Beach Dreams

Hi Everyone, 

I'm up on the Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts blog today with a fun vintage inspired postcard.

I've been dreaming of the ocean.  I grew up near the beach and every summer all the girls in our family used to spend a week in York, Maine.  I am now in Arizona and don't get to the beach nearly enough.  I think this postcard is as close as I will get this year.  Here is how you can create your own. 

I started with a piece of paper mounted on a piece of mat board.  I randomly added crazing medium and then added Distress Crayon in Hickory Smoke and Broken China to show off the cracks.  

Both umbrellas were colored using Distress Stains(candied Apple, Broken China, Fossilized Amber, and Vintage Photo).  I did not prime them with gesso.  I wanted them to look slightly faded and the stain seeps into the chipboard.  Once the stain was dry I covered them with Emerald Creek's clear embossing powder. It's not completely covered.  I left some blank spots so it looks a bit tattered and sun faded.  

The waves are all embossing using various Emerald Creek embossing powders and then layered. The top wave has a layer of Salted Navy and then a layer of Soft Fallen Snow.  The middle wave has Broken China Distress Stain and then Fractured Ice embossing powder.  The last wave has a layer of Salted Navy and then is topped with Blue Pearl.  

The sand dollar was punched with white acrylic paint using a dry brush so some of the chipboard color is still visible.  The starfish are embossed with San Tropez Tan.  The shells are coated with a thin layer of gesso, a bit of Nuance Powder in Jade, and embossed with Fractured Ice. Don't the starfish look real?

The sand is torn paper that has been inked using Antique Linen and Tea Dye Distress Inks.  I glued them in layers and tucked in all of my pieces.  I love that her foot is buried in the sand.

 My sentiment is the finishing touch; 

I adding some shadow around it and the lady using distress crayons and a Fude ball pen.

Anyone want to take me to the beach this summer?

Jess

Leo and Shelly- love at first sight

This month over at the Emerald Creek Dare blog we are having a Surf and Turf challenge.  Here is my quirky take. Meet Leo and Shelly.  As soon as they saw one another they knew it was love.  

  A little while back I created this stage.

It made me think of old circus sideshows.  I created the project I am sharing today to add to the cast of characters.  

I started with my Tim Holtz vignette box and gave it a quick wash of watered down white acrylic paint.  

I added a layer of Fractured Ice embossing powder.

Doesn't it look like wood that has been exposed to the elements for too long?

The front edges of the box got a layer of Charred Gold.

For the inside of the box I used Distress Mixed Media Heavy stock paper.  I stamped my Fresh Picked Rose Stamp using Hydrangea Archival Ink. 

Using my Distress Oxides I colored the Roses(Worn Lipstick, Mowed Lawn, Broken China) and then added a bunch of Vintage Photo to make it look weathered.

I wanted the background to look like water stained old wallpaper.  

The rest came down to details.  

Shelly's shell head is the Cerith Seashell Stamp.  I stamped it on shrink plastic and colored it using my Dina Wakley Scribble Sticks.  

I have no idea where this image came from, but I love it! I added a little resin rose for the added touch of dapper. 

The finials are covered with Charred Gold and Distress Crayon to take some of the shine off.   The big charm is the Handmade charm just turned around with a clipping sticker on it.  The same Oxide inks I used on the background are on the sticker.  A teeny key and lock charm are tied on with blue twine.  

Don't forget to pop over to the blog and enter the dare yourself.  You can win a gift card to the Emerald Creek store! 

Jess

Fractured Ice

Charred Gold

Fresh Picked Rose Stamp

Cerith Seashell Stamp

Special Delivery

Hi Everyone,

I'm up on the Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts Blog today. 

Once again I was a bad design team girl and didn't take step out photos.  Here's the thing, these cabana houses are so easy to assemble I just got carried away.  They just fold together.  A tiny bit of glue or double sided tape and they are done in a flash. 

I started by using some tissue wrap and crazing collage medium to adhere it to the house.  Once the collage medium was dry I used Distress Crayons  and Scribble Sticks to add color.  

I love making my tissue have wrinkles.  I smush and scrunch it until I have enough wrinkles. 

The roof was stamped using the Emerald Creek Kimilese stamp and then colored using Distress Oxide inks in Mowed Lawn and Vintage Photo.  

The roof edges and the bottom of the house have some washi tape.  

The little postman paper doll was colored using my distress markers and given some wings.  The teeny letter and wooden heart complete him.  The house got a bingo marker house number;a word band colored using my distress crayon in Chipped Sapphire; and a clipping sticker.  My teeny house is done. 

The cabana houses come in a set of 5! Such an awesome deal. I've shared another one I made over on my Instagram page(@twomaddahlias).