Mixed Media A Journey Into Mixed Media Art

Volume 2: Scrapbooking

Techniques Learn tons of Tips and Tricks for many popular techniques used in Mixed Media Art

Expert Scrapbook Designer Catherine Scanlon shares 9 years of knowledge gleaned as an Exclusive Designer for EK Success Brands. During that term she worked to implement their SDU Design Principles to assist with marketing and educating the consumer about their products.

Mixed Media A journey Mixed Media Scrapbooking

With Catherine Scanlon Contents

Page 2 Table of Contents Page 4 About the Author Merrymeeting Art House Page 5 What is Mixed Media Scrapbooking Pages 6 What is Gesso? Page 8 Supply List, Recycled Materials Principles of Design Pages 9 Getting Started with Abundance 12 x 12 Scrapbook Page by Catherine Scanlon Page 10 Creating Custom Page Embellishments Page 11 Using Stencils + Ink Page 12 Tips for Sewing on Paper Page 13 More about the Visual Triangle Page 14 Laying out the Scrapbook Page Page 15 Knowing when to Step Away Pages 16-17 More Steps for Sewing on Paper Page 18 Documenting the Everyday Pages 19-23 Guest Artist Mandy Collins with London 12 x 12 Scrapbook Page

Metric Conversion Chart

to convert to multiply by

inches centimeters 2.54

centimeters inches 0.4

feet centimeters 30.5

yards meters 0.9

meters yards 1.1

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The materials contained within this electronic resource are the property of Catherine Matthews-Scanlon and Mandy Collins, unless specified otherwise and cannot be reproduced without the express permission and credit back to the copyright holder.

Please do not post this document and all photographs included within on the Internet without proper credit and reference back to Catherine or Mandy.

The materials contained within this E-Book are for your inspiration and reference, please do not teach classes, or reproduce this work without express permission from the artists. Please respect the hard work and years of experience put into this resource and use this information for your inspiration ONLY.

Thank you for joining me, Catherine Scanlon (cmscanlon@comcast.net)

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About the Author Catherine Scanlon Author, Illustrator and Mixed Media Artist

Catherine Scanlon is a Mixed Media Artist, Illustrator, Paper Crafter, Card Maker, Watercolorist, Collage Artist, and Art Journaler living and loving life in Maine with her family. She works from home as a Licensed Artist for Art Gone Wild! A Stampers Anonymous Company and Merrymeeting Art House. Catherine is also a full-time free–lance designer and Mixed Media Art Instructor. She teaches art journaling and Mixed Media Art classes on-line at Merrymeeting Art House and in-person workshops.

Find me here:

My blog: http://www.catherinescanlon.com Instagram: http://instagram.com/cm_scanlon# On-Line Classroom Website: http://www.merrymeetingarthouse.com

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/cmscanlon/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/cm_scanlon Instagram: http://instagram.com/cm_scanlon#

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/catherine.matthewsscanlon

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http://www.merrymeetingarthouse.com

Visit my classroom website to see the various FREE and PAID mixed media art classes I offer. When you sign up for a PAID class please use Coupon Code issuu to enjoy $10.00 off the course fee.

Please use coupon code issuu to qualify for the savings! This coupon code is valid for one course per person.

Mixed Media Scrapbooking

You may be wondering, what exactly is Mixed Media? Wikipedia describes it as a piece of artwork in the making of which more than one medium has been employed.

In this tutorial I will combine sewing, paint, recycled and found elements with some collage techniques and art supplies to create a pretty scrapbook page. This could also be a pretty documented life page.

I hope it’s just the beginning of your journey into exploring Mixed Media techniques!

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What is Gesso? Try This!

While gesso is used to prime your painting surface you can use it in many other ways. It's fun to use it to create background papers used in mixed media art journaling. For this fun technique, you'll need:

• White Gesso • Brayer • Craft Mat or Scrap

Paper • Foam Stamps • Scrap Paper • Art Journal • Spray Inks

Steps to create a background resist: • Scoop a tablespoon

or two of gesso onto the craft mat or scrap paper.

• Use the brayer to roll out the gesso until it has a texture that looks like an orange peel.

• Stamp into the gesso with the foam stamps and then stamp on the back-ground or paper you are creating the background on. Fill with a random design and let dry.

