Christmas Cards with Guest Designer Mona Pendleton

Hi there! Today I'm so happy to share with you a trio of Christmas cards featuring fabulous designs from the following sets: Ornamental Birdcages and Fern Fronds that I created featuring wonderful Gina's Designs chipboard pieces. In case you missed my post HERE, every Wednesday during the month of October, I am honored and grateful to have been invited to join along as a guest designer on the Gina's Design blog showcasing some of her amazing chipboard products that may be found in the Gina's Designs online store.

I couldn't help but make three because both the Ornamental Birdcages and Fern Fronds contain so many beautiful pieces. Each birdcage and fern frond is so unique and elegant. All chipboard designs were embossed using embossing enamel.

Thanks so much for stopping by! Please be sure to visit the other posts on the blog for some outstanding creative inspiration and if you are looking to add some great quality chipboard designs to your craft stash, please be sure to visit the Gina's Designs store!

Be Sweet ;)

Gina's Designs products used:  
Ornamental Birdcages Shape Set
Fern Fronds

 

Desk Picket Fence Clock

Hello ladies and gents! When I saw this picket fence clock, I was super excited to alter this.  I gave the fence a weathered paint look with a crackle technique.  The slates were painted with two coats of flat black paint, then  crackle medium.  Once it was dried, I added vintage ivory acrylic paint and then added black distress ink to all the edges.  

I added a birdcage, which I manipulated to give it some dimension. I pained it with Snow-Tex for more dimension and added a very small flower to the top. 

The clock face I used Prima paper along with the base of the fence. The numbers on the clock I painted with black ink, then used my finger to added gesso to make the numbers pop.  I also added gesso to the clock hands to make them stand out more.

The flourish details were inked with two different distress inks, Crushed Olive and Forest Moss, and then, using my finger, gesso was added for dimension.  I then added several flowers from my stash to finish it off.

I just love the way this came out!  Thanks for stopping and have a crafty day!

Gina's Designs Items Used:

Desk Clock Picket Fence

Ornamental Birdcages

Flourish Miniatures

Other Items Used:

Prima Stationer's Desk

Distress Inks: Forest Moss & Crushed Olive

Gesso

Wild Orchid Craft Flowers

Acrylic Paints: Ivory & Black

Folkart Crackle Medium

Snow-Tex

Old Bird ATC Pocket Letter

It's the first Friday of September (already!) which means it's my turn to share a tutorial using magnifique products from Gina's. Woo hoo! This month I thought we'd do some nitty gritty paper crafting and create a sort of pocket letter.

I've been seeing these pop up all over my timeline and wanted to give it a try. 

What is a pocket letter, you ask? Janette Lane, the creator of Pocket Letters™, explains on her site:

"Basically, you fill all the pockets of a 9 Pocket Trading Card Protector and send the whole page to someone who wants to swap with you... You fill the pockets with anything you like (stickers, tea bags, a note, washi tape samples, pictures, etc.) A short note or letter is included and tucked into one of the pockets. Then the Pocket Letter is folded up and sent in a standard 10 size envelope."**

I am a huge fan of ATC's (Artist Trading Card: miniature works of art measuring 2.5" x 3.5") so I've created a cohesive set of birdy themed cards to fill those little pockets with. You can source your own public domain images, or purchase a collage sheet with all of those vintage birds and sentiments available HERE.

When creating your own piece, consider other little bits and pieces to tuck into those sleeves. Stamps, ephemera, feathers... little bits that match the theme or look of your cards.

Also consider the sleeves themselves. I've added clear stickers to the exterior.

Of course you could just create these pretty ATC's and trade/give them separately. There's nothing wrong with spreading the crafty love around.

If you're not keen on making these little bits of art, you may want to check out the tutorial anyway as it includes creating the textured background seen below.

But enough blabble! HERE is the video tutorial. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to give me a shout. I'm happy to lend a hand or answer any questions you have. Seriously. Don't be shy ;)

THE SUPPLY LIST

From Gina's:
Cardstock Doily Set 1
Cardstock Doily Set Intricates
Steampunk Fan
Ornamental Birdcages Shape Set
Pen & Ink Shape Set
Faux Metal Number Plates
Herringbone Small

Other things you'll need:
For the Birds Collage Sheet or your own vintage bird images
Cardstock
Paper (I used pages from an old book)
Decorative scrapbook paper
Glue
White acrylic paint
Watercolour paint
Stamp pad
Clear stickers
Foam spacers
Ultra fine glitter
Tim Holtz Long Mini Brads 
Jute twine
Washi tape
Buttons, stamps and other small embellishments and trinkets
ATC Pocket Pages

**For more information on Pocket Letters you can visit Janette Lane's YouTube Channel or join the Pocket Letter Pals Network

My Steampunk Muse

Hello everyone!  Barbara here. I am really excited about my project today.  Okay, I know I am easily entertained, but when it comes to steampunk, I really am, easily entertained, that is!  I could not wait to work on Gina's Steampunk Cage Dressform.  And here she is!!!

