For my 1 year YouTube Anniversary Challenge I received so many entries that I had to expand my pocket page album that I was using to hold all of them to a second volume. So I’ve been wanting to do another doggy layout to coordinate with one that I did at the end of September (HERE). This layout is going to be the first page of volume 2. 🙂

I started with the same star burst background and picked another stamped image that looked like me and Bandito. This stamp is by A Random Fan and is called “Wanderlust,” and I think it is absolutely adorable! I paper pieced the Vespa, the girl’s goggles, and the girl’s skirt and scarf using small scraps from my scrap box.  HINT: The key to creating a realistic look with paper piecing is to first color all the areas of the image that you are not going to paper piece. Then make sure you add shadows to those tiny paper pieces.  Fussy cut them out and then edge each piece with black marker (I use a Faber-Castell PITT artist pen in SB size to do the edging).  Finally adhere the paper piecing to the underlying image. The order of this process is important to create a finished look and not create any muddy areas; if you shade after edging the black marker may leach into the shaded areas.

Because there wasn’t a poodle I could add readily to the stamped image that would make sense, I used a white poodle sticker that I had from Sandylion Essentials, colored it up to look like my Biscuit, and added it to the layout as the main part of the the secondary cluster.  The Copic colors I used are: Skin: E50, 51, and 53 with R20 for blush; Vespa and goggle shading: C1 and 3; White shirt shading W1 and 3; Hair: C7, C9 and B32; Boots and Vespa tires: C5, 7, and 9; Brown and white dog fur: E23, E25, W1 and W3 with R20 for blush and tongue; and Poodle fur: E31 and 33.  I put a coating of Glossy Accents on the Vespa and the girl’s goggles and a lot of clear Wink of Stella on the heart puffs of exhaust to add some shine and shimmer.

The stamped image was relatively small for the layout and I wanted it to stand out from the busy background so I created a framed area using the Diemond Dies Labels 2 Nesting Die Set with some black card stock and wood veneer paper.  I love the way the wood veneer contrasts but reflects the faux bois patterned paper with the foiled gold in the background. To carry the golden elements throughout the layout, I also added little drops of gold Liquid Pearl around the black frame and added orange and champagne gold rhinestones in clusters around the layout.  Check out the SALE at Diemond Dies (through November 2014)!!! Currently everything in the store (except the latest release) is 10% off or more. The Labels 1 Nesting Die Set and the Fishtail Banners Nesting Die Set are 20% off. Plus if you use the coupon code: “thankskristina” you get and EXTRA 10% off of the sale prices and free worldwide shipping on orders of $35 or more!

I wanted to add some softness to the layout so I picked out three crocheted doily flowers in cream, which I layered with stickers, rhinestones, and/or tucked behind the main framed image. I also had fun picking out some dimensional stickers from the My Mind’s Eye’s Lost & Found “Record It” collection and the Jillibean Soup’s “Birthday Bisque” collection. Lastly I had some satin ribbon salutation banner doggy stickers by Offray that seemed perfect for this layout.  One says “Pooch Patrol” and the other says “Canine Companion.” How cute is that?

The following is a video share of this layout:

This layout is being entered into The Pink Elephant Anything But a Card Challenge

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