• When dry spritz with spray inks or brush watercolor paint over the page to reveal the design.

Not all Gesso's were created equally – I think you'll be surprised at the different types available. They are all used as a primer to prepare various canvases and surfaces for paint. Traditional Gesso is a mix of chalk, pigment and glue that is used to prime (or coat) a wood, or hard surface of a painting panel before you paint on it. The chalk used in the mixture is what makes the final result absorbent, allowing different types of paint to adhere to it. Acrylic Gesso is the most commonly found type, and one that I use in my art and crafts endeavors. The difference between traditional and acrylic gesso is the ingredient list – calcium carbonate, acrylic polymer and pigment – make up the main ingredients that can be found in this medium, however you will find acrylic gesso is used in the same manner as traditional gesso. However I have found that it is not as absorbent as traditional gesso. Other types include soy based gesso and gesso for sculpture. Gesso is now available in clear, white and black.

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Abundance by Catherine Scanlon

abundance (əˈbʌndəns) — noun 1. a copious supply; great amount. 2. fullness or benevolence: from the abundance of my heart. 3. a degree of plentifulness

Recycled Materials

I'm not so worried about adding recycled materials to my scrapbook pages as I aim to use items that I am surrounded by and like. Often times these items have a higher acid and will deteriorate faster than acid-free papers and embellishments made specifically for preserving memories. For me, adding pieces of my daily life to my scrapbooks, journals and handmade books are as important as documenting the memory. Here's a list of things I like to save for later: • Corrugated card-

board for book covers, tags, page bases and greeting cards

• Tags that have cool images + interesting text that come on clothes and home décor items

• Vintage papers from music books, library cards, dictionaries etc.

• Paper bags from stores I shop at

• Greeting Cards and post cards that were sent in the mail

• Left over patterned paper scraps

• Tissue Paper

Supplies for the Abundance 12 x 12

scrapbook page:

• Kraft Cardstock • Gesso and Foam Brush • Stencil • Small Stamping Inks • Spray Inks • Vintage Book Paper • Tape Measure • Gold Damask Rub-on • Chipboard Alphabet • Alphabet Stencil • Sewing Machine with

your choice of thread color

• Embroidery Thread/Needle

• Corrugated Cardboard • Library Card or Tag

for Journaling • 3 Wallet Size Photos • Scraps of Paper • Damask Mask • 2" Painters Masking

Tape • Black Marker • Stapler

Design Elements: Visual Triangle

Most of my scrapbook pages are created using the ‘Visual Triangle’ principle. This means that I have placed in a triangle around the layout. I like to do this especially with color as it creates a virtual boundary for the eye, linking all the layout elements together, which helps to guide your eye to look at the entire page.

Other principles of design to consider:

• Balance • Scale/Proportion • Unity/Harmony • Dominance/Emphasis • Contrast • Similarity • Hierarchy

Also think about:

• Color, shape, texture, space, and form

I highly recommend that you substitute supplies where possible! You can use white paint if you don’t have gesso; use a large damask stamp if you don’t have the rub on sheet. Set yourself free to create using products you already have on hand – then it will truly be YOUR mixed media art!

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Getting Started • Even though my pages often have a messy

element to them, I like to keep the mess organized and clean. BEFORE I start adding the messy paint to my cardstock, I apply a mask around the edges of the paper, to keep them clean and crisp.

• Before I added the mask, I marked where I want to apply the tape. I measured 1 ½” from the left, top and right sides.

• I use painters tape for the mask; this is the same type of tape that professional painters would use to mask woodwork in your house when painting the walls. The mask will help keep the edges clean and free of paint drips and accidents, but is not so tacky. It comes off quite easily after you have completed the painting process. If the tape should start to tear the paper when you peel it off apply some heat with a hair dryer or heat gun to help loosen the adhesive helping it to cling to the paper.

• Apply the gesso to the cardstock – you can squirt it directly on and spread it around with the foam brush or squirt it on a scrap of paper and apply the amount you want to the paper. I added several layers until I got the look I was going for. When it was dry I carefully pulled off the tape.

