Recycling Rocks–Challenge Time!

Well another week, another project .  Gauche Alchemy has teamed up with Lessology to show how recycling can be fun and crafty.   The August challenge is called Fun With Envelopes and you have to use a recycled envelope in some way as part of your project.

Here’s mine:

I took one of those mailing envelopes that has the bubble wrap built in, punched out butterflies and rings with a Sizzix die and used them and Gauche’s Pink Parts Mixed Media Color Kit to make a gift envelope for a little girl.

It really surprised me how well the punched shapes worked.  Single they have the bubble wrap built in, there was no need for foam cushions – they raised themselves off the paper.  I used Dylusions mists to color the shapes and only those of you that read my blog (well & Gauche’s & Lessology’s) will ever know they were from envelopes.

I almost forgot to mention this.  All entries in the challenge will have a chance to win a $15 gift certificate to the Gauche Alchemy store!  So don’t forget to enter your project HERE.

Let me tell you, this has opened up some new crafting avenues.  Shapes that don’t need foam dots to pop them out!  WAY COOL!

Until later………………………………..

Welcome to the Circus Digital ATC

Good morning everyone.  I was recently selected to join the SoArtful Design Inspiration Team (YAY me!).  Each month, we issue challenges to our followers and August’s challenge is the Circus, using red & white stripes, blue, and yellow.  Visit the SoArtful Challenges blog for more details and to submit your entry (& to receive some great inspiration from our designers).

Here’s my first contribution to the design team.  It’s a digital ATC with images from Deviant Scrap artists Pink Lottery, Rucola Designs, Hidden Vintage Studios, Beth Rimmer, and Krysty Scrap Designs.  I don’t have mad digital illustration skills, but I think it turned out quite nicely.

Hope you like it!

Until later………………………………

Challenge Accepted! August Collage Challenge from Green Paper

Just a real quick post and then back to cooking supper. 

Green Paper challenged us blog readers to use at least part of each of the three pictures below.  One lucky winner will receive an Antique French Dictionary image collection.

Well, I was up to the challenge!  Here is my entry:

It’s a 4 x 6 made using the three images, some lace, some frayed cotton material, and a touch of Stickles (can never go wrong there!).   I did cut down the map some and rearranged a few of its elements.  The tickets gave me pause but I finally figured them out.  Of course, I had to fussy-cut the girl out along with some of the flora. 

It’s definitely not my best work ever, but considering what little came out of my studio this weekend, I consider it a triumph.   It was not a productive weekend, but there’s always tomorrow!

Until later…………………

Gypsy Screen–Another Alpha Stamps Guest Designer Project

We were given a package of chipboard pennants and asked to use at least four in a project.  Well, you saw my previous project where I used several.  This one here is actually the first one I completed and I decided to use the four pennants to make a folding screen.

So, using tons of Gypsy papers, collage sheets, and embellishments from Alpha Stamps, the below is what I came up with.  Yes, the screen is double-sided.  Just click on the pictures to view them in a larger size in a separate window.

  
Small hinges were applied with glue and then beads where used to cover the holes.  The chipboard was too thin to allow for the nails that were included with the hinges.  The gypsy’s veil was covered in clear Stickles to add shimmer.  The fringe is from Alpha Stamps.

  
I found some sequin string in my stash and decided to use it to outline the picture on the left.  The frame on the right is from Tattered Angels.

  
Black roses from my stash and silver stickers (not currently in stock) from Alpha Stamps were used in the first picture.  The brass scroll at the top and the dominoes in the second picture are also from Alpha Stamps.


Here, I used a small plastic embellishment at the top with a metal rose adhered to it and then the Fortune stamp from Alpha Stamps, stamped in gold ink and adhered it to the bottom.

This was a very fun project to do.  I’d never made a screen before so used one I had sitting on one of my work desks as an example.  The trick was to alternate the placement of the hinges.

Here is a list of the Alpha Stamps products I used:
Concertina Chipboard Pennants
Gypsy Beauty Collage Sheet
Talisman Collage Sheet
Queen of Hearts #3 Collage Sheet
Gypsies, Tramps, Thieves Collage Sheet
Gypsy Fortune Teller #1 Collage Sheet
Gypsy Fortune Teller #2 Collage Sheet
Gypsy Sisters Paper
Weekend Market Paper
Yellow Gold Beaded Fringe
Acrylic Dice
Small Gold Hinges
Dominoes Set
Fortune Text Stamp
Phases of the Moon Stamp
Brass Shell Scroll
Black Wrought Iron Dresden Scrolls

I hope you enjoyed viewing this project.

Until later…………….

