Cluster Layouts by Kristine Henanger

Hi everyone! 

Kristine Henanger here with you today to show
 you some projects I have been working on this month!
I hope you enjoy :)

"Boys will be boys"

There is endless ways to use or decorate your chipboard pieces, and one of my favorit way to do it, is to layer the piece with many layers of paint, ink, stamping, crackle paint, glitter, embossing and so on. 

On this page I started of by putting gesso on all the pieces. Then I used the same glimmermist as on the background, and finger painted the chipboard, to give it a random look.

I put some more gesso on, allso using my fingers, to make the white more visible again.
Then I used some stamps and just put it all over, before I finished of by putting some ink on the edges to create shadows.

 On this layout I have used following chipboard pices from Blue Fern Studios

                                        " Boys will be boys"                         "petite boutique frames"

"picture perfect"

"Today"

I am all about the cluster style, details, layers and colors (especially turquoise)... 

But sometimes I like to create a "clean and simple" cluster pages, like this one.

To make the chipboard match my page I put gesso and ink on all the pieces.
To give it a random look I always use my fingers to paint with
(it is a bit messy, so you can use gloves if you like).
On the skies I used sandpaper to create a worn/aged look.

 On this layout I have used following chipboard pices from Blue Fern Studios:

                                    " Brigitte Butterfly set"                                 " widgetworks"

                                                                      "cloudy skies"

Thank you for stopping by! I hope you found some inspiration here today :)

Kristine Henanger

Coordinating Your Chipboard w/Any Type of Project!

Good morning Blue Fern Studios friends! Erin Blegen here with you today :). I'm going to be sharing 3 different types of projects (layout, card, and tag) and how you can make your chipboard coordinate- no matter your style or project {type} preference. 

I remember when I was new to raw chipboard, I didn't know quite how I would make those pieces become a part of my project without standing out- in a bad way. So if you feel like that yourself- don't worry! If you haven't had much experience with working with chipboard, that is a completely normal reservation! But today I would like to encourage those with this fear to try out some of these simple techniques- and get yourself on your way to becoming a chipboard altering fool ;)!

"Walk"

I like that I almost have to guess myself which of the embellishments here are chipboard- because they blend so nicely with the rest of the layout. And all it takes is a little bit of recognition of the papers and other products with which you are working, and applying those features to your chipboard.

Take for example this Ironwork Accents piece. I simply used a rubber stamp from my personal collection that complimented my papers and used it to stamp my primed (w/gesso) chipboard. I then used it as a meeting place for the seam binding that stretches across the page, topping off its center with a bow. Super easy- ANYONE (with some stamps and ink, that is) can do this!

The exact same idea was repeated here. I cut this piece off of the bottom of the Garden Gate (You will find that I love to piece apart- and stretch the use of- my chipboard!)

Here I've taken a panel from the Lattice Fence and mimicked the look of the metal embellishment beside it. I've done this by using a stone-colored distress ink dabbed very lightly over top.

Blue Fern Studios Products Used:

Ironwork Accents

Garden Gate

Lattice Fence

Floral Clock (one of the hands)

"This Wonderful Life" {Card}

Here again I've made this gorgeous piece from the Brigitte Butterfly Set become a part of my project. 

I actually used a butterfly stamp with some brown distress ink to create the pattern on this piece. I felt this particular design was complimentary to my papers. After drying, I used a sandy colored chalk ink very lightly over top to tone down the white of the gesso (used to prime the piece before stamping). 

Blue Fern Studios Products Used:

Brigitte Butterfly Set

"You Make Life Beautiful" {Tag}

Finally, I have a tag to share. I chose to use one of the Petite Boutique Frames, which I simply primed with gesso before using blue embossing powder and setting it with a heat gun. I love the beautiful, glossy finish- and that this design was the perfect platform for the resin piece I was to layer next.

Next came one of the Vintage Locks, which I decorated with some blue microbeads. Again, an altering idea that anyone can do!

Blue Fern Studios Products Used:

Petite Boutique Frames

Vintage Locks

Thanks for coming by the Blue Fern Studios blog today! I hope I've been able to offer a few simple techniques and have encouraged you to try some of them very soon :).

Take care!

Chipboard Tutorial; Canvas; and a Matchbox Mini Sewing Kit

Hello everyone, Joyce here again, and I'm going to share with you a quick and easy tutorial that you can use on any of your chipboard pieces:

Canvas made with the Blue Fern Studios petite boutique frame, using the same technique posted above on the Regal Ornaments.  I posted a quick and easy tutorial for the canvas background on my blog if you'd like to try it and the tutorial above using some Blue Fern Studios chipboard:

On the Iron Works piece below, simply apply white crackle paint, mist, and apply some drywall tape over the piece and highlight the textures squares with some rub-on  metallic paste.

Matchbox Mini Sewing Kit.  I took a part a medium sized matchbox to use as a pattern and created this little sewing kit using the Miss Taylor chipboard pieces.  Simply rub-on some metallic paste on the scissors but don't cover up the entire chipboard piece and then lightly mist a color of your choice on the entire chipboard piece. Easy, right?

Let us know if you try out the tutorial on your Blue Fern Studio chipboard pieces so that we may visit you and see what you created too.