Wednesday, May 1, 2019

Spring Fairy House for Frilly and Funkie




Hello friends It's time for the Funkie side of the Frilly and Funkie Design Team to reveal their projects for the current challenge,  'Spring is in Full Bloom'. The lovely Maggi is our hostess this time, and here's how she describes her theme:

This is my favorite time of the year. Here in the south the trees and shrubs are all blooming and showing their splendor. Many are busy planting their vegetable gardens. The migrating birds have returned to build nests and raise a new family. Your challenge is to create a vintage or shabby chic project that illustrates the magic of spring in bloom!

As always, the Design Team will choose their top four picks, and the winner will be invited to join us in a Guest DT spot at Frilly and Funkie. The next three will receive Top 3 badges to display on their blogs. Everyone who enters and follows the rules will be entered into the draw to have the chance to win a $25 spending spree at The Funkie Junkie Boutique.

You might be wondering where my blooms are! They may be playing second fiddle to my tree trunk, but they are there; tender blossoms subtly peeping out as they would in the first days of spring. At first I thought to go with a full out riot of color, but my mind turned to the earliest days of spring. I guess that's not spring in FULL bloom--my apologies to Maggi!

I started this project a while back with Frilly and Funkie's last challenge (Recycle) as the end goal, but didn't get it done in time, and I had to rush to make my vignette instead.  I began with this bread crumb canister, waste wrap from my last Funkie Junkie Boutique purchase and some aluminum foil I picked up at a recent sale for a good price--FREE and it's Nice! aluminum foil! I bet that came from the dollar store.

I didn't take any photos as I was building the stump, sadly, but it's made in a similar way as my Squirrel House I made here. The difference in building this is that I used Prima Sculpture medium to help hold the shape of the paper layers in gentle folds. I actually worked on this twice a day for over a month, having to allow plenty of drying time between the layers of paper. I would like to add no glue sticks were killed in this project; I used Distress Collage Medium Matte to adhere everything, except in preparing the structure.

***Click on any photo to zoom in.***


Wood texture was created with Wendy Vecchi Crackle Texture paste, black crackle paste, Prima Rust Paste and Distress Grit paste. I layered on color with Distress Oxide sprays in Iced Spruce, then Vintage Photo and lastly Walnut Stain drying and adding more texture in between colors, as the following photos show. I love how the sprays accentuate the cracks of the paste, especially appealing on the black crackle. It's an easy way to add base color.  I was able to use up all that over spray to make lots of backgrounds. You can see the card I made with one of these backgrounds HERE.


Lastly, I added Ground Espresso, Black Soot and Vintage Photo Distress paints using the colors as a wash, smearing straight from the bottle with my finger and also dry brushing to get more realistic texture and coloring. I love how the mixture of all the texture products give this a realistic wood appearance.




Some sheet moss rescued from a wreath years ago lines the interior walls. I spritzed with Distress Resist Spray and lightly sprinkled with Distress Glitter Dust. I suppose I would have had an easier time of it using  the Stampers Anonymous Glitter Duster, but I don't have that. You might catch a glimpse of that 'fairy dust' in the photo below. As per usual, it's difficult to catch with my I-phone camera but I hope you'll trust me when I say it's so shimmery in real life.


Now it's time to embellish!

While this girl is available on her own in Tim Holtz Baseboard Dolls, I  fussy cut my fairy from one of Tim Holtz new Found Relatives and colored her with Vintage Photo oxide spray, Distress crayons(set 5) and markers (Wilted Violet, Mustard Seed). Blending the edges with Walnut Stain Crayon gives her definition. I made a little stand for her using the discarded parts of the card. I will save the other two sweet girls for another day.

Sadly, I also don't have any of Tim's Transparent Wings, so I made a set using Entomology Stamps and Framelits. I painted vellum with Celestial Alcohol Pearls mixed with Blending Solution, and when dry stamped the bumblebee with Black Soot Archival ink. I used the Framelits die to cut the bee out, cut the wings off and adhered them to the girl with collage medium. You can see a little sparkle on her wings. I smeared the teensiest bit of  Resist Spray on the tips of her wings and dipped them into the jar of Glitter Dust. (The dark areas on her dress in the photos below are shadows.)



The dragonfly is one of the Geo Insects Thinlits. I cut two; one from Metallic Confections Kraft Stock and one from vellum. I cut the wings from the vellum bug and the body from the kraft stock insect. I colored the wings with Celestial and Mineral Alcohol Pearls and heat embossed sections of the body and the head with Eclipse Baked Velvet. I love the matte finish this powder creates--it's a perfect foil to the shimmer of the metallic card. I adhered them together with collage medium.


I chose Wildflower Stems #1 and #2 Thinlits sets to make some fanciful greenery and flowers. The ones adorning the doorway were cut from sanded Confections card and were pounced and  drizzled with Alchemy and Celestial alcohol inks.


The stems around the sides were cut from a scrap of water color paper I had previously used to mop up Cracked Pistachio Oxide spray. I added Wilted Violet marker with a water brush.

Some of the flowers are Idea-ology Bouquet colored with Mermaid Lagoon, Faded Jeans and Peeled Paint oxide sprays. I had two similar looking vintage flowers in my stash that I added, as well as a little foam ball cluster that fell off a wreath. It's was the only one I had, so I colored Prima's Art Stones with  Cracked Pistachio and Faded Jeans sprays for a similar look.




