Colouring Outside The Lines

A dear friend of mine, Sue Carrington, is involved in a wonderful new challenge blog called Artist Trading Post Exchange.  This is a mixed media challenge and it launched at the beginning of October so I thought I would play in their first challenge - Anything Goes.

I decided to make another page for my art journal and focus on the warm changing colours surrounding me.  I also decided to give it a pile of texture and that was fun.

I started by gluing two blank pages together to give it more strength but it still buckled a bit with all the texture which started with gluing some drywall tape, crumpled tissue paper, netting and gauze in random spots along with a strip of lace.  The next step was to add Golden Light Molding Paste in random spots through a Heidi Swap stencil and through the netting.

After the paste was dry I start wiping Smoked Paprika, Blood Orange, Pumpkin Soup and Hey Pesto Fresco Finish paints on touching up some of the missed spots with a paintbrush.

Next I pulled out some Prima and Recollections flowers, changed the colour of a few with paint and gave them a light spray with Tattered Angels Pearl Glimmer Mist before I added buttons for centres.  Some of the leaves were stamped with Coffee Archival Ink from Ranger using the Shabby Chic Autumn Leaves set from Just Right and then inked with Scattered Straw, Old Paper, Crushed Olive, Aged Mahogany, Spiced Marmalade and Ripe Persimmon Distress Ink from Ranger before they were fussy cut.

The rest of the leaves were cut from scrap card stock and embossed with a lace embossing folder and then inked with some Vintage Photo Distress Ink.  The butterfly is a wood piece that I picked up at the dollar store and it was already coloured so I just inked the edges with some Vintage Photo DI.

The letters for the word "fall" are chipboard and I painted them with some Haystack Fresco Finish paint and then stamped some script with Coffee Archival Ink using a stamp from Recollections.  I gave them a coat of Mod Podge to seal everything.

Finally I made the rest of the text on the computer, inked the edges with Vintage Photo DI and then added them along with a few beads for some bling.

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

Artist Trading Post Exchange - Anything Goes (mixed media)
All Crafts Challenge - Anything but a Card
Artistic Inspirations  - Anything Goes/Make Your Own Background
Cheerful Stamp Pad - Fall Leaves
Timbro Scrap Mania Stamping Challenge - Fall is in the Air
Stamping Sensations  - Autumn
So Artful Challenges - Leaves
Crafty Catz  - Autumn

One, Two, Three - Go

The new challenge at Sugar Creek Hollow starts today and the theme is called ONE, TWO, THREE.  We want you to make cards with one focal image, two patterned papers and three types of embellishments (e.g. a strip of lace, a few pearls and some ribbon).  You can add multiples of any of the three types you choose but we don't want you to add a 4th type of embellishment.

Provided we have at least nine entries in the challenge we will choose one random winner who will receive a little piece of word art along with a winner's badge to display. The Design Team will choose their Top Pick and that creator will receive a winner's badge and also be in the running for a monthly Guest Designer spot.

I made this card while I was in Virginia visiting with my friend Patti and decided it would be great for my husband's birthday.

I started with some Recollections green card stock for my blank and added two papers from First Edition.  Next I stamped the vintage truck from Stampin Up with Jet Black Archival Ink from Ranger and coloured it with Spectrum Noirs.  The leaves were cut from scraps of card stock on Patti's Cameo and I then I stamped them with a Gina K. script stamp.  Everything was inked with some Vintage Photo Distress Ink from Ranger.  Finally I added a button and some hemp from Patti's stash.

While I designed this card and put it together, Patti supplied everything that went into it so you might say that she made it too :)  So there you go, one truck image, two papers and three types of embellishments - leaves, button and hemp.

I am going to enter this into the following challenges:

Add A Little Dazzle - Fall is Here or Anything Goes
Ruby's Rainbow - Autumn Leaves
Crafting Musketeers - Autumn Colours
Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge - Anything Goes with Patterned Paper
Craft-room Challenge - Seasonal Colours (Fall)
Docerela Creations  - Fall Colours

Autumn Colours

The new challenge at Frilly and Funkie starts today and Sue is our hostess and wants us to make shabby chic or vintage projects that showcase Autumn Colours - your project does not have to be about Autumn, it just needs to be in the colours associated with Autumn.

Where I live the trees are all turning and now that it has cooled off (long pants weather) you can bet those vibrant colours won't last too long.

I started my card with some Recollections kraft card stock for the base, added a layer of olive green card stock that I found in my scraps and topped that with a layer of Tim Holtz Color Core card stock.

Next I took a scrap of white card stock and inked it up with Ripe Persimmon, Rusty Hinge, Wild Honey and Crushed Olive Distress Ink.  I did a little water flicking before I added some dots with Wendy Vecchi Dandelion Archival Ink and her Polka Dotty stencil.  Then I proceeded to pretty well cover it all up - WUWT!  Oh, and all the layers were distressed with my scissors and then had the edges inked with Vintage Photo DI.

I recently had the joy of spending a day with Pamellia Johnson and learning how she creates her fantastic shabby projects.  She taught me a cool crackle paint technique so I made the heart using her technique.  It started with a scrap of cream card stock, followed by a layer of cheap white glue from the dollar store and then while it was still wet, a layer of Barnyard Red acrylic paint from Plaid.  The heart was then hand cut once everything was dry.  I need to keep practicing because I was really aiming for more cracks horizontally and I seem to be very good at getting vertical cracks.

Next I dyed a piece of Venise Lace and some lacy netting with some Wild Honey DI.  I also cut two butterflies from vellum using a Martha Stewart punch and inked them from the back with some of the Ripe Persimmon DI.  Once I put them together I added some dollar store pearls for the body.

Using the Wendy Vecchi Daisy Art set and Coffee Archival Ink by Ranger, I stamped the flowers and leaves four times, once on Tim Holtz Kraft Glassine and three times on a linen card stock that I discovered leftover from my daughter's wedding 13 years ago (I guess I should have done a craft room reorganization long ago - lol).  I coloured the glassine leaves using Crushed Olive DI and cut them away from the flower.  Then I fussy cut the other three flowers  One was coloured with Wendy Vecchi Orange Blossom Archival Ink and one with her Dandelion Archival Ink.  Both were sprayed with Perfect Pearl spray and then microbeads from Recollections were added for centres.  The third flower was coloured with Wendy's Red Geranium Archival Ink, stamped with a Recollections script stamp and then coated with Tim Holtz Clear Rock Candy Crackle Paint.  It didn't crack as I hoped but I like the shine.  I re-coloured a wooden button with a Copic marker, used some burlap string to fill the holes and added it to the centre of the red flower.

