Design Team Inspiration

Although we are all surrounded by inspiration, sometimes we just can't find it.  That can be especially true during this busy time of the year when we have so much on on our minds.  We hope you will take some time this month to sit down with cup of something warm, and create.   Something, anything.

Today we would like to offer some inspiration to get you started.  Below are layouts that our design team created.  Select one that catches your interest, and determine what it is that you like.  Is it the photo?  Maybe the colors?  Or is it a technique that was used?  Whatever it is, that is your starting point. Blue Fern chipboard has been used on each of these layouts.  We hope you will notice ideas for different ways to alter our chipboard.

Will you be inspired by the blue and purple color combination Maja used for this winter layout?

If you are sick of winter, perhaps you will use Evgenia's card as inspiration for a spring or summer project.

Is it time to add some black to your project?  Jelissa did and the result is striking!

Has it been a while since you created a layout using a photo of yourself?  Follow Marie Josée's lead and dig out a favorite photo or take a new photo of yourself.

Maybe you will be inspired by Kelly's layout and use black and white photos - or if you typically create layouts with just one photo, why not add two?

Like Keren, why not start a layout with a piece of white cardstock and create a beautiful backgound using stencils, mist, paint, etc. that you have in your stash?  Be sure to color some chipboard pieces, too!

How long has it been since you used a dark background for a layout.  Rae did here with this navy paper from our Conservatory collection.

Or you could go in the other direction and create a shimmery white background as Yuko did in this layout.

Tired of the colors of the season?  Then add some color of your own!  

Take a look at how Lisa used color on this bold layout.

Let us know what caught your eye!  Thanks for stopping by.

Two Takes on Sanctuary - Bright and Vintage

Hello Blue Fern fans! Jackie here with my last post for Blue Fern Studios. It has been an amazing year, and I have been very honoured to be a part of this team and to experience Blue Fern's incredible growth over the past year.

It's amazing looking back over the past year to see how much Blue Fern has grown, releasing not only its first paper line, but four gorgeous and unique paper lines. As soon as I saw Sanctuary, I couldn't wait to get it into my hot little hands. It is exactly what I look for in a paper line, a perfect mix of vintage and bold colors. This month I've taken Sanctuary in two different directions, preparing a layout that embraces its vintage color palette, and a second layout that embraces colorful mixed media.

For my first layout I piled on the paint and color. I started by layering strips of Sanctuary papers along with washi tape and drywall tape, then added watercolor paints in blues and pinks, stencilling with crackle paste, rub ons and splatters of white paint.

The Notebook Edges are perfect for tucking into layering. I sprayed them with two shades of gold mist, and tucked them in before adding inking to my page edges and my white splatters, helping to marry them to the rest of the page.

To offer some balance to the busy background, I kept the treatment of the Crossing the Lines, Circuitry and Arrow Words chippies simple, coloring them with chalk inks.

I wanted to make a bold statement with the Ginger's Poppies chippies; I started by coloring them with chalk ink, then added embossing powder (because the embossing powder I was using is semi-translucent, I wanted to have some color on the chippy rather than having the color come out muddied). I love the way they shimmer!

Blue Fern Studios Products

Sanctuary papers: 

- Meadows of Time

- Garden Plaza

- Botanical Garden

Chipboard: 

- Notebook Edges

- Crossing the Lines

- Arrow Words

- Ginger's Poppies

- Circuitry

I loved both sides of the Botanical Garden sheet, and I really wanted to combine the two sides on one layout. To create the layered effect in the center and avoid wasting paper, I tore a strip from the center of the page. I punched strips of the B side out of a second piece of paper, and layered those underneath my torn strip, and mounted the whole thing on corrugated cardboard.

I added a thin layer of modeling paste through a stencil and misted it with a blue-grey mist to complement the background, then added some patches of green mist.

To create the lacy, textured look on the Boston Lattice chippie I melted fusible webbing onto the piece, then sprinkled it with two colors of embossing powder.

The Mini Flourishes and My Bike chippies were painted with sparkling watercolor paints.

Blue Fern Studios Products

Sanctuary papers: 

- Botanical Garden x2

Chipboard: 

-Mini Flourishes

- Boston Lattice

- My Bike

I have greatly enjoyed my time here at Blue Fern Studios, and I thank Leslie for having me on the team. I look forward to seeing Blue Fern's continued success!

2 layouts and a Card by Lisa Gregory

 Welcome To December. I leave you with the last of my Blue Fern Studios projects for the year. That doesn't mean I will stop using the gorgeous chipboard and papers though!!This has been an incredible year for me designing for Blue Fern Studios. I want to take the time to thank Leslie, Patter, Valerie and my teamies!!! You have all been so wonderful to work with. I have really enjoyed my time with Blue Fern Studios and feel very fortunate to have been with the company since its inception.

The new collection Sanctuary is simply divine. Each one of my projects today  have been created with the new collection.

