Peace

I've had some 8x10 canvases in the stash for a year or so now and thought I'd employ one to make a gift Christmas collage.  By using the center section of Graphic 45 Christmas Past "Ode to Joy" 12x12 paper, this lovely piece looks very detailed, but was actually quite simple and easy to put together.

 

The Details:

• I started by painting the sides and edges of my canvas to match the golden background of the snowflake patterned paper.  Once dry, I added the patterned paper using Claudine Hellmuth Matte Multi Medium, however next time, I think I will just use spray adhesive.  Faster and guaranteed no wrinkles!
• I fussy cut the center section of the G45 Ode to Joy page and used multi medium again to add it on top of the snowflake paper.
• The remaining layers and embellishments were few since the patterned paper really did most of the work.  I focused on the lower left corner since it had the least amount of pattern and could be easily covered without interrupting the base image.
• Next came a paper doily and a small digi print of French sheet music from The Graphics Fairy.
• To this was layered a gorgeous portrait of the Madonna and Christ Child from Vintage Holiday Crafts surrounded by an embossed paper frame from K&Co (love these!).

• The large "peace" flash card becomes the focal point.  The edges of the card were distressed and aged with Old Paper Distress Ink.  Some gold fretwork and rhinestone complement a corner and a couple bands of soft green velvet ribbon adorn the opposite side.
• Every time I stamp on Tim Holtz grunge paper, it looks very blah because of the greyish base color.  But I love its sturdy, yet flexible, durability.  Finally, it dawned on me...cover it in book paper, paint it, THEN stamp on it!  A little Snow Cap paint dabber did the trick.  And a little Old Paper Distress Stickles made it even more vintagey.  Our little bird dangles a pretty brass snowflake charm from A Charming Place from his beak.

• The final touch was to give key areas some holiday sparkle.  For this, I added very thin and light applications of Platinum Stickles around the borders and on the halos.

Challenges:

The Graphics Fairy:  Brag Monday
Anything But a Card Challenges: #8 - Celebrating the Light or Seasonal Holiday
The Ribbon Girl: December Challenge - Christmas
Craftymess: 23rd Challenge - Vintage Christmas

Supplies:
Cardstock:	Grunge paper
Patterned Paper:	Graphic 45 Christmas Past ‘Ode to Joy’; vintage book page
Image:	Vintage Holiday Crafts ‘Vintage Christmas Card Jesus and Mary’; The Graphics Fairy ‘French Ephemera - Sheet Music Postcard’
Stamps:	My Mind’s Eye Lost & Found ‘Christmas’
Inks:	Americana acrylic paint ‘French Vanilla’, ‘Antique Gold’; Adirondack paint dabber ‘Snow Cap’; Distress Stain ‘Picket Fence’; Distress Ink ‘Old Paper’; StazOn ‘Timber Brown’
Embellishments:	7 Gypsies flashcard; Hobby Lobby paper doily; K&Co. Ancestry.com embossed frames; Starform stickers ‘Gold’; velvet ribbon; A Charming Place snowflake; Distress Stickles ‘Old Paper’; Stickles ‘Platinum’; gold twine
Tools:	Tim Holtz paper distresser; Making Memories ribbon glue; 3M spray adhesive; Claudine Hellmuth Matte Multi Medium; glue dots
Misc:	8x10 canvas

CCC #5: Noel Wall Art

The theme for our fifth two-week Creative Cutting Challenge is "Christmas - Not a Card".  Click here to join the challenge.  Even if you don't use SVG files, be sure to check out the creative inspiration from our Design Team...these are some talented ladies!

For my design team project, I created a Christmas collage on an 8 x 10 canvas using The Creative Pointe's "Christmas Headings" SVG set.  It combines some of my favorite things...glitter, vintage images, and lace...yum!

The Details:

• Noel is cut from recycled cereal box cardboard and glittered with two colors of red for depth.  

• I just LOVE vintage images (as if you haven't noticed)!  A gentler, artistic, more beautiful time in advertising...not like today!  I layered up an angel and a winter scene perfume ad along with a glittery felt snowflake and holly cut from Christmas scraps.

• The holly leaves were accented with Distress Inks and frosted with chunky crystal glitter.  The berries have a layer of Glossy Accents and are accented with Fired Brick Distress and Platinum Stickles.

• The whole piece has spatterings of Rock Candy Distress Crackle Paint and chunky crystal glitter for an  overall icy effect.  The edges especially have heavy layers of paint and glitter...so frosty!  Pieces of lace and vintage buttons tied with baker's twine accent one corner.

