Paris By Thirteen, Part One

     Here is my last project for Unique Laser Designs and for 2014, really.  This project is a set of G45 tags that will be part of a memento that I will give to my niece.

     In August I was able to go with my kids, my mom, and my thirteen year old niece to Paris.  I hope everyone enjoyed Paris with me!

I did not cover the tags with paper.  I stamped the kraft tags and then I used embossing powder on the edges.

Each tag was layered in Prima's Cartographer paper that was machine stitched and the edges were embossed as well.

The last page on the tag ring was kept simple on purpose.  I used accordion folded paper here to create a spot for private journaling.

     Thanks for stopping by and taking having look!  I hope to have Part Two (the tag box) finished soon!

Products:

G45: tags

Prima: paper, star brads, stamp

Unique Laser Designs: die cuts

Distress Ink

Lindy's Stamp Gang

Happy Life Wooden Tag

Hello friends!

I have a small project to share with you today. I decorated one of Unique Laser Design's wooden tags. The tags come as a set of three, so I culled one from the herd.

The tag was given a layer of gesso, then sprayed with various mists while the gesso was still wet. I then immediately misted parts of the tag with water so the mist would look marbled. After the tag was dry, I inked a stencil on the left side. The rub-ons were added next.

I cut out paper embellishments and glued them down with gel medium.  I must have really enjoyed the gel medium, because I decided to add it over the whole tag.  Remember to use a dabbing motion when adding gel adhesive over dye ink because it will smear with your brush strokes. Once the gel had been applied, I sprinkled micro-beads over the tag. When micro-beads are applied the only sensible thing to do is add another layer of gel medium to seal those little guys in! I also gave the curly tree embellishment micro-bead treatment.

The tag was finished off with the Curly Tree laser cut, also from ULD; flowers and ribbon. Thanks for stopping by and having a look!

Vintage Keepsake Box

Hello! Today I have a box that I altered to share with you. You will have to forgive me because I dug into (again!) my favorite paper stash. Graphic 45 has the perfect paper to use for altered items that will be displayed around your home.

I knew I wanted a vintage feel to my box, then I decided to make it masculine. I imagined what sort of things a boy might collect in this box. I just moved that collection to the top of the box.

The patterned papers were trimmed to fit the sides and top of the box. I inked the edges and applied the papers to the box. I sealed the papers with matte soft gel, because I used dye ink; I did not want the ink to come off on fingers as this piece is meant to be handled. I trimmed the flourish laser cuts,  I cut one flourish in half so it could work like a latch. Flourish B's flowers were removed. I painted the latch and corners. The corners were painted black with my eyes shut (on purpose), and I was able to ink the bare spots brown.  

Thanks for stopping by and checking out my altered keepsake box. Have a great day!

Edna says O is for One!

It's that time again!  Time for the next challenge at the Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers.  Edna challenges you to use one color, making a monochrome card.  

Here is what I put together for this challenge.  I found a piece of light blue cardstock that matched Tumbled Glass Distress ink.  The card stock became my foundation for the card.  I then used the Tim Holtz Sizzx die and embossing folder to make this dragonfly.  May I insert my pet peeve here?  Of course I may.  It's my blog.  This die and embossing folder set does not match.  The embossing folder has the antennae of the dragon fly while the die does not.  Even though I had the die, I still wound up fussy cutting the embossed dragonfly so it could have antennae!

Rant over.

I used Tumbled Glass and Broken China Distress inks on the dragonfly and its shadow.  Then I found the piece of blue fiber in my ribbon stash.  I had just enough fiber to edge the card with.  It's only taken me seven years to use that fiber up!  

Show us your one color card.  You have two weeks to complete this mission if you choose to accept it.  Link up your entry here.  And please, stop by and visit my fellow snarky stamping sisters to see what they have put together for this challenge.

Our guest designing current Queen of Snark,

Anne.

and the DT

Chris

Donna

Lindsey

Jessi

Karen

Michelle

Thanks for stopping by!  It's always a pleasure to have you visit!

B is for Buttons or Brads

It's time for challenge number 12 at the Snarky Sisterhood.  We want to see your buttons or brads.  Edna prefers Brads.  I think she has pretty good taste!

I went with the brad option myself.  

The image is from Rubber Dance, which I cut apart so I could reattach the limbs with brads.  Both backgrounds are made with Tim Holtz products.  I have used a layering stencil, Distress Paint and Distress Ink on this card.

Please check out what my Snarky Sisters have made for this challenge.  Thanks for stopping by.  If you want to be the Queen of Snark, you have until July 25 at 2355 PDT to enter your project.

Creative Canvas for Molossi

Hello there! I am a bit late to the game for the May Mood Board Challenge, but I wanted to share what I have created. There are a few days left in May, so get going on your projects and link-up to our challenge!

I am making my debut today on the Molossi blog with this project:

This is a small 6x6 inch canvas. I gave it a coat of paint to match that wonderful door on the Mood Board.  I also liked how the details were painted the same color as the door. I painted the Dusty Attic Swirly Vines to match the canvas. Next I stenciled the alphabet onto the canvas with Viva 3D Stamp-Paint. 

The tag on my canvas was made using the Graphic 45 Typography collection.  The edges of the papers were colored with Distress Inks in Black Soot and Tumbled Glass, and each layer was mounted with plenty of room in between to tuck in the feathers and other pieces of chipboard. The butterflies are Dusty Attic Flutterbies.  I painted them different colors and gave them different finishing treatments to set them off. Some of the detail work of the butterflies was done with Kaisercraft paint in black. The green butterfly was given a coat of Viva Glitter Paste for some sparkle. The red butterfly's edges were rubbed with Viva Inka-Gold in gold. I also accented some other areas of the canvas with the gold.  

The second vine chipboard, ribbon, fiber, metal bits and vacuum tube were added to the tag.  On the bottom of the canvas I added the quote "Creativity takes courage," by Henri Matisse.  Go be brave and creative! 

 Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!

I would also like to enter this into the Craft Hoarders Anonymous Challenge Blog for Challenge #8: Show us Metal or Glass

Y is for Yo Mama!

Challenge #7, "Y is for Yo Mama," is ready to be played at the Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers!  Mother's Day is coming up, so if you need to do a card, you can enter it into our challenge.  You could make your mother the lovely and sentimental card and enter our challenge.  Then you could make a card for your mother (or mother-in-law) that shows your true feelings and you could enter our challenge.  We are excepting sweet or snarky cards.

I made a sweet card.  I pulled out my secret weapon, Graphic 45, and used papers from the Secret Garden line.  

All the layers were slightly distressed.  On the bird and pattered paper I used Old Paper Distress Ink.  The plain card stock was given the dual treatment of Spiced Marmalade Distress Ink and Peach Bellini Glimmer Glam.  

I embossed the front of the card with a translucent embossing powder. On the inside of the card I used the same stamp, so I will spare you all that view.  ;)

I embellished the card with metals, flowers, fibers and a drop "gem."

Hope you like it Mom!

Please visit my snarky sisters' blogs to see what they have come up with for Mother's Day.

Shari, our current Guest Designer

Lindsey

Jessi, who made both kinds of cards!

Barb

Chris

Donna

Karen, also made both cards.