You can do a lot with a little

Please welcome our newest Design Team member Myry. Myry is from Spain and loves crafting. We hope you like her work as much as we do.

Hello everyone! 

Myry here and I'm pleased to partner with Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts!

Sometimes we think that to embellished our works we need a lot of different elements. But that's not true! 

So Today I want to teach you how to take advantage of few elements to create a cover for an album.

The first thing we're going to need are chipboards. I'm going to use "Family" from Fall word set and some pieces from Leafy Swirls and Buds.

Let me give you a tip: sometimes chipboards have traces of something like charcoal. You need pay attention to the edges. If they're dirty clean them with a rag. This way you'll avoid dirtying your work.

Now we're going to use embossing powders to color the chipboards. Use a color that you're already using in your work. In my case, I'm using a pink and violet palette so I'm going to use this light pink powder.

Another tip: use just a little bit powder for a cracked and aged effect. 

This was after two attempts.

Next we'll position the title over between the edges of the heart using a piece of acetate a little longer than the title.

The important thing is to know if our glue fix the acetate or dry as a layer of glass (therefore the acetate will slip).

Try to glue only the parts of the chipboard that will make contact with the acetate.

And now we're going to start putting the rest of the elements in place: the other chipboards, some diecuts and small elements like beads and dots.

One tip more: use the excess of the chipboards to give volume and make layers.

And that was it! So simple and easy :)

I hope this short tutorial help you in your future works. 

Have a good week!

Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts items used:

Fall Word Set

Leafy Swirls and Buds

Other items used:

Zing "Pink" embossing powder

Distress embossing ink

Heat embossing tool

Cutter, glue and rag

Acetate

Diecuts, beads and dots

"Sweet"- a simple layout by Lynne

Hi crafty friends! Papercrafting has grown and changed so much over the past few years, and sometimes it seems  that complicated and time-consuming projects are in the spotlight; you know the ones you look at and think, " I could never DO that!!" ( I know I think that quite often!) Well, this page focuses on simple ways to use Gypsy Soul chipboard and has no complicated techniques, but I still love how it came out!

The paper I used was Blue Fern Studio Seaside Cottage-the colours worked so well with my photo, but since this is not a beach-themed page, there were elements in the left lower corner that didn't suit my page....so I just tore off both corners, inked the rough edge, and added some coordinating paper....and a couple diecut pawprints.

I matted the photo and cut two more rectagular pieces from another sheet and created a layered mat for the cute photo of my cat Honey (she very seldom isn't running around getting into trouble, so I was happy to get this shot!) The edges were all distressed and inked as well. I have a distressing tool, but usually just do it with scissors-either works great, but if you use scissors, rub the blade along the paper gently so as not to gouge into it, unless that's the effect you want.

I stenciled pawprints here and there and also used punchinella to create the spotted pattern on my page...I find pigment inks the easiest to use this way, as they have the foamy pad that rubs smoothly across the stencil.

This photo shows  my homemade flowers, which were made with a flower punch, then crumpled, inked and layered. And nothing is easier than adding naked chipboard to your project-that's right, I did NOTHING to these fern pieces!! I thought the natural colour went well with the colours on my page.

The danglers were heat-embossed, and I knew this embossing enamel had really good coverage, so I didn't prime them before adding it-I just rubbed them onto the Versamark pad, then made sure they were well-coated with the embossing enamel, and finished with the heat tool. The ivory colour with the gold flecks inspired my choice of brads for the flowers as well.

I wanted the title piece to look different from the danglers, so I painted it with dusty blue acrylic paint, then sponged it with sage green paint. You also get a closer look at the punchinella stencilling in this photo

I added a twine bow to the word dangler and stapled some twine above the photo for added texture; a page like this can be done in one crafting session, and goes together even easier with purchased flowers; I just enjoy making them because then I know they coordinate perfectly and don't have to pull out every flower I own to see if they match (or go shopping for flowers that match, although that can be a fun excuse to hit the craft store!!)

I hope you enjoyed my page and that, if you find complicated projects intimidating, the simplicity of this will inspire you to grab some supplies today and put together a page! Crafty hugs from me and sweet little Honey!!

GYPSY SOUL ITEMS USED

String Alongs-cats
Words & Phrases 2
Fern Fronds

OTHER ITEMS USED

Blue Fern papers, Seaside Cottage
Colorbox Mixed Media Ink-Honey
Ranger Distress Ink-Bundled Sage
acrylic paints
Stampendous embossing enamel-Aged Ivory
Versamark ink

You Make Me Smile Canvas by Barbara Rankin

Hi everyone!  Barbara here today on the Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts blog.  I am sharing my mixed media canvas inspired by the phrase "You Make Me Smile" chippie and this pretty little girl image.  I used Fall colors, as well, in keeping with the season.

Cut piece of wood planks paper from the 12x12 pad, use distress tool along edges.  Adhere to 8x10 canvas, and brush a coat of fluid matte medium over top of canvas.

Randomly spread light molding paste through stencil with spatula and let dry.

Mist canvas with Peony and Gilded Color Bloom (CB) spray mists.  Let dry.

Mist canvas with Tattered Angels (TA) Cork.  Let dry.

Next, brush on a wash of white gesso + water to blend colors and let dry.

Lay piece of chainlink chippie over canvas and mist with ColourArte Radiant Rain Autumn Leaves Mist, let dry.

Rub small amounts of Galaxy Gelato around the edge of the canvas, and on one side of the larger circles.  Use finger to blend gelato.  You can also wet your finger or use a damp baby wipe for easier blending.

Spray a clear acrylic sealer over canvas to keep water-based mediums, like the gelato and mists, from running.  Let sealer dry.  Dip paint brush into Peony CB spray mist bottle and color top half of circles.  While mist is still wet, add Odyssey gelato to center and blend with finger.  Let dry.

Draw around circles with a black watercolor pencil.  I used a Stabilio All black pencil, but use whatever you have.  Wet finger and blend pencil to add shading around circle.

Center and trace rectangular inner edge of filigree frame over collage sheet image and cut excess away.

Use flesh colored pencils to add a bit of pink to girl's face and cheeks.

Paint "You Make Me Smile" and large rectangular Filigree Frame with rich espresso paint and flat edge of makeup sponge.

Glue frame over collage image. 

Glue inner piece of chipboard from the frame to the back for added dimension when adhered to canvas.

Brush a coat of clear crackle glaze over image; let dry.

I added random patches of the Silver Spark metallic lustre over the phrase and frame to help it stand out a bit from the background.

Adhere chipboard frame, phrase, and embellishments of your choice around frame, as shown in final photo at top of post.

Here are a few close ups of the canvas.

silver spark metallic lustre added to chipboard frame and phrase

crackle glaze over image

shading around circles with black pencil

Supplies Used:
GSL Filigree Frames Shape Set
GSL Words and Phrases 2
GSL Chainlink 8 by 8 Inch Panel
8x10 canvas panel
Chubby Cheeks Collage Sheet (Altered Pages)
DecoArt Dazzling Metallics - Rich Espresso
DecoArt Media Clear Crackle Glaze
DecoArt Metallic Lustre - Silver Spark
Altered Pages AP-302 Chubby Cheeks collage sheet
Golden Light Modeling Paste
Prima Orbs Stencil (Finnabair)
Prima Color Bloom Spray Mists
  Peony
  Gilded
ColourArte Radiant Rain Autumn Leaves Mist
Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist
  Cork
Faber-Castell Gelatos Iridescent Set
  Galaxy
  Odyssey
  Stardust
Krylon clear acrylic sealer
Aleene's Tacky Glue
Various floral and beaded embellishments

I hope you enjoyed today's mixed media canvas and that you may be inspired to make one for your own home decor or even as a gift.  Use colors to match the season or your home.

Thanks so much for stopping by, and have a beautiful Fall filled day!!!

Barbara

Cherish Greeting Card

Hey there Peeps! How can it be August already? I'm not quite ready to give up on Summer quite yet so Fall projects will have to wait. This time I'm sharing a very loaded greeting card..just the way I like them : )

 This card has a lot of layers...but a really simple color scheme so it does not come of as too busy.

This Cherish chippies is one of my favorites because it works for so many occasions.

Coordinating ribbon here to create a poofy bow with twine, a vintage button, and metal keys.

I added the Ivy Corners Chippie here finished in the same blue tones at the paper to add texture but not be too contrasting.

A very lush arrangement of flowers for the top and bottom corner of the card.

The chippies were wiped down with a soft cloth to prepare them for finishing.

A variety of embossing powders with different finishes..some glossy some flat.

The chippies have all been heat set and are ready to add to the card!

Gypsy Soul laser Cuts~Swirl Medallion coming soon, Ivy Corners, Words & Phrases 1,

Okay that's all for me. Wishing everyone a happy and productive day : ) G