Saturday Showcase at Frilly and Funkie

Here is a sneak peek at something I am sharing at Frilly and Funkie today.  I hope you will go on over there and check the post out to see what I have done.

2018 - The Year Of - - - - Delight

It is time for the next challenge at Frilly and Funkie called 2018 - The Year Of.  This time, the talented Suzz is our hostess and here is how she describes it:

Welcome to a brand new year! I am not very good at New Year Resolutions but I do like to think about what I want to focus on in the New Year. To help me do this, I pick a word that is my word for the year and try to use that word to keep me focused on what is important. The challenge to you is to pick a word that will be your inspiration for 2018. Create a vintage or shabby chic project that includes your word of 2018. The word can be part of a sentiment, phrase or stand alone on your project as long as it is featured somewhere in your art.

After a lot of consideration I have chosen the word "delight". There is so much negativity in the world today and I can blame myself for some of it because I am my own worst critic so I decided that it is time to find delight in myself and what I do every day and to take delight in the positive actions, words and accomplishments of others. I can't say that I will be delighted with cleaning but when I am finished I can take delight in the fact that I have a lovely clean house - at least until the dust bunnies breed again. 😉

I have created a simple shabby chic card with some layers.  The card started with some Recollections card stock for the blank and then I used papers from the Coffee in the Arbour pad (Maja Designs).

I added some texture paste (Ranger) through a Flourish stencil (Tim Holtz) to the background panel and distressed the edges before I adhered it to my blank.

Then I tore a couple more narrow panels on the diagonal and added some lace to the top of each before I distressed the edges of them.  Using double-sided tape (Scor), I ruffled some tulle across the top back of each panel and then added them to the background panel.

I cut some leaves from scraps of white card using the Garden Greens die (Tim Holtz).

I found the quote online and created some word art with it using Photoshop.  Once it was printed on the computer, I die cut it using the Fleur de Lis Squares die (Spellbinders) and then inked the edges with Hickory Smoke Distress Ink (Tim Holtz).

I added a simple bow from white sheer ribbon and then created a floral spray with the leaves and a bunch of flowers (Wild Orchid Crafts).

Next, I punched a butterfly from a scrap of white card using a Martha Stewart punch.  It was coated with Perfect Pearl Perfect Pearls (Ranger.  Some adhesive pearls (Kaisercraft) were added to the body.  Finally I scattered a few teeny pink gems (Dollarama) around the card.

This card was not difficult to make and I must say I find it quite delightful.

Inspiration Post at Stamps and Stencils

Today I am presenting the inspiration post at Stamps and Stencils.  Here is a little tease for you but if you want to find out what I made and how I did it, click HERE.

Bright Mosaic

It is time for the first challenge of 2018 at Stamps and Stencils.  Ruth is hosting this one and calls it On The Bright Side.  Here is how she describes the challenge:

It may still be winter but it's a brand New Year, the days will be soon getting longer, and pops of bright colours will soon start to appear in the garden. This month I'd like you to dazzle us by useing lots of bright colours in your Spring themed creations ...and don't forget to use stamps or stencils.

This time I thought I would make a funky mosaic canvas with lots of colour.  There are lots of photos so put your feet up and be comfortable while you wade through them. 😃

I started by cutting all sorts of squares and rectangles of various sizes from mat board and played with the layout until I was happy.  I took a photo of it and then printed it and marked the sizes on the photo because I knew once I picked the pieces up I would never remember how it worked - an extra step but worth it in the end.

All the pieces were coated with White Gesso (Liquitex) and then I started to add colour in pairs.  I added texture to four panels using Molding Paste (Golden) and a variety of stencils.

Here is one panel with texture using a stencil called Mini Kaleidoscope (TCW) and then it and a plain panel were painted with a mixture of Spa Blue Acrylic Paint (DecoArt) and Aqua Acrylic Paint (Craftsmart).

For this pair I did texture on one panel with a Mini Chickenwire Reversed stencil (TCW) and then painted them both with Lime Marmalade Acrylic Paint (IndigoBlu).

The texture on this yellow panel was done through a stencil called Tasty Textures (IndigoBlu) and then both pnels were painted with Lemon Meringue Acrylic Paint (IndigoBlu).

The final panel with texture was done with the same IndigoBlu stencil and then the pair were painted with Candy Floss Fresco Finish (Paper Artsy).

