I Can See Clearly

It is time for another new challenge at Sugar Creek Hollow and this time it is called I CAN SEE CLEARLY.  We want you to put a clear element on your vintage or shabby chic card or other crafty project.  By clear we mean items made from acetate or clear packaging such as the window for a shaker, a clear butterfly or even stamping on a clear panel.  Now we understand that photographing clear is difficult so you must describe your clear element in your blog post.

I have made a shaker card so my clear element is acetate to create the window and then I have used some clear sequins along with some pale turquoise bugle beads inside the shaker.

I started with some white card stock from Recollections for my 6" square card.  I added some digital background paper from Summertime Designs but it was too bright so I lightly dry washed it with some Liquitex Gesso before I distressed it with my scissors and glued it down.  I added a strip of lace from my stash.

To make the shaker, I started with an image from Homestead Vintage and then I cut two frames from white card stock.  The smaller one was inked with some Evergreen Bough Distress Ink from Ranger.  Once the shaker was in place using lots of strips of double sided adhesive foam I randomly inked some scrap card stock with more of the DI and then used a couple of Martha Stewart punches to make the snowflakes.  Pearl stickers from Recollections were added to the centre of each.

The sentiment was created on the computer, cut into a banner shape, the edges inked with the DI and a couple of pearls added to finish it off.

Finally I used a Marianne Creatables die to make the poinsettia from a scrap of green card stock, a scrap of yellow and some leftover shimmery white card stock (too bad the camera doesn't pick up the shimmer.  The green layer was inked with some of the DI.

I am going to enter this card in the following challenges:

Polkadoodles  - Christmas Fun
Christmas at Sweet Stampin' - Snowflakes
Crafting by Designs - Get Ready for Christmas
Divas by Design  - Festive Florals/Christmas Flowers
Crafty Little Fairies - Only One DP
Inky Chicks - Christmas
Crafty Bloggers Network - Christmas

Thanksgiving Wall Hanging

The new challenge at Frilly and Funkie starts today and Rebecca is our hostess and she is calling it A Grateful Welcome! Whether you celebrate the American holiday of Thanksgiving or your gratitude for the family, friends and sustenance in your life, create an invitation, table decor, decoration for a door or home decor item with gratitude or Thanksgiving theme in mind!

Thanksgiving is a celebration that really only takes place in Canada and the US.  Here in Canada we celebrate the second Monday in October so it was over when I created this piece but I will pack it away to hang up next year.

My inspiration was the vintage turkey that I found online.  I started with a 6" x 8" piece of mat board and after my husband drilled the holes for me, I gave it a coat of Gesso.  Next I used some texture paste through the Wendy Vecchi Checkmate Stencil on opposite corners.  The next step was to sponge on some Wild Honey Distress Ink and then a bit of Dandelion Archival Ink.

Next I used my Cuttlebug to cut the large leaves using the Tim Holtz Tattered Leaves die and some scraps of Pion paper from the Grandma's Schoolbook pack as well as scraps of Color Core card stock and set them aside.  I used one of the oak leaves as a mask and inked over it in random spots with some Orange Blossom Archival Ink.  The last step for the background was to use Coffee Archival Ink through a TCW Chicken Wire stencil.

The tattered leaves got some inking on the edge with Rusty Hinge and Forest Moss Distress Ink and then I used some Coffee Archival Ink and Wendy's Vintage Wallpaper stamp to give them more interest.  I ran the red leaves through the Tim Holtz Bubbles Texture Fade and then inked the edges with some Aged Magohany DI.  Before I added the leaves to the background I cut some gold mesh ribbon in half and added a couple of sections.  Next came the turkey that I also fussy cut.

The butterflies were stamped from a Stampabilities set I picked up on clearance and then I inked them with some Orange Blossom and Red Geranium Archival ink and fussy cut them.  I added some wire for the antenna and some pearls from the dollar store for bodies.

The corn stalks are made from rafia that I found during my craft room re-organization a couple weeks ago.  I glued a couple layers together, tied it in the middle with another piece of rafia and then fringed the top and added some Antique Linen and Walnut Stain DI.

