Fairy Cottage!

I have my Fairy Cottage post up on the eclectic Paperie blog today!  Come and check it out!

www.eclecticpaperie.blogspot.com

Swirlydoos Round Robin challenge

Hi there! Today I would like to share with you my Round Robin challenge page that I created for the Swirlydoos forum that I'm a part of!

I was the last week spot for the month, so I followed 3 different scrappers!  From their pages, I took the following: placing the picture in the middle of the page, use of butterflies, pastel color scheme, dripping technique, use of a doily, and having a splotchy background.

I was already late in submitting this, so I didn't add all of the cutsidella that I would normally add.  This is pretty basic for me, and actually FLAT!  What???!!!!  Can you believe it?!  The only thing not flat are the flowers!  Gasp!

But, like I could have done a better job w/ the butterfly trail.  I was trying to use my distress glitter in a different way, and using it with 3 in 1 glue just doesn't cut it.  :(  That's my FAVORITE glue EVER!  But, for some things, it just doesn't work. 

Anyway, another page done!  Whoo hoo!

Ingredients used:
Paper: Floral stack by DCWV, kraft c/s, white c/s
Ink: Sassy Pink Smooch, Blue Ice color smooch, Bubble Gum Pink Dylusions Spray
Stencils: Hexagon 12" x 12", Splatters (TH)
Embellishments: Aqua Dolce & Bubble Gum Gelatos; assorted flowers, LYB flower pins; Sizzix SU!
                            Embosslits Beautiful Wings; Picked Raspberry Distress Glitter, assorted resin
                            swirl, doily

Have a great day!

Pallet Decorating

Hi there!  I have a new love and appreciation for altered wood projects!  Pallets are my new favorite surface!  I have a HUGE industrial pallet that my friend gave to me last week.  I'm still working out what to do with that!  But, today I am sharing a much smaller pallet with you!  You can find this exact pallet at the store where I work, which is where I picked it up!  We had 3 in stock, and every time I would pass by them, it felt like they were calling my name!  Pick me!  Pick me! So, I gave in and picked one up.  I also picked up some new paper from Kaisercraft, Key To My Heart.  LOVE this paper!  And I know that the first thought for this paper would be valentine-y.  I wanted to go in a more Victorian shabby chic direction so that I could display this in my house longer than the one day of the Valentine's holiday.  I also decided to showcase pictures of my family, and not just about "love".  The reason for this is to not only be able to keep this project out longer, but also to show the versatility in the paper!  Thirdly, to give you a jumping off point for what the heck to do with a pallet!  Haha!

So, how did my project come together?  Well, when I brought the pallet home, the tops of each board were kind of yucky.  So, I sanded it all down so that it was nice and smooth.  

I painted a thin coat of white gesso to further smooth it down, and to catch any errant splinters.  I had a little problem after this when I went to adhere the paper.  I painted a coat of Matte Medium on top of the gesso so that the paper that I cut to fit each board perfectly, would adhere.  Well, it came right up.  I tried painting the Matte Medium over the paper thinking that it would smooth out and adhere.  No again.  Ok, round three.  I sprayed each backside of paper w/ Elmer's Craft Bond Spray Adhesive.  I laid each piece down, and the edges came up!  Annoying!  So, finally, I reached for my 3 In 1 glue which is my all-time FAVORITE glue, and covered each backside and using a bone folder, I smoothed the paper down each board and made sure it stuck!  Whew!  FINALLY!  

Once the glue was dry, I painted a thin coat of Matte Medium on top of each board.  I just like what it does to the paper.  It gives it a subtle sheen.  Once that dried, I sanded the edges of all the boards, rounded the corners, and sanded away some of the paper.  That's how I am able to get the shabby look.  

Once the board layer was complete, I wanted to incorporate some sort of bling.  I hate to waste (I'm such a hoarder when it comes to embellishments!) those large pearl bling swirls for something that I have to essentiallly cut up since the boards aren't side by side.  So, what's the next best thing?  Viva Pearl Pens!  And a stencil of course!  I picked up the Stars stencil by Dreamweaver, which is a new line that we're carrying in the store!  These stencils are metal, so it's so nice when you're working with a liquidy material, it doesn't get under the stencil like regular vinyl stencils will do.  Well, not much anyway.  When I took the stencil away after using the Viva Pearl Pen, my "pearls" went flat.  So, I went w/ a different texture and used my Liquid Pearls.  It turned out to work perfectly!    And everywhere that there was a star, I made a flower to take its place.  (You can see a closeup of this at the beginning of this post).
 
