Yep, I know not a very good picture. I am learning the latest Power Point, was using 7, so there is a BIG difference. I'll get it but for now please bear with me.
Anyways...
I am a member of an ATC group, Stamp Out Crime. We read a mystery, create an ATC and share it. This is my submission this time. It is based off of Lauren Willig's book The Mischief of the Mistletoe. I am working my way through this series, so far I have read six and created ATC's to go along with them. You can view the others under the label Stamp Out Crime.
These are fun little Romance mysteries, I have to have me some romance.
Alas there is nothing too special about these. I had to make 8 so I didn't want to go crazy, I've done that in the past. The snowflake is Masonite that I painted gold. I roughed up the edges of the paper a bit and rubbed them with gold ink.
This was the tricky part. Mistletoe is not out in stores yet and all the how to's online created pieces way too big for what I needed. Yes, yes, I know what your thinking, just shrink it. But then these poor little eyes of mine would have hated me! And I do try to make them happy most of the time. So I used fabric leaves, yup, and strung seed beads onto fishing line to mimic the white berries.
Overall I am pleased. I found it a lot harder to go back to card/ATC making than I thought. I have to say I do prefer the 3D and altered art a bit more, but it is nice to know that I can still knock out something presentable.
Okay gang, steep a bag, don your finest attire, pull out all the bling, and sit back and relax while you check out The Tea Princesses Crown.
I have been itching to create a crown, for some reason they always seemed so intimidating, but when I set my mind to it and received this months kit, Provence French Country, from Alpha Stamps, everything fell into place.
The frame of the crown was created using the 2 3/4" wide Ivory Venice Lace (Massive Supply list HERE). The Ivory was a little too light in my opinion, had a cup of coffee sitting next to me (Yes, I know! I'm a traitor, but it was early early in the morning, don't tell the Tea Princess!) so in went the lace and out came this gorgeous color. Next I soaked it in Plaid Stiffy Fabric Stiffener (from local craft store), set it flat to dry. When it was dry I soaked it a second time and wrapped it around a massive cylindrical tube. Had to pin it in a few places to keep it on.
For some reason I just couldn't wrap my mind around how to make the saucer look like a saucer, where to draw what lines etc...so I covered it up with a crown from the Royal Icons Silicone Mold. All the molded items on the crown I created using hot glue.
A few weeks ago I created a tutorial for how I did that.
What tea cup doesn't need some filigree behind it?
This piece is from the Large Bronze Fancy Filigree Set. To make it fit for a royal, I painted it with a coat of Lumiere Metallic Acrylic Paint in Metallic Gold. It took on this amazing depth of color. To make my other pieces look the same I first painted them with a coat of black acrylic paint and then covered it with the Metallic Gold. I did this on everything you see gold, all the molds and the triple pearl pins (they were originally pearl colored).
Seam binding roses are such great filler. The pink, tan and blue seam binding are from the Provence Seam binding set (oh, these colors are so luscious). For the leaves, Serbian Brown, from the Art Nouveau seam binding set. Do you see that little tip of Spice (burn orange) coming out of the center flowers leaf? I'm going to show you how to do that! That shade of seam binding is from the On the Boardwalk seam binding set.
But I didn't stop there, That luscious velvet flower is a Vintage Velvet Hydrangea. I painted it's center with a bit of the gold. I didn't think about making the center of the seam binding roses gold until after I'd sewn on the pearls from the cream pearl assortment, and well, I didn't want to get gold on the flowers, so no gold centers.
When I was thinking about what kind of tutorial I would like to do for this project (there has been a request for simpler tutorials and projects, and well, this is not a simple project) I decided I wanted to show how to make the ribbon leaves. They add so much to the little seam binding roses and other purchased flowers that don't come with enough leaves. You can never have enough leaves. But how to make it mine, new and original? So I stared at the pile of ribbon on my desk, and stared and then light bulb! Why not make the leaves two toned? The above image shows two toned leaves using the 1 1/2" moss green satin ribbon and a darker green I found at the craft store. The flower I enhanced with these leaves is from the Calla Lilies and Berries pack, in Ivory.
The secret to this process is that your ribbons need to be the same width or equal the overall size. So one ribbon can be 1 1/2" and the inside ribbon can be 1 3/4".
But more on that later.
Onto the side.
Wrapped around the entire crown is a tea themed boarder cut from the Tea time boarder die. The rich paper I cut it from is in the Provence 12x12 Collection pack, so many rich and detailed papers. A strand of white (not after I painted them ;) plastic pearls also wraps around the crown.
Another Calla Lily, this time with simple leaves, not two toned, Brass Flatware spoon, and a vintage velvet pansy (amber yellow) create the side focal point.
There is one on each side of the crown.
Can't leave the back plain now can I?
More Filigree painted with gold and seam binding roses adorn the back.
The stick pins I used I have coveted for years, this was the perfect project for them, alas they are no longer made. But, don't despair, they are easy to make.
