Tips For Using M3 Kits
Each month a new Mixed Media Monthly kit is released with cohesive colors and a theme. This is what catches my eye initially, then I open the folders and see what’s inside. Here is the November M3 main kit (there are always some add-on products too). Let me share some of the ways I use the M3 kits.
So what catches my eye initially is the heart, star, scrabble tile with star and the flower. Next I spotted the word art strip with “entertainer” on it. The circus theme is fun, has uses other than a circus theme but right off the bat, I am thinking about that word “entertainer”. It reminds me of my little labradoodle, Taz. He is definitely an entertainer. Tip #1 is to take a glance at the kit in its entirety but then isolate the products, looking for 1-2 products that you might want to use.
I then look at word art, thinking of how I might use it. Then I isolate the word art, looking at how I might use just part of a phrase. This allows for greater versatility, as by adding or taking away from word art can change the meaning, the intent of the word art. Tip #2 is to look at the word art in its entirety but then isolate the words, looking at how you can select parts to use, discarding the rest.
Next I look at the papers. I’ve never been disappointed by the array of patterns and colors available in each kit. They are amazing as is and then you can personalize them to fit any page design by recoloring, changing the blend mode and/or blending papers together (as I did in my sample page). My fave way to recolor is with a hue/sat adjustment layer. When changing the blend mode, you can leave it at 100% opacity (default) but you can reduce the opacity as desired. If you duplicate the layer you can change the blend mode on each layer (and also reduce the opacity if desired) to create some very unique looks. Tip #3 is to look at the papers and see how you might manipulate them to fit into your page design by recoloring and/or change blend mode.
Whether you are creating minimalist, art journal, pocket pages or any other style of scrapbook pages, mixed media products can be a wonderful addition to your stash and are sure to be used over and over again.