The flowers I created using the following dies: Sizzix Tattered Florals & Sizzix Tattered Pinecone.  The pinecone die was also helpful for the greenery around the flowers.  In the very center of this large flower are just a grouping of microbeads.  (Just an FYI).

I wanted to make this pallet more than just a piece of "art".  Something that you just hang on a wall and forget about.  I want it to be a conversation piece.  I always like my creations to pull double duty, and to be interactive.  I pulled out my brand new Accordion Flip 3D Album die by Sizzix, and cut out several pieces of cardstock, and matching Kaiser paper.  I chose my pictures and created my little mini album!  I looked on the Sizzix site as to how the pieces went together, and from the pictures, it was easy to see how it works!

And then, here's the finished piece!

I hope that this has inspired you to try some new mediums instead of just scrapbooks!  Working on different surfaces is fun and opens up your creative mind to new possibilities!  Will you try something new?!


Ingredients:
Paper: Kaisercraft Key To My Heart Collection: Irresistable, Dreamy, Charismatic, Devine, 
                                                                                     Magnetizing, & Charmed
             pink cardstock (for making album more sturdy)
Ink: white gesso, matte medium, gold pen
Embellishments and Misc.: 11.5" x 11" wood pallet; Tattered Florals Die; Tattered Pinecone
                                                 Die; Accordion Flip 3-D Album Die; Stars Dreamweaver Stencil;
                                                 Viva Pearl Pen - Ice; Platinum Liquid Pearls; glue dots; 3-IN-1
                                                  glue; sandpaper (any grit)

You can pick up any of these materials at our store!  Scrapbook Super Station, Butler, PA

Have a wonderful day!

Sketch layout

Hi there!  Today I would like to share a quick layout that I started earlier this week, and finally finished this morning!

I am a part of a facebook group where a sketch is posted each week.  It's just a motivator and a way to get scrappin'!

I participated in last week's sketch, so here it is!  This week's was just posted yesterday, so I'm still ok!  LOL!

I am completely in love with the Bo Bunny line Country Garden!  I'm using the heck out of this paper!

I followed the sketch very closely, which I don't always do.  Sometimes I get an idea in my head and go off on a tangent.  But, I have more ideas for future pages, so I just wanted to get this one done!  Esp. since I had been looking at the pictures that I had chosen earlier in the week for a few days, ready to be placed on a page!

I doodled the date and title for this page.  I didn't feel like cutting letters out, or using stencils to create my lettering.  I'm pulling a Julie Fei-Fan Balzer!  I love how she can just start writing and it's considered art!  I want to be like her!  LOL!  My writing is very blocky and boring, but that's ok!

I used joint compound for the chevrons, and my Donna Downey chevron stencil.  It's bigger than what the sketch called for, but that's all I had, and it looks fine!  

In the sketch, it looks like there are mini dew drops on top of paper buttons.  Well, I have more buttons than I know what to do with, so I added real buttons and I can't believe my good luck, but I didn't throw out my dew drops that I got a zillion years ago!  Ok, maybe 4 years to be exact.  But, I still had them!  I added them all around the page to act like actual dew drops.  See, the picture is taken in front of the Aquarium at Broadway at the Beach in Myrtle Beach.  Plus, we're at the beach.  Sun, sand, and ......water!  Are you getting my line of reasoning???!!!!

So, that's it!  I'm off to start another page!

HOPE

 Hi there!  I FINALLY had time to photograph, albeit not very well, my HOPE project for the eP eTeams Picks challenge: HOPE!  My friend Andie is in charge of this challenge!  It was so awesome to be able to create a project that she challenged us with in her presence!  To see what this challenge entails, click on the eP link.

For my project, I decided to make a vertical banner using tags.

How was this created?  Well, all of the tags are the same except for the letters.  I pulled some Bo Bunny papers, and using Matte Medium, adhered the papers to the tags.  I sponged the edges w/ Black Soot.

