Help [ME] Ronda

don't Forget....

about the Art of Layers Autographed copy giveaway.  See this post: Art of Layers Book Details & Giveaway for the way to be entered.  You have until 6 pm Mountain Time Sunday, May 13th to be entered. 

Art of Layers Book Details & Giveaway

The Art of Layers is currently for sale online sites and in stores.  Check out the side bar to the left for places to purchase it.  I really wanted this book to have lots of techniques that can be built in layers.  So while I give you 50 + techniques, i made sure you understand how these individual techniques could be LAYERED cohesively. 

Take for instance this layout titled Days gone by.  The main focus is the ruched flowers and the technique can be found in the art of Fiber Chapter.  It's a great technique you can add to layouts, home decor, purses & bags, etc.  But let's walk around the layout and see all the other techniques you can find in the book and their perspective chapters. 

1. Art of Fibers, the flowers on the page
2. Art of Embellishments, the chipboard background
3. Art of Embellishments, the layering of labels & embellishments
4. Art of Messy, spray ink & stencils on the tag
5. Art of Messy, splatters of spray ink

So when you are looking at the projects in your copy of the book, i encourage you to take a closer look and dissect the layers, seeing how i combined the techniques.  When you are ready, take two or three of the techniques and combine them in your own project to find your art of layering.

and now for the giveaway....

I have one autographed copy to giveaway.  It could be yours! To be entered answer me these questions.  Do you take online classes, in store classes, or both?  What kind of classes do you prefer taking, completed projects or technique or both?

You have until 6 pm Mountain Time Sunday, May 13th to be entered for this giveaway.  I will announce the winner on the blog on Monday May 14.

Pointy Circle Tote

I couldn't resist creating some more with The Crafter's Workshop/Balzer Design Pointy Circles stencil.  This time i used it on fabric to create my own personal tote/purse.  I had a blast creating both the fabric background and tote.  I know how to sew.  I know how to follow a pattern.  I even have created my own patterns before but somehow this time was a lot more intimidating.  I think the first issue was settling on a design that would showcase my custom fabric well.  The second hurdle was to just cut the fabric.  I took that leap and created my happy little tote.  Here's a look at the process. 

I started with a piece of natural canvas and dyed it with Maya Mists.  I used a variety of blues to get the variegated look on the fabric.  I heat set the mists with an iron to set the color.  I love that Maya Mists heat set.  Next i grabbed the pointy circle stencil and stamped some Antiquated Collection Perfumery stamp in random circles.

I used some acrylic paints to paint random circles with a variety of colors.  So many layers of paint in each circle until i had just the right look. 

A few more random stamps over the background and then a few paint splatters. I also stamped onto the pointy circles adding yet another layer.

It was a good start but needed more layers.  I painted more pointy circles on another piece of canvas fabric and cut them out.  I glued them to the first fabric piece after i had randomly stitch in the background.  Then i took a deep breath and cut out my pattern. 

I am truly happy with the way it turned out!  I really want to make some more and experiment a bit more. 

Q&A: Technique

Beauty Canvas - Chapter 4, Art of Layers

On a previous blog post you graciously asked questions about me & my art.  I am still going through them and putting posts together.  I lumped them into categories that made sense to me so i could answer them easier.  Today's post is about technique.

What is your all-time favorite "go-to" technique?

You want me to pick just one?  I don't think i can do that.  The book is called Art of layers because i love layering on the techniques.  Ok if you make me pick just one i would say spray ink/paint splatters.  They can transform a page or project right before your eyes.

Which chapter from your book is your favorite, working with the paper, embellishments, etc?

I like it all.  I really do.  They each bring something different to the pieces.  A little touch of fabric, a stitch here and there, a piece of patterned paper, some bling tossed around, paint strewn about.  But alas you want me to pick just one....MESSY (aka paints & mists).  If i had just plain paper and tubes of paint, i can play around until my heart is content. 

I would love to know your thought process on painting your projects?