The remaining pairs without texture were painted with Postbox Red and Burning Bonfire Acrylic Paint (IndigoBlu) and Wild Orchid Acrylic Paint (DecoArt).

Now it was time to add some spring elements as called for in Ruth's description.

I added some stenciling through a Mini Flower Frenzy stencil (TCW) to two panels.  I used Fern Green Archival Ink (Wendy Vecchi) on the large blue panel and Dandelion Archival Ink (Wendy Vecchi) on the small green panel.

Vines were stenciled on the plain yellow panel using the Leaf Flourish Small stencil (Dylusions) and Fern Green Archival Ink.

I used Jet Black Archival Ink (Ranger) to stamp a tiny bee from a set called Random Thoughts (Tim Holtz) on one of the little red squares.  Then I added some Cornflower Blue Archival Ink (Wendy Vecchi) through a splatter stencil I made myself.

I did the other little red square in the same manner but stamped a little flying bird from the Printery set (Prima) this time.

I used Fern Green Archival Ink to stamp a leaf from the Leaf Prints set (Tim Holtz) and then fussy cut it.  I decided later that I would alter it a bit and inked it with Old Paper Distress Ink (Tim Holtz) and took a little Black Soot Distress Ink (Tim Holtz) to the edges.

The panel the leaf was going to sit on was stamped with Deep Purple Archival Ink (Ranger) and a stamp from the Faded Fragments set (Seth Apter).

I didn't like the only dragonfly stamp that I have so I found some clipart online, printed it and coloured it with blue and purple Gelly Roll Metallic pens (Sakura).  I inked the edges with Black Soot Distress Ink.

The pink panel the this dragonfly sits on was stamped with Jet Black Archival Ink and another stamp from Seth Apter's Faded Fragments set.

Both orange panels were stamped with grasses from the Victorian Garden set (IndigoBlu) using Fern Green Archival Ink (Wendy Vecchi) and Olive Archival Ink (Ranger).

I stamped the butterfly from a Hampton Arts set using Magenta Hue Archival Ink (Ranger) and Red Geranium Archival Ink (Wendy Vecchi).  I decided it was going to be too pink on top of the red panel so I inked it with some Candied Apple Distress Ink (Tim Holtz) and then inked the edges with Black Soot Distress Ink.  Some adhesive black pearls (Kaisercraft) were added to the body.

The large red square was stamped using Jet Black Archival Ink and a Script Stamp (Recollections).

Using Jet Black Archival Ink I stamped the little bird from the Vintage Outdoors stamp (Stampabilities) and then did a bit of stenciling with Dandelion Archival Ink and my splatter stencil.

The next step was to ink the edges of each panel with Jet Black Archival Ink and then coat each piece with some Mod Podge.

To assemble the mosaic I first added some crumpled up tissue to my canvas (Michaels) using some watered down Mod Podge Matte and then gave it a coat of White Gesso.  I laid all my pieces on some heave black card stock (Recollections) and drew around the outside and then I cut inside my pencil line to make it a bit smaller.  I used some Soft Gel Medium (Golden) to glue my mosaic to the black card and then used double sided tape with some gel medium to glue it to my canvas.

Finally I added my 3D elements and then a couple of text stickers from the Big Chat set (Tim Holtz).

As you can see there is lots of stamping and stenciling but none of it was difficult and given the fact that we are having a brutal winter with lots of cold and snow so far, the bright colours in this make me very happy.  I hope you will get your bright colours out and create something for the challenge too.

Three Butterflies

It is hard to believe that we are already into 2018 - at my age I don't want time to fly as fast as it is.

Today is the start of the first challenge of the year at Frilly and Funkie and I am the hostess this time.  I am calling it Three Is Not A Crowd and here is what I have to say about it:

Create a vintage or shabby chic project that includes three of something. Examples of three of something could be three different patterned papers, three colours, three layers, three flowers, three bows - the list goes on. This would be a perfect time to use some of the new supplies you received for Christmas or to make space in your stash by using up old supplies. Just remember to think in multiples of three.

I decided to make a canvas with three butterflies and here is how I did it.

I started by adding some crackled texture paste (Wendy Vecchi) to three different card stock butterflies that were hand cut.  I used the Harlequin and Bubbles stencils (Tim Holtz and the Checkmate stencil (Wendy Vecchi).

When the paste was dry I coated them with some Buttermilk Acrylic Paint (DecoArt).  Sorry about the photo - I guess I was pointing the wrong way because some of it is out of focus.  Did I ever tell you I hate photography - grrrrr?

