Using Blue Fern Studios To Create Masculine, Vintage, & Shabby Chic Styles With Renea Harrison

Today, I have 3 different layouts done in 3 different styles showing you how you can use the Blue Fern Studios products to create something unique and wonderful no matter what style you like to craft in!!

If you haven't had a chance to check out the Blue Fern Studios Sketch Challenge, be sure to do so  and get entered in for your chance at one of their awesome prize packs!!

Here is this month's sketch:

And the following is my take on the sketch using the Blue Fern Serendipity Collection to show you how you can use Blue Fern Studios products to take it to the Masculine, Grungy side of paper crafting:

I started with a layer of Serendipity-Chronicle Paper, and then took a layer of Serendipity-Imagination Paper, 

did some tearing and then heavily inked the edges. 

Next, came a layer of corrugated board that I misted in different layers, and then added Black Microbeads mixed with glitter glass to the torn edges on, and randomly onto the surface. 

I am one of those people who does not like to waste, and so I took the large pieces that housed the  Blue Fern Circle Links that I used on a layout last month, (yeah the part that most people throw away), and I stamped it with clear embossing ink and stamped it with the grid pattern from the Blue Fern Essential Textures Stamp, coated it with Imagine Ink Ginger Embossing Powder, heat setting it with my heat gun.

I took more of the Serendipity Chronicle Paper, cut and curled the edges, then added my photo, and "hung" it with an Office Metal Piece.

I wanted to add some details, without adding flowers, so I splatter painted the paper and then sprinkled Imagine Ink Ebony Embossing Powder and Silver Microbeads into the paint and heat set it. I set some silver brads in a zig zag pattern and then wrapped them with silver wire.

I created this completely FABulous large piece by taking a Blue Fern Working Parts Chipboard Piece and Grunging it up. I inked the brown part, used Imagine Ink Ebony Embossing Powder on the gear pieces of the design and used Imagine Ink Snow Embossing Powder on the chain and gear teeth part of the design and then just splatter sprinkled the Snow Powder to get a worn look. I then added some bolt heads to give it a really cool industrial look.

I continued the piece, actually making it look like one large piece, using the Blue Fern Studios Cogs and Gears Chipboard. I embossed the cog pieces with the Imagine Ink Snow Embossing Powder , and the Gears with the Imagine Ink Ebony Embossing Powder and attached the pieces to the Working Parts piece with a bolt head, and attaching the cogs with some screw brads. I love how combining those pieces created an amazing focal piece for my layout!!!

For the Title work, I stamped the "Photos" using the Blue Fern Studios Photography Stamp, and embossed the stamping with the Ebony Embossing powder, then tore the piece out of the paper and heavily inked it, attaching it with an office metal clip with the word "capture" on it and adding a metal tag with the word "Collections" on it. 

To bring out the teal color in the paper, I took some Blue Fern Studios Grid Bits Chipboard,  heat embossed it with some Imagine Ink Peacock Embossing Powder, and tucked them into some of the tears and layers of my layout.

Here you can see all those layers of Masculine, Grungy goodness that the Blue Fern Products allowed me to achieve, and absolutely no flowers!!
I love doing masculine work! It completely stretches my imagination and makes me think outside the box! 

Blue Fern Studios Supply List:

Paper:
Serendipity-Imagination

Serendipity-Chronicle

Chipboard:
Cogs & Gears
Working Parts
Grid Pieces
Circle Links (Leftover Pieces)

Stamps:
Essential Textures
Photography

Imagine Ink:
Ebony Embossing Powder
Icicle Embossing Powder
Ginger Embossing Powder
Peacock Embossing Powder

Next up, I have a layout using the Blue Fern Serendipity Paper Line that shows you how you can use the Blue Fern Products to create a  Vintage/Heritage style piece:

I started with a layer of Serendipity Fascination Paper. I liked that it had that notebook edge to it, lending a perfect setting for the look I wanted to achieve. I then cut down a piece of the Serendipity Chronicle Paper, and punched the top and bottom with a lace look punch. I added some vintage look lace to add a touch of softness and femininity.

I then wanted to capture the feeling of time, so I took the 2nd Sized Clock from the Blue Fern Large Roman Clocks Chipboard Set, 

and I heat embossed it with Imagine Ink Oatmeal Embossing Powder. I then stamped it randomly with the pattern stamp from the Blue Fern Bottled Sentiments Stamp Set, used the Imagine Ink Garnet Embossing Powder on the stamping and heat set it.

I created some layers to place my photo on using more of the Serendipity Fascination Paper, and a piece that I cut from the Serendipity Calling Cards Paper that repeated the notebook paper pattern, and then topped it with my photo. 

 I then added a metal office clip topped with a pearl and let it "hold" one of the Calling Card Paper pieces with the "Serendipity" definition.