You will need some head pins, like THESE, and a mix of pearl sizes (the cream pearl assortment is perfect for this).
Thread those pearls on, put a dab of glossy accents between them and paint them.
Voila your very own pearl stick pins, they won't look exactly like these, but they will be darn close.
I've spent most of this post focused on the large two toned leaves, but look here, you can make them itty bitty too!
Here is that Tutorial I keep speaking of
Now a bit more detail on the leaves and what size ribbons work best for what size flower. All of the following images are in the video, but here they are for your staring pleasure.
All of these ribbons are available at Alpha Stamps and most of them are on the massive supply list.
1 1/2" Moss Green Satin Ribbon
Top: 7/8" Satin Ribbon shown with the velvet pansy
Bottom: Olive Crepe Ribbon shown with a seam binding rose made with a dine as the template.
Top: Variegated Silky Rayon ribbon
Bottom: Seam Binding
The smallest flower in my collection of paper flowers that was not a bud. We are talking pencil eraser size.
Thank you so much for stopping by.
I hope you enjoyed your tea and my Tea Princess crown.
Names of all the supplies I used from Alpha Stamps
September is all about Haunted Houses over at Alpha Stamps. This months Haunted House Kit is filled with spectacular goodies to make your very own.
Y'all know I loves me some Halloween art!
I went back to some of my old ways and favorite crafting tools, ICE Resin.
HERE is an old tutorial on how I created the cut outs (windows and skeleton opening) and filled them with Resin.
The window features an image from the A Witchy Encore Collage Sheet. She is backed with a bit of decorative paper so she shows pretty when looking from the other side. Iridescent micro beads are sprinkled onto the surface of the resin to try to make the "glass" look older.
I just wanted him to peek through so I covered the entire house with wood siding (Going for that creepy Victorian look). I cut them out of a dark green piece of matte board (1/4" wide) then I brushed on a layer of cream and dusted them with Vintage Photo Distress Ink, To add a bit more aging along the edges/bottoms of the slats I swiped Vintage Photo Distress Stain along the edges and rubbed it in/around with my finger. When I glued the prepared slats down I cut them and spread them out a little to expose the skeleton.
This is what inspired the entire project! I wanted to make this roof!
So, if you're counting, I have 7 embellishments on this project using various molds. I did not have weeks to wait for resin to dry or paper-clay to air, so I used hot glue. Yep all those embellishments were done in a matter of minutes.
Here is a tutorial on how easy this technique is and many uses for the embellishments.
To make the project stand, so I could put a candle behind it and light up the windows, I created a base to connect a dowel rod to and added two zombies. They are filled with sand to act as counter weights because all that matte board and hot glue embellishments is a bit heavy.
Thanks so much for stopping by.
I hope you enjoyed the piece and that the tutorial was helpful.
For a complete list of all the wonderful Alpha Stamps supplies I used go HERE.
With a little help from the Alpha Stamps July Kit, Odessa Grim created her one of a kind super secret Book of Spells.
Odessa knows that Halloween/Magic Potions aren't for everyone. This kit is chocked full of charms, some that are Halloween, but others that can be used for just about anything.
Odessa, being a good witch covered her book (a small hinged tin.) in Faux Suede Sheets. The thought of covering it in human skin made her toes curl. All spell books need to close so Odessa used a mix of alcohol inks (pitch black, gold and an assortment of browns) to mask the silver of the tin. She did not water these paints down, used them at full strength, just drip them on. She needed the full power that the deep color provided.
To create the label Odessa used some of her specially tea died fabric (you know, the same fabric she weaves protective baby blankets out of) ironed it onto butchers paper and ran it through the printer (after all she is a modern Witch). Witchcraft is not for everyone, so try these Colorfast Sew-In inkjet sheets if the home brewed formula isn't for you. After printing your phrase cut it off and then add inks/dies to grunge it up.
Odessa cast an Extension Charm, yes, she learned it from Hermione, so that the inside of her book held more than just pages with spells. She has shelves for her healing potions (Amber Resin potion bottles, green resin perfume bottles, tiny white turquoise skull beads) and even a place for her familiar, Venus, to hide in (complete supply list link provided at end of post).
Odessa's spell book folds out of the right side of the tin. Pages and pages filled with celestial spells (Alchemical Spheres Collage Sheet) and healing potions.
But her book couldn't just be simple pages, her pages fold out and down and are chocked full of little notes and splashed (Lindy's Stamp Gang Starburst sprays - Mermaid seashells) with spells she has created for the greater good.
It doesn't end there though, Odessa has an entire library hidden at the back of her spell book covering safe travel, how to uncover the truth, blessings for the home and many many more.
Odessa's go to store for all her witch-crafting necessities is Alpha Stamps and here is her complete supply list for this particular project.
Thank you so much for stopping by and checking out Odessa's Spell Book. She will watch out for you and keep you from all evils.
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.
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.
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.
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.
