Layering Techniques for Paper Crafters, Part 3

Happy Friday, y’all! Scraps, here, with part 3 of the fabulous Layering Techniques video series by Alchemist Amy!

In  case you missed them: part one is here, part two is here.

In this final part we get to see how Amy arranges her embellishments, adds items that will lead the eye where she wants it to go (very important when you’ve got a lot of elements in play!) and ponders the ever present question: Does it need just one more thing?

I love it when a page comes together! And this series was like looking over Amy’s shoulder throughout the whole process.

Awesome work, Amy, on the layout and the videos! And is anyone else itching to get their hands on that Moshi Moshi kit–it can’t be just me!

Until next time!

~Scraps

Layering Techniques for Paper Crafters: Part Two

Hi everyone! Maggi here to share the second video in a three part series on layering techniques from Alchemist Amy! (Part one is here)

Don’t forget to join us on Friday for part three!

Now go glue something awesome onto some awesome something!

Maggi

Layering Techniques for Paper Crafting, Part One

Good morning everyone!  Marilyn here, with a brand new video from Alchemist Amy.  Today, using elements from the Moshi Moshi Kit, Amy is going to give us her take on the technique of layering and demonstrate for us how to get started (we also get a sneak peek at the final product-LOVE!).  So without further ado or to-do, Amy, show us your stuff……………….

Thank you Amy.  Extremely enlightening and easy to understand!  I loved the part about using a horizon line to give you a starting point and help draw the eye, through the use of layers, to the main focul point (the picture or subject).  This is something I never considered and a definite “must do” my next time in the studio.  It will make layering sooooo much easier!

Folks, hang around because on Wednesday, May 16th, Maggi is going to share with us the second installment of Amy’s layering technique and on Friday, May 18th, Jenn (aka Scraps) is going to share the third and final installment.  Now, I’m off to find my scissors, glue, and paper.  It’s layering time people!

Until later…………………
Smiles~
Marilyn

Gauche Alchemy + Paper Issues = TOTAL AWESOMENESS!

Hallooooo out there!  This is Chrissy to let you in on an awesome collaboration we are participating in!  For the next two weeks, the Paper Issues crew is doing an awesome theme that gets you to think outside of your comfort zone and guess who has eight thumbs and is sponsoring! That’s right! We are!  Here are some awesome projects from a few of the Paper Issues gals (and you’ll probably recognize two of them, our own Gauche Mama, Chrissy and our Newsletter Overlord, Lori!

We also have news of an awesome giveaway on the Paper Issues blog and a 30% off coupon code for our very own sweet shop!  For the Paper Issues giveaway, just head on over to Paper Issues and become a follower as well as “like” their Facebook page.  Here’s the awesomeness you’ll be in the running for:

Now for our awesome little coupon offer.  Just go into the Gauche Alchemy shop anytime between now and the 27th to take advantage of the 30% off coupon.  Upon checkout, use coupon code PAPERISSUES2012 to get 30% off your order!  This excludes the ACME Kit subscriptions though.

Be sure to check out all of the amazing mixed media projects over at Paper Issues and we would love it if you linked up your projects with them as well as within our Flickr group!

Cheers!

Chrissy

Stuck Sticks to Get You Creating

Hi there, folks! Scraps, here, with a necessity-is-the-crafter-of-inspiration project from Alchemist Jo!

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Jo: I keep myself busy with quite a few art challenges which is great for inspiration but every so often I want to create something just for me, just because I can, just because.  So there I am, I’ve set aside some time, I’m sitting in my crafting area and, oh dear,  wondering what I can do.

**Tumbleweed Moment**

I’ll twitch a few pencils, stroke my favourite cardstock but will be stuck for inspiration.  Sound familiar to anyone?!  A-ha!  I now have a solution to this problem!

STUCK STICKS!  You’re stuck?  Pick a stick!

The pot is a food can (baked beans in this case) covered with washi tape. Have you checked out the Gauche Alchemy WASHI TAPE yet?!  My secret mission is to end up with one of each set!  It’s so easy to use and looks wonderful (especially if I don’t drool over it!).

The sticks are coffee shop wooden stirrers (ok ok, I drink too much coffee) which I color-tinted with Distress Inks and Distress Stains.