I created a base for my flower layers using the Blue Fern Whimsy Flourish Chipboard Set that I heat embossed with Imagine Ink Sage Embossing Powder,

 stacking the 2 pieces to make a continuous base to place my flowers and foliage onto.

I then added some of my handcrafted Secret Crush Butterflies on, and they pulled out the pattern in the background paper wonderfully!

At the top of the clock, I added more flowers and foliage. 

Here is a side view to help you see all the Vintage elements and how you can achieve a time worn look using the Blue Fern Products.

Blue Fern Studios Supply List:

Paper:
Serendipity-Chronicle
Serendipity-Fascination

Serendipity-Calling Cards

Chipboard:
Roman Clocks
Whimsy Flourish

Imagine Ink:

Oatmeal Embossing Powder
Sage Embossing Powder
Ginger Embossing Powder
Garnet Embossing Powder

Stamp:
Bottled Sentiments

For my last layout I created a super romantic, Shabby Chic look using the brand new Courtship Lane Line that has just been released:

I started the layout with a layer of the Blue Fern Courtship Lane-Bourbon Avenue. 

For the next 2 layers, I wanted to create torn, book page layers to carry out my Fairytale Book theme from the photo, so I used a piece of the Courtship Lane-Town Gossip Paper, tearing a side piece off, flipping it and using the backside for the under layer and the front side for the top layer.

To get the wrinkled look, I just water distressed the edges and then kept working the paper with my hands to break it down a bit and then pushing it until I got the look I wanted and then drying it with my heat gun to form the look of pages.
I then used a Doily Stencil and texture paste to create the raised pattern on the papers.

I layered my photo on and then topped it with the Circle Flourish Chipboard that I heat embossed with Imagine Ink Snow Embossing Powder and then added faux pearl accent to.
The butterflies are some of my handcrafted Snow White Butterflies and really added to the soft look of my layout.

I love how the Imagine Ink Embossing Powders give the chipboard a wonderful, textured look when heat embossed. It makes creating gorgeous chipboard pieces a snap!

To add some Shabby Chic softness, I layered on some frayed cheesecloth, 

Then added on Mulberry Paper flowers and foliage, and a sweet metal adornment that I coated with Gesso and added a little silver key to.

For my Fairytale title, I used the Fairytale piece from the Blue Fern Story Fairytale Magic Chipboard Set, that I first coated in Gesso then inked with a pink ink, and then created a coating using a mix of glitter glass and Imagine Ink Dusty Rose Glitter. After that dried I inked randomly with a tea dye ink to get an aged look. I then distress crackle painted areas on my layout to add to the aged look of the piece.
I created a book latch using a metal latch coated with Gesso and added it to my "pages"

I then took some Blue Fern Garden Lattice Bits Chipboard that I painted with Gesso and then coated with some more of that glitter glass and Imagine Ink Dusty Rose Glitter mix, and added some more faux pearls and tucked the pieces under the water distressed edges. 

I just love how you can use the Blue Fern Studios products to achieve so many different looks!! The papers are so high quality and hold up to technique abuse and heavier layering, the chipboard allows you to create such amazing focal points and accents, the stamps allow you to create beautiful images or textural accents and the Imagine Ink Embossing Powders and Glitters allow you to create amazing colors and textures easily. I hope you get a chance to try some out for yourself! I promise you will be hooked!! Hugs ~Renea

Blue Fern Studios Supply List:

Paper:

Courtship Lane-Bourbon Avenue

Courtship Lane-Town Gossip

Chipboard:

Circle Flourish Chipboard
Story Fairytale Magic Chipboard (Fairytale Piece)
Garden Lattice Bits

Imagine Ink:

Snow Embossing Powder
Dusty Rose Glitter

January Inspiration by Maja Nowak

Hello there, Blue Fern Studios Fans :) I'm so excited to be sharing my first post as a DT member!

 

My name is Maja Nowak (Oliwiaen in the Internet), I live in Poland with my university-sweetheart husband and our two sons. I started scrapbooking in 2008 and, although I have always been crafting (drawing, painting, cross-stiching and decoupage), scrapbooking seems to have taken my whole heart (and time!). 

My style is mostly romantic and shabby chic. But being a mom of two growing up boys who are almost always present in my layouts, I sometimes create something more modern too :-) You can see my work on my blog (where you will find links to my Scrapbook.com and Pinterest galleries too).

