Sunday Sketch with Nathalie

 

Hi there!

Nathalie with you today to share this week's Sunday sketch challenge.   Sketches are one of the best and easiest ways to create any project, as it provides a blueprint for page, the rest is up to you.  This week's sketch is a fun one, let me show you...

Now let me show you how this inspired my layout using the August Add on kit:

I was drawn to the paper layers in the sketch, and decided to use them in a similar manner in my design with a few additions...

I combined papers from the Add on kit and the jean texture paper from the Life Crafted kit to create the layers behind the pictures.   I decided to switch the large picture to two smaller ones.   Having the three photos help tell the story.  In order to highlight the lone photo, i chose to back it with the same papers, but added the photo corners ( available in the CTK shop).   

The original sketch has a few strips of paper weaved through the paper layers. I decided to use fussy cut florals ( Fresh Bouquet collection - included in the add-on kit) and layer them as indicated by the paper strips.

One of  the biggest changes is that i replaced the large horizontal and bottom vertical paper strips with mixed media.  I used an old Heidi Swapp stencil and Vicki Boutin Art crayon and stencil brush to create the impression on the white cardstock.   I made sure that the impression stretched beyond the paper layers, just like the paper strips it is replacing. This gave me a place for my title - you can find those fun foam stickers in the CTK shop-.

As for embellishing, i pretty much followed sketch to add my embellishments through the page, and even added a few stamped sentiments ( True Stories Stamp set) around the page.

To balance the page, and also to follow the sketch, i used left over pieces from the papers and a few small embellishments -add on kit and CTK shop- to create a small cluster at the bottom of the page.  My handwritten journal and a few drops of diluted art crayon complete the page.

This page came together easily just by following the sketch.   The small changes, just make it more my style!  Remember to check all the kits, stamps and add ons on the CTK shop.  If you create a project using this sketch, please share it with us.  we love to see what you create with our sketches and products.

XO!

Sunday Sketch with Loredana Bucaria - July 2020 Guest Designer-

Hi there!
Today we have a special treat for you, as our Guest Designer - Loredana Bucaria- is joining us for one last time with this week's  Sunday Sketch.     Here is the sketch she is using as inspiration for her page...

and this is what Loredana has created using the July kits...

She has used a combination of the Wild at Heart Life Crafted and July Add-on kit to create her page.  The construction of her page remains as shown in the original sketch.

She has added a bit of mixed media to the background, and distressed the edges of the paper strips to add interest to the layers.  Just love all the texture she has added with the sewing thread!

She is using blue ink in her stamping and splatters to accent the colors in the layers and pictures.  we just love how she used the sketch on this beautiful page.
Remember to follow Loredana at https://www.instagram.com/loredanabucaria/ to check more of her amazing projects and be inspired by her work.

XO

Pocket Page Challenge and Mixed Media Life Crafted with Patricia

Hello Friends.  Patricia back again to share a Pocket Page Challenge and one more Life Crafted spread I shared on Instagram.  Both of these projects include mixed media.  The Pocket Page Challenge uses leftovers from the Life Crafted project.  I like to keep those pieces of mixed media prints I create, because I can always find a way to use them!  

Which leads me to the Pocket Page Challenge for you today:

• Use any leftover mixed media or even just stamped background pieces
• Add stamping onto the leftover pieces and pattern paper
• Add black machine stitching or pen lines for your typed or handwritten journaling

Using my leftovers first, I picked pieces that I liked the color variations and trimmed them to fit my 2x2 pockets.  Another challenge if the format would work for your album would be to use all 2x2 pockets!  I have never tried this and love it.  I use a 6x8 album, so the Citrus Twist Kits 2x2 Life Crafted Page Protector worked with my format!  After trimming my leftover pieces, I selected cards from the July Wild at Heart kit, and smooth white cardstock trimmed to fit as well.  With my cards and photos all in place, I start adding the details.  First, I combine the Bailey Alphabet Stamp Set and the alpha stickers from the kit to create a title for this spread and date it, adding enamel dots to finish it.  The second card, I want to start adding my typed journaling.  After my journaling is typed, I machine stitch with black thread across, and then add the Life Crafted kit stamp, Wild At Heart, and the larger 4x6 Wild at Heart stamp to add more layers.

I used the kit Wild at Heart stamp set to stamp onto the trimmed card next to the first photo in black ink.  The next pocket is another leftover mixed media piece.  I added the 4x6 Wild at Heart stamp with journaling and a chipboard to it.  For the last leftover mixed media piece, I added more typed journaling, machine stitching, stamping and enamel dots.

The reason I love using the leftover mixed media pieces is because of the variations in them.  They take time to create, so having them on hand can really make your project look like it took awhile and give it such a beautiful watercolored look.  I continue adding stamping or journaling to the cards.  Most of the pockets with photos, I leave as is since I have so much texture.  I also challenged myself, since I'm using all 2x2 pockets, is to pick photos to highlight the entire month of April.

For the smooth white cardstock cards, I punched a circle to use as a mask, then stamped the horizontal leaf image from the 4x6 Wild at Heart stamp set using orange and pink ink.  For the solid white masked area, I used the July Traveler's Notebook to stamp in the center.  The other card, I add the same leaf image stamped in just the pink at the top, typed and stitched journaling, then added the chipboard.

The 4x6 Wild at Heart stamp set, like all of the stamps from CTK, I find are so great at documenting.  I used one of the images to stamp the single line grid, then the phrase, followed by my typed journaling, stitching, and enamel dots for more color.  Those last two pockets, I trimmed a Life Crafted Kit card so that the circles would face in towards my photo, and used the stickers and trimmed the chipboard sticker to fit across it.

