The Journey is the Destination - Mixed Media Card

Hello again friends!

It's Elle again with another fun project using some cool chipboard elements to make a card suitable for many occasions or for any gearheads out there!

 

LET'S GET STARTED - TRUCK PAINT JOB

Firstly, give the edges a wipe down with a slightly damp cloth or paper to remove the residue left by laser cutting. Then paint the chipboards with a layer of white gesso followed by a layer of blue acrylic paint.  For this rusty truck effect, I am using two different paint colours - blue and jade.

After the paint was dry, I added the metallic paint using a sponging technique, except I used a paper towel, which works just as well.

Keep adding more paint until you are happy with the effect - make sure you let all the layers dry in between applications!

THE BACKGROUND

For the background, I selected some gelli printed backgrounds I made last September.  This technique creates a peeled paint/weathered wood effect and you can read more about that technique on my blog as it's not covered in this tutorial, but if you have a gel plate you might want to try it out as it creates a very cool effect and it's really fun to do!  At the time, I made nearly 20 of these backgrounds using this technique!

I pulled together all the bits and pieces I wanted to use on the card to see how they would work together and snapped a photo of it for reference later!

BACKGROUND DETAILING

Then I cut the card down to size - 8.5 x 5.5 inches - and covered it with transparent gesso

Once the gesso was dry (only a few minutes) I added some paint splatters and brush-strokes around the edges just for some extra interest and texture.

Using a blending brush, I inked the edges with some Vintage Photo Distress Ink to make it look a little more vintage.

I added some random stamping in the lighter areas using some light grey Archival Ink

I selected a co-ordinating cardstock for the card base and adhere the background to it.

TRUCK DETAILING

Before adding the truck to the card, I decided to add a layer of cardstock underneath the chipboard to show through the cutouts, and to add some clear acetate for the windows using some old packaging.

This particular bit of acetate has a small crack in it and I like how it looks like the truck has a crack in the windscreen!  I also painted the windows with some diluted fluid acrylic paint to tint them a little.

TRUCK CARD ASSEMBLY LINE

Time to assemble the card - refer back to the reference photo if needed - and adhere all the elements in place on the card front.  I added some touches of colour on the girl and woman's hair and shoes and stockings, added some ephemera snippets and word stickers and a stamped quote to the centre of the gear frame and the card was complete!

Here's a couple of close ups so you can better see the rusty effect

Till next time,


Elle
Empire of the Cat

PROJECT RECIPE:

GSL Cuts - Truck 1 C25C,Chain and Gears Frame D20H
Tim Holtz baseboard dolls, word stickers, Distress Markers, Distress Ink, Snippets, Stuff 2 Say Stamp set CMS110
Finnabair - Azure, Jade acrylic paint, Sepia, Turquoise liquid acrylic, White Gesso, Transparent Gesso
Jane Davenport - Copper metallic acrylic
Archival Ink - Watering Can
Gina K cardstock
Nuvo Deluxe Adhesive
From Stash: gel printed backgrounds, acetate from cake box, blending brush

Winter Pom Pom Wreath - Christmas/Winter Home Decor Ideas

Hi crafty friends,

Today I have a quick and easy winter home decor project that you could easily do in an afternoon or less if you got the kids involved!

These kind of pom pom wreaths sell for a pretty penny in the shops but you can make one at home for a fraction of the price using this handy wreath ring shape and a few balls of yarn.  This wreath ring actually includes three rings in different sizes so you could make three wreaths for your home or to give as gifts.  Let's get started!

THE WREATH RING

For this project I am using the largest of the three rings and this yarn.

 For this wreath I am using two different types of yarn from my stash. Here is a comparison photo to show the difference in the two yarns and the size of the pom poms.  Chunky yarn on the left and a double knitting yarn on the right.  I used the thicker yarn with the larger of the cardboard circles I made and the thinner yarn with the smaller cardboard circles.

 Firstly, give the edges a wipe down with a slightly damp cloth or paper to remove the residue left by laser cutting.  I don't always mention to do this but today it is particularly important as you don't want it all over your cream coloured yarn!

I like to wind my yarn into a ball before using it as it makes it easier to use.

 Once you have done this, start winding the yarn around the wreath ring until you have completely covered it in yarn.

 Tie a knot in it at the back to secure it.  

MAKE THE POM POMS

You can actually buy plastic pom pom makers in various sizes but why not make your own out of some old cardboard and use less plastic!

 I am using an old cereal box for this, and some circle dies but you can use a cup or a glass and draw around that if you don't have any round dies.

My two circles are 3 inches in diameter and 2.5 inches in diameter, with the centre hole being 1 inch in diameter.

 Cut TWO of each size and then cut through to the middle.  This will help you to wind the yarn more easily and more importantly, to remove the cardboard from the finished pom pom so you can make the next one. Start winding the yarn around the rings through the hole in the middle.  The fact that you have cut through the ring beforehand, makes it easier to wind more yarn around the rings.  The more yarn you wind around the rings, the fatter the pom pom will be.

 When you are happy with the size, stop winding and cut the yarn.

Cut a length of yarn approx 12 inches long, this will be tied around the middle of the pom pom to hold the shape.  Then start cutting through the yarn wrapped around the cardboard ring.

 The best way to do this is to find the point where the two cardboard circles meet, and slide the scissor blade between them.  Start cutting through the yarn, keeping your scissor blade between the two cardboard circles.

 Now take the length of yarn you cut earlier and feed it in between the two circles, looping it around and then when the ends meet up, tie a knot and pull it tight.  This will form the ball shape of the pom pom.

 Tie a second knot to make sure it doesn't come undone. Carefully remove the cardboard ring and use it to start on your next pom pom!

 Continue making pom poms until you have enough to cover the wreath.  Think about whether you want to cover both sides or just one side.  I am only covering one side as my wreath will be hanging on a door and so the back will not be seen and the wreath will hang flush against the door.  I made 12 chunky pom poms and 12 small pom poms.

 Options:  If you want to have pom poms on both sides you will need twice as many pom poms.  If you want to add more bulk to your wreath consider adding a third size of pom pom that is larger, or an even smaller size to squeeze in between the other pom pom sizes.

ASSEMBLE THE WREATH

Now that you have all your pom poms made and your wreath covered with yarn, you can start to attach the pom poms onto the wreath. This can be done very easily using the long strings of yarn that is tied around each pom pom.

 For my wreath, I have 12 chunky pom poms, so I have attached the first four at the 3,6,9, and 12 o'clock positions.  That means I have two chunky pom poms to fit in between each of those four. 

 The 12 small pom poms will be tied in between each of the chunky pom poms and when you are done it will look something like this.

 Secure all your loose threads at the back by weaving the ends underneath the yarn that is covering the wreath shape, and now your pom pom wreath is completed. 

 Here's a closer look at the chunky yarn if you want to look for something similar.  I no longer have the label for this one unfortunately as it's been in my stash for a while.

WREATH OPTIONS FOR FINISHING

 The pom pom wreath is finished and ready to hang as is, but I thought I would offer some optional decoration if you wanted to add something extra.

You could wrap ribbon around the wreath, or add bows or do both.  Something like this gold ribbon loosely wrapped around the wreath is very nice with the cream pom poms and a simple bow tied at the top.

 Or you could add in another colour like this dark red velvet ribbon which I have used for hanging the wreath and for an additional bow at the bottom.

 I hope you enjoyed this child-friendly Christmas home decor project and that it's given you some ideas for quick and easy home decor for the festive season.

 Till next time,  



Elle
Empire of the Cat


PROJECT RECIPE:

GSL Cuts - Wreath Rings WR001
Yarn - various.  (I used 1 ball chunky yarn and 3 balls double knitting yarn)
Ribbon (optional)
From Stash: cereal box cardboard

Wicked Halloween Wall Art

Hi there, this is Elle (AKA Empire of the Cat) with my first post for Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts and I hope you like it!  This is a quick and easy to make Halloween decor item that would look great hanging on your wall for this and future Halloweens! I love Halloween, so of course my first post would have to be a Halloween project!

Here's how to do it:

 

You will need the following items from GSL:

31 Wall Art - Model D42A
Title - Wicked - Model BB5
Spiderweb Shape Set - Model C156B

 

How to - prep:

First of all, wipe down all the pieces, then cover your chipboard items in black gesso and leave them to dry (it dries very quickly).

Then using your favourite embossing ink, sponge it on to the front of each piece and while it is still wet, dust them all with embossing powder. It takes very little powder to cover all the pieces.

This particular powder has black and gold in it, but you can use whatever colour you want your finished piece to be.  Heat with a heat gun until it has melted and it will start to look like this:  

  Wait a few minutes for the embossing powder to cool before touching the pieces!

 How to - Assembly:

Use something pointy like an awl or a craft tool to poke two holes in the bottom of the "31" from front to back as it's neater that way.  This is where we will attach the "wicked" title so position them so that the holes will line up with loops in the letters where you will be able to tie the thread that links them together. Eyeballing it is fine, no need to measure anything.

Repeat the process with the medium sized web from the Spiderweb shapes set, making a hole above and below where the web will hang. I used silver metallic thread but you could use any kind of thread, invisible thread, thin wire etc. When you have everything positioned, tie the threads and secure the thread ends with a spot of glue.  Below I am using something heavy to hold them in place while they dry but it will only take a few minutes if you want to hold it in place instead. Once the glue has dried and is holding the thread in place, snip off the surplus.

 All that remains is to add some kind of hook to enable your lovely new Halloween wall art to be hung on the wall.  You could use anything for this, a loop of thread, a paperclip, or something recycled like this plastic piece from a paper pad which is intended for shop display, so why not reuse it as the hook for this display piece!  These "hooks" are quite commonly used in papercrafts so you are likely to have at least one stuck on a box somewhere.

Peel it carefully off the pad and then glue it on to the back of your piece where it will not be seen when it's on the wall and once the glue is dry - it's ready to go!

The Finished Project and close ups:

I hope you enjoyed this little tutorial and that you try making one of these cool Halloween decor items for your home. Or course if your house number happens to be 31 and you love cats, then this piece is perfect for you all year long!

Elle

Project Recipe:

GSL Cuts 31 Wall Art - Model D42A
GSL Cuts Title - Wicked - Model BB5
GSL Cuts Spiderweb Shape Set - Model C156B

Black gesso
Embossing Ink and Embossing Powder
Heat gun for melting embossing powder
Metallic thread
leftover packaging
PVA glue