Other Challenges:

Eclectic Ellapu: Challenge # 4 - It's a Vintage Thing

Pile It On: #45 - Make It Sparkle

BasicGrey Challenges: #80 - Anything Goes

Crazy 4 Challenges: C4C161 Anything But a Card

Crafty Ribbons Challenge: #31 - Christmas

Happy Campers: Challenge #3 - Shabby Chic

Anything But a Card: Challenge #5

Supplies:
Patterned Paper:	Basic Grey Figgy Pudding ‘Festive’, ‘Glee’; scraps
SVG:	The Creative Pointe ‘Christmas Headings’
Image:	Crafty Secrets; Vintage Feedsacks ‘Vintage Perfume Labels’
Inks:	Distress Ink ‘Barn Door’, ‘Iced Spruce’, ‘Crushed Olive’, ‘Old Paper’, ‘Frayed Burlap’; Distress Stain ‘Bundled Sage’, ‘Pumice Stone’; Distress Crackle Paint ‘Clear Rock Candy’
Embellishments:	Glitter; buttons; K&Co. border stickers; Hobby Lobby lace; Darice baker’s twine ‘Red / White’; Glossy Accents; Distress Stickles ‘Fired Brick’; Stickles ‘Platinum’; doily; Make It Christmas ‘Glitter Snowflake’; JoAnn glitter ‘Crystal’
Tools:	Foam brush; Tim Holtz paper distresser; SCAL; Cricut Expression; spray adhesive; Glue Dots
Misc:	8x10 canvas

Love & Romance

Ah, love...

Isn't it romantic?

Merely to be young on such a night as this?

Isn't it romantic?

Every note that's sung is like a lover's kiss

Sweet symbols in the moonlight,

Do you mean that I will fall in love, per chance?

Isn't it romance?

Love creates such a cluster of emotions in us, and what better way to express that than with an artistic collage!  And yay, my daylight light bulbs were delivered just in time, so the color rending of the photos is right on. J

A Few Quick Details:

• The base on this collage is a 12"x12" pressed tin tile that I painted red and distressed with black antiquing gel and steel wool.
• "LOVE" was cut from recycled cardboard using my Cricut, then painted and glittered. The L is positioned atop a 7 Gypsies journaling card that has been distressed with Vintage Photo Distress Ink and a water pen. The O is accented with a felt heart sticker.

• The romantic couple image is "framed" by a K&Co paper picture frame and accented with a rhinestone heart. A Tim Holtz adage ticket and flower image adorn the frame.

• In addition to the adage ticket, I used several other Tim Holtz embellishments in the collage along with wide satin ribbon and silk flowers

Challenges:

The Cheerful Stamp Pad:  Challenge #35 - Romance is in the Air

4 Crafty Chicks: Love is in the Air

Rainbow Lady's Challenge Blog: #191 - Have a Heart

Sarah Hurley Challenge Blog: #59 - Love is All Around

The Sisterhood of Crafters: Valentines

Simon Says Stamp: Simon Says Love is in the Air

Good-bye Summer!

I found this quote online and LOVE it!  It perfectly sums up the summer we've had here in Southeast Michigan.

"Summer is like the ultimate one-night stand..

hot as hell,

totally thrilling,

and gone before you know it."

It's Labor Day Weekend here in the States, which honors the working class and is our unofficial "end of summer".  :-(

To wrap up the season, I'm sharing a collage project that I completed in June and have had on display for most of the summer.  I had given you a sneak peek waaaay back, but here it is...finally!

(I know it's falling outside the lines, but you just couldn't see it very well otherwise...
Blogger needs a size option between Large and Extra Large!)

This Graphics 45 bathing beauty was my muse.  I knew that I wanted to feature her and red, white, and blue in the collage.  Everything else just fell into place...things that reminded me of great summers.  Swimming being one of them.  I love the water and can be an absolute fish!

"Summer" was cut using my Cricut and Sure-Cuts-A-Lot program.  I then embossed the letters with the Tim Holtz "Collage" Texture Fade and added layers of Distress Ink and Perfect Pearls mists until I achieved the depth and luster I desired.  Red, white, an blue are pretty much the colors of summer in the USA since we celebrate our Independence Day on July 4.  That's why I went after this color scheme...it just says "Summer"!  K&Co helped out quite a bit with some fun embellishments all from their "Americana" die cuts collection.

The flash card is from 7 Gypsies and the clock face is from Tim Holtz.  I'm not sure where I got the big mouth guy from, but thought he was the perfect addition.  A la a carnival emcee.



Another bathing beauty from Graphic 45.  A real bingo card from the dollar store (score!), some rhinestones and hand doodling for a touch of whimsy.  Also note that the star is surrounding the "4" on the bingo card in honor of July 4th.



