Give Thanks Home Decor Panel by Gloria

Hello, it is Gloria with you and I have a mixed media project to share. Mixed media does not always have to be "messy" or "artistic," it just needs to contain a mix of media! I created a home decor piece for Thanksgiving with some traditional items mashed together with mixed media techniques!

The panel is slightly larger than 8" x 8" and will fit on an easel or into a shadow box frame. I love to make this sort of decor because I can change it out with each new holiday or season.

Let's get started!

1. Cut one piece of chipboard to 8" x 8". Trim solid paper or cardstock to 8" x 8" and attach the piece to the chipboard. Trim coordinating printed paper to 7 3/4" x 7 3/4" and attach it to the square panel. Set the panel aside.

2. Remove the journaling blocks from the Botanical Journaling Blocks package. Using several colors of spray glitter mist, color all three pieces of chipboard and set it aside to dry. I used a combination of orange and gold mist. (My pieces looked like sparkly suede once they were dry!)

3. To make sure the pieces dry flat, place them between layers of paper toweling and weigh them down with some heavy books. Handle the wet pieces carefully to avoid tearing the delicate, laser-cut edges.

4. Attach the largest Botanical Jornaling Block in a vertical orientation to the center of the 8" x 8" panel. Use a strong glue and a brayer to assure that the panel adheres completely. Attach the middle-sized piece in a horizontal orientation to the square panel, making sure to place it at the extreme left edge and approximately 2" from the top edge. Attach the smallest journaling block in a horizontal orientation to the square panel, making sure to place it at the extreme right edge and approximately 3" from the top edge. Make sure that the shapes "hang off" the edges of the main panel.

5. Double-mat a 5 1/4" x 4" image and use foam adhesive to attach it 1 14" from the top edge and 2 1/2" from the left edge of the square panel. I used a stamped image colored with Copics. You could use a pre-made image or a photo for your project.

6. From the Feathers Shape Set, select three of the small feathers. From the Months Word Set select "November." From the Wrought Iron Miniatures Set select one section, as shown, Cover each element with embossing ink and heat emboss with various metallic embossing powders and enamels. I selected powders that looked rusty and aged.

7. From the Feathers Shape Set, select three of the larger feathers and spray them with glitter mist. Allow to dry, shaping the feathers slightly with your fingers.

8. Glue three of the feathers to the upper right corner of the image. Add a ribbon bow and some floral elements.

9. Glue a piece of the wrought iron fence to the upper left corner of the square panel. Glue the "November" chipboard to the left corner, overlapping the fence.

10. Glue another piece of fence to the lower left corner of the square panel. Glue three more feathers to the panel as shown, tucking the feathers under the left edge of the main image. Add some floral items as desired.

Thanks for looking!

~ Gloria:Scraps of Life

Supplies Used:

Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts:
Botanical Journaling Blocks
Feathers Shape Set
Months Word Set (special order)
Wrought Iron Miniatures Set

Partner products:
Graphic 45 papers: Safari Adventures 12x12 Patterns and Solids, French Country 12 x12, French Country 6x6 Patterns and Solids
ColourArte: Radiant Rain Shimmering Mists (Persimmon, Spanish Moss)

Other: orange and green spray mist, metallic embossing powder and enamel, ink (black, watermark, tan), Copic markers, stamp, ribbon, die cut template, paper flowers, scrap chipboard, foam adhesive and glue

Vintage School Desk by Gloria

Hello, it is Gloria with you and it is my turn again on the blog! I had a blast creating the Vintage School Desk and matching mini album! THE VINTAGE DESK AND MINI ARE NOW AVAILABLE! CLICK HERE.

The desk is an adorable representation of the desks used in one-room school houses all across America! I used Graphic 45 vintage school papers to cover the desk and the mini album. The mini sits on the seat in the front of the desk.

The desk is approximately 6" tall and 6" deep, and 5" wide across the seat. The mini is 4 3/4" x 5 1/4" with rounded corners.

The back of the desk shows the Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts attention to detail! Check out the pencil holder and the ink well. The desk also has some storage inside! Simply adorable!

Here is how you make one for yourself!

1. Prepare the desk pieces by wiping them with a cloth and sponging the edges with brown ink.

2. Cover the inside surfaces of the desk side and seat pieces with decorative paper.

3. Cover the outside surfaces of the desk and seat pieces with contrasting paper. I did not cover the bottom slats or the desk top as I wanted them to look like wood. I sponged brown ink onto those pieces.