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Creating Custom Page Embellishments I like to create my own embellishments and papers for my visual journals and scrapbook pages. It gives them a unique look and lets me be super creative with what I have on hand. The first element I created for this page uses the vintage book paper and a large gold Damask Rub-on sheet. I cut the book paper to size, a little larger than the rub on and placed the rub on top of it. I decided that I wanted to have some skips in my pattern to apply to other places on the page so I didn’t rub the entire image off. After I had rubbed the image I crumpled the paper and distressed the edges a little before I glued it to the page with double stick tape.

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Working with Stencils and Ink

• I love using alphabet stencils to create patterns with inks and paints. When subtle color is used with them they don't detract from the focal point on the page and create a nice graphic design on the paper that everyone likes.

• To create the pattern, I placed the stencil over the white part of the page, opposite of where I placed the gold damask paper I created in the last slide. I used two small pigment inks to add color. It works best to hold the stencil with one hand so it doesn’t slide around and apply the ink with the other. Feel free to mix colors to get the exact color you are looking for. Make sure to let the pigment dry completely before moving on. Use a heat gun to speed the drying process if you wish.

• Here you can see how the base of my page looks. Not like much just yet, but it’s coming along.

• Once the ink was dry I decided to spray a little blue Spray Ink over the stencil give the letters a 3 dimensional look.

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A little note about adhesives and sewing: when you apply the various layers and elements to your page AND you know you will be sewing with your sewing machine, it's a good idea to keep the adhesive to a minimum or at least out of the area you will be sewing. This will keep the likely hood of the needle sewing through the adhesive to a minimum. If the needle does get a little gummed up with adhesive the thread will start to break, fuzz from the paper will stick to it and get in your machine and generally your sewing experience won't be a great one. If the needle in your machine gets gummed up, squirt a little Alcohol blending solution on a piece of scrap fabric and stitch across it several times or wipe the gumminess away. Or, remove the needle completely and wipe the adhesive off with blending solution or any cleaning solution that removes adhesive residue.

A few Tips to help you with Sewing on Paper

Preparing the photos

• The next step in preparing the elements for the page are to mat the wallet photos, ink them and create a journaling block before they are attached to the page.

• To mat the photos I used some left over music sheet paper for the two and a scrap of paper with red polka dots for the one in the center. A little red pigment ink worked great to ink the edges to help them pop off the page. The red ink also helped to decide on the color that I would use to create a visual triangle that would lead the eye through the page.

• For the journaling block I used a recycled library card and inked the edges with red pigment ink. Later on I used a permanent black marker to add the journaling.

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A visual triangle is one of the design elements commonly used in scrapbooking that helps lead the eye around the page. The reason that this design element is so effective is it uses our brain to help us see the page as a whole. What this means is our brain sees similar items as it takes in the whole page. If similar items are placed in areas of the page to create a triangle our eye will take in the whole of it rather than focus on one spot. Referring to the sample above, rather than focus on the green fern in the center of the page, the eye starts there and is drawn by the tape measure to the top of the page and then back across the bottom with the addition of the strips of paper with the red across the bottom. The red leaf on the right and red embellishment on the left help lead the eye around the page. You can also use other elements as the points on the triangle! Think about using similar shaped embellishments, photos. Even the title and text elements can be incorporated.

More About Visual Triangles

Creating effective scrapbook pages starts with a great design but can be deemed not visually pleasing if design elements compete with each other. Consider incorporating proven color theories with your design to create an overall beautiful scrapbook page. Consider using a triadic, complimentary or monochromatic scheme in combination with your visual triangle.

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• The next element I would add is a piece of recycled corrugated cardboard. It looked pretty bland, but I really wanted to use it. After I swiped it through the left over, partially dried up puddle of gesso, it was perfect. The distressed element to the gesso helped to incorporate the gesso I applied to the cardstock when I started the scrapbook page.

• Now that I have most of the elements prepared it’s time to lay them out on the page to see how they all look together. The addition of the vintage tape measure, my found object – was exactly what it needed. I added the rest of the rub on sheet to the bottom of the journaling block. This helps to unite and anchor the gold damask to the page.

• I mentioned earlier that I would use the color red to act as my visual triangle. Most of the scrapbook layouts (and other pieces of art) are created using the ‘Visual Triangle’ principle. This means that I have placed the red elements in a triangle around the layout. I like to do this especially with color as it creates a virtual boundary for the eye, linking all the layout elements together, guiding your eye to look at the entire page.

