Oh my goodness, you are going to absolutely love this one! Heidi Lewis is back with one of the most creative, texture-packed layouts I have ever seen, and she is walking us through every single detail of how she made it. Heidi created a stunning mixed media scrapbook page featuring a paper pieced geyser, and she pulled from the February 2026 Main Kit, the February 2026 Cardstock Kit, and the February 2026 Color Kit to bring it all to life. The result is a page that is bursting with color, movement, and so many beautiful layers of technique.
Want to create layouts like this? Our monthly kits include coordinated papers, embellishments, and supplies to bring your scrapbook pages to life.
What makes this layout so special is that Heidi combines five different techniques – mixed media, paper piecing, machine stitching, fussy cutting, and hand stitching – all on one page. She even arranged her branding strips from the Cardstock Kit in rainbow order because, as she explains, water in sunlight creates a rainbow. I just love that kind of intentional, thoughtful storytelling. If you have been wanting to level up your layouts and try something a little adventurous, this tutorial is for you. Grab your kits and let’s get crafting!
Step-by-Step Tutorial
Step 1: Print and Prep Your Photos
Print two 3×4 photos onto a sheet of 4×6 photo paper, then trim each one down so it has a clean white border around it. Heidi mentioned she was deciding between a color photo and a black and white photo at this stage, so don’t be afraid to print both versions and see which one speaks to your layout.
Step 2: Create a Mixed Media Background with Lindy’s Gang Powder
Pick up some Lindy’s Gang Magical Powder in the color Summer using a fan brush – Heidi uses a makeup fan brush from Amazon which works perfectly for this. Tap the brush over your page to sprinkle the powder all over, then activate it with a spray water bottle. Use a paper towel roll to blot away any excess water and let the background dry completely before moving on.
Step 3: Arrange and Glue Branding Strips in Rainbow Order
Once your background is dry, bring your branding strips from the Cardstock Kit back onto the page and arrange them into a geyser shape. Heidi arranged hers in rainbow order to mimic the way sunlight hits water. Starting with the center strip, glue each one down with Bearly Art Liquid Glue and machine stitch it in place with white thread before adding the next one or two strips – this approach keeps the overlapping strips from getting in the way of your stitching.
Step 4: Layer Patterned Paper Strips for the Foreground
Cut three strips from your patterned papers to create the dirt and ground in the foreground of the geyser scene. Heidi chose the plaid white paper, the word paper, and the cream artsy paper from her February kit, and the different textures represent the layers of ground in front of the geyser. When gluing them down, start with the bottom strip first so you can align its straight edge with the bottom of your page, and only apply glue to the bottom portion of each strip so the strip above can layer cleanly on top.
Step 5: Machine Stitch the Foreground Paper Strips
Add machine stitching across each of the three foreground paper strips for extra texture and detail. Start with the top strip first – if you begin at the bottom, your photo will block your sewing machine’s access to the upper strips. The stitching ties the foreground into the rest of the layout and adds that satisfying handmade quality that makes mixed media pages so special.
Step 6: Embellish with Title, Flowers, Stickers, and Sequins
Build out your embellishment cluster by combining thickers from the January 2026 Embellishment Kit with an ephemera piece from the February kit for an extra-special title. Tuck a colorful frame behind your photo to bridge the gap between the photo and the title, then fussy cut flowers from the blue floral paper and attach them with foam dots for dimension. Add a puffy backpack sticker, a pink camera sticker, and the floral Converse from your September kit stash to reinforce the travel theme, then sprinkle sequins around the geyser to mimic water droplets spraying through the air.
Step 7: Draw, Cut, and Stitch Handmade Clouds
Sketch some swirly cloud shapes onto a piece of scratch paper and fussy cut them out so you can move them around your layout and test placement before committing. Once you are happy with where they sit, use the paper cutouts as stitching templates directly on your page. Stitch the clouds using all six strands of white embroidery floss in a back stitch – Heidi added five clouds total, and the hand stitching adds a soft, dreamy finish that ties all the textures of the page together beautifully.
Products Used in This Tutorial
About the Designer
Heidi Lewis
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