remove the masking fluid which has dried to like a rubbery consistency.

Below are some close - ups of how I finished off the page, some light stamping, a piece of chipboard and a fussy cut hummingbird stamped image plus the application of microbeads in different colours using Gel Medium. Also I sprayed over the top of the whole coloured section with gold shimmer spray.

You can see from the photos above that the masking fluid has added gorgeous white lines and patterns which draws the eye across the page from the left to the right where the hummingbird is situated and the end of my title of Be Happy, Just Love, Be Creative, One of a Kind and Dream....

Well that's it for my Art Journal Background technique tutorial, i hope to see you try a page or two for yourself. Time to get messy!!!

By

Elisa Ablett

http://2crazycrafters.blogspot.com.au

Grungy and Romance Tutorial with Elisa

Hi Everyone,

Elisa here from the Design Team for Off the Rails and I am so excited to share with you my first tutorial post for Off the Rails Scrapbooking Blog. I thought that I would share a different way of using chipboard to create a mixed media background for your layouts plus share a tip of using tissue paper to add texture and dimension.

Here is the February Challenge mood board that I used as the inspiration for my layout.

and here is the layout I created for the February Challenge and my tutorial, I don't usually work with pinks etc having two boys but I loved the idea of creating something a little grungy yet still within the theme of the mood board 'Romance' hence all the love hearts and xoxo and the recent photo of my husband and I.

Alright its tutorial time !!

Instructions are under each photo.

Step 1 - Add Gesso to your page  (can be messy and bumpy) with a palette knife and dry well with a heat gun.

Step 2 - Once dry lay some smaller chipboard pieces (or wood veneer, or die cuts etc) onto the page and use your favourite colour sprays, spray directly over the chipboard pieces using them as a mask, it may seep under a little bit but don't worry!!

Step 3 - Keep spraying over the top of the pieces with another colour, I used black and white as well as bright pink. Doesn't have to be a fine mist can be larger spots and splats. Dry thoroughly after each spray of different colour leaving your last spray (of black in my case) still slightly wet.

 Step 4 - Once dry take the wood veneer or chipboard pieces off and place your larger chipboard piece on the page and wet your brush with gesso, paint all over the chipboard piece making sure you go over onto your page, using your piece as a mask again, the gesso will blend with the spray and create multi tones of greg, white and black once you lift off the chipboard piece after painting on it and I made sure the laden brush went through the gaps onto the page. I also used a small spray bottle filled with water and gave it a little spray here and there to make the paint a little more fluid. AND YES it gets a little messy, don't worry!!

Step 5 - As you can see from the close up above, the chipboard 'mask' has created a textured pattern as part of your background.

Step 6 - I repeated step 5 a few more times around my page, added a few more black sprays (especially some larger splats). Also at this stage I sprayed white onto the page and created drips by tilting the page.

Step 7 - The tissue paper!! I folded my tissue paper into a few layers and punched out flower shapes (to bring out the flower elements of the mood board), I separated the flowers into singles and stuck them to the page whilst the white spray was still wet, they soaked into the background quite well.

Step 8 - I stuck down my larger piece of chipboard and added more splats of colour using my bright pink and black sprays, leaving space for where my photo was to go. I just undo the lid, grab the top with the inner tube attached and just lightly tap on the tube with my finger, it creates awesome splats using the ink left in the tube.

Step 9 - Stick the smaller pieces of wood veneer back on in almost the same position as they were but not quite so that you get an almost a shadowed effect. I also added a few more elements to the page including my photo and paper layering and black thread. At this stage I also used a white pencil or you can use a white pen to trace very lightly around the tissue paper flowers just to make them stand out a little bit.



 And the above photo is the finished product. I hope you have enjoyed the tutorial. Don't forget to leave some love....

Thanks

Elisa xx

2crazycrafters blog

Facebook

Please welcome some new faces to our Design Team

Please give a warm welcome to our new designers 

Their work is fresh and very inspirational, you might recognize some but others are new around the place, so jump on and follow these ladies. 

ELISA ABLETT

http://2crazycrafters.blogspot.com.au/

Hello, my name is Elisa and I live on the mid north coast of NSW Australia with my lovely husband and two boys.

 I've being scrapbooking since 2003 but have only recently ventured into the online world of challenges and blogs and I haven't looked back. My scrapping style is a little eclectic, mostly mixed media style with loads of colour and technique. 
I am so excited to join Off the Rails DT and feel honoured to be a part of such a amazing and creative team. I am also really looking forward to getting to know you all and hopefully inspiring you along the way! You can catch up with me over on the blog - http://2crazycrafters.blogspot.com.au

Anguree Jansen Van Rensburg
http://anguree.blogspot.com.au/

Hello there, my name is Anguree, and I am absolutely thrilled to be part of such an awesome team.

I am married to an awesome guy and live in tropical Darwin, Northern Territory (NT) Australia. We have no children except for a very spoiled Chocolate Labrador.

I was introduced into Scrapbooking somewhere between 2004 and 2005 and have been addicted ever since. I generally scrap 12x12 pages, but also love art journaling, making cards and off the page projects. My style vary from grungy to shabby but I dare say no style is off limits.