I rubber stamped with Staz-on ideas for creative things to do–sometimes very specific like ‘ATC’, ‘alter something’ or ‘watch a gauche video and have a go at the technique’, other ones giving broader inspiration such as ‘quote’, ‘choose a decade’ or ‘open a technique book and have a go at one’.  One of my most effective inspiration un-stucker stickers is to tidy up my crafting area – it’s amazing what gets found and I’m instantly inspired to create )

This was a quick and fun little project.  It would be great to team up with a like minded friend and make a set for each other – then you wouldn’t have a clue what idea you were going to pick out, what fun!

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Oh how fun! Not only did she dress up a lot of things that would have otherwise been tossed into the trash, but she made them into an awesome creativity tool for herself! And I love the idea of a stuck stick swap, anyone game?

~Scraps~

PS: As Sunday is Mother’s Day, I just wanted to take a moment to wish a very happy Mother’s Day to our Gauche Mamas, Mom-Alchemists and all our Mom-readers, too! Wishing you much crafty time to indulge your passions!

Smashing the Washi

Hey everyone, it’s Gauche Mama, Amy.  Just wanted to share a quick n’ simple, very gratifying project with ya.

I don’t know ’bout you, but I am a total washi tape addict.  I admit, I have about 100 or more rolls of washi tape, including most of what we’ve got listed in our shop.  The addiction started years ago, when Yasu gave me a roll or two… then sent about 12-15 of them in a big care package once she moved back to Japan.  You can thank her for my fixation…

Anyway, one big bonus with washi tape is that it’s easy to cover just about anything in no time flat.  I decided to apply various patterns to a smash book I made a few weeks ago – the illustration board cover just looked so sad and bare.

Being as it is (sigh), my crafting time is limited.  I got a few lines of tape laid down and then realized I had to get to the grocery store before the end of the day lest we all starve to death.  Well, okay that’s a little dramatic.  Lest we have to eat plain tuna fish for three meals daily.  A Mama’s work is never done, what can I say?  So, I gave my big bag o’ tape to my 13-year-old and 5-year-old daughters and told them to have at it.  (And share.  Definitely SHARE!)

When I got home with my 15 bags of groceries, this is what they had done:

Well, they ALMOST did all that – I added the brown solid edging, and then my 13-year-old genius suggested adding the organically grown tape that was wrapped around our quart of strawberries.  (And shame on me for not thinking of it, organic foodie that I am!)

So, what have you been using your washi for these days?  We totally need to know, as the GA team is fired up with washi madness lately.  Share your ideas and projects on our Flickr stream or Facebook fan page (go on and click the bottlecaps below!).

 

Precious in Purple

Hi, Marilyn here with another attention-grabbing, earth-shaking layout from Alchemist Misty.  I have to say, when I saw this, it reached out, grabbed me, and said “Purple Rules!”.

Purple is truly Misty’s gorgeous niece Mallory’s color and Misty is going to show us how she worked her magic on this eye-grabbing layout.  She can always mix that right amount of grunginess with a touch of sweetness to knock us off our feet (& out of our socks).  So, without further ado or to-do, here’s Misty……………………………………….

Because I am out of white/cream cardstock, and don’t plan to buy anymore, I started this layout on a red piece of cardstock instead and covered it in gesso.  Then, I pressed the rectangle grid punchinella into the wet paint for added texture, added my mists and allowed to dry.  From there I started my layering, first using some music paper from the Acme Kit that I misted and adhered with modpodge.  Then, I continued to layer using some white mesh from the Wedding Night Mixed Media Color Kit, some peacock punchinella, and another piece of the same music paper, tucking in a tag to the left for some journaling. 

The sentiment at the top of the page came from cardstock found in the Going Postal Mail Art Kit that I matted with some TH tissue tape.

I had bigger plans for the film strips but changed my mind in the middle of it all.  Unfortunately, they were already tied down with eyelets so they just became part of the design anyway…  

I then added the picture and some torquoise rose ribbon as a border.  To add some extra interest, I added pieces of a chicken wire chippy from Scrap FX as well as the “Precious” wordlet.

Thank you Misty.  Just look at that finished layout!  WOW, doesn’t she make it seem so easy?  A little punchinella here, some layered paper there, give it a good mist, glue on some wording, and KAPOW!, there it is!

Until later………………..
Smiles~
Marilyn