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

Creepy Critter

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

 I promise next month I will get back to doing step by step photos for you.  Work has been a bear lately and I have hardly had any time to create.  I wanted to get a bit spooky though.  It's cooling off around here-it's been under 100 degrees at least twice!

To begin cover your Reliquary- Arch Top with a thin layer of gesso.  Then layer on your inks.  It is key to allow time for each layer to dry naturally to achieve the faux marble look. Using your blending foam, apply a layer of Pumice Stone Distress Ink and then add a bit of Espresso Distress Ink.  Spritz these layers with water.  Once they are dry add Distress Oxides in Iced Spruce, Hickory Smoke, and Black Soot.  These are applied one at a time and spritzed with water.  I switched back and forth between using the blending foam and just stamping thep pad directly onto the arch.  Using the pad I was able to get some veins in the marble.
Add your paperdoll and bunny head charm.  Set the piece aside to dry.

Cover the Extra Large Tag with a piece of patterned paper.  Use Distress Oxides in Hickory Smoke and Forest Moss to get the mottled effect.  Edge the tag using Walnut Stain Distress Ink.  Socre the bottom of the tag to create a bend. 

Use the large piece from the Layered Flourish Aria.  Paint the back piece using Tarnished Brass Distress Paint.  Paint the front piece using Sterling Distress Paint.  When the paint is dry pounce on Alcohol ink in Patina, Mushroom, and Latte.  Glue the two pieces together and adhere to the top of the tag.  

Using the same colors of Alcohol INk color your gravemaker and attach to the arch using brads.  Glue the arch to the bottom of the tag.  

Cover the base of the tag with moss and add some skulls and bones.  Paint the Meadow Flowers using Forest Moss DIstress Paint.  Stipple on the same alcohol ink color you used before.  Cut the flowers in half and adhere them to the back of the Reliquary- Arch Top.  

Your creepy masterpiece is complete!

I hope you enjoyed this creepy tutorial.

Jess

The Golden Age of Travel

Hi Everyone,

I have a really cool Blank Page Muse project for you today. 

Remember when people used to get dressed up to go on vacation? You never used to see people on airplanes in pajamas and yoga pants.  I can't imagine these ladies not looking put together.  I pictured them shopping in Paris and sending a postcard to a friend back home.  

Here are the supplies you need to gather to create your own postcard.

Stamps used:

Dress Form Stamps

Pen Nibs

Postmarks

Script

Typewriter Keyboard

Travel Stamp

Adventure Stamp

Butterfly

Other Supplies:

Jet Black Archival Ink

Archival Ink in Coffee and Hydrangea

Distress Collage Medium

Distress Markers

Distress Collage Paper

Distress Ink

Cardstock

Stabilo Pencil

Clear Gesso

Let's get started!

Stamp out your main images across the postcard using Jet Black Archival ink.

Create masks, using post it notes, and stamp all over to fill in white space. 

Once you have finished stamping your background use Distress Collage Medium to apply Distress Collage Paper to various areas of the postcard. 

Add your paperdoll and color in the dresses using Distress Markers(to make sure the ink stays on the image coat your paper doll in clear gesso).   Add Distress Ink to the edges to make the postcard appear to be vintage.  Use your Stabilo pencil to add shadows around the paper doll and around the edges of the collage paper.  

Turn your postcard over and add the Script and postmark stamp to the back.  Use Distress Ink to age the paper.  Color in the postmark using Distress Ink. 

Just like that your card is complete.  

Here are a few more glamour shots.

It was really fun to see how many stamps I could add to the collage feel of the card.  I haven't done a masking technique in a long time and it was fun to play around with it again.  

I hope you feel inspired to play with your stamps too.

If you're looking for more inspiration stop by these great places:
The Blank Page Muse Shop https://blankpagemuse.com/ FB Fan Page https://www.facebook.com/groups/bla... Instagram - Shop https://www.instagram.com/blankpage... Instagram - Blog https://www.instagram.com/blankpage... Twitter https://twitter.com/BlankPageMuse Pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/blankpage...


Happy Stamping,
Jess

Delivery by Air Mail

Hi Everyone,

I have a quick project to show you today. I wasn't planning to blog this, it was really just me playing with my new 3d impresslets.  

I used a foil tape to run the impresslet through the vagabond.  I painted it white and used some mushroom alcohol ink  to age it.  I wanted it to look like old ceiling tin.  I scuffed it up a bit using a sanding block to expose the silver tape. 

I can't wait to play with these impresslets more. 

I am entering this project into the Frilly and Funkie Air Mail Challenge and the Simon Says Stamp Transport it Challenge.

Enjoy!

Jess

Cherished

Hi Everyone,

I am super excited to be a guest on the Try It on Tuesday blog.  Their current theme is "Mum's the Word." 

I chose to make this vignette tray featuring the cutest little boy and his mum. 

