Spring Cleaning

Hi Everyone,
Jess here today.

Well it's time to do some spring cleaning and that includes my desk.  I try to be a neat crafter, but my desk always ends up looking like a large bomb exploded in the general vicinity.  For today's project I used only items that were on my desk or within reach of my desk.  I will admit some of these are mop up tags, so I don't know exactly what is on there.

Adventure is out there tag-

The butterfly man background was made using Vintage Photo Oxide Spray and then I added Hickory Smoke ink through a stencil(THS091).  I shifted the stencil and added Peeled Paint Oxide Ink.  I splatted on some Black Soot Distress Paint and then stamped the flourish(CMS070) in  Ground Espresso Archival Ink.  The edges got a bit of Vintage Photo Distress Crayon for shadow.

The paper doll was inked up using Tsukineko Inks.  His buttons and watch chain were colored using gel pens.  Then got a pair of wings and  glued them to the tag.  I had a snippet of the mini provincial impresslit left so I popped that in the top corner.  Chic chat words were inked up using Peacock Feathers Distress Ink and glued down.

A snippet of the Meadow Flowers was on my desk so I added a couple layers of gesso and once that was dry I added PaperArtsy Infusions in The Sage to the stems.  I added grit paste to the flowers and used Peacock Feathers Distress Ink to color them.  There was some leftover Distress Crayon on my desk from edging the tag and I used that to dirty up the flowers.  Once that was glued down, I added detail using gel pens.

Eccentric, but very estimable gentleman-

For the eccentric, but very estimable gentleman tag I used a mop up tag that had some blues and purples on it.  I added some leftover rust from when I was rusting up bits and some Seth Apter Stamps.
The circles are from the Mixed Media Fragments 1 Small.  I rusted them using PaperArtsy's Rusting Powder and then added Verday Paint from 10 Second Studios for the oxidized brass bits.  I cut the circles into three segments and attached them to the card using glue.  I added Tim Holtz Hardware heads to make them appear to be bolted down. I added alcohol ink in Patina, Mushroom, and Coffee to the hardware heads.  Then I popped on a bit of Distress Crayon in Cracked Pistachio for a bit more dimension.

I tied a little brass heart to his wrist and glued him down.

 Clipping stickers make for really fun stories and gel pens add the final bits to this tag.

The Proprietor of Ideas-

This little guy gets stuck in all kind of things.  Today I popped him in a lightbulb from the Steampunk Lightbulb Set.  The lightbulb was painted white and then the bulb portion was given a layer of DecoArt Crackle Glaze.  Once the glaze was dry I added Distress Crayon in Black Soot and Brushed Pewter.  A thin piece of acetate was added behind the bulb and colored with mushroom alcohol ink.  The tiny crown on his head will be coming soon to the GSL cuts store(I cannot wait for you to see all of these teeny crowns).

The base of the bulb was painted with Tarnished Brass Distress Paint and then pounced with Mushroom, Latte, and Coffee Alcohol Inks. I snuck in another hardware head here and a story stick.

This tag was made by using Oxide Spray on my gel plate.  It makes such gorgeous and dreamy backgrounds.  I used a Tim stencil for the words and numbers.  I used Hickory Smoke and Black Soot Distress Ink for the coloring.  White paint is splattered all over the back, Perfect Pearl spray, and gel pens finish the background.

The main title is from the Tim Holtz Noble Gent set.  That was stamped in Black Soot Archival.  The little halo around the bulb is the same set.  I used Dina Wakley Paint in Ancient and Gilt to stamp out the halo.  Be sure to clean paint off your rubber stamps right away!   

Do you save all of your little bits to make projects with later or do you toss out the scraps?

Jess

Just be yourself

Hi Guys,

Jess here today with a simple and fun technique. 

 These guys started off as an experiment.  I wasn't quite sure what I was thinking would work, but after playing for a bit I love how they turned out.

Use the smallest crown from the Steampunk Shape Set.  I embossed this using a couple colors from Emerald Creek.  

Put on his fancy pants.  

Paint your fragment.  I used Dina Wakley's Magenta here.  This one is from the Mixed Media Fragments 2 set.  In the final product you can see I also used pieces from the Mixed Media Fragments 1 set.  I used the same technique on all three tags.  I used a foam brush and dabbed on the color to get some texture in the paint. 

Use Distress Ink to create your tag.  I used the same four colors on all three tags.  