The sentiment was stamped from the Wendy Vecchi The Beauty of Art set using Coffee Archival Ink on some of the linen card stock and inked with some Wild Honey and Rusty Hinge DI.  The bow is seam binding dyed with Wild Honey, Crushed Olive and Aged Mahogany DI.  Finally I added a sun charm from Arton Bead Supply that I re-coloured with some Ginger and Caramel Adirondack Alcohol Ink.

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

Craft-Room Challenge - Seasonal Colours
Shopping Our Stash - It's The Most Colorful Time Of The Year
Robyn's Fetish - Autumn Colors
Paper Creators Crafts - Use A Charm
Aloha Friday Challenges - Fall Colors

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

Body Beautiful ??

It is time for the next monthly challenge at The Mirror Crack'd and this time the theme is called The Body Beautiful so we want to see your mixed media project featuring the human form. A hand, an eye or a mannequin to represent a body are just some suggestions you could use, but we would love to see how your imagination works and what you can create. Just remember - no cards.

I decided to make doorknob hangers for Halloween for my Grandchildren (a girl aged 8 and a boy aged 5 1/2) so my body references are not beautiful unless you are a Pathologist or an Undertaker but the skulls suit the theme I chose.

Each hanger started as a double layer of thin chipboard that I cut with my Cameo and glued together.  Next I painted the backs with black acrylic craft paint and the front with Gesso.  Then I crumpled up some tissue paper and glued it to the front of each hanger.  Next I spritzed each one with some purple and green spray inks and hit them with some canned air while they were wet.  Once everything dried I covered them with Black Soot Distress Ink.  They seemed a bit dark so I took a baby wipe and removed some of the Black Soot.  You will notice that my Grandson's hanger is more green and that is because it is his favourite colour.

Besides the vintage skull images each hanger needed some fun embellishments so I got to work.

For the one on the left I made a computer generated date and then I printed some vintage poison labels, coloured them with Spiced Marmalade  DI and then joined them together with a brad from Making Memories.

The mummy head is a glass block covered with strips of gauze bandage that I dyed with some Antique Linen Distress Ink.  His little eyes were created from some acrylic packaging that I coloured with Alcohol Ink, punched with a small circle punch and then added a black pearl sticker for eyeballs.  The 3D pumpkin is made from punched circles that were embossed with a Tim Holtz Texture Fade and then the highlights were inked with some Black Soot DI.  The stem and leaves were hand cut and inked with Forest Moss DI and the tendril is a piece of wire.

Finally the word BOO is made from some wooden letters that I painted with acrylic craft paint and then highlighted with some Rose Quartz Treasure Gold wax paste.  A little hand cut bat tops off the letters.

For the hanger on the right I used larger wooden letters to make the word BOO, painted it the same way as the other but before I added the wax paste, I stamped each letter with a script stamp.  Then I added a couple of brads and another little bat.

I made a little book of spells from some card stock that I embossed with the Texture Fade from Tim Holtz, highlighted with some Black Soot DI and then coated with a layer of Mod Podge.  The book pages are taken from an old book and the book is tied together with some burlap string.

A girl has to have flowers so I added two with buttons from my stash for centres and another with a little rose that I coloured with a Promarker.  Finally I made some bead charms and hung them from chain.

If you are wondering why the little bats don't have eyes - it is because they are "blind as a bat" - lol (cheesy, I know).

Here are the supplies I used to create this project:

Papers: Chipboard (Silhouette), Tissue Paper (Dollarama), Card Stock (Recollections)
Images: Skulls (The Graphics Fairy, The Cottage Market), Poison Labels (Palace Puppy), Bat (Plumrose Lane)
Inks & Paints: Black Soot, Antique Linen, Forest Moss, Spiced Marmalade Distress Ink (Ranger), Crushed Grape, Dirty Martini Dylusions Spray Ink (Ranger), Caramel, Ginger Adirondack Alcohol Ink (Ranger), Rose Quartz Wax Paste (Treasure Gold), Avocado, Black Acrylic Paint (Americana)
Embellishments: Wooden Letters (Dollarama), Flowers (Prima and Wild Orchid Crafts),  Beads and Beading Supplies (Arton Bead Supply, Michaels, Dollarama, Wal Mart), Patchwork Texture Fade (Tim Holtz), Buttons (My Stash), Pearl Stickers (Recollections), Burlap String (The Funkie Junkie Boutique), Brads (Making Memories), Wire (Artistic Wire), Glass Block (Michaels)
Miscellaneous: Gesso (Liquitex), Matte Medium (Ranger), Mod Podge 

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

Fab 'n Funky - Halloween
Corrosive Challenges - Halloween Colors
Creative Corner - Anything But A Card
Pattie's Creations - Embossing (must use an image - skulls)
Simply Create Too - It's A Special Occasion

Hide and Go Seek

It is time for a new challenge at Sugar Creek Hollow and this one is called Hide and Go Seek.  We want you to make a vintage or shabby chic project with a hidden element.  Make sure you mention what your hidden element is in your post.

Here is my hidden element:

My husband and I recently went on a two-week road trip to the US and in addition to some sightseeing we visited with some of my crafty friends along the way.  We spent a week in Virginia with the lovely Patti Painter and her husband and while there Patti and I managed to get a couple of crafting sessions in.  I had taken some of the elements for this card with me but also used some of Patti's supplies, such as her die set, Spectrum Noirs (a.k.a. her magic markers according to her husband - lol) and rubber stamps.  We also had dinner and spent a fun evening in Richmond, Virginia with Cheryl Grant of Sassy Cheryl's Stamps and spent a fabulous weekend in Maryland with Ann English and her husband.  Patti and Ann have been on design teams with me and I must say - my crafting friends are the best.

