Monday, November 18, 2013

Grandma's Sequins

Christmas is really sneaking up on me and I am soooo behind!  Get a jump on your own Christmas projects by joining our "Christmas - Not a Card" challenge this fortnight at Creative Cutting Challenge.

I was inspired by this Pinterest project for my design team project.  Man, do I love Pinterest!  I only wish I had enough time to apply all the fantastic ideas I see there...sigh.

Some months ago, my mom let my sisters and me divide my paternal grandmother's stash of vintage pearls, sequins, and beads.  Grandma was a wonderful beader and we are fortunate to each have several beautiful Christmas ornaments created by her very own hands.  When I saw the Pinterest post, I immediately thought of my grandma's beads.


I used The Creative Pointe's "Joy Ornament" SVG to cut four layers of cardboard.  I replaced the center oval cut-out with a large heart shape. The top layer of cardboard was embossed with Tim Holtz's woodgrain texture fade and all layers were given a coat of artist gesso.  Clear Rock Candy Distress Crackle Paint and layers of Distress Stains add just enough vintage-ness.  

I recycled clear acrylic packaging to create the windows at the center of the ornament.  These were sandwiched between the layers of cardboard...adhered with Glossy Accents...with the sequins loose in between.

I actually broke into my cherished antique glass glitter to decorate the edges of the ornament.  It was the perfect touch.  A simple ribbon loop hardware piece and wired tinsel create a hanger and a big fluffy bow finishes things off.  Overall, I kept the ornament neutral to really make those colorful sequins pop!

Other Challenge Fun
Make It Monday:  MIM #167
Paper Playtime:  Challenge #23 - Sparkle
Crafty Calendar Challenge: All Things Christmas!
My Time to Craft:  Challenge #243 - Baubles

Supplies:
SVG:  The Creative Pointe ‘Joy Ornamente’
Inks: Delta Ceramcoat artist gesso; Distress Stain ‘Pumice Stone’, ‘Tarnished Brass’, ‘Brushed Pewter’, ‘Picket Fence’; Distress Crackle Paint ‘Clear Rock Candy’
Embellishments: Grandma’s sequins; Stampin’ Up! hardware; Hug Snug seam binding ‘Ivory’; wired tinsel; Cody Foster & Co. vintage glass glitter ‘Silver’
Tools:  SCAL; Cricut Expression; Sizzix Texture Boutique; Tim Holtz texture fade ‘Wood Grain’; Glossy Accents; SU! eyelet tool
Misc: Cardboard; clear acrylic packaging

Monday, November 4, 2013

Pilgrim's Thanksgiving

Oh, my...November already.  Let the season of overeating begin!  LOL!  We're celebrating this month of thanks with our "Thanksgiving" theme at Creative Cutting Challenge this fortnight.  So go create...it can be anything Thanksgiving-related as long as you use an SVG file on your project.  And for our neighbors to the north, our Canadian friends...come on, you've got a jump on this!  Did you create anything special for your Thanksgiving table this year?  Share it and join the challenge!

I love silhouettes...so elegant and timeless!  This pilgrim couple is on their way to gather with friends and family.

Instead of traditional black, I cut the pair from chocolate brown stock.  Much more autumnal and soft. Some swipes of Pumice Stone Distress Stain and Frayed Burlap Distress Ink on the edges gives a hint of dimension and softens the cut edges.

The lovely pilgrim pair is from The Creative Pointe's 'Thanksgiving Set 1'.

Every autumn project needs some leaves, right?  The pretty paper leaves were cut from patterned scraps using The Creative Pointe's 'Fall Leaves'.  I wanted simple leaves, so for this project, I only cut the bases.

Again, some Distress Stains and Ink give the leaves dimension and hide the white of the raw cut edges.  A sticker from the stash, scrap of lace, cluster of buttons and twine create pretty layers of embellishment for this card.

Don't forget - you must use an SVG file for your project to qualify for the challenge...rules are rules!

Other Challenge Fun:
The Kraft Journal: Challenge #145 - Make It Monday with Kraft Outlet
Blessings Ink: Amusing Challenges – Autumn Colors
Hiding in My Craft Room: HIMCR #122 - Fall Colors
2 Creative Chicks: Challenge #8 - Thanksgiving

Supplies:
Cardstock: Papertrey Ink ‘Kraft’; DCWV (brown); Stampin’ Up! ‘Naturals Ivory’
Patterned Paper:  Scraps
SVG:  The Creative Pointe ‘Thanksgiving Set 1’, ‘Fall Leaves’
Stamps: TPC Studio ‘Sewing’
Inks: Distress Ink ‘Frayed Burlap’, ‘Old Paper’; Archival ink ‘Coffee’; Distress Stain ‘Rusty Hinge’, ‘Spiced Marmalade’, ‘Pumice Stone’
Embellishments: Hobby Lobby crocheted lace; sticker; buttons; PTI rustic button twine
Tools:  SCAL; Cricut Expression; Tim Holtz paper distresser; 3M foam tape; Wondertape; foam ink blender