I started by covering my journal block using a light layer of gesso. I'm pretty ok with the natural chipboard color showing through on a lot of my projects(sometimes I just use the raw chipboard).  If you want a really solid color on top you can just add a bit more gesso.  I also use a foam makeup applicator to apply the gesso.  I find I can pounce the gesso on and it doesn't clog up the little detailed bits.

I lined my vignette tray with a piece of paper from the Tim Holtz wallflower collection and lined the edge with decorative tape from the Rose set. 

The inside edges were whitewashed using thinned out white acrylic paint.  

I splattered the inside using Distress Paint in Black Soot, Picket Fence, and Sterling.

Using Archival ink in Jet Black, I stamped the middle of the journal block using the Tim Holtz Papillon set. I painted all of the flower bits using Dina Wakley Media Paints(Turquoise, Sky, Blushing, and Lemon) and Tim Holtz Distress Paints(Forest Moss and Twisted Citron).  To color the center of the block I smooshed Distress ink(Tumbled Glass, Salty Ocean, Walnut Stain, and Pumice Stone) on my craft mat and spritzed it with water.  Make sure to dry between layers to prevent mud! The edges were antiqued using Distress Crayons(Black Soot and Vintage Photo).     

I placed my journal block in the tray and fiddled with cheesecloth behind.  You might notice in my finished piece I flipped the journal block.  Don't glue anything down until you're positive that's where it's going to stay!

 

I cut one of the Tim Holtz rulers using my scissors to fit the tray and then colored it using Tea Dye and Walnut Stain Distress Stains. 

I colored my image using Distress Markers and Oxide Inks.  

This is why I flipped my journal block.  I liked my sentiment better on the larger flowers.  I mounted the jornal block on foam tape to give extra height and dimension.  The sentiment and paper doll were also mounted using foam tape. 

I added the Typography letters and made sure the word I wanted to use fit before gluing it down(hence the super crooked letters).  Mum got a bouquet of vintage flowers.  

I added a metal photo corner and colored it using Distress Paint and Crayons.  

The letters got a very light wash of Oxide Ink and Paint mixed together.  

I hope you enjoyed! 

Jess

I am also entering this into  A Vintage Journey's Treasure challenge- my treasure on here are the vintage flowers the mum is holding.  

Mix it up Challenge- Create your own Background

Joy ornament

Hi Everyone,

Do you remember trying to take family photos and being told to smile over and over? I think these kiddos have had enough.  I just love the grumpy faces and then giving them silly headgear.  

The oversized tart tin was a perfect place to perch these grumpy guys.  

I'll be back soon with more Christmas makes!

Jess

Frilly and Funkie- Most Memorable Gift (one of my most memorable gifts was a bike. The look on these guys faces sums up my feelings on a bike). 

A Vintage Journey- Winter Wonderland

Simon Says Stamp- Winter/Holidays

Giving Thanks

Hi Everyone, 

I have a quick and easy project for you today.  I love the new Tim Holtz Gift Card Holder die from Sizzix.  Thanksgiving and Christmas are right around the corner and gift cards make the perfect gift.
There are multiple thinlets in the set so I took photos so you can see what each piece is when I put it all together.

There is also a little gift tag die, but I didn't use that one.  I used the Tim Holtz Etcetera paper pad and Kraft core to cut my pieces.

I ran Pumice Stone ink around the edges of the patterned paper and Vintage Photo on the Kraftcore before I glued the pieces together.

Now I am going to work on my embellishments.  I will be using watercolor paper and Magenta's Nuance Powders.  The Nuance Powders come in little jars.  A little bit of this product goes a LONG way.  I poked a hole in the top of the jars using a push pin.  I get really good control this way.  When I am done the pin goes back in and keeps the powder from spilling. 

See those little speckles? That's a couple taps of the Red and the Scarlet Nuance Powder on dry watercolor paper.

This was with a spritz from my water bottle.  It looks kind of like fireworks.

This was with more water and a couple more taps. 

For this piece I used water and then added the powders, just to show you the difference.

I needed more than just red so I grabbed my Distress Oxides in Antique Linen, Fossilized Amber, and Vintage Photo.  I smooshed them on my craft mat and spritzed.  

Using the same watercolor paper I ran my paper through the inks.  Remember to dry between layers so you don't get mud!

I used my Sizzix Autumn Gatherings Strip die to cut out my leaves, acorns, and wheat. Be sure to ink the edges of your cut outs so you don't see the white.  I used Vintage Photo to ink mine.  

To color my paper dolls I used Distress Markers in Ripe Persimmon and Spiced Marmalade.  I just scribble right on the doll and move the color using a cotton swab.  

I clustered up some of the pieces and decided I needed leaves so I used my Nuance Powder Chartruse for color.  I used my Zip Dry to glue them down and added the "thanks" chit chat sticker.  

The bow was missing something and faux stitching was added using my Black Pen.  

The top just slides up and there are little notches to hold the gift card. 

The final touch was adding a vintage marker and acorn charm.   

I hope you try making your own.  

Jess

I would love you to stop over at the My Rusty Crown blog today and check out my tutorial for this cute gift card holder.
I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Jess