I started with some Recollections card stock for the blank.  Then I added some Pink Paislee papers from the Queen Bee collection for the background, distressed them with my scissors and sponged them with some Black Soot Distress Ink from Ranger.  I cut the large horizontal die cut from more of the Pink Paislee paper using Spellbinders Labels 18 die.

The image die is cut from white card stock using the same die set.  Next I stamped the Lemon Stamp from Stampin Up using Jet Black Archival Ink from Ranger and coloured it with Patti's Spectrum Noirs (my first effort but I think it is fine considering I am a Prismacolor gal). 

I made a loopy bow from black satin ribbon that I picked up at Fabricland and added a Recollections polka dot button to it.  The large die has some Recollections pearl stickers added and is popped up with foam dots.  The hidden sentiment is from Stampin Up and has been stamped with Jet Black Archival Ink on a hand cut tag and then sponged with some Black Soot DI.  The narrow yellow ribbon came from my stash.

Finally I added some black lace that came from an outlet store in Fancy Gap, VA and a computer generated sentiment that I hand cut.

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

Simply Create Too - Special Occasion
The Sisterhood of Crafters - Lots of Layers
Cuttlebug Mania - Anything Die Cut
Bunny Zoe's Crafts - Lace
Crafty Cardmakers - Ribbons/Lace and Pearls
Timbro Scrapmania - Lace and Pearls

Boo

The new challenge at Frilly and Funkie starts today and Nancy is our hostess and is calling the challenge A Haunting Halloween, which is so timely since Halloween is just around the corner - at least that what the merchandise in the stores tell us and the calendar.

I have made a card for one of my little Grandchildren so it is an eclectic mix of vintage and shabby with some child-friendly elements.

I started with some Tim Holtz Color Core card stock for the blank.  Then I created a background with some coated card stock that I covered with Scattered Straw DI and then sponged on some Wendy Vecchi Orange Blosson Archival Ink using a sea sponge.  A little Black Soot and Bundled Sage DI was sponged on the background and then I used Jet Black Archival Ink to stamp some splatters from the Tim Holtz Ultimate Grunge stamp set.

I cut a triangle of the Color Core card stock, embossed it with the Tim Holtz Patchwork embossing folder and inked it with some Black Soot DI.  The rosette was also made from the same card stock and then I added a burlap string bow and a computer generated sentiment.  The rosette is mounted on some cheesecloth that was dyed with some Black Soot DI.  The Halloween ticket is from a Tim Holtz stamp called Odds and Ends and was stamped with Jet Black Archival Ink on grey card stock and then fussy cut while the skulls were cut with my Cameo.

The vintage image is from vintagehalloween.com and the mummy head was made by crisscrossing strips of paper inked with a Recollections script stamp across a punched circle.  I added some googly eyes and some hand cut teeth.  Finally I added some spiders that were stamped, fussy cut and then covered with a black metallic Sakura gel pen.

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

Friday Focus at Frilly and Funkie

I am presenting the Friday Focus today at Frilly and Funkie and it is all about Venise Laces so here is a sneak peek at what I made.  Pop over to Frilly and Funkie where I will give you all the details.

Floral Chic

Two weeks have gone by quickly and now it is time for another new challenge at Sugar Creek Hollow.  This time it is called Word Play and we want to see vintage or shabby chic projects that include a word or words, which could be a sentiment but does not have to be.

I think this card is more chic than shabby but I love how it turned out.

I started with some Recollections card stock for my blank and then created the background from a piece of scrap white card stock.  I sponged Squeezed Lemonade, Scattered Straw and Dried Marigold Distress Ink from Ranger over the piece and then did some stenciling in Wild Honey DI with the Wendy Vecchi checkers stencil.

I cut some leaves from Tim Holtz color core card stock using my Cameo and then inked them with some Forest Moss DI from Ranger.

I added a strip of black ribbon from Fabricland to a strip of patterned paper from My Mind's Eye and fastened that on the right side.  I stamped the sentiment from The Daisy Art set from Wendy Vecchi.

I also stamped the flower from the same stamp set twice and fussy cut it.  Each flower was coloured with Prismacolor pencil crayons and blended with Gotrick odourless mineral spirits.  I popped the top flower up with some foam dots and added some black seed beads from Michaels for the centre.

Finally I made a big bow from some gradient organza ribbon that I picked up in Fancy Gap, Virginia.

From the Heart

The new challenge at Frilly and Funkie is called From the Heart and Trace, our hostess this time wants us to make vintage or shabby chic projects with hearts as the focal image.

For my shabby card, I started with some pink card stock as my blank and then added some paper from the Maja Designs pack called Coffee in the Arbor for my background and for the gathered pieces.

Next I added a little piece of venise lace with hearts and a piece of seam binding across the bottom.  I added a bronze toned cabochon topped with a little rose from Wild Orchid Crafts.

Then I used another piece of the Maja Designs paper to make one heart and then some more of the pink card stock for the second big heart.  I ran that heart through the Tim Holtz texture fade called Bubble.  Both hearts were distressed with my scissors and the edges were inked with Milled Lavender Distress Ink.  I topped the big pink heart with a loopy bow made from burlap string and added a metal heart that I picked up in England a couple of years ago.

I found the Life metal tag in my stash and covered it with Gesso and when it was dry I scuffed it up with some sand paper.  Finally I added a few more flowers from Wild Orchid Crafts and Excelsior Wholesale, some pearl stickers from Recollections and a couple of swirls made with wire from Artistic Wire.

I used the following products from The Funkie Junkie Boutique in the creation of this card:

Metal Mania

Today is an exciting day because it is the launch of a new challenge blog called The Mirror Crack'd. This blog will have monthly challenges devoted to mixed media/altered art projects - but no cards.  I am honoured to have been asked to be on this new team and to invite you to join us for the first challenge, which is Anything Goes.

For my first project, I made a small canvas.  I started with a 7" square of framer's mat board and gave it a coat of Gesso (Liquitex).  Next I added some drywall tape and Light Molding Paste (Golden) through a Mini Hexagons stencil (TCW).

