Two Hearts

It is time for the next challenge at Frilly and Funkie.  Zoe is back with us and is the hostess for this one that she calls All You Need Is Love.  She describes the challenge this way:

Create a vintage or shabby chic project with the word "LOVE" somewhere on the project. It can be the focus or just a tiny detail.

Since Valentine's Day is fast approaching, I decided to make a card for my husband and went super simple this time.  I started with a panel of red paper that was in my stash, distressed the edges and inked the edges with Black Soot Distress Ink.  All the paper was distressed in the same manner.

Next I added a panel of black patterned paper from Graphic 45's Mon Amour pad popping it up with some dimensional foam.  As I often do, I used fun foam from the dollar store and add double sided tape.

I embossed a piece of white card using an old Texture Fade called Love (Tim Holtz) and rubbed it with Treasure Pewter wax paste by Connoisseur Studio - sadly the camera didn't pick up the shimmer.  This panel was also popped up with dimensional foam.

A strip of black patterned paper from the same Graphic 45 pad was added next and then topped with some silver crochet ribbon and a strip of red burlap.

The hearts were hand cut from the master board I shared for a recent Saturday Showcase - you can find it HERE.

The word love is a wooden piece cut by my husband.  I coated it with Versamark and then heat embossed it with Stirling Silver Embossing Powder (Stampendous).  I repeated this process a second time and then mounted it on the burlap.

Finally I added some black adhesive pearls and this card is done and manly enough for my husband.  I hope you will share the love and join us for this challenge.  The Design Team will pick one winner who will have the opportunity to do a Guest designer spot with us.  One random winner will get a $25 gift certificate to The Funkie Junkie Boutique and three more crafters will earn Top Pick badges.

The following products used to create this card came from The Funkie Junkie Boutique:

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.