Heavy Metal Easter

I got a ping from my colleague May Flaum asking if I would contribute to this week's Simon Says Stamp and Show Challenge. I thought for about 2 seconds before yelling "YES". So this week I am appearing on the blog's Metal-ology Challenge.

And that's not all! Submit your own answer to the Metal Challenge and you could win a $50 voucher to Simon Says Stamp. So let's get metalized!

Paper is turned to metal, and metal is turned to paper is this fabulous Easter piece. Just the size for a card for that special Easter someone, or to sit on the shelf for Easter brunch. 

The panels are each 2.5"x3" embossed metal that has been painted, sanded and inked to look like Victorian wallpaper.

Glass Glitter is chunky and comes in beautiful vintage colors. Just the thing to fill a special bottle of Easter joy.

This little chocolate bunny is made from a bit of "Hope" from Authentique Papers. The bunn is edged in Walnut Stain Distress Ink and coated in Crystal Fine Glitter. Some vintage tinsel for his bow and he's good enough to eat!

I used lots of different things to link the panels - paper clips, jump rings, paper hinges and twine. Why use the same thing on every hinge? Mixing it up adds lots of interest.

The "copper" letters are not what they appear to be. Curious??

Come back on Wed for the how-tos and what-nots to make your own metal letters and panels.

Are you inspired now??? You better be! Now get your art on, and when you've got something fabulously metallic to share, submit it on the Simon Says Stamp and Show Challenge. The Simon Says Stamp Superstore is giving away a $50 voucher to one luck random participant. So what are you waiting for?!

Oh and before you go, don't forget your supplies! 

Tim Holtz Damask & Regal Flourishes Texture Fades Embossing Folders - SizzixTumbled Glass and Walnut Stain Distress Inks - Ranger
Copper Acrylic Paint Dabber - Ranger
Turquoise Blue Glimmer Mist - Tattered Angels
Hope Collection - Authentique Paper
Glass Glitter - Melissa Frances
Crystal Fine Glitter - Martha Stewart Crafts
Mini Paper Clips, Jump Rings, Foliage, Game Spinners - Idea-ology by Tim Holtz

  

Love is the Key

There's something special in the air these days. Some of you say "snow?", some of you say "hail?"

 I say "LOVE".

As in Authentique's "Lovely". And to celebrate the loveliness, I created a tiny canvas of paper and some wonderful flowers from Petaloo and trims from May Arts. We are all doing a cross-promo this week and here's my little contribution.

The canvas is 5x7", and I "painted" it with Victorial Velvet Distress Ink. I rubbed the ink on the canvas's edges, then used a paper towel to smear and fill in the canvas with color.

After I stamped and fancy-cut the wings, legs and top, I created the tutu with layers of ribbon, book pages, and Petaloo's Darjeeling flowers. More ribbon wraps the canvas and holds the key.

 I also love love love the tiny hat pins from Petaloo. Adorably small, and perfectly pink, I used a beaded and a silver pin in the top corner.

I hope you've enjoyed this little bit of loveliness. Don't forget to stop by Authentique and Petaloo all this week for more creativity!

Materials Used

"Lovely" by Authentique

"Darjeeling Flowers" by Petaloo

Ribbons by May Arts

Distress Ink by Ranger

Love builds a garden.

Authentique is debuted its newest collection on Friday. It's all about love, and PINK. I made this project as a part of our Authentique-LoveMyTapes cross-promo last week and wanted to share it with you here.

I created the flowers with a couple of different techniques. For all of the flowers, I covered one side of a square of paper with washi tape - sometimes I covered the whole paper, sometimes I left stripes of paper for added texture. For the daisies and other petal forms, I used the "Tattered Flowers" die from Sizzix. For the roses, I used my favorite cut and twirl technique.For added texture and shine, I spritz some of the flowers with Goosebumps Shimmer Texture Spray.

I used more washi tape to create the stems - twisting it around florist's wire, and wrapping leaves in as I went.

Authentique always creates fabulous sticker sheets to coordinate with the papers, and I used the trims to decorate the jar. Washi tape twisted around itself creates great twine. 

I had a great time playing with tape - it's something I haven't tried before and it's a great product! So versatile and easy to work with. Be sure to visit the Love My Tape site to see what their design team is making with our papers.

~ Products Used ~

"Lovely" - Authentique

Washi tapes #880, #383 - Love My Tape

Tattered Flowers and Mini Leaves dies - Sizzix

Goosebumps - Imagine Crafts

Going to the dogs...

Today is my turn to join the fabulous Authentique-Canvas Corp. Blog Hop. I'm so excited to share this project with you today, which literally.....went to the dog!

Daisy is my special Saint. She's got the best expressions, and she's such an original. Which means she's perfect for Authentique's "Original Collection".

To create the shadowbox effect, I used the backside of the "Stretched Canvas" and "Stretched Burlap" mini-canvases, and covered the edges with paper and more burlap. 

For the roses, I cut a circle of burlap, and used the pre-made "Canvas Minis" circles. I cut a spiral in each and twirled away. The leaves are cut from more burlap, free-hand.

