Vintage Kitty Christmas Card

Hello Friends!  Today I'm sharing a Christmas card I made for a dear friend of mine.  As a fellow crazy cat lady, I knew I had to choose a cat image.  I wanted a vintage look, and didn't want anything that screamed of Christmas, but rather something more soft and subtle.  I remembered seeing some gorgeous non-traditional Christmas trees on a collage sheet from My Artistic Adventures on Etsy a couple of weeks ago, and when I took another look, I knew I needed it for this card!  I mean, my goodness, there are even birds sitting on a wire in these trees!  What could be more perfect in design, and the color complemented my subtle color palette perfectly.  The sheet also had some gorgeous pink candy canes, that I glittered and was going to add to the card, but in the end, I left it alone.  As tempted as I was, I didn't want to over embellish this particular card.  

I found my image on Pinterest.  I cut off the bottom of the image where it said A Merry Christmas, and used the sentiment at the top, mounted on foam tape.  I layered the image with several coordinating paper scraps, tying a bow in between the layers.  I created the bow with my brand new Zutter Bow-it-All.  It's my new favorite tool and it's the best thing since sliced bread!  Once I had the card topper assembled, and glittered up a bit, I mounted that onto a plain cream colored card base leaving room at the bottom for a strip of coordinating paper cut in a banner shape.  I glittered my gorgeous tree all around the edges (cut an outline around the tree when you fussy cut to accomodate your glitter outline), and I mounted the tree onto foam tape.  

I ended up with just the perfect subtle softness I'd been after.  Thanks for visiting my blog!

The collage sheet for the Christmas Tree can be found HERE.

Entered into the following challenges:

My Artistic Adventures #14 Christmas/Winter Theme

Holiday Card for The Gecko Galz Facebook Paper Challenge Group

 Hello Friends!  Today I have a Holiday card to share.  I am entering this fun and colorful card into the Holiday Cards Challenge in the Gecko Galz Facebook Paper Challenge Group where each month you will find plenty of fun challenges to enter in many categories with free collage sheets for the winners!  We also have a monthly theme-based challenge on the Gecko Galz Blog.  Come visit and play along!

The bow underneath the Santa circle-shaped image was cut from one of the other images on the Old Fashioned Christmas collage sheet.  All images are elevated with pop dots for dimension, and I've added stickles for shine, but the sparkle doesn't really show in the photo.  The doily behind the Santa image is lazer cut cardstock from Gina's Designs.

I have used two collage sheets from Gecko Galz in creating this festive card.

Old Fashioned Christmas

Winter Time

Visit the Gecko Galz on ETSY where you'll find tons of backgrounds and images for your Holiday cards!

Click on the image below and head over to the monthly challenge on the Gecko Galz Blog, for the chance to win a $25 Gecko Galz shopping spree!

Whimsical Shadowbox for Ephemera's Vintage Garden

Hello my friends!  Today I'm sharing my second project featuring art journal backgrounds and whimsical page elements from "A Happy Place" by Ephemera's Vintage Garden.  I had so much fun creating this!  One of my favorite things to do when crafting is to create a scene.  No, of course I don't mean that I enjoy causing disturbances in public places LOL.  I meant that I like to portray a feeling through the depiction of a particular scene.  It may be a place where I've been in real life, such as I might create with a traditional scrapbook layout, but more often the scene is one where only my imagination could take me.  We all need a touch of whimsy in our lives now and then, and this kit, A Happy Place really makes me smile.