I added strips of drywall tape along the R side.  I used a stencil and smeared some white embossing paste and sprayed w/ Dylusions sprays.  I used different stencils and more Dylusions sprays on the letters.  I used silver embossing paste on the edges of the butterflies.  For the honeycomb in the top corner, I sprayed Black Marble Dylusions spray onto my Tim Holtz Honeycomb stencil and then stamped onto the paper.

For the letters, I drew them, as I didn't have any stencils or anything large enough.  And I didn't bring my Cricut, so I had to draw them freehand.  Then, once I cut them out, they were really boring! So, I laid each letter down on black paper and drew the shadow layer.

I attached each tag to a ribbon and knotted each end.  I cheated and added red line tape to the backs of each tag to insure that the ribbon doesn't move as it hangs in my craft room.


If this was inspiring to you, you should definitely head over to the eP blog and create something!  Once you link your creation, you are entered to win a gift cert to the eP store!!!!!

Have a wonderful day!

My MI Swirly Girls Gathering Creations

Hi there!  Today I FINALLY took time to take pictures of my layouts and projects that I created while away this last weekend scrapbooking in MI w/ some of my Swirlydoos friends!  I only had met my friend Adriana Templeton, who is on the eclectic Paperie design team w/ me, in real life last fall when I invited her on a scrapbooking weekend in West Virginia!  What fun we had!  Anyway, this past weekend, I met some more Swirly girls that I chat w/ occasionally on the forums and 2 more that I just knew from the forums.  The most wonderful part of this weekend was that we all scrapped the same way!  No Creative Memories crap to be found!!!!  Call me a snob, but it is what it is!  I learned to scrap the Swirlydoos way, which is gaining fame everywhere I look, which is incredible!, and LOVE that I only need ONE picture to create a complete layout and along w/ embellishments, it becomes a stunning page!  I was in GREAT company this weekend!  I wish the weekend didn't have to end!  But, reality has to step in at some point and we all had to go back to our normal lives.  :(
I was really motivated this weekend and ended up making 5 layouts and 2 projects!  I taught an Inky Fingers class at Scrapbook Station this past Monday, and the main focus was Studio 490's Embossing Paste!  I actually got all of my pastes from eclectic Paperie, so I worked w/ the different colors on all of my creations.

Take a look!

To create this page, I started w/ a 7 Dots paper.  ( I have no idea which one it is!)  I sprayed it w/ Leather Tattered Angels spray.  Then, I went a little crazy w/ the texture!  I smeared some white embossing paste along the L side, and adhered a small lace doily.  I added more paste, and then sprayed w/ Dylusions Sprays.  I added some silver paste to the page w/ Tim Holtz's Honeycomb stencil.  Oh, and I added some drywall tape on the horizontal panel, smeared some white paste, sprayed w/ Dylusions, and then peeled off the tape.  I love that it took off some of the paper!!!!

I added the picture and embellishments, and that's it!

This is my least favorite textured page.  I love the picture, obviously, but the textures aren't really present in this page.  That's ok!
I used 7 Dots again for this page.  I used circle stencils and translucent embossing paste.  I got the shell at Jo's in the clearance section!  The clear buttons are from SU!.

This is the first page that I created this weekend.  It's fairly simple, with not a lot of height and dimension.  That's ok too!  I wanted to show off my fussy cutting w/ this paper!  I have no idea what paper I used.  It might be Bo Bunny, but I'm not entirely sure!

I used a bowl to cut out the circle layer.  I used Andie's large leafy flourish dies, and then I cut out the flowers w/ my exacto knife!  I added drywall tape, watered down white gesso, and gold embossing paste to the gate behind the picture.  added some lace and gold paper and my first page was done!

To create these pages, I used Bo Bunny's latest Winter pages.  I LOVE this paper!!!!  I am going to have to replenish before we run out of it!
I created my own large label shapes from a cutout I have in my stash.  The fence was chipboard from Blue Fern Studios.  I cut it to mirror each other and sprayed w/ Slate Tattered Angels spray.  Then, I applied the white embossing paste onto each fence to make it look like snow.  I smeared some along the bottoms of the pages as well as the tops of each picture to mimic snow piling up.

I'll have my HOPE project in my next post!

Thanks for stopping by!
Have a wonderful day!

