Home Decor or Photo Display Tray

Today I'm sharing one of our Photo Display Trays which I've used as a Christmas home decor project.  This project could be hung on my wall as part of my Holiday display, or perhaps placed on an easel on my mantel.  These display trays come in a variety of designs and themes, from Steampunk to pets and children. This is the fourth one I've made!  I love how simple they are to decorate, with or without photos.

In addition to the tray itself, which I painted in cardinal red, I also added some Gina's Designs chipboard shapes to my tray.  Closeups are below explaining how I colored and decorated the ornament and the snowman:

For the snowman:

If you're after a vintage look, as I was, try inking instead of painting.  First dry brush the pieces with a thick gesso and a fan shaped brush, using very little paint on the brush.  You can always add more.  On mine you can see the natural chipboard peeking through.  I didn't want complete coverage, making it look more vintage and shabby.  The fan brush helps achieve a light coverage.  After the gesso was completely dry, I simply colored with Tim Holtz distress inks in Christmas colors using cosmetic sponges to apply the ink.  Note that the hat is naturally highlighted by using more ink at the edges.  I really like the effect.  I wanted my snowman to wear a vest, so I used the holly leaf shapes from the shape set to make a vest :)

For the ornament:

This was really simple to decorate with embossing powder.  No need to paint the chipboard if your embossing ink is nice and wet.  I used Stampendous shabby embossing powder in white.  The shabby embossing powders are multi-colored, and this one has flecks of gold in it so it's a nice one-step process.  After the embossing, I applied Tim Holtz frosted film.  Simply cut a piece from the roll that's big enough to cover your ornament.  Trace the circle, then cut the film just inside your trace line.  Apply the film to the back of your ornament.  The sticky side will be up.  Shake some clear glass microbeads all over the sticky area. Tap the ornament to remove excess beads onto a piece of paper so you can return the excess beads to your container.  Add some bling gems.  For a sturdier ornament to hang on the tree, you could also back these with plain paper, painted chipboard, or design paper, and/or sandwich the frosted film in between.  Fun!

Gina's Designs Products used:

Photo Display Tray in Lace

Christmas Shape Set

Snowflakes Shape Set

Winter Shape Set

Ornaments Shape Set (not available online, at brick and mortar stores only)

Other Products Used:

Folk Art paint in Cardinal Red

Gesso

Fan Brush

Tim Holtz Distress Ink in Black Soot, Iced Spruce, Pine Needle, and Festive Berries

Recollections bling and the little Christmas packages also by Recollections

Tim Holtz tattered poinsettia die

Design paper by My Mind's Eye (All is Bright collection)

Tim Holtz movers and shapers die (mini reindeer and 25 set) - ( I used the 25 at the bottom left of the tray)

Photo Display Tray in a Halloween Theme

Today I have a spooky version of our photo display tray in the damask style (one of many styles available).  In this creation I've teamed up lots of Gina's fun chipboard shapes with papers from Graphic 45. You can't go wrong with this combo, and I had so much fun I was awake all night just waiting until I could get up and play some more.

For products and techniques, see the bottom of this post

Gina's Designs products used:

Photo Display Tray
Spooky Shapes Set
Spiderweb Shapes Set
Cottage Windows - Small
Lamppost 2
Flourishes 1
Apothecary Miniatures Shape Set (available soon)


Other Products and techniques used

Patterned Papers by Graphic 45 (Steampunk Spells & Happy Haunting collections)

Black acrylic paint, Kroma Crackle and white school glue used on the tray frame

Modern Masters Metal Effect Iron Paint and rust activator used on the lamppost

White Gesso (light dry brush coating) and Prima Chalk inks used to color chippies

Stamping on chipboard shapes with rollagraph stamp in crackle pattern

Tim Holtz distress rock candy crackle paint (on the witch)

Distress stickles in black soot (on the bats)

Ranger Embossing Pearl in Pearl Blue (on the apothecary jars and the word "Boo")

Stampendous embossing Powder in crystal transparent (on the ghost)

Tim Holtz frosted film used as glass in lamppost and window and sprinkling of clear glass microbeads

Tim Holtz distress embossing powder in Vintage Photo and a script stamp (on the flourishes)

Photo Display tray "The Cat's Meow"

Today I have one of the Gina's Design's Photo Display Trays which currently are available in six styles.  This one is called the "Cat's Meow".   This was so much fun to create using one of my kitties "Timothy" as my inspiration along with shapes from our Nancy's Garden collection, and other favorite pieces from Gina's Designs.  These Photo Display Trays are made of sturdy wood, and are so versatile and easy to work with.  In this project my pieces were mostly colored with Prima Chalk Inks.  In some cases I've embossed with either clear UTEE, or Stampendous crystal embossing powder.

Above is the finished piece

Here I used one of our intricate border sticks, an ornamental bird cage, and the small leafy tree which I cut up into pieces.

Some of the grids come with overlay pieces.  Here the word "meow", and two of the skeleton fish are overlays.

I framed this section with one of our ivy corners

The word "love" is also from Gina's Designs, from the 10 word package.  You can also see another view of the lace border stick and pieces from the leafy tree.

I've framed this section with the smallest sized palm tree.

Gina's Designs Products used:

Photo Display Tray - Cat's Meow (please also see the other styles)

Border Sticks

10 words package

Small Leafy Trees

Ivy Corners

Palm Trees Shape Set

Ornamental Bird Cages

Steampunk Photo Grid

This is one of the new lazer cut wooden photo grids available at Gina's Designs.  This is the steampunk cog framed design.  There are other designs available including a lace frame, a damask frame, dog themed and cat themed frames to name a few.  The frames are approx eleven inches in diameter and ready for you to paint, paper, and decorate.  Many other chipboard shapes from Gina's Designs were also used in creating this piece.

 The frame was painted with black acrylics, then covered with glass bead gel, then I rubbed it with silver rub 'n buff

 The peacock feather is also from Gina's Designs and was painted with Lumiere acrylic paints and I also used stickles .  All gears shapes are also from Gina's Designs and were painted with Lumiere acrylic paints and/or embossed with clear UTEE, or Stampendous frantage shabby embossing powers.

 Flowers by Petaloo canterbury collections.  background paper by DCWV The Timeless Type Stack, images by Graphic 45 Steampunk Debutante.

 Hot air balloon by Gina's Designs, inspire acrylic lightbulb by Prima Junkyard Findings.  Butterfly by Reneabouquets.

 Pocketwatch pieces also by Gina's Designs.