Signs of Spring and Early Bloomers

As the weather is getting warmer and the advent of Spring weeks behinds us, I remember my mother's gardens on our small country lot. The first flowers to bloom would be the tiny white snowdrops followed quickly by the tiny blue spring beauties. Added to our springtime bouquets would eventually be lily-of-the valley in both pink and white, bleeding hearts of similar shades, pussy willow, and crabapple blossoms. She never grew hellebores and I often wondered because it contained the word "H-E-double toothpicks." and perhaps explains my fascination with them.   They intrigued me with their deep colors and blooming even with snow around their roots, they seemed resilient  to me, unwilling to be defeated in the face of adversary. These are the inspiration of this project.

1.  Take apart the GSLC Arabian Triptych.

2.  Dry brush with metallic paints in shades of pewter, chocolate and black flash.

3.  Fill in any negative spaces with Tim Holtz Distress Stains in mermaid lagoon and bundled sage.

4.  Collect magazine pictures of flowers you desire to use in your composition. Mine is of hellebores from a Martha Stewart Living Magazine I deconstructed.

5.  Fussy cut to the best of your abilities, this is not a fond or pleasant chore for me.

6.  Edge the cutouts with Distress Markers, I used frayed burlap and hickory smoke.

7.  Glue into center of back portions of GSLC Arabian Triptych.

8.  Create a varnish wash of gray acrylic paint and matte varnish. This will add to the vintage look of your final project.

9.  Choose GSLC fern fronds you would like to add to your compositions cutting carefully with an Exacto blade.

 10.                Use alcohol inks in shades of green and a sponge blotter to color your GSLC fern fronds.

11.                Spray with water and rubbing alcohol to give GSLC fern fronds a splotchy appearance.

12.                Take apart GSLC butterflies and dragonflies you'd like to add to your compositions carefully with and Exacto blade.

13.                Use various shades of nail polish to color the wings of your GSLC butterflies and dragonflies.

14.                Use a brown and black sharpie to color bodies of GSLC butterflies and dragonflies.

15.                Glue GSLC fern fronds, butterflies and dragonflies into your compositions.

16.                Weight down with a plastic bag filled with kitty litter.

17.                Glue frame portion of GSLC Arabian Triptych using Weldbond, holding into place with clamps.

 

 

 

 

 

Some final thoughts. In the days when messages were sent in the language of flowers, A springtime bouquet with snowdrops and lily of the valley could signify consolation, hope, and the return of happiness. Even bleeding hearts and crab apple blossoms represented the age of innocence and purity and fertility and romance. But if you should receive a bouquet with hellebores in them it represented scandal and calumny. Even the flowers can tell us stories.

Supplies:  Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts-Arabian Triptych, Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts-Fern Fronds, Gypsy Souls Laser Cuts-Butterflies and Dragonflies, Metallic Paints(Chocolate, Pewter, Black Flash), Paint Brush, Tim Holtz Distress Stains (mermaid Lagoon, Bundled Sage), Magazine Pictures of Flowers, Scissors, Tim Holtz Distress Markers (Hickory Smoke and Frayed Burlap),Weldbond, Gray Acrylic Paint, Matte Varnish, Exacto Blade, Shades of Green Alcohol Inks, Sponge Dabber, Spray Bottles of Water and Rubbing Alcohol, Various Shades of Nail Polish, Brown and Black Sharpie Marker, Plastic Bag of Kitty Litter, Clamps,

I cannot wait to see your interpretation of this project. Share it on the Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts Craft Group Page on Facebook. I would love to see what new creations you are working on!

One design, two cards with Alicia Barry

Every now and then, a card design really comes together. I really loved this first one that I made, so what I like to do is immediately repeat the design on a second card, but I like to substitute some of the main elements. What I ended up with is two cards that I love, that look quite different, but are actual the same design. The best part was the second one came together really quickly.

I started out with a 5x7 card base, and layered two co-ordinating patterned papers leaving a small border between them. The third layer is a journaling card from the same collection. I used foam dots on this layer to add dimension.

Both of my frames from the Filigree frames Shape Set were inked with grey ink, then randomly coated in metallic embossing powder. Some of it blew away as I heated (must need new glue), but I actually love the speckled effect that resulted from it. I backed each of the frames in a plain coloured paper to help ground them and create a base for the title.

The titles, butterflies and dragonflies have a coat of gold glitter embossing powder. These turned out even better than I imagined. I originally wanted a matt gold to mimick the gold foil in the paper, but this is what I have, and I love it. It has a really cool texture too.

The final additions were fussy cut flowers, paper roses and some gauze, along with some tiny drops of dimensional paint.

Supplies used:

Filigree Frames Shape Set

Butterflies and Dragonflies

Just Be Yourself - Cross Promotion With ColourArte

This is Lynne and I had so much fun creating this colourful canvas! I love quotes and I love mixed media, and both Gina's and ColourArte's products worked together perfectly to create this.

I prepped the chipboard pieces with gesso, then painted each section of the canvas in splotches with either Silks or Twinkling H2Os  to emulate the splotches in the printed quote, then black paint drips finished it off.

I love that the paints covered all the different textures so well-the lace, chipboard and texture paste as well as the florals and the metal embellishments.I'm crazy about the new Lace Border Sticks and have a feeling I'm going to want to use them on everything!

Thanks so much for stopping by-just be yourself and have a wonderfully colourful week!

Gina's Products Used

Lace Border Sticks

Butterflies and Dragonflies

Spring Shape Set

Miniatures Shape Set-Guy Thing

Other Products Used

Twinkling H20s

Silks

Prima Flowers and Metals