Here are some more photos and close ups for you to enjoy. The first was when I was working out my exterior embellishments and checking how the fairy would fit.









 




 

 

Thank you for stopping by today! Please be sure to visit Frilly and Funkie for even more springtime inspiration. I hope you will be inspired to create your own vintage or shabby chic spring themed project and link it to our challenge. Hugs and blessings! Sara Emily

Challenge shares:
We Love 2 Create at Polkadoodles Challenge # 5 - Anything Goes Mixed Media Creative Challenge
Country View Challenges May 2019 - Opposites I mixed the unearthly (fairy, metallic flowers) with the natural (tree stump/moss/blue flowers)
Mixed Media Place April challenge I was inspired by the blues and trees.
These products were used and can be purchased at The Funkie Junkie Boutique :

 Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Oxide Sprays
Tim Holtz Idea-ology Found Relatives
Ranger Tim Holtz Alcohol Pearls
Ranger Tim Holtz Alcohol Blending Solution
Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Archival Mini Ink Pad Kit #3
Sizzix Chapter 2 Tim Holtz Thinlits Geo Insects
Tim Holtz Sizzix Thinlits Die Set 5PK - Wildflower Stems #1
Tim Holtz Sizzix Thinlits Die Set 5PK - Wildflower Stems #2
Tim Holtz Idea-ology 8 x 8 Metallic Confections Kraft Stock
Seth Apter Baked Velvet - 3 Piece Neutrals Kit


22 comments:

  1. Wow I'm speechless Sara, that's absolutely awesome. I thought it was a real tree trunk from the forest, it looks so fantastically realistic, a real feast for the eyes. Thanks so much for this stunning inspiration, it's a piece of art, my sincere admiration Chapeau!!! Creative Hugs, Kerstin xx

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  2. Oh my gosh, I don't even know what to say!! That is the most realistic faux tree trunk I've ever seen!! Wow!! You've decorated it so beautifully with the blooms and the moss and every single detail!! Totally in awe, Sara Emily!! It's absolutely spectacular!! Have a great day!! Big hugs :)

    Lisa
    A Mermaid's Crafts

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  3. I am in awe! This is truly the most amazing project. I could have sworn this was a real tree trunk. Amazing!!!

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  4. Wow! This is an incredibly gorgeous project! I love how you made the tree stump fairy house! That dragonfly looks amazing! So many awesome details! I love this tree fairy house and wish it lived at my house! Thanks for sharing with us at Scrapy Land Challenge #113

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  5. Awesome tree stump - love it!! Gorgeous project xx Have a lovely evening xx

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  6. WOW! I don't know where to begin. This is stunning and so realistic looking. Love all your amazing tiny details and ..... well, absolutely everything about this. Thanks for sharing it with us for the Scrapy Land Challenge #113 too.

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  7. You truly are a Master Builder Sara, I remember the beautiful one you made for Pamellia and this one is equally as beautiful, if not more so, the crackle on the side is fabulous and the little fairy is just so adorable. This is one fabulous project and you are a very clever lady! Hugs, Anne xx

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  8. Great project Sara. The little fairy is so sweet. I'm sure no one would guess this is not a real trunk, it's brilliant. Thanks for the visit to mine and happy creative week, Angela xXx

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  9. That tree trunk is absoulutely amazing!! You have captured spring for sure with your dainty blooms! Great project for sure!!

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  10. Wowsers!! This is totally awesome Sara! Your tree trunk looks so real .. you did an amazing job! You captured all the colour and texture so beautifully .. it is stunning! Love the little fairy and all the lovely greenery and flowers but that tree trunk is spectacular!! You are so clever!! hugs xx

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  11. My jaw hit the table when I read that this was not a real stump. I thought it was probably a piece left over from clearing out the storm damage. You MADE that? Holy cow, Sara Emily! This tops everything. It looks so real. I want to touch it! LOL
    And the little vignette you created is amazing...even fairy dust sprinkled about inside the stump. This must be my new favorite Sara masterpiece. I don't even have words.....standing ovation my friend!

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  12. You never cease to amaze me with your unique ideas, Sara Emily! This is wonderful and looks like a natural part of the outdoors.

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  13. I thought for all the world that you'd used a real tree trunk Sara!!! Your careful texturing and colouring has made it so incredibly realistic. The addition of the beautiful die cut flora and fauna makes the perfect place for your fairy to live!

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  14. This is amazing! I keep looking at the fabulous texture on that tree trunk and just am in awe! Fantastic tree trunk and beautiful little fairy peeking out of the base.

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  15. The tree trunk is so true to life! Thanks for joining us at Country View Challenges this month!

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  16. WOW... This is so realistic... Love all the little details you have added...Thank you for joining us at Scrapy Land Challenges! All the best!

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  17. It's not often that I am speechless but.......Ooh!..............Hugs, Chrisx

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  18. OMG!!! This tree trunk is amazing!!! First, I thought you just picked one from the nature :-D How silly I was!!! This is a masterpiece, Sara!!! And it was a big job - twice a day over a month, wow!!! I love your creation, Sara, so magical, so fairy-tale-like!!! And thank you for joining the May challenge of the Country View Challenges! xx

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  19. What a wonderful project!! Thanks so much for joining the Opposites Challenge at CVC. Good luck and hope to see you again soon x Teresa DT

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  20. Fantastical and wonderful project! Bravo!!
    Thank you for joining us at Mixed Media Place!

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  21. Lovely and so creative project. Thank you for joining us at Mixed Media Place.

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