Monday, March 18, 2024

Uniquely Creative

 There's a new kid in town....Uniquely Creative out of Australia, has landed in the United States!! I have had the pleasure to work with their product, and all I can say is that I am in love!! Here is a little sneak of what I will be working with. Uniquely Creative is a one stop shopping experience. They have gorgeous paper collections, cut apart sheets, dies, stamps, embossing folders, stencils, cardstock, albums, embellishments. I could go on!! But the scissors!!!...A fussy cutters dream!!!! And the paper distressor distresses perfectly!

I will be working with the beautiful collection Peonies and Proteas. Soft Pinks and greens showcasing florals, and the beauty of Australian nature. Look at this awesome collection new this month.






Thursday, February 29, 2024

Frank Garcia Studio

 Hello beautiful people. Today I bring you a layout using all product from Frank Garcia Studio. And today my main focus is on Moulds. I absolutely love Moulds, because there are so many ways you can adorn them. For my layout, I used Finnabair Silicone moulds in Nocturnal insects, and one of my all time  favorites, Baroque Frames. I created a dimensional layout by adhering pages from the 12x12 Love Notes, and adhering them to corrugated cardboard. This makes it perfect for a shadowbox. The photo is of my girlfriends gorgeous little girl. 


Here is a closer look at the 12x12 layout. I used 2 different patterned papers from Love Notes. On the top layer, I stenciled a design using Finnabair 6x9 Stencil Folk Florals. It is such a beautiful design . I hated to cover it up. I know I will use it again, and next time with texture paste! I used Tim Holtz Distress ink in Victorian Velvet, It was the perfect color to compliment the pinks in the papers. 


I layered the frames in a diagonal pattern, then snapped the smaller frame in half and added it to each edge of the bigger frames on opposite sides. You can snap the molds easily whether you use clay or resin. Just be careful and wear safety glasses just in case small pieces may fly out. Or place the resin in a towel before you snap it in half just to be safe. And I didn't want the pieces to be perfect in size, just close. I like the little bit of rustic look of the raw edges. To create the leaves for the gorgeous Prima Flowers, I die cut Tim Holtz Leaf Fragments using scraps of Loves Notes paper. I waste NOTHING. I used a blending brush and Tim Holtz Distress in k in Rustic Wilderness. It was the perfect green. Once all of the leaves were inked, I spritzed them with a light spray of water. Before they dried totally, I wrinkles them a little to give them some body. Once they were dry, I rubbed a tiny bit of the wax onto the leaves. 


I painted each piece of resin frames and moths in white gesso. This made it easier for the ink to adhere to it. Then I used the Metallique wax in white gold and rubbed it over the surface of the frames only to catch the raised parts. For the moths, I used a small brush to rub the wax all over including the crevices. I also rubbed a little Vintage Gold in parts to give it more dimension. Speaking of rustic, when you think Tim Holtz, you think beautiful grunge...BUT...It doesn't have to be. I made this layout, a little rustic, a little gold gilded and a whole lot of pretty!!! I also used some Metallic Flakes in Gold all around the page. I also dropped some gold Memory Hardware Pearls around the page as well. I just love the old world gilded feeling of the whole layout. 


Thank You for joining me this week. I hope that you are inspired to create your own projects. Shop at the Frank Garcia Studio. There is so much gorgeousness to be had!!

                                                             Frank Garcia Studio

Tuesday, February 6, 2024

Elizabeth Craft Designs/ Explosion Box

Hello there lovelies. Today I am bringing to you my very first  project for Elizabeth Craft Designs. I created an explosion box that is covered with the gorgeous Garden Party papers designed by Angelica Turner for Elizabeth Craft Designs. Are you thinking of spring?? Then this is your collection! But I am also thinking about Valentines Day...The month of love. And the surprise comes when you open the box. The entire Garden Party Collections designed by the very talented Angelica Turner is a must have. So many possibilities when creating! 


As you know, explosion boxes can hold anything from your favorite treats, to a small gift, another smaller explosion box, and even memorabilia such as photos. You create the surprise. Have fun with it! 


You can find directions on You Tube for creating the base for an explosion box, but I used We r Memory Keepers explosion box board. It gave me the option to create hearts for the corners that fold in. Because I am thinking about Valentines Day! 


When the box opens up, it reveals a tiny mini album that I created. The box is covered in the beautiful Garden Party Paper. On each flap of the inside of the box, I added a single flower that I die cut from the Wild Flower 3 die set. The heart corners can be used for journaling, or photos. 


Here is the top of the box. I used a couple of the Garden Party floral dies. Wild Flower 3 and Wild Flower 4. I colored them with watercolors, and added a tiny Styrofoam ball to the centers. I sprinkled a little glitter over the petals for sparkle. The flowers were die cut from Elizabeth Craft Designs  Soft Finish Cardstock

 
When you lift the lid, a tiny mini album is revealed. I followed a tutorial on You Tube to create a mini album using 1 sheet of 12x12 paper. So cute!!


I left the inside pages blank for journaling or tiny photos. I die cut a label using the Frames and Elements die, then I stamped it using the matching the Garden Party Elements stamp. I die cut and water colored the stems and buds from the Wild Flowers 2 die set, then arranged them around the label. 


I added a couple of painted wooden beads for the bottom of the explosion box and hot glued them to the base. It adds a little bit of elegance to the box. 


Thank you for joining me for this project. And if you shop with my affiliate link, it will save you 10% off of your order at Elizabeth Craft Designs!  Click here SAVE ME 10%




Monday, February 5, 2024

Frank Garcia Design Team...Prima French Blue by Frank Garcia.. DT project/Love letters for my Love...

I am so excited to share with you, that I have been invited to join the Frank Garcia Studio Design Team. Frank has been a dear friend for years, and once again, I find myself working along side him once again. Today, I bring to you my very first project that I call. Love Letters. It is the month of love, and I thought, Primas French Blue, designed by Frank himself, was the perfect collection to create a stack of love letters that I created for my husband for Valentines day. The vintage vibe that French Blue gave me, inspired me to give it a little bit more of an old feel with distress ink and splashes of gold.

I tied the stack of envelopes with some antiqued silk ribbon I had in my stash. I created a total of 4 stuffed  envelopes. The envelopes were created with the We R Memory Keepers Envelope Board. There are many sizes that the board can create. I used 4 sheets from the French Blue 8x8 Pad, and chose the perfect size envelope using the 8x8 paper. It created a 4x6.25 envelope. Before each envelope was folded, I machine stitched around the envelope using a silky pink thread. 

Each envelope was adorned with French Blue Lace, bits of French blue Ephemera and tiny French Blue Flowers. I used the French Blue Wooden Stamp with heat embossing ink and gold embossing powder. I stamped it randomly on each of the envelopes. The stamp is gorgeous and the details are amazing! I edged the envelopes with a bit of Distress ink to give it an old antique look. 

I absolutely adore the Wax Seals I created with the Lora Bailora Wax It Seal stamp. I used the bicycle. Frank Carries many designs in his studio. I used gold wax. 


Here are the 4 different envelopes I created. Each is a different paper. Layering is so much fun with all of the ephemera and junk journal bits. I used a piece of lace for each envelope front. 

Inside of each envelope is a card, and a sheet of distressed copy paper, I will use to write my love letters, and attach photos. I used the 6x6 paper pad papers to create the cards, and edge punch on the fold of the card. I added a piece of French Blue Lace to the flaps of each card. 

Here are the pieces used to create each stuffed envelope. 

I actually coffee dyed a plain sheet of copy paper. I tore each sheet in half to create a smaller paper to fold and fit in card. After it dried, I stenciled the papers using Vintage Photo Distress Ink. I also machine stitched around the edges of the papers. The 2 stencils I used are listed at the end of this post. Oh, and let me tell you. These ink brushes are a game changer!!! They really get into all of those nooks and crannies of some of the intricate stencils. So much better than foam!! 

With just a few items, you can make an ordinary project into an extraordinary project. A little antique and sparkle and shine goes a long way. All items cab be found in Franks Studio. 


 Thank you so much for stopping by. I hope that you are inspired to create your own stack of love letters for the one you love. With Valentines Day coming, now may be the perfect time! But every day can be Valentines Day!! You just have to put a little bit of love in your art! xo


Products linked to Frank Garcia Studio Store:

Prima French Blue by Frank Garcia 8x8 Paper Pad

Prima French Blue by Frank Garcia Ephemera Junk Journal Bits

Prima French Blue by Frank Garcia Ephemera Icons

Prima French Blue by Frank Garcia Lace Pack

Prima French Blue by Frank Garcia Say it in Crystals

Prima French Blue by Frank Garcia Flowers Cherished Memories

Prima French Blue by Frank Garcia Wooden Rubber Stamp

Prima French Blue by Frank Garcia 6x6 Paper Pad

We R Memory Keepers Envelope Punch Board

Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Ink Vintage Photo

Ranger Tim Holtz  Vintage Photo Ink pad Reinker

Hero Arts Blending Brushes

Finnabair 6x9 Stencil Folk Florals

Mintay 6x8 Stencil Hearts

Lora Bailora Wax It Seal Stamp Bicycle

Lora Bailora Wax It White Wooden Handle


Tuesday, December 19, 2023

49 and Market Christmas Spectacular/Foundations album

Hello Lovelies. It is a little bittersweet that I share with you my last Design Team Project for 49 and Market. And what a way to end the year, then with an album created with the gorgeous Christmas Spectacular 2023. This collection, with its traditional colors is an absolute dream. I started by covering a white Foundations Album with a cream colored linen fabric. I painted it a red acrylic paint  to match the red in the collection. I started with the Christmas Spectacular Cluster Kit for the cover, and it took a life of its own when I went in a different direction. So I just went with the flow as my creative fingers lead me. I had the ribbons for the spine in my stash, and I added some 49 and Market Single Jute. I did string some buttons from the Cluster Kit onto the jute. 


 
I love the ribbons I chose for the spine. I collect ribbons. I have tons! I did add a bit of 49 and Markets single ply Jute to the mix. 


The papers from the 6x8 paper collection fit perfectly in the mini album. I chose 2 of the same papers for the inside ends of the mini. I just turned the back inside cover paper upside down. You cant even tell. This gievs the design a little cohesion rather than being repetitive. 


Here is one of the flip out pages. I used the 12x12 paper and cut it down to size. I used the rub ons from the card kit. The kit has 2 sheets and they are perfect! 


The Foundations album has 3 flipout pages in the album. I created 3 tags, one for each page, to use as a pull to fully open the page. 


I die cut 3 tags and matted them with the leftover 12x12 paper I used for the pages. I used pieces from the Ephemera Bits and Laser Cuts for each tag. I attached the tags to the pages before they were matted. I tied some jute around the circles, and tied them into a bow. 


Here is another flipout page. There is plenty of room for framed photos. I am waiting for my shipment  of the Christmas Spectacular Frames to place in this album. There is also plenty of room for journaling. So much more can be added to this album. There is also plenty of room for dimensional items such as flowers, because there is a gap between the 3 pages, and they wont get crushed between the pages. 
 

There are so many ways to use the laser cut pieces and the Rub-Ons. I wanted to keep the pages fairly simple as to add lots of room for photos and journaling spots. 


A close up of the cover. After I finished the cluster of ephemera, and flowers, I splattered some white acrylic paint over the cover, and dry brushed some on the flowers. Layering the ephemera and laser cuts is so easy because everything in the collections just flows. 


I wanted the back to reflect the end of a story for the  mini album, so I just adhered a sentiment and some laser cut flowers. 


Thank you for all of the love in the last 5 years. I know I am not done using 49 and Market as it is my all-time favorite company. 2024 is going to be AMAZING!!!! Just wait and see. xoxo