Flore’s Page Based on an Initial Sketch

Materials

• Watercolour paper, 30 x 30 cm

• Patterned paper (Kesi’art, Studio Calico)

• Plain, coloured cardstock paper (Two different colours)

• Paint colour chart

• Stickers (Kesi’art)

• Badge (Scrpabuttons)

• Die cutting dies (Kesi’art)

• Embossing powder (Aladine)

• Stamps (Lime Citron, Custom and Craft, Kesi’art, L’encre et L’image, Tim Holtz)

• Adhesive dots/pearl dots (Kesi’art, Zibuline)

• Sticky foam pads, staples, buttons, microbeads, water spray/mister, paintbrushes, masking tape

• Liquid inks (Calico, Colorex, India Ink…)

• Ink pads (Tim Holtz Distress, Versafine, Versamark…)

Instructions

First choose the photos that you want to use on your page and think about how you want to present them.

Then start by working on your background. Take a look at the sketch provided here to give you some inspiration of where to place the ink on your page.

Apply your liquid inks mixed with water, to a sheet of acetate. Transfer the ink from the acetate to your sheet of watercolour paper by pressing the two together. Repeat this process for each different colour, allowing your ink to dry each time.

Use a paper towel to blot the ink where necessary.

Once the liquid inks are dry, put the ink stamps on the page that you want to include in your background, using the same combination of colours as before.

Choose the patterned paper that you want to use, again keeping with the same colour theme. Cut out the squares or rectangles which will go underneath the photos. Put liquid inks and stamps on these little pieces of paper still following the same background theme.

Think about the way in which you want to arrange these pieces of paper and then use a stapler to put them together and stick them to your page with thin sticky foam pads.

Next, you will need to use cardstock paper and a die cutter machine, such as a Big Shot, to cut out the shapes that you want to use.

If you haven’t already done so, now is the moment to choose the stamps and other embellishments that you want to use on your page.

Stamp the shapes that you want to cut out, then use a heat gun and embossing powder to emboss whatever designs you want before cutting out.

Put these pieces to one side for a moment and find your photos. Apply some faint stamps with very lightly inked rubber stamps using both colour and black ink pads.

Return to your page and stick a thick foam pad underneath the papers which are already on your page, then slide in and attach a coloured parcel tag.

Take your photos and glue or staple any elements on top that you want, such as a badge, paper tabs, an embossed butterfly etc.

Arrange your photos and your cut outs on your page, initially without sticking them down, then position the different elements of your composition carefully until you’re satisfied with how it looks.

Then glue down the photos and the other elements and slot in or attach anything else that you want.

Gently stick strips of masking tape along the top and bottom of the page.

Add any final stamps or cut outs that you want, stick on adhesive dots and use transparent liquid glue to attach buttons and microbeads matching your colour scheme.

Finish off your page by adding some splashes of white Colorex, or if you don’t have it, some gesso diluted with a little water, then some splashes of India ink.

To make these splashes take the end of the handle of a fine-tipped paintbrush, soak the tip in your bottle of ink and put it on your page right where you want it.

This helps to prevent any ink spots where you don’t want them. It’s a good little trick for anyone who wants to get a good result with splash techniques or “patouille” style.

Last of all, make sure your page is thoroughly dry, remove any masking tape gently and then you are finished. Stand back and admire your work!