Okay, full disclosure: this collage started with sepia sadness. I know—I KNOW—sepia can suck the fun outta summer. But don’t panic! That neutral-tone snoozefest was strategic. We were just setting the stage for a BURST of juicy color. Think of it like priming your face before slapping on that show-stopping red lipstick. You NEED the base!
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Now buckle up, buttercup, because we’re going on a wild ride through India ink waves, glittery embossing powder, and paint pen doodle heaven. All on top of FREE summer printables. YES, those innocent little background sheets just got leveled up.
Walkthrough Video Of The Summer Collage
PRODUCTS USED IN THIS VIDEO:
- PH Martin India Ink
- Nuvo Glue
- Free Summer Vintage Printables
- We Are Makers Glass Mat
- Embossing Tray
- Embossing Pad
- Heat Tool
- Squeezers
🎨 Step 1: Let’s Talk About That Background
You might be like, “Tara, why is everything BROWN?!” It’s a vibe. A base layer vibe. I used sepia tones on purpose to push the background into the background. We need contrast to make our summer elements shine. It's mixed media science, babe.
Here is a video about how I made that background using the vintage summer backgrounds freebie!
🌞 Step 2: Add Some Sunshine
I whipped out a circle stencil and a punch of golden yellow India ink to create our sun—bold, bright, and unapologetic. It’s like, “HELLO I’M HERE TO SHINE ON YOUR BEACH PARTY.”
✨ Hot tip: India ink is permanent, which is a must when you’re working with Mod Podge or glazing medium. Anything water-reactive will ghost out like it’s got commitment issues!
🌊 Step 3: Water You Waiting For? Bring on the Ocean
A splash of turquoise India ink brought back that seafoam sass. I traced over the beach line, and just like that—crashing surf realness! Blot it, smudge it, swirl it—it doesn’t need to be perfect, just playful.
☂️ Step 4: Umbrella, but Make It Fab
The umbrella is basically the Beyoncé of this collage. I cut it out of patterned paper from the same printable set (matchy-matchy in the best way) and jazzed it up with striped India ink details and some orange sparkle embossing powder. Because you know I can’t resist a little glitter.
🪐 Step 5: Paper Punch Planets? Yes, Please.
Did I go a little overboard on the circle punches? Maybe. Did I regret it? NEVER.
I punched up some “planet” shapes from leftover collage paper and painted them with India ink in bright, bold combos—orange and pink, red and blue, even a little rogue green (because science, obviously). Then, I made them extra with embossing and weird stamps that make them feel cosmic and mysterious.
✍️ Step 6: Doodle It Out
The final touch? My trusty Posca pens and Pitt pens. They’re like that one friend who always shows up with snacks and emotional support. I added outlines, patterns, tiny stars, and even flirted with the idea of a UFO (because why NOT?!).
✨ Final Vibes:
I am obsessed with how this turned out. The glitzy sea foam. The layered prints peeking through. That bossy little umbrella. And yes, my weird embossing powder mix that turned into beach bling!
The best part? You can still see the original summer printable peeking through it all—like the ghost of summer parties past. I love that it’s messy, layered, and a little unexpected. Just like life.
