Saturday, January 30, 2016

Time to Shop

 
Shopping, I personally loath shopping, but not Blanch.  Blanch loves nothing more than a bit of outdoor shopping and goes absolutely to the moon when it is done Alpha Stamp style.
Today Blanche is heading to the grand opening of a new outdoor mall.  The clock is ticking away the minutes until she can enter.  
 The Architect spared no expense.  An Ice Resin mold of an Architectural Flourish (gigantic supply list at end of post) adorns the Flower Shop Window.
 Each side of the box is decorated with a wooden flower box filled with coordinating flowers.
 Blanche wondered what the mysterious black window on the back of the mall was.
Until she left the mall late that night and the clock tower was lit with an LED tea light.  The little black window is how the maintenance worker turns on and off the light.  It is just the right size to slip one's fingers inside and grab the light.
 The architect is a little disappointed in the roof, it is the first time she has made one with such a severe slant and she was worried about weight.  In her dreams the roof would have been covered with shingles.  As is she settled for three layers of paper with the ends rolled up.
 The clock strikes 1:25 pm (yea I know a really strange time, but heck the owners like to sleep in, have a bit of lunch and then go to work) and Blanche heads inside.  The front panel of the box pulls away to revel chipboard houses.
  The mall unfolds before Blanche.
 First stop, the Tea Parlor, after all it is tea time!  Blanche told Joan she would meet her at the Chipboard Tea Set sign. 
 On a rainy day (which thank goodness the opening day is not) water will run out of the tea pot. Not really but wouldn't gutters and downspouts be so much cooler if they did have fabulous tea pots at the end of them!?!
 Rejuvenated (one of my daughters vocabulary words this week) from their spot of tea, Blanche and Joan had to the Perfumerie.  They have to enter a Gothic Chipboard fence to go inside.
Perfume bottles adorn every inch of this shop.  The shop clerk makes all her own bottles from the DIY Potion Bottles bead mix. Joan adores that the stoppers are all pearls.  So chic! Blanche picks out a floral scent that will drive the honey bees bonkers.  

 Onto the Lingerie shop.  Joan has been waiting and waiting for this.  She loves how fancy undergarments make her feel. The stockings hanging outside are made of silk!
 Joan can't resist feeling the exquisite lace hanging on the plush hanger that matches the shops wallpaper!.
 Both women decide they needs some flowers to brighten their houses.  They head into the Florist shop.  This florists favorite flower is sunflowers, they cover every inch of the shop.  It's a good thing Joan and Blanche like the happy flowers too.  
Lastly the ladies head to the toy shop to pick something out for their grand-babies.  
The toys look so tantalizing that Blanche tries to reach through the window, but is stopped by the crystal clear Ice Resin that fills all the windows of the mall.

The two ladies had a grand time today.  
I hope you enjoyed the tour as much as they enjoyed the experience.  
Thanks for stopping by!

Flat house supplies (used on every house)
Flat houses
Provincial paper pad 6x6 
Deco window
Windows 4 panel
Tea Shop
Perfume Shop
Lingerie Shop
3/8 inch looped ivory lace
Flower Shop
Toy Shop
Box
12x12 paper hedge, mail, chaise, hampton

Wednesday, January 13, 2016

Moulin Dude


 Girls can't have all the fun can we?  Well, not according to these 10 dudes.  They're kicking up their spats and showing us ladies just how high they can can-can.
This month over at Alpha Stamps the kit is all about love, an Amour kit.  What better way for 10 sexy dudes to show their ladies how much they love them than by facing down their stage fright and giving them a show.
But this isn't any ordinary stage. It is watched over by a cameo of Jane Avril.  
The curtains are a deep rich black velvet (it's just paper from the Love and Lace collection, but velvet sounds so much better) embroidered with luscious roses.
 And what are curtains without some pink sweeper fringe (boring, that's what)?
The stage manager didn't stop there, little golden hearts dangle about the performers nuggets (think Victorian disco balls). 
Behind those jovial men is a tiled wall.  To create this effect (which I am sad is mostly covered up, but boy was it fun to make) I used the Ornaments and Settings Silicone mold. 
I created a video a few months back on how to use hot glue in the molds, which is what I did.  This technique cuts down on time when making a bunch of the exact same thing.

I flipped them diagonal and lined them up starting in the center of the box.  At the edges the squares had to be cut in half.  
The back of the wall also has some iconic French landmarks framed in circular lace edge settings.
 There was no way I was going to create a stage and not have it lit up.  Instead of the traditional white lights I selected red for a more Valentines feel.   
To hide the lights the stage manager ordered custom sconces made.  Oval filigree settings were bent to form the shape. They were then adorned with images from the French Oval Collage Sheet and covered with Diamond Glaze.
But the stage details don't stop there.  To adorn the stage a 3/4" Metal Deco Strip was wrapped around the box and then aged with various patinas from the weathered copper and treasured heirlooms sets. A touch of cream and black were also added.
These fabulous men have admirers who have littered the stage with pink roses.  

I hope your significant others pull out all the stops for you this Valentines!  You deserve it!  If not the Moulin Dudes will put a smile on your face.
Thanks so much for stopping by.