Let There Be Light

This month's Arty Addicts (Marion Smith's online group) challenge was to design a layout using just items that were white/off white/cream.  No color!  I love color so it was tough to come up with something that was truly all white.  Then it hit me - make it all about light, not white!  I instantly knew exactly which photo I would use.  A few months ago my hubby got me a lovely bouquet of lilies and irises to celebrate our "2-iversary" (2 years together).  I managed to get some nice shots of the lilies in the afternoon light.

Lily in afternoon light

So now I just had to create a layout to showcase this photo using all white elements - right!

My first thought was vellum!  Vellum is sheer and great to work with layered over various items.  I also had some great white die cut paper and wanted to use fabric to keep the feeling of lightness.  I picked some white cotton voile since it's very sheer and airy.  The airy/lightness theme took me to butterflies (of course) and I threw in some glitter and pearls for added sheen.

It's hard to capture all of the ways light plays of the various elements

Afterward I decided to add small pearls to the center of the butterflies.  I think it helps them stand out more.

Once I got the whole "light" theme going I thought wouldn't it be cool if you could also see the layout backlit?!?!  The details got washed out but the background showed up nicely.

Backlit yumminess

Since I couldn't play with color, I focused on playing with texture and I had a great time!  I am really enjoying participating in these challenges.  They are a great way to keep those creative energies flowing! 

Step by Step:

1. I sewed a border around a piece of white vellum.
2. I adhered the vellum to a piece of white die cut paper and then adhered that to a sheet of clear acetate for stability.
3. I doubled a piece of white cotton voile and sewed it together with 2 rows of "wonky" stitches and then frayed the edges.  I then adhered the fabric strip to the center of my background.
4. I cut a piece of clear acetate larger than my photo and burnt the edges with a candle to soften them.  Burning them also forms a hard layer at the edge which makes a nice border.
5. I glued my photo onto the acetate mat.
6. I covered a Tattered Angels glimmer chip butterfly in glue and diamond dust glitter.  I love this glitter!  It's big and chunky and looks like sugar.  I added a white vellum flower to the center of the butterfly and adhered it the upper left hand corner of the vertical fabric strip.
7. I then added my photo/mat and adhered it with dimensional pop dots to help separate it from the background.



The acetate behind the photo catches the light in its own way

9. Then it was embellishment time!  I stamped butterflies onto clear acetate and vellum with white StazOn ink. I edged the vellum butterflies with white Stickles glitter glue and once dry, coated them with a coat of Rock Candy crackle paint.  After they dried I cut out all of the butterflies.  I liked the contrast of the clear acetate next to the shiny vellum.  Each picks up the light differently.
10. To help anchor them on the page, I layered them over a horizontal strip of ribbon layered over lace.  The vertical butterflies are layered over Prima pearl bling.



Pearls, acetate, and painted vellum all have their own unique sheen



Re shot this image after adding the pearl centers

13. For the title, I covered the chipboard with the same diamond dust glitter and voila, done!

Everything's better with glitter!

Glitter AND pearls that is!  ;)

Supplies used:

• Clear acetate sheets
• White vellum
• White die cut paper (KI Memories)
• White cotton voile fabric
• Glimmer chips chipboard butterfly and letters (Tattered Angels)
• Diamond Dust glitter
• White Stickles (Ranger)
• Rock Candy crackle paint (Ranger)
• Butterfly stamp (Prima)
• White vellum flower (K&Company)
• White StazOn ink
• Pearl bling (Prima)
• Pearl buttons
• Scallop Lace and flower ribbon (Prima)
• Sheer ribbon (Michael's)