Wednesday, June 17, 2015

Faux Mermaid Stained Glass Window

 This piece was inspired by the absolutely amazing sea glass now available at Alpha Stamps.  I used a bit from each color set Sea Glass Blue and White, Sea Glass Green and Yellow, Sea Glass Red and Brown. I mounted the glass on  piece of plexiglass using a 100% Silicone Sealant that I found in the shower section of the local hardware store.  That glass is on there!
 Here it is without the sun shining through.  The image I used is one of my all time favorites from the Caribbean Blue Mermaids Collage Sheet.  To make it into one solid image I cut pieces out of two separate images and slipped them together.
 Chipboard bits are one of my favorite things to work with and these were Sea themed (as you know anything Ocean related is one of my favorite things to create with).  The gold piece is the Large Coral Die-Cut chipboard.  The green bit is the Seaweed Stem die-cut chipboard, and the blue pieces are from the Small Coral Die-cut chipboard set.  I painted them using Lumiere paint - Metallic Gold.  I painted them on the Tim Holtz reusable non-stick craft sheet and left them on it to dry.  When I pulled them off paint had built up along many of the edges and in the holes so I can to cut it off with a matt knife, not fun.
 Originally I was going to put all of these bits into a solo shadow box tray, but then you wouldn't have been able to get the full effect of the sea glass.  I still wanted the compartment component the box offered.  To make them here I used the inside of matchboxes.
 The matchboxes are wrapped in the Unearth Copper Patina Scrapbook paper.  This is a two sided paper so I used both sides because they complimented themselves so well.  Inside the two boxes on the end (turned horizontal) is an image from the Vintage Mermaids Collage Sheet that I cut in half.  The bottom of the boxes are lines with micro pearls, a small amount of peachturquoise, and white were used but the majority of the beads are Aqua. In addition to those fabulous bits are the Cheetah Shell Mix and Tiny Real Seashells in a tin. The middle two boxes I kept simple with some stunning bronze charms. 1/2" Bronze starfish charm, Bronze Octopus Charm, and an antique Brass conch shell charm all of which I cut off the loops of.
 In order to hang the piece I drilled two small holes in areas that I left clear of sea glass.  Then I strung it with some of the ribbons from the Summer Silk Ribbon Set. Just a moment on these ribbons, they are luscious!  So vibrant!  I want every color they make.
The finishing touch, that I just couldn't resist, is the Large Bronze Mermaid Pendant Charm.
Thank you for stopping by my blog.  
This piece will be available in the Etsy shop when I return from vacation.
Have a wonderful day!

Saturday, June 6, 2015

Circus Folio

 I have fallen in love with Tim Holtz's folio's!  I'm not a scrapbooker, but these folios are perfect for all those tickets, flyers and what nots one collects on a fun filled trip.
Many of the supplies I used can be found HERE.
To color the folio I took Tim Holtz's distressed paint pealed paint, spun sugar and broken china.  Doctored them up a bit and turned them into sprays.
There are tons of surfaces to cover on this thing which means you have plenty of space to tell your story or show all your trip bits.  
 On the inside flap I used images from the Carnival Scrapbook paper - slideshow and Big Top. My lovely lady is from the Tattooed ladies Collage Sheet. I finished it off with a fun saying stamped directly on and some stenciled stars from the punchinella stencil.
 When you open up the inside flaps you are provided with a ready made cascading paper section to affix just about anything you want to.  
I put a Tiny Brown Kraft Envelope on the inside of each flap to hold goodies. The lovely lady is mounted on a die cut from Tim Holtz Thinlits mini label die set.
 And now for the really fun part.  All the stuff that flips!  The envelope with the word Fly on it is from the Junque Gypsy paper pad set (I used a lot from this set). I just jazzed it up with the stamped word, an image from the Circus Performers #1 Collage Sheet, and some tickets.
 When you flip the pocket over this is the back.  I cut a number of the saying from the Gypsy Moments Poses and reflections paper and peppered them throughout the project. 
 The next layer is another cut out from the Junque paper.  This one is a little book, it opens to show ledger like paper.  On the outside I used a Tattooed lady, flowers, feathers and pearls to decorate it.
 Behind the book I have flying Aerialists, laughing clowns and a black envelope.  
 Flip to the next page and you get a fabulous Women Circus performer and a horse from the Tiny Circus Collage Sheet.
 And for the final page a clown or two with an image surrounded by a Tiny Embossed Gold Dresden Boarder.
And because I couldn't leave the back blank after all that I used an image from the Junque Gypsy paper.  

Thanks so much for looking!  
This piece will be one sale in my Etsy shop when I return from vacation.