I am thrilled to share this stunning layout by the very artistic Dina Wakley. Dina knows how to tell a story through visual imagery as she combines her art skills with her scrapbooking.
This layout is called, “Fatigue.”
I have a bonus feature today for all you technique-driven scrapbookers because Dina provided instructions.
Dina Describes Her Instructions Like This:
- Select a piece of textured patterned paper. I used one of the new Crate Paper line. The paper already had a distressed look to it. In fact, the distressed look inspired me to paint on it.
- Lay mask down (I used the Heidi Swapp butterfly mask) and paint over it with gesso. I extended the gesso past the mask and a little over half-way through the page. Let the gesso dry.
- Add watercolor crayon highlights around the mask. I took a yellow ochre and a purple watercolor crayon and lightly traced around parts of the mask.
- Remove the mask.
- Take a wet brush and dissolve some of the watercolor crayon marks so they look more blended.
- Journal on the gesso. My journaling is about my fatigue & thyroid disease.
- Add some Titan Buff Golden paint (an ivory color) to the corners. I also added some Golden purple glaze to the corners and rubbed it around with a paper towel.
- Stamp some journaling around the mask outline. I used Staz-on ink.
- Adhere your picture. I used staples along the bottom–no adhesive this time! I don’t know why I decided to slice up the picture…I think it just added to the fragmented and chaotic feeling of the theme. You can pull the picture away from the page to continue reading the journaling that goes all the way down.
- Staple the title to the picture. I added the word, “tired,” in Heidi Swapp ghost letters by stapling it directly to the top of the picture strips. After I added it, I decided I wanted it to stand out more, so I inked it, which was tricky since it was stapled to the picture. If I would have been thinking, I would have inked it before stapling it.
- Add any embellishments you want. I added a piece of Hambly overlay behind the picture. I also added some figures from an old math book I bought at a used book store.
- Ink the edges of the layout w/ black ink.
Doesn’t that sound fun? I love using layers in my scrapbooking, especially when sharing something complex and personal. Most often we see layers of paper and patterns in scrapbooking. How about trying a mask with gesso, paint, and ink the next time you create a layout about yourself? Using patterned paper as the negative space left from a mask is the perfect symbol to reveal of something raw and personal.