PEACE

Hi there!  Today I would like to share a project that I created for one of the Swirlydoos challenges this month, to create a project using one word.  More points if we DON'T create a layout!

I got my thinking cap on, and suddenly remembered my goal that I have this year, to be at peace, especially when I drive on the roads.  I'm pretty impatient, and when people aren't driving as fast as I want them to, or are just annoying to me, I tend to fill up with rage.  And then my blood pressure skyrockets, and then I'm exhausted before I get to wherever I'm going!  Not good and not healthy. 

After praying about it and trying to figure out how to NOT be that way, I decided that as soon as I start to get hot, to just calm down immediately and think peaceful thoughts.  It's actually working!  YAY!  I'm a happier person when this happens too, so the results are positive!  :D

Ok, where am I going with this?  I decided to create a cross that I will hang somewhere in my car that I will see when I'm getting annoyed, or annoying others, a.k.a my husband! Ha!  Here's what I created!

The cross itself is made from 2 manilla tags.  I reinforced the main part of the cross by cutting a third piece of a manilla tag and gluing it to the bag.  That's why it can stand so tall without wanting to lean!

I used a stencil for the main letters, but then, I drew the halos around each letter myself.  I cut them out from Xpress it cardstock and then colored them with copics.  I used the dot technique that I found in a copic technique book.  I wanted the letters to be light where the halos hung, and then gradually go to stone.  The dot technique seemed to work the best to achieve this look.  I wanted the letters to look like stone, but softer.

Ingredients:
Paper: manilla tags, Mother Nature paper (2 types), Xpress It Cardstock
Ink: Y17, Y13, Y35, Y32, O, C1, C2, C3; Metallic Gold Embossing Paste
Embellishments and Other Things:  Chalkboard Letters Stencil, Resin crown, Swallows dies (Amuse);
Fancy Flourish (MFT); gold elastic ribbon (from a Christmas gift)

Have a great day!

12 Days of Christmas sale going on over at eP!

Today's my day on the eclecticPaperie blog!  Check out what I'm doing! 

See the whole thing on the eP blog!  Don't forget that you can stock up on your Dylusions spray at a discount today using code: 12DAYS7!  If you buy 3 sprays, you get one for $2.99!  What a deal!!!!  Go get your sprays today!

Have a fantastic day!!!

Celebrate with a wine tag!

Hello everyone!  Today I am joining my fellow eP Design Team for our monthly Get Altered Challenge!  This month, the lovely Sue, is our host, and she challenged us to alter a bottle!

I, unfortunately, don't have any empty bottles to alter (much to my dismay).  However, my friend just celebrated her 40th birthday, and she's a wine lover.  So, I created a Wine Tag for a bottle of wine that I will give her the next time our group of friends gets together!

So, how did I create this tag?!  Let me share!!!!

The first thing I did was take a piece of 12" x 12" craft, and cut a 2" strip.  Then, I folded the top over so that it could be reinforced and would prevent damage when hanging on the neck of the bottle.  I punched a 1 1/4" circle for the hole (which fits perfectly!).  Then, I started to get crafty!

I painted some gesso for a base.  Then, I took my Climbing Vine stencil, sprayed it with Dirty Martini Dylusions spray, and then stamped it onto the tag.  Then, I took my Wall Flowers stencil, and w/ Lavender, Guava and Banana Gelatos, I created the flowers.  I sprayed the entire tag w/ water, and then used a paint brush to spread out the gelatinous medium to look smoother and less like a crayon!

I took the Mini Chicken Wire stencil (My all-time favorite stencil on earth!), and using a Silver Gelato, I added some texture and detail randomly.

I took a Recollections numbers stamp set and stamped the 4 and 0 w/ Milled Lavender Distress Ink.  I cut it out, and then created a shadow layer out of the scrap Kraft c/s that was left over from cutting the tag.  I sponged the whole tag and numbers w/ Walnut Stain Distress Ink.  I added some flowers from Prima and Petaloo, and cut out some cupcakes from Authentique's Wishes stack.  I added a rhinestone swirl for some glitz, and some lace to complete the tag!

Can't wait to see what everyone creates for this!  Link up on the eP blog!!!!

Have a wonderful day!!!