And here is the original Life Crafted project using a full piece of one of the mixed media pieces I created.

Here is how I created the mixed media cardstock pieces (prints).  

If you do not have a gel press, you could use a nonporous surface such as the non-stick mat like I am using under the gel press or leftover wrap from packages, even Saran Wrap.  But you may not get the same effects.  The beauty of the gel press is being able to reactive what you create on it with water or adding more ink, watercolors, or paint.  The gel press is about 1/2" thick and squishy.  The idea is to get as many 'prints' from it as you can rather than a single print.

For this Life Crafted project, I chose the last print I created.  Before I created the three prints, I created one with just the leaves.  I used that one and the second print from above steps in the Pocket Page. 

I use smooth cardstock and not heavy watercolor paper.  I wanted to use this piece right away after it dried.  So to stop the page from curling from the water, I used double sided tape along the edges of the back and adhered to another thin piece of white cardstock to lie flat.  Then added my journaling and more stamping, along with more embellishments from the Life Crafted kit.

For the right side, I trimmed pattern paper to fit for the top and a card to fit at the bottom.  Then finished with the kit die cuts, puffy alphabets, and Bailey Alphabet stamp set.

Hope this inspires you to use what mixed media product you have on hand to experiment with the Citrus Twist Kits stamps, and save those pieces.  You will be surprised how well they work with your projects.  I love the combination of the messy and neat look it gives when you combine it with the cards and pattern paper!  The added stamping, journaling, and machine stitching add great layers and texture!  Happy creating!!

SUNDAY SKETCH with Nathalie

Hi there!
Nathalie with you today with this week's Sunday Sketch challenge.   I love working with sketches as they provide a blueprint for your project, and makes it easier and faster to create a project.   This week's sketch is a fun one, and i am sure you are going to love it:

For my first project, i chose to follow the sketch, and used only the June Add-on kit to build the layout

For my 12x12 layout, i chose to start the page with a bit of mixed media.   I created a rainbow impression of a stencil on the background of the page ( using Vicki Boutin Art Crayons).   My choice of colors in the paper layers are guided in part by the rainbow colors on the background.

I loved the ephemera from Maggie Holmes Sweet Story collection ( featured in this month's Add on kit).  One of the pieces featured a sentiment that matched the story of the page, so, i chose to  use it to create an interactive element for my page, and cover the journal lines with it.  For this, i used a brad to hold the pieces together, and make it able to swivel to reveal the story.

The biggest changes from the sketch are my choice of hearts instead of stars, the title placement and all the stamping around each cluster of hearts, but who can resist all the beautiful stamps each month.

Well, now let me show you how i was inspired by the sketch to create a page on my Family album:

This time, I used a combination of the Add on kit, Cravings Life Crafted kit and this month's Digital TN papers in my page.

For this layout, i rotated the sketch 90 degrees counterclockwise and then treated the photo and journal spot as one big picture, hence my film strip.   I added layers of papers from the Add on kit, and Digital papers as to follow  some of the layers in the original sketch.  I made sure to place the pictures and layers close to the center line of the layout ( i worked the page as a whole before splitting it up and punching holes)

I hand cut the stars from the Add-on papers and layered them as per the sketch.  Along the way, i added a few embellishments and stickers just as the sketch shows.  Once everything was secured, i trimmed my page in half and punched the holes.

The last change comes as i replaced the small label on the paper strip with the title for my page.  I used the ephemera and puffy alphas from the Life Crafted kit to complete my page.  I chose to add my lines of journal under the title and capped the page with a stamped sentiment from the This is Life: YES Stamp set.   

I loved working with the sketch and using it as inspiration for my layouts. Like i mentioned before, a sketch is a great starting point for your imagination, the rest is up to you.   Though our kits are sold out this month, it is always a good time to start a subscription for the upcoming month! 

Remember to share with us what you create inspired by the sketch!!

XO

GRATEFUL LAYOUT with Nathalie

Hi there!
Nathalie with you today with a layout using the beautiful November Add-on kit.   As our US friends set to celebrate Thanksgiving this week, it is always a good time to reflect, and for many document on what we are thankful for.   I chose to document a picture of the relationship our daughter and fur baby share.

I started with the Grateful cut file (available for free to subscribers) as the focus for the page.  When cutting the image, i made sure to highlight only the flower area of the cut file, so that the Silhouette will only cut the floral cluster twice more - there were little pieces of cardstock that had to be fussy cut out from the die cut so that i could fully isolate the florals-.

I backed each of the floral clusters using papers from the add on kit ( the color palette in this month's kits is amazing).   I chose to use vellum to back the title part of the die cut, as it brings softness and translucency to the die cut that will make the background stand out, too!

A little bit of mixed media was all that i needed to bring some color and softness to the background.  I prepped a foundation paper (Vicki Boutin) with gesso and then added  bit of liquid watercolor in shades of teal so that it complements to colors in the flower clusters.

My choice of adding the picture of my two babies to the top of left corner of the layout helped me to create a soft diagonal design for my page.   I backed the picture with papers from the add-on kit and added a few pieces of ephemera to create a cluster at the top left corner of the page.

I added a few puffy stickers throughout the floral cluster of the page, and then used this month's stamps to add a few sentiments to each of the clusters. I added my lines of journal to the right of the title, and then finished the page with a few drops of gold ink.


The soft color of the mixed media background, the translucency of the title and all the floral clusters bring life to this page all about gratitude, and love.

Thank you so much for joining me today, remember to check the kits, stamps and exclusive  files ( it is always a good time to subscribe to Citrus Twist Kits), and please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions.

XO