Altered Playing Card

When I got up this morning I decided I wanted to create something just for fun and not for any of my design teams even though I probably should have been working on that - or the weeding and I didn't want to do that either.  Then I decided I wanted to enter the Stamps and Stencils challenge, which is to make something small so I  made an altered playing card.

My In-Laws used to take organized bus trips from their home in Alberta to a casino in Saskatchewan and they were always bringing back decks of cards for themselves and for us.  Usually the cards had a hole drilled through them so when I went into my games cupboard I was surprised to find a deck that was brand new.  I only used one and decided to start with one of the Jokers to make my creation.

I gave each side a coat of Gesso and then glued an old book page to it.  Then I gave it another light coat of Gesso.  Next I used a baby wipe and my finger to add some paint - watered down Craft Smart Robin's Egg Blue and Fresco Finish Hey Pesto, Smoked Paprika and Pumpkin Soup.

Once the paint was dry I worked on one side and added some stenciling with Jet Black and Watering Can Archival Inks through a couple stencils, Polka Dotty from Wendy Vecchi and Mini Chicken Wire Reversed from TCW.

I hand cut a heart out of card stock and used it to draw the heart shape.  Then I painted the heart with Red Oxide paint from Golden and when it was dry I added more polka dot stenciling and an outline with a Prismacolor pencil crayon blended with OMS.

I stamped the eye, which is from a Tim Holtz set called Random Thoughts and made the word ART on my computer and inked it with Antique Linen and Black Soot Distress Ink.  Finally I edged the card with Black Soot DI.

Next I altered the other side because I didn't think it should be left with just paint on it.  This time I used the Watering Can Archival Ink though the chicken wire stencil and a criss cross one I made myself.  I added some circles with Jet Black Archival Ink using the top of a small spray bottle.  I also added some Tim Holtz tissue tape.

Next I took my heart pattern and inked it with some Red Geranium Archival Ink and then heat embossed it with Red Geranium Embossing Powder.  It didn't heat uniformly but I loved the look so I kept it and added some checks with one of the stamps from the Tim Holtz Ultimate Grunge set and Jet Black Archival Ink.  The edge of the heart and the card was inked with Black Soot DI.  Finally I added some computer generated text that was inked with Antique Linen and Black Soot DI.

I had so much fun making this altered playing card and the best thing was that it only took me 3 hours from start to studio clean up, which might be some kind of record for me.  I can see a few things I could have done differently or added so I think the playing cards are staying in my studio.

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

Stamps and Stencils  - Small is Beautiful
Tuesday Throwdown - Stenciling
Allsorts Challenge - Use a Stamp
Simon Says Stamp - Anything Goes
Mixed Media Monthly  - A Year of Choices (New to You)

Saturday Step X Step at Frilly and Funkie

It is my turn to present the Saturday Step X Step feature at Frilly and Funkie and this is a sneak peek of what I have created.  Click here to go to the post and get all the details.

Summer Dream

It is time for a new challenge at Frilly and Funkie and Nancy chose the theme and is calling this one It's Summer.  She wants everyone to let us know what you love about summer. Do you enjoy traveling, growing a garden, or laying on the beach? Create a vintage or shabby chic project, card, or layout showcasing what you enjoy most about this wonderful season.

I love to travel but this summer we are sticking pretty close to home because the exchange rates are through the roof.  That makes me sad so I decided to make a vintage travel-themed tag to cheer me up.  I remembered one I had seen here and thought I would CASE it although I don't speak French and there was no translator on her blog so I had to figure out how to re-create it on my own and then knowing me I had to give it a few extras.  Since it has a nautical spin to it, there is lots of blue involved.  I also think this would be great for a guy and think I will give it to my husband as a nudge to get him to change his mind about not traveling this year.  Stay tuned to see if it works :)

I started with one of the large manilla tags that Linda sells in the shop and added Broken China Distress Ink over a criss cross mask (the sections that were left when I made a stencil with my Cameo recently) and through a swirls stencil.  Next I took my natural sea sponge and dabbed Stormy Sky DI all over.  Finally I used Walnut Stain DI with a TCW called Mini Ledger to add some vintage text.

Next I cut the anchor and ship wheel from Grunge Paper with my Cameo.  I painted the wheel with Folk Art Coffee Bean acrylic paint and then scratched on some Deco Art Honey Brown with the tines of a fork.  I painted the anchor with Deco Art Rich Espresso Metallic paint and went over the chain with Folk Art Antique Gold acrylic paint.  I added some jute cord to the top of the anchor.

The map is from The Graphics Fairy and I converted it to sepia on my computer, lightly inked it with Broken China DI and then inked the edges with Walnut Stain.  The compass was a black and white freebie I found online and I converted the black to brown, printed it, fussy cut it and then inked it with Antique Linen DI and took Walnut Stain to the edges.

The sailboat is also from The Graphics Fairy and I fussy cut it and inked it with Antique Linen DI.  I realized after it was on the tag that I should have converted it to sepia - oops.  The text is computer generated and has been inked with Antique Linen DI and edged with Walnut Stain DI.  Finally I dyed some seam binding with Broken China and Stormy Sky DI.

