Sick – We Are Mixed Media Artist

A few weeks ago I saw that some scrapbook manufacturers sell 12×12 burlap for ridiculous amount of money.

I immediately went over to Joann’s with my 40% coupon. I bought half a yard of burlap for less than 2 bucks.   I also found some other fabrics that looked unique and would be pretty versatile on other pages.  My fabric choices were strange enough the fabric cutter asked me what I was gonna use them for.  “Mixed media” immediately popped into my head and I wanted to say “for art”.  I always fantasize about being an artist.  But I couldn’t muster enough courage before “for scrapbooking” rolled off my tongue.  The lady was visibly disappointed.

It was an AHA moment for me though.  Scrapbooking IS mixed media!  We use paper, fabric, metal, twine, tapes, ink, pen, stamp, digital,…  You name it, some scrapbooker has used it in her layout.  So next time instead of introducing yourself as a scrapbooker, call yourself a mixed media artist.

Back to the layout.  I love how the cream burlap looks against the kraft cardstock. All the soft neutral colors complemented the photos so well.  I had better luck with stamping this time, with prima’s chalk ink.  I realized to apply even ink to a stamp, dab ink onto the stamp, don’t drag.  Last time I pressed the ink onto the stamp and dragged.  Although the ink was applied evenly this time, the placement was funky.  Hopefully I have enough random elements in this layout that the stamps will fade in the background, which was my intention to begin with.

Here’s the sketch:

Here is the layout:

Close shot of the burlap.

The photos are from different dates, but all from December.  I covered up the year part of the smash stamp, and hand wrote the apostrophe to turn the day into the year.  It worked out nicely.  My smash stamp doesn’t have year 2010 anyway.

LOVE the rub-on faux thread line.

I didn’t realize I had the word “uncomfort” in the journal until everything was glued down.  Well, it’s a great lesson to teach my son to always proof read.  (I did proof read, twice, but oh well.)

Can’t use enough washi tapes in my layouts.