When I saw this line of Western paper from IOD for Creative Imaginations I knew it would be perfect for photos of Matt in his cowboy hat, riding his “horse”. I loved the ethereal quality of the papers and how they weren't overtly “country”.  The LSS I purchased the papers from did not carry any of the embellishments so I was on my own as far as completing a layout with this line. Luckily I had some great Clear Scraps products on hand to save the day!
 
The beauty of Clear Scraps acrylic and chipboard products is that you CAN customize them to any theme, motif, or color scheme. I used several different Clears Scraps products in combination with Staz-On ink, Colorbox Fluid Chalk Ink, Copic Markers, and acrylic paint to create custom coordinating accents for my layout.
First I peeled the protective layers from one Clear Scraps XL Deco Square. I then laid it atop of another piece of patterned paper from the collection, tracing a barbed wire from that paper onto the acrylic using Copic Markers. Since Copic ink reacts with Staz-On inks, I inked the BACK of the Clear Scraps XL Deco Square with Staz-On to add a blue halo around the edges. Then I dry brushed cream paint onto the front of the Clear Scraps XL Deco Square. This added a lot of depth and texture to the Clear Scraps XL Deco Square as the paint highlighted the contrast between the pattern on the front of the acrylic and the pattern on the back. I then added it to my layout.
I then added ribbon, lace and a photo. I sprayed the chipboard stars from the Clear Scraps Clear N Chip Carson's Park with Smooch Spritz in Sea Breeze and inked the edges brown ink. I sanded the Accent Creative Designs Scallop Buttons and then painted them with acrylic paint, also inking the edges with brown ink. I tied twine in the buttons and added them to the page with the stars. I added a title using clear letter stickers right on top of the Clear Scraps XL Deco Square so they “float” on the layout. 
Using acrylic really helped me to create a customized yet coordinated layout using just the paper I bought as inspiration. Instead of purchasing embellishments, I opted to purchase acrylic or chipboard items that I could customize to any layout or theme. This not only saves money but also saves space–all you need is a nice stash of acrylic and chipboard ready to customize versus racks and racks of stickers and themed embellishments. I hope this layout inspires you to look to acrylic and chipboard to create custom embellishments on your next layout.
Supplies:
ColorBox Fluid Chalk Ink in Chestnut Roan by Clearsnap
Paint by Plaid
Stickers by Creative Imaginations (blue) and October Afternoon (tan)
Twine, Ribbon, Crochet Trim by hydrangeahippo.etsy.com
Staple by Tim Holtz Tiny Attacher
Smooch Spritz in Sea Breeze by Clearsnap
Copic Markers by Imagination International

Author: Jennifer Priest

It started with jewelry, beading, sewing, home decor, painting, basket weaving, pottery, and cross-stitch. Marry that to an entrepreneurial spirit & at 9 years old a girl is selling her wares at craft fairs as far as her parents and grandparents would drive her. These days, Jennifer enjoys crafts of all genres from sewing to scrapbooking to jewelry with a little dabbling in the mixed media world. Her style is approachable and she wants everyone who sees her work to feel that they too can embrace creativity and make their home and life beautiful.

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One thought on “Ride ‘Em Cowboy!

  1. Oh that’s very darling! I love it!

    Posted on May 9, 2011 at 8:27 am