Guest Designer Barb Black

Hi Everyone!

My name is Barb Black and I’m pleased to be the Guest Designer this month at Gina‘s Designs.

With Spring knocking on the door, my mind turns to tidying up. Not that I ever really do it, but I think about it at least. I’ve been looking around my studio at projects that have been left unfinished. Let me tell you, there is no crime in that! Some things just need a little time to ripen.

I found this 5 x 7” canvas board that I started painting a year or so ago. All I had were the background colors - red, black, gold (which I‘d sponged onto the canvas), and the shadowy guitar that I’d painted in the corner.

Right around the same time, I was going through a stack of old sheet music that I keep around for art projects when the phrase “when whippoorwills” caught my eye, along with a baggie full of Gina’s bird cutouts. Suddenly I found myself in creative overdrive.

I began by painting two of the birds with white acrylic paint. Once they dried I distressed them a little with some metallic copper paint - I just smudged it on with my fingers. Once that dried, I stamped musical notes on them in black ink.

For the flourish, I painted the background layer in black acrylic. I daubed Tsukineko Delicata Gold ink all over the foreground layer, and once it was dry, stamped musical notes on that as well with black ink. I cut out the small piece of old sheet music that had been my inspiration, and adhered it to the back of the largest swirl, giving it a window effect.

I added the musical notes in Delicata Gold ink to my canvas background as well as some music words that I added in beige as a backdrop to the swirl. After that, I glued on the swirl and then glued on the birds and I was done!

It ended up being such a fun project that spoke to my musical and artistic heart. I hope it helps you find some springtime inspiration (especially if you’re stuck in some snowy place!).

‘Til next week… happy creating!

Products used from Gina’s Designs

Birds Shape Set

Layered Flourish Renata

Other Products Used

Amsterdam Acrylic Paints - various colors

Tsukineko StazOn in Jet Black and Cotton White

Tsukineko Delicata Gold Ink

Brilliance Pearlescent Beige Ink

Canvas Board

Beacon 3-in-1 glue

Walking through the Winter Wonderland

Kathi here to share with you my Christmas decor project and to wish you a 

Merry Christmas from Gina and the entire design team.

I  decorated a six pane window with  snow flakes, fake snow & Christmas greenery, with a few different flourish's from Gina's Designs.

 Layered Flourish with Christmas greenery.

Walking in a winter wonderland.

Gina's Designs Products Used:

Winter Shape Set

Title Winter Wonderland 

Layered Flourish Renata

Flourishes 2 

Snowflake Shape Set

Christmas Shape Set

Other supplies Used:

6 Window Pane

Fake Snow

Christmas Greenery

Altered Cigar Box Cross Promotional Project by Kathi

Kathi here to share my last cross promotional project with Craftsupplies1, an altered cigar box.

Using the flat red lace,  I created a handmade flower with a streamer descending from the bottom.  In the center of the flower I have a pearl center and a butterfly resting on the flower.  I placed a stacked flourish off to the left side.  The flower is resting on a large crocheted doily that I received in a swap. I painted the butterfly scribbled frame, and added a photo mat behind it. I placed two metal butterflies from Craftsupplies1 in the lower right corner.

 Here is a close up of scribbled butterfly frame, and the butterfly has distressed stickles painted on it.

  Here is one of Gina's new stacked flourishes with one layer painted with white gesso and the other with black gesso.

 Inside of the lid, I used Gina's textured sheet, painted with white gesso.  Layered on top is a red doily and on top of the doily I placed a dressform and a frame.

 After the chipboard pieces were painted,  I distressed the dress form and placed the word love over the bodice along with a flower bunch and a flower cameo. A rose bunch was placed on the lower right which is from Craftsupplies1.

 Close up of flower bunch from Craftsupplies1.

Close up of the frame and textured sheet from Gina's Designs. 

Supplies Used:
Gina's Designs Laser Cuts:
Scribble Frame - Butterfly
Layered Flourish - Renata
Flourished Frames - Evie
Texture Sheet - Diamonds
Dressform 1 Miniature Shape Set
10 Words

Craftsupplies1:

 https://www.etsy.com/shop/Craftsupplies1

 https://www.zibbet.com/Craftsupplies1

Metal Butterflies
Roses
 Flat Red Lace
 Black -satin pleated trim

Other Supplies Used: 

Red & Black Doilies from Michael's

Black & White Gesso

Black/Red cameo

Crochet Flowers

Distressed Stickles

Glossy Accents

Paper from DCWV