Over the years I've learnt not to get too tied up in what exactly my style is or should be, but rather to enjoy the process of creating. I love to experiment and try new products, mediums, techniques and all the little discoveries along the road.
I have been very lucky and blessed to have been published in Scrapbook Creations Magazine and Scrapbooking Memories Magazine and have previously been teaching at Scrap Matrix. I'm also very proud to be a design team member for Studio M Designs and Colour Stories Inspiration(CSI).

LYNN GOOD
http://memoriesonthepage.blogspot.com.au/

I live on small acreage of the North West Coast of Tasmania with my husband.  We are recent empty nesters and I must say it is quiet and peaceful!!
 I have been scrapbooking for about 12 years but have always done something crafty in my life. I wouldnt say I have a particular style - it depends on the photo and my mood but I love mixed media, flowers, bling (a little hard when you have 2 boys!) and chipboard. 

I generally do 12x12 pages but love the odd canvas, off the page project, art journal and cards. You can find my work on my blog - http://www.memoriesonthepage.blogspot.com.au/ if you want a peek. I am excited to be a part of the team at Off The Rails and look forward to sharing my creations with you all.

MANDY MELVILLE
http://mandymelville.blogspot.com.au/

I live on the beautiful Central Coast of New South Wales in Australia. I’ve been married to Andrew for 13 years and we have three children, Abigail (11 years), Isaac (8 years), and Eleanor (1 year). 

I’ve been scrapbooking for about 11 years, since my oldest was a baby, and it has become more than just a hobby, it’s my passion! I love preserving my family’s memories, and I equally love the creative outlet that scrapbooking provides! My style varies as I like to let the mood of the photos dictate the style of the layout and I like to try out different techniques, though most often on my layouts you will see layering, clustered embellishments, pretty patterned papers, and sometimes a little bit of mixed media. 

I also love to use my Silhouette Cameo to create titles, backgrounds and other elements for my layouts. I am very lucky to be regularly published in Scrapbooking Memories Magazine (an Australian mag) and to be on some awesome design teams including D-lish Scraps, Stuck?! Sketches and Scrap the Girls. I am so thrilled to have been invited to join the talented bunch of designers on the Off the Rails Scrapbooking Design Team and I can’t wait to start sharing my projects with you! If you’d like to take a look at my work, you can visit my blog at http://mandymelville.blogspot.com.au/



Tania Ridgwell
http://taniaridgwell.blogspot.com.au
 
 

My name is Tania Ridgwell and I live in the North Eastern suburbs of Adelaide with my partner of 13 years and our beautiful 9 year old daughter Chloe. 

 My Paper Crafting journey started soon after she was born and she is my never ending source of inspiration. I am totally addicted to all things craft and love to create anything from layouts to cards though my absolute favourite is for anything Off The Page.

I love to try new techniques and though I don't have any one specific style I would have to say the majority of my work is "feminine" and I love to incorporate mixed media into my work along with chipboard, blooms and plenty of bling!


 Peg Hewitt
http://pegsplaytime.blogspot.com.au/
 

Hi, I’m Peg.

I’m quite excited to be joining such an illustrious line-up of past and present designers here at Off The Rails. I only hope I can measure up! So a little about me...

For 15 years I’ve been a die-hard scrapbooker (who now occasionally toys with art journalling or canvas). Grunge and mess are common aspects to my work and I nearly always use some type of wet medium in my creations.  My style varies depending on my mood, the time I have at my disposal, and what is sitting on my table at any given moment. My process is rather organic as I don’t pre-plan and rarely know what my finished project will look like when I start. My primary motivation for creating anything is to tell a story, it comes from the relationships and experiences in my life, warts and all. Scrapbooking, to me, is cathartic. It keeps me sane.

I have been regularly published in the Aussie mags for a number of years, being both a Creative Team member (2014) and a ‘Master’ (2015) for Australian Scrapbooking Memories Magazine. I was a member of the Tattered Angels Design Team for 2011, and spent 3 ½ years designing for Gauche Alchemy among numerous other positions.

On the more personal side, I am happily married to a marvellous and supportive man and together we have 4 children (3 boys and a girl) aged from 20 - 11. We live in a country town in regional NSW on a 2 acre block with chickens, a cat, and a gorgeous garden/yard. I am a work at home mum and do the paperwork for our business as well as helping out at school with crafts and ethics.

Blog - http://pegsplaytime.blogspot.com/

Tanya Cloete

 

My name is Tanya, I am 28 years of age and live in South Africa.

 I have been scrapping for 6 years now.  It all started with seeking a ‘hobby’ to keep me busy during the day, little did I know what I had led myself into J.  I have always loved doing crafty things but never knew that scrap booking would develop into such a passion!!!

Photos are memories to be treasured forever and what better way than to tell a story by the beautiful layouts or albums one can make!!!

I love creating ‘booklet’ type albums and single page layouts but I have recently developed a great new love for making 3D projects!

Scrap booking is a lot of fun and very relaxing!

We are so excited to be introducing 7 new designers to the team, they are all beautiful and are extremely talented, and absolutely adorable to chat with, you will get a lot of inspiration from these ladies.