Averie Kay - Mixed Media

It is so much fun watching my pages evolve as the trends change.  My latest obsession is mixed media, and I love incorporating it into my scrapbook projects. While I've been doing this for a few years, I love how my technique has evolved. I just can't get enough of the stencils, molding paste, India inks, and gesso. I mean really -  this takes dirty to an entirely new level. 

In today's share - I wanted to showcase this layout that I created of my Niece Averie. The picture was taken last year during an impromptu photo shoot.  She just propped up and I snapped. Tell me she isn't a natural!

This piece is mounted on a piece of Donna Salzar's Corrugated Card board that was distressed and painted with white gesso.  Then a sheet of Prima Madeline Parkway paper was used for the backdrop. I ripped it, tore it, and distressed it with the new Prima Distress tool. Then to add texture, I glued down all the scraps laying on my desk which included pieces of a doily, hymnal pages, linen strips, and I also included a few strips of Masking tape. I tried not to glue the edges of these elements down so that I could "fluff " them up for texture.   Then I used the stencil and molding paste to add even more texture.  Once the molding paste dried (over night), I then gave the entire background a coat of gesso to make all the elements become cohesive.  To define certain areas of the background I sprinkled a few drops around the canvas of the Iced Spruce Distress reinker.  Then spritzed it with water to dilute it and make it drip.  I love how the background is soft yet course with texture.

I then began to work with my floral spray and layered elements. All the metal pieces were different colors and I found this distracting.  So I grabbed my Snow Cap alcohol ink, and began recoloring them.  This helped them blend into the background, I then dry brushed a bit of the Prima Worn Jean Chalk over the top to give them a little more pop.  The burgundy roses in the Tendrils Grape vine were a bit too bright, so I dry brushed some gesso over them.  I love how this technique made them look shabby like they were part of the wall when it was painted.

I tucked a tag in behind the picture so that I could write Ms. Averie a message.  I think that journaling becomes distracting when I use these as canvases on my wall. However, I feel that journaling is important so I try to hide it somewhere on the layout or place it on the back.  To make the tag blend better with the layout - I distressed it with the Iced Spruce, and Antique Linen. Then I tied off a shabby torn piece of seam binding that I had died with the Ice Spruce.  This made it more elegant, and called attention to the fact that it needed to be pulled out.

Who would have thought that you could take all those grungy supplies and create something this beautiful?

Thanks you all for stopping in today.

Tonya A. Gibbs
http://www.psychomoms.com


Resources:

• Prima: Distress Tool, Madeline: Parkway Paper, Chalk: Worn Jeans, Millinery Collection Oatmeal, Flowered Tendrils Grape, Marion Smith Trinkets: Metal Flowers #4, Metal Flower #3, Shabby Chic Metal Treasures: Hitches (Birdcage)
• Pink Paislee: Butterfly Charm
• Ranger: Tim Holtz Idea-ology Adornments (bird), Adirondack Alcohol Ink: Snow Cap, Distress Reinkers: Iced Spruce, Distress Ink: Antique Linen, #5 Shipping Tag (manila)
• Zutter: Donna Salzar Corrugated Card Board.
• Golden: White Acrylic Gesso, Molding Paste, Gel Medium Matt
• Crafter's Workshop: Brick Stencil 6x6
• Misc. Lace, Hymnal Pages, Doily, Burlap, Seam Binding (ivory), linen cloth, Masking tape,
• Silhouette Cameo
• Font: Alexie Cooperplate