Dreamers and Dreams

 

Hello there! How are you today? Doing fine, I hope! Today it’s Riikka here with a couple of guest projects. For these two I took inspiration from the Arrows and Dreamcatcher dies for a Native American feel. My first project is a layout, the second is a card.

The photo was taken a couple of years ago when I was on a local train, heading off to demo at a craft fair. If I recall correctly, it was my first time to demo at this event. Nowadays, I’m fortunate enough to demo there on regular basis. The warm tones of the photo and the gaze to the future fitted my page perfectly, so I did a layout that is about dreams and how to keep dreaming and reaching for one’s goals.

But before we can get to reaching dreams, let’s get into the step by step part of how I created the layout! Please see the photos and instructions below and you can find the supply list at the end of this post.

1. Cut a strip of Dove Grey Soft Finish Cardstock. Then die cut a number of arrows out of it using the “Arrows” die set. Alternate the direction of the arrows so they can be closely spaced. Adhere the strip to a polka dot patterned paper using 3mm Clear Double Sided Adhesive.

2. Customize the background a little. Create some random pattern using ink and the Paisley Stage it Stencil. Add pattern mainly on the polka dot paper, but continue onto the cardstock strip just a bit, too.

3. Next, add some random stamping into the mix. Make a stamp of your own this way: Add a piece of the 6×6″ Clear Double Sided Adhesive to a piece of packing foam. Then cut the star-like part of the Dreamcatcher die out of the foam. Then adhere the shape to a piece of corrugated cardboard and stamp the design here and there.

4. Now some splashes! Every project needs splashes! I used watercolors to splatter the background. Create layers to use behind the photo with Through the Lens – Wood cardstock as well as a piece of arrow-pattern designer paper. Staple the pieces together and adhere the photo on top using foam dots for dimension.

5. Before securing the photo and the cardstock layers to the page, add some twine, running horizontally across the layout. Attach the twine with staples. Now add the photo and its surrounding layers.

6. Time to further embellish the page. Die cut the Dreamcatcher from White Soft Finish Cardstock. Cut the feathers from White Soft Finish Cardstock and orange patterned paper.

7. To make the Dreamcatcher less fragile and easier to handle, glue a piece of transparency (acetate) underneath the circle frame. Then glue the Dreamcatcher to the left of the photo. Using the Pair of Leaves 2 die set, cut some leaves to mimic feathers out of the same papers used for the Dreamcatcher’s mini feathers.

8. Finish the page with a couple of the arrows cut loose from the background earlier and a few epoxy stickers. The stickers kind of mimic the beads that actual dreamcatchers often have.

9. Now, on to the second project: I used the dream theme for the card, too. Though there are some differences, the steps are similar. I omitted the first step and started with the stenciling, stamping and splatters. I used the stamp to create the center of the dreamcatcher, which I then completed with die cut parts. This time I used the epoxy stickers as the beads on the dreamcatcher. As you can see from the photos below, I also added a stamped die cut banner. Also there are more arrows on the card than on the layout. (The arrows were leftovers from the layout so nothing goes to waste!)

Thank you for stopping by today! Wishing you a great day! And go chase those dreams!

SUPPLIES:

Elizabeth Craft Designs –

Soft Finish Cardstock, Dove Grey
Arrows die set
3mm Clear Double Sided Adhesive
Stage it Stencil Paisley
Dreamcatcher die set
6×6″ Clear Double Sided Adhesive
Through the Lens – Wood papers
Soft Finish Cardstock, White
Pair of Leaves 2 die set
Stitched Fishtail Banners die set
ModaScrap Designer Papers

Other –

Ranger:Archival Ink in Jet Black
Ranger Distress Ink in Vintage Photo
Prima Marketing Watercolor Confections ‘The Classics’
Epoxy stickers
Twine
Transparency