The Social Butterfly

Hi Everyone,
Earlier this year I made the decision to step down from most of my design teams and not to apply to any new ones.  Don't get me wrong, I really enjoy being on teams and I have been on some amazing ones, but I missed making just to make.  I wanted more time to play with my stuff.  Today I pulled out a bunch of my new toys and just made.  I wanted to try a couple experiments, some worked and some didn't but I had the time to do it.  I think play makes you a better artist.  You learn how to use your tools in new and creative ways. 
So, here is the result of today's session.

I used one of the mini etcetera tags from Stampers Anonymous as my base.  I covered it with paper and then coated the whole thing with collage medium.  I sprayed on Worn Lipstick, Cracked Pistachio, and Vintage Photo Oxide sprays.  I dried it with the heat gun and then wiped it down.  I then added grit paste through a stencil and dried it.  Once it was dry I painted the flowers(Distress Paint in Victorian Velvet, Peeled Paint, Twisted Citron; and  Dina Wakley Paint in Blushing) and then spritzed them with my glitter duster.  Using a dry brush I added paint to the background(PaperArtsy Paint in Green Patina and Distress Paint in Tarnished Brass) and then splattered on Black Soot Distress Paint.

I pulled bits from my vintage ephemera drawers and picked pieces that matched the color scheme of the base.  The vintage fortune gave me the idea to create the social butterfly. 
I picked the Found Relative out of the new pack and started to alter her.  I took two pairs of the new acetate wings from Tim Holtz and coated the back of one with collage medium.  I smooshed Oxide ink in Victorian Velvet, Worn Lipstick, and Spun Sugar on my craft mat.  I ran the wings through and dried them.  I added a couple more layers like this.  Once I had the pink the way I liked it I sprayed the wings with Distress Spray Stain in Tea Dye and used an old Perfect Pearls mister to get the hint of sparkle. I coated a second pair of wings and then smoosh the two together.

I cut slits into the photo and slipped them in.  I glued them to the back of the photo.  I took some teeny vintage flowers and gave her a large bundle right where she had some flowers on in the photo.  I colored the background using a Distress Marker in Tumbled Glass.  I added a double layer of foam tape to the back of the photo so she is raised off the base.  

I embossed a Gypsy Soul Frame with gold embossing powder and slipped it behind the photo so you can just see the flourish.  

There ya go! The social butterfly is ready to go to her supper(did you see that on the vintage ticket) and mingle.  

Have a great weekend,

Jess

Simon Says Stamp Feminine/ Girly Challenge

Try it on Tuesdays Inspired by a word challenge(the word I was inspired by was social)

  

Salvaged Heart

Hi Everyone,
I'm up on the Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts Blog today with this beautiful shabby chic piece.

This was really simple to put together.  Start by covering both sides of  your Dress Form Tag with the paper of your choice.  I inked the edges of my paper. 

  

Cover the largest set of wings from the Wings Assortment with gold embossing powder. Once the wings have cooled off attach them to the back of the tag using a strong adhesive. 

 Cover the base of your Flourished Heart Frame with DIna Wakley Media Paint in Blushing.  This is a bold pink and I used a wash of cheap brown acrylic paint to tone it down for this project.  

Cover the top of your frame with Finnabair Paint in Royal Red.  While the paint is still wet cover the heart with Distress Embossing Powder in Vintage Photo.  This makes the heart look old and kind of crusty.  Perfect for this project.     

Glue your frame together and attach it to the dress form tag.  Finishing the main part of the piece just took using a Tim Holtz Chip word that I banged on the side of my desk to ding it up.  Vintage photo Distress Ink covers the chip word.  

I used an old spindle to make my base.  I stuck a Tim Holtz Memo Pin in the top and then wedged the finished project into it.  I love the look of sari ribbon for making bows.  This one has a large off white bow and a smaller pink bow to cover where the pin got stuck into the spindle. 

The spindle is fun because you can just pop this piece out and change it up for the season.  

Enjoy! 

Jess

Simon Says Stamp- Grunge it up!

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).

You can't cage your heart

Hi Everyone,
Two posts from me today! I have created this necklace for Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts.
I love to create for Valentine's day.  I have a fun necklace for you today and it was really easy to make.

Start with your birdcage chipboard.  I used the 3 inch version for this project, but it is available in two additional sizes.
I embossed both sides of the top piece using Charred Gold .

The heart is a die cut piece of paper that I wet and crumpled into a ball.  I flattened it, dried it with my heat tool, and then sanded it to highlight the wrinkles.

The wings are painted with a couple light coats of acrylic paint and then grunged up with a brown ink and some bronze paint.


The back of the birdcage that the heart will be on is embossed in a slightly different color than the front(this is Hammered Metal) and it doesn't have full coverage. I wanted some of the chipboard to peep through. The back of the piece is embossed in the same color as the top piece of the cage.

The wings are attached to the heart using foam tape.  I used foam tape and a strong adhesive to attach the heart to the back of the cage.

A large jump ring holds the two pieces of the cage together.  The cage pieces are not attached in any other way.  I want the cage to swing open when I wear this piece.

I hope you like it and maybe make one for yourself!

Jess

I don't color inside the lines

Yes, it's true, sometimes I don't color inside the lines.  Art is supposed to be freeing.  When I saw this quote I knew I had to create something using it.  Stop by the Robin's Nest to see the wood panel I made.

Tim Holtz Found Relative Mixed Media (Canvas

I found a new challenge blog, well they found me on Instagram (you can find me there too it's listed on the top of the blog).  I popped by to check it out and wouldn't you know the project I just finished fits perfectly into their current challenge!
The Mixed Media Monthly blog is having a spray ink creation challenge.

This is the first time I have used a male found relative.  I still gave him some pretty fantastic wings! I distress painted, stained, inked,stenciled, stamped, and Dylusion sprayed until my fingers were many shades.  The overall canvas is 8x10.  

 I am also entering this into the two challenge blogs below.

Simon Says Stamp Anything Goes Wednesday Challenge
Craft Hoarders Anonymous Challenge #10

What have you been crafting?

Jess