I coloured the butterflies with Cracked Pistachio and Broken China Distress Oxide (Tim Holtz) and spritzed them with some water.  When they were dry I decided they needed a bit more vivid ink on the edges so I added the same colours in Distress Ink.  Then I used my fingers to rub on some Classic Treasure Gold wax paste (Connoisseur Studio) that I have had for ages but you could use the Vintage Gold Metallique Wax (Prima by Finnabair) so I will link it in Linda's shop.

Next I took a piece of white corrugated cardboard that came from Linda's shop and painted it with Mocha Mousse Fresco Finish (Paper Artsy), English Mustard Acrylic Paint (Folk Art) and Toffee Acrylic Paint (DecoArt).

I added some texture to a canvas with Texture Paste (Ranger) and the Crossed stencil (Tim Holtz) and Dots and Stripes Borders (Wendy Vecchi).

Once the texture was dry I gave the canvas a coat of white Gesso (Dina Wakley) and then painted it with the same colours that I used for the cardboard and then spritzed on some Gathered Twigs Distress Spray Stain (Tim Holtz) and some White Linen Dylusions Spray (Dyan Reaveley).

I tore a page from an old book and added some Vintage Collage Medium to it.  After I took this photo I realized that it was a little yellow for my liking so I randomly inked it all over and along the edges with Gathered Twigs Distress Ink (Tim Holtz) and gave it a spritz of White Linen Dylusions Spray Ink.

The canvas needed a little pick-me-up so I spritzed on some Tarnished Brass Distress Spray Stain (Tim Holtz) and sponged on some Silver Moss Pearlescent Acrylic Ink (Daler Rowney).  The shimmer of the ink really jumps out in the photo of the finished piece - love it.

To assemble the collage I mounted a piece of muslin that I frayed on the canvas first.  Then I added the book paper panel on the cardboard and adhered it to the muslin.  The butterflies were added next and topped with some little key charms as bodies.  The keys were altered with Gold Mixative Alcohol Ink (Tim Holtz) and then a rubbing of Classic Treasure Gold wax paste.

This was a fun way to spend my Christmas break and I am looking forward to even more fun creating along side my lovely and very talented team mates.  I hope you will join us for this challenge and you have until 11:55 pm EST on January 16th to do that.

12 Tags of Christmas - #12

Here is my project for the final week of 12 Tags of Christmas sponsored by The Funkie Junkie Boutique.

Linda created this fun tag full of vintage bits and pieces so I decided to make a card with a real vintage vibe.

My card is very, very simple though because I discovered that each of the very shabby cards I made earlier in this challenge cost me $1.80 each to mail.  This card is the first card for Christmas 2018 and I am determined to make all of them for next year so they can be sent with regular postage.

I started with some rusty red card stock (Recollections) for the blank and then added a panel of patterned paper that looks like vintage newspaper ads (Farm House Paper Company) that I immediately covered with more patterned paper (Graphic 45).

Next came a strip of burlap.  I added a snowflake cut from the Paper Snowflakes die (Tim Holtz) and then topped that with a Found Relatives - Occasions card (Tim Holtz)  I added some Christmas ephemera (Tim Holtz) and a Metallic Holiday Talk sticker (Tim Holtz).  Finally I added a loopy burlap string bow.

I definitely had fun participating in Linda's challenge for the first time and I will do it again if she has it but look for more simplicity and not so much dimension from me - unless I win a lottery, of course.

12 Tags of Christmas - #11

I am back with my project for week 11 of the 12 Tags of Christmas sponsored by The Funkie Junkie Boutique.

Here is Linda's tag and this time I took my inspiration from the mitten and made a gift card holder that is masquerading as a tree ornament.

I found a template online, printed it on card stock and then cut it out.  I used this as my pattern, laid it on the back side of my patterned paper (Graphic 45) and traced around it before I fussy cut it.  I repeated this making sure to flip the pattern before I traced it.

Next I turned one half of the mitten to the back side and marked where the gift card was going to sit.  This time I decided to let it peek above the top since the gift card came in a nice green wrapper but you can hide it below the top by just marking where you want it to stop lower inside the mitten.

I added double sided tape (Scor Tape) to a small strip of fun foam (Michaels) and added it to bottom of the outline I made.