I began with an 8 x 10 wooden shadowbox frame that I purchased from Michaels.  I painted it with several coats of gesso so I would have a bright white surface on the base of the frame.  I wish I could say that I created all of the fabulous mixed media technique on the frame, but I didn't have to, it's already there on the background papers!  I printed the background papers onto tissue paper and then used Mod Podge to adhere it to the frame.  Let it overlap, it's fine, you'll trim and sand it later.  Don't trim it out and sand until it's completely dry, overnight is best.  To print onto tissue paper, I run a glue stick around all four sides of a 65 lb weight sheet of cardstock.  I place the white tissue paper on top pressing it firmly to the glue on the edges, starting at one side and smoothing it firmly over the cardstock backing to prevent as few wrinkles in the tissue paper as possible.  I trim it out so nothing is hanging over the cardstock backing so it doesn't get hung up in the printer and cause a jam.  Most of the time, I can easily remove the tissue paper from the cardstock  backing, but if not, you can just cut the edges off.  When I was finished with the frame, I simply fussy cut all the amazing and whimsical bits from the set, and arranged them inside and around the frame using pop dots for dimension at different levels within my shadowbox.  I added a few things that were not from the printable kit that I will list below.

I always like to remind my followers that many of the digital papers are designed to make incredibly amazing art journals.  The backgrounds look like you spent hours perfecting mixed media techniques.  Don't stop when you've finished creating your art journal.  You can print the papers again and again to create all kinds of projects!

Digital Design Paper from Ephemera's Vintage Garden

Printable Art Journal Page Backgrounds

A Happy Place II

Also Part of The Set are:

A Happy Place

A Happy Place II Art Journal Page Backgrounds

*The Blackbird at the lower left corner comes from one of the recent freebies called Merry and Wise

Sign up for Freebies Here and receive them weekly in your email box!

Other items used in this project are chipboard shapes by Gina's Designs including:

Birds on a Wire

Birdhouse

Clock Hands

Bird Nest

Santa Clock - My First Gecko Galz Challenge Entry

I'm so excited to have completed my first project using Gecko Galz products.  I am not officially part of the team until 2015,  but I couldn't wait to get started,  so I am entering this fun piece into the Holiday Decor Challenge in the Gecko Galz Facebook Challenge Group where each month you will find plenty of fun challenges to enter in many categories.  We also have a monthly theme-based challenge on the Gecko Galz Blog.  Come visit and play along!

I began by painting the dimensional chipboard clock by Gina's Designs with gesso, followed by a cherry red acrylic paint.  On top of that I painted Tim Holtz Distress Rock Candy Crackle Paint. When that was dry I rubbed on some gold distress paint and wiped it off quickly so it settled in the cracks.  I followed that with some Bright Gold Gilder's Paste around the edges and on the feet.  I also added some gold microbeads to the bell on the upper right.  I used collage sheets from the Gecko Galz to decorate the inside and the bell on the left hand side of the clock.  I then finished up with some stickles, some sparkle texture paste spread inside, and a tiny bottle brush tree from my stash.

Gecko Galz Christmas Icons (the Santa face image and the holly from the bells with holly image)

Other:  Gina's Designs Chipboard clock and Intricate Doily used as a background inside the clock.

Thanks for looking!

Click on the image below and head over to the monthly challenge on the Gecko Galz Blog, for the chance to win a $25 Gecko Galz shopping spree!

And don't forget to join our Facebook Challenge Group!

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!

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:

Winter Shape Set

Snowflake Shape Set

Cardstock Doilies - Intricates

Texture Sheet - Diamonds

Other:

Printable Digital Paper by Crafty Secrets (Vintage Christmas Kit)

Flowers by Tresors DeLuxe and Prima

Dragonflies by Renea Bouquets

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:

Ephemera's Vintage Garden

A Happy Place II 

Printable Journal Pages

Other parts of this set that are available:

A Happy Place

A Happy Place II printable art journal pages

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

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:

House Shadow Box

Fireplace (coming to the store soon)

Lamppost 2

Other:

Vintage Christmas digital paper kit by Crafty Secrets

Wooden vintage cat icons by Pork Chop Show on Etsy

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)

Winter Shape Set

Christmas Shape Set

Snowflake Shape Set 

Cottage Windows Small

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:

Paisley Frame

Cardstock Doily Set - Intricates

Garden Fairies Large

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