Another bathing beauty, but this one from The Graphics Fairy.  Also some real ticket stubs from a scrapbooking event (but they could just as likely be from a county fair :-) ), more doodling and embellies.

Well, summer, that's a wrap. 
We will miss you...see you next year!

Challenges:

• Simon Says Stamp & Show:  Anything Goes
• Crafting When We Can:  Challenge *1 - Do It Your Own Way (Anything Goes)
• Graphics Fairy:  Brag Monday #101

Mom's Day Gift Idea: Collage Card Tin

If you haven't shopped yet, here's another handmade gift idea for mom...you have 4 days, that's plenty of time! 

I gave my mom this card tin for Mother's Day a couple of years ago.  The outside is collaged with all kinds of goodies (some of my best buttons...*choke*...but she IS my mom, after all).  The inside contained dividers and a selection of handmade cards.  

Front

The gold '"frame" was cut from metallic cardstock using my Cricut.

Most of the images came from ephemera paper packs...these can be really handy!  Of course, this was before I knew about the Graphics Fairy and all the other amazing blogs with wonderful free images...

  

Left side

Back

Top

Adding decorative paper to the top can be tricky.

The bow is actually hiding a seam in the paper.  I found it was easier to work in two pieces.  I also mitered the corners of the lace stickers for a cleaner appearance.

Another Spring Collage

Yesterday's spring collage was actually a birthday gift for my sister, Cindy's, ahem..."big" birthday this past February.  :-)

I loved working on the project so much and had such a hard time parting with the end result that I just had to make one for myself!  Many of the items that I used on the original collage were one of a kind to my stash, and since creating the first, I had added items to my collection, so this one is a bit different from the first.  I kept the robin's egg blue background though since that color just says ''Spring!" to me.

• The bird border is from K&Co...so beautiful!
• I stamped the birdcage with Vintage Photo Distress Ink and then covered the entire image (and a little beyond the edges) in Glossy Accents.  Once it was dry, I cut the image out, applied Old Paper Distress Ink to the edges, and added some Old Paper Distress Stickles to the face.

• Since I wanted my butterfly to pop off the canvas and look like he's just resting for a moment, I used Grunge Paper as the base, colored it with various colors of Distress Ink, covered the whole thing in Old Paper Distress Stickles (shocking, I know!),  and added a little pink and gold glitter to the edges of the wings while the stickles were still wet for a little extra glitz.  The Grunge Paper is so durable that I was able to bend the wings up for a 3-D effect.

Linking back to "Brag Monday" at the Graphics Fairy.

I'm off work this week for a spring cleaning "vacation", and I will surely be hitting the studio hard in the evenings for the real fun.  So, be sure to check back every day this week...I'll be adding lots of new ideas and some free digis. 

But for now...I'm back to washing walls.  :-(

I told you Spring finally came to Michigan!
(Well at least by me anyway...the Creative Pointe is still a few weeks from seeing Spring...haha!)

Happy Easter!

Spring has sprung, even here in Southeast Michigan.  It was iffy there for a while (snow last week), but my hyacinths and daffodils are blooming, there are buds on the tulips, and green things are poking through the earth.  To celebrate the season of renewel (and my sister's 50th birthday), I created this Spring collage using a variety of items from my stash.  That's right...this squirrel raided her precious stash!!  I loved this project, it really brought out my creativeness. 

I even worked some fabric scraps into the collage. 

Be sure to use an ink that is suitable for fabric application like Fabrico.

I cut the "Spring" using my Cricut and glittered it with pink glitter.  I added

a little gold glitter to the pink for an antique appearance.

I love how it looks like the little girl is finding her Easter egg under the

bouquet of flowers.

Collage tips: 
Gather your elements

• Select a base.  I used a 8"x10" canvas that I painted robin's egg blue and speckled with dark brown.
• Select a central image for your theme.  This gives you a guide as you select items for your collage.  If an element "fights" with your central image or theme, it's out.  In my Spring collage, the chicks image is the key. 
• Grab a basket and sort through your supplies.  If you think something may work in the collage, toss it in the basket, don't worry about coordinating anything at this point.
• Run the gamut...throw in ribbons, embellishments, stamps, inks, everything that may work in your desired scheme.

Once you have your basket of potentials, start a preliminary layout. 

• Things look best in odd numbers.  Notice that I used 3 pink buttons at the bottom of my collage.  If you count the flowers, there are 5.
• Don't split the focus.  Just as everything should highlight and compliment your key image in color, pattern, and theme, everything should pull the eye to this key image.  In my Spring collage, all the secondary elements overlap or touch the chicks picture.  This overlapping technique draws the eye to and from the key image and unifies the entire image.

So, what will you collage?  Come on, dig into those stashes and let's see what you come up with!