The pumpkin was hand cut and then parts were cut again and the edges were inked with some Walnut Stain DI before they were added to give the pumpkin a bit of dimension.  I made the apple basket from some scraps of kraft card stock and inked all the slats with Walnut Stain DI.  The apples are card candy and I indented one edge, added a teeny stem and then inked the apples with Aged Mahogany DI and the stems with Forest Moss DI.

The text was cut on my Cameo from Grunge Paper and inked with Forest Moss DI.  Finally I made the hanger by stringing some beads on head pins and eye pins and added them to some chain with jump rings.

I am going to enter this in the following challenges:

Cards and More - Leaves
Cuttlebug Mania - Use Leaves
Love to Create - Anything Goes/Fall Colors
Stamp and Create - Fall/Autumn
Crazy Challenge - Autumn Gatherings

The following products used in the creation of this wall hanging came from the most wonderful online store, The Funkie Junkie Boutique:

Colouring Outside The Lines

A dear friend of mine, Sue Carrington, is involved in a wonderful new challenge blog called Artist Trading Post Exchange.  This is a mixed media challenge and it launched at the beginning of October so I thought I would play in their first challenge - Anything Goes.

I decided to make another page for my art journal and focus on the warm changing colours surrounding me.  I also decided to give it a pile of texture and that was fun.

I started by gluing two blank pages together to give it more strength but it still buckled a bit with all the texture which started with gluing some drywall tape, crumpled tissue paper, netting and gauze in random spots along with a strip of lace.  The next step was to add Golden Light Molding Paste in random spots through a Heidi Swap stencil and through the netting.

After the paste was dry I start wiping Smoked Paprika, Blood Orange, Pumpkin Soup and Hey Pesto Fresco Finish paints on touching up some of the missed spots with a paintbrush.

Next I pulled out some Prima and Recollections flowers, changed the colour of a few with paint and gave them a light spray with Tattered Angels Pearl Glimmer Mist before I added buttons for centres.  Some of the leaves were stamped with Coffee Archival Ink from Ranger using the Shabby Chic Autumn Leaves set from Just Right and then inked with Scattered Straw, Old Paper, Crushed Olive, Aged Mahogany, Spiced Marmalade and Ripe Persimmon Distress Ink from Ranger before they were fussy cut.

The rest of the leaves were cut from scrap card stock and embossed with a lace embossing folder and then inked with some Vintage Photo Distress Ink.  The butterfly is a wood piece that I picked up at the dollar store and it was already coloured so I just inked the edges with some Vintage Photo DI.

The letters for the word "fall" are chipboard and I painted them with some Haystack Fresco Finish paint and then stamped some script with Coffee Archival Ink using a stamp from Recollections.  I gave them a coat of Mod Podge to seal everything.

Finally I made the rest of the text on the computer, inked the edges with Vintage Photo DI and then added them along with a few beads for some bling.

I am going to enter this project in the following challenges:

Artist Trading Post Exchange - Anything Goes (mixed media)
All Crafts Challenge - Anything but a Card
Artistic Inspirations  - Anything Goes/Make Your Own Background
Cheerful Stamp Pad - Fall Leaves
Timbro Scrap Mania Stamping Challenge - Fall is in the Air
Stamping Sensations  - Autumn
So Artful Challenges - Leaves
Crafty Catz  - Autumn

One, Two, Three - Go

The new challenge at Sugar Creek Hollow starts today and the theme is called ONE, TWO, THREE.  We want you to make cards with one focal image, two patterned papers and three types of embellishments (e.g. a strip of lace, a few pearls and some ribbon).  You can add multiples of any of the three types you choose but we don't want you to add a 4th type of embellishment.

Provided we have at least nine entries in the challenge we will choose one random winner who will receive a little piece of word art along with a winner's badge to display. The Design Team will choose their Top Pick and that creator will receive a winner's badge and also be in the running for a monthly Guest Designer spot.

I made this card while I was in Virginia visiting with my friend Patti and decided it would be great for my husband's birthday.

I started with some Recollections green card stock for my blank and added two papers from First Edition.  Next I stamped the vintage truck from Stampin Up with Jet Black Archival Ink from Ranger and coloured it with Spectrum Noirs.  The leaves were cut from scraps of card stock on Patti's Cameo and I then I stamped them with a Gina K. script stamp.  Everything was inked with some Vintage Photo Distress Ink from Ranger.  Finally I added a button and some hemp from Patti's stash.

