getting messy - a waterpark under the sea layout

I've been meaning to take a class for the longest time and as soon as I had an opportunity I signed up for one of Dawn's mixed media classes (The Inked Stamper) and wondered why I waited so long.

Dawn loves to get messy with her layouts and art journal and I followed suit.  I went home with blue/green/black fingers and, as a result, this layout fits in perfectly with Anything But a Card Challenge #22 "Getting Messy".

I'm also entering two other challenges: (1) A Blog Named Hero Challenge #27: Fave Stamp.  As you know one of my ultimate favourite stamps is my music note stamp but who can resist Igor/Scuba Diver?  He's quite the adorable versatile stamp. (2) Simon Says Stamp and Show Challenge: Anything Goes. 

The under the sea layout theme complemented some photos I took from one of our trips to West Edmonton Mall's Waterpark. We had gone to the Waterpark with Grandpa and Alex's uncle that day.  My little shark had a blast.

WEM Waterpark November 2011

The backdrop of the layout was created with Ranger Dylusions Ink Sprays (dirty martini, calypso teal, london blue).  The characters were stamped onto white paper, coloured with different techniques and glued onto the background.  And that's when the real fun began - we doodled (even the word is fun to say, don't you agree?) and as Dawn says, the doodling really elevates the images from simply being glued on to the page to being anchored, and part of, the page.

I'm particularly fond of the neon fish lips which were coloured in using Heidi Swapp's Day Glow Neon Gel Pens.  The Heidi Swapp website warns you to use them sparingly.  It does pack quite the wallop and is surprisingly addictive.

 

 

I doodled with black and white Gelly Rolls, Viva Decor's Pearl Pen, Stewart Gill Pearlise pearlescent acrylic paint, Tim Holtz Distress Paint (picket fence), modelling paste and my faithful Picket Fence Ranger Distress Marker (cue ethereal sounds of blissful happiness).

I absolutely adore the little scuba diver.  He looks like he ran into an electric eel.

Thank you for stopping in!  Grab a coffee, look around and drop me a line.