Altering papers to make new Layout backgrounds

Hi there, Lydell again today and I am showing you what I have been playing with the last few days!

Lots of fun stuff.
No rules,
No requirements,
Just play!
........Nice!

So I have quite a bit of paper in my stash which is either old, out of date or just that I have seen too much in my stash!!!  (I am a little bored with it.....) Or papers that I would just like to dress up.  This process works for all these senario's!!!

I love being able to use things I feel like I would not use normally, things that dont jump out at me.  I make it a challenge for myself everytime I go selecting papers, to try and use something old.  Freshen it up, make it cool again!  Sometimes I succeed....sometimes I dont, but thats ok....I try!

Texture paste, Gesso, and Shimmerz Paints are the staple products in this process, and you can kick out several background pages at a time doing this.

To start with I pick out my papers, (sturdy ones are good, seeing they will have several layers of mixed wet mediums on them), then I select some stencils.  Mine favourites are Crafters Workshop, but I have several from the cheap shops and even recycled things to spray through!

I then swipe texture paste through the stencils with a palette knife in a spot I can imagine my photo grouping happening on the page.  I do several at once in different places with different stencils, and wash them off all at once (I dont LOVE cleaning stencils!!!!)  I set all these aside now to dry.

Next I pick out co-ordinating colours from my Shimmerz collection.  There are perfect colours for what ever you are working with!!!
and I start spraying, dripping, splashing, splotching and blowing.....anything i can dream up to get the paint on the pages.....and it looks cool.  I just add and add until I am happy!

....wipe off here and there with a baby wipe, 

(Gesso acts as a resist to Shimmerz, if you wipe it off with something damp before it has dried totally)  

then add some more.

Stamp, doodle, what ever takes your fancy.  Just keep going until you are happy!

 .......and here are some finished pages ready to start a Layout on!

Loads of fun.
I could do this all day.
But there's washing to be done....and children to feed!
I will share what I create using some of these next time,  till then, have a good week and enjoy playing!
Thanks for stopping by,

To begin with I select my stensilc