back to nature

For this months post, i was given the opportunity to work with blue fern studios, tranquillity collection.

These are stunning papers and i have used the calm patterned paper as my background, stillness as my mat and the packaging from blue fern studios, spring iris, garden daisies, splattered circles chipboard, which i have also used.

My photo has been printed on to canvas paper, which means it has lots of texture.

Firstly i have primed my background with clear gesso, if you remember this allows me to add media and inks to my page without the paper being saturated. Once dry i added some white gesso to my page, it toned down the blue of the paper, which has made a focal point for my photo to be placed on.
Using my sizzix thinlits wildflower dies, which i had cut out of scraps of card i made a stencil to put texture paste through ( you can only faintly see this but it adds and extra dimension to the layout).
i then took my chipboard pieces primed them in white gesso and painted over the top using various, mica powders, inks, and watercolours till i had the desired effect

I then matted my photo, and tore pieces of packaging, which i have tucked under the mat. Placed my chipboard on the page and used some of the wildflower dies that i cut out of the photo canvas paper and added to my page. Distressed edges of the paper in bushed corduroy distress ink. Added some crumpled cheese cloth, a tag and metal title to my page. I finally distressed the edges of my background 12x12 patterned paper but instead of inking it, kept it white to give the page a striking border.