I am going to enter my tag in the following challenges:

Monday-Mood-Board - Photo Inspiration
A Gem of a Challenge - Something Blue
Kreativeinkauf-challenge - Travel
Sparkles Forum - Vintage/Shabby Chic
Cheerful Stamp Pad - Travel to Faraway Places
Get Creative Challenges - For the Boys or Father's Day

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

Mixed Media Masculine

It is time for the second monthly challenge at Anything But Cute challenges and I am the hostess for this one.  I decided to call the challenge Make It Masculine and I would like you to make a mixed media card or other project for a fellow in your life. It could be for Father's Day, a birthday, an anniversary or just because you want him to know how special he is.

I decided to make this Steampunk inspired card for my husband for Father's Day and while the cards are easy enough to make, it sure is difficult finding an appropriate verse for inside the card when he is not your father and your child is grown up and married with kids of her own.  In hindsight, I think I should have made it as a surprise card for no special occasion.  I can see another card on my agenda in the not too distant future.

I started with some Recollections kraft card stock for the blank.  Then I took another piece of the same card stock to make the background panel.  I used Golden Molding Paste through a TCW stencil called Mini Time Travel to create all the clocks and numbers and once dry I sprayed it with Lindy's Stamp Gang Burnished Brass Moonshadow Mist.

The next layer is just another piece of card stock to which I added some plaster casting material (Gauze mixed with Plaster of Paris) that I found at the local art supply store.  I didn't try to smooth it out so it would have some bumps and lumps when it dried.  Once it was dry, it too got a spray of Burnished Brass.

The top layer is some paper from a Prima paper pad called Printery and I added some stenciling with a TCW stencil called Mini Harlequin and Vintage Photo DI.

To make the hot air balloon, I started by grabbing a freebie image from The Graphics Fairy, erased the basket in Photoshop and then printed the remaining image.  I cut it out and then traced the outer edge on a piece of card stock and a piece of copy paper.  I cut both of those out and then cut pieces out of the copy paper version to replicate a balloon.  This became a pattern that I placed over some Tim Holtz Grunge Paper so I could draw and then cut around all the edges.

I covered the grunge paper balloon with a layer of Gesso and then I painted it with black acrylic paint and once dry spritzed it lightly with the Burnished Brass.  To put the balloon together, I inked the card stock version with Vintage Photo DI, added some pop dots, then added the original printed balloon, which was also inked, added more pop dots and finally the grunge paper balloon.

The basket was made by weaving some twine leftover from my macrame days and wrapping it around a piece of card stock.  I attached the balloon and the basket with some pieces of wire from Artistic Wire.  A gear and some clock hands from Bead Landing were added to finish it off.

To finish off the card, I added a few more gears, a clock from Jolee's Boutique and an arrow from The Paper Studio.  The clock edge and arrow were rubbed with Renaissance wax paste from Treasure Gold to change their colour to match the gears.  The final step was some text that I made on the computer using a font called Impact Label.

Once the card was finished I stood it up to admire my handiwork and it fell flat on its face.  It turns out the plaster panel with all the other added bits and pieces made it way too front heavy so I added a verse panel inside with some of the same stenciling to stabilize it.  I would not recommend the plaster for a card but it would be great on a canvas or other altered item.

I hope you will create a mixed media project and share it with us at Anything But Cute.  All of us on the Design Team will be choosing our favourites and mine will have the opportunity to be a Guest Designer.

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

Simon Says Stamp  - Make It Masculine
Card Mania - Metal Embellishment
The Kraft Journal - Father's Day

Pop of Purple

 The new challenge starts today at Frilly and Funkie and I am the hostess for this one.  It is called Monochromatic and I would like to see a shabby chic or vintage project that uses basically one colour and its various hues and tones - a little white or cream can be added but unless that is the main colour, it needs to be just an accent.

I decided to use purple as my main colour, especially after I found some lovely purple papers in the Maja Designs paper pack called Vintage Spring Basics.  I started with some Recollections card stock for my blank and added the distressed striped paper first, tucking some seed beads I picked up at the dollar store into a couple of torn areas.

The damask layer came next and I mounted it on some purple tulle from my fabric stash (hard to see in the photo but it is there).  I used Wendy Vecchi's Polka Dotty stencil and Dusty Concord DI to add a few dots and then distressed it too.

Next I used the Wendy Vecchi Three Flourishes stencil with some texture paste on the top purple paper.  I distressed it as well and tucked a doily inked with Dusty Concord DI behind it before I added it.

The lace has been dyed with a combination of Crushed Grape and White Linen Dylusions spray and the seam binding to make the loopy bow was dyed with Dusty Concord DI.  The leaves started out as bronze metal but I gave them a coat of Gesso and then inked them with Purple Twilight Alcohol Ink blended with Snow Cap Mixative.  The corset on the dress form was "painted" with Dusty Concord DI and then I added a coat of Mod Podge to it.

By the way, when I am working with inks and paints I try to use some latex gloves but more often than not I forget and end up with stained fingers but since I picked up one of the scrubbies that Linda carries in her shop, it is easy peasy to remove those stains. And the bonus is that I now have a solution when my Grandchildren decide to use marker and paint on their hands instead of paper - forget the milk, bleach cleaner, toothpaste and every other thing we tried in the past.

I am on a mission to use some of my stash so all the flowers came from there (some are from Wild Orchid Crafts or Excelsior Wholesale) and if they weren't already purple, I coloured them with different Bic, Promarker and Copic markers.  Finally I added a fun button from my stash and some dollar store pearl stickers.

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

The Crazy Challenge - Use Ribbon or Lace
One Stitch at a Time - Anything Goes with Flowers
That Craft Place - Shabby Chic
A Gem of a Challenge - Flowers
Inkspirational - Purple

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