Hello! It's kind of exciting for me to put away my Halloween things and take a little step back in time with some old products. Simon Says Stamp says to Art Journal this week at their Monday challenge. I have a couple of art journal pages that I've kept to myself, but I thought this would be a good time to share one of them. Art Journaling is such a freeing experience, and I start with no plan in mind, allowing the experience to speak for itself.
I started in the usual way by applying gesso, then adding a bit of texture with a stencil and paste. Colors were added with Burnt Umber Color Bursts and Distress inks, oxides and sprays. The fact that the background was imperfect dictated how the rest of the page would come together.
The focal image (Stampington and Company) was stamped repeatedly first and second and even third generation with a variety of inks and on different surfaces and pieced together in scrapy layers. An old Remnant rub helps to express my feelings--'embrace imperfection' means 'have fun' to me.
Finally, I stamped a Tim Holtz quote from the old Regal Flourish set in both corners, using parts of the quote to tell the rest of the story--it seemed so fitting. A Small Talk sticker adds a final thought to my page, and a splatter of Picket Fence paint finishes it off.
That's all for today; short and sweet! I hope you have a great rest of the week and a fun filled Halloween if you are celebrating! Thanks for taking time to stop in today! Sara Emily
Hello and welcome! Today starts a new challenge at The Funkie Junkie Boutique Blog and Cec is hosting 'It Looks Real'. Here's how she describes her challenge:
There are so many ways to make something look real when it isn't. For this challenge, make a vintage or shabby chic project with one or more faux elements. Those elements could be faux rust, leather, stitching - to name a few. Make sure you tell us what the faux element is and how you made it because it will look real.
As always, the winner will earn a chance to be a Guest Designer at a future date at The Funkie Junkie Boutique blog, and everyone who enters and follows the rules will go into the draw for the chance to win a $25 spending spree at The Funkie Junkie Boutique. There are also Top 3 Badges for three additional outstanding entries, chosen by the Design Team. Please see the blog for details.
When I saw Wendy B.'s Root of Evil tombstone, I couldn't wait to get my hands on Tim Holtz Small Etcetera Tombstone. Wendy has you scratching your head wondering if her tombstone is real or not; please be sure to check it out. My tombstone may not look as realistic as her's but it feels like real stone! Like Wendy, I painted all the five pieces that come in the thickboard tombstone set with black gesso. From there, I went in a different direction.
Real stone or not?
The arched overlay and two bottom pieces (barely visible in the photos) were randomly coated with Prima's Stone Effect Pastes - first Concrete and then more sparsely with Pumice Stone. Each layered was left to dry before adding the next. I sprayed the pieces with Hickory Smoke Distress Spray Stain and Frayed Burlap Distress Oxide Spray. Lastly, I dry brushed with Black Soot paint and smeared with Peeled Paint Crayon.
Real etchings?
The number '31' is cut using Stencil Numbers Thinlits 4 times, and I glued the layers with Distress Collage Medium Matte and adhered to the painted background arch. Spelling out 'October' are plastic letters from my stash. After adhering the numbers and letters, I painted them with black gesso, and smeared the panel with Grit Paste and Opaque Texture Paste. I used the same sprays as before, and I had a huge mess , so I painted the entire panel with some old black crackle paint I have in my stash, that really doesn't crackle anymore, but it's real thick and adds texture.
I cut 'Wicked' with Halloween Words Thinlits 4 times and layered them up, just like Wendy did on her tombstone. Smear it with some Texture Paste and you've got an authentic looking stone etching. Additional 'carvings' on the face are Laurel 3-D Impresslits. After adhering the die cuts, I gave it all a coat of the defunct crackle paint, and when dry, spritzed both the top arch background and this tag with Iced Spruce Oxide spray. Squeal! I love how the splatters of spray give this a real concreate appearance with practