Winter Wonderland

Hello and Merry Christmas to all our Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts friends who celebrate!  Today I have a sweet winter wonderland scene to share with you, using the House Shrine Box, selections from the Winter Shape Set, and a couple 'flakes from the Snowflake Mini Set.

In order to fit the inside paper layer, I laid out the back and side chipboard pieces and traced around with a pencil.  Once cut out, I used a scoring tool to mark the inside folds.  An alternative to this fiddly method is to cut individual back and side pieces, but I like the continuous design (and I'm not a fan of seams).

I used Mod Podge to adhere paper to the back piece first, then cut out the notches for the roof boards.

The sides aren't added yet, so I used the table edge to fake the 90 degree angle in order to mark the notches for the sides.  You'll see I originally cut more than I needed for the walls, knowing it would be trimmed later.

Here I have the bottom inside layered with paper, and I've cut out the roof inside piece.  When assembling, it's best to glue one side to the back, then the bottom, then the other side.  Save the roof for last, since it will have to fit into the front pieces top notches.

I used a paper cutter to reduce the tree width a bit.  I inked all the pieces dark brown, then embossed for texture.  Not pictured, but here I put spots of glue and snow on the brach tips and allowed to dry.

I glued the small branches toward the back of the box, then added the full tree in front for dimension.

This scene needed icicles since it almost looks like we're peering out a window.  I cut the icicles apart and painted white, then used glitter glue on top.

I outlined the front piece on coordinating paper, cut, and used Mod Podge to adhere to the board.  I sanded down the rough cuts in the center and along the bottom.  You can also see I painted the inside bottom black,

Add the icicles to a corner with white glue.

Carefully glued the front to the rest of the box.  Now it's time to add the roof.  You can see here I ended up cutting the single roof paper into two pieces.  It was easier to handle.

I used two snowflakes for a star -- painted gold then layered with gold glitter glue.

And that's the last in-progress photo!  The roof is a single cut of paper, scored in the center.  The back was measured and cut in the early stages and set aside.  The feet and inside bottom are all black paint.

Thanks for your visit today!  I hope you have a great day.

Cheers,

Susan

House Shrine Box D11A
Winter Shape Set (tree, icicles) D38C
Snowflake Mini C33D

Pastel Christmas Doll and a farewell...

Hello dear crafty friends! Lynne here with my festive version of the Santos Doll I used the Kaisercraft Silver Bells collection and lots of sparkle and bling to put this project together.

I painted the edges of the pieces, then covered  them with patterned paper, all but the arms and face. After putting everything the main form together, I arranged the silver poinsettias and glittery white deer in the lower "cage", then added the felt snowflake and the gathered portions of pale blue tulle, which were lightly decorated with gems and fussy-cut ornaments from the paper.

The hair was created by cutting the petals from another silver poinsettia apart and layering them randomly around the head-I added some fussy-cut bits and gems there as well.

The wings were simply brushed with white glue then liberally coated with silver glitter; I used a pin run through the open lines to clear them of glitter and maintain the detailed effect of the wings. They were then glued to the back of the doll with a hot glue gun.

The upper part of the skirt (waistband, I suppose) needed a little embellishment as well, and these also covered the spots where the gathered tulle was glued on.



I love the soft colours of this paper line and using them  on such a unique GSL was fun and interesting, and I hope it may inspire you to try one of these dolls using your favourite theme, papers, and embellishments.  It could be finished in sooo many ways!! I hope to see your versions in the Craft Group.

That being said, I wanted to let you know that I'm stepping down from the Gypsy Soul Education team for now; after four years with this great group, I feel like I should spend some time discovering and playing with  new techniques and supplies in the hope of returning here at some point full of new and interesting ideas. In the meantime, you are welcome to stop by my blog, Scrappy Squirrel's Nest, any time, of course!  I'm sure you will enjoy the fabulous works of the 2019  GSL Team....love, hugs, and best wishes to you all, and  prayers for a healthy, happy, creative New Year!

xx Lynne

GYPSY SOUL ITEMS USED

Santos Doll
Wings Assortment

OTHER ITEMS USED

Kaisercraft Silver Bells collection, 12" and 6"
assorted gems
silver poinsettias and glittery reindeer from Michael's
white glue, hot glue gun
dollar store silver glitter

Let It Snow Mini Album

Hi crafty friends!  Leigh Ann here today with a mini album that I have created using the Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts Snowflake Edge mini album and the Carta Bella Let It Snow line. 

Before beginning to create my album, my first step was to prepare the snowflake edge and the snowflakes that I used on the cover.  I  painted them with white acrylic paint, and then heat embossed them with a clear sparkle powder. 

On the cover I coated the chipboard with a thin coat of liquid adhesive and laid my paper on top.  I then cut it to size with a craft knife and inked the edges with Distress Ink in Faded Jeans.  I followed these steps to begin each page as I worked my way through the book.  I also inked all paper edges with the Faded Jeans ink. 

I used a 3x4 cut apart from the paper collection, a couple of pieces of ephemera, chipboard stickers, and the chipboard snowflakes that I prepared with the album edge. It is difficult to see in the photo, but I also enhanced the flower, the let's snuggle chipboard, and the centers of the background snowflakes with Nuvo drops in Gold Coast.

The next spread features a chipboard banner and space for a larger photo on the left.  The right side has one of the 4x6 cut apart cards tucked into a small pocket.  I created the pocket simply by adding score tape to the left, right, and bottom of a strip of paper cut to the size of the page. 

The next spread has a vertical pocket on the left side with two 4x4 cut apart cards.  I added the Gold Coast Nuvo Drops to the top card, and stapled a ribbon pull tab to the bottom card to add detail.  On the right side I have a photo mat with a cluster of embellishments.

The next spread has a vertical belly band with three cut apart cards tucked inside.  I added ribbon pull tabs to two of these cards.  In order to maximize the space available in the belly band, I cut the strip of paper 1/2" longer than the height of the page and scored it at 1/4" on both ends.  I attached it to the background paper with score tape prior to adhering the background to the chipboard. The right side of the page is another photo mat with embellishments.

The next spread has a wide vertical pocket with two 4x4 cut apart cards inside.  I added a ribbon pull tab to the top card. The right side has a 4x6 card used as a photo mat. 

The last spread has a simple photo mat on the left and a horizontal belly band holding a 4x6 cut apart card and two 4x4 cut apart cards.  I created this belly band the same way by cutting the strip of paper 1/2" longer than the width of the background and attaching it with score tape prior to adhering the background.  I embellished one card with a ribbon pull tab, and used the Gold Coast Nuvo Drops to accent the others. 

For each spread I made one side a more simple photo mat, while the other side had some type of interactive photo mat.  I also switched up which type of page was on the left and right throughout the album. 

On the back, I just adhered a piece of paper and added a sticker from the paper collection. Once I finished embellishing the album, I used a Crop-A-Dile to punch one hole in the top left corner of each page.  I attached the pages with a small binder ring.  I used approximately four yards of ribbon and three yards of twine to cover the binder ring. 

I hope you have enjoyed this mini album tutorial and gained some great ideas for creating your own album.  I used the following Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts items to create this album:

Snowflake Edge Mini Album: Coming Soon
Snowflake Shape Set

Happy Crafting and Merry Christmas!
Leigh Ann

End of the Year Sale

Happy Holidays!  Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts is happy to announce our end of the year sale.  Now through December 31st, save 20% off your total order using code EYS20.

Steampunk Tree Topper

Hello and happy Friday!! Jennalee here today. Christmas is right around the corner so I am sneaking in one last Christmas project this week. At first glance, you wouldn't think Christmas but it is. My hubby started a small Steampunk tree for his man cave. We are still working on collecting ornaments but he requested a tree topper. I got to thinking about the Skeleton Clocks from Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts and knew they would make a perfect base!! I pulled out my embossing powders and heat gun and got to work. 

