Leaf Collage

Since I am totally ready for Christmas and have all my Design Team projects out of the way I decided to play for a change and this leaf collage is the result.

Here is how to put it together:

1.  Coat a small stretched canvas with White Gesso (Liquitex)
2.  Cover with Molasses Acrylic Paint (Folk Art) and allow to dry thoroughly
3.  Cover with a coat of Paint Crackle Medium (Folk Art) and allow this to dry thoroughly
4.  Cover with a coat of Bleached Sand Acrylic Paint (DecoArt) and watch it crack as it dries
5.  Mix a bit of Bleached Sand Acrylic Paint with some Molding Paste (Golden) and use with a small dot stencil (TCW) to add some random stenciling
6.  Spatter the canvas with some Molasses Acrylic Paint and then dry brush some Bleached Sand lightly over it
7.  Strip parts of the top layer off a piece of corrugated card stock and then dry brush with some Bleached Sand
8.  Crumple up a couple of pieces of Kraft Glassine (Tim Holtz - discontinued) and add some stitching with Metallic Copper Embroidery Floss (DMC) to one strip
9.  Cut a couple small pieces of burlap and ink with Vintage Photo Distress Ink
10.  Tear a square of canvas, ink the edges with Vintage Photo DI and coat with fabric stiffener
11.  Tear a piece of old book paper, stamp a leaf (Nature's Wonder by Tim Holtz) using Coffee Archival Ink (Ranger), then cover with Vintage Collage Medium (Tim Holtz)
12.  Add some burlap string to a copper button and adhere to collage

There you have it, a simple collage but fun to make with lots of mixed media.

Saturday Showcase at Frilly and Funkie

I am presenting the Saturday Showcase at Frilly and Funkie this week.  I have made this special card and if you pop over to Frilly and Funkie I will walk you through the process I followed to create it.

Santa Canvas

It is time for the December challenge at Stamps and Stencils.  This will also be the final challenge as Sue has decided to close the challenge blog.  It has been a fabulous journey and I want to thank Sue for the opportunity to serve on her team.  Sue is responsible for kick starting my love of mixed media when she hosted me for a day of creating together on two separate occasions when I was visiting England.  She will tell you that on the first get-together, I didn't even know what distress ink was.  Now I have lots of supplies and my husband is quick to call her an enabler and I am quick to call her a cherished and very talented friend.

Thanks to some weird weather patterns here, I have been struggling with headaches so I made this canvas and completely forgot to take any photos as I went along - headache, brain fog or old age?

Here is how to put it together:

1.  Coat an 8"x8" deep edge stretched canvas with White Gesso (Liquitex).
2.  Paint with Calico Red Acrylic Paint (Folk Art)
3.  Using Jet Black Archival Ink (Ranger), stamp onto torn pieces of tissue paper with a Sheet Music Stamp (Kaisercraft)
4.  Glue tissue paper pieces randomly over canvas front and sides with Mod Podge
5.  Mix Calico Red paint with some Glazing Medium (Liquitex) and repaint the canvas
6.  Add some stenciling with Translucent Embossing Paste (Wendy Vecchi) and a Poinsettia mini stencil (Tim Holtz)
7.  Randomly spray with Tarnished Brass Distress Spray Stain (Tim Holtz) - wipe off any that lands on the clear poinsettias
8.  Randomly sponge on some white acrylic paint (DecoArt) - wipe off any that lands on the clear poinsettias
9. Stamp the Santa head from Retro Christmas (IndigoBlu) using Versamark (Tsukineko) and emboss with Gold embossing powder (recollections and then fussy cut
10.  Die cut a circle (Sizzix) from card stock and paint with Calico Red Acrylic Paint.
11.  Emboss circle with Starry Night embossing folder (Sizzix) and rub with Classic Gold wax paste (Connoisseur Studios)
12.  Distress edges of the circle and outline with a gold pen (Sakura)
13.  Die cut a number of poinsettia petals (Marianne Creatables)
14.  Paint with Champagne Gold Metallic Acrylic Paint (DecoArt)
15.  Shape the petals, layer and add seed beads for the centres using Glossy Accents (Ranger)
16.  Cut "greenery" using Holiday Greens die (Tim Holtz) and rub with some Classic Gold wax paste

To assemble:

1.  Mount the circle with dimensional foam
2.  Add the Santa head to the circle with dimensional foam
3.  Add the poinsettias and "greenery" with Soft Gel Medium (Golden)

You have until 20:00 UK time on January 2nd to share a creation with us so I hope you will.

Recipe Wallet

It is time for the new challenge at Frilly and Funkie and Suzz, who is our hostess for this one is calling it In The Kitchen.  She describes it this way:

This time of the year we find ourselves in the kitchen either preparing food for family and friends or just gathering around with family who is visiting at the kitchen table. Your challenge is to incorporate the kitchen somehow in your project. You can use an object from the kitchen in creating your project or you can use a sentiment or image that reflects the kitchen. You decide how to represent being in your kitchen in your art.

