DUSTY ATTIC SEPTEMBER SKETCH AND MORE

Hi again!!!! I hope you are all having a great weekend!! Before I get started I just wanted to say how excited I was to win the Dusty Attic Sketch Challenge last month. Thankyou so much to everyone at Dusty Attic, and a special thanks to the owner of Dusty Attic, Jennifer Hedger, for the fantastic prize I received in the mail this week!!! 

So today I have quite a bit I wish to share with you, all using some fabulous pieces of Dusty Attic Chipboard. I will also share with you some of my favorite ways to alter chipboard, so stick around and have a read through. First is the layout I created for the September Sketch Challenge, along with a Christmas layout, and a card set.

Here is this month's sketch from Dusty Attic (Be sure to check out their blog here):

 I really loved this sketch, though I did make one change to it, and that was to eliminate the big scalloped circle in the background. At the time I created my page I didn't have anything the would work, and it's not really me anyway. Instead I have done my fave thing, and placed a big circle of twine beneath my photo.

'Explore'

Dusty Attic Chipboard used:

- Foliage

- Wrought Iron Set

- Arrows #1

- Mini Branches #2

- Star Frames (a couple of small stars)

- Banners #2

- Photo Props

Some details:

I must confess this color scheme is a new one for me, and I am really loving the bright summery feel of it. I know its not a beach layout, but it makes me want to go to the beach every time I look at it!!!
I wanted a way to divide the peach/coral from the blues, so I painted a piece of chipboard from the Wrought Iron Set white with gesso, and placed it among my layers with a couple of white flowers. 

  This gorgeous bow is from the Photo Props set. To achieve this awesome look I first painted it with gesso. When that was dry I painted it peach with some watercolor paints, then with clear crackle paste. To finish I have rubbed gesso all over, pushing it into the cracks, then wiped off any excess with a cloth. I have placed it onto a handmade ribbon bow and wrapped gold thread around the center.

I have cut two different sized banner from the Banner#2. The larger one has simply been covered in some scrap paper left over from my layers and edged with gesso, while the smaller one was given the same treatment as the bow above. I have layered them with foam tape for dimension.

I have painted some leafy branches from the Foliage and Mini Branches #2 sets white with gesso, then randomly brushed with gold paint. I have then tucked them into my flower clusters to form the flourishes in the sketch.

I have also added a couple of these little starts from the Star Frames set, around the edge of my photo. They have been painted gold, and covered in a thin layer of crackle paste.

I have added a second Mini Branch to the small flower cluster on the right side of the photo too.
Finally I have added these awesome little arrows from Arrows #1. These are one of my fave things to use at the moment, and provide the perfect finishing touch for any layout. These have also been covered with some scrap paper from the layers.

I hope you like my take on the sketch!!! 

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So as promised I have more to share today, all containing lots more Dusty Attic chipboard.
Next up is a Christmas layout I made earlier this month. I know it's still a little early for Christmas layouts, but I found the cutest photos of Jet at his first Christmas and I could'nt wait to scrap them.

'Merry and Bright'

As you can probably tell this layout is way out of my comfort zone. I didn't want to use red, and would have preferred to use non-traditional colors, but there was so much red in the photos it just didn't seem right not to add it in the layout. Instead of green, however, I have chosen to use blue.

I have also used only a handful of small flowers. This is something I haven't done in so long I actually can't remember the last time it happened!!! I wanted the focus to be on these adorable pics, gorgeous chippies, and papers.

Dusty Attic Chipboard used:
- Mini Reindeer
- Star Frames
- Vintage Keys
- Snowflakes
- 'Love You' Arrows  
Some close-ups:

 I actually made this little 3x4 card by cutting out the Santa, and some separate pieces of paper, and layering them together. I really love how this turned out!!

These 'Love You' arrows were so perfect for this page, that I couldn't resist adding one. I have painted the entire piece of chipboard in glue and then covered it with a very fine embossing powder in a color called antique sand. I left it to dry in the glue, instead of heat setting it so it would retain that grainy texture.

The little reindeer has been painted with with gesso then tucked under the top of the photo.
I have fussy cut stars from patterned paper and glued them randomly around the page, along with some gold star, table confetti.

I love these Star Frames..... Perfect for a Christmas themed layout. They have been painted white with texture paste to give them a slightly bumpy texture, then colored completely with a black marker. When the marker had dried I painted over it with gold watercolor paint. It's a great effect. Depending on the light it can look anything from a shiny brown, to a bright gold foil look. Love it!!
The bow up the top is handmade.

I have layered some Christmas banners, that I cut from patterned paper, together at the edge of the photo, along with this cute little Snowflake. The snowflake has been painted white, covered in a white chunky glitter, and covered in crackle paste. It's really hard to see in the photo's, but in real life it makes the chipboard looks as though it is covered in ice.

Some more snowflakes!! These I have added gold too.

I couldn't resist adding a key from the Vintage Keys set. They are another of my favorites at the moment. I have painted it with gold acrylic, then it too has been painted with crackle paste, more noticeable because its not as delicate in design as the snowflakes. 

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Finally today I want to share with you a couple of cards I made.

I have used coordinating papers, and embellishments for both.

Here is the first:

'Love You' 



  Dusty Attic Chipboard used:
- Mini Branches #2
- Wrought Iron Set (2 excess pieces glued together to create the heart)
- 'Love You' Arrows
- Star Frames
 - Elegant Flourish small 

 
All my chipboard has first been painted white. I have cut the Elegant flourish small in half, placing one half at the top of my card. I have covered it with a light wash of blue watercolor, and brushed blue glitter thinly over the top.
The small Star Frames have been painted with gold watercolor.

  
 For the title of my card I chose to use another 'Love You' arrow. This was painted quite thickly with gesso then dried with a heat gun to get that bubbled look. It has also been painted with gold watercolor.

The mini branch has been tucked beneath my small flower cluster and left white.

This gorgeous chippie heart is actually one of my faves. It was two individual pieces of scrap left over from the Wrought Iron Set. I have glued the two halves together to create this love heart. I have covered it in a very thick layer of texture paste then sprayed with two colors of ink. I added some shimmery highlights with twinkling H2O's.

'XOXO'

Dusty Attic Chipboard used:
- Mini Branches #2
- Elegant Frames
- Butterflies #2

As one of the main features on this card I chose a small oval frame from the Elegant Frames set. I have colored it in with a black marker then used a brush to highlight the flourishes with a shimmery blue watercolor paint, though it looks green on top of the black!!

I have placed my flower cluster in the center of this frame, once again adding a Mini Branch left white.
I really loved the XOXO on the background paper so I have outlined a section to create my title then brushed gesso over the rest fading them into the background. I also outlined the title with blue paint to make it pop even more.

These butterflies are super cool!!! I have grabbed two that are the same from the set. They have both been covered with a mix of texture paste, glass beads, and pearl paint, before being sprayed with inks mists, and painted with Twinkling H2O's. I have glued them together at the body, folding the wings out.

That's it from me today. I know that was quite a long post, so thankyou for sticking around!!! I hope you found some inspiration here today, and got some idea's about all the awesome things you can do with chipboard, remembering that what I shared today is only a small scope of it.

I hope you all have a wonderful week..... Thanks for stopping by!!

Hugs!!