Layers at Sassy Cheryl's

I told my friends at Sassy Cheryl's that they should be careful not to fall on the floor because I have actually managed to get a card made for the current challenge at Sassy Cheryl's Challenge Blog , which is all about LOTS OF LAYERS.

I started a different card and coloured an image for the first time in probably 4 months but then I tried to get artsy and ruined the image so I had to scrap that effort and start again.  I was checking to see if I had anything else printed and found an image that was already coloured - bonus.  I had done it when I visited my friend Ann English last May and she let me use her Copics - not my usual medium but with her expert guidance I got something worth keeping.

From the bottom up, here is my card:

I started with some Recollections card stock for the blank (this card is a 6" square).  Next I added some green patterned paper from my stash for the background.  Next came a couple of Provo Craft papers (also from my scraps) and then a band of white card stock that was punched with a Martha Stewart edge punch.

I added three rows of ribbon from Michaels and some Recollections pearl stickers.  The flower is made up of a white Prima flower and a couple of coloured flowers from Dollarama.  I added a button from my stash and some baker's twine from Really Reasonable Ribbon.

Next I fussy cut around the image before adhering it.  Voila, lots of layers.  I decided not to add a sentiment because I am not sure how this card will be used. 

This is not my usual style of crafting since I normally do vintage or shabby chic so I struggled with this.  Even though I absolutely love these Sassy images, my pea brain can't seem to combine my style with her wonderful images.  I will keep trying though now that I have more time since I am officially retired again.

I don't know what this image is called and I can't find it in the Sassy Cheryl Stamp Store but that could be because I didn't look hard enough.  If it isn't there, not to worry because Cheryl has lots of other fabulous digis, including a set of twins that just arrived and are adorable.

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

Sassy Cheryl's -Lots of Layers with a Sassy Cheryl Image
That Craft Place - Buttons
Left of Center Challenges - Ribbon and/or Flowers

Best Friends

It is time for a new two-week challenge at Sugar Creek Hollow and this time we want you to MAKE YOUR OWN BACKGROUND.

Thanks to Cathi O'Neill of our Design Team, for this challenge we are pleased to welcome a new sponsor coming to us from Australia.

The folks at Molossi have a wide variety of products and you can see what they have to offer when you check out the challenge post at Sugar Creek Hollow.

They are providing a wonderful prize pack for one random winner.  Look at all the goodies you could win.

Here are the details of my card from the bottom up:

I started my card with some Bazzill card stock for the blank and then I created my background.  First I tore all sorts of papers from an old book, some scraps from my stash and some Tim Holtz Tissue Wrap.  I used some Ranger Glue and Seal to glue the torn papers to a piece of cream card stock and then gave them another coat on top..

Then I stenciled over the whole piece using a Moroccan Lattice stencil from Heidi Swapp and some Olive Archival Ink from Ranger.  I then covered the whole piece with Wendy Vecchi Orange Blossom  and Red Geranium Archival Ink.  The final step for the background was to use a Tiny Circles stencil from TCW and Wendy Vecchi Gold Embossing Paste.

Next I took some corrugated card stock from Michaels, inked the edges with Ranger's Vintage Photo Distress Ink and distressed it a bit with my scissors.  On top of that I added a panel of net that I picked up in England and then wrapped some satin ribbon from Fabricland around all of these layers and made a bow on the side.

The next layer is a piece of cream card stock that I embossed with a script folder from Cuttlebug and then inked with some more Vintage Photo Distress Ink.  The Friends Forever text is computer generated and the image is part of a Darkroom Door collage stamp provided by our sponsor appropriately called Friends that I stamped using Coffee Archival Ink from Ranger and then inked with some Vintage Photo Distress Ink.