Laying out the Mixed Media Scrapbook Page

• To reinforce the red, I added a little red to the gold damask page, rubbing it in to the embellishment adds a subtle suggestion.

• I also placed the alphabet stencil on the page again and brushed, very lightly a little red pigment ink.

• I had several scraps strips of red papers and added them over the top of the corrugated cardboard, and the addition of a snippet from a floral mask was just the right thing to support my theme of nature.

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It's easy to struggle with something you are creating that you are connected to. There comes a point when it goes from something you are making to something you love. As you spend more and more time creating it you become afraid to make a mistake, get stuck on a particular color or element you've added. Sometimes those elements simply don't work or the art doesn't look right. Usually when that happens it's time to step away for a break – short or long. When you come back with fresh eyes the competing elements usually are very obvious and you can change them around to fix the design element that you were stuck on.

Knowing when to Step Away

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Finishing Up

• I love to add sewing to my pages. It adds a nice texture to the page and insures that my elements will be on the page forever, as adhesives do fail and scrapbook pages and cards can fall apart. For hand stitching I decided to stick with the red theme and add red crosses down the center of the tape measure. I first marked them with a pencil, and then used a paper piercer to pierce the holes.

• I prefer to use lightweight cotton Perle embroidery thread. It can be used right off the skein, doesn't need to be separated and doesn't separate as it is used.

• It’s easiest to start from the backside of the page. Slide the needle up from the back, cross over the x – and down to the backside again.

• The final step is to add the chipboard title. These letters were originally chipboard color, but I used black ink to ink them. You could leave them, or use solid black letters to start with.

• After the letters have been attached, it’s time to add the sewing machine stitching to secure everything in place and finish up.

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• Create a practice piece of chipboard and layered papers to simulate a pennant and try stitching on it with your machine. Loosen the tension of your thread if the stitches look tight tiny. Tighten your thread tension if the stitches are loopy and pulled out on the back of the practice piece.

• Make sure to thread your machine correctly and insert the bobbin and make sure the thread is going in the right direction in the bobbin case.

• Use a needle sized to stitch on leather or denim. Your needle should be between a size 11 or 14, and new. A sharp needle eliminates a lot of heartache later on. Make sure when you are replacing the needle you put it back in the same direction you took it out.

• Don’t use fancy, metallic threads. They tend to stretch and cause problems when stitching on fabric, a standard cotton thread is best, as it won’t break a lot and will stitch through the thick layers of paper.

• Make sure your stitch width is not too tight; your stitches should be approximately 1/8” wide. If they are too close to each other the stitching will look puckered and your shape may tear out of the paper. I usually set my stitch width to a 3.

• Practice on your sample until you are comfortable stitching on your thick chipboard piece.

• Practice, Practice, Practice

A few More Tips to help you when Sewing on Paper

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As important as it is to scrapbook the big occasions in our lives (marriages, births, birthdays, important people etc.) I feel it is equally important to document the everyday happenings in our lives. The events that happen around us that we feel grateful for, or amazed by are worthy of a few pretty photos and a paragraph or two. With the ease of taking pictures with our phones and printing them with portable printers documenting the everyday couldn't be any easier or faster, so get started today.

A Note About Documenting the Everyday

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Mixed Media Scrapbook Page

London Created by contributing artist

Mandy Collins

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London

Finding Just the Right Thing

No matter where you are in the world there are some sort of second hand stores. Garage or tag sales, jumble stalls – they are all full of brick-a-brack that no longer suits someone’s life but might be just the right thing you were looking for.

After you find all those treasures, the question is how to store them. Collecting ephemera is fun but using those pieces is even better. It makes sense to keep those special themed items together in their own container. For everything else you might consider sorting by color.

The theory behind storing by color groups, is that you might not have been looking for a ribbon, button or flower but while you were in the purple collection to add to a collage there it is just the perfect thing that you were not looking for but perfect for that collage project.