The next step was to add some paint and this time I used Pumpkin Soup, Mocha Mousse and Cinnamon (all Fresco Finish).  I used a baby wipe to wipe it back in some areas.  Then I did some stenciling with Black Soot Distress Ink (Ranger) and three stencils; Dots and Stripes Border (Wendy Vecchi), Letter Jumble (Dylusions) and Dotted Flowers (Dylusions).  Once it was dry I rubbed the raised embossing with some Classic and Rose Quartz wax paste (Treasure Gold) and the edges with Walnut Stain Distress Ink (Ranger).

Next I started on the embellishments.  I cut a couple pieces of cardboard from an old box and removed the top layer to reveal the corrugated layer.  I wanted to paint it with a dark brown paint but since I didn't have any, I mixed together some acrylic paint called Coffee Bean and Black (Folk Art) and painted the valley portions of the corrugated cardboard.  I also rubbed the peaks with the same wax pastes.

I created the text on the computer and inked the edges with Walnut Stain Distress Ink (Ranger).  Next I used Jet Black Archival Ink (Ranger) and stamped some script (Recollections) onto some Hopsack Tape (Fancy Gap Outlet).  Then I inked the edges with Walnut Stain and added a couple of brads (Making Memories).  Tip:  I always remove the legs from the brads and use pop dots to adhere them so everything lies flat.

The next step was to create the wings for the clock.  I used paper-backed foil tape used in the heating and air-conditioning industry and hand cut three layers for each wing.  Then I took an embossing stylus and other metal working tools (Walnut Hollow) and gave them lots of texture.  They were painted with Coffee Bean acrylic paint (Folk Art) and then that was wiped off.  Next I blended some Adirondack Caramel, Rust, Ginger and Gold Mixative Alcohol Ink (Ranger) and coated each layer before I adhered them together.

The rest of the embellishments were not altered - Key (Kay & Co.), Clock, Trinket Pin and Lock (Tim Holtz), Gears (Bead Landing) and Button (my sewing basket).

I hope you will join us at The Mirror Crack'd for our first challenge and show us your mixed media/altered art project - but remember, no cards.

Tag - Tim Style

The new challenge at Sugar Creek Hollow this time is called Tag, You're It and we want you to make vintage or shabby chic stand alone tags or put them on your cards or other projects.

I have never participated in one of the Tim Holtz tag challenges but thought I would give it a go this month (12 Tags of 2014 August).  I checked out his tutorial and then started digging through my craft room to see what I had on hand to accomplish a tag that sort of resembled his masterpiece.

Since I followed the tutorial pretty closely, I won't repeat the steps here but will just give a list of supplies this time:

Stamps:
Gentlemen (Tim Holtz Curious Possibility)
Vintage Ads (Recollections Vintage Ads)

Tissue Wrap:
Tim Holtz Melange

Stencils:
Letter Jumble (Dylusions)
Moroccan (Heidi Swap)

Distress Stains:
Wild Honey (Ranger)
Faded Jeans (Ranger)
Barn Door (Ranger)
Peeled Paint (Ranger)

Metals:
Button and Trinket Pin (Tim Holtz)
Gears and Ruler (Bead Landing)
Word Bar ( Kay & Company)

Alcohol Ink:
Meadow (Ranger)
Sailboat Blue (Ranger)

Other:
Light Molding Pate (Golden)
Glue and Seal ( Inkssentials)
Seam Binding (Hug Snug)
Walnut Stain Distress Ink (Ranger)
Burlap String

This was a ton of fun to create and I might have to tackle another one soon.

Besides Tim's challenge, I am going to enter this tag in the following challenges:

Eclectic Paperie - Embossing
Tag Along - Vintage Inspired
Make My Monday - Tags and Toppers

A Summer Garden

It is time for a new challenge at Frilly and Funkie and I am the hostess this time so I chose a theme called A Summer Garden.  I want to see your vintage or shabby chic projects that remind you of a summer garden.  It doesn't have to be just flowers but could also be the landscaping or even fruits and vegetables.

Share your Summer Garden 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! 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. If you are entering through a public forum please sue the keyword F&F. Also, please be sure to turn off your Word Verification so our Design Team can leave you comments.

I don't have a veggie garden anymore although I wish I did because nothing tastes better than freshly picked produce.  I do have greenery and some flowers, mostly in pots so that is where I went with my card for this challenge.  It is also a bit of a wishful thinking type card because I also don't have a gazebo or climbing flowers.

I started with some green Bazzill card stock for my blank and then added a layer of background paper from the Maja Designs Coffee in the Arbor pack.  On top of that I added a piece of paper from the Maja Designs Autumn Basics pack and tucked a row of venise lace on the side.  Both pieces of paper were distressed with my scissors.

The gazebo was cut on my Cameo from Tim Holtz grunge paper and given a coat of gesso.  Then I decided to add some texture with texture paste before I painted it with some Picket Fence Distress Crackle Paint and swiped on some Frayed Burlap Distress Ink.

The grass and leaves were cut on my Cameo from Tim Holtz Color Core card stock and then inked with some Iced Spruce DI.  The little flowers were punched with a Marvy Uchida punch using all the scraps of Maja Designs paper and then I added some little pearl stickers from Recollections as centres and inked the edges with Aged Mahogany DI.

The sentiment was created on my computer and inked with some Frayed Burlap DI.  The sweet vintage fairy is from Israblog online.  The butterfly is a venise lace applique and I added a row of pearl stickers from Recollections for the body.

I hope you will pop over to Frilly and Funkie, check out the wonderful DT projects and then come back to show us one of your creations.

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

Frilly Steampunk

Last month I was honoured to be selected as a Top Pick at Country View Challenges and asked to do a Guest Designer spot for their Word Play challenge this month so I created this frilly steampunk card.

I started with some grey card stock from Recollections for my card blank.  The background was white card stock that I inked with Pumice Stone, Frayed Burlap and Black Soot Distress Inks from Ranger, stenciled with a harlequin stencil from TCW and then distressed with my scissors.  The text was computer generated and then inked with the same colours as the background.

The vintage clock piece was cut on my Cameo with Tim Holtz Grunge Paper and then coloured with a black Copic marker.

