Hey Guys!!! It's already the month of June and the worldwide pandemic condition is still aggravating. In these tough conditions, we need to be strong and keep going. Since its already summer and with it summer brings all the happiness and brightness for new lives to revive in, giving us hope to carry forward. So, with this positive thought in mind lets create something romantic to show our loved ones how grateful we are to have them in our life. I was also inspired by Splashymix challenge moodboard for the month of June https://splashymixchallenge.blogspot.com/2020/06/challenge-18-june.html to create this layout. Hence, there is my version of a romantic heart layout dedicated to all the happy thought of new beginnings. As it is been said that the best relationships start unexpectedly, so is true for this mixed media layout. Initially, I was not sure as to how to build up the entire composition but eventually, I followed my heart and trusted my instincts to take the layout to completion. Here I will be explaining the entire procedure in steps how to create this layout.
Step 1: Creating the base
The first step is to create a base. Here I have used a scrap piece of cardboard and cut out a heart from it. The heart measures approximately 20 cm in length and 18 cm in breadth. Next, I have attached a floral pattern paper over the cardboard base and distressed the edges of the paper using a scissor to give it a more staggered look.
Step 2: Preping the base
Next up is to prep the base so that it can withstand all the textures and mediums we are going to use on it later on. For that, I have used clear gesso (from Little Birdie). The clear gesso is a transparent primer which dries matte and protects the base. As it has a transparent finish, the floral pattern shall be visible.
Step 3: Creating textures
Now the fun begins!!! I have tried to create multiple layers of texture to create some interest in my entire project. Firstly, I have used a stencil (Impressions stencil from Little Birdie) and modelling paste (2 in 1 mixed media paste, Little Birdie) to create the first layer of texture.
Once dried, next I have used crackle medium paste and applied it here and there with the help of a palette knife to create a crackle effect and left it to air dry.
Next up I have used another two floral papers and tore their edges to create extra layers and then used military rust paste (from Finnabair, Prima marketing) to add more texture.
Then, I applied a thin coat of white gesso to bring everything together and then a layer of sea green metallic acrylic paint (from Immix, Expressions craft) followed by adding different kinds of laces (from Dress my craft) in between the paper layers to create further textures.
Step 4: Preparing embellishments
Then I prepared a few embellishments, namely, paper cut-outs and chipboards (from Papericious), some handmade flowers, leaf and swirl die cuts (from Shalini Agarwal and Dress my craft). The chipboards were covered with black gesso and waxes from Little Birdie.
Step 5: Building composition
And now the final part i.e., working on the composition. Even though it can be a bit intimidating but nonetheless it is fun. The key point here is not to get overwhelmed with all the elements and prepared embellishments. Just trust your instincts and build everything intuitively. Let your heart and hand work cohesively and just enjoy the process. Try to work with the placement of elements and if happy start glueing things down. Here are a few snaps of the building process.
The final reveal !!!!
Here is the finished look of my project. Hope you guys liked it. Thank you for all your love and support.
