Trying New Things

My cousin and I have an awful habit. We go on a major shopping spree during the Great Lakes Mega Meet and then come home and neglect to use what we bought.

This year, she gave me two weeks to use what I bought. I’m not sure this made it under the deadline, but I created this card in response to her challenge.

The picket fence stencil, the Crackle Texture Paste, the bird stamps and the bird Mat Minis are all from Wendy Vecchi Studio 490. I love how the stamps match the Mat Minis … it makes it so easy to create dimensional objects.

The Crackle Texture Paste is really cool … in order to get the best crackle, you need to use it over a metallic embossing paste (embossing paste and texture paste are interchangeable words … when I refer to it, I use the term on that particular jar.) I had copper at home, so that’s what I tried this on.

I applied copper embossing paste through the stencil. Let it dry. Then relined up the stencil and applied a thick layer of Crackle Texture Paste and let it dry … the thicker the paste, the thicker the cracks.

I love this look, so expect to see it on a lot of my creations in the future!

What about you … do you make it a point to use new products right away or do you just use them to build your “collection”?

A Lacy Canvas

I have been on Pinterest quite a bit lately. One of the things that keeps popping up is lace and vintage neutral fabrics made into books, banners and mixed-media art.

I wanted to play with this style myself, but not wanting to get out the sewing machine, I thought I would try it with canvas.

I started by adhering pieces of cheesecloth, eyelet and lace to the canvas with Prima’s Heavy Body Gel. This is a great medium for adhering heavy and difficult-to-adhere items. I put on a layer of the gel, then the lace, and then another layer of the gel. It worked well, except I noticed it can easily build up inside the pieces of lace. I also didn’t like the sort of plastic look it gave when dry — even though I did not get the glossy, it still has too much shine for me.

I also used a stencil and texture paste to add a bit more texture and design. This didn’t work too well on the bumpy lace, but you would never know if you don’t try.

I wanted to add a little color, so I spritzed it with Dylusions spray. Again, not the best solution, but it did add a bit of color here and there. One problem was that when I went to glue anything on top of it, because it is water soluble, I got a bit of rose ink on my canvas. NOTE: Use permanent or archival product instead!

Next I used Archival Ink and an ink applicator to color the lace. I added a photo of my husband’s grandmother (a favorite of mine) and then I went to work adhering flowers, gems and other embellishments.

I used chipboard letters and the same Archival Ink to create the title … 

Many of the objects I added were leftovers from other projects or the last one of something I have been carrying around for years. The buttons sewed onto tulle was something new I purchased at the Great Lakes Mega Meet. The key is also new from Tim Holtz. The fragment (square clock face) had been made years ago for another project and was never used. I finally put it to good use!

The metal stars and flowers are new from Prima. The bird charm I made by trimming a piece of art from Craft Fantastic to fit an old bezel I had from Hobby Lobby. I then coated the entire thing with a layer of Globecraft UV Resin (which I haven’t used in years. Globecraft is now part of Sweet Stamps.) and let it sit in the sun for a few minutes to cure. I forgot how much fun that stuff was!

I love how my canvas turned out, although I do need to find a different medium to adhere the lace next time. Have you tried any of these techniques?

Stamp It Stencil It Genius

One of the things I plan to offer regularly on my blog are product reviews and tutorials. With fewer independent stores, we are forced to purchase the majority of our products online. The problem is, no one shows us how to use the products and we cannot see and touch them ourselves. While I cannot let you see and touch things on my blog, either, I can try my best to critically review and share as much as possible about the products to make it easier for you to make a purchase decision. Some of the products I will feature I sell in my retail store. Others I do not, but I will provide you with links so you know where to get them.

The first product I want to start with is not new. It has been around for several years, but since I did not understand how it worked, I have not purchased it before. At the Great Lakes Mega Meet, I finally got up the courage to tell Wendy Vecchi, the genius who created this product, that I didn’t get it. She showed me the part I was missing and my head exploded!

This inventive product is called Stamp-It Stencil-It. It comes with a cling mounted rubber stamp and a matching stencil. You can use either piece on its own. But the magic happens when you use them together. The stencil actually acts as a mask for coloring in the flowers quickly and easily.

Since it is called, Stamp-It, Stencil-It, Wendy says you stamp it first. Then you line up the stencil and use it to mask off the leaves while you color the flower and then mask off the flower while you color the leaves. Notice in the photo above how, when lined up with the flower, the leaves are covered. This allows you to take an ink blending tool or makeup sponge and color the flower quickly and easily. Genius!! (just be careful not to go off the edge of the stencil).

The technique works so well that I was able to use the stencil to add Transparent Gloss Texture Paste over the middle flower to make it glossy and beautiful.

And here is the finished card … the flowers and leaves are colored with Wendy Vecchi’s Archival Inks. The background is colored with Distress ink.

You can order the inks and texture paste from me. The Stamp-It, Stencil-It sets are available from Stampers’ Anonymous. There are dozens of ink colors and even more stamp sets to pick from. I brought several home with me. And, yes, I wish every stamp came with one of these stencils!

From Goodwill to My Kitchen

I took a recent Goodwill find and turned it into this adorable hook to hold my pot holders in my kitchen.

This is what the hook originally looked like. I knew it would be easy to make it into something I love …

I started by painting the entire plaque with white acrylic paint.