The steampunk lady is from a Hampton Arts set and was stamped with Jet Black Archival Ink from Ranger.  I fussy cut her before I outlined her gears with a black Sakura gel pen and coloured her face with Copic markers.The hand is a digital image from The Graphics Fairy and was fussy cut and coloured with Copic markers and some Fired Brick and Aged Mahogany Distress Ink.  The balloon digital image from Free Vintage Printables and the corset from The Graphics Fairy were both fussy cut and coloured with Fired Brick and Aged Mahogany Distress Ink.  Then I added some dollar store gems to the corset along with a skirt of tulle and organza.

Other embellishments are gears from Bead Landing and a metal arrow from The Paper Studio that I coloured with a black Copic marker, a washer from my husband's tool box and a black button from my sewing room.  The flower is made from paper-backed metal tape used in the heating and air conditioning industry.  It was cut using the Tim Holtz Tattered Florals die and textured with an embossing stylus.  Then black acrylic paint was applied and immediately wiped off leaving paint in the depressions.  One it was dry the highlights were inked with Cranberry Alcohol Ink from Ranger and a black gem was added for a centre.

Birthday Celebration

The new challenge at Sugar Creek Hollow starts today and it is called Let's Celebrate.  We want you to make vintage or shabby chic celebratory cards for birthdays. weddings, anniversaries, etc.

I decided to make a birthday card for a woman and use up some patterned paper that has been in my scrap stash for ages - so long I can't remember who made it.  It was two-sided and I used the floral side for the background and the plain side for the panel that I punched with a Martha Stewart edge punch.

I added a piece of lace that I bought from an outlet in Fancy Gap when I was visiting my friend Patti.  I added some pearls from Dollarama and then topped it with a sentiment that is inside a fancy frame from The Graphics Fairy.  I coloured the frame with some Bic markers.

The image is Lilly Elise from Imogemes and she is mounted on a piece of card stock that has been inked with some Walnut Stain Distress Ink from Ranger.

The flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts and from Excelsior Wholesale and the brown ribbon is from Fabricland.

Saturday Step X Step at Frilly & Funke

Today it is my turn to present the Saturday Step X Step at Frilly and Funkie and as I promised on Wednesday, I am going to give all the details about how I made my Artist Trading Block for the current challenge.  Here is a little peak at one of the sides of the block.  Pop over to Frilly and Funkie to see all the steps.

Artist Trading Block

The new challenge starts today at Frilly and Funkie and this time Jenny is our hostess. She is calling it Hip to be Square and she wants you to create a 3D vintage or shabby chic project based on a cube shape.

The Design Team have used Artist Trading Block cubes (available at The Funkie Junkie Boutique and further discounted by 15% for the length of this challenge) but let's be clear, you can use your own templates, dies or hand cut cubes if you would prefer. Decorate, embellish and alter them in any way you choose as long as they are cube shaped and have a vintage or shabby chic feel.

For this challenge we are teaming up with our friends at 'The Artists on the Block'. They have a dedicated Design Team using Eileen Hull Designs cubes (and many other 3D die cut shapes) in incredibly imaginative ways so make sure you take a look for some added inspiration. Their companion challenge blog 'Art With Heart' is having an 'Anything Goes' theme this month so you've got the option to enter your creations there as well to be in with a chance to win a brand new Eileen Hull Designs die!"

My little box is only 2 1/2 inches square on each side so I decided to go over the top and create a super-sized peony for the top.  I am going to be hosting the Saturday Step X Step feature at Frilly and Funkie on August 16th so come back then to see how I made the flower and put all of this together.

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

Fan-Tastic Tuesday - Anything Goes (must be square or rectangular)
Through The Craft Room Door - Anything Goes
My Craft Spot - 3D Flowers

Edited to add:

Art With Heart Challenge - Anything Goes

In the meantime, I will tell you that I got all of these products from The Funkie Junkie Boutique to make my little block.

Sizzix Sale

STOP PRESS


The Funkie Junkie Boutique is having a Sizzix overstock sale. From now through August 11th, all in-stock Sizzix products are an extra 15% off. That includes Tim Holtz Alterations dies and texture fades. Some of the older dies are discounted even more. The sale does not include pre-ordered products.

Check the 'On Sale' tab at the boutique to see what's on sale. It's a great time to stock up on all the seasonal dies and texture fades.

Shop early because quantities are limited.

Summer Sunshine

It is time for another new challenge at Sugar Creek Hollow and this time we are calling it SUMMER SUNSHINE.  We want to see vintage or shabby chic projects with the bright colours of summer - oranges, reds, strong yellows, etc.

Many of my neighbours have trellises in their gardens with climbing roses or clematis but since I don't, the closest I can get to having a trellis is to put it on a card.

I started with some Bazzill card stock for my blank and then added a background paper from Basic Grey.

The hexagon "trellis" was cut from Tim Holtz Grunge paper on my Cameo and then I sponged it with Crushed Olive Distress Ink from Ranger.  Next I added all the climbing roses from Wild Orchid Crafts and some twirls from the cut-off flower stems.  I made the stick pin by adding some beads from my stash to a pearl-headed pin from Dollarama.

The bird cage is a wooden die cut from The Paper Studio and I rubbed it with Classic Gold wax paste from Treasure Gold.  The crinkly bow is some Hug Snug Seam Binding that I dyed with a mixture of Aged Mahogany and Ripe Persimmon Distress Inks from Ranger.  The bird is a silver charm from Arton Bead Supply and I re-coloured it with Terra Cotta Alcohol Ink from Ranger.

Finally, the sentiment is from Create with TLC and I distressed the edges with my scissors and inked it with some Ranger Antique Linen Distress Ink.

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

Deep Ocean Challenge  - Summer Colours
Perfectly Rustics - Bow or Ruffle
Lacy Sunshine Challenge - Flowers

Journey vs. Destination

The new challenge is starting today at Frilly and Funkie and this time Nancy is our hostess.  She wants us to make vintage or shabby chic projects that depict Vintage Travel. 

I decided to make another page for my art journal.  If you recall my New Year's resolution was to get to Paris this year so that is what my page focuses on.  I actually made this a few weeks ago at a time when my husband was on strike (certainly not his choice) so now because of the lost income and the horrible exchange rate this vacation has been put on hold.  I guess I will have to make that resolution again next year.

In the meantime, here are the details of my page:

I started by inking the page with Wild Honey Distress Ink and then adding some images from The Graphics Fairy and a few torn pieces of music paper from My Mind's Eye.  Then I dry brushed it with some Gesso and inked again lightly with Antique Linen Distress Ink.