Gypsy Pennant Mini Album

Hi everyone!  Not too long ago, Alpha Stamps gave me the opportunity to be a Guest Designer.  Yes, I was thrilled!  Jumping up and down doing the Happy Dance Thrilled!  I’m a big fan of Alpha Stamps and follow several of their designers, so being asked to guest design was like a dream come true.  Now that the cat is out of the bag, I can share some of my projects I did for them.

First, I want to show you the mini album I created.  Never having made an album before, I knew this was going to be a challenge.  However, you never know what you can do until you do it, so I jumped in with both feet!

The theme was Gypsies (I LOVE Gypsies!).  Here are the results:

  Cover Page  Page 2   Page 3  Page 4  Page 5  Page 6  Page 7  Back Page

The cover is by far and away my favorite.  If you’ll notice, I did insert journaling spots that are scattered throughout the album.  However, this was made more as an album to look at than to journal in.  It’s bound with binder rings and lots more pages can be added.  I strung beads from Alpha Stamps ……… mix and also used a strand of rosary beads from them to decorate the rings.

The base of the album are concertina chipboard pennants backed with Gypsy Sisters paper.  I used several collage sheets (Palmistry, Queen of Hearts #3, Gypsy Beauty, Gypsy Fortune Teller #2, & Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves), dresden scrolls miniature dice, the violet bead mix, the mauve/citrine bead mix, garnet and black rosary chain, & a stamped flourish from Alpha Stamps;  the Red Mixed Media Kit, red punchinella, and rectangular puchinella from Gauche Alchemy; and Prima flowers.  Other miscellaneous embellishments came from my stash.

Stay tuned for more projects from my Guest Designer stint with Alpha Stamps!

Until later………………

Tropical Paradise 4 x 6

Last week, Gauche Alchemy and Viva Las Vegas Stamps held a swap.  Each design team member each created projects using the other company’s products.  For my second project, I once again went with a 4 x 6.  It gave me plenty of room to have FUN!

As I’ve mentioned in a previous post, I have fallen in love with mechanical board.  It study, strong, and easy to cut with a straight edge and an Xacto knife.

The only problem I’ve run in to is that it has a slightly glossy texture that resists mists.  In this instance, I used aqua alcohol ink applied with a cheap child’s brush (I love the wavy results I got) for the background.  I then stamped the Parasol Lady in Chair from Viva Las Vegas Stamps, filled it in with my colored pencils, and then fussy-cut it.  Since this brought to mind the beach, I went with a beachy/nautical theme.

I glued netting from The Robin’s Nest, real colored seashells from Hobby Lobby, and copper colored glitter for sand onto the board.  Next, I stamped the words Tropical Paradise with acrylic stamps on to scrapbook paper and cut them out, trying to be decorative with my cutting.  For the crowning touch, I used birds, sequins, and a paper umbrella from Gauche’s Blue Streak Mixed Media Color Kit. 

Hope you like it as much as I do.  Now off to dream of beaches and sea breezes.  Aaaaaaahhhhhhhh

Until later……………………………….

Regal 4 x 6 Card

Hi there! Yep, I’m back again with another project.  Told y’all I’d been busy, just not able to post my projects.

This 4 x 6 card was done for the Viva Las Vegas Stamps/Gauche Alchemy blog hop currently in progress.  I used the Charred Wood Background stamp from Viva Las Vegas Stamps, Versamark ink, and emerald embossing powder.  I was literally playing around in my studio when I came up with this idea.

This is done on a piece of mechanical board (LOVE IT).  I took my Versamark ink pad and inked my Charred Wood Background stamp, making sure I covered the entire stamp.  After stamping onto my board, I liberally applied emerald green embossing powder,shook off the excess, and then hit it with my heat gun.  I fussy-cut out the woman and the furniture (I don’t remember where I got them from) and using foam squares, “popped out” the furniture from the background.  I used two layers of foam on the woman to make here really stand out.  Next I added white fringe from Gauche Alchemy’s Black Out Mixed Media Color Kit and flat-backed rhinestones and a stick pin from their Banana Hammock Yellow Mixed Media Color Kit.

And there you have it.  A quick and easy 4 x 6.

Now, some items of note:

In honor of the blog hop with Viva Las Vegas Stamps, Gauche Alchemy is offering a 10% off coupon this week.  Just enter VLVS10 at checkout.

Gauche Alchemy will be drawing one random name from all the comments left on THEIR blog this week to win a mini ACME kit.  Drawing will be held 7/14.

Viva Las Vegas Stamps is also offering a giveaway on their blog, so click HERE to find out all the details!   For a 10% discount in their store, enter GA10 at checkout.
 

Until later…………………………….