Flick on paint in black, silver, and copper.  Add Black Soot Distress Ink and Crayon on the edges.  

Flick your fragment with paint at the same time.  I also just tapped the brush in various spots. 

Glue your Fragment to your tag.  Use foam tape to adhere your paperdoll.  Add your sentiment and any other final touches.  

Super fun and really easy project.  

Jess

"Art" mixed media layout by Lynne

Hello friends-as a lover of all things artsy, this quote spoke to my gypsy soul, and I hope it does to  yours as well! Sometimes I enjoy using a meaningful quote on a page (I usually find them on Facebook) rather than a photo just for a change of pace.

I have had this fabulous Colorbox  "Teen Angst" paper for ages and still love the funky, eclectic feel of it; the Mixed Media Fragments complemented the paper perfectly and the Palette and Brushes was just right for the theme of the quote.

I started off by painting each piece with acrylic paint; the palette piece was then run through this embossing folder to create the textured surface:

After rubbing the surface of the palette with a pearlized ink, I punched 1" circles of various colours from my papers, then added paint drips with coordinating acrylic paints. I lightly inked the edges of the palette for dimension.

The paintbrush handles and palette knife were heat-embossed with UTEE for a glossy look. Because the papers are so vibrant, I wanted my embellishments to stand out sufficiently.

This Fragment was painted black, then heat-embossed with UTEE also-I love the glossy finish!

This Fragment from the Retro set was stamped with Versamark ink with this Prima stamp, then heat-embossed with Lindy's Stamp Gang Midnight Gold embossing powder.

I added some stenciling with homemade texture paste, a few metal embellishments and a little fussy-cutting, then finished the page off with a few sprays of orange and yellow mists.

I hope you enjoyed seeing my project, and I'd love to see something you create that incorporates a quote....that is your challenge, should you choose to accept it!! Have a super week, and thanks so much for stopping by.

GYPSY SOUL ITEMS USED

Palette and Brushes
Mixed Media Fragments Retro
Mixed Media Fragments 1

OTHER ITEMS USED

craft concepts embossing folder
Prima stamp
Versamark Ink
Lindys embossing powder
Colorbox papers
UTEE

Advent Shadow Box by Gloria

Hello, it is Gloria with you and I have a huge project to share. And by huge, I mean a time-consuming project! Depending on how "fancy" you get, this project could take a while, so you will want to get your Advent Calendar Shadowbox on order TODAY! (Check availability at the Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts Store).

I have always had some sort of advent calendar set up during the holidays, even after my kids got "too old" for one. The calendar I have been using is getting a bit tired and worn, so, I figured, time to make a new one! This shadow box version of an advent calendar is approximately 11 1/2" x 11 1/2" x 1 1/2" with an 8" x 8" center opening.

There are 25 small boxes (roughly 1 1/2" square). You can purchase the pre-cut chipboard boxes or you can use a template to make them yourself. If you have an electronic cutting system, there is also a cut file for cutting the little boxes! You can decorate the 8" x 8" opening to your heart's content.

I even decorated the back of the shadow box. It would be fun to add a large photo to the back of the box to display as well.

1. To begin, unpack your shadow box and wipe the pieces with a damp cloth to remove the soot created during the cutting process.

2. Spray the pieces with black glimmer mist. Once the mist has dried, you may wish to seal the pieces with a clear sealant. Assemble the shadow box. (You will have three small pieces "left over" to use for creating box #25. I chose to skip that step.) After I assembled my box, I wrapped the outer edges with washi tape for extra stabilization.

3. Assemble the small treat boxes. Use strong tape or glue to assemble

4. If using glue, allow the glue to dry before going to the next step. You may also wish to rub the edges of each box with ink.

5. To cover each box, trim a strip of paper to 1 3/8" x 5" (cut 25). Trim two squares to 1 7/16" x 1 7/16" (cut 50). Use a 1/2" circle punch to cut a notch into the top of one square (do this for 25). Use the box as a guide for the notch placement.

6. Wrap the 5" long strip around the box, securing at the front. Glue one of the squares to the bottom of the box.

7. Add the notched square to the front of the box. You may add paper to the inside of your boxes, if desired. Since my project is decorative only, I skipped that step.

8. Place a box into each opening of the advent calendar. Trim a piece of decorative paper to 8" x 8" and attach to the center of the shadowbox. Trim a second piece of decorative paper to 8" x 8" and cut on the diagonal. Attach to the lower right corner of the center opening (shown in Step 14 below). Trim four paper strips to 1 3/8" x 8" and attach to the inside edges of the shadowbox.

