Friday, November 28, 2014

Exciting News to Share!

Just here today to share some news.  The post below was my final post and project as a Design Team member for Gina's Designs.  I had an amazing three years with the team as one of the original founding members.  During my journey,  I really learned a lot, and I gained more confidence and insight.

As I discovered myself artistically, I really wanted to try new things, and just couldn't find the time to add anything more to my existing crafty commitments.  In looking around for teams that offered challenges that were new and different, I happened upon a design team call posted by The Gecko Galz.  I loved their theme-based monthly challenges, blog hops,  and cross promotional projects with other digital design teams.  It was just the opportunity and new learning experience that I was looking for.  Lucky me when I found out I had made the team!  I have so much to learn from them in the coming year.  I hadn't realized that there are so many challenges out there that I wasn't even aware of.   Next year will be about having fun, and leaving stress behind.  Thank you Gecko Galz for believing in me.  I look forward to having a great time, and I'm hoping I can bring something creative to your 2015 team!




Thursday, November 27, 2014

Vintage Winter Layout in a Frame for Gina's Designs

Hi Everyone, it's Nancy here!  Today I'm sharing a Vintage styled layout with a Winter theme.  I decided to frame my layout in a 12 x 12 wooden shadow box from Michael's, giving me more space to play with my chipboard shapes, embellishments, and mixed media techniques.    

I began by painting the unfinished wood frame with gesso.  When it was dry I used Mod Podge to adhere some of the design papers that I had printed onto tissue paper.  I then used some of my stencils to add texture.  I added even more texture with pieces of the Diamond Texture Sheet from Gina's Designs and some of our Intricate Doilies.  I embossed the pieces of chipboard texture sheet with Stampendous shabby blue and then I rubbed on gold Gilder's Paste.  The doily pieces were adhered to the frame with Mod Podge and when dry, I applied gold Gilder's Paste.  A closeup of the frame's textures is shown below:


I added texture to the chipboard tree from our Winter Shape Set with my goal being to give it the look of being glazed over with ice.  I first painted the tree with gesso.  I followed that with a coat of white pearlescent paint by Folk Art.  When dry I added Tim Holtz Distress Crackle Paint in Clear Rock Candy.  I then added Vintage Photo Distress Ink and wiped it off so it stayed mainly in the cracks.  I followed that by applying a white puffy dimensional paint and drew it on in a tree pattern.  While wet I sprinkled on clear glass beads and Tim Holtz Distress Glitter.  On the snowflakes I simply applied Stampendous shabby embossing powders in white and in ivory.


For the sled, also from our Winter Shape set, my goal was to try to make it look old and worn.  I began with a light coat of gesso applied using a fan brush so some of the natural chipboard showed through.  I added just a touch of light blue Prima Chalk Ink to the slats.  I then drew wood pattern on the slats with a Tim Holtz Distress Pen in Vintage Photo which I then blurred and blended with a water pen.  For the sleds framework, I first painted it with a brass paint dabber, then "rusted" it with Tim Holtz Vintage Photo Distress Embossing Powder.


Thanks for looking!

Gina's Designs Products Used:


Other:
Printable Digital Paper by Crafty Secrets (Vintage Christmas Kit)
Flowers by Tresors DeLuxe and Prima
Dragonflies by Renea Bouquets




Saturday, November 22, 2014

Whimsical Altered Box for Ephemera's Vintage Garden

Today I'm sharing a really fun box I created for Ephemera's Vintage Garden.  I used images and background papers from a set of digital printable art journal elements called A Happy Place.  I wanted to create something with a mixed media look and feel and with a touch of whimsey.  The papers themselves have paint splatters and blotches and I also added some of my own splatters and drips here and there, and some gesso to give it a real artsy look.  The papers and journal bits are designed to make creating an art journal both fun and easy, but there are so many other fun creations you can make in addition to your art journal.  I will be showing you more fun projects using this set next month.





Everything is very sturdy and coated with plenty of Mod Podge for durability so I can use this box for art supplies.  The flower on top is made of wood that I covered with more of the papers.  There are also more pieces, of both backgrounds and art bits available in this set which I will link to below.