4. Use a strong glue to assemble the desk. Sponge the edges with brown ink. Cut a ruler image from the G45 Place in Time paper and glue it to the top of the desk.

5. Select the pieces desired from the Vintage School Shape Set (coming soon).

6. Use various inks to color your shapes.

7. Sponge the frame and five pages of the mini album with brown ink.

8. Choose vintage school papers to cover each of the five pages of the album, front and back.  Glue the frame to the front of the first page. Decorate as desired. (See each page below.)

Page 1: Cover the front of this page with Graphic 45 ABC Primer (1, 2, Buckle My Shoe) paper. Glue the frame to the top of the page. Decorate with the Vintage School Shape Set and images cut from the paper.

Page 2:  Cover this page with Graphic 45 ABC Primer Jumping Joan paper. Add a belly band (G45 Place in Time September) and flash card image.

Page 3: Cover this page with Graphic 45 Children's Hour September Montage paper.

Page 4: Cover this page with G45 ABC Primer The Three R's paper. Add a tag cut from  Children's Hour September Collective paper.

Page 5: Cover this page with ABC Primer Bedtime Stories paper. Glue a scrap of  G45 Place in Time September paper to the chipboard book. Add the quill.

Page 6: Cover this page with Graphic 45 Children's Hour September Collective reverse paper. Add a belly band cut from the same paper.

Page 7: Cover this page with ABC Primer Happy Go Lucky paper. Add a belly band cut from Place in Time paper.

Page 8: Cover this page with ABC Primer The Three R's paper. Add a tag and postage image cut from Place in Time paper. Add the ink pot and quill.

Page 9: Cover this page with ABC Primer Alphabet Soup paper. Add the 1-2-3 chipboard element and a postage image cut from Children's Hour September Collective.

Page 10: Cover this page with ABC Primer Games and Playtime paper.

Thanks for looking!

~ Gloria:Scraps of Life

Supplies Used:

Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts:
Vintage Desk and Mini Album
Vintage School Shape Set (coming soon)

Partner Products:
Graphic 45:
ABC Primer Deluxe Collector's Edition
Children' Hour
Place in Time (retired)

Other: ink (white, silver, green, brown, black, yellow, red), gel medium, glue, foam tape, tape runner

8x8 Summer Calendar Layout

Hello, Summer-time People! It is Gloria with  you and it is my turn again on blog! My project this week is a bit simpler than the past few have been, but I really love how it turned out!

I have been meaning to create a decorative calendar display for about 5-6 years! Time just gets away from me! I combined the Graphic 45 Children's Hour and Time to Flourish collections to make this page.

I do not really want a calendar, rather I want something that I can display on a side table or shelf that show the months of the year. My plan is to make a page for each month, and then display them each month. I will also need to make a storage box......  There is a possibility that a storage box will be an upcoming project!

I used inks to "colorize" the Scribble Frame Birds and a bike from the Bicycles Shape Set.

To make the page, I cut dark brown cardstock to 8 1/4" x 8 1/4". Then, I added the August calendar page from the G45 Children's Hour 8x8 Calendar Pad. I wrapped the page with some red checked ribbon. I did not want the birds, so I cut the little birdie off the wreath frame and set her aside for later. I then glued the frame to the page.

I trimmed out the apple image from the September Time to Flourish Cut Apart paper and added that to the page. I used foam tape to pop the image a bit. I then added the bicycle with foam tape. (I adore that bike with its basket!)

I added the sentiment cut from the Children's Hour August Collective paper.

I glued flowers and some twine around the wreath and tucked a few postage images in.

I created a large bow and glued that to the bike.

Thanks for looking!

~ Gloria:Scraps of Life

Supplies Used:
Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts: Scribble Frame Birds and Bicycles Shape Set.

Partner Products:
Graphic 45: Children's Hour and Time to Flourish Collections

Other: dark brown cardstock, flowers, ribbon, twine, ink (white, green, brown, red), adhesive tape, foam tape, glue

Announcing Gina's Designs New Design Team and Education Team Members!

Please give warm welcome to Carla Peterson and Amy Love who are the new Gina's Designs Educators, Nichola Battilana who is our Special Design Educator and will be posting the first Friday of each month, and Kim Cornwell, Barb Black and Mary Brockway
who are joining our Design Team! We are thrilled to have these
amazingly talented ladies on our team and are looking forward to seeing your amazing art!