The next step was to stencil the dots with some Olive Archival Ink through a Dylusions stencil.  Next I used some white Embossing paste with a Wendy Vecchi stencil to create the stripes and they automatically picked up some of the Wild Honey colour where the Gesso didn't completely cover it - unexpected but I love what it did.

The lady and her bicycle is from Indigo Blu and I stamped it with Jet Black Archival Ink and then inked with some Old Paper Distress Ink.  The Paris and Eiffel Tower images are from Stampabilities and were stamped with more Jet Black Archival Ink.  The sentiment was done on my computer and after I doodled some boxes around each word, I also inked them with Old Paper DI.

The chipboard Fleur de Lis was a gift and was coloured with Olive Archival Ink.  The large rosette was made with some Melissa Frances ribbon and a pearl brad that I coloured with a Copic marker was added as a centre.

The flowers were made with a punch from Marvy Uchida, stamped with the Wendy Vecchi Vintage Wallpaper Background Stamp using Orange Blossom Archival Ink and then shaped before I added some Making Memories brads for centres.  The leaves were cut with my Cameo.

The filigree flower motif was bronze but I coloured it with a mixture of alcohol inks - Meadow, Honeycomb, Gold Mixative and Snow Cap Mixative.  Finally I added a Prima button and a couple strips of venise lace.

I am going enter this project in the following challenges:

Tuesday Throwdown - Other Than a Card or Tag
Card Mania - Vacation/Travel
Ooh-La-La-creations - Vintage
Crafting When We Can - Make Your Own Background
Open-minded Crafting Fun - Vacation

The following items came from The Funkie Junkie Boutique - a great place to shop with supper pricing and wonderful customer service:

Vintage Travel

The new challenge is starting today at Sugar Creek Hollow and we are calling it On The Road.  We want to see vintage or shabby chic projects that depict vintage travel so please make sure any image that you use is vintage.

I made this flat card a couple weeks ago when my husband was on strike (not one he supported either) and quite frankly I was feeling a bit flat myself.  He is back to work after 3 weeks of walking a picket line and losing significant income so you can bet my spirits and my crafting have had a lift.

This is a small card with some Recollections kraft card stock for the blank.    The background panel was a scrap of cream card stock that I embossed with the Tim Holtz Postcard texture fade and inked with some Frayed Burlap Distress Ink from Ranger.

The auto image is from Indigo Blu and was stamped with Jet Black Archival Ink also from Ranger.  The suitcases are Stampin Up images and have been coloured with Prismacolour pencils and blended with Gotrick OMS.

The two travel words are from some My Mind's Eye paper and the hotel ads are from Ephemera Society.  Finally I added some black brads from Making Memories.

Cool Water

 The new challenge at Frilly and Funkie is hosted by Rebecca and she wants us to create vintage or shabby chic projects depicting Cool Water.  Use an image of water in your creation. It can be anything from droplets to the ocean! Keep yourself cool, just thinking of water...

I decided to make a canvas with this mermaid image from Vintage Moth as the focal point.  She was distressed with my scissors and then inked a bit with some Vintage Photo Distress Ink. 

I started by working on the background.  First I glued some torn pieces from an old book and some tissue wrap on a 7 x 9" canvas as well as a few pieces of drywall tape for texture.  Then I dry brushed it with a light coat of Gesso.

The whole canvas was then sprayed randomly with Vibrant Turquoise, Dirty Martini and Lemon Zest Dylusions spray ink.  I then dry brushed it with some acrylic craft paint, wiping it back with some baby wipes.  It was still a bit too bright so I gave it a spray with White Linen Dylusions spray ink.

Next I coloured some white embossing paste with acrylic paint and added some dots with a Wendy Vecchi stencil called Poka Dotty.   Then I rubbed some Rose Quartz Treasure Gold Wax Paste and some Blue Jaquard Lustre Paste randomly over the canvas.  Finally I inked the sides and edges with some Vintage Photo Distress Ink.

The next step was to colour the filigree corner, which was a bronze colour and the fish charm from Arton Bead Supply, which was silver.  I used a mixture of Lemonade, Terra Cotta, Pool, Meadow and Gold Mixative Alcohol inks to dab on them.   After I got them the colour I wanted, I rubbed them with a wee bit of the Wax Paste.

Then I coloured the flowers.  The small flower on the bottom was a bronze metal flower.  I painted it with some Gesso and once it was dry, I mixed some Perfect Pearl, Forever Green and Blue Patina  Perfect Pearl Powder with some Winsor & Newton Gum Arabic and painted it again.  The fabric flowers are both Prima flowers and the little one was bright royal blue while the large one was a bright turquoise so I painted both of them with the Perfect Pearls mixture. The tiny flower has a Prima paper flower for a centre and the other two have gems from Dress It Up for centres.

The Venise Lace was coloured with some Vintage Photo Distress Ink and I added some burlap to the top right corner and tied the fish on with some burlap string.  The starfish that I stole from a shell collection in the downstairs bathroom was bright orange so I rubbed some of the Rose Quartz paste on it to calm it down a bit.  I added some more little shells that came from Michaels, some gems and pearls from Dollarama and Recollections along with a few beads left over from my days of making head pieces and jazzing up bathing suits for my daughter's synchronized swimming competitions.  The button came from my stash and I found the earring in my Mother-in-Law's sewing room stash and just removed the back.

The text was made from Grunge Paper and cut with my Cameo.  I coloured it with Evergreen Bough Distress Ink and then edged it with some Vintage Photo Distress Ink.

I started this canvas before I went away in June but finished it after I returned.  Just as I finished it I received a post in my reading list from Such A Pretty Mess and wouldn't you know she had done a mermaid canvas. She has always been such an inspiration so it wasn't any surprise that my canvas had some similar elements even though I had not seen hers when I made it.

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

Creative Card Crew - Sea/Beach
Craft My Life - Anything Goes but No Cards
Crafty Cardmakers - Under The Sea

The following items used in the creation of my canvas were obtained from The Funkie Junkie Boutique:

Notepad Holder

The new challenge at Sugar Creek Hollow is called It's Charming.  We want you to create vintage or shabby chic cards or other projects that have a metal charm or other metal on them.

