October Guest Designer : Kathy Clayton!

Help us welcome our October Guest Designer Kathy Clayton!

Hi!  Kathy here today and I want to share with you a mixed media layout I did . . .  it is actually the 4th one I have done this month.  I had received a big package of flowers that I had been dying to use, so I finally took the plunge and decided to use them with some VLVS stamps and along with some techniques I learned online a few weeks ago.  I am so excited (and more than a little nervous) to be a Guest Designer here on the VLVS! blog.  I mean, I have seen what VLVS's designers have done . . . and they are so A-W-E-S-O-M-E and so inspirational.  I just hope I don't trip in their shoes. lol 

But first, a little about me.  I live a little town outside of Des Moines, Iowa, with my husband and 17-year old daughter. I am a 2x cancer survivor . . . the 1st time being 17 years ago and the 2nd time 10 years ago.  Being a 2x cancer survivor and dealing with other life-threatening illnesses, I've learned to take chances whether it'd be a new treatment, meeting new friends or trying new techniques/projects (like I did for this project).   What's the worse that can happen if doesn't work? I have to try again?  There are worse things in life.  I love to craft, can, cook, read, garden, quilt . . . well, just about everything working with my hands while being creative.  My blog is http://www.upinthenightwithkat.blogspot.com

 

Now on to my layout:

For this layout, I got my inspiration from one of my favorite designers, Czekoczyna.  I used a few of my favorite VLVS! stamps along with one of my daughter's favorite colors . . . also a picture she took of herself and sent it to me.

I used the following VLVS! products:

Chicken Wire

Pure imagination

Be an ADVENTURER

Miracle Tape

Ultra High Gloss Embossing Powder

Other items:

UmWowStudio flair, May Arts lace and jute, black Archival Ink, misc. washi tape, various patterned cardstock from Basic Grey, Prima & Pink Paislee, gesso, Glimmer Glazes & Mists from Tattered Angels,  masks from Prima (dots & checkerboard), assorted flowers; a stick pin (I made this for a swap I was in), rub-ons & a key from Tim Holtz, chicken wire chipboard from Dusty Attics and black drawing ink

Since this was a long process (as least for me), I am only going to highlight the most important parts of what I did.  The very 1st thing I did was use my Miracle Tape and taped some Super Stock behind the cardstock I was using . . . this was to help stiffen it so it wouldn't buckle under the weight of all the embellishments I was going to use. Then I adhered strips and squares of different papers using Helmar 450 Quick Dry Adhesive (it is important to use a liquid adhesive for this first part so the paper doesn't wrinkle as much).  Once I had my paper down in an assortment that worked with the picture I was using, I added some washi tape.  After that, I applied gesso over it using a square piece of plastic (this is to help pull of the papers together) and added small clusters of checkerboard throughout.

I then added my picture using foam tape. (I did cover my photo with a blank piece of cardboard as not to get ink or glue on it . . . I just wanted it there to help with placement of my flowers and such). Then I started adding clusters of flowers, pieces of chicken wire chipboard, lace, and rub-ons.  Then I went to work with my mists and glazes till I was happy with the results.  I added some jute, a stick pin and a key to my clusters of flowers.

Once I was finished with all the adhering and misting, I stamped my VLVS! images here and there.  I added the chicken wire stamp in various places around my photo and lower flower cluster. Stamped "Pure Imagination" below my photo and stamped "Be an ADVENTURER" to the right of my photo . . . I ended up trying to double stamp it, trying to "shadow" it, but it didn't quite work the way I wanted.  But I am happy with it anyway....as I always say, "There are NO mistakes, only creative discoveries . . . nothing is right or wrong."

Added some bling and some droplets of black drawing ink and VOILA! I was done.

Thanks so much for stopping by.  I hope I was able to inspire at least one person today . . . if I did, my world is complete (well, at least for today it is - lol).   I can hardly wait to share my 2nd project in a couple of weeks.