Swirlydoos April kit!

Hi there! Today it's my turn to share some projects with the April kit. I have three layouts to show you today, and also a little tutorial!

 

I started with the sketch, and for this layout I actually used a photo of ME! I know, I can hardly believe it myself!

 

Anyway, here is the sketch, gorgeous as always:

 

And here is my layout:

 

 

I just love the kraft, pink and white together! I kept the cute little butterflies from BoBunny raw, to go with the Petaloo doilies and kraft flowers.

 

A couple of close-ups:

 

 

The title, Dream Passionately, is chipboard from Dusty Attic and included in the embellie add-on. I kept this piece raw too. I tucked Angelicas cute little butterflies in here too. Love these!

 

Next, a layout about love. This is a very special photo. The hands belong to my grandmother, who is 92 years old, and one of my cousins. We have very strong family bonds, and this photo says it all to me. Love completely.

 

 

For once, I didn't use any mists or stencils on the background, just a thin layer of white gesso. I wanted this layout to a bit "cleaner" than I usually make them. I painted the beautiful frame from Blue Fern Studios white and then added the white ribbon, flowers, some cheesecloth and finally the Dusty Attic title and a few pearls.

 

Close-ups:

 

 

And now for my third layout today, a page about my darling daughter and our most recent family member, our little puppy Fanny.

 

 

Lots of white gesso, clear gesso and mists on the background! I then painted the fence white and arranged the photo and flowers with the little iron piece (adore this one!!). I used Angelicas amazing butterflies here too, and the Dusty Attic title was painted white.

 

Here's a little tutorial on how I altered the BoBunny butterflies, and I call them "newspaper butterflies".

 

 

First, I painted the butterflies with white gesso, using a sponge.

 

Then I let them dry upside down on a newspaper (sometimes works with patterned paper too, but I find newspaper the best for this technique). This only takes a few seconds, depending on how much gesso you used.

 

When I pulled the butterflies away, some of the newspaper print stuck on them.

 

I finished the butterflies off using clear gloss varnish.

 

Here are the finished butterflies!

 

I used the same technique on the Dusty Attic flower stem chipboard piece that came with the March kit.

 

Thank you for stopping by today!

 

xoxo

Helena