Next I glued both halves of the mitten together using a fine bead of glue (Art Glitter Designer Dried Clear Adhesive) around the edge but leaving about 1/2" open on each side at the top (you can see where I erased the lines to remind me).  Once the glue was dry, I trimmed away any bits that did not match up perfectly.

To finish the mitten I added cuffs cut from quilt batting and a length of burlap string for a hanger on one side.  I decorated the opposite side with a label from the paper pad (Graphic 45), some greenery cut with a punch (Martha Stewart), paper roses (Wild Orchid Crafts), sparkly berries (Michaels) and a loopy bow from burlap string.

12 Tags of Christmas - #10

Here is my offering for week 10 of the 12 Tags of Christmas sponsored by The Funkie Junkie Boutique.

Here is Linda's tag but I am making cards this year and this time I chose the wreath as my inspiration.  Following are the steps to create this card:

1.  Ink the top half of piece of white card stock with any combination of blue inks.  I used Salty Ocean, Faded Jeans and Broken China Distress Oxide (Tim Holtz) and then followed up with Weathered Wood and Hickory Smoke Distress Ink (Tim Holtz) and set aside.  The Hickory Smoke was a decision when I started to put the card together so it is not in the photo.

2.  Paint a piece of card stock with Coffee Bean Acrylic Paint (Folk Art) or any other dark brown paint making sure to cover it.  When dry paint with White Acrylic Paint (DecoArt) but don't completely cover the brown.  Make sure your brush strokes are all done vertically on the card stock.
3.  When the paint is dry turn the card paint side down on a scoring tool (I used Martha Stewart Scoreboard) and score every half inch.

4.  Turn the paint side back to the top and run ink pads vertically down the card stock holding the pad at an angle.  I used Walnut Stain Distress Ink (Tim Holtz), Coff Archival Ink (Ranger) and Watering Can Archival Ink (Wendy Vecchi).
5.  Cut a semi circle on the top of the faux wood panel.

6.  Cut greenery from the Holiday Greens die (Tim Holtz) using a variety of the dies and different colours of green card stock.  Snip the greens apart and glue into a ring to create a wreath.
7.  Add clusters of adhesive pearls (The Paper Source) and a loopy bow of red satin ribbon (Fabricland).

To assemble the card:

1.  Glue the sky panel to the card blank.
2.  Add the wooden gate on top of the sky panel lining the bottom with the bottom of the sky panel.
3.  Adhere the wreath to the gate.
4.  Add a wavy piece of white card to the bottom of the gate.
5.  Punch a number of tiny snowflakes (Martha Stewart) and add them to the sky and on top of the wavy card stock to make a pile of snow.
6.  Add some Stardust Stickles to the centre of each snowflake.
7.  Add white dots in the sky  with a white pen (Signo Uniball)

There we go, another one completed so time to work on week #11.

A Stamps and Stencils Card

It is time for the December challenge at Stamps and Stencils.  Sue is our hostess this time and calls it Festive Stamps AND Stencils.  Here is what she has to say about the challenge:

Now normally to join in with us we ask you use either stamps or stencils, but for this challenge I want to see both and lots of them with a Festive theme ! So dig out all your stamps, maybe some long forgotten that need some love and all of your stencils and let them take centre stage!

I created this large card and I will give you all the steps for making it but I apologize for not having any process photos. I did take them but I discovered when I went to take a photo of the completed card that I should have changed some settings in the camera when I changed the bulbs in the lamps in my studio and the process photos were so horrible they could not even be edited.

1.  Stamp image from set called Xmas (Cloud 9 Designs) using Jet Black Archival Ink (Ranger) onto a rectangle of white card stock
2.  Ink edges of stamped image panel with Hickory Smoke Distress Ink (Tim Holtz) and distress
3.  Mount stamped image panel on a rectangle of green card stock (Recollections) and distress the edges
4.  Stencil rectangle of Red Check card stock (Lasting Impressions) using Flourish Stencil (Tim Holtz) and Metallic Silver Embossing Paste (Wendy Vecchi)
5.  Use Versamark (Tsukineko) to stamp the sentiment from the Xmas set onto Green Stripe card stock (Bo Bunny) and heat emboss with Sterling Silver Embossing Powder (Stamp-N Stuff)
6.  Cut "greenery" from scraps of white card stock using Holiday Greens die (Ti, Holtz)
7.  Coat "greenery" with Clear Rock Candy Distress Crackle Paint (Tim Holtz) and while it is still wet sprinkle with chunky silver glitter (Dollarama)
8.  Cut two poinsettia leaves from paper-backed foil tape (Home Depot) using Poinsettia die (Marianne Creatables)
9.  Paint poinsettia leaves with Shimmering Silver Metallic Acrylic Paint (DecoArt)
10.  Layer poinsettia leaves and adhere large red seed beads to the centre - Note: Use gel medium or some similar wet glue because double sided tape doesn't work on the foil

