NOT my style

This week over at Willow Traders I have been following along in one of their challenges. A prompt is given and then a layout is due in two days following that prompt. One of those challenges was to use a technique. I am not a technique-y kind of gal. I don't usually veer off too much from basic tools and embellishments. But the challenge included the possible use of paint so I went with that. I purposely went outside a normal layout sketch and approach using paint as as a background. This was alot of fun for me, it really was. No rules, no real plan...just going with what came to my mind next.

Now, I would have preferred to use gesso as I am learning about that medium all the time and think it would serve better to not let the cardstock curl. But I did not have any nor the time to go in town to search for it. So, I had to stick with acrylic, which actually worked ok. Using a die cut paper from another stash, that became my mask for me to paint over to give a little bit of a reverse scallop. After laying that down, I took a Zig pen and followed the outline the paint made just to give it a bit more definition and eye pop. This worked well.

Using a traditional wood mount stamp I used a contrasting paint color to add the dots on the bottom right. After daubing the mixed chipboard in paint, I also edged those in the same colored paint as the dots. The butterfly is die cut from an old book page and then painted with a wash of the blue/green paint. Then a perfect pearl button was found in my stash to help accent the butterfly. I liked how that worked. Also using the old book, I cut out words that added to my overall title yet at the same time is fairly subtle. I liked how that worked too. I finished the project by paint stamping a butterfly image on the lower right. Then stamping the same image on a die cut butterfly from the book page. And then layered that on top of the image. Most of this layout was inspired by the artsty work of Amanda Johnson. She has a wonderful fresh way with her layout projects, and she helped to inspire my challenge this week.

My challenge to you this weekend is to go find a layout that is NOT you...and lift it. If you are like me, you lurk around someone's blog or gallery, and oooh and aaah over their design type, but you never dare step out there yourself. Your not alone. Trust me. I play it safe, many times in the simple effort to just 'get it scrapped' and put away, forgetting how fun and rewarding it is to play.
So...go...go play...go have fun...would love to see what you come up with so link me up...

and have a most wonderful weekend.