Hey there friends! I have another layout to share with you today as a guest designer with Pretty Little Studio.

I started with a light blue cardstock background and then used a T-Square Ruler & a pencil to draw a square on the background. I then used a piercing tool to poke holes along the pencil lines for hand stitching. Before I started the hand stitching I wanted to add color to the background, but I needed to add a base to the colored cardstock first. I added white gesso to the background for a few reasons – it will help strengthen the paper, make the colors easier to blend, and give a white/clean surface so the mixed media will stay its true original color. The color would have had a completely different appearance if I would have added the pink directly onto the blue cardstock.

I used Abandoned Coral & Worn Lipstick Distress Oxide Inks to add color within the square. I started by first using the packaging technique, but I wasn’t getting enough color saturation. I switched to a Mini Ink Blending Tool to add color directly on top of the white gesso to achieve the look I was going for. After I had the color on the background I used a Heidi Swapp Polka Dot Stencil & White Modeling Paste to add texture to the background.

I added the hand stitching after the modeling paste was dry and then moved onto embellishing using the XOXO Collection designed by Hello Heather. I added my photo first, which was taken on a trip to New Orleans, to the bottom left corner of the square. Then I grabbed a few die cuts from the Blooming Love Die Cuts Pack & also fussy cut a few of the same florals from the Love Blooms 8×8 Patterned Paper. To throw in additional embellishing and another shape I added a few circles from the Love You Die Cuts & one of the 4×6 Patterned Papers. I added the title along the outer edge of the hand stitching using the Blush Love Story Alphas. I absolutely love these alphas. The colors, the texture, the size – all perfect!!

Now you can take a look at my YouTube Process Video that shows how this layout came together!

Thank you so much for spending part of your day with me!

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