To create the burlap ruffle, I took 1" wide strips cut from a 12x12 "Burlap Fabricpage" and crunched and glued them around the edge of the canvas back.

~ Products Used ~

"Original" - Authentique Paper

12x12 Burlap Fabricpage

6x6 and 2x2 Stretched Canvas

4x4 Stretched Burlap

Burlap Minis rectangles

Canvas Minis circles

1 Authentic Saint Bernard

Off to the pumpkin patch

Happy Monday everyone! It's been a while since I've posted - life sometimes throws us curve balls. But things are settling down now and it's time to get crackin! Below is my post for Authentique's "Pinspired Monday" - today's project was a lot of fun to create, and I hope it inspires you to created some seasonal fun!

~ Pinspired Monday ~

My project today was inspired by my love of Halloween, and especially pumpkins!

And my Pinspiration was this wonderful paper pumpkin from whipperberry

So off I went to my paper stash and pulled out "Enchanted" and go to work.

I loved how simple this project really was. Wet paper strips, twist into sticks and let set. For the thinner strips I twisted the paper around florist's wire for more strength. The great thing is that Authentique's paper is nice and thick, so water is all that's needed to make it pliable and to "set". Other sites used ModgePodge for this project but I didn't need it! 

Once all the paper twists were ready, I pulled out the hot glue gun and started attaching the twists to a stem. Round and round and some singed fingertips later and I was done! The curly stems are paper wrapped around florist wire, then twisted around a pen for better curl.

I hope you are inspired to create your own magic pumpkin this Halloween. And don't forget that pumpkins are great for Thanksgiving too, and "Thankfully" Authentique has the perfect paper for that too!

~ Products used ~

Enchanted paper collection

Halloween Under Glass

I love my Petaloos - so doing an Authentique and Petaloo cross-promo was so exciting!
When I received my promo box the butterflies immediately caught my eye. The gorgeous deep orange - just the right shade to compliment our Enchanted paper. But what to make..

Then I remembered seeing vintage mounted insects in a museum book and voila!

Halloween Under Glass

I used paper from Enchanted, and two different dies from Tim Holtz's Sizzix Alterations to create the tiny branch. It's delicate enough for the daintiest butterfly.

Around the base is florist's moss and more Petaloos - this time their hydrangeas in black and orange. Some twists of different black ribbons and a scientific label finish off this spookily beautiful little piece.

Products Used:

Authentique- Enchanted Collection: 12x12 Details Sticker, "Spellbound" 12x12 paper

Petaloo- Orangeade Velvet Hydrangeas, Black Velvet Hydrangeas, Orangeade Velvet Butterflies,
Sizziz Alterations - Fleur and Fall Garland

Pinspired Haunted Treehouse

Halloween is my absolute favorite holiday. Ghosties, goblins, bat and cats, boney feet and witches hats. Who can resist?? Not me!

Authentique has started a "Pinspired Monday" series, where each designer finds inspiration on Pinterest, and uses it to create a project. So off I went to Pinterest and this is what I found - a haunted house!

Which led me to create...

a haunted treehouse!

The treehouse itself is built with a Configuration cabinet, lined with papers from our Enchanted line. Once the sections are covered in paper and the edges covered with paper tape the real fun begins - creating each scene!

The Apothecary's Shoppe is my favorite. I loved mixing potions and poisons for these tiny bottles.

All of the potion bottles have labels made with stickers from the Enchanted collection.  

I used a combination of different things to fill each one. 

~ Allow 24 hours for the bottles that use Glossy Accent in them to set properly. ~

~ Sand and distress the stickers before adhering them to the bottles for extra creepiness ~ 

~ Rub ink on the corks to make those look older too ~

~ Potion Recipes ~

"Poison"

"Slate" alcohol ink

Glossy Accent

cat litter

~ pour a small amount of Glossy Accent in the bottle and add cat litter. 

~ twist and turn the bottle to mix and coat the inside of the glass

~ add a few drops of alcohol ink

~ twist and turn the bottle to mix

~ set bottle on its side to set, occasionally turning the bottle to remix and smear the sides

"Witch's Brew" 

"Red Pepper" alcohol ink

Glossy Accent

~ pour a small amount of Glossy Accent in the bottle

~ add a few drops of alcohol ink

~ twist and turn the bottle to mix

~ set bottle on its side to set, occasionally turning the bottle to remix and smear the sides

"Eye of Spider"

Black Sparkly Fluff

~ tip a small amount of Sparkly Fluff into the bottle 

"Beware" vapor

"Meadow" alcohol ink

cotton ball

~ add a few drops of alcohol ink

~ twist and turn the bottle to coat the sides of the bottle

~ put a small amount of glue on the inside lip of the bottle

~ attach a small amount of cotton from the cotton ball

~ hold in place and lightly pull to make wisps

~ Products Used ~

Paper - Enchanted - Authentique

Configuration Cabinet - Tim Holtz

Wooden Tree - Kaisercraft

Black acrylic paint

Black embossing powder

Assorted tiny bottles with corks

Bird Cage - Idea-ology

Crows

Skeleton