DT Project No 3 - Featuring Teresa Collins' Save the Date Collection

Here's a sneak peek of my third and final project for Snazzys this week using the Teresa Collins' Save the Date Collection. Thank you so much to those of you who have kindly visited me over there, and I would be delighted if you would pop over again to see the photos and description of this little wedding organizer I have made for my bride-to-be!

DT Project No 2 - Featuring Teresa Collins' Save the Date Collection

Over on Snazzys Design Team Blogspot I have my second make, this clipboard, using the Teresa Collins' Save the Date Collection. I do hope you will pop over there and have a look! Thank you!

DT Project No 1 - Featuring Teresa Collins' Save the Date for Snazzys

Over on Snazzys Design Team Blogspot I have the first of my DT pieces for this week using the beautiful Teresa Collins' Save the Date paper collection. I have decorated this papier mache heart and I would love you to pop over and see!

Vase of Spring Blossoms - for Indigo Blu Challenge

 

I made this altered bottle of blooms for the Indigo Blu challenge which is Spring Blossoms. I have used the gorgeous Live, Laugh, Love stamp plate. I started off with a small glass bottle which I covered with their Gee So Good Gesso and then painted with acrylic paints in various shades of blue. I stamped the flowers and leaves from the stamps set in Jet Black StazOn all over a piece of tissue paper and adhered it to the bottle with Slap It On. I painted some extra flowers and added these on.

I then stamped more flowers and leaves onto backing papers and cut them out, and glued them to some of the sticks you get with reed diffusers, and arranged them in the 'vase'.

All The World's A Stage - Inspired by Julie Ann Lee for Paper Artsy

This week on Paper Artsy sees the return of the very clever Julie Ann Lee as Guest Designer. This week Julie Ann has drawn on the dramatic arts for her inspiration and produced an amazing theatrical journal over three nights, which begins here. I am not a journaller but I really wanted to make something inspired by Julie Ann and the gorgeous Lynne Perrella stamps she has used, so I used a 'stage' shaped wooden frame instead.

I painted some cardstock as Julie Ann had done, following her colours, and stamped the houses from LP028, and the 'Marie Antoinette' figure as I am calling her from LP001. I thought I had the stamp set Julie Ann had used for her actors and looked in vain! I loved the way she had stamped the two figures from LPC015 on the butterfly shape so I copied this. I stamped the collage from LP030 on cardstock painted with Vanilla and then painted it with translucent shades of Fresco. I loved the William Blake quote Julie Ann had used from ELB05 and I didn't have this set so I promptly ordered it!

I used some dew drops on the arch to represent the stage lights and the curtains are pieces of organza. I had intended to have the full William Blake quote in the centre of the frame but I liked the collage so much I didn't want to obscure it. In the end I decided that Marie Antoinette would be holding the rolled script in her hand whilst waiting in the wings behind the curtain. Why she should be in this particular guise, wearing a ship on her head is anyone's guess, but at least she no longer has a shell for an umbrella - I snipped that off!

I am entering the Paper Artsy challenge which is here.

Crafty Individuals' April Challenge - Nature's Beauty - Bird Cage

I am very excited that my turn has come round again to choose the theme for the Crafty Individuals' challenge.  I have chosen Nature's Beauty as I felt there is such a lovely range of bird, butterfly, flower, and tree stamps amongst the Crafty Individuals' range that you can play around with.

I wish you could see this 'make' in real life as it is difficult to capture in 3d. It is a deep box shaped like a birdcage with acetate windows through which you can see a range of stampbord tiles depicting a variety of nature themed stamps in a pale teal and pink colourscheme, accented with olive for the leaves. It took me days, but it was days of pleasure as I added little bits here and there; a very relaxing make.

I thought I would go into a bit of detail today as I feel really guilty that I haven't done a step by step tutorial yet for Crafty Individuals. The box was bought in the post-Christmas sales a few years ago as I fell in love with the shape, and it contained quickly discarded make up products. I have been saving it ever since and was scared of messing it up. I painted the outside (lid) first with Beach Hut and Mermaid Fresco Finish paint and then stamped it with Script CI 161 and Music Script CI 194 in Archival Inks. I made rolled roses with a selection of Crafty Individuals' background papers. I cut leaves and branches from dies and inked them with Distress Inks, graduating the colours. I made a bird out of clay and a mould and painted him with Frescos and highlighted the wings with Treasure Gold and sat him on a branch. I added a clock to the top which I also highlighted with Treasure Gold. I dotted on some Simply Pearls in places for a pearl accent. So that's the outside.

For the inside, I cut a piece of cereal box to fit the shape and covered it with Crafty Individuals' background paper, piecing it together carefully so it fitted without the joins showing. I spread some Paper Artsy grungepaste through a Mini Art Is stencil for the words.

I used a selection of Bird, Tree, Flower, and Butterfly stamps on Stampbord, colouring the tiles first with archival inks. I used Jet Black StazOn, did some scratching back highlights, and sanded the edges, then coloured the sides with a dark brown Pro Marker. To position them I kept popping the lid back on to see how they would appear through the acetate windows. Finally I added more rolled roses, branches, and leaves, and a leaf and birdcage charm painted with Snowflake Fresco.

I do hope you will join in this month's challenge. As always, you can claim a discount on any Crafty Individual orders placed, just for taking part, which I think is amazing! All challenge details are here.

I thought I would also enter this into the Altered Eclectics challenge as it is altered art in the sense that I have altered a gift box into a home decor item. As it is very much a Spring make which represents New Beginnings, I am entering it into the Country View Challenge which is here.

Thank you so much for all the lovely good wishes on Facebook and Twitter and the cards and e mails for my birthday. Unfortunately I am very behind with everything, and with saying my thank you's, as I have had a crisis this week, and the worst is over. It was wonderful getting so many messages and I will be able to catch up and have some birthday outings now.