To assemble the card:

1.  Distress the edges of a panel of green card stock (Recollections) and adhere to card blank
2.  Adhere the striped panel next
3.  Adhere the stenciled panel and add a strip of lace to cover the seam
4.  Add the "greenery and then mount the image panel on top
5.  Add the poinsettia
6.  Glue a few red sequins (Dollarama) on the card

I love the combination of stamps, stencils and patterned paper and it was so easy to do.  I hope you will join us for this challenge and show us how festive you can create with stamps and stencils.

My Most Memorable Gift

It is time for the last challenge of 2017 at Frilly and Funkie and Suzz, our hostess is calling it Most Memorable Gift.  Here is how she describes it:

December for many of us is a time where we give and receive. That had me thinking about the most memorable gifts I have received over the years. These including a signed book from one of my favorite authors, handwritten notes from my children, a singing hot dog condiment stand and the first gift my husband gave me when we were dating. Since this is the season of giving I want you to be inspired by a memorable gift and use that to create a vintage or shabby chic project that captures the inspiration from that gift. You can make a card, a tag, share a journal entry or any kind of project you desire. Just be sure to mention the memorable gift and how it inspired your creation.

My most memorable gift was one my husband gave me for Christmas when we were first dating.   Now I was never one to shake presents but for some reason I shook this one a few days before Christmas and all I could hear was what sounded like broken glass and I was instantly panic-stricken.  He had flown out west to be with his parents for the holidays and I went north to be with mine so I just kept that information to myself.  Then on Christmas day I opened the gift with great fear and inside was a bottle of very good cognac wrapped in rubber along with a little tiny bottle with two screws in it.  SNEAKY!!!

When I read the challenge theme I could not figure out how I was going to come up with a project to depict that story until I was relating the story to Jenny Marples and she immediately suggested that I alter a bottle.  That is one reason I love her, she is so creative and she is always willing to share.

I dug out a fancy bottle I was saving intending to alter it and then I remembered this tiny little mason jar.  This is just 3" tall and it came in a six-pack of flavoured moonshine that my husband picked up last year on a visit to Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.  I decided to make a simple little ornament out of it and since I love the way it turned out, I want some more for the tree so he better start drinking.

Except for this next one, there are no process photos because I discovered after it was all put together that when I changed to different bulbs in my lamps, I should have changed some settings in the camera, which explains why I didn't go into photography for a career.

I had my husband drill a couple holes in the lid for me and then I altered the colour of it with Poppyfield and Gold Mixative Alcphol Ink (Tim Holtz).  I added a hanger of gold beading wire through the holes and twisted the ends together underneath.

Next I added some Glossy Accents to the bottom of each leg of the teeny deer and glued it into the bottle bottom.  Tip:  Put the bottle on its side to do this step because it will give you more control and prevent the glue from grabbing onto the side of the bottle.

Next I added some tiny red gems to a small bottle brush tree (Tim Holtz) and then glued it into the bottle.

I wanted to add some snow so I scraped a styrofoam ball to get bits and then mixed some clear silver-lined seed beads in with my "snow" before I added it to the bottle.

Once that was done I put the lid on and realized how pale the inside looked so I decided to add a tie around the neck of the deer but since it was already set in I needed to come up with a work-around.  I created a little noose with some burlap string and using tweezers, I tied it around his neck.  It worked - whew!!!

To decorate the top I cut some "greenery" from the Holiday Greens die (Tim Holtz) and some gold Kraft Core Shattered Collection (Tim Holtz).  It needed a bit of sparkle so I sprayed it with Tarnished Brass Distress Spray Stain (Tim Holtz).  After I added it to the top of the lid, I piled on some berries and beads from my stash.

There you go, a simply created ornament to depict my story with many similarities - a little bottle, something inside it, alcohol is involved and so is my husband - LOL.

A Little Inspiration at Frilly and Funkie

Today I am presenting a little Friday inspiration for you over at Frilly and Funkie.  This is just one of the projects I made using some of my Graphic 45 leftovers.  Pop on over to see what else I created.