It's January ~ Blue Fern Studios!

Hello, Blue Fern Studios fans!

I've been re-introduced on the BFS blog today and here is how it reads:

 My name is Sandi Clarkson and I am thrilled to begin my Second Term with the Blue Fern Design Team.  Having worked with the Blue Fern Studios owner, staff and many of my fellow team members, this tuly feels like home! It also doesn't hurt that I live in the same state where Blue Fern is manufactured to strengthen my sense of belonging! (Texas, USA)  Because of that proximity, I am sometimes the very first designer to get to see the new products! Talk about exciting!! 

I'm married with three grown, married daughters and a growing number of grandkids! By profession, I'm a very recently retired Audiologist (last week) and am excited to have more free time to get "lost" in creating! I enjoy trying new techniques but am usually happiest when the results still fit my "pretty" criteria. My scrap room is my happy place. I kind of love that my desks have paint, gesso and runaway micro beads all over them. I'm mostly a layout girl but love, love, love doing the occasional canvas. 

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So, onward with January's first BFS project ...

"XOXO" (based on the January sketch and flipped)

This month I actually did 2 masculine layouts! Or maybe it is safer to say that I've used masculine photos and then did my own thing! For this first one, I've pulled out some older papers from the Sanctuary collection along with some older chipboard pieces. But I've paired them with some of the new embossing powders that I was dying to try .. Oatmeal and Sage. 

The background for this one was created with a stencil, super heavy gesso, tissue tape and a couple of mists, Persimmon and Jingle Bells. The Persimmon helped pull out some of the peachy, red tones from the paper itself. 

Beneath my photo layers is the Paisley and Vine Medley split in half which I've first gessoed and then embossed with the Oatmeal Embossing Powder. The XOXO title was treated the same but double embossed. I've included the Notebook Edges pieces of chipboard which lend themselves nicely to "guy" projects. For them, I've used the new Sage Embossing Powder and then splashed them with white paint. 

My lower cluster includes a Notebook piece as well as more of the Chelsea Vines which were used around the photo as well. Some variegation was created with my gelatos. 

Most of the Blue Fern paper collections come with a Calling Cards sheet which is ideal for photo layers and titles/subtitles. And I generally add some corrugated cardboard for increased dimension. 

I finished my page with flowers and specks of splattered paint, first white, then black. 

Blue Fern Products used:

Paper:

Santaury Birdsong Melody

Sanctuary Garden Plaza

Sanctuary Calling Cards

Chipboard:

Paisley and Vine Medley

Notebook Edges

XOXO

Chelsea Vines

Mist:

Persimmon

Jingle Bells

Embossing Powder:

Sage

Oatmeal

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I'll be back tomorrow with my second BFS project. 
Of course, you can see it now over on the Blog. 

Please be sure to check out the sketch challenge HERE
See you next time! 
Sandi