Products:

Other parts of this set that are available:

Other Products Used:
Unfinished wooden cigar box from JoAnn's
Wooden Flower from Factory Direct Craft available online
Chipboard diamond texture sheet from Gina's Designs




Thursday, November 20, 2014

Christmas Kitties House Shadow Box for Gina's Designs


Today I'm sharing another of my favorite pieces, our house shadow box.  I've decorated this one especially for one of my kitty loving friends as a Christmas gift.

 After assembling the shadowbox, I painted it with gesso and applied Tim Holtz tissue tape in music note pattern to the edges.  The inside of the niches, and the outside of the shadow box were papered with a printable digital paper in a vintage Christmas pattern.

 I filled the box mainly with fussy cut digital images that I found on Pinterest, or purchased on Etsy, and handmade little books which I created from free digital files.  The smaller of our layered chipboard fireplaces fits perfectly in the larger square of the box, and I thought it added a cozy feel.

The lamppost at the upper right is also by Gina's Designs, and is available in the store as a larger piece than shown here.  I had requested that this smaller version be custom cut for me.  The shadow box was cut at a depth of 1 1/2 inches by request.  The standard depth is 2 inches, but you can request it be cut to fit your needs as I did.


Gina's Designs Products Used:

Fireplace (coming to the store soon)

Other:
Vintage Christmas digital paper kit by Crafty Secrets
Wooden vintage cat icons by Pork Chop Show on Etsy

Thursday, November 13, 2014

Vintage Victorian Winter Themed Diorama for Gina's Designs

This Diorama is one of the newer selections in our store, and it's my new favorite piece to work with.  The possibilities are endless for decorating in any theme you like.  This is a large piece at 5" wide, 5"deep and around 7" tall.  When assembled, the Diorama provides a spacious  triangular shaped niche on each of the four sides for you to decorate.  The top of the piece also provides a really large space.   This piece also comes with a lazy susan pedestal to attach to the bottom so it will turn.  I chose not to use the rotating base and opted to add some Tim Holtz feet instead.  I wanted my creation to have a wintery vintage Victorian feel, and I thought that the ornate feet best reflected the look I was after.  



 

After I assembled the piece, I gave it a light coat of gesso.  I papered the inside of the niches with canvas resist by Prima Finnabair Elementals in a music note pattern.  I needed two sheets and had scraps left over.  I stenciled over the canvas using a snowflake stencil,  first with Prima Chalk Ink in Old Rose, and then I used the same snowflake stencil with sparkle texture paste.  I added some gesso with a dry fan shaped brush here and there to distress. 

I covered the vertical framework of the piece with crackle texture paste, and distressed it with some gesso and a little light pink acrylic paint, and a little buttermilk acrylic paint.  The horizontal framework was covered with a sequined eyelash trim I got on ebay and had been hoarding.

The chipboard shapes were embossed with Stampendous shabby embossing powders in cream and in white.

The Victorian winter images were mostly freebies I found on Pinterest, along with a collage sheet from Gecko Galz called Christmas Icons.

Thanks for looking!

Gina's Designs Products Used:

Diorama (coming soon)

Thursday, November 6, 2014

Magical Fairy Layout for Gina's Designs

Today I am sharing a 12 x 12 layout that I adhered to a flat unfinished particle board frame from Michael's.  The Paisley Frame from Gina's Designs surrounds the 5 x 7 opening in the frame and adds dimension.  I decoupaged the design papers directly onto the wood, some of which I tore and layered.  The paper is applied to the wood with matte Mod Podge, and I have tucked some of our intricate doilies in between the layers for added texture and interest.  One of our Garden Fairies watches over the scene in the upper left corner.  I painted the chipboard frame that surrounds the opening with a light coat of gesso followed by Lumiere paints in gold and lavender shades.  The fairy is embossed with shabby beige embossing powder over some glass beads in the wings area.  I also rubbed on some Inka Gold.  Thanks for looking!



Gina's Designs Products Used:

Other:
Design paper by BoBunny - C'est La Vie Collection
Lumiere paints by Jacquard
Flowers by Recollections and Petaloo
Bird Nest, Resin Topiary and Deer by Prima
Butterflies and Dragonfly by Renea Bouquets