Ninja Swap

This week on a very special episode of The Pink Ninjas (can't you just hear the "Blossom" music in the background?) the DT all swapped pictures and scrapped for each other.  What an awesome and fun challenge.  It's so cool to see other people's perspectives on subjects you scrap all the time. 

My swap buddy is Lynnette.  How lucky was I? 

Here's the photo she gave me.  It's a magazine ad that her baby brother "Bubba" appears in.  (As she puts it, he's the one with the huge afro poof, LOL.) 

He's been modeling for a surf brand clothing company, B-ware.   So I did a little research about the company and came across this video of one of their shoots and it's so cool to be able to see Bubba in a few of the shots doing backflips.  (And, damn, Lynnette...I just gotta say...your little bro is a cutie-patootie!!!  There I go all dirty-ol'-lady again!!!)  

So anyway, for such a dynamic picture I felt like I needed to make a really dynamic layout.  So I whipped out my Picnik first and went to town on the filters and effects.  My kids thought these two were the coolest.

Also, I've just started taking an online Claudine Hellmuth techniques class and thought it'd be fun to incorporate the first technique we learned into this layout - gesso transfer. 

Basically it's transferring a picture into the gesso (paint base).  So I pilfered a couple of the B-ware logos from pics online and used those.  It's hard to tell in the pictures but it looks really cool IRL.  The logos look like they are painted on the layout, not just laying on top like rub-ons or stamps would look. 

And here's the final result...

It's made on a piece of cardboard.  Lots of paint and mist.  Went a little industrial with some staples, screw-head eyelets, and punched some holes in the cardboard itself. 

I've got a few more pictures of the kids queued up to make canvases using this technique.  I will definitely share them when they're finished. 

And, as I said, this was a swap so I am the lucky recipient of an authentic Lynnette Davis original layout of my kids!!!! 

I can't wait to see this puppy IRL!!!!  Isn't it just dreamy and beautiful?  I love that we both went the picture editing route. 

Be sure to stop by the Ninjas blog to check out all the other swaps.  Seriously, they're fabulous.  Amazing.  As I said, it's so cool to see someone else's perspective.   And we'd love to have you play along with us.  Swap pics with a friend and let us see what you make for each other!!!

The forecast for today is 108, 110 tomorrow, with humidity steadily creeping up by Saturday.  I'm thinking a nice, cool movie theatre or the new aquarium sound like good options today.  I hope everyone is finding ways to stay cool and having a great summer so far!!!

Heidi