The lock and key are chipboard pieces provided by our sponsor that I rubbed with Onyxite and Rose Quartz Treasure Gold wax paste to get a rusty look.  Finally I added the lace flower, also provided by our sponsor but I took the liberty of swapping out the pearl and crystal centre that it came with for something that fit a little better with my colour palette so I hope they won't be upset.  Even though I didn't ask for permission, I am asking for forgiveness :)

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

Challenges and candies - Embossing
Craftyhands - Shabby Chic
Fussy and Fancy - Shabby Chic
Red Rubber Designs - Very Vintage
Digi Stamps 4 Joy - Vintage
Stampotique Designers Challenge - Vintage

Time for Change

The new two-week challenge at Frilly and Funkie begins today and is called TIME AFTER TIME.  Nancy is our hostess and wants us to make vintage or shabby chic projects that focus on time and clocks.

I hope you will share your projects with us to be in with a chance of winning a Guest DT spot at Frilly and Funkie or a $25 spending spree at The Funkie Junkie Boutique!

Remember, to enter you must create a new project, link it using the linking tool and make sure you add a link in your post back to this challenge. You can combine our challenge with up to 10 challenges (including this one) to be in with a chance of winning.

I have been seeing a lot of art journals lately and decided it was something I might like to try but I thought before I tackled a journal page, I better find something I could use as a journal and then make it pretty. 

I started with this sketch pad, removed the cover and altered it to the piece you see above.  I started by giving it a couple of coats of Gesso.  Then I sponge painted it with some acrylic craft paint but the colour was really bright and not a good match for the papers that I wanted to use with it so I then inked over the paint with some Victorian Velvet, Milled Lavender and Bundled Sage Distress Ink.

Next I added some torn papers from the Maja Autumn Basics paper pad using some Glue and Seal to adhere them and to coat them before I gave them a light coat of Gesso.  I also added some bits of drywall tape.

The next step was to use some embossing paste to add some clocks and also some little dots.  I used my Cameo to cut a large flourish from Grunge Paper and then cut it cut it in pieces and added it to the base after I sponged it with Milled Lavender Distress Ink.

Now it was time (no pun intended) to create the word art for the quote and frame it.  I chose the quote because it referenced time but also because I thought it would make a great jumping off point for my journal since I have never kept a journal.

The frame was cut from light chipboard using my Cameo and the flourishes were cut from Grunge Paper, which cuts much easier than chipboard - it really cuts like butter.  I added the flourishes to the frame and then gave it a coat of Gesso.  Then I added some Victorian Velvet Distress Ink and finally some Blood Orange Fresco Finish paint that I wiped off with a baby wipe.

The quote was added on top of a doily and a clock that I found on the internet.  Another clock was added to the left of the framed quote.  The third clock (at least a half clock) was cut from Grunge Paper and then I added Gesso to it and then Bundled Sage Distress Ink.

Next I added some strips of lace.  I added some narrow satin ribbon and pearls to the lace on the top right.  Next I cut a filigree ornament in half, covered them with Picket Fence Distress Stain (it takes a couple of coats with heat drying in between) and then clear embossed them before adding them to my cover.

The final step was to add the flowers.  Two flowers were made from the Maja paper with a couple of punches and then I added some pearls as centres.  The big flower is a flower from Recollections that I inked with some Victorian Velvet Distress Ink and added a big floral button for the centre.  The little flower on the right is some crinoline cut with the Tim Holtz Tattered Florals die that I dyed with Milled Lavender Distress Ink and added a pearl for a centre.  The big two-layered flower is a strip of fabric from my sewing cupboard, folded in half lengthwise and then gathered.  It has been topped with some organza ribbon that was gathered and then I added a big pink button from my stash.

Now I need to tackle a journal page and while I don't when that will happen, I know exactly what I want to say in it so stay tuned.

I would like to enter this altered journal in the following challenges:

Inky Chicks - Use Some Lace
Top Tip Tuesday - Metal or Faux Metal
Through The Purple Hazel - Bingo (Flower(s), Sentiment/Greeting/Doily)
Love to Create - Bingo (Pink, Lace, Flowers)
Anything But A Card - Use Two or More Stencils (Clocks & Dots)
Rhedd's Creative Spirit - Altered Art Only 

The following products used in the creation of this project came from The Funkie Junkie Boutique:

Friday Focus at Frilly and Funkie

This week it is my turn over at Frilly and Funkie to showcase a product that you can find at The Funkie Junkie Boutique and I am featuring buttons.  Here is a sneak peek at one of the projects I made so pop over to Frilly and Funkie to get all the details.