While I designed this card and put it together, Patti supplied everything that went into it so you might say that she made it too :)  So there you go, one truck image, two papers and three types of embellishments - leaves, button and hemp.

I am going to enter this into the following challenges:

Add A Little Dazzle - Fall is Here or Anything Goes
Ruby's Rainbow - Autumn Leaves
Crafting Musketeers - Autumn Colours
Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge - Anything Goes with Patterned Paper
Craft-room Challenge - Seasonal Colours (Fall)
Docerela Creations  - Fall Colours

Autumn Colours

The new challenge at Frilly and Funkie starts today and Sue is our hostess and wants us to make shabby chic or vintage projects that showcase Autumn Colours - your project does not have to be about Autumn, it just needs to be in the colours associated with Autumn.

Where I live the trees are all turning and now that it has cooled off (long pants weather) you can bet those vibrant colours won't last too long.

I started my card with some Recollections kraft card stock for the base, added a layer of olive green card stock that I found in my scraps and topped that with a layer of Tim Holtz Color Core card stock.

Next I took a scrap of white card stock and inked it up with Ripe Persimmon, Rusty Hinge, Wild Honey and Crushed Olive Distress Ink.  I did a little water flicking before I added some dots with Wendy Vecchi Dandelion Archival Ink and her Polka Dotty stencil.  Then I proceeded to pretty well cover it all up - WUWT!  Oh, and all the layers were distressed with my scissors and then had the edges inked with Vintage Photo DI.

I recently had the joy of spending a day with Pamellia Johnson and learning how she creates her fantastic shabby projects.  She taught me a cool crackle paint technique so I made the heart using her technique.  It started with a scrap of cream card stock, followed by a layer of cheap white glue from the dollar store and then while it was still wet, a layer of Barnyard Red acrylic paint from Plaid.  The heart was then hand cut once everything was dry.  I need to keep practicing because I was really aiming for more cracks horizontally and I seem to be very good at getting vertical cracks.

Next I dyed a piece of Venise Lace and some lacy netting with some Wild Honey DI.  I also cut two butterflies from vellum using a Martha Stewart punch and inked them from the back with some of the Ripe Persimmon DI.  Once I put them together I added some dollar store pearls for the body.

Using the Wendy Vecchi Daisy Art set and Coffee Archival Ink by Ranger, I stamped the flowers and leaves four times, once on Tim Holtz Kraft Glassine and three times on a linen card stock that I discovered leftover from my daughter's wedding 13 years ago (I guess I should have done a craft room reorganization long ago - lol).  I coloured the glassine leaves using Crushed Olive DI and cut them away from the flower.  Then I fussy cut the other three flowers  One was coloured with Wendy Vecchi Orange Blossom Archival Ink and one with her Dandelion Archival Ink.  Both were sprayed with Perfect Pearl spray and then microbeads from Recollections were added for centres.  The third flower was coloured with Wendy's Red Geranium Archival Ink, stamped with a Recollections script stamp and then coated with Tim Holtz Clear Rock Candy Crackle Paint.  It didn't crack as I hoped but I like the shine.  I re-coloured a wooden button with a Copic marker, used some burlap string to fill the holes and added it to the centre of the red flower.

The sentiment was stamped from the Wendy Vecchi The Beauty of Art set using Coffee Archival Ink on some of the linen card stock and inked with some Wild Honey and Rusty Hinge DI.  The bow is seam binding dyed with Wild Honey, Crushed Olive and Aged Mahogany DI.  Finally I added a sun charm from Arton Bead Supply that I re-coloured with some Ginger and Caramel Adirondack Alcohol Ink.

I am going to enter this card in the following challenges:

Craft-Room Challenge - Seasonal Colours
Shopping Our Stash - It's The Most Colorful Time Of The Year
Robyn's Fetish - Autumn Colors
Paper Creators Crafts - Use A Charm
Aloha Friday Challenges - Fall Colors

The following items used in the creation of this card can be found at The Funkie Junkie Boutique:

Body Beautiful ??