Provided we have at least nine entries in the challenge we will choose one random winner who will receive a little piece of word art along with a winner's badge to display. The Design Team will choose their Top Pick and that creator will receive a winner's badge and also be in the running for a monthly Guest Designer spot.

As I mentioned last time, I was in Virginia visiting Patti Painter and on one of the days that we crafted we made these really cool notepad holders.  The template was Patti's but when we started to create I suggested that we tweak the inside to include a pocket so that the notepad could be replaced once it was empty of useful pages.  She liked that idea so between the two of us we came up with new measurements and it worked beautifully.

Here is how mine came together noting that Patti let me use all of her supplies and she has some beautiful things to work with:

For the outside, I started with a piece of Stampin Up card stock and then added some patterned paper from K & Company.  The opposite side of the paper was used to make the panel and I used a Martha Stewart edge punch to make the border.  The lace is from a fabric outlet mall in Fancy Gap, Virginia that we went to.  The pearls are from Want To Scrap.

The flowers were made with card stock scraps using the Peonies die from Spellbinders and have brads from Making Memories as centres.  The branch is a Sissix Die.

The sentiment is from Stampendous and has been stamped onto a Spellbinders Labels 18 die.  The little butterfly is a Martha Stewart punch and was stamped with a script stamp from Gina K. Designs.  Patti wasn't sure where the gorgeous metal heart came from but it makes a lovely frame for the butterfly.

The edges of all the card stock and paper pieces have been inked with Vintage Photo Distress Ink from Ranger.

Next I worked on the inside.  I added a strip of the floral patterned paper to the top of the notepad to make it prettier.

Finally I decorated the pocket with more of the patterned papers and some pearl flourishes.  That is the back of the notepad that you see inside the pocket.  The pads came from WalMart and are roughly 5" x 8".

This was a super fun project to make and would make wonderful gifts for teachers, service providers and of course, friends.  I gave this one to Patti to keep once it was done.  By the way, Patti made a gorgeous one too with a beach theme and did hers in half the time I took to make mine - I am such a slow crafter.

Summer Heat

The new challenge at Frilly and Funkie starts today.  Sue is our hostess and she wants us all to think SUMMER HEAT.  Now that isn't difficult in my neck of the woods with temperatures at 40C (104F) if you factor in the humidity.  Seriously though, Sue wants you to make vintage or shabby chic cards or other projects that make you think of the vibrant colours associated with summer and she wants to see at least one bloom on your project.

The challenge will run for two weeks and at the end one random winner will be awarded a $25 gift certificate to The Funkie Junkie Boutique and the Design Team will choose their Top Pick and that person will have the opportunity to be a Guest Designer.  A couple of reminders - your projects must fit the challenge theme as well as the style, your entry must link to your post, your post must contain a link to Frilly and Funkie and you may only enter a total of 10 challenges, one of which is Frilly and Funkie.

Here is how I made my card:

I started with some card stock from Recollections to make the blank.  Next I put some Orange Blossom and Red Geranium Archival Ink on my craft sheet along with a drop of Gold Mixative Alcohol Ink and spritzed it with some Rubbing Alcohol.  Then I dragged a piece of Specialty Stamping Paper through it until it was covered - spritzing along the way with more rubbing alcohol to make sure it was runny enough.  I used my heat gun to make sure it was dry before I carried on.

Once dry, I used a natural sea sponge to dab a bit more Red Geranium on.  Then I did some stenciling using Orange Blossom Archival Ink with Wendy Vecchi's Polka Dotty stencil, Cornflower Archival Ink with Wendy's Dots and Stripes Border stencil and Olive Green and a Heidi Swapp stencil to make the branch.

The filigree metal corner started life as a bronze colour so I coated it with Picket Fence Distress Stain, dried it with my heat gun and then dabbed on some Lemonade and Terra Cotta Alcohol Inks before I dried it again.

The bird was part of the Heidi Swapp stencil but I made a paper pattern of him and then cut him out of Grunge Paper.  I decided he needed a wing so that was just hand drawn and cut.  I covered both the bird and his wing with Faded Jeans Distress Ink and then inked the edges with some Vintage Photo DI.  The gem for his eye came from Dollarama.

The Venise Lace was dyed with Vintage Photo DI and the panel it is attached to was some cream card stock from my scraps that I inked with Squeezed Lemonade and Wild Honey DI and then ran through the Tim Holtz Honeycomb Texture Fade.  After I distressed the edges with my scissors I highlighted it with some Orange Blossom Archival Ink.

The image is from the True Art stamp set by Wendy Vecchi.  I stamped it with Jet Black Archival Ink on Specialty Stamping Paper, fussy cut it and then painted it with Scattered Straw, Shabby Shutters, Peeled Paint, Ripe Persimmon and Festive Berries DI.

The bow is some organza ribbon I picked up at a great outlet store in Fancy Gap, Virginia (love that name) and then I added a floral button and some burlap string.

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

House of Cards - Add a Bow
My Besties UK - Anything Goes/Summer
Timbro Scrap Mania - Summer (must use stamp - flower is stamped)
Vintage Stamping Challenges - Summer Blooms (must use stamp - flower is stamped)
Catered Crop - Summer Lovin
Fashionable Stamping - Flowers (must use a flower stamp)

The following items used to create this card are available at The Funkie Junkie Boutique:

Floral Beauty

The new challenge at Sugar Creek Hollow begins today and since this is the official first day of summer and everything is finally green and gardens are full of flowers, we are calling it FLORAL.  We want to see vintage or shabby chic projects featuring flowers.

We are pleased to be welcoming Doodle Pantry back as a sponsor and they will be providing one random winner with a $10 gift certificate to their store (can't be combined with another coupon).

All the designers at Sugar Creek Hollow have used a different floral image from our sponsor to create of their cards and I chose the Lily Collection and then went with the Easter Lily to make my simple shabby card.

Before I tell you about my card for this challenge, let me tell you what I did last week.  I spent a week visiting Patti Painter at her home.  Some of you may remember that Patti was on the Sugar Creek Hollow DT but even after she stepped down, she kindly agreed to stay on as my backup and posts when I am away.  We had the most wonderful week chatting, sightseeing, crafting, cooking together and of course, sharing some wine.  Patti is the most lovely lady, a terrific hostess, a talented crafter, a super cook and most of all a wonderful friend - she is THE BEST and I am blessed to know her.

