Denim Collage

Today, I am sharing a new "just for fun" project.  I made this denim collage with all sorts of scraps and bits from both my sewing and craft stash.

Items such as muslin, burlap, lace, calico, canvas, beads, buttons and fibres along with a few metals have been stitched or glued onto the denim squares.  The squares were then mounted on a 12" x 12" stretched canvas that has some texture from Molding Paste (Golden) through a Harlequin stencil (TCW) and a tiny dots border stencil that was cut by my husband.  The canvas also has a light wash of watered-down Khaki Acrylic Paint (Craftsmart).

This was not difficult to do and it certainly was lots of fun.  Now off to play with something else.

Nature with Fabric

Today is the start of a new challenge at Stamps and Stencils.  This time I am the hostess and am calling it Fabric and Fibres.  I describe it this way:

Let's add some fabric and/or fibres to our creations this month. You can use linen, burlap, organza, wool, lace, ribbon, rope to name a few. The list is almost endless but whatever you add, make sure there is some stamping or stenciling (or both) on your creation as well.

I started with a deep canvas from the dollar store and stenciled a vine border on the top and around the sides using Golden Light Molding Paste and a Dylusions stencil called Leaf Flourish Small.  Next I gave it a coat of Liquitex White Gesso.

The next step was to paint everything with Driftwood Acrylic Paint from DecoArt and then dry brush randomly with DecoArt Bleached Sand.

I stamped some muslin scraps with Liquitex Black Gesso.  One has a butterfly from Hero Arts and the other has a tulip from an IndigoBlu set called Butterfly Collector.  I sewed some quilt batting to the back of the stamped pieces and then frayed the edges,

I used some one-step Coal Black Metal Paint from DecoArt to paint a wooden flower from the dollar store and a leaf sticker from Martha Stewart that I bought in the clearance section at Michaels.  A gold pearl from Dovecraft was added to the centre of the flower and the leaf was mounted on some burlap ribbon.

I stamped a leaf from a Tim Holtz set called Leaf Prints onto a scrap of cream card using Jet Black Archival Ink and then fussy cut it.  Next I added some Gold Embossing Powder from Recollections to create a few highlights.  To add the embossing powder, I used an embossing pen from Zig in a few random areas and then gently sprinkled the powder on those areas.  The embossing pens are a great tool because they allow you to add embossing in tiny areas rather than all over.

It was time to assemble my nature collage but first I collected a few more items to embellish it:

• A piece of wood from the local playground that I wrapped with some gold Artistic wire.
• Some bits of lace from my stash.
• A gold skeleton leaf from Papermania.
• Some canvas ribbon from a wholesale outlet in Fancy Gap, Virginia.
• Buttons from my stash.

This time I purposely laid everything out with separation because I wanted a structured look to my canvas but I plan to do another canvas with similar elements and group/overlap them to see which look I prefer - stay tuned.

I am going to enter this canvas in the following challenges:

Eclectic Ellapu - Anything Goes
Mixed Media Monthly - Put A Stamp On It

Card Und More - Buttons
We Love 2 Create - Anything Creative/Mixed Media Goes

A Gift From The Heart

It is time for a new challenge at Frilly and Funkie and I am the hostess this time so I decided it was time to make some Christmas gifts.  The challenge is called A GIFT FROM THE HEART and we want to see vintage or shabby chic projects that can be given as a gift.

I decided to make a very shabby fabric journal for a friend.  Here is a photo of the back:

And here is the inside:

This is a new sew journal and I made it by first cutting two layers of a heavy white damask fabric from my sewing stash (leftovers from making Christmas stockings a few years ago) and sandwiched a layer of felt batting in between using paper backed iron-on fusible webbing on each side with one side slightly larger than the felt so that the fabric stuck together around the felt.  This is important since the layers are not sewn together and the edges of the fabric can fray.  As you can see I did not cover the edges of the fabric inside and if they do fray a bit, it will just add to the shabby feel. 

The next step was to make the pages from white 24 lb. bond paper.  Each page was scored on the left side and holes were punched.  The pages were then sewn into the journal with embroidery floss going through the back, the pages and the front from the top to the bottom and back up again.  The embroidery floss was then tied off on the outside but since the whole journal was going to be covered, this does not show and to ensure that I put a piece of lace down the spine.

Next I created the heart, which is just some scrap paper from a Maja Designs pack called Coffee in the Arbor that I scrunched up and steamed over and over to make it soft and pliable.  I did not want to wet it because it could shred.  Once it was soft enough I hand cut a heart, inked it with some Milled Lavender Distress Ink and backed it with a felt heart cut slightly smaller.  I cut a motif from some Venise lace and added it to the heart along with a flat backed pearl.

The next step was to add a strip of seam binding across the middle of the back which extended beyond the edge to become part of the tying mechanism and then cover the journal with lengths of lace, crochet ribbon and appliques - some came from The Funkie Junkie Boutique and some from my sewing stash.  The idea was to add different types, sizes and patterns  Then I added some flowers and buttons along with a couple loops of pearl strand.  The  rolled flower was made from a torn strip of fabric, one of the flowers was made from crinoline and cut using the Tim Holtz Tattered Florals die.  The rest of the flowers were from my stash but I used a Copic marker to add some colour to the ones that didn't have any.  The "flower" on the top right of the front is actually a piece cut from some lace.  The heart on the back is a Venise Lace applique from The Funkie Junkie Boutique.

Next I made a crinkly, loopy bow with long tails from seam binding and attached it to the front to match up with the piece on the back so the journal can be tied shut.  Finally I stamped text on a piece of twill tape and added it to the front and then I added some fun things to hang down the spine - some of the pearl strand, a piece of lace, a length of chunky wool and some fiber I found in my stash (I don't know what it is called but it is quite cool with spiky strands hanging from it).

I am going to enter this project in the following challenges:

All Crafts Challenge - Anything Goes But No Cards
Craft-Dee Bowz - Anything Goes with a Handmade Bow
Corrosive Challenges - Girly
Tando Creative Challenges - Make Something With A Use
Allsorts Challenge - Anything But A Card

The following items used in the creation of this journal came from The Funkie Junkie Boutique:

Fibres & Texture

The new two-week challenge at Sugar Creek Hollow starts today and we are calling it FIBRES & TEXTURE.  We want to you to make vintage or shabby chic projects that include fabric, unique fibres and texture - not just ribbon and lace.

I have chosen to do a wedding card and while I don't know anyone getting married right now, I am sure it will come in handy at some point.

I started by using some white card stock from Staples to make the card blank.  Then I cut another piece of card stock and made the background.  First I swiped some Picket Fence and Tattered Rose Distress Stain by Ranger on my craft sheet and dragged the card stock through it.  Next I sprayed it lightly with water and dried it with my heat gun.  I didn't think it was quite dark enough so I went over some sections of it with Tattered Rose Distress Ink by Ranger.

Once it was dry, I decoupaged some Tim Holtz Tissue Wrap on it and let it dry before I distressed the edges with my scissors.  I love how the stain/ink background shows through the Tissue Wrap.

I printed the bride and groom silhouette image from The Graphics Fairy on a scrap of white card stock and then distressed the edges with my scissors and sponged them with some Tattered Rose Distress Ink.  The image was mounted on a piece of black Recollections card stock that I cut with the rectangular Fleur de Lis die from Spellbinders.

To make the rolled flower, I started with two pieces of fabric - some white drapery sheer that had been in my Mother's sewing closet and some blush polyester stretch fabric that came from who knows where.  Once the flower was rolled I added some lace from my stash and some bling from Recollections as a centre.

When I put the card together I finished it off with some black feathers from Michaels and black pearl flourishes from Recollections.

This post has been scheduled because I am flying home from Alberta today after checking up on my Mother-in-Law who was moved into assisted living last week due to her ever increasing dementia.  I suspect when I get home I will be wanting a stiff drink - LOL.

Fabric Snowman

This week at Sugar Creek Hollow, we want you to make a vintage or shabby chic card and use FABRIC ( other than Ribbon or Lace).

As you can see I did use a tiny strip of ribbon on my card because I forgot that part of the challenge - daaah - but my snowman image is fabric.  I did remember that I bought a piece of printed cotton a couple of years ago with a bunch of Christmas images on it and I cut this one out, glued it onto card stock and then trimmed it before I framed it with the jute.  Here is a photo of the fabric and if you look closely at the bottom left corner you can see where I cut out the image and then laid it back down to take the photo.

The wonderful corrugated snowflakes were a gift from Linda (The Funkie Junkie) and I highlighted the raised parts with a bit of cream paint as I did with the kraft embossed strip.

I am on vacation in England as you read this so this is a scheduled post.  It is going to be a wonderful week because we are off to Rome next week for 6 days.  I hope all of you have a wonderful week too.

Image:  Fabric Snowman (Fabricland)
Sentiment:  The Beary Scrap
Card Stock:  Green (Wassau), Kraft (Rrecollections), Cream (Staples)
Papers:  Striped (Sandylion Sticker Designs), Polka Dot (Bo Bunny)
Tools & Embellishments:  Snowflake Punch Around the Page Set (Martha Stewart), Ribbon (Fabricland), Aged Mahogany Distress Ink (Ranger), Jute (My Stash), Buttercup Craft Paint (Americana by Deco Art)