You want a peek inside this Dorkapolis brain?  Alright but you asked for it.  When i sit down to paint, i first have to decide what is being painted up....canvas, watercolor paper, wood, fabric?  Yes please.  Next up is my trusty drawer filled with tube paints.  I also have a spinner rack filled with liquid acrylics.  I usually pull out the gesso too.  I usually have a color story already in my head but it's not set in stone.  I feel like if i try to control the paint, color, and story too much it squashes the creativity.  Creativity needs room to breathe.  I'm a texture girl so that needs to be in there somewhere.  i have quite a few paintbrushes right at my finger tips.  I have draws filled with stencils both purchased and homemade.  I have lots of tools to create textures too both bought and homemade.  i often will throw my fingers into the mix.  there is nothing better than painty fingers finding their way around a canvas. 

What is your favorite tool you work with?

Again with making me pick one!  ok this goes along with paints, the paintbrush.  With paints in one hand and a paintbrush in the other (preferable the right one), i see a world of possibilities.  A piece of paper can become what ever pops into my head with a few strokes of paint and moments of creativity.

what tips do you have for stamping on layouts? I love the look of it, but have a really hard time pulling it off.

"To live a creative life, we must lose our fear of being wrong."
Joseph Chilton Pearce

Here's the biggest fear with stamping on layouts..."what if i mess it up?"  so i ask "what if you do?"  Do you have more paper?  Do you have more ink?  I am guessing chances are you do.  So let go of the worries.  There will be times when the image isn't where you want it or you drop the stamp on the page by accident (guilty!) but it's ok.  You never know what masterpiece you could create if you don't try.  There are also some tips and tricks to help if this happens on a layout you totally love...Mess it up, Dress it up!  Cover it up with some patterned paper, a photograph, paint.  Still worried? It's totally ok. We all have (including me) worried about messing things up.  But if we don't take those leaps then we have nothing to gain. Begin with something easy.  Stamp an image on another piece of paper, cut it out, and place it on the layout.  See the above photo. The blue/green butterfly was stamped on white cardstock and colored in.  If you want to stamp on the background, either use the acetate printed sheet that comes in the packaging to see where you want the stamp.   Another option is to stamp the image on some acetate(transparency) and use it to find your perfect position. 

When you stitch on your projects, do you pre-pierce the holes or do you just let the needle do the work?

Always.  I use an old mouse pad and a paper piecer to pre-punch my holes.  I do this for two reasons.  1) I always know where i am coming up from the bottom.  If you do this without pre-punching the holes, you run the risk of coming up in the wrong spot.  2) the holes are more controlled and less tearing occurs.  You can use a push pin or your needle to pre-punch your holes as well. 

How do you select papers for your projects?

I have the story in mind when i select papers.  I know the mood i am trying to set.  Take for instance the above layout.  When i saw this picture of my sister, it seemed to me that life was much simpler then, softer.  So i pulled out soft papers.  Not all papers i pull make the page.  I usually pull more than i need so i have a selection.  The colors aren't the only deciding factors either.  Patterns matter too.  They have to work well together.  In this case i wanted to photo to stand out so the patterns are soft.  Think of your story, think of colors to tell your story, and then see how you patterned papers go together.

Do you have a favorite technique that you tend to go back to by default? and why do you thing you return to it often?

see question 1 for the answer ;)

What are some of your most favorite techniques?

 Ok now you are letting me pick more than one...GREAT!  i don't like to be boxed in.  Paint &/or Spray ink splatters, hand stitches here & there, torn patterned paper, layering of embellishments, clear embossing, paint layers.  A LOT of my favorite techniques are in my book Art of Layers.  It's some of my most trusted techniques. 

Layers of Love

Anatomy of My Layers

As you know, i love layers.  I love that slow build up, seeing each layer complementing the next.  I like finding the perfect little pieces tucked in my embellishment candy jars.  Or playing around with products like stamps, spray inks, embossing powder.  Let's take a closer look at those layers.

Here's the short list

1. the background, mists & embossed stamps
2. tag & paper pieces
3. metal bird
4. ribbon trim & title
5. embellishments galore
6. journaling

1 & 2:  I spritz the background with diluted Maya Road turquoise mist.  The quatrefoil stamp is from Cocoa Daisy and i used American Crafts Zing Butter embossing powder.  I love how it felt with the wedding layout.  The tag came from one of Anthony's jeans.  I love how worn and tattered it look.  I layered it with a few pieces of patterned paper.

