I made a ‘thing’ for Unscripted Sketches and some other challenges :)

Wow, my mind is really fried after having my hubby and kids home for a week and a bit. Holy moley! I made something and don’t know what to call it. It’s for Unscripted Sketches and also some other challenges (finally) so let’s just get on to business shall we?

So I get it, at first glance this is a strange mix of things to put on a … well, it’s not a canvas. It’s not even a canvas board. It’s not really a painting either is it? It’s way, way too big to be a card at 7.25x8.25” (it was supposed to be 5x7 with 1/4” framing borders but it was just too small for the snowflakes so I added a 3” section). And now it’s too big for any standard frame! It’s too warped to just hang on the wall with a ribbon and too big for my SMASH album!

I started with the concept that I would be combining three challenges: The Shabby Tea Room-use snowflakes, silver/white and buttons/bells, obviously Unscripted Sketches and SSS Stamp and Show to use Tim Holtz products. I dragged out all the Tim Holtz stamps I own and was stumped. None of them are winter related at all. But, I have lots of inks and plenty of stamps that make nice background stamping plus plenty other stuff.

So I decided to drip TH inks artfully down a piece of watercolour paper. Hmmm, easier said than done. I chose a great big fat mop brush which would hold lots of paint right? Yep, I was right! However, it seems it didn’t want to release said paint onto the paper, grrr… Ok, second try, smaller fat brush would release the liquid, better but then too many lovely fat droplets ran all the way to the bottom of the page instead of artfully stopping with perfectly round balled ends right where I wanted them too stop. No wonder some artists get the big bucks. This stuff ain’t easy!

OK, so my page is dry, some artful drops have been stopped in the appropriate places, now what? So I fill in the space with some TH stamps. So far so good. Then I realized I’ve used butterflies. D’uh. Oh, well, I can cover them up! Up with what? Hmmm… Thus was the journey of the upper part of my… thing. I’ve seen some canvases end up nicer but look similar. The artist adds many items to the canvas disregarding the colour. Then gessos over the whole shebang, spray mists or paints it solid at first, then adding shadows, highlights and a few more embellishments. Tone on tone effect.

I had planned to add the snowflakes over the coloured drips at the bottom of the upper portion thinking it would create a great contrast, colour vs the silver but instead it just seems to cause competition for your eye and was too crowded. So I added a piece at the bottom and did the same thing with pewter Distress stain as I had done with Distress inks at the top. I started with full strength but it didn’t spread well so I went to a dilute version to help it move then back to full strength to add some deeper colour. I didn't have silver sequins so I took ivory ones, put a pin in the center and used a silver paint pen to colour them. I stroked outwards and slightly downwards from the center which also served to turn them as I coloured then just moved the pin which moved the sequin across my craft sheet so they could dry. Wash, rinse, repeat!

When I saw the Artist sentiment I really wanted to use it but I knew it wouldn’t be read as a background stamp. And it didn’t make much sense by itself. But recently I saw a post on Digital Photography School about snowflake photography. The snowflakes looked like everything from typical snowflakes we see as stamps to satellites in space to glass platters to logos for computer companies to what’s inside a computer. Some were hexagons almost completely devoid of any other form. I know many don’t believe but for those of us who do, snowflakes are a pretty amazing and faith strengthening creation. So I realized this was a perfect way to use this sentiment after all. And it kind of ties in my art on top with God’s art on the bottom (his is way better!)

Sorry that was so long. I hope you will play with us this week at Unscripted Sketches. Hopefully you all had great weeks visiting with family and friends, you stayed safe and healthy, the busyness is over and you all have more time off to enjoy! So why not spend some time playing our sketch? The more the merrier!

Enjoy, Rebecca

RECIPE
Stamps: Tim Holtz various, Mini Alpha-SU!
Ink: Archival black-Ranger, Worn Lipstick, Broken China Distress pad, Shabby Shutters Reinker, Spring Moss-PTI, Versamark
Paper: watercolour paper-stash
Accessories: Spellbinders, MFT snowflake dies, wood veneers, white Mr Hueys Mist-Studio Calico, Copic markers, hibiscus spring moss buttons-PTI, sewing thread-Mettler, Guttermann, rhinestone brad-American crafts, ivory (silver) sequins-Ellen Hutson, pink and blue sequins-FabricLand, green, pink sequins-SSS, blue star clips-Dollarama, silver EP-SU!, foam dots-Jody Morrow

Icicle Lights Jewellery Set

Wanna know what’s been keeping me so busy lately? Well yes, three kids but I’ve also been getting  into making jewellery. In the next few weeks, I will be showing you what I've been up to!

