Trick or Treat

Hi Everyone, 

I'm back with more spooky delights.  I am not sure if I've talked too much about what I do for my pay the bills job.  Last year around this time I left the company I had been with for 15 years and moved to a new retail spot.  I am a store manager for a company that makes stuffed animals(yes, I am being intentionally vague here).  I try to keep it fun.  I know that most of the kids that work for me aren't going to be with me forever and for many it's a first job.  I loved my first job.   I want my team to look back on this job and remember it fondly.  This month I challenged them to take home one of the boxes we send our animals home in and transform it into something for Halloween.  We will use them to decorate our break room.  I never ask them to do anything I wouldn't do myself, so here is my take on the project. 

When I started this I had no idea where I wanted to take it, but once I used my Graphic 45 paper for the sides it really took off.  

Doesn't he look happy to see you? And he has a pumpkin for you too. 

There is a metal band that runs all around the top that I painted with a thin layer of black paint to grunge it up a bit.  The border is a Tim Holtz die and it makes a perfect little fence.  

When I glued it down I left gaps and bubbles so I could cram moss in there.  

I don't know if these little kids are frightened by the skeleton or the giant spider.  

Ok, here you can really see the labor of love on this project.  That roof!

I think I put down about a million tiles. 

I have more respect for roofers now.  

Until next time,

Jess

SanDee and amelie' Steampunk Anything goes challenge

Southern Ridge Chipboard- Anything Goes

'Til death do us part

Hi Everyone,
I am so excited to be posting my first project as an Emerald Creek Design team member!

It's that time of year when the ghosts and goblins start to take over.  I love creating creepy things for Halloween.  Here is one of the first(of I am sure what will be many) spooky projects for the season.
I didn't do a step by step for this one, just because it is fairly easy for you to replicate.

 These skull charms are killer. For this project I used my wire cutters to snip off the bale.

He still looks pretty happy to be married to the corpse bride.  

Pop over during the month to see what other ghouls and spirits come my way!

Jess

I'm entering this into:

A Vintage Journey CreateWithin A frame

Simon Says Stamp Powder Power

Creepy goods from Emerald Creek:

skull charm
fallen blossom stamps
burnt copper leaves embossing powder
mercury rising embossing powder
embossing ink

Other spooky products:
black gesso
mini cabinet card
found relative card
black flowers
heat tool
small talk

Halloween Cat Throwback

Hi Everyone, I created this card last year for Unruly Paperarts when I was on the design team before they ceased to exist.  You can still find a pretty active Unruly Community on Facebook.  This was one of my favorite projects I created for them!

I started by painting my cabinet card.  

I used distress paint and just painted it on randomly.  

Once it was dry I gave it a coat of black paint and sanded it to expose the color underneath.  On the edges I used some distress ink to give it the color you see in the finished project. 

I added in my background papers.  Now to move onto my focal point. 

This serious dude was fussy cut and then given a slight makeover. 

Now he looks just awesome.  When I stuck this head on here I just cracked up laughing. 

I added him to the cabinet card using foam tape.  The monocle and boutonniere give him that little extra something.  

I finished the card out by randomly adding rub ons.  I like when the rub ons are fragmented.  It adds to the Halloween vibe.  There's more Halloween paper ephemera, an old wooden bingo marker, and some metal bits to finish it out.  

I hope this kitty made you laugh as hard as I did when I finished him!

Thanks for stopping by today,

Jess

Guest posting for Emerald Creek

Hi Everyone,

I'm back guest posting for Emerald Creek Craft Supplies today. The theme up on the challenge blog is superheroes. When I heard this my first reaction was "crap."  Don't get me wrong I love superheroes, but making art with and about them? I really had to put on my thinking cap.  I took this theme and went extreme. I made something to celebrate, someone I consider, an art superhero. Frida Kahlo.

I've always admired Frida's work, but I have been reading more about her as a person. She was a total bad ass! What's more of a superhero personality must than being bad ass?!

She overcame major injuries and incorporated her pain, her joy, her anger, and her love into her art.

She didn't care what society thought about her. She was truly living as her authentic self. I think that is what art is all about, trying to find your authentic self.

Who is your art superhero? 

Jess

Supplies you can find from Emerald Creek:

Hammered Metal Embossing Powder

Vintage Ivy Embossing Powder

Distress Markers

Distress Stains

Distress Ink

Other supplies:

Trophy cup

Styrofoam ball

Memo pin

Chit chat

Cardstock

Seam binding

Tiny tattered floral die

Skull bead

Head Pin

Vial Label

Remnant Rub

Faux German scrap technique

Hey Everyone,
Sorry for being such a terrible blogger.  I have been crafting.  I promise.  I post on Instagram all the time, I just don't make it on here as often as I should!

A few months ago my Mum and I went to an estate sale and scored the mother lode of German Scrap paper. This is just a snippet of the loot.

I have been using it on some of my recent projects, but I wanted to come up with a technique to make my own so I don't use it too quickly. German scrap is expensive and I wanted something that wouldn't break the bank.  Ideas started to swirl and here is what I came up with.

I started by using a Martha Stewart edge punch on a Manila folder.

 I left about a half an inch border one the side to use my embossing folder.  I found these skinny embossing folders at the thrift store and they are perfect for this technique. I cut the folder in half so I can run it all along the edge of the paper.  

Once I punched and embossed the manila it was time to heat emboss.  I used an ink blending tool to get my embossing powder in all the nooks and crannies. It's best to do this in small sections at a time. This way your embossing ink doesn't dry out when you're making your way down the strip and you don't have to use a trough of embossing powder. I used Emerald Creeks Charred Gold and Hammered Metal. These mixes have multiples colors and give the look that the paper is aged. 

I can't wait to use it on a project!

Jess