3: I love the Vintaj metal pieces.  These come as blanks so you can alter them.  I am anxious to get my hands on some of the new ranger patina's but i still had fun altering it.  I used the vintaj sizzix Deco Motif embossing folder to emboss it and then used ranger's alcohol ink to give it some color. 

4: I love ribbon, but i love pleated ribbon even more.  I added a cool pin to the ribbon for another layer.  The thickers were a nice blue but i wanted a nice brown to complement the rest of the layout.  I used a brown alcohol pen to change the color.  I love that the blue still peeks through on the sides. 

5: Embellishments are some of my favorite.  The buttons were just so beautiful.  I love the colors but i wanted just a pop of color.  I added in a yellow colored rose and some aqua roses for that pop.  The baker's twine looked so good round around the page.  I also added in some stitches around the page.

6: The journaling is the final part of the story for me.  It is the last layer for me.  I know the story before i write the journaling.  it has been stewing in my brain for quite some time. 

I love how all the layers have come together.  It truly resembles the feel of the wedding and what i wanted to convey.  Love layers yourself?  Paper Crafter's Corner is having a layering week with a giveway that includes my book Art of Layers.  Go check out some wonderful posts on layering.

Art of Layers Blog Hop Winner!

thank you for all your sweet, kind words.  It has been a whirlwind and i so appreciate all the positive feedback.  I trully apreciate all the comments and support.  Happy tears have been leaking from my eyes since Thursday!

And now for my winner:

#57

Paola said...

Congratulation Ronda! I love your style and i think your book will be amazing!Thanks for the chance, I would love to win it!!

Paola, please email me wth your address/contact infomation.

Thank all of you!

Art of Layers Blog Hop

Guess what is now available for purchase? 

My new book Art of Layers has been official released!  I wanted to celebrate in a special way with all of you.  i have asked some of my wonderful & incredibly talented friends to join in the celebration with an Art of Layers blog hop!  At each of the blogs you will find a sneak peek of some of the art found in the book from the various chapters as well as a chance to win an autographed copy of Art of Layers.  10 friends + Me = 11 chances for an autographed copy!

Here's a little more about my book:

Basic scrapbooking has you place photos and embellishments on cardstock or patterned paper - easy and...well, basic. The next step for most scrapbookers is layering. But trying to get that rich, interesting layered look can be very intimidating. Where do you even start? "Art of Layers" teaches scrapbookers and beginning mixed media artists just how easy it is to get to that layered look in any papercrafting project. Author Ronda Palazzari (hey that's me!) teaches readers 50+ techniques that will serve as tools to pull out whenever a layered look is desired. The chapters allow the reader to build their skills, from paper techniques they won't be afraid to try adding fabric, embellishments, and stamping to finally giving spray inks, paints and gesso a try.

I would also like to take this time to thank my fabulous book sponsors who can be found on the left sidebar.  They generously donated the products you will find throughout my book.  A special thanks to Kristen at Lily Bee and Gudrun at 3ndypapir for allowing me to turn their beautiful paper into the paper lace you see on the cover.

This layout above can be found in the Embellishment chapter.  As you can see, i don't take myself too seriously.  I fully admit i am a DORK.  I am actually the mayor of Dorkapolis.  I snort when i laugh, i am a bit of a fanatic when it comes to Harry Potter, Dr. Who, and Twilight, and yeah i occasionally drive around with one lens missing from my sunglasses and somehow never notice it.

You have until Sunday, March 25, 8 pm EDT to leave a comment for your chance to win an autographed copy of my book. 

Now let's get to hoping.  Here is the Master List of Blogs. 

Ronda Palazzari (YOU ARE HERE)

Emily Pitts

Julie Fei-Fan Balzer

Lisa Pace

Nathalie Kalbach

Kelly Purkey

Dina Wakley

Amy Tangerine

Lisa Dickinson

Birgit Koopsen

Ali Edwards

Have Fun hopping around.  I sincerely hope you enjoy the peeks of projects.  If you are so inclined, come back to this post and tell me some of your favorites!