Now on to my card - I used some white card stock from Recollections for my blank and then added some gingham paper and another panel and corner of mini polka dot paper from My Mind's Eye for the background.

The sentiment was computer generated and then I punched each end with a Martha Stewart punch before I inked it with Spun Sugar Distress Ink from Ranger.

The image was printed twice and one was cut using a Nellie Snellen die.  The die cut image was inked with more Spun Sugar DI.  The other image was fussy cut and then both images were coloured with Prismacolors and blended with Gotrick OMS.  The fussy cut image was added on top of the other image with pop dots.

I added a strip of lace from Sussman Bridal Supply and topped them with some pearl stickers.  The loopy bow was made with some organza ribbon from Michaels and another pearl sticker was added to the centre.  Finally I added some Recollections pearl flourishes to finish off the card.

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

Craftitude Challenges  - Flowers and/or Lace
In The Pink - Flower Garden
Digichoosday  - In The Pink
Make My Monday - Pretty In Pink
Crafty Bloggers Network - Bingo (Die Cut, Ribbon or Lace, Pearls)

Summery Tag

The new challenge at Frilly and Funkie begins today is called CASE IT.  We want you to make a tag or card and base it on one of Linda's Twelve Tags of Christmas but with a summer twist. You must include a link to the tag you cased and say which elements you used as your inspiration.  Here is a link to the first of Linda's 12 Twelve Tags of Christmas 2013 so you can choose which one you want to CASE.

Let's see your summery take on one of Linda's tags for a chance of winning a Guest DT spot at Frilly and Funkie or a $25 spending spree at The Funkie Junkie Boutique!

As you can see I made a tag - a busy tag but definitely full of summer colours and elements.

This is the tag I am CASEing and I used the layout, the flowers, heart, die cuts and ribbon topper as my inspiration.

I started with one of Linda's big manilla tags and inked it all over with Scattered Straw and a bit of Peeled Paint Distress Ink.  Then I used Fired Brick DI and a TCW stencil called Flower Frenzy to stencil the background.

I cut the large baroque die cut, ran it through the honeycomb texture fade and then inked it with all the Distress Ink colours I used on the background.  The butterfly was punched with a Martha Stewart punch and I added some wire from Artistic Wire for antennae and some gems from Dollarama for the body.

The sentiment is from Create With TLC and I did a print and cut on my Cameo and then inked it all over with Fired Brick DI.  Next I dyed some cheesecloth with Fired Brick DI and topped it with some leaves cut with the Tim Holtz Tattered Leaves die and inked with Peeled Paint DI.

The heart was hand cut from some Maja Designs paper, distressed with my scissors and lightly inked with more Fired Brick DI.  I added a Venise Lace heart applique that was inked with Scattered Straw DI and some gold gems from Dollarama.

The flowers were cut on my Cameo from some Basic Grey floral paper and some red digital paper from Raspberry Road.  I used some little red brads from Making Memories to make centres and then spritzed them with water and did some scrunching to make them look shabby.  I topped the tag with some red paper ribbon that has been in my craft room for eons.

I used the following products from The Funkie Junkie Boutique in my tag:

Here Comes The Bride

It is time for a new challenge at Sugar Creek Hollow and in keeping with the month of June we are calling it Here Comes The Bride.  We want to see vintage or shabby chic projects with a wedding theme.

I started my card with some white card stock from Staples for the blank.  Next I found some pink paper in my scraps and kicked it up a bit by stenciling a lattice pattern with some Worn Lipstick Distress Ink from Ranger.  Unfortunately the packaging for the stencil is gone and I am not positive who made it and would only be guessing. 

The wonderful image of the bride and her bridesmaids came from Victoriana.com.  I mounted the image on top of a paper doily from Wilton.  Next I added a bunch of flowers from Wild Orchid Crafts and some crystal sprays from Excelsior Wholesale.

The sentiment was made on my computer and inked with more Worn Lipstick DI.  The loopy bow was made from white organza ribbon from Arton Bead Supply and then I added a few pink gems from Dollarama to the background and the bow.

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

In The Pink - Shabby Chic/Vintage
Paper Crafting Journey - Perfect in Pink
Make My Monday - Weddings

Saturday Step X Step Reminder

I just wanted to remind you to pop over to Frilly and Funkie today and see how I made the Father's Day card that I posted on Wednesday.

No. 1 Dad

The new challenge at Frilly and Funkie is called For All Our Fathers and with Father's Day fast approaching we want to see vintage or shabby chic projects for a Father in your life - your own Father, your Husband or any other fellow who is a Father.

I haven't had a Father in my life for more than 30 years so whenever I make a card for Father's Day, it is either for my Husband as this one is or for my Grandchildren to give to their Dad.

I am on the Frilly side of the team at Frilly and Funkie and while I had some initial trepidation about making something for a guy that would live up to that without looking feminine in the end I think I managed to pull it off.

I am going to be presenting the Saturday Step X Step on June 7th so come back then for details on this card.  I can tell you a bit about the image though.  The other night I was asking my Husband to remind me what kind of car he had for his first car and he told me it was a 1959 American Motors Rambler - black with a white top.  This is an image of that model of car and when you come to Frilly and Funkie on Saturday, I will tell you how I made it.

The funny thing is that my first car was also from American Motors and was a 1974 mint green Hornet Hatchback.  It was a nice car (as all first cars are) but it was only a two door model and as time went on the weight of the doors caused problems and after we had our daughter, it became a pain to put her in and out of the back seat.  There have been lots of cars since then and all have been four-door models.

I will be entering this card in the following challenges:

Bearly Mine - One For The Boys
Country View Challenges - Only Men Allowed
Doodle Pantry - Make It Manly
Really Reasonable Ribbon - Masculine - must include ribbon or trim (jute ribbon)
Allsorts Challenge - For The Guys
My Sheri Crafts - Anything Masculine
Speedy Fox and Friends - Vintage

I have used the following products from The Funkie Junkie Boutique in the creation of this card: