Easter Greetings

Hi Everyone,
I'm up on the Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts blog today.

It's almost time for the Easter bunny to hop by and leave us some candy.  We always go to my sister's house for Easter dinner so I thought I would make her a little home decor piece.

I started by using the Build  a Layout Easter Set.  The frame was painted with Deco Art Crackle Paint and then I rubbed Antiquing Cream in the cracks.  I didn't like the sheen on the paint so a layer of Collage Medium made it matte.

The largest bunny was painted with Dina Wakley's Elephant and then sanded so it looks like it's been around for a bit.  The bow tie was painted with Sky Blue and sanded as well.
The small eggs were embossed using the Tim Holtz Impresslits and 3d Embossing folders(Medallion andimpresslit, Kaleidoscope and Botanical 3D folders).  Once they were dry I painted them using Dina Wakley Turquoise and Lemon.  The Lemon Egg was toned down a bit with a layer of ELephant Paint.  The third egg was painted using Victorian Velvet Distress Paint.  Each of the eggs were sanded to reveal the raw chipboard and a layer of Walnut Stain Distress Ink finished them. 

The nest is from the For the Birds set.  The base is painted with Dina Wakley Gilt and the top is painted with Distress Vintage Photo Paint.  I couldn't see much of the gold peeping through as I wanted so I added a tiny bit of gold  foil to the top layer of the nest.   

I measured how how the frame sat on one of the Super X tags and decided to bend the bottom three inches of the tag to create a base.   If you score the chipboard you can gently bend the tag until it makes a 90 degree angle.

 I covered a Super X tag with a patterned paper. Then splattered on Black Soot Distress Paint and Dina Wakley Gilt.  Behind the fame there is a piece of Tim Holtz's Worn wallpaper. The frame and wallpaper were glued directly to the tag base.  The bunny and eggs were glued down next.  The nest was attached using foam tape since the bunny and eggs were rather thick and I didn't want the nest to bend.   Distress Crayon in Hickory smoke added a grungy halo around the bunny.

Moss was glued to the entire base and then the two bunnies that are part of the banner from the Build  a Layout Easter Set. were added.  They were painted and sanded the same way as the large bunny.  Vintage flowers and some old plastic craft eggs were added to complete the base.

A tiny bouquet of vintage flowers were added to the top of the tag.

I hope you have a very Happy Easter!

Jess

Simon Says Stamp Beautiful Blossoms Challenge

Key to my heart

Hi Everyone,
I have a fun little mixed media project for you today.  I love the idea that family is what you make it.  I am a strong believer in family doesn't have to be  blood.  Family is what you make it and this is my little homage to your found family.

Using Mixed Media Heavystock paper blend on several colors of Distress Ink (Wild Honey, Squeezed Lemonade, and Fossilized Amber).  Add a bit of Fossilized Amber Distress Oxide ink and flick with water.  Allow to air dry to get oxide effects.  Once the paper is completely dry, stamp the Small Crackle Stamp using archival ink in Coffee.

Using Potting Soil and Plum) of archival ink stamp your Floral Medallion.  Cut the paper and cover your chipboard house. Splatter on Black Soot Distress Paint and Tarnished Brass paint to add dimension to the background.   Don't forget to paint the edges of your chipboard unless you like the look of raw chipboard.

Cover your paper doll with clear gesso.  Once the gesso is dry color your image.  Stick to the same pallette you used for the background.

Glue the family to the chipboard house and add charms.  Add scribbles all over the front using gel pens.  

Cut up a chip quote and paint the edges.  Glue the quote to the backside of the house. 

There is a predrilled hole in the top of this chipboard house.  Thread wire through the hole and wrap around a key that had been distressed to appear aged.  

I hope you enjoyed it!

Jess

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge- Create your own background
Frilly and Funkie- Harvest of Gratitude Challenge

Swim Away with Me

I am a sucker for mermaids and I make them every chance I get.  When I found out this month's challenge over at Blank Page Muse was "Let's Go to the Beach," I knew I was making a mermaid.  

To start I used my mermaid template. 

Copied it onto blank white cardstock so I could stamp out the details.  

I used the fronds from the Tropical Dreams set to stamp the tail.  I inked it using various shades of Green Distress Ink and over stamped so I wouldn't have too many edges.   

Then using the Sequin Waste stamp I embossed the tail using a shimmery gold to look like scales. 

Her tail needed a bit more dimension so I used shades of blue and purple distress just to add hints of color in her tail.  

For the body I used the script stamp from the Correspondence set. I colored her body using Old Paper DIstress Ink.  It has a slight greenish hue that I thought was good for a mermaid body.  

To make the belt and her bra I used the flowers from the Flamingo Row Set.  I stamped them and then fussy cut them.  They are doubled up to add depth. 

I added stickles and some jewels colored with alcohol ink to the centers.  

The final touch is her pineapple hat.  This was embossed with the same gold I used on her tail.  

I hope I've inspired you to swim over to the blog and enter the challenge yourself!

Don't forget you can join by adding your project to the Facebook Fan Group and by tagging us in your Instagram posts too!

Jess

Evolve

Hi Everyone,

I am up on the Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts Blog today with a masculine project for you. 

 I have been on a kick lately doing more masculine and grungy projects.  This one evolved into one too.   

I used an Extra Large tag and scored the bottom to create the shelf.  I used a piece of mixed media tape to hold the bend since I knew I would be adding some weight to it. 

I used a piece of paper from Tim Holtz that had a blueprint type feel to it and added some stamped elements using the Stampers Anonymous Tim Holtz Inventor Goggles and the Noble Gent sets.

I wanted there to be more wings on it, so I found most of my wings stamps from Blank Page Muse and added them all over.  I liked the man wearing goggles too, just in case my guy is worried about something getting in his eye.  

I used the Butterfly of Gears and cut it in half.  This side I embossed using a metallic gold.  I added different colors by dripping on alcohol inks. 

I added some metal gears and brads.  I used the chipboard gear from the Miniature Guy Things Set too.  

The other side was embossed and backed with paper to make it look like a monarch wing.  

I added a jar of gears for him to stand on and the rest came down to details.  

There are more wings with blueprint details over them.  Tiny blueprints are rolled up.  There are some failed experiments down there too.  

The letters were painted using Blueprint Sketch Distress Paint and then rolled in Mushroom and Jet Black Alcohol Ink.

The letters add the finishing touch.  

Enjoy!

Jess

Dream of Faraway Places

Hi everyone,
I am up on the Gypsy Soul Lasercuts blog today.  I don't know if you've noticed, but I really love the house shadowboxes Gina has in the shop.  They come in so many fun sizes.  For today's project I used the Mini House Shadowbox #4.

I started by lining the inside of the house with Tim Holtz Wallpaper and gave it a quick whitewash.  I glued the house together and started working on the exterior.  Using the Brick Wall Small I added grit paste to both sides. 

Once the paste was dry I added color.  

Watered down black soot Distress Paint made the first layer

A thin layer of DecoArt Titan Buff fluid acrylic for the second.

Distress Paint in Mowed Lawn and Peeled Paint and a touch of gold finish the brick. 

I covered one of the tages from the Extra Large Tag Set with paper from the 8x8 Etcetera pad and distressed the edges using Distress Crayons.  This will be the base for the project.  I glued the house to the tag and finished embellishing it.  

Moss and flowers cover the roof.  

Flowers climb up the side of the house.  

My little paper doll was colored with Distress Oxide ink in Bundled Sage and given a bouquet of vintage flowers. 

The quote token finishes the piece. 

I hope you enjoy her as much as I do.  

Jess

The Easter Fairy

I will put wings on anything(in case you hadn't already noticed that about me).  I was playing around and made this little Easter fairy today.  

I lined the inside of my vignette box with paper from the Etcetera pack and gave it a layer of crackle medium.  When the crackle was dry I added distress crayon in Hickory Smoke and Bundled Sage.   

The sparkle on the edge is the thin roll of design tape from the Chatter pack. I colored it using alcohol inks.  

I'm still playing with the paper dolls and gave her wings from the botanical layers.  The paper flower in the back is from the botanical layers set too.  I added color using Distress Markers.  The other flowers are vintage from the hoard, as are the spools, the bunny, and the egg.  

Jess

Simon Says Stamp Monday- Things with Wings Challenge
Country View Challenge- Inspired by Tim Holtz