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!
Friday, November 28, 2014
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:
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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.
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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
Thursday, October 30, 2014
Window Shadowbox in a Sewing Theme for Gina's Designs
Hello Crafty Friends! Today I am sharing a customized version of the Window Shadowbox by Gina's Designs. This was an original piece that I'd had in my stash for quite some time, just waiting for that right moment of inspiration to come along. In this version of the shadowbox, there is a dividing shelf across the center creating two areas to decorate. You can request to have your shadowbox divided in the center as in this piece, or you can purchase it the way it is currently shown in the store, with no center shelf, to create a large window view of anywhere your imagination takes you.
I kept the chipboard technique simple on this piece because lots was already going on inside the box. I covered all of my chipboard with a light coat of gesso using a dry brush, script stamped with perfect medium, then colored with perfect pearls. Simple but effective, this technique worked perfectly to compliment this piece.
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Gina's Designs Products Used:
Window Shadowbox *customized version
Thursday, October 23, 2014
Steampunk Canvas for Gina's Designs
Today I'm sharing an altered inverted 8 x 10 canvas that I created in a fun Steampunk style. The adorable image and the papers behind it were digital freebies from Ephemera's Vintage Garden. I thought that the Steampunk chipboard shapes from Gina's Designs really complimented this image. I used the techniques described below on the chipboard shapes.
The butterfly, the hot air balloon, and the gears corner at bottom right were first given a light coat of gesso. I always use a light touch with the gesso, usually just a dry brushing with a fan brush, because I like the natural shading it provides when some of the natural chip color is coming through. I then used a variety of different colored gelatos on the butterfly. I blended the colors with a touch of water then let it dry. To get the distressed and grungy look I was after, I sanded it back so some gesso showed through. I followed that with a touch of Prima chalk ink in a burnt orange color. By that point you couldn't even tell that I'd ever used the gelatos, but that's OK because with each layer of color you add, you'll get more depth and dimension as an end result. I added a bit of stickles here and there, some bead connectors and I coiled some copper wire for antennae.
On the balloon, I stamped a script stamp with perfect medium, then added shades of perfect pearls. It has a beautiful sheen to it that doesn't show in the photos. For the balloon overlay I embossed with copper embossing powder, sanded some of it off, then touched it up with Prima Chalk Ink in burnt orange.
For the gears, I simply ran it through my Big Shot in a dry embossing folder, then rubbed it with different shades of Gilder's Paste.
For the chipboard Word Ribbon Title of "Explore", I rubbed the raw chipboard with Prima Chalk Ink in the burnt orange shade, added a touch of Tim Holtz tarnished brass Distress Paint then rubbed gesso over the letters.
To add texture to the image itself, I used a grungy edge stamp with shabby white embossing powder to make it look like ocean foam, and then I added some amber frosted flat back pearls.
To add texture to the image itself, I used a grungy edge stamp with shabby white embossing powder to make it look like ocean foam, and then I added some amber frosted flat back pearls.
To create the texture on the frame of the inverted canvas, I began by using matte Mod Podge to apply torn papers in colors to match the project all around the frame covering the staples. I then dry brushed gesso over the paper using a light touch. I followed with some Art Anthology dimensional sorbet paint applied through a stencil all over the frame. I trimmed in some of the blank spaces with Tim Holtz distress paint in tarnished brass to highlight. I added gel medium and applied glass beads and some little stones (lower left corner)
I made the grungy flower at left with the spikey shapes of the Tim Holtz Tattered floral die (I cut two), and in the center I used a Sizzix daisy die (I cut two), and punched out sun shapes for the center (I punched out three), then I added some glass beads. The flower at right is just a simple rolled rose by Die-namics.
Thanks for looking!
I made the grungy flower at left with the spikey shapes of the Tim Holtz Tattered floral die (I cut two), and in the center I used a Sizzix daisy die (I cut two), and punched out sun shapes for the center (I punched out three), then I added some glass beads. The flower at right is just a simple rolled rose by Die-namics.
Thanks for looking!
Gina's Designs Products Used:
Tuesday, October 21, 2014
Shabby Book Box - Creative Team Project for Ephemera's Vintage Garden
Today I'm sharing a super shabby altered book box. I have created some fun inside the box with the intent that it be displayed upright on my nightstand. I just love how it came out, and I can't stop looking at the inside. All of the papers as well as the tags and images inside the box, are part of the printable digital paper kit called Paris in My Heart by Ephemera's Vintage Garden. Additionally, I have added some lace, doilies, flowers and other embellishments. Inside I have created a flower from the digital papers and using the Tim Holtz Tattered Flower die. This is my third project created with this collection. I love that I can print what I want over and over again. It is so gorgeous, perfect for any lover of shabby roses. Thanks so much for looking!
Products Used:
Digital Design Paper by Ephemera's Vintage Garden
Paris in My Heart Collection
Check out Debbie's other gorgeous paper collections, and sign up for amazing weekly freebies HERE!
Other:
Chipboard corner piece on cover by Gina's Designs
Flowers by Petaloo
Prima Resins
Doilies and parchment flower cluster inside cover by Craftsupplies1
Butterflies by Renea Bouquets
Thursday, October 16, 2014
Lila's Wish - A Layout featuring Gina's Designs and Craftsupplies1
Today I'm sharing a layout featuring my cat Delilah for the October cross promotional project with Gina's Designs and Craftsupplies1. The beautiful parchment flower and leaf clusters from Craftsupplies1, combined perfectly with the chipboard bird cages and flourishes from Gina's Designs. I painted my chipboard with a light coat of gesso, then colored the pieces with gelatos and a touch of Prima chalk inks. The crocheted doily underneath the flower cluster at the bottom left is also from craftsupplies1 and came in a package of assorted doilies in different sizes. The design papers and the doily behind the photo are from the Scraps of Darkness kit club.
Gina's Designs Products Used:
Craftsupplies1
Other:
Butterflies by Renea Bouquets
Scraps of Darkness Kit Club
Wooden bird by Pork Shop Show
Paper by Fabscraps - Paint Chic Collection
Sizzix Die (Wish)
Hanging Charm by Prima Vintage Trinkets
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