Creative Imaginations - Mon Ami

You gotta love foil papers – there is something lush and decadent about them. I have a huge collection of them – mostly from Creative Imaginations – but have very few layouts that actually use them.

Huh?

I think it is the enormity of actually cutting one up that scares most of us off actually using them. That and the fact they are just so gorgeous to look, at it seems a shame to put stuff over them.

But put stuff over them I have and I am very happy with the final product. There is a lot of ‘playing’ in this one: my new embossing toy, some interesting stitching and some mucking about with photo altering. I’ve posted a thread in the forum http://www.123scrapbook.com.au/forum/index.php/topic,863.0.html on how I altered the photo to get the look of the one in the layout, so pop in and check it out sometime.

The title is a new technique I have been meaning to try out for some time now. Rather than ink the chipboard with a single colour I have "splodged" it with several colours that match the patterned paper. Over this I embossed some gold embossing powder. Just awesome.

I think I pretty much embossed everything that did not move on this layout. The photo edges are embossed, as are the distressed edges of the patterned paper - I did an embossed stamp onto some transparency sheet; and I did a metallic charm and the Green Tara flower. I've put a close-up of the latter combination below. You can see them both clearly in that - as well as the pin decorated with some beads. It's a lovely "cluster" of embellishments I think.

The stitching is also pretty cool – not that I thought so at the time. Metallic thread is awful to work with – but it gives such a gorgeous look it is almost worth the trouble sewing with it.

It sounds simple – and the instructions are straightforward, but putting it into practice nearly drove my on-holiday kids to drink trying to cope with a frustrated Mum.

Step 1. Draw 2 concentric circles – one smaller than the other.
Step 2. Stitch from one circle to the other diagonally
(stitch to the hole ahead of the one you come from)
Step 3. Now stitch back the other way – keeping the stitching diagonal.

You get this lovely net-like look to it. For this layout I have used 2 different colours, but it looks just as lovely using the one colour only.

If you have a go – and do try it – can I suggest the following hints?

1. Work in one direction only with the stitching – for BOTH circles.
2. A big tip as to whether you are doing the right thing – on the back side of the layout – the stitches should be in the SAME place, you only see one set of
diagonal stitches, not the ‘net’ you see from the front.

This will save you finding out halfway there, that you are going in the wrong direction – all the lines are leaning the OTHER way. Grumble grumble mutter mutter.

Here’s a front and back close-up shot of the layout that shows what I mean.

There are a few scrappers out there using this technique – so I have no idea who was first and thus deserves credit. All I can say it that it’s not my idea – but it’s a very cool one to use.

Happy Stitching

Materials – 123 Store

Creative Imaginations - Mon Ami
- Foil paper
Bazzill - Blue Calypso c/s
Kaisercraft
- Pearls - Teal (oos)
Green Tara
- 10 cm Dusty Liquid blossom
Kindyglitz – Crystalina
Scraplets – Fairies are Real chippy title

Materials – Own Stash

Ribbons - olive lace and pink iridescent organza
Colorbox Chalk Ink (colours not labelled – but purple; teal and ice blue)
Versamark Ink
Prima – various flowers
Kaisercraft – small white flower
Embossing Powder – Gold
Embroidery thread
– Metallic gold
– Teal
Teal flower pin
Assorted teal and gold beads
Gold Fairy charm
Imaginesce – metal charm
MM – All Fall clear stamps
Ribbons – teal and ice blue organza sheers
Transparency sheet