After you check out the post, you should head over to The Funkie Junkie Boutique and pick up some of the fabulous buttons because you can get them for 15% off until March 27th.

Baby Love

It is time for a new two-week challenge at Sugar Creek Hollow and this time we have a PHOTO INSPIRATION for you.  We want you to make a vintage or shabby chic card or other paper-crafted project using the photo below to guide you.  You can use the theme in the photo or the colours - I have chosen to incorporate both

I started with some white card stock from Staples for my blank and then added some pretty paper from Far Far Hill for the background.  Next I added some strips of complimentary paper from the Far Far Hill set. 

The two lace strips on the side came from my Mother-in-Law's sewing room.  I topped it with some satin ribbon from Kate's Paperie and a couple of teeny buttons from Dress It Up.

The image came from By Vintage Design and has been mounted on a piece of Recollections card stock and then framed with some pearl trim from my stash.  The little butterfly was done with a Martha Stewart punch and the body are pearl stickers from Recollections.  All the papers have been inked on the edges with Pumice Stone Distress Ink by Ranger.

The flowers are all from Wild Orchid Crafts and the sentiment was computer generated.  The little gold charm came from a store in Manhattan but I can't remember the name and the next time I was there I couldn't find it.

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

Creative Card Crew - Charms
Papertake Weekly - Bingo (Flowers, Free, Buttons)
Deep Ocean - Lace and Pearls
Craft Your Passion - Young at Heart

Vintage Collage

Today is the start of a new two-week challenge at Frilly and Funkie.  Rebecca is our hostess this time and she wants us to use DIE CUTS in our projects.  Rebecca is suggesting we dig out our neglected dies and create something outside (or inside) the box with them.

Now I don't own very many dies so when I started to create this piece I knew I would have to make up for the lack of dies with lots of other good stuff and I am happy with how I managed that and how frilly this is.  The die I did use is the Square Fleur-de-Lis from Spellbinders.  I debated using my Cameo to make die cuts but in the end thought that wasn't what Rebecca wanted.

My Mother-in-Law turned 92 on March 4th so I decided to make a very large (8 inch square) collage card for her and incorporate a few things from her sewing room (or maybe her late Sister's sewing room since I have stuff from both) - the snippet of black lace under the image, the two-toned button and the lace medallion.

It had so much texture that I had to make a box for it and my husband hand delivered it since he flew out to Alberta to spend a weekend with her.  I don't know that she recognized the bits because she is having a lot of dementia these days but my husband explained it to her and I think it pleased her.

In a couple of weeks, I am doing the Saturday Step X Step over at Frilly and Funkie and I will show you then how this came together.  I know this is mean but I hope you will come back then to get all the details.

In the meantime, I can tell you that the following items used in this project came from The Funkie Junkie Boutique - a super place to buy your supplies at a great price and with the best customer service.

Sew Fashionable

For the next two weeks the challenge at Sugar Creek Hollow is called SEW FASHIONABLE and we want to see vintage or shabby chic cards or other projects that depict sewing.

For this challenge we have another Guest Designer joining us.  Zoe Sanderson is a crafter from the UK so please make her feel welcome, check out her blog and leave her some love.

From the bottom up, here is how I created this card:

I started with some cream card stock from Staples for the blank and then added a background of striped paper from My Mind's Eye. that I distressed with my scissors.  I found the McCall's pattern photo online and the vintage sewing machine image came from The Graphic Fairy.

The little piece of metal at the top is from Michaels, the metal hanger is from 7 Gypsies and the button is from my stash.  The piece of lace also came from my stash and I think it was from my husband's late Aunt's sewing basket originally.  The tape measure is piece of clip art that I altered slightly.  The flowers are from Prima and the brad is from Making Memories.  Everything has been inked with Vintage Photo Distress Ink by Ranger.  The little metal scissors charm were in my stash but I have no idea where they came from.

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

Inky Impressions - So Charming
Shopping Our Stash - Heavy Metal