Scrappingclearly Papercrafts & Mixed Media

Happy Weekend Scrappers...

Im pretty excited to not only be doing my very first blog post ever, (technology isn't my strong suit) but also my first ever Design team post. I am very humbled to become a part of the Scrapping Clearly Design team, and I hope you find my art can serve as an inspiration point to your own scrapping and artist creations.

Some things that you will find on all my works as kind of a signature thing I do is black... lots of black.. and machine stitching... I have a basic Janome Sewist 525S and this baby can pretty much tackle anything. I've added some tips and tricks at the bottom for those that may want to dust off that old baby sitting in the cupboard, and I'm sure it will soon become a staple in your artistic tools...

This month we have a super awesome Sketch and Mood board challenge... This post I'm sharing my take on the sketch. There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to using sketches as a starting point... it doesn't have to be an exact science. What I end up with is usually nothing like I had planed, and I think that is the beauty with utilising a sketch, as it gives you a starting point and is great when you find yourself sitting in your craft room, surrounded by all your goodies and you go 'so, what do I do now?...  

I began with my Marshmellow Cardstock. I cannot stress how awesome this stuff is. Its been especially designed for mixed media and can take a fair whack of water, colour and sprays. 

I pre-sprayed some water onto the card stock, laid down a circle stencil and used in the Dylusions colour sprays Crushed grape, Bubblegum Pink and Vibrant Turquoise. 

Next came some black house paint. If you have not yet got yourself some of this, I suggest a Bunnings trip ASAP! I first was introduced by the amazing Lisa Oxley in a class, and its now a staple in many peoples art stashes. It flows and flicks to perfection, and it of course..Black.... I've since grabbed up all the cheap mist tints tins that my local Bunnings has. 

The rose gold background is actually the left over foil from using my MINC. If you haven't played with this, I highly suggest adding it to your Christmas wish list. Initially I thought it would be just another gadget id use once and forget about, but the applications and possible usage of this product is far more than first meets the eye... check out the MINC starter kit, it has everything you need to start glaming up your projects.

Ive layered up some masking tape and washi and added my picture backed with Raven Bazzil. I embossed the WOW Winged heart flourish with Colour Blast Royalty embossing powder, and there is a Hambly Screen print  tucked in there too. Stick it all down with some Glossy accents and presto, one super spunky layout complete. 

Machine stitching hints and tips...

You can see I've machine stitched along the top and bottom edges of the card stock, layering the white onto the black.... I've also stitched over the top of some heavy duty Thickers. Things I highly suggest to do are:

*Invest in some good quality needles that are specifically for leather or heavy fabrics

*Allow you glossy or adhesive to fully dry before stitching

*Use a thick cotton thread that is good quality. You don't necessarily need this for just paper stitching, but for thicker areas it will help stop breakage

*If you can afford it, invest in a 'walking foot'.... this feeds from both top and bottom and as the name says 'walks' your paper through with ease... 

Thanks for reading and helping me celebrate my debut into the realms of Design teaming...  I have lots more projects to share and am looking forward to this journey with you all.

Much Love

Skai