And i have one last peek for you. Coming your way, very soon is a new website complete with online classes.

Art of Layers: Q&A

Thank you all for the wonderful questions on my giveaway post.  You still have time to enter your question for a "i am" mini album kit on this blog post.  In the kit are most of the materials (minus adhesives & pictures) to complete the mini album plus my step by step instructions. In the meantime, i want to start answering your questions.  I broke them down into categories like inspiration, design, organization, etc and will be posting them in those categories.  So let's get started.

how long did it take to put your book together? from start to finish?

This question depends on perspective.  Does the book start with the idea or does it start with the contract?  The idea was kicking around for a while.  I proposed it in October 2010.  It was formaling picked up by the aquisition board in Dec.  I got my contract & got started.  I had deadlines throughout the next months with a photoshot of the 50+ techniques in April 2011.  My final deadline including all 75+ projects, words, etc were due June 2011.  After that it was in the hands of my brilliant editor.  I wouldn't say i was done because there are more edits/reviews for me to do after everything is in place.  I also took the lifestyle photographs in Sept. 2011.  The book was sent to be printed in Oct. 2011.  Once the book is printed it comes back for another review.  You can also see some details of the time lines on this post and this post. 

I'd like to know if everything in the book is never seen before or if they are projects that you have since posted on your blog.

They are never been seen projects all created for the book.  All new.  They were completed in less than 6 months along with all my other assignments.  It seems crazy looking back on all i completed during that time. Here's a peek at one of the projects.

what will you do with the 75 projects you created for the book?

the layouts will go into my albums.  Some of the projects i created with specific things in mind.  Like the ATC tray above was made for my sister-in-law.  I plan to hang some projects in my house.  Others i have been contemplating putting them up for sale.  I can only keep so many around. 

You said you were able to include your lifestyle photos throughout your book...what are lifestyle photos?

Lifestyle photos are like the one above. In fact that's the picture opener for the Fibers chapter.  I got to shoot all the chapter openers plus some of the other photos in the book.  I took a lot photos of my studio and things in my studio.  It was a blast and a ton of work.  But i truly love that they are my photos in my book. 

What was your favorite technique/project you created for the book?

ohhh to pick a favorite would be so hard.  To me each technique is meant to be used with one another, hence the title of the book, Art of Layers.  There are simple techniques to more complicated techniques.  I love that you can layer the techniques so you can create so many different looks.

Art of Layers: Detailed & a Giveaway

Art of Layers is what i wanted to create for a book.  When you look at one of my creations you see lots of layers and wonder how it all came together.  This book takes a look at those layers individually and then brings them all together.  I really wanted this book to empower you to feel like "I can do it."  And just like my projects, the book itself has many layers.  Read it once and then read it again to find hidden treasures in the captions and "more" sections.  It is broken down into 5 chapters:

PAPER

FIBERS

EMBELLISHMENTS

STAMPS

MESSY

There are over 50 techniques and more than 75 projects that include layouts, paper crafts, mixed media pieces, and altered pieces.  It was a lot of work but so worth it.  Not only did i get to hash out an outline of the techniques, create all the projects myself, send in more than 50,000 of my words, but i was blessed to get to include my lifestyle photos that are throughout the book.  So unexpected but so very cool.

and now a giveaway.....

I have a "I am" mini album kit up for grabs including step by step instructions to complete this album on your own.  To enter in this giveaway simply post a question for me in the comments of this post.  I will answer all questions in upcoming blog posts! You have until midnight, Wednesday March 14th and i will post a winner on Friday. 

Art of Layers: Seriously?

Stopped by the F&W booth to see Mona & Kevin and what do my hazel eyes see?  Why it's my book on the poster listed as a best selling title.  I about fainted right then & there!  So my happiness should be shared with another giveaway!  Post just a simple comment & i will pick a winner on Next Tuesday for a grab bag giveaway!  The prize pack will include lots of products.  I wished i had a book to giveaway but i can't do that just quite yet!

Splatters of Love