In years past I have made dozens and dozens of cookies at Christmas and most were frozen for eating over the next few months but last year I decided my figure didn't really need that temptation so I didn't bother and this year will be the same.  I still tease my sweet tooth with a dessert once a week but when I want something sweet, I rely on fruit the rest of the time.

Since I usually made cookies from recipes that had been handed down from my Mother, I decided to use this challenge as an opportunity to hand some of these same recipes down to my Granddaughter along with others that had become favourites.  To accomplish this, I created a recipe wallet.

The base for the wallet was made following a tutorial from my teammate Kathy, which can be found HERE.  I then added pockets and tuck spots for recipe cards and a decorated belly band to keep it closed.  I got so intent on making sure I had everything measured correctly and closing properly that I forgot to take process photos but here is how things came together:

The Base
1.  Cut and score a 12" x 12" piece of card stock following Kathy's tutorial.
2.  Round the outer edges with a corner rounder punch.   Note to Santa - I need a better one.
3.  Cut a variety of Christmas papers for each page cutting them so you will have a 1/8" border of card stock showing.  Note: I used mostly Graphic 45 papers from my stash (Winter Wonderland, St. Nicholas and Home Sweet Home) because we have had a postal strike for some time and I have not been able to get new product.  I have linked some alternatives that are in The Funkie Junkie Boutique shop.
4.  Round the corners of the papers and ink the edges with Vintage Photo Distress Ink and then set aside.

5.  Cut pockets from card stock for all the full size pages.  Note:  I cut some where I folded up 1/2" and added side hinges and one was made by folding a piece of card stock in half and adding a thumb notch with a circle punch after the patterned paper was added.
6.  Cut papers to cover the fronts of all the pockets, round the corners and ink with Vintage Photo DI.
7.  Adhere papers to the pocket fronts.

8.  Cut a couple tuck spots from patterned paper, round the corners and ink the edges.
9.  Cut an extra small panel from card stock and patterned paper to use as the closure for the fold ins.

To assemble the wallet base:

1.  Adhere all the papers to the large sections and add the pockets.
2.  Add a thin magnet to the outside of the left fold in and the inside of the extra panel making sure to line the extra panel up since it is still loose at this point.
3.  Add all the patterned papers to the fold in sections and adhere the extra panel to the outside of the right fold in.
4.  Add the tuck spots to the inside of each fold in and add a decorative element to the front of the closure (in this case, an image of a vintage cookbook).

The Belly Band
1.  Cut a strip of card stock 2 1/5" wide and long enough to go around the wallet vertically plus a 2" overlap.  Note: Don't make it really tight because you need to be able to slide it on and off.
2.  Glue the belly band together.
3.  Cut a 3" x 4" piece of card stock and a piece of patterned paper.
4.  Round the corners of the card stock panel and the paper, ink the edges of the paper and add to the panel.
5.  Glue the panel to the centre front of the belly band.
6.  Add a variety of embellishments to the rectangular panel.

• Ephemera from Graphic 45  Note:  The photo has been altered to remove my Granddaughter's name from the little strip with the postage stamp on it.
• Loopy seam binding bow dyed with Antique Linen Distress Ink and tied with burlap string
• Silver tree charm altered with a Peeled Paint Distress Crayon
• Holly leaves cut with Holiday Greens die
• Little die cut Poinsettia
• Gingerbread man button from my stash
• Snowflake that came in a little goodie package from The Funkie Junkie Boutique
• Punched pine branch

I hope my Granddaughter will give these recipes a try from time to time and if she does, I won't object if she gives me a tiny care package.

Graphic 45 - Winter Wonderland - 8x8 Paper Pad 4501605	Graphic 45 - Christmas Magic - 8x8" Pad	Graphic 45 - Christmas Magic - 12x12" Patterns & Solids Pad	Stamperia - Christmas Vintage 12x12 Paper Pack	Stamperia - Pink Christmas 12x12 Paper Pack	Tim Holtz Idea-olog Paper Stash, Christmas
Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pad - Vintage Photo TIM19527	Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pad - Antique Linen TIM19497	Rayon Seam Binding	Burlap String - 12 Colors	Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Crayon - Peeled Paint TDB49623	Sizzix Holiday Greens Die Leaves
Charm Pendant - Set of 5 Silver Tone Christmas Trees	KAISERCRAFT Pearls - Self Adhesive - Blush	Ranger Inkssentials Mini Ink Blending Tool - With 4 Blending Foams IBT40965	Ranger Inkssentials Glossy Accents GAC17042	Scor-Pal Scor-Tape 1/8" x 27 Yards	Scor-Pal Scor-Tape 3/8" x 27 Yards
Scor-Pal Scor-Tape 1/4" x 27 Yards