Drywall Portrait

Hi there!  Today is the eclectic Paperie's ePick's challenge!  This month's theme is recycling!  FUN fun challenge!  Tracy has kicked off the inspiration on the eP blog!  Check it out here!

Here are some details on the challenge:
The eTeam Picks Challenge is held on the third Thursday of each month and each challenge is an opportunity for you to be inspired by one of our eTeam’s creations and to be entered into our challenge prize drawing!

The eTeam Picks Challenge is all about inspiration and having fun! During each challenge one of the eTeam members will share a topic, word, technique, sketch, or product that will become the foundation for your creation. This challenge is all about mixing it up and just enjoying the creative process of feel free to share a journal page, card, scrapbook project, mini album….Anything goes! We want to see your work and hear about your inspiration!

All of those who play along with our challenge will be entered into a prize drawing for a $15.00 gift certificate to the eclectic Paperie store.

So grab your supplies and play along!

Here are a few things to keep in mind for this challenge…

-You do not have to use products sold in the eP store…but we do love it when you do!

-Share a direct link to your creation, not just your blog, using the Linky Tools feature at the end of this post. If, for any reason, the Linky Tools doesn’t cooperate, please add a link in the Comments section of the blog.

-When uploading to any online galleries, please use any of the following keywords; eP, eclectic Paperie or eTeam Pick Challenge. Link your creations to the eP blog.

On with my presentation!
I spent this past weekend w/ some very dear friends of mine at a scrapbooking event in OH.  What a blast we had!!!!  My group of friends are not scrappers.  So, we gathered to create cards and mixed media all weekend!  FUN FUN FUN!  Lots of laughs, some spills, and lots of creating going on all weekend!

I was one of the ones that worked on mixed media all weekend.  I brought all of my stencils, joint compound, drywall tape, sprays, inks, and canvases.  Another thing that I brought was a piece of drywall.  Earlier this year, we had our upstairs bathroom completely gutted and redone.  We had the purple drywall put up that is resistant to mold and moisture.  I thought that this would be perfect for my crafts!  So, after our contractor was done w/ it, he stored the rest that would be thrown away on the side of the house.  I decided to scavenge!  I picked up a piece that was about the size of a standard computer keyboard.  Then, since I wasn't ready to work on it, I stored it in my craft room and forgot about it!  Until recently!  I pulled it out and applied a generous amount of gesso.  I was going to create a Christmas themed scene on it, and the gesso would act as a piece of wood w/ the texture of the paintbrush mimicking the lines in a piece of wood.  Well, I got distracted waiting for the gesso to dry, and after looking at it for a week, I put it back again. 
Then, this weekend got closer and closer, and finally it was time to pack!  I spied the drywall, and thought, "What the heck!  I might as well take it and see what I can do w/ it!"
Well, I was scanning the internet for sunset pictures for a different project and I came across this picture:

I LOVE how the sky is so full of color!  I wanted to re-create that look with the clouds changing colors and layering upon each other.

So, this is what I came up with!



To create this look, here are the steps I took after I applied the gesso.

1.  Sprinkle droplets of water all over the surface of your piece.
2.  Spray with your sprays to completely cover your surface.  (I used Dylusions sprays)
3.  Using a heat tool (Tim Holtz's is best to use as it's not as strong as an embossing gun), swirl the colors around to create the swirly cloud affect.
4.  If there's too much moisture and it's not drying as quickly as you would like, you can always blot it dry w/ a towel.  That creates the lightness and darkness that you see on my piece.
5.  Once it's completely dry, you can apply gesso w/ a paintbrush.  I wasn't sure where I was going w/ this, just that I was trying to capture the trees from the inspiration photo, although on my piece, it's actually a grassy knoll!  I'll have to work on the difference between trees and grass!  LOL!
I got a little carried away and w/ a very slim paintbrush, I painted a tree and my 3 kids looking towards the sunset. 

And that's it!  It's fairly simple!  Seriously!  And you can use the colored background and stamp on it instead of painting w/ gesso.  You can do so many things!!!  Your possibilities are endless!

Ingredients:
piece of drywall
white and black gesso
Dylusions Sprays: After Midnight, Bubble Gum Pink, Squeezed Orange, Crushed Grape, Lemon Zest, & Funky Fuschia.

I look forward to seeing your creations!

Have a wonderful day!