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Getting Started To get started with this page recycle an old map, text from a book or magazine page. Try to keep in mind the theme of your scrapbook page and look for text that stays within that general theme. Mount the chosen page onto a piece of card stock to create a background or base for your page. Now the page is ready for the mixed media embellishments. When you add torn edges on papers the result gives an impression of a relaxed and authentic look. The trick for getting paper to tear where you want it is to use a paint brush and water to draw the line where you want to tear. This works really well to work around images or curves as well as straight lines. By wetting the paper the fiber loosens and gives you more control over the randomness of the tearing. Use this method on all types of papers where you are trying to attain a particular shape or area on the paper.

Supplies used for London

• Card stock base • Luminarte Solar Gold Silk paint • VersaMark embossing pad • Stampendous Aged Silver

embossing enamel • Gold and Brown ink pads • Background stamps of text or

texture • Imaginarium chipboard bicycle • 3L Scrapbook Adhesives • Pink Paislee Pen Pals collection

chipboard banner letters and cards

• Ephemera, coins, buttons, postage stamps, text from old dictionary or map or encyclopaedia, postcards and receipts from the day.

London is an example of a scrapbook page made from collage and painted backgrounds. A map or page of text would work equally as effective for the background. Top your page with chipboard trimmed in metal colors; add in some coins and a postage stamp or two for an authentic touch. The result is a beautiful mixed media scrapbook page that incorporates a great memory, some ephemera and lots of bits and pieces of things you truly love.

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Using acrylic paint

Using paint to create texture means that it needs to be an acrylic base. Choices or options include Luminarte Silks, Tattered Angels Glimmer Glam or any type of acrylic paint.

All kinds of tools can be used to spread paint. A brush is designed for a smooth finish. Other tools you could try for a textured finish are a toothbrush or comb or green kitchen scrubber.

These will result in rough steaks of color that add interest to the background. The combination of paint and stamping help to visually link the cardstock, background papers and collage elements.

Adding Texture

While waiting for the paint to dry it is time to start working on the chipboard trims. Chipboard takes paint and ink very quickly.

The new enamels on the market have lovely a blend of colors and different sized chips for a very authentic metal finish.

Embossing enamel really appreciates a good watermark stamp pad like VersaMark. It is quite juicy and holds the powders well until the heat gun melts them and they adhere to the paper.

Remember that melted plastic is really hot. Make it easy on yourself and set up the work area so you don't have to move the embossed items until cool or use tweezers or other tools to handle them.

Using postage Stamps

To peel postage stamps from the backing, soak them in a saucer of water for a few minutes and they should lift right off. If they tear a little, put them back in water for a while longer and accept the rough edges as part of the authenticity.

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Mandy Collins Contributing Artist

collinsmandy@bigpond.com www.pearlmaple.com

Finishing Up

To make up a collage, random papers are fine but all the more interesting if you can find pieces that add to the layers of the story. Old dictionaries and encyclopedias are perfect for finding just the right words or images. For those of us who grew up in an era where encyclopedias took pride of place on the family bookshelf it is amazing to find the books at tag jumble sales for only a few pennies. Some of my tricks for pulling a collage together include connecting all the parts. Instead of stringing pieces out all across the page, layer them up in corners and tucking pieces underneath each other. Working within a limited color pallet helps blend the parts of a collage together.

Mandy Collins can be called a global citizen. Born in Canada’s eastern Maritimes or Anne of Green Gables country, raised on the foggy shores of The Cape (USA) and currently living under tropical skies of Australia, Mandy has travelled the world. Her journey into mail art started a long time ago with many letters from home or postcards for friends travelling overseas. Many international publications have featured Mandy’s creative projects and editorials. Mandy teaches at regional events and on her website, pearlmaple.com Blog + Website: http://www.pearlmaple.com Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/pearlmaple/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/collinsmandy

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Acrylic Painting Techniques -- $ 30.00

In this workshop I’ll be sharing my experiences, techniques and a LOT more information about working with acrylic paint in a variety of ways.

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Art Journal Toolbox One and Two

Coming Soon!

Forget Me Not Card

Free

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Floral Collage – $40.00 In this course I show you how

to create beautiful collage papers and then how to use them to create floral collage.

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Watercolor Painting for Stampers

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Simply Cards Free

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www.merrymeetingarthouse.com

Mixed Media A Journey Into Mixed Media Art

With Catherine Scanlon and guest Mandy Collins

Volume Two: Scrapbooking