Dragonflies Archives - Kathy by Design

Fall Favorites: Dragonfly Dance Mixed Media Folio

Hello, Friends! Let’s kick off a week of fall favorites with this Dragonfly Dance Mixed Media Folio. I’ve been systematically re-organizing and purging my studio for the past several weeks. My sweet husband asked me if I was looking for something specific as I rummaged through the Closet of Shame, various drawers and bins. My answer was, “Yes, I’m looking for 10 more square feet of space in my studio.” Ever felt that way? (The truth is: if I had it, I would just fill it up with more paper pretties.) So a good purge and reorganization spree is the best remedy. While there is still a long way to go, I’ve made great progress. The studio is definitely feeling less cluttered.

The best part about going through all your “stuff” is that you stumble across older paper collections that you had forgotten about. And some of these, like this Blue Fern Bird Waltz Collection, are exquisitely beautiful. I also unearthed some older chipboard pieces and some now-retired Little Birdie Flowers. Why not take a break from organizing and have a play? So I did!

Autumnal Hues

I wish you could see this piece in person. There’s something really magical about the soft autumnal hues, the mixed media textures and the general design. We get a lot of foggy fall mornings here in North Carolina. The clamor of daily life feels as though it has been muted and softened somehow. This folio makes me feel like that. It’s absolutely one of my favorite creations.

First I created a 6×6 top fold base with a 1/2″ spine. Then I added what I am calling a “second story” to the design by making a 4 3/4″ x 7″ panel on the left. Why, you may ask? Because I was working with pre-cut panels of the designer paper. I can’t recall ever having done a folio front quite like this before, but the end result is wonderful, so I may do it again!

Mixed Media Mayhem

Next, I had to pull my mixed media boots out of the Closet of Shame to finish this lovely chipboard frame. First, I painted it with a coat of ivory chalk paint. Then, I heat embossed it with Shabby Ivory Embossing Enamel. But the ivory didn’t blend well with the copper tones in the paper collection. So I rifled through my mixed media shelf and found some Copper Viva Decor 3-D Stamp Paint. This stuff is like a thick mousse with lots of texture and a vintage patina. A little dab goes a long way. I tapped some out onto my non-stick craft sheet, then tapped it over the heat embossed frame with my finger. Magic! The texture of the embossing enamel gave the finished frame a wonderful rusty/pebbly finish.

Once the frame was dry, I flipped it over, added foam strips filled it with sequins and turned it into a shaker element. The resin crown from my stash and the little dragonfly charm are also tapped with the Copper Stamp Paint. Then I rubbed them with a little turquoise metallic wax.

This Reneabouquets dragonfly adds the perfect pop of color. I have actually seen the October sky this shade of blue. Have you?

Dragonfly Dance Mixed Media Folio: A Peek Inside

I decided to make the inside of the folio into a tea party in a box. First, I added side flaps to the top half of the card. Once again, these were pre-cut scraps from an earlier project. I also found some die cut corners and frames from an earlier project tucked in with the papers, so I put them to good use here.

The gatefold opening is so elegant.

I could not bring myself to cover up this glorious dragonfly image.

Next I created a little 5″ x 5″ photo wallet using up more scraps. This fits neatly in the box pocket.

Then I added some special treats. This is always a fun exercise for me.

I found this gorgeous Printed Beautiful Board ATC tag while organizing my Reneabouquets chips. It only took a moment to top it with a key and a bit of metallic string. And do you spy the darling little acorn shaped spoon? Those were a great find…and now I have used them all up. Maybe it’s time to hit some estate sales again, now that I’ve created a little extra space in the studio!

If you’d like to see other projects created from the Bird Waltz paper collection, please click HERE. This folio is available for purchase in my ETSY SHOP.

It was so refreshing to create a project simply because I wanted to. Don’t get me wrong: I love my job and am honored to represent the amazing companies that I work for. But every once in a while I need to just “play” in the studio and not worry about tutorials or videos or deadlines or assignments. It helps keep me fresh and reminds me why I love paper as much as I do. So I hope you don’t mind my sharing this lovely little folio with you. Perhaps I shared some tips or ideas that you can use in your own crafty adventures. Or maybe you feel inspired to dig into your own stash and uncover some buried treasure. I certainly hope so!

Thanks for stopping by!

Cheerio,

kathy

SUPPLY LIST

Please note: since this is a “Closet of Shame” project, some of the items I used may be retired or sold out. I will link whenever possible, but if you don’t see something listed below, it’s because it is no longer available. Thanks for understanding!