For this first layout I used Botanical Garden from the Sanctuary collection.I mounted the paper on corrugated cardboard using Mod Podge, then edge distressed it to revel the cardboard. I used mist to add the blue to the background. I used Gold on the edges.

 I used the Grunge Frames chipboard, misted it with water and when it was soaked I peeled some of the layers on the chipboard, crunched it  bit (very carefully) and dried it with my heat gun. I primed it with gesso, and colored it with more mist.

For my next Layout, I used  Garden Plaza for my base paper. I used mist to further enhance the pinks in the paper and did some stamping.

I cut the Roman Clock Set Small in 2 pieces and used it on opposite ends of the layout. I inked it in black. The leaves were die cut and colored.

I used peices of the Checker Bits, and the title is from the arrow Words set which I inked black and added some mist to match the pinks in the layout. The frames were die-cut from Bird Song Melody in the Sanctuary Collection. I also cut the frame from corrugated cardboard and adhered the die cut to for added depth.

For my next project, I used the December sketch for the design.

The card is a small space, but the sketch is so versatile.The chipboard pieces I used are Jasmine Collage and   arrow Words. I split the Jasmine Collage in have diagonally to  spread it out a bit.

I misted the flowers to add some color. and  primed the Smile arrow word then sprayed it with the same color  as well.

 This is the bottom half of the Jasmine Collage chipboard.

Don't forget to join the December Sketch Challenge.
Thank You for joining me today far my reveal. Thank you for all of the support and love you have given me throughout the last couple of years.
I hope your Holidy's are Merry and Bright!!
 xoxo
Lisa

New Products

Do you love new products?  We do!  

Here are the latest chipboard designs from Blue Fern Studios.  

We think you will agree that we have something for every style.

Latches

Doily Bouquet

Puzzle Mini Panel

Birds on a Branch

Crosshatch Frame

Moving Parts

Floral Circles

Postage Frames

Cogs & Gears

Thanks for stopping by today! 

A layout and a card from Camilla

Hi all!

I have worked with the new Sanctuary collection and have made a layout and a card. The layout looks like this:

The chipboards (Smile and Circle Vine) are covered with white crackle texture paste and then I sprinkled some gold glitter onto them.

The card is this one. I have only covered the chipboard piece (Fancy Signage) with white gesso and then used some brown ink.

Thanks for looking!

Camilla

Today We Feature YOU!

Throughout the month, we come across many projects created with Blue Fern paper and chipboard.  

 YOUR projects are amazing and today we would like to show you some of them!

Arnlaug Koppang of Norway used our Graduated Circles and Sweet Dreams chipboard pieces, along with a precious photo, to create a layout that is sure to melt your heart.

The next layout has been created by Debbie who used flowers that perfectly compliment the Blue Fern Studios paper from the Montage collection.  Isn't that a great photo of her mother with her brother?

Our Wonderful title is the perfect addition to this striking mixed media layout from Georgia Heald.

We love the fall colors Marina Gridasova of Russia pulled together for this beautiful layout.  She has used paper from our Ombré Dreams collection and the Shabby Brick Bits (both the negative and positive pieces). 

Cathi O'Neill, of Ireland, altered the Holiday Vine with gold mist for this lovely layout with a vintage look.

Ginny Hickmott's layout, using paper from the Montage collection comes together beautifully with the Jeweled Frame directing the eye to the sweet photo in the center. 

We discovered this fun layout on Joanne Bain's blog.  Love that photo of her nephews!  

She has used the Techno Rings and Optimist Word Set.

Thanks for coming along this journey with us.  Your projects always make us smile!

November Sketch Challenge Winner and our Featured Layouts

Today we would like to wrap up our November Sketch Challenge by announcing our winner, 

and featuring some of the layouts from the challenge.

Our winner this month is..............

Entry #17 belongs to Sonia Thomason of Australia.  Congratulations Sonia! 

You have won an awesome prize package from Blue Fern Studios!  

Please send me an e-mail, within the next 7 days, 

at {valerie(at)bluefernstudios(dot)com} to claim your prize.

 

Here is the lovely layout Sonia created using paper from the Blue Fern Montage Collection.

 

 

 

The entries in the November Sketch Challenge we stunning!  Here are a few, in no particular order, that we would like to feature this month:

 

 

The first layout is from Shizuka who used our popular "Capture the Moment" title.  She sure did capture a precious moment when she snapped this photo.

 

 

Priscilla Lim of Singapore began this layout with paper from our Ombre Dreams collection, but due to a mishap (we all have those!), she had to cover it with gesso.  But the beautiful Blue Fern Ornate Frame in the center of the layout and the "These Were the Days" tag from our Montage collection sure do stand out beautifully.

 

 

The third layout we are featuring this month is from Anna Rogalska, of Poland.  Her entry for the sketch challenge began with this stunning paper from the Montage Collection and she built from there.  What she has created in the center of her layout really makes the photo stand out!

Congratulations to our prize winner and those who were featured this month.  

Thank you also, to everyone who entered our sketch challenge.  

The December sketch has been posted (see link in right sidebar). 

We hope you will all participate!