Life Documented!

It’s always important to document moments in life, no matter how big or small. During this time, I have been creating a 6×8 mini album, a page for every day in April using different photos, art, and color prompts. This one I thought I would share: it brings together my family, my favorite mixed media products, and showcases some beautiful products!

I started with 2 sheets of Classic Crest Solar White Cardstock. I cut one sheet down to a 6×8 size. The second sheet I cut into 6.26×1.25 inch strips (8 of them). This is to create the ruffle-look background that will be torn, so they need to be just a little bit bigger than the 6×8 size.

To create my colors, I am using some heavy body acrylic paint in white. I will add varying amounts of Pigment Powder to achieve the colors I’m looking for. These, in particular, are Vicki Boutin’s Pigment Powder. I decided that along with the paint, I wanted to add some shimmer. But not too much that it takes away from the page;
just enough to make it pop out.

I added some of Vicki Boutin’s Iridescent Glaze to get a beautiful shimmer/metallic look to those colors. I played with a lot of these colors with the different pigments to get all those similar but varying shades of color. This is the Juicy Pear pigment and Blue Hawaiian pigment that created a gorgeous pale turquoise color. Adding more or less of either color can give you a lot of different shades.

Using a different combination of pigments, I painted each strip of paper in different colors. As I was mixing and painting them, I thought it would be neat to add some kind of texture to these strips instead of just the brushstroke look. So I grabbed another sheet of 6×8 Classic Crest Solar White, and starting with pink, pressed the wet paint down onto the new sheet.

I did this with each color. I got an awesome texture on the strip. I also used the sheet and made a background for another project down the line.

I used an old tool to get that torn edge. With how precise I needed these strips to be, I had to be able to measure how deep they tore. These strips have to stay at least one inch by six, so there’s only 1/4 of an inch to work with. I used the ruler on my mat and lined my tool up and tore off just the right amount, starting with Pink.

Using the Score-tape, I put a line of tape across the top of each strip of paper and slid it just a little bit up under the previous strip. I lifted up the previous strip just so it ruffled, and then pressed it back down after adhering the next one. It left just enough of lift for the look I was going for.

These strips were cut to 6.25 inches long. Once you have all of them adhered to the paper, I went ahead and cut off that .25 of an inch to get a clean, even edge. I fell in love with this look! I’m hoping you do too and use it!

I wanted my photos to pop out, so I used some more Solar White cardstock to mat each picture first, and then I used a sheet of the Pow! Cricket Green Glitter Cardstock to mat them. I loved how they turned out. I also decided that the 4th picture wouldn’t fit, so I had to use just the 3. It happens.

I wanted some unique, fun embellishments for this page, so I pulled out some Solar White scraps from the photo mats and some pretty stamps and art crayons. Dipping the crayon in water, I colored directly on the stamp itself, and then onto the paper. I got these beautiful watercolor flowers. and using the same Pow! Cricket Green Glitter cardstock and stamp set, I made some glitter leaves to go with the flowers.

To go along with my flowers, I made a small vellum heart shaker, with some rainbow Spiegelmom Scraps sequins, I added some ScrappinHappy Studio Peek-a-Boo and Hashtag Flair. I wanted that background and the flowers to be the real embellishments with those photos; I didn’t want to add to much more than that.

I love how this all came together. These photos are from a very special time for my family, and I really wanted to document it with my April Mini Album. Even through the hard times, Family is what’s most important. No matter what comes, families can survive and be stronger for it.

Thank you so much for stopping by! I hope I was able to inspire you to use all the things! It’s messy, but turns into a masterpiece!

XOXO, Melly