It is time for the next monthly challenge at The Mirror Crack'd and this time the theme is called The Body Beautiful so we want to see your mixed media project featuring the human form. A hand, an eye or a mannequin to represent a body are just some suggestions you could use, but we would love to see how your imagination works and what you can create. Just remember - no cards.

I decided to make doorknob hangers for Halloween for my Grandchildren (a girl aged 8 and a boy aged 5 1/2) so my body references are not beautiful unless you are a Pathologist or an Undertaker but the skulls suit the theme I chose.

Each hanger started as a double layer of thin chipboard that I cut with my Cameo and glued together.  Next I painted the backs with black acrylic craft paint and the front with Gesso.  Then I crumpled up some tissue paper and glued it to the front of each hanger.  Next I spritzed each one with some purple and green spray inks and hit them with some canned air while they were wet.  Once everything dried I covered them with Black Soot Distress Ink.  They seemed a bit dark so I took a baby wipe and removed some of the Black Soot.  You will notice that my Grandson's hanger is more green and that is because it is his favourite colour.

Besides the vintage skull images each hanger needed some fun embellishments so I got to work.

For the one on the left I made a computer generated date and then I printed some vintage poison labels, coloured them with Spiced Marmalade  DI and then joined them together with a brad from Making Memories.

The mummy head is a glass block covered with strips of gauze bandage that I dyed with some Antique Linen Distress Ink.  His little eyes were created from some acrylic packaging that I coloured with Alcohol Ink, punched with a small circle punch and then added a black pearl sticker for eyeballs.  The 3D pumpkin is made from punched circles that were embossed with a Tim Holtz Texture Fade and then the highlights were inked with some Black Soot DI.  The stem and leaves were hand cut and inked with Forest Moss DI and the tendril is a piece of wire.

Finally the word BOO is made from some wooden letters that I painted with acrylic craft paint and then highlighted with some Rose Quartz Treasure Gold wax paste.  A little hand cut bat tops off the letters.

For the hanger on the right I used larger wooden letters to make the word BOO, painted it the same way as the other but before I added the wax paste, I stamped each letter with a script stamp.  Then I added a couple of brads and another little bat.

I made a little book of spells from some card stock that I embossed with the Texture Fade from Tim Holtz, highlighted with some Black Soot DI and then coated with a layer of Mod Podge.  The book pages are taken from an old book and the book is tied together with some burlap string.

A girl has to have flowers so I added two with buttons from my stash for centres and another with a little rose that I coloured with a Promarker.  Finally I made some bead charms and hung them from chain.

If you are wondering why the little bats don't have eyes - it is because they are "blind as a bat" - lol (cheesy, I know).

Here are the supplies I used to create this project:

Papers: Chipboard (Silhouette), Tissue Paper (Dollarama), Card Stock (Recollections)
Images: Skulls (The Graphics Fairy, The Cottage Market), Poison Labels (Palace Puppy), Bat (Plumrose Lane)
Inks & Paints: Black Soot, Antique Linen, Forest Moss, Spiced Marmalade Distress Ink (Ranger), Crushed Grape, Dirty Martini Dylusions Spray Ink (Ranger), Caramel, Ginger Adirondack Alcohol Ink (Ranger), Rose Quartz Wax Paste (Treasure Gold), Avocado, Black Acrylic Paint (Americana)
Embellishments: Wooden Letters (Dollarama), Flowers (Prima and Wild Orchid Crafts),  Beads and Beading Supplies (Arton Bead Supply, Michaels, Dollarama, Wal Mart), Patchwork Texture Fade (Tim Holtz), Buttons (My Stash), Pearl Stickers (Recollections), Burlap String (The Funkie Junkie Boutique), Brads (Making Memories), Wire (Artistic Wire), Glass Block (Michaels)
Miscellaneous: Gesso (Liquitex), Matte Medium (Ranger), Mod Podge 

I am going to enter this project in the following challenges:

Fab 'n Funky - Halloween
Corrosive Challenges - Halloween Colors
Creative Corner - Anything But A Card
Pattie's Creations - Embossing (must use an image - skulls)
Simply Create Too - It's A Special Occasion