This is one of my latest pieces. I made this for my autistic son’s respite worker. She’s leaving for three month’s to go to Australia and her work also asks her to bling it up since it’s a nice place so this works for both. It uses headpins (a silver wire with a flat end on it which acts as a stopper) which I strung Swarovski round and bicone crystals in blue, teal and white then turned a 3/4 loop with round nose pliers and slipped the loop over the chain.

Then I completed the loop and wrapped the wire tail around the wire stem just above the beads. I cut the chain to size, added a clasp to the chain and that’s it! The earrings are even easier. Add the beads to the headpin, wrap the loop. Add the earring wire. That’s it. It you are working with thicker wire than I am, you can just turn a loop and not even wrap it!

Planning the beads so they hang nicely, look good and keep them in order while making the was the harder than the construction. I wish I’d planned the second and third in from each end a little better as they don’t lay well. The other’s just don’t have support behind them in the photo to lay perfectly but the end ones just sit funny because they don’t have room. Oh well.

The earrings aren’t as interesting (I don’t like crazy earrings) but I did use a long French wire, (heck I don’t know what they are really called but that’s what I call em) so that makes them a bit more unique. When I asked our worker what style she likes or what preferences she has all I got was “I’m sure I’ll like anything you will make. Whatever you’d like to make.'” and “blue” so I think I’m good!

Enjoy Rebecca

RECIPE
any decent bead store has everything you see here. I used a basic jump ring and lobster claw closure. There are dozens of tutorials on line to teach you how to make wrapped loops and open and close jump rings, the only skills i used. Try Fire Mountain Beads and Artbeads

Elegant Anniversary Card

I made this a very long time ago, maybe a year and a half. Sometimes I browse my photos and wonder if maybe a card has been missed. Now I have a ‘Not Posted’ File so that helps but when I’m in a hurry, it’s so hard to keep track!

Originally I designed this layout as a ‘thank you for your business’ card, without the pearls and with black and gold or black and ivory paper on bottom, for a friend’s business. My BFF saw it and much to my delight, went on and on about how it was hte prettiest card she’d ever seen and how she’d frame it. So of course, I obliged making her one. Then I had the opportunity to make it again for a very classy couple for their anniversary . I thought adding the dancing couple was a nice touch.

I’ve made this as multiples so I know it isn’t that hard and I think it would also make great monogrammed stationery. It would also make amazing formal shower, wedding, anniversary party or any formal invites

Enjoy, Rebecca

RECIPE
please email for details. Most manufacturers are found in the tags.

Vintage Stars Card for Unscripted Sketches #236

I decided to do a mixed media card this week; this sketch offered so many options that it stumped me for quite a while!  I was working on a mixed media journal swap so I went with a mixed media card too!

The stars are shimmerier IRL because I added mica powder called Pearl Ex (like Perfect Pearls without the binder) to my homemade texture paste. Recipe courtesy Gabriella Pollacco. But it’s very fine so comes across as brown in the photo. I was going to go with a cleaner more elegant style until I noticed that the music and measuring tapes matches so well  but once I added them I realized it was definitely a shabby/vintage look, not a clean/elegant one.

Then I created a dense cluster of embellies all with a fun, eclectic, vintage vibe. Lastly I added the gold swirlies and sequins. The teal in the bottom paper is foiled so it adds lots of shine! The background paper I added the texture paste too was white but I airbrushed it so it fit better with the vintage style. I ADORE that Copic airbrush system!

Over the holidays, we will still be here! So come and play this week’s sketch! Can’t play? Check out our blogs and leave us some lovin’! Can’t play this week? Maybe next week! Kids or your spouse being home from work or school driving you crazy? Seek solace in your craft room and join us at UNSCRIPTED SKETCHES!! Have a safe and happy Winter Season with Family and Friends!!

Enjoy, Rebecca

for recipe, please email me with specific questions.

Snowflake Crocheted Bead Wreath Tag

I’m a bit bummed about the photo of the wreath on this tag; it’s so pretty IRL and so hard to see in the photo!

I would have made the crocheted strand much longer so the final wreath would be thicker but I ran out of time. Maybe if the background was solid it may have stood out better, in fact I'm pretty sure it would have, my bad.

It’s actually really easy to make, you thread your beads on thin wire, 26 gauge or thinner. Keep your wire on the spool, don’t pre-cut it. Then just start chain crocheting it. Every so many stitches, you have to decide what look you want (one bead every stitch, every second, third…), you slide a bead along and stitch it in. Easy Peasy! I wrapped mine twice but I think I should have wrapped it at least 4 times to make it more dense and stand out from the background more.