Then I used Wendy Vecchi’s faux graniteware technique on the hook. The little medallion I coated in Wendy’s embossing powder. But, it seemed a little bright (I didn’t want it to look like McDonald’s) so I added a bit of her Potting Soil Archival Ink to soften the yellow.

Then I covered the plaque in Graphic 45’s Home Sweet Home papers. I love this collection!

Here it is hanging on the wall in my kitchen. Cute??

Yummm

I’ve been a little behind on my blog posts lately … mostly because it is summer. I love this time of the year when I can sit outside and watch the chickens play and enjoy picking my dinner from the garden each evening. Of course, there is also a lot of work to be done putting up the produce we grow, which cuts into my crafting time.

But, since the beets, zucchini, yellow squash, peas and peppers are in the freezer and we’ve made three different kinds of pickles, plus pickled peppers and onions, I have found time for a few little projects while waiting on the tomatoes to ripen.

This is one project I have been wanting to do for months — I just couldn’t think of what I wanted to spell. Then, while at Red Robin, I saw they had the word Yummm on their wall and I thought it would be perfect.

The Y is a clear acrylic letter from Clear Scraps. I added paper from Graphic 45 to the back of it and then cut out additional parts of the paper and adhered them with dimensional foam adhesive to the front.

These Ms — both wooden letters from a craft store — are both coated with Wendy Vecchi’s embossing powders. I then used white pigment ink and her stamp to create faux graniteware. I love this technique … check out her blog for complete instructions.

The U and the other M were used as purchased from Michael’s.

And here it is hanging in my kitchen. So cute!

Fun with Stencils

Welcome to a new month and a new challenge with Scrap It Girl … Stencils and Masks. I love stencils and I wanted to try them with a variety of mediums, including paint, paste and ink.

I started by coloring a piece of white cardstock in a variety of Distress Ink colors.

Then I used a stencil from The Crafter’s Workshop and Distress Paint to add a bit of chicken wire.

(the blue came off of the stencil. I thought it was just stained, but it came off. I left it there as a little character.)

Next, I used another Crafter’s Workshop Stencil, along with Dreamweaver’s Glossy Black Embossing Paste to add a few weeds.

Then, I punched out a circle and used Distress Ink and a Wendy Vecchi stencil to add the word “Happy”.

I covered chipboard letters with Distress Paint. I used Removable Glue Dots to keep the letters in place while I painted.

Then I adhered the front to a card base, put on the letters and added a few bees from Little B.

It’s bold and it is very different from my usual creations. I am still not sure if I like it or not … what do you think?

Now it’s your turn … create a project with masks or stencils and post it to Scrap It Girl. You could win an amazing collection of prizes! Good luck!

 

Peeps in Pink

Our challenge on the Mosaic Moments Design Team this time was to create a page with texture. I opted for a mixed-medial approach and provided you with step-by-step directions to create the background on Journella.

Click here to see it and cheer me on!

Created by Sydney

This is Sydney. She is my cousin’s daughter parrot. Becky, my cousin, has five parrots and each one is awesome, but Sydney is special. She is an amazing bird. She talks, she sings opera, she laughs at jokes. Sydney even senses emotions and responds accordingly.

I recently spent a few days with my cousin and while she at work, it was just me and the birds. While I was upstairs in Becky’s studio, Sydney, who was downstairs, called me repeatedly. We spent hours yelling through the house and mimicking each other. “Hi” “Hi” “Helllloooo” “Hellloooo” etc.

But, one day I was particularly sad (I suffer from chronic depression). That day, Sydney started calling me “Baby,” singing to me, and telling jokes — I couldn’t understand what she was saying, but I figured it out when she started laughing. After a few hours, I really did feel better. I figured the change in Sydney was because she was getting to know me better, but the next day we were right back to “Hi”.

Anyhow, Sydney likes to go up to the studio when Becky is creating. She has a special cage on Becky’s desk where she works on her own cards and creations with leftover cardstock and adding-machine tape. I “stole” some of Sydney’s adding-machine tape when I came home so I could turn her work of art into one that would forever hang on my wall.

I started with a blank canvas that I painted with Distress Paint. (Distress Paint is like acrylic paint, but while wet, it reacts with water. And I love the feel the paint has after it dries.)

 

Then I used stencils, Distress Paint, Ranger Archival Ink and Wendy Vecchi Studio 490 Embossing Paste to create a background.

Then, I went over the top with a light layer of paint and some Distress Ink to help calm down the boldness a bit.

Next came Sydney’s work … I sprayed the adding-machine tape with Glimmer Mists and crinkled it up. All of the tears and cuts along the edge are Sydney’s work. After it was dry, I sprayed it lightly with Ink Refresher to keep it soft and malleable while I was gluing it to the canvas.

Next, I stamped some quotes and sayings from Wendy Vecchi Studio 490 onto white cardstock. I cut them apart and used Distress Ink to color them.

 

 

 

I added a photo of Sydney and some feathers from some of Becky’s birds.Then I added a variety of doo dads and flowers to finish off the piece.

I also made one for Becky to hang in her studio …

 

Be a Designer of Dreams

I’m on the Linnie Blooms blog today … hop on over there and see how I created this adorable, little wall hanging.

What would you do for love?

My husband hates having his picture taken.

But, for love, he graciously poses time and time again so I can take photos.

I created this page to thank him for his support …

I used a few simple techniques to modify some of the pieces this time … learn all about it, here.