Flowers

I can't believe I haven't posted all week. I have been busy creating on projects that can't be shared yet. I decided I would sneak in a post from a project done for the new Stampendous release.  I had created a canvas using a mix of techniques and the new Wild Roses stamp.

I painted the canvas with white acrylic paint.  I stamped the background with black ink and the seed background stamp.  I stenciled using black embossing paste the clocks over the background.  I added a layer of silver embossing paste through the sequin waste. While the silver embossing paste was wet I added black embossing powder.  I let the embossing paste dry and then heated up the embossing powder.

I sprayed pink glimmer mist onto white cardstock. After it dried I stamped the flowers and cut them up to create my dimensional flower.  I added the baby butterflies.  I stamped the Flower Path sentiment onto tissue paper using StazOn ink and decoupaged the sentiment to the canvas.

My idea for this canvas was to do an all black and white canvas with one pop of pink.  Of course after I put that flower on which was what was my design intent I had to add the butterflies. :)

Have a wonderful Saturday!

Suzz

Countdown to the Holidays

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge  is challenging us to start the Holiday Countdown this week.  You can interpret it any way you want.  I started thinking about the countdown to the holidays as in an advent calendar. 

In our house we have little prizes for every day until the holiday starting on December 1st.  I decided to up cycle this mailbox.

It had a big plastic eagle on the front which I had my DH remove.  I then primed the box with a coat of white acrylic paint.  Then I stopped for  awhile thinking of what I wanted to do next.  I searched on Pinterest and found some vintage mailboxes.  I decided I wanted a red rusted look.

1. Paint the surface using red paint. Smear brown paint over the surface.  
2. Sponge edges with Versamark Watermark Ink Pad. 
3. Sprinkle Aged Gold Embossing Enamel over the surface. Heat up until melted.  I left it partially heated to give it a rusted and textured effect. 
4. Repeat all around the edges and on the top. 
5. I then die cut a shape for the front from white cardstock. 
6. Paint the die cut using gold and bronze paint. 
7. Stamp Santa image using brown ink. 
8. Pop Dot and attach to the front of the mailbox.

I wanted the numbers for the countdown to be on the mailbox. 

1. Ink up the hooks with Versamark. Heat emboss with Aged Gold Embossing Enamel. 
2. Die cut numbers from white cardstock.  Heat emboss with gold embossing powder. 
3. Die Cut tags from red pattern paper. Apply Versamark on top and bottoms of the tag. Heat emboss with gold embossing powder.

To create the banner I took Christmas pattern paper and cut banners.  I then painted metallic letters with gold paint.  I then tied them across the top with red and white striped twine.

Now I have a box to use as letters to Santa (although my kiddos are too old) and a way to drop in an advent gift every day until Christmas.

Products: StaZon - Timber Brown, Simon Says Simple Numbers, Stampendous Aged Gold Embossing Enamel,  Kelly Purkey Wafer Thin - Labels Dies Versamark Watermark Ink, Authentique Christmas Paper, Bakers Twine, Paper Artsy Santa, Ranger Distress Ink - Vintage Photo, Spellbinders Label 21, Pop Dots, PaperArtsy - Claret, PaperArtsy - French Roast, Ranger Distress Paint - Gold, Ranger Distress Stain - Bronze

The ever generous  Simon Says Stamp. is offering a $50 Gift Voucher for one randomly selected participant in the challenge.  Come share your holiday countdown with us!

Thanks for stopping by!


Suzz

Follow Your Art

I am so excited... I am off for a week now before the Thanksgiving holiday and I am going to be spending time in my craft room playing around. Yeah!

I have been exploring more mixed media techniques and textures.  I up-cycled a previous project that I had done as a clipboard at a make and take.

I painted the surface using white acrylic paint.  I started adding a mix of purple, green and blue acrylic paint over the surface. 

I then stenciled some sequin waste with embossing paste.  I let that dry completely.  I added images by stamping them onto tissue paper and heat embossing them with black embossing powder.  I glued them to the surface and added highlights with a gel pen.

Products: Americana Satin Paints, DecoArt Embossing Paste, Stampendous - Luv Art, Coffee Mug, Follow Your Art,   Alice In Wonderland,  Black Embossing Powder, STAEDTLER Karat Aquarell Watercolor Pencils. Signo Uni-Ball White Gel Pen

Have a wonderful blessed Sunday!

Suzz

Fall Tags

Today is the  Artistic Outpost  monthly blog hop.  The Design Team has a variety of wonderful projects on their blogs today.  Of course I took this as an opportunity to whip up a few more tags!

I had created a background using Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist, Tissue paper and leaf dies.  I covered the paper with a mix of yellow, orange and red glimmer mists.  I then spritzed the same colors on tissue paper.  After the tissue paper dried I die cut a series of leaves. 

I applied Decoupage medium to the misted background and laid a series of leaves across the surface.  I then coated the entire sheet with the decoupage medium again and added a sprinkling of crystal glitter.

After the background dried it sat on my desk waiting for the right opportunity to use the background.  I decided to cut it into three tags.  I then stamped the leaves from the Artistic Outpost Old Grist Mill and The Outpost with archival ink on the background.   I was originally going to put the together.  After I started stamping images I decided to create three different tags. 

The first tag I used the tissue paper to stamp the image form the Serenity plate using brown ink. I heat embossed the image with brown embossing powder.  I then attached it to the surface.  I stamped the birds form the Bluebird plate directly on the surface using StazOn brown ink.  I heat embossed the birds with brown embossing powder.  

My second tag used the bird from the Birds of Feather and the sentiment from the Quotes and Quotable plate. I added background text from the Birds of a Feather randomly stamped across the background.

For my final tag the image is from the Bluebird and the sentiment from the Old Grist Mill. 

Hop along for some fabulous inspiration from the design team:

Lisa Somerville

Suzanne Czosek
Tracy Evans
Linda Coughlin
Alison Bomber
Terry Horrall
Kate Yetter

Thanks for stopping by!

Suzz

Santa Claus

I just realized how many tags I have been making. :)  I think because I keep getting behind on Linda's 12 tags of Christmas and then I create a bunch to catch up.  Week #8 has a fun technique that I couldn't wait to try.  Linda's challenge has fun prized provided  by her store The Funkie Junkie Boutique. 

I started with stamping a starry background with versamark on white cardstock.  I heat embossed the image using clear embossing powder.

I then smeared Ranger Distress Ink - Peacock Feathers over the surface to show off my resist.  Tammy's technique then calls for covering it in White paint to show off the resist.  Which at this point I realized oops I was supposed to put color down first and then resist.  So I decided to do a double resist. :)  This is the stamping gymnastics of a double resist into a full out landing.

I stamped the script using versamark over the peacock resist background.  I heat embossed it with clear embossing powder.  (Tip: make sure you heat set your dye ink so it is completely dry as to not pick up any embossing powder in areas you don't want it to.)

Now I could use the white acrylic paint smeared over the surface to show up the script.  I was really pleased with how this turned out.

I loved Linda's sweet Santa on her tag and I just purchased this Paper Artsy Santa and was happy to ink him up and put him on my tag:

I stamped the Santa on tissue paper using black archival ink. I then cut him out and attached him to my surface.  I stamped the sentiment in on the vellum and attached that.  I wanted a hint of pink so I found some pink shimmer snowflakes to accent.

Happy Tuesday!

Suzz

Elementary

I love a good mystery!  This week at Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge the challenge is Mystery.  We provided little snapshot of our projects to queue up our mystery.

Here is my sneak peek:

When I started thinking about mysteries I thought of all my favorite authors, books, television and movies. I think the reason I enjoy them is the puzzles to be found.  I started thinking about logic and equations which lead me to Elementary and what better way to show elementary than rulers!

I started with a stack of rulers purchased on clearance and an old cigar box. 

 The rulers:

 The cigar box was a little shorter than twelve inches.  I started with cutting my first ruler to fit the width of the box.  I then took the remainder of the ruler as the next row.  I cut of the excess again to finish the second row.  I continued my pattern until I had enough pieces to cover the top of the box. The next step was to take the distress stains and stain the different pieces of the rulers in a variety of colors. 

I used the rotary cutter to cut my wooden rulers. I love the rotary cutter for unusual surfaces. 

I painted and stained the surface of the cigar box with white acrylic paint and vintage photo stain.

I then cut rulers for around the edges.  I also sponged the edges of the rulers with brown dye ink. I then used a glue gun to glue all the pieces to the box.

The box has little wooden spool legs stained to coordinate.

The finished top looked like this:

I loved how the box looked like.  I painted the inside with chalkboard paint.  I tried a variety of layouts for my cover:

 The girls liked the black chalkboard in the center with the fun letters:

The second layout: 

Products: Ranger Distress Stains - Barn Door,  Broken China, Mustard Seed, Peeled Paint, Ripe Persimmon,  Walnut Stain,  Ranger Distress Ink - Walnut Stain,  Wood Letters,
Buttons, Maya Road Wood Spool, Chalkboard Paint, Artistic Outpost - Kudzu Kafe, Rotary Trimmer

Come join in the fun for a chance to win a $50 Gift voucher from  Simon Says Stamp.

Have a wonderful Monday! 

Suzz

Friend Strengthens

I was inspired by the Mojo Monday Sketch #319  and decided to pull out some pretty papers and create a quick card. Since I am thankful for good friends I also am adding this to the Gratitude challenge at My Minds Eye.

 

I cut all the pieces form the paper, distressed them and added a touch of white paint.  I stamped the beautiful Verses Rubber Stamps - Friend Strengthens using Versafine Orange ink onto the paper. 

For the flowers I cut them from the Paper and crinkled them to give them texture.  The paper is My Minds Eye - Tangerine. 

Have a wonderful Sunday!

Suzz