9. Cut four pieces of decorative paper to 1 7/16" x 11 3/8" and attach them to the outside edges of the box.

10.Use a craft knife to separate the Faux Metal Number Plates 1-25 from the background. Attach two micro brads to each number.

11. Use foam adhesive or glue dots to attach a number embellishment to each box, 1-24. Arrange the numbered boxes in your advent calendar as desired.

12. Select the numbers element from the package of Mixed Media Fragments 1. Cover the surface of the chipboard with embossing ink. Sprinkle with gold glitter embossing powder and heat.

13. Select one of the Postage Frames and paint it with white paint. Once the paint is dry, cover the surface with glitter glue. Stamp the image onto cream paper and attach to the back of the postage frame.

14. Glue the gold numbers to the upper left of the center window. Fussy cut a Christmas image from decorative paper and attach to the lower right corner with foam tape. Add the postage frame as shown. Assemble the last box (#25) and glue to the center window, at an angle as shown.

15. Add holiday decor and embellishments to the #25 box as desired.

16. Decorate the top of the box with more holiday decor and ribbons.

Happy Christmas! Thanks for looking!

~ Gloria:Scraps of Life

Supplies Used:

Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts:
Advent Calendar Shadowbox
Advent Calendar Boxes (25)
Faux Metal Number Plates 1-25 (similar)
Mixed Media Fragments 1
Postage Frames

Partner products:
Graphic 45 papers: St. Nicholas, A Christmas Carol, Twas the Night Before Christmas, The Twelve Days of Christmas, Christmas Emporium
Graphic 45 stamps: St. Nicholas 3

Other: black spray mist, ink (black, white, brown), glitter glue, ribbon, micro brads, washi tape, adhesive and glue

Vintage Phone Cards by Barbara

Hi everyone!  Barbara here today on the Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts blog.  I don't know about you, but I absolutely love antiques and anything vintage.  When I saw these Vintage Phones, I knew they would work really well with Graphic 45's Communique paper.  So I decided to make a couple of vintage cards with them.

For the first card: 

Make a 5" x 6-1/2" folded black card for your base.  Cut script paper slightly smaller than card front, distress with black ink and adhere.  Die cut an elegant frame from black card stock and adhere to card, as shown.

 Choose your chipboard and paint each piece with black acrylic paint.  I like to do this first because it not only gives the chippies a base color, but it also seals the surface.  

Next, I began adding some extra dimension onto my telephone pieces by using the border strips from the Texture Sheets Fiesta.  I also added a strip of chipboard to each phone handle, as shown in the photo.

Paint handle and bottom of phone with Raw Sienna.  Let dry

Repeat step above using Transparent Yellow Iron Oxdie.  Let dry.

Repeat step above using Carbon Black antiquing cream.  Let dry.  Add brass metallic pasted to the phone, dial cover, and handset, as shown.  Wipe off most of the antiquing cream with a wet baby wipe or paper towel.  

Punch a 1" circle from scrap paper with a craft punch and adhere it beneath the dial cover.  

Adhere all pieces to the card front, as shown.  Lastly, dry brush a silver metallic paint over the brass areas, and distress edges with black distress ink.  Add a piece of coiled wire from the handset to the phone base to finish it off.

For card number two:

Follow the same procedure to paint the phone and put all the pieces together.   Cut the numbers apart and adhere to card front, as shown.   Use the photo as a reference.  Lastly, I added more silver and gold to the brass areas of the phone to help them stand out better against the paper background.

Supplies used:

GSL Vintage Phones

GSL Mixed Media Fragments 1 (numbers background)

GSL Texture Sheets Fiesta

Graphic 45 Communique paper collection

Spellbinders Dies: S4-445 Majesty; 

DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylics - Burnt Sienna, Transparent Yellow Iron Oxide, Metallic Silver

DecoArt Media Antiquing Cream - Carbon Black

DecoArt Metallic Lustre - Burnished Brass

Black acrylic paint

Black distress ink

Foam blending tool

I hope you like my project today. I thought these would make great cards to invite your friends or family to get in touch.  But I also believe these would make great cards for any occasion, and I think they have a bit of a masculine feel, as well.  What do you think?

Thanks for stopping by, and have a wonderful, crafty day!

Barbara