Directions:

I painted the cage portion (front and back) with the Iron paint from the VerDay kit and let dry for one hour.  Then, following directions with the kit, I painted a second coat of the Iron paint and sprayed with the Patina Solution while the paint was still wet.  You will probably need to work in sections if your paint is drying quickly.  Here are the rusted pieces after the Patina Solution was allowed to sit for 24 hours and do it's thing.

Use the same process to paint the dressform pieces, but use the copper paint instead of the iron paint.  The Patina Solution gives a bluish green patina to the copper. 

I used Aleene's Fast Grab Tacky Glue to put my dress form and cage together.  I have found it to be the easiest glue to use, and it really does "grab" the chipboard nicely.

• Very Important Tip:  I discovered that my chipboard had swelled from the Patina Solution and I was not able to slip the chipboard strips through the holes in the base and top.  What I ended up doing was using a craft knife to trim the little extender pieces so I could push them into the holes.  So, you may prefer putting the cage portion together before painting and adding the patina solution.

I wanted all of my remaining chipboard pieces to also have a metal look, so I heat embossed the floral border and scrap pieces of the Chainlink with Silvery Shimmer ink and silver embossing powder.  I wanted the chain link to look weathered, so I used a Versamark pen randomly, mostly where the links join, and heat embossed with Black Soot distress embossing powder.

The floral border and some metal embellishments were adhered to the top of the cage, as shown.

The bird cage was inked with Golden Glitz ink and gold embossing powder.  Metal gears, bird, and resin flower added to cage, as shown.  I added a small piece of jewelry chain to hang the bird cage.  The chain link was adhered to the cage posts.

Some metal clock hands were adhered to each post, as shown.  Square metal jewelry pieces and tiny metal beads were adhered to each gear "tooth".  

I glued some tiny watch parts to the body of the  dress form and found these tiny metal bird beads in my stash, adhering one to the shoulder and two to the top of the cage. 

Front

Back

Gina's Designs Products Used Steampunk Cage Dressform

Ornamental Birdcages Shape Set

Chainlink 8x8 Panel

Border Sticks Floral

Other Products

VerDay Paint Kit (TenSecondStudio)

Silvery Shimmer and Golden Glitz Delicata ink pads

Aleene's Fast Grab Tacky Glue

Black Soot distress embossing powder

Silver embossing powder

Gold embossing powder

Watch parts

Metal jewelry bits and pieces

I absolutely love how this turned out and had so much fun embellishing it.  I want to do another one and see what other ways I can come up with to embellish a "sister" piece. What great "things" do you have in your stash to add to her? 

I hope I have been able to get those creative juices flowing and inspired you to try making one of these for yourself or a friend who loves steampunk.  It will make a wonderful inspiration piece to sit on my desk and admire, and hopefully keep the mojo going.   So, head on over to Gina's Store, Blog and Facebook Group to keep up with all the fun things we have in store for you!!!

Thanks for stopping by, and have a wonderful, creative weekend!!!

Barbara

Art Journal Page with Guest Designer Tamiko McCurry

Hello EVERYONE!!  Tamiko here and it is my last week as a Guest Designer for Gina's Designs Laser cuts.  It has has been super swell to be here each Wednesday!  If you haven't noticed my style by now, I love color and I loooove sparkle.  You can never have too much of either when you are playing with fairies!  Check out my latest journal page..

I love anything and everything about fairies, then again I am biased because of the color and sparkle/glitter/shimmer factor.  I am not colorful person in clothing, nor am I adorned with sparkley accessories, but my heart is.  My friend Sandee Setliff, an awesome artist, and she reminded me to..  DREAM BIG, Little fairies grant BIG WISHES!  I believe there is a little bit of fairy sprinkling kindness/fairy dust everywhere daily in many of us.

Any who, back to my project.  I covered all my fabulous chippies from Gina's Store with gesso.  You don't have to, but I do, especially when I know I am going to use Design Memory Craft's gelatos.  It allows me to literally apply color and rub with my finger.

Here I took the Dressform Hang Ups  and attached it to one of the Ornamental Birdcages Shape Set and a set wings from the Wings Assortment pack.  I colored with gelatos and let sit and dry a bit. I  then added my Design Memory Craft Glass Bead Glitter Gel, becaue it dries clear on the project and allows the intended color from chippies to shine through.  Gina's chipboard/hard board pieces are such an amazing quality and I have tried various mediums on all of them and they had stood up to EVERYTHING I have thrown at it.  Not once did the buckle/pucker/warp during the process, which is very important to me.

    Then I added fairies from the small and medium packs.  Believe me.. YOU will want several of these assortments and there is a LARGE TOO!!  Making a new wish list!!!

I love Gina's Store, I am very excited over the projects I have been able to produce over the last few weeks.  Her chippies have allowed me to create things I would not normally even attempt on my own.  With an awesome selection of chipboard pieces and her MORE than affordable prices I will always come back and refer her to friends and fellow crafters alike.  If you get a chance to check out her site! I am more than sure you will find something that tickles your fancy, personally or for a spectacular gift.  Again, it has been uberly awesome to be a guest designer for her and her company.  Please subscribe to her design team's YouTube Channel , they are a talented bunch and don't forget to LIKE her Facbook page by clicking here and join her Facebook group for even more inspiration by clicking here.

Thanks for all of your warm support!

Amazing Wonder Art Journal Pages

Hello chippie fans.  Barbara here again with my last post as guest designer for Gina's Lasercut Chipboard.  But never fear, I am not gone for good.  I will be back next month as a regular designer on their design team. Yay, I am so excited about this fabulous opportunity.

Anyway, it is no surprise to those who know me that I am super fond of birds.  It is no "wonder" that I am always "amazed" by their sweetness, as well as their ability to fly!  Hence came the name for my journal pages. 

After adding a background of printed tissue paper with matte medium, I blended Radiant Gels Twilight and Celedon on both pages, spritzing with water to keep the transparency.  Then I dabbed a  Radiant Rain Coral Berry dauber along the top edge of journal page, misting with water and allowing the color to run and spread.

Next, I spread Twilight Radiant Gel through a stencil with a spatula and let that dry.  Then I dabbed 

more Radiant Rain Coral Berry randomly over the background, spritzed with water and added Kiwi Radiant Gel, blending the two over the background.

Paint Flights of Fancy Music Girl with flesh tint acrylic paint.  Draw in a few facial details with a pencil. 

Add highlights to her face by mixing white gesso with the flesh tint paint.

Continue coloring face details with markers, and add more flesh tint to blend the features more.

Cover her face with a paper towel and mist with a mixture of Primary Elements China Black and water for hair.  I love the mottled look this gives the hair. 

Dab Radiant Rain Egyptian Gold over two Damask Singles.  Heat emboss the ornamental bird cage with Versamark ink and silver embossing powder.  While the powder is still hot, sprinkle black embossing powder over it to give it an antique silver look.

Spray bird flourish with Fern Radiant Rain mist.  Add Twilight Radiant Gel to the bird only.

Spray Fern Radiant Rain Mist over the leaves and ornament.  These were the punch outs from the large Damask Single.  Nothing goes to waste here.

Dab Egyptian Gold Radiant Rain dabber over words, then mist with Pewter Radiant Rain Mist.  When dry, add Delicata Silver Shimmer randomly over words.

With all the chipboard embellishments completed, adhere to the pages, as shown.  

Left Page

Right Page

 I strung a metal chain from the jewelry section between the Damask Single and the Ornamental Bird Cage.  

Gina's Designs Supplies used:

  Flights of Fancy Music Girl, Damask Singles, Ornamental Bird Cages Shape Set, Words and Phrases 2, Birds and Flourishes

ColourArte: Radiant Gels: Twilight, Celedon

 Radiant Rain Daubers: Egyptian Gold, Coral Berry, Radiant Rain Shimmering Mists: Fern, Pewter

Primary Elements Arte Pigment: China Black

Print Tissue Paper

Embossing Powder: Silver, Black

Markers: Faber-Castell

Stencil: Dylusions

Thanks for stopping by, and be sure to check out Gina's Designs for more fabulous chipboard shapes for all of your art work!  If you want even further details on how I made this background, you can visit my blog at Black Hole Art Studio.

See you next month, and have a creative week!

Barbara

Cards to Make People Smile!

Hi! Lynne here with some happy cards inspired by the Valentine-themed pieces in my latest goody box from Gina, as well as some of the other great items.

I love painting my chipboard, then stamping and heat-embossing it for  an ornate effect, like I did on the clock and large heart here:

For this one, I trimmed a birdhouse piece to become the jail cell (my friend and I call each other our partner in crime!) and added the lovely heart flourish piece as well:

This card is for a bird-lover's birthday, so the cage and the bird on the branch were perfect accents! I first dry-embossed the birdcage. I then covered it with crackle finish before heat embossing it. Texture paste was applied to the branch before I heat embossed that piece:

I placed the inside sentiments next to the cards to give you a better idea of the finished items (and the first two really wouldn't have made much sense without them!)
Thanks so much for stopping by, and have a wonderfully creative week!

Gina's Designs Products Used

Build a Layout-lovebirds
Ornamental Birdcages Shape Set
Bird on Branch Assortment
Skeleton Clocks
Clock Hands Shape Set

Other Items Used
BoBunny Avenues papers
Graphic 45 Raining Cats and Dogs papers
Marion Smith Posh papers