Special Crafting Skills: Mixed Media

Hello Crate Paper friends!! Lorilei here today sharing a layout featuring a technique I love to do: Mixed Media! I almost always include some kind of paint on a layout, and for this page, I got out my Vicki Boutin Mixed Media goodies!

I started out by using Vicki Boutin Gesso and covered my entire 12x12 white cardstock. Once that was dry I scraped Vicki Boutin paint in the Daquiri Ice color in the center of the page. Since I was going to mix pinks and teals I let the teal dry completely and then mixed cotton candy with a bit of water and added it to the page with the package technique. I made sure to let some of the puddles drip down the page, again I let the background dry and for the last layer I added Vicki Boutin Iridescent Glaze through a stencil.

I was ready to embellish the background now using the gorgeous Willow Lane Collection by Maggie Holmes and Crate Paper. I chose die cuts with coordinating colors to the mixed media and followed the design the paint and drips had made. The pink paint had dripped and puddled at the bottom of the page, so I just made a point of embellishing it with a cute chipboard bow, puffy heart, and a clear sticker!

I decided to expand on the black details in the be kind tag and added two foam banners on the page, one on the bunny die cut and another under my photo. The black creates a visual triangle and incorporates the clear sticker in the bottom cluster. In my opinion, it keeps the page from looking too "precious" with the soft paint colors!

I added sparkly gold hearts in three areas on the page; I love that they bring in some glitter and shine and add a fun element to the layout! If you have never tried mixed media on a layout, I encourage you to give it a try! Begin by choosing coordinating colors for your embellishments. It keeps a page calmer in feel and a cohesive look!