I recently learned about the explorer, inventor and conservationist Jacques Cousteau and when I sat down to create this project, his inspiration teamed just perfectly with Sara Naumann's stamps and I created a somewhat unusual front cover to my Flip Flop book.
I would normally pick two main colours and add a pop of colour with one that's directly opposite on the colour wheel, but I wanted a tranquil marine theme and decided to leave the more bold colours alone.
I had lots of 'backgrounds' to complete, but I began with the final page, and this was just on a piece of White Board with lots of dry brushing and using PaperArtsy Fresco Finish Chalk Acrylics in Baltic Blue, China, Heavy Cream, Green Patina, Lawn & Duck Egg Blue.
I stamped out multiple images from the Mini 118 set with different coloured inks. I had this idea of making a focal point in a wreath using cut out images, but I really wished that I'd just left it like this and used this whole sheet as a background !
I wanted to use Grunge Paste in a couple of ways. I haven't stamped on it for quite some time. It's an easy technique that delivers high impact. You'll need a substantial substrate to add the Grunge Paste onto.
I used White board, (PaperArtsy have great packs of it). Spread the Grunge Paste in an even layer. The temptation will be to add a spray of water onto the stamp to help ease it out of the Grunge Paste but don't, as it'll make it more liquid-y and not show the stamp details up as well.
Just make sure that you clean your stamps straight after stamping with the Grunge Paste so you don't get it drying in the stamp crevices.
I also created a small piece that looked like the ridges on the sand when the tide has gone out. Leave them both to dry.
Sprinkle on your Infusions over the dried stamped piece; I used In The Navy and A Bit Jaded. As the Infusions have two different crystals that react with water at different rates, if you want more colour and less brown walnut crystal, you need to dry the piece once the desired colour has been achieved. I just used a heat gun to dry it off quickly.
I wanted to use multiple layers to open out for the book. Using translucent and clear surfaces would encourage people to look through and discover the other layers, so I dug out some acetate and Grafix Duralar. It's easy to stamp on one side using a permanent ink like Stazon and then use colour on the reverse.
For layering using acetate, add the colour that you want to be in the foreground first (on the reverse) and then add the other colours. This was supposed to be echoing waves as I wanted to add it over the Grunge Paste 'sand' layer.
Using the main image from Sara's Eclectica 59, I added the paint on the reverse. The Duralar has partial translucency and enough to be able to see a soft colour showing through from the back.
Having thought about Jacques Cousteau and his work in the oceans gave me the idea to have the front as an underwater mask.
I added another layer, putting one of the stamp set's quotes and adhering another stamped shell underneath.
You can see the soft effect that painting on the reverse gives.
Each layer opens upwards or outwards.
I used circles as much as possible, so there was a consistent theme. I echoed the 'bubbles' by using brads and eyelets.
I also used some metal tape to attach several of the elements to the book. If you closely at the photo, you can see some of the metallic shimmer spray that I sprayed over the top.
This was placed on the back; my failed focal element. It brightened up the back at least !
It would be easy to add in a few more flip/flop layers and have them left blank in order to add notes or photos. As Scrapbooking seems to be having a resurgence, maybe we should be printing off our photos once more!
I'd have liked to do more with the idea of looking through the layers, perhaps using a porthole styled frame and lots of layers.
It's a great way to add in texture and layers easily without having to plan too far ahead. Do give it a go !
Thanks for being here today,
Keren x
