Hello Story | Courage to Create

          Okay, so I have to be honest...  I'm out of my comfort zone!!!  AND LOVING IT!  I typically create double-page layouts...  and I like bright colors like red, any shade of blue, pinks and yellows typically.  When I began thinking about what I wanted to create for the Hello Story class with Ali Edwards, I decided to hop outside my box and do something different.  I love the results - take a look and see what you think:        

          First, I took a plain piece of white cardstock.  I decided to use black, white and purple on this mixed media single-page layout.  By using some of my washi tape, I created a diagonal stripe mask on my page.  I placed it on a Ranger craft mat.

 

          I didn't use a ruler, I just freehanded the placement of the tape.  To make it more exact you could place the tape fully across the page, but only the edges are going to show so I didn't worry about the center of the design. 

 

 

          After masking off my paper, I used black acrylic paint to create the stripes on my paper.  The acrylic paint dries quickly, so once it dries you can peel the washi tape off to display the stripes you have created. 

          Next, I took one of my favorite stencils:  TCW Quadtrefoil by Ronda Palazzari Designs and some purple acrylic paint to create a beautiful design on a second sheet of white cardstock. 

 

 

          I like the pop of color against the black and white stripes.  At this point, I decided to keep all of my other items black and white to allow the purple to be a shot of color. 

 

 

          Now to continue with some fun items, I used the Tim Holtz tissue paper as an overlay.  I used Mod Podge to coat the area where the tissue would go AND used a paint brush to cover the back of the tissue paper - NOTE:  when using Mod Podge (especially if the area is a larger area) be sure to cover it well or you'll have bubbles under your paper/tissue.  Even after coating both areas, I still had to peel my tissue up and smooth some additional Mod Podge over the area - this is tricky since it is so thin it can easily tear!!! 

          Afterwards, I painted Mod Podge over the top of the tissue paper to help smooth it down and adhere it nicely to the page.  I added one of the  Heidi Swapp Clear Pop Banner Delights across the top.

 

 

 

        Finally, I printed a six-word title "Creativity takes COURAGE to let go" and added it under the banner.  To complete my layout, I used a 6x6 Heidi Swapp Confetti stencil for the splattering of silver dots. 

          WOW - so much fun!  Thank you, Ali, for the challenge -