For the background, I used Sharon Harnist’s double embossing technique. You can find her tutorial at the Classroom as part of the 12 tags of Christmas. I started by using glitter embossing powder but I overheated it so I embossed over it with clear embossing powder. Then I used two blues, one was more turquoise-ish, and E77 to airbrush the background. Removing the colour from the embossing was the fun part; it is quite dramatic!

I’m also going to enter this in the Really Reasonable Ribbon Challenge 62 to create anything!

Enjoy, Rebecca

RECIPE
Stamps: Thanks All Ways-PTI (on back)
Ink: Teal Zeal-Memento (on back)
Paper: white CS-PTI, chocolate CS-SU!
Accessories: craft wire-Michaels, beads, lace, crochet hook-stash, metallic string, embossing folder-Cuttlebug, 1/2” hole punch-SU!, small hole punch-WRMK Cropadile, Hero Arts ultrafine embossing powder, iridescent ice embossing powder-SU!, Copic airbrush system

Door Sign for Unscripted Sketches #235

This week I took inspiration from an unconventional source. An item from a women’s steals site.

The item I was inspired by was basically the same, a sign for your door with a turning upper layer that rotates to reveal several different signs which I should at SheSteals.com. There was one for your dishwasher, clean vs dirty, too. There are magnets on the back to hold it in place. I would have added some lade or ribbon or more layers of paper but I wanted it to be weather-proof in case I left it out and it started to rain or snow. What I have to really remember is to not leave it out too long with the ‘Come on in’ left showing!!

I made it with die cut circles of craft-a-board and patterned paper with a brad and a flattened bead cap in the center. The flower is made from a Memory Box cherry blossom die which I stiffened with outdoor Mod Podge also applied to the rest of the project. Unfortunately, outdoor Mod Podge is sticky even when dried for a long time, I feature I HATE (I hear Martha Stewart decoupage medium is weather proof and not sticky but I didn’t have any) so inside I added two 1” circles of naked craft-a-board so the larger circles would rotate smoothly.

There is still one more spot on the under layer for another little note but I couldn’t think of anything else. I can still add something if I want to later. I’ll probably have to add a piece of paper or use Staz-on or archival ink because I’ve sealed it but it could work. These are quick and easy to make; contact me if you’d like the exact measurements. It turned out that three messages underneath would fit perfectly so just email me for the circle and cut off dimensions!

We will still be having sketches all through the holidays so if you find yourself bored at all be sure to come on out and play. Do you sew? Quilt? Knit? Do Mixed Media? Paint? Doesn’t just have to be basic card making, paper crafts and scrapbooking though of course we love to see those crafts! We welcome anything you create! We’d even be happy to see baking that fits the sketch! Please play with our super talented team this week too at Unscripted Sketches!

Enjoy, Rebecca

RECIPE
Paper: Authentique, Craft-a-board-Ellen Hutson, chocolate, peach (don’t know real name) CS-SU!
Ink: Teal Zeal-Memento
Stamps: really old alphabet stamps
Accessories: Memory Box cherry blossom die, bead cap, brad-stash, Mod Podge, Circle Nesties

Shabby Baby Card for Unscripted Sketches

This sketch was a lot of fun! Some of them kinda stump me at first but this one flowed easily!

The ‘Baby’ die is by Marianne I think and the baby things are by Memory Box. They are really quite teensy, for comparison, this is a 5x7 card. The bottle and rattle are about a bit less than an inch high and the soother is only about 3/8” high!

I coloured them with Copics and oh, so gently sponged them with Distress ink. I also had to be very careful with the word to get ink sponged on the inside areas of the die. I used a Fantastik for the tiny areas. It’s like a sponge tipped pen you can dip in ink. Also good for fixing missed areas of solid stamping.

The papers are from Little Darlings and G45’s patterns and solids pack. The baby face flower is a chipboard piece. The greyish buttons are Mother of Pearl and look so much nicer IRL!

I have a couple girlfriends who are pregnant right now so hopefully one of them has a little girl! I have several boy cards already in my stash.

I do hope to see you over at Unscripted Sketches later this week! We’d love to have you join us! Even if you can’t play. be sure to check out the DT’s awesome projects; they are a talented bunch!

Enjoy, Rebecca

RECIPE
Ink: Frayed burlap Distress ink
Paper: G45, Ivory CS-PTI
Accessories: EK Success mini scalloped punch, PTI buttons, MOP buttons-Ebay, G45 chipboard, Marianne Baby die, baby things die-Memory Box, Copic Markers, Flowers-Wild Orchid Crafts, Lace-stash, ivory iridescent sequins-Ellen Hutson