I love Blue Fern Studios products: thick papers with beautiful designs, varied chipboard pieces and most gorgeous vintage stamp images! I'm really happy to be working with such quality products. So let me show you what I used them for in my first projects :)

I have created three layouts for January. You might have noticed the first one, as it was presented among fantastic samples by my DT friends with our January sketch challenge reveal :) I went for my favourite teal tones combined with golden and white accents to scrapbook a photo of my darling elder son:

I like to follow a sketch as closely as possible, and so I did for our challenge too. For the background I layered papers from the Paisley&Vine collection and added some elements I cut out from the Frolic collection:

Among other embellishments I used this cute chipboard arrow that I covered with 14 Karat embossing powder - I'm simply in love with this one, the best golden metallic/glittery golden ep I've ever used! Forgive me if I use it in every project of mine ;)

In my title piece I first covered the chipboard with Oatmeal ep and then sprinkled some 14 Karat here and there to get this effect:

I hope you'd join in the fun and share your interpretations of the sketch too :)

Dream Big:
Papers: Paisley & Vine: Nature, Deja Vu: Atelier, Frolic: Dans Le Jardin, Calling Cards
Chipboard: The Optimist Word Set, Directions
Embossing powder: Karat, Oatmeal


My second project is a layout that was inspired by... the piece of chipboard I used for my title: We're All Mad Here ;) I reminded me of the Alice in Wonderland style and I immediately thought the Blush collection and of those crazy photos of my sons and their cousins :) Together they resulted in a funny whimsical page that I had a true fun making!

For the background I used the Charmed paper, then I cut out the flowery frame from the Fondness sheet and layered it on top.

 I also cut the key image from the Key To My Heart paper and added it below my photos:

And then I used scraps of those papers to mat my photos and to stamp some images onto :) I stamped two balloon images, decorated them with liquid pearls, glitter and flowers and mounted on 3D dots:

As for the title piece, I decorated it with embossing powders and did that in stages: I first covered each word separately with embossing ink reinker (of course, you can use an embossing pen that I don't have ;)) and heat-embossed it with a different colour ep before going on to the next word:

We're All Mad Here:
Papers: Blush: Fondness, Charmed, Key to My Heart, Reminisce
Chipboard: We're All Made Here, Directions
Embossing powder: Buttercup, Karat, Petal, Fern
Stamps: Flight & Flair, Journey, Photography, Deja Vu


And finally the third layout I made using the beautiful Timeless collection: you should have seen me choosing the papers! I couldn't decide for ages, they're all so beautiful :) In the end I decided on gray tones and here's the result, with my shiny boys in the photo ;)

I distressed the edges of the Artistique and Papillons papers and layered them together. Then I added some stamping in the background:

I cut out some tags from the Keepsakes sheet and matted my photo.

I covered the title chipboard piece with the 14 Karat ep (told you, I love it!)...

...while for the "industrial" pieces from the Cogs&Gears and Working Parts sets I used a custom mixture of the Poinsettia, Cerulean, Icicle and Ebony powders. I took a pinch of each (a really tiny amount, together they gave me enough to emboss all the parts and still more than a half was left for future use. If you wish to mix several powders, I'd recommend taking small amounts and as you add more colours, emboss on some spare scrap of paper to check the result.) I mixed the powders well on a scrap of paper and after embossing my pieces I got this really natural rusty-patined but still metallic shiny look of old metal pieces.

I also added a real vintage watchface and a key charm to my page. Then I tucked in a couple of mini roses here and there - I think they go well with all those "masculine" elements ;)

You Shine:
Papers: Timeless: Artistique, Papillons, Keepsakes
Chipboard: Working Parts, The Optimist Word Set, Cogs & Gears
Embossing powder: 14 Karat, Poinsettia, Cerulean, Icicle, Ebony.
Stamps: Deja Vu, Essential Textures.

Thank you so much for visiting the Blue Fern Studios blog today - see you later!

Maja

August Projects by Melinda Thompson

Hello everyone,

I have 2 layouts to share with you today showcasing some super super gorgeous Blue Fern Chipboard and papers.

My first layout is using the Deja Vu collection papers again.. I started with the layering 2 peices of paper from the collection as my base then I placed the gorgeous Butterfly Grid over the top which I covered in Gesso first.

"Memories"

Before I stuck my Butterfly Grid down I partially cut out come of the butterflies to "lift" them off the page and make them come to life.  This was perfect way to show this photo of my little man who is always outside, its his favourite place to be, always trying to catch butterflies.

Products Used:

Papers: Deja Vu

Chipboard:  Butterfly Grid, Memory Frames, Picture Perfect

My next layout is using papers from the Ombre Dreams Collection.  Don't think I will ever tire of using that collection.

I have added lots of masculine type chipboard to this layout. I love to layer and layer my chipboard to create lots of demension, texture and interest to my page.

"Bros"

I always start with covering my chipboard with Gesso.  This will hold any colour of ink to your chipboard.  I glue everything down and then I add my colours.  Using a fine paint brush I randomly flick my colours around and spreading it further by misting it with water.

Products Used:

Papers: Ombre Dreams

Chipboard:  Circle Links, Cogs and Gears, Faucets, Hooks and Keys, Lightbulbs, Moving Parts, Techno-Scape, Software Peices

Thank you so much for stopping by:)

Melinda