Wear it again tomorrow

Hi Guys,
Jess here today.

I've been in a bit of a snarky mood lately and when I saw this lady I knew she needed to be used for a project.

I started by taking my Laurel Frame and covering it with a layer of gesso using a foam brush.  Using the same brush I added some Dina Wakley Paint.  I didn't clean the brush between uses so there was still gesso in there creating different shades of blue. 

Using the script stamp from the Tim Holtz Entomology Set(CMS328). I stamped across the frame in Hickory Smoke Oxide Ink.  I sealed the ink using Micro Glaze. 

This photo was cut to fit inside the frame.

For the back panel I used a 5x7 canvas board and loosely painted it using the paints pictured.  I added some stamped bits from the Time Holtz Mini Media Marks(CMS364).  These were done with Archival Ink in Black Soot and Hydrangea.  Before I finished my project I added in a bit of Victorian Velvet Distress Paint to pick up the pink you see in the background piece.  

To mount the photo I used a piece of humble cardboard.  Peel parts of the top layer to expose the corrugate and then cover with gesso.  I did a couple thin layers to cover all of the brown.  I added some collage paper to the bits that still had the full cardboard using collage medium.  To color the cardboard and collage paper I used Distress Crayon(Victorian Velvet, Cracked Pistachio, Worn Lipstick, and Gathered Twigs) and water to give it a dreamy hazy look. Pearl details were added to the frame and the snarky sentiment. 

To complete the piece I painted a set of  Mini Petal Corners using Dina Wakley Ancient Paint.  

 A couple close ups of the finished details. I ended up going back with Jet Black Archival ink and restamping the script on the frame.  I added a bit of DIstress Crayon in Gathered Twigs to dinge it up.  There is a teeny bit of the Dina paint in Ancient on there too. 

I love the grungy look the cardboard gives. 

Layers and details.  

I hope you like her and take her sage advice!

Jess

Winter Greetings

Hi Everyone,
Jess here today with a great gift card holder.

 It might look complex, but really there's not much to it.
Start by cutting out your Sizzix and Tim Holtz gift card holder.  Since the gift card I was putting inside had snowmen on it I decided to go with a snowflake theme.

Take the mittens from the Snow Fun set (coming soon to the store) and emboss them using Charred Gold embossing powder.  Using the Snowflake Shape Set Minis emboss two medium sized flakes with Soft Fallen Snow.  Emboss one tiny flake using Hammered Metal.

Glue one flake to each mitten and on the top mitten add the tiny snowflake. Edge the top of each mitten with tinsel twine that has been colored with alcohol ink in Mushroom. 

Glue the mittens to the front of the holder, right on the ribbon running down the center.

Emboss two flakes from the Snowflake Shape Set and glue them to the back of the holder.  You don't have to decorate the back of the holder, but this could be turned into an ornament so I wanted the front and back to look pretty.  

Cut out several metallic branches from the Tim Holtz Funky Festive die set.  Cut out a small berry branch in two shades of blue and white.  Assemble the berries so the centers are blue.  You just want a pop of blue.  Glue the branches under the bow.  

Stay warm! 

Jess

  

Dreaming of a White Christmas

Hi Everyone,

 

My favorite day of the year is coming up.  Each year my mum and my  sister come to my house for cookie day.  We bake all day long, I'm talking like 7am-9pm.  We have our favorite recipes we use year after year.  We keep those in a little notebook.  We do like to try new recipes each year too.  More and more often we are finding new recipes on the internet.  I thought it was the perfect time to make a Christmas themed phone/tablet holder so we don't get baking supplies all over our phones.
 These phone holders are so easy to put together(there are only three pieces). They would make an awesome gift!

Paint the base white.  Make sure the edges and at least one side are really well done since they will be exposed.  Paint the edges of the other pieces white too.  The other two pieces get covered with patterned paper.  I used some of the Tim Holtz Christmas wallpaper to cover the back piece.  This paper looks and feels like real wallpaper.  It's nice to add the tiny bit of texture to the project.

These snowy flourishes are coming to the shop soon.  You get two in a pack.  Paint both pieces white, then cover them with a clear glitter.  

Insert the pieces into their slots. Don't forget to add a bit of glue to hold them in securely.   Technically your piece is completely put together at this point.  But we will embellish this! Glue the snowy flourishes to the back of the piece.  Then cover the base with Grit Paste from Ranger.  While the paste is wet sprinkle on clear glitter.  Leave the space where your phone will sit paste free.  

Paint a tiny resin snowman and cover him with clear glitter.  Add teeny mercury glass holly berries to his hat.  While the grit paste is wet stick the snowman in the paste.  In front of the small piece of chipboard add a Christmas saying.  Again, do this while the paste is wet and it will dry in place.  

On the back add a couple bottlebrush trees, teeny presents, a deer, and peppermints.  Another Christmas sentiment will complete your project. 

I hope you have a great kick off to your holiday season!

Jess

Simple Christmas

Hi Everyone,
Jess here today with a couple of super simple Christmas card ideas.

  The Star Medallions come in a set of three.  For these two cards I used the small and medium medallions.  Paint both of the medallions using Dina Wakley paint in Gilt.  The small medallion got some pearl dots added to the points.

For the background on this card use navy blue paper and emboss it using the Sizzix 3d Winter Snowflakes Embossing folder.  Cut out your sentiment using the Tim Holtz Holiday Words Script die. It's hard to tell here, but there is a tiny line of gold paper layered underneath the embossed paper.  

Mount your background on to  a white card.  

Add your bling and you're done! 

The pink card follows the same idea, but the center is made using the tiny tattered floral die and the festive foliage die from Tim Holtz.  

That's it! You could bust out all of your Christmas cards in an afternoon making them like this!

Jess

Greetings from Regions Beyond

Hi Everyone,

Jess here today with a wicked little vignette box.

Start by taking a wooden vignette box and layering it on top of your Mini Botanical Journaling Block.  The blocks come in a set of three, so you can play with different sizes.

Cut the house out of the Haunted House Oval.  Trim it down so it fits inside the vignette box.  Emboss the piece with Emerald Creek's Mercury Rising embossing powder.

Treat the outside of the box using Distress Oxide inks in Forest Moss, Hickory Smoke, and Ground Espresso. 

Add a crackle medium.  I really glopped it on so it looks chunky. Mixed with the Forest Moss Oxide ink the box looks a bit moldy.  Moldy is good at Halloween time!

Add paper to the back of the box and glue it in place.  Glue the house to the background.  Add fabric tape all around the edges of the shadowbox and set it aside. 

Use the largest of the Mini Botanical Journaling Blocks and cover the entire piece with gesso.

Add your sentiment cut from the Tim Holtz Halloween script, Christmas Script, and Holiday Words.  

Time to start adding Distress Crayon.     

Add crayon and move it around using your fingers.  

Cover the front using the same technique.  Add more saturated colors on the flowers and leaves. A bit of Distress Paint in Tarnished Brass gets smudged all around the edge of the block. 

Cut the bats and moon out of the Haunted House Oval.  Emboss the bats using the mercury rising powder.  Emboss the moon using Charred Gold.  

Glue the shadowbox to the center of the journaling block.  Add the bats to the front of the box.  Glue in a Tim Holtz tombstone with rub ons added.  Glue on the paperdoll.  Don't forget to give her a bouquet of dead flowers wrapped in mummy cloth. Cut a small slit around her hand and she appears to actually be holding the bouquet.

Make a bunch of tiny tattered florals and glue them in a cascade on the top of the vignette box.  A bit of leftover mummy cloth from the bouquet was put to good use up here.  A tiny skull bead aged with mushroom alcohol ink adds an element of surprise. 

Add a wooden finial that has been painted with Black Soot Distress Paint and a bit of Tarnished Brass. A bit of fabric tape that is around the edge of the box is wrapped around the finial.  Mummy cloth and a few more flowers complete the base. 

Here's the back of the Mini Botanical Journaling block all done up.

Happy Haunting!

Jess

Double, double toil and trouble

Hi Everyone,
 Jess here today with an award for the best witch.

Start by embossing your Small Swirl Medallion using Oil Rubbed Bronze embossing powder from Emerald Creek.

For the base of the ribbon I took a bright green ribbon and sprayed it with Distress Spray stain in Picket Fence to give it a good base coat.  Once the Stain was dry I used various stains and paints to get the color I wanted.  This is the center of the ribbon that I popped off, but you can see the base colors.  

Assemble your Tiny Shadowbox House.  I always paint and paper my house before gluing it together.  I painted all of the edges black and stippled on gold, bronze, and green paint.  The inside of the house has patterned paper that I inked up a bit.  

The roof of the house was made using a 3d impresslit and some gold paper.  Once the paper was embossed I colored it using alcohol inks. 

I added a teeny bit of moss to the floor. 

To make the ribbon tails I used muslin. 

Using archival inks I stamped the muslin and added color using spray stains.  The edges got a bit of Distress Crayon and metallic paint.  Once they were dry I just glued them to the back of the ribbon. 

Glue the Small Swirl Medallion to the center of the ribbon.   Then glue the Tiny Shadowbox House to the center of the medallion.  

Your ribbon is finished and ready to wear.  

Happy crafting,

Jess