Family Portraits by ~ Audrey Pettit

Hi everyone, Audrey here, with a layout I made recently for CHA featuring both of Donna Salazar's new collections, Botanique and Storybook. I've also got a few ideas to share for creating your own custom accents and embellishments using basic supplies like patterned paper and stamps.

With all the fabulous images in Donna's papers and coordinating stamps, you don't need much else to create beautiful projects. Here I simply added a bit of cardstock, lace, and a few gems to make this lovely page of my two favorite sweetie-pie girls.

I started with a base of dark brown cardstock and pretty patterned papers. I tucked in some strips of kraft cardstock that I punched with a scalloped border punch, and then added a block of watercolor paper from the new Mix'd Media Stax. If you look closely, you'll notice I gave the watercolor paper a custom look with a combination of Branch stamped images from Donna's Art Gone Wild collection of rubber stamps and Smooch Spritz.

To get a gradation of color on my stamped images, I did some second, third, and even fourth stamping. The bottom right corner received the darkest images, while the top left corner got the lighter images. As the color fades with each stamping, you create a sense of depth and dimension, like a field full of flowers fading into the background. I also created more custom embellishments with Donna's stamps for this page, like a border of Cotton Lace down the left side, and the gorgeous hanging Chandelier at the top.

Other key page elements came directly from the patterned papers. That stunning photo frame is one such feature. I fussy cut the frame and then layered it on some kraft cardstock. A bit of machine stitching adds further definition to the design. The gorgeous title work also came from my favorite sheet of Botanique paper.

The butterflies are more elements cuts from Donna's Spring in Bloom Artistic Paper and colored with Candleglow Smooch Spritz. I layered them on die cut canvas butterflies and bent their wings up for instant depth and dimension. A few added gems and a journaling strip complete my page, and I love how it turned out. Creating my own embellishments using just patterned paper and stamps is one of my favorite ways to dress up my layouts, and better yet, it's budget-friendly, too! And who doesn't love that? __________________________________________

Supplies:

• DSD Storybook Collection for GCD Studios
• DSD Botanique Collection for GCD Studios
• DSD Mix'd Media Stax for GCD Studios
• DSD Spring in Bloom Artistic Paper for GCD Studios
• DSD Art Gone Wild Stamps- Branch, Cotton Lace, and Chandelier
• DSD Mix'd Media Inx for Clearsnap
• DSD Smooch Spritz for Clearsnap
• Want2Scrap Gems
• Stampin'Up Cardstock
• Stampin'Up Border Punch
• Vintage Lace

Posted by Audrey: Please visit my blog

Comments

[kathy]

this is such a great post! thanks for sharing this! :)

[Dawnll]

This is so beautiful-love all the extra details and layer look.

[Maria Cole]

Gorgeous layout, Audrey! I love Donna's new papers - this really makes me want to get them now!!