Let It Snow

Scrapbook Layout created for Scrapbook Nerd -  LET IT SNOW  -

Hi there!

   Hope you all had a blessed and peaceful Christmas!  Now, we start the countdown to the end of the year.  Wow, time has flown by!

 Today, I wanted to share with you a small idea on how to mute busy backgrounds using a bit of mixed media.  I found it that many times I love the patterned paper i  want to use as a background, but it becomes too busy when I start adding on to it.  One of my solutions for this is to mute the background using gesso or white acrylic paste.  The following video will show you how I go about it.

      As you saw in the video,  backgrounds can easily be muted/toned down by adding a bit of mixed media to it.  In this particular page, white acrylic paint was used for this, however white gesso will also work to create a very similar result.

    The key for this technique is to use an acrylic paint brush.   These types of brushes have a harder/sturdier bristle (either plastic or nylon) which helps when stippling/stretching the paint on the page.

    A dry brush was used to spread a very little amount of paint on the background sparingly.   Though it seems the paint covers the background, once it dries it becomes translucent, hence toning down the intensity of the background.

     The background paper from the Winter Meadow collection from Photoplay is quite busy, but the technique makes it possible to add a cut out  -created with a Just Nick Studio cutfile- seamlessly.  

    Once the cut out is put in place, the page comes together easily by adding some embellishments from the collection, as well as Crate Paper's Snow and Cocoa collection.   Here is the completed layout:

   This technique will easily let you use those busy background papers  seamlessly in your next layout.   Remember to check the Scrapbook Nerd store for all the materials used in this page.   There are so many new things arriving at the store. Let me know if you have questions on how this came together,  I would love to   help you!   Have a Happy New Year!