Serendipity Technique - How Random!

Good morning! 

And restful Labor Day wishes to those in the U.S. and Canada!

"Serendipity ~ the occurrence and development of events 

by chance in a happy or beneficial way."

Today I want to share a technique with you called "Serendipity" that I learned from my friend Sabrina - basically called that because of the random nature of the technique. It's a little stamping, a little mixed media, and a ton of fun. While it may be time consuming, I really did enjoy making the squares, and the entire process, and felt so artsy! :)

I am using Dandelion Wishes from Picket Fence Studios and a few other supplies you should have on hand. Ready? Ok, here we go!

1: Choose some heavy paper/light cardstock for your base. It won’t really show, so the color doesn’t matter too much. Also pick out some scraps of patterned paper – they should coordinate with each other for the best end result. I worked with a half sheet of kraft.

The following photos are steps 2-4.

2: Tear your patterned papers into small pieces about the size of the top joint of a finger. I also used a monoprint I had made when I was learning (and I didn't like at all), and it really blended in nicely and gave my art a great texture! It may look like a total mess – don’t worry!!
3: This is the slow part – stick them all onto your base layer, overlapping them. A glue stick works well – if you have a large Xyron you could use that. I used the green Mono glue.
4: Start stamping and embossing randomly on it. I used one of the dandelions and embossed it three times, then stamped with Distress Oxide ink a couple of more times. If you emboss, make sure the ink on regular stamped parts is dry before you add the EP. I also used an embossing buddy and ran it over the entire project to catch any sticky glue before I embossed. If you end up with a bit of EP where you don't want it, that's no big deal, it's all part of the serendipity! 

Let your imagination run free here – you’re not limited to stamping or stenciling. It still looks a total mess – still don’t worry!!
5: Now – cut it into small pieces and all of a sudden your mess doesn’t look like a mess any more, each little piece is a work of art. They don’t have to be square – they can be any shape you like!

6: And finally -- you can design and put your little works of art into a bigger work of art, like this card! I stamped my image and sentiment with VersaFine Onyx Black (my favorite), and then adhered all of the layers. Lots of fun texture, shimmer, and art!