#Engage

Hi friends - Here's my latest project on the Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts blog, using the ATC Shrine Box.  Pop on over to see how I made it!

Thanks for your visit today!  --Susan

Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts Used

ATC Shrine Box #BD12X

London Souvenir

Hiya folks! Today is my birthday so I'm celebrating by spending the whole day in the studio. I put the finishing touches on the project I'm sharing today, will start an altered spool thingy I'm kicking around in the noggin, AND working on an ongoing 12 Days of Christmas piece. 

That's the plan, anyway. Oh, oh! It will all be done guilt free, too! Yes, I'll let the doggy out as needed, but otherwise my butt is in the studio guilt free.

So, on with the sharing!

Last year I took classes at The Queen's Ink with Anna Dabrowska a/k/a Finnabair. I was thrilled to be there and learn about mediums I've never used. One of the classes was supposed to use a (supplied) chipboard rocking horse, but I knew I didn't want that... so I gathered bits and pieces along a theme. It turned out -as the only one who struck out on their own instead of copying Finn's project- I swam upstream in that class. No worries. I have a thick skin and am proud of this meaningful project. 

 The Husband and I went to London for our anniversary. As we waited for the management company to bring us our Covent Garden flat key, we hung out next to this row of phone booths.

The "Keep Calm" ATC is one of a bunch I made to trade. Of course I kept one for myself. I used an Artistic Outpost Union Jack stamp with Lumiere Pearl Blue and Crimson paints. The Keep Calm panel was made to look like crazed china. 

The phone booth in the project is from Jolee's. I'd been hoarding it for years, waiting for the right project. The metal clock and a lot of the metal pieces throughout were supplied with the class. I bought a huge lot of clock hands off Etsy for very little money. I think it will be the best $12 I've ever  spent!

In her classes, Finn guides students in using an assortment of adhesives, molding materials, paints and sprays. None of which I'd used in this way before, so it was good for me.  

The lion knocker was a perfect find in the store. The handles moves! I brought the crown in the photo below; all other bits were class kit supplies.

This last photo is my favorite detail of the piece. I used Scrabble tiles and Dominoes to show it was our 15 year anniversary. The wee little lion was from my sister ages ago.

Thanks for visiting today!

Cheers,

Susan 

Stepping Out Of My Comfort Zone With Finnabair

Hiya folks! Tuesday and Wednesday I took three workshops with Anna Dabrowska, aka Finnabair at The Queen's Ink in Savage, Maryland. It was an amazing experience and I learned great new skills.

I want to share all my projects, but it'll be out of order. The first day workshop journal still needs a little work on front for my satisfaction, so I'll save it for later.

So onto the Wednesday morning "Imagine" collage workshop, for which we needed to bring a photo to work around. I brought a recent photo of myself and made a personal collage!

I hope you can see the green, blue and gold shimmers

on the shadowy side. Here are a few of my favorite details:

I 

  
Under the watch swirly thing is a message to myself: Create, Live, Love

 

This little plaque says Live the life you've imagined.

 It's an extra special sentiment for me since I've recognized that 2013 has been spent

fantasizing more about finished products than actually finishing them.

Or in some cases, not even starting them. 

I learned SO MUCH in these workshops and really stepped out of my comfort zone. I've never liked getting messy and really hated the cleanup. Wow, after these two exhausting and exhiliarating days, my eyes have been opened and my mind freed to let it roll!

Thanks for visiting today. I'll share the other two workshops soon!

Cheers,
Susan

Alpha Stamps Yahoo Group Challenge

Hiya! Over at the Alpha Stamps Yahoo Groups there's a reproduction challenge going on. The idea is to take techniques shared by Nichola Battilana of Pixie Hill and Alpha Stamp's design team and make your own version of her faerie folk specimen jars (holding official proof that the faeries exist!). Around the Internets you might know her as Knickertwist, too.

Here's a link to her Pixie Hill Studio shop so you can see how the professional does it... and here's my reproduction:

The jar is 1 5/8" tall and a minute 1/2" wide. That's small! The label reads:

Faerie Specimen 1.001

Found in a shipping box with this tag attached: "Canada or Bust!"

It's kind of a joke since Nichola just happens to be my swap partner on a Craftster swap and I'll be sending a wicked forest-themed matchbox her way in a week or two. Yea, she's in Canada...

The mushrooms are made with paper clay and painted with shimmery paint. There's a bit of glare from the lights on the glass, but that doesn't disguise the fact that I definitely need practice on my dots. :) It was fun (and kinda hard) to make, though!

Thanks for sharing your technique, Knickers! I can only hope I win the prize of fabulous Pixie Hill art stuffs... :)

Thanks for visiting today!

Cheers,
Susan

Magnificent Men a la Sarah Engels-Greer

Hello! While I've been buzzing away the last few weeks it seems I haven't shown you any completed projects. Gah! I've been making hundreds of hat pins but cutting very little paper. *sigh* How does this happen?

Anyway, I have a story to tell you. Christmas 2010 I "gave" my Husband his library, a large room off our bedroom that really had no purpose. We had a wall of bookcases and a chair, but not much else. While he was at work one day I outfitted the room with library-type stuff including a 12' rug, library table, more furniture and assorted other bits and pieces. It turned out beautifully!

So, how does one top *that*?

Last December, as I'm floundering away at finding The Perfect Gift for my husband, I ran across a project made by Sarah Engels-Greer. The sky lit up and I could hear the angels singing! Of course, I could make something for the library!

I tried to take inspiration and make my own but her original design is so darn perfect for Husband's space that I couldn't "improve" on it. Sarah and I emailed about it a few months ago and she gave me her blessing to post. I've waited until after her piece was published in Craft Stamper to show mine. It's important to both of us that credit goes to her for original design. Please visit her blog (you'll never want to leave!) to see gorgeous details about her Magnificent Men!

So, without further ado, here are my Magnificent Men:

The box is Configurations with the acrylic front

Left side close-up

Right side close-up

On the bookcase

This project was an incredible amount of work - Sarah called it a "labor of love" and I definitely agree. It took a long time to make but it was worth it. Thanks Sarah!

Thanks for visiting today!

Cheers,
Susan

B is for Baby!

Hiya crafty friends! It's a gorgeous Tuesday here if you ignore the frost on the windows. The sun is shining and should melt all that off shortly, right? Tonight we're going to a baseball game and will definitely bundle up!

Here's a project made with Graphic 45's Little Darlings. It's the sweetest paper line I've seen in ages! I originally intended to use my papier mache A B C letters for another project but was inspired in another direction. Got to go with the muse, eh?

Don't let that floating eyeball in the bottom hole scare you. It's just a sweet little one!

Don't you just love this flower extravaganza? Yummy. The laces are all vintage tatting found whilst rummaging through antique shops or as a gift from my fabby sister. She knows exactly how to make me giddy!

The B is 9" tall and covered with papers from the 12x12 Little Darlings pad. The back is covered with the sheet called "Little Darlings", on which the front has the baby face peeking through to the front. It worked out perfectly! The satin finish comes from matte Modge Podge and edges are inked in Distress "Gathered Twigs". The pins are handmade by me.

I sort of feel like this still needs a little something, but I'm not sure what it is yet. I will put small feet on it to balance it out. It's a little top-heavy and will fall over with the tiniest of touches, thanks to the lace on the bottom.

She's a little darling! Thanks for visiting today. I hope you have a creative day!

Cheers,
Susan

Painted Ladies

Hello crafty friends! Hope you're having a wonderful weekend. I spent the last few days tooling around with my sister in Washington, DC. It was crazy warm - perfect to walk around in (I won't tell you about the wind, though). We found a few old treasures, but the best part was getting together - it's been a year and a half!

Today I want to share a card featuring painted chipboard butterflies. I used Jacquard Lumiere acrylic paints, and Ranger's Liquid Pearls and Stickles. The antennae are made from craft wire.

And here's a detail from the inside:

I really love the rich colors of Prima's "Fairy Flora" paper line! The vine is from a Cheery Lynn metal die, called "Fanciful Flourish".

Thanks for visiting today!

Cheers,
Susan

Dia De Los Muertos Birthday

Hiya bloggers! As promised, here are two of my most recent projects. The first project I want to share is a mixed media piece made for my sister's birthday. Her birthday is November 2nd, which is also a part of Dia De Los Meurtos festivities - and she's a big fan. I had a lot of fun with this!

I like all the skellies, but the singing one on the far right cracks me up! I made all the "lanterns" with bead and bits, and scoured my backyard for sticks that would bend just right. The grass is shrubbery greens I found in the model train section of the craft store. It's really cool stuff and I can't wait to use it again.

The second project is a "chunky Halloween house" I made for my sister. I used Pink Paislee's Hocus Pocus paper - love this line!

This is the front - click the photo to see more detail. It's about 7" tall. The skeleton is 3 layers: background, full-oval cameo and the skeleton on top. The fly is also dimensional with little raised wings. The crystals are all Swarovski flatbacks.

And here's the back. The background is from a 12x12 sheet and the cut-out frame is from a 6x6 of the same design.

If you want to see a small sampling of her art, go to CalliopeDesignStudio, her Etsy shop. You can also find her on Craftster.org - her user name is "cackle" and she makes incredible art!

Thanks for stopping by today. I'm going back to Christmas cards now. Have a swell day!

Cheers,
Susan

TBS DT: Itsy Bitsy Spider

Hey there crafty folks! This week the Beary Scrap design team is continuing with whatever strikes our fancy, since it's a challenge Free for All!

I'm having loads of fun with my chunky Halloween houses - there's a village now! This week's house is made using Authentique's Glowing paper. Sadly, I didn't realize it was sold out in the shop and I don't have another project to inspire you. I hope this can give you an idea or two anyway. :) There are tons of available 6x6 pads to choose from!

It's a simple house, really... with a big, hairy occupant. (No, I'm not talking about Aunt Hilda, the poor dear...)The spider web was "painted" with Glossy Accents, as was the spider body (which was then covered with a Swarovski crystal). I covered the chimney with a scrap of the same paper left over from another project, so the right wall has a spider, also. This was a fun project and I'm really looking forward to a Christmas village!

Thanks for visiting today! Our Free for All / Anything Goes challenge continues through Friday the 14th. Come join us - you could win a $20 gift voucher from The Beary Scrap!

Cheers,
Susan

The Witching Hour

Boo! Eek! It's the witching hour and little girls should be snuggled under the covers and fast asleep. Although this little one is wide awake as the spirits escape into the night!

I've been working on this off and on throughout the week. I like the end result but know I need a lot more experience with collage work. I don't think it will include a lot of cardboard, though. Have I told you about my cardboard/newprint/kraft paper phobia? The texture... oh, the texture freaks me out! This was a challenge for me folks. *grin*

The base of this wicked and weird collage is corrugated cardboard, on which I layered an embossed scrap of kraft paper, a grungeboard rickety house and the man on the moon. Why is he smiling? Or is that a smirk... hmm.

There are a lot of Tim Holtz products here: halloween stamp, Regal Flourishes embossing folder, Rickety House die used on Grungeboard and Grungeboard numbers (covered in Black Soot Distress ink refill then dried with a heat gun - the effect is cool). I've also used the small game spinners as clock hands, Vintage Photo Distress Ink on edges and Rock Candy Distress Stickles to highlight the embossing. The little girl and moon are vintage images, and the acetate clock face is Heidi Swapp (I think... or maybe Jenni Bowlin?).

I painted the cardboard with matte ivory acrylic paint and then distressed with sanding paper and ink. The Rickety House was painted in glossy black acrylic - I would have used matte if I had it, but, y'know.

That's it for the details, I think. Oh! The branch is a leftover Prima vine, the smoke coming from the chimney is peacock feather and the gauze is natural cheese cloth.

Challenges, Please

• Simon Says Stamp and Show (7/24) - Show some embossing
• Grungy Monday #16 (7/24) - Use Grungeboard 
• The Stamp Man #27 (7/29) - Anything by T!m (Holtz)

Thanks for visiting!

Cheers,
Susan

Altered Ancestors Book Swap, Part 2

Hi bloggers! I want share the next batch of little fat book swap pages. I've now completed 8 of the 11 and am feeling the mailing deadline looming down on me. Hee hee. Click here to see the first 4 if you missed 'em.

Muse

I'll admit this lovely lady isn't very altered. She has a crystal on her dress and a butterfly on her shoulder. I rubbed gold Ranger alcohol ink Mixative on the TH word tag. I was inspired by the very talented Laura Carson on this page.

. 

Paris

I love this page! I set out to find an ancestor who evokes "travel" just so I could use this paper. The Paris ticket and "oh la la" were printed at home.

Hustler

You have to watch out for this con artist - she'll take the shirt off your back!

Drama Queen

"The theater, the theater. What happened to the theater?" This is a line Danny Kaye says in White Christmas. It's my least favorite part of my *most* favorite movie. Funny. The crown is a TH stamp that was embossed and cut out. "Art" is made of grungeboard from the Mixed Minis set. Using tweezers I rubbed the letters in a pool of Bundled Sage distress reinker. Impatiently I used a heat gun to dry with interesting results. The liquid evaporated, leaving a cool texture behind - almost like flocking. I'm going to play around with it some more. I finished the letters with Rock Candy distress paint (although next time I will use Glossy Accents since the crackle is minimum on the little letters. Live and learn!) 

So, for a little recap: Over at the All Things Tim Yahoo group I'm in an Altered Ancestors Little Fat Book swap. There are over 20 players and each of us makes 11 pages to send off to our swap coordinator. She then randomly picks pages to bind into little fat books and sends to the players. I don't even know if my book will include any of my own pages!

Each page is 4"x4" and the left side is for the binding rings. The photos were printed on a satin photo paper (just what I had on hand) and cut out. I rounded them for a little dimension and used a silicone as glue so they're all raised off the page a little. The pages are grunge paper with TH card stock attached on the front and back.

There they are! I have a few more days to finish up the last 3, then they get mailed off. This has been a huge project for me and I'll be happy when it's done. Yay!

Cheers,

Susan