Here are the pieces I started out with from top left ATC Coin, Photo Reels Miniatures, Gears Shape Set, Clock Hands Shape Set, Skeleton Clock.

  

Heat emboss clock and inner ring. I covered the whole clock using Charred Gold and heat set. Then went back and added Oil Rubbed Bronze to the numbers. The inner ring was embossed with Oil Rubbed Bronze. Not pictured is the smaller inner clock that I embossed in Charred Gold. 

For the clock hands I used Burnt Copper Leaves with a few sprinkle of Ancient Amber.

The gears are done in Oil Rubbed Bronze, Burnt Copper Leaves and Ancient Amber. 

I covered the ATC Coin with a piece of aluminum tape that had been embossed and colored with alcohol inks. 

Once I started constructing my clock I realized I needed a layer for the back to hold the 2 clock faces and inner ring together. This Trellis Frame was the perfect size. I painted both front and back black.

At this point, I fit all of the two clocks into each other and added the ATC coin in the center of the smaller clock. I adhered the layers together and backed them with the Trellis Frame. I got so caught up in the flow I forgot to take a picture. 

I used a paper mache cone that I had in my stash to attach to the back of the clock and serve as the tree topper. 

I layered the gears on top of the ATC Coin until I was happy with the configuration. The Photo Reel was embossed with Charred Gold and adhered on top of the Gears. I used a clock key that I found in the jewelry section of Michael's and poked it thru the Clock Hands and Photo Reel.

The clock hands are set at 10:04 as a tribute to Back to the Future as requested by the hubby. I really enjoyed this fairly simple project. If you love heat embossing then you will definitely enjoy it as well. Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!! ~ Jennalee

madonna medallions

Hello everyone,
 Ann here today, and I'm sharing some very special pieces that I have created using Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts artist trading coins. These coins are very popular, and I wanted to try my hard at making some.

With Christmas fast approaching, my thoughts have placed Mary, and the upcoming birth, forefront in my mind. I thought it would be wonderful to create some of these coins with iconic images of the madonna, so that I can slip a few into my holiday cards. They could easily be converted to ornaments by poking a hole and stringing a gold thread for hanging.

The coins are a perfect size to manipulate and make your own in many different ways and styles; I am so glad that I decided to create some of my own. One piece of advice: once you get started, it is hard to stop making them, so be sure to get a number of packs or you will find yourself wanting more before the paint has dried...I learned this the hard way. The coins arrive in a pack of three, sturdy, 2 1/2" diameter circles. They can take any type of mixed media you want to work with.

 I have a growing collection of religious images, some are in the form of card-fronts that I have received and saved, clippings from a monthly publication that I read, religious calendars from years past, and postcards. I sort through all of the pieces and select a few to work with. Using a circle punch, I crop the madonna images.

These circles are then adhered to the coin bases using collage medium. I coat the coin itself as well as the top of the image. This will facilitate the next layers that I will be adding.

While the collage medium is drying, I gather stencils, stamps, paints, inks and embossing powders to use on my coins. The best part about the artist trading coins is the creative freedom you have. There is no right or wrong, you can let your imagination take your creativity wherever it leads.
Following are some samples of my madonna medallions.
I have included a brief description of the mediums used on that particular face.

crackle, gold leaf, stamping, vintage beeswax embossing powder 

stamping, gold embossing

texture paste, gilding wax, gold leaf

crackle, antiquing stain, gilding, pen and ink

stamp, deep sea embossing powder, copper perfect pearls

partial stamp, chunky rust embossing powder, distress crayon, gold paint pen

I am eager to create more of these coins with different themes, it is such a wonderful way to try out ideas and play with mediums. They can be as simple or as complicated as you like.
Wishing you a joyous holiday season;
  I look forward to sharing more projects in the new year.
Thank you so much for taking the time to visit, it means a lot to me.
~Ann
 xx

Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts used:
  Artist Trading Coins