Hearts and Butterflies Greeting Card by Susan

Hello friends!  I have an anniversary card to share today. I've used lots of fun Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts bits and bobs including butterflies, heart dangles, and wee little number plates.  I made this for my sister Lora, who also happens to be on the Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts education team.  I hope she doesn't take a sneak peek at my post before she receives the card!

I started with the Butterflies and Dragonflies cut.  Look how many choices are on the card!

Separate the cuts from the card -- I usually just press a blade into the board at the little stay-tabs.  Repeat on the other side if needed.

I dabbed white gesso on each piece and allowed to dry.

I positioned the heart frame top over the scene I wanted and traced it with a pencil.  I cut it inside the pencil lines so it wouldn't overlap on assembly and used brown ink on the edges.

Paint was next!  First I coated everything in creme white and quickly became bored with it.

I didn't take photos along the way, but I used these paint in roughly the left-to-right order.  The white on the end was mixed with colors to lighten them.  A little water diluted the paints so I could blend them in.

Here's the butterfly result.  Pretty!  The beaded hearts and bead trim were sponged with very diluted brown paint.  I used a brown marker to color the heart base so white didn't show through.

The Viva Pearl Pen is useful for pearls but keep in mind the dots will dry like little daggers if you don't make sure the tops are rounded when applied.  I didn't work carefully enough, I'll admit.  I ws able to push the dagger dots down a bit once dried.

The number plates are finished and don't need any treatment.  I used a straight pin to poke holes in the beaded heart where I wanted to attach the number plate.  Small vintage eye pins did the trick!

Once the card was embellished I decided to add a glassy surface in the heart using Diamond Glaze.

And here's the finished card!

Happy anniversary Lora and hubby!  I love you both dearly.  :)

Cheers,
Susan


Bead Strand Heart Dangle #D12H
Butterflies and Dragonflies #D69A
Bead Strands #D99K
Tiny Number Plates White #C8TW (coming soon!)

Other supplies used
Sewing machine
Scor Tape
Clear fabric glue
Liquitex white gesso
Brown and ivory card stock
Pink Paislee paper
Mulberry paper flowers
Vintage tatting
Vintage crochet
Lumiere paints
Ivory acrylic paint
Viva Pearl Pen in creme

Vintage Valentine Wall Hanging Home Decor

Hello there friends! Happy Sunday to all of you. I'm so thrilled to say now that it's officially February I can throw myself into Valentine projects with reckless abandon.

For today's project I created a very vintagy inspired wall hanging.....

Isn't it just loverly? So many layers!!!!!!

I've layered the chipboard.

I've even layered the bows.

And topped it all off with layered flowers.

But not even I am expert enough to layer pearls : (

Won't you join me for a video tutorial on how I created this project......

Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts~ Filigree Frames Shapes Set, Bead Strand Heart Dangle.

Wishing you all a happy and productive day : ) G

A Valentine for Winter

I love winter.
I know there are lots of folks who don't like it one bit and that is okay.
For me, winter has always been magical and a little bit mysterious. I love the beauty of a snowfall, the glistening and sparkling that happens on a calm moonlit night.
The dazzling brilliance of a white blanketed, blue sky day.
Winter sunrises....such beautiful, delicate light.
Snowflakes, brisk air, sleeping forests.
It's also a time of great creativity. The tasks of summer are all done until the next season. Everything is at rest and there is time to turn inward and let all those creative sparks grow into ideas and visions.
In the heat and loud fecundity of summer, I dream of the coldest, quietest season.
Here is a little offering for winter.
A valentine.

 This project began as a Half Scale Arch Front Room Box.

I assembled the box, setting aside the arch front. Painted the interior of the box and cut papers for the exterior.

You can see here, I was playing with various bits and decided on mot everything but the clock to add to the piece.

I used the Bead Strand Heart Dangle for the main focal point in the box, painting it a delicate pink and adding pearly details and a little sparkle.

In the picture below, you can see the little dot details I added to the inside rear of the box ( I used a Sharpie Poster paint Marker) and then added snowflakes from the Winter Shape Set and the Snowflake Shape Set popping them up a bit with foam core poster board. I did the same thing with the Bead Strand Heart Dangle, but used more foam core, setting it up closer to the front of the box.

After I got the major players glued down and dried, I attached the arch front of the box and then began playing with the placement of the trees and exterior snowflakes, adding little dots of 'snow' with my marker in the background on the arch front.

I added flat back pearls to the center of each snowflake with the exception of the one in the center of the big heart. That one I covered with glitter and glued a Swarovski flat back crystal to the center.
I glued a white painted candle holder to the bottom, but thought it was a bit too low. I had a tin Jello mold sitting on my desk and impulsively painted it white, turned it upside down and glued it to the candlestick.
Perfect! A little bit whimsical and rustic.

Thank you for stopping by and Happy New Year to all!!

Supplies:
Half Scale Arch Front Room Box
Bead Strand Heart Dangle
Winter Shape Set
Snowflake Shape Set

Additional Supplies from Alpha Stamps:
Retro Bottle Brush Tree Set - Green
Snow and Cocoa Bottle brush Tree Set
Stickles Diamond
Candlestick Holder
Mixed Sized Ivory Flat-Back Pearls

Other:
Bo Bunny Winter Wishes 6x6 Paper Pad
Tin Jello Mold

Give Thanks Fall Cards by Barbara Rankin

Hi everyone!  Barbara here on the Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts blog today.  Can you feel the chill in the air yet?  I love this weather, and Fall is very much on my mind.  So, I made a couple of cards with Fall in mind, but these cards can be used for any occasion.  Who would you give them to?

For the Be Thankful card, cut a piece of print paper from 8x8 paper pad to just slightly smaller than card front.  I am using a 5"x7" kraft card with the fold along the top, so I cut the paper to 4-3/4" x 6-3/4".  Then I distressed the edges with a paper distressing tool and inked with brown distress ink.

Cut a border strip from 8x8 paper pad, ink edges with distress ink, and use an awl or a pencil to roll the edges, as shown.

Adhere both paper layers to card front, as shown.

Glue Heart Dangle along top edge, as shown.

Lay heart frame over 8x8 paper and cut out heart shape.

Glue paper to back of frame.  Fill frame with crackle accents, set aside to dry.  (TIP:  Sit frame onto a small piece of card board so that you can pick it up easily and set it aside, off your desk area, so you don't accidentally set paper on top of it or stick your finger in it before it is dry.  TRUST me on this!!)

Fussy cut a pumpkin and two butterflies from the 12x12 paper pad.  Distress cut edges with brown distress ink.

Lay the two butterflies on a scrap of card board and apply a coat of glossy accents to the wings only.  Set these aside to dry.

Shape pumpkin with fingers and adhere to bottom right of card with foam dots.

Adhere tiny amber gems to each bead on the dangle chippie.  I used my paper piercer tool to pick up the tiny gems.

Add a thin coat of Buttercup glitter paste over pumpkin, and a thicker coat of Copper glitter paste over the two dangle hearts and the heart frame.  Adhere heart frame to base heart.  

Use finger to add shape to butterfly wings.   Glue just the butterfly bodies to the front so the wings will lift off of  the card.

And here is the finished card.

For the Pumpkin Love card, I am using a 5"x7" kraft card, and so I cut a piece of print paper  from the 12x12 paper pad to measure 4"x 6-3/4" and adhered to bottom of card.

Trim leaf border from the 8x8 paper pad and adhere to top of card.  Cut "Pumpkin Love" journaling card from one of the 12x12 papers and adhere to card front, as shown.

Cut a small piece of the checkerboard from the texture sheet to fit over the small pumpkin.  Draw a pencil line to coordinate with the shape of  the pumpkin.

Cut excess chipboard around pencil line and glue the checkerboard down to the pumpkin.

Glue remaining chipboard pieces to the base layer.

Spread light molding paste through stripes stencil and let paste dry.

Prime chipboard with a coat of white gesso and let dry.

Paint pumpkins with Pyrole Orange.

Highlight center of pumpkins with Hansa Yellow Light.

Dry brush Green Gold along top and bottom edges of pumpkins.  Paint leaves and stems with Sap Green.  Highlight center of leaves with a dry brushing of Green Gold.

Paint stems and curly bit from bottom leaf with Burnt Umber.  Dry brush Burnt Umber over both pumpkins.  Wipe away any excess, if needed.

Add pop dots to the back of the pumpkins chippie.

Adhere to card front.  Wrap organza ribbon around card along top fold and tie in a bow.

Supplies Used:

GSL Bead Strand Heart Dangle
GSL Pumpkins
GSL Texture Sheet Checkerboard
DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylics
  Pyrole Orange
  Hansa Yellow Light
  Green Gold
  Sap Green
  Burnt Umber
BoBunny Glitter Paste
  Copper
  Buttercup
Prima Amber Moon paper (12x12 and 8x8)
Two 5"x7" Kraft cards
Distress ink - Vintage Photo
Tim Holtz Stripes stencil
Blending Tool
Ranger Crackle Accents
Ranger Glossy Accents
Yellow gemstones
1-1/2" wide ribbon
Pop dots

I hope you have been inspired by my Fall cards today, and be sure to check out the Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts shop to see all the fun chippies available.

Thanks so much for stopping by, and have a wonderful week!!!

Barbara