Monday, November 25, 2013

Nature Inspired Altered Spool with Photo Tutorial

These spools by Gina's Designs are so much fun to decorate!  They are large spools and there is plenty of room to play with.  I wanted my finished spool to be nature inspired, and the end result was exactly what I'd had in mind.   I have created a step by step photo tutorial and you will find it following the photos of my finished piece.  The tutorial will show you how I created a  simple and dimensional faux bark look to the center of the spool.  I hope you like it!

Here is my finished spool:





Step by step faux bark tutorial:

In step one I have drawn lines of hot glue onto the spool center to simulate a tree pattern.  I grabbed a tree bark rubber stamp from my stash to get an idea of the pattern I would use.  It took just a few moments to draw on the hot glue.  Be sure your glue gun is nice and hot. My glue gun is the fine-tipped variety and I used the high temperature setting.  It took 3 of the fat glue sticks to achieve this.

In step two I painted it with two coats of white gesso followed by gloss enamel paint in light buttermilk.


In step three I used some ink sprays in nature colors to define the raised areas.


In step four I still wanted more definition so I  rubbed on some Lumiere metallics with my finger to further define the raised areas.  I followed that with a clear pearlescent spray for shine


In step five I covered the surface with thick coat of distress crackle paint in clear rock candy


Here is a close-up of the finished product



Although I did not do a tutorial on the rest of the spool, I will show you and explain some of the steps below:

Before attaching the top and bottom disks to the center piece, I first painted the two disks.  I used the same white gesso, followed by the same light buttermilk enamel paint that I used to paint the center of the spool. After the paint was dry I used Kroma Crackle to distress the finish on the disks.  When using Kroma Crackle I do the white glue method in combination as it dries quickly that way.  You can find this white glue method along with other product how-to's for Kroma Crackle HERE.  I purchase my Kroma Crackle at Dick Blick Art Supplies.  It has to be applied thickly for the best results.  I just use my finger to spread the white glue and the Kroma Crackle.  The crackle dries white so I colored it with ink sprays in browns and greens to look mossy like the floor of the forest.  Now it was time to glue the disks to the cylinder. I first sanded the top and bottom edges of the cylinder to insure better contact.  I then glued the top and bottom to the center of the spool with glossy accents.  There is a grove cut into the top and bottom of the disks so that you know exactly where to place  them on the center part.  I squeezed my glossy accents into the grooves.  I placed an item of moderate weight, in my case a ceramic dinner plate on top of the spool until I was sure the glossy accents had dried and that my spool was put together securely.  I then covered all exposed areas of the disks with the same rock candy distress crackle paint that I used on the center piece.


A close up is here



I gave the edges a finished look by hot gluing fibers along the edges of the disks.  I love these fibers, they are very soft and look like moss.  I purchased these fibers on Etsy,  HERE



Now the fun begins!  The next step is to start gluing your embellishments! 

I personally love the look of nature inspired, but I can see this spool decorated in many different ways, and I know I'll be making more.  I have a vision of the spool dripping with pearls and lace in a gorgeous shabby chic style, maybe an elaborate fairy forest, or perhaps a fun and funky steampunk design, or even mermaids in an ocean theme.   Whatever theme you choose, have fun and please share with us on our facebook page.


Gina's Designs Products Used:




Saturday, November 16, 2013

Layout in a shabby chic style


This layout features chipboard by Gina's Designs, some mixed media techniques, and my kitty Olive Oyl.  Olive was abandoned at my cat boarding facility at 16 years old.  She was given up by her owner in favor of the new relationship in her life.  I can't fathom how anyone could do that, but I love this girl to pieces.  She's a sweet old kitty and I think the shabby chic styling of this layout suits her purrrfectly.



Gina's Designs Products used:

pennant
doilies 8 inch
fern fronds
Leafy corners
steampunk doilies

Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Steampunk Canvas

This steampunk reverse canvas was made as a gift for a man.  It was a bit of a challenge for me to create a canvas without any flowers, but I'm really happy with the end result.  On the inside I used a mask and spray inks.  On the frame I used embossed metal foil tape with a sticky back.  In preparing my steampunk elements I tried to use different techniques to get as must interest and texture as I could.  I began with the chipboard art doll which I papered with a free schematics paper that I downloaded on the internet.  It had just the right touches of teal in it.  I also found a face for the art doll as part of a free collage sheet.  I used matte gel medium over the top of the art doll after it was papered to add stability.  I added some fun fussy cut images from Graphic 45's Steampunk Debutante papers, and the rest came easily by adding inked and/or embossed gears and other chippies and elements from my stash.






Gina's Designs Products Used:


Other Products:

12 x 12 Canvas
Metal Foil Sticky-backed Tape (around the frame)
Tim Holtz Gears Mask (on the inside)
Dylusions spray inks (inside canvas)
Ranger Patinas (to color the foil tape)
Stampendous embossing powders to color chipboard elements
Prima chalk inks to color chipboard elements
Tim Holtz metal gears colored with Ranger Patinas
(by using a combination of both chipboard and metal elements you get more texture and interest)
Prima Junkyard Findings (little faucets and spark plug)
Graphic 45 Steampunk Debutante papers
Punchinella in black
Tim Holtz metal wings and crown
eyelets were used as "glasses" on my art doll and colored with Ranger Patinas
Doorknob on lower left by Graphic 45

Friday, November 1, 2013

Layout - The Good Life using Gina's Designs chipboard lazer cuts


This was a quick project, trying to use up my supplies and some of my photos of the fur kids. This one features "Zeke", just one of my many four-legged couch potatoes. This photo was taken on super bowl Sunday 2013. I had gotten up to fix a snack and he got all cozy with my afghan. I have used some chipboard pieces by Gina's Designs including the curvy filmstrip which I cut in half, and the film reel at the top right. The pieces are part of our Hollywood set that includes a director's chair, large movie camera and other pieces. The butterflies are by Renea Bouquets on Etsy.




Gina's Designs Products used: