"Inside"

This is my latest layout titled "Inside". It's a layout about how I felt about Chloe in my life. I've challenge myself to create this layout using only a piece of card stock, the photograph and some inks, pens, embossing powders, chalks and paints. Totally no pattern papers, embellishments or stamps. I must admit that it's a very difficult challenge for me as I love to heavily embellished all my layouts, definitely some stampings on them and I'm not good at all in doodling.

The title for this layout actually came from a different perspective of my view towards that photograph of Chloe. That photograph tells me she has so much to offer in my life and had always taught me so many things that I would never had imagined. Therefore, I've came up with the title "Inside".

Some of my blog readers had actually request me to come up with a very clear step by step pictures and explanations for some of my layouts. Therefore, 'm trying to do this for the first time with this layout. Since it's a special challenge to me, I would liked to share this in detail.

Here are the steps:

1. First of I've used the scissors distressing technique on the edges of my background card stock and inked it with distress ink (tea dye and vintage photo).

2. Then I've hand doodled a flower and some flourishes on the lower right corner of the page.

3. Later, I've used some distress ink (black soot, frayed burlap) to swipe on the surface of the page to create a further distress look.

4. I've used the "Masking to Create a Journaling Space" technique to create the scroll for journaling.

5. Then I've used the "Embossed to Distress" technique to further distress the page.

6. I've then attached my photograph on the layout and used the "Masking to Create a Distressed Border" technique to create a frame or border for my photograph.

7. Later, I've used the "Steel Ruler Distressing (II)" to create a more distressed border on my photograph.

8. Lastly, I've used the "Paint to Distress" technique to do my last distressing on the layout.

All these distressing techniques had added so much depths and character to this layout. Finally, I've added some chalking around my doodled flower, write my journaling and title.

I'm really glad that I've finished with this challenge and it has inspired me to so many more new techniques. It's definitely an adventure and achievement for me. Hope you all like this layout too!

Sources: Cardstock: Bazzill Basics Paper, Ink: Tim Holtz's Distress Ink and Tsukineko VersaMagic Fluid Chalks, Acrylic Paint: Making Memories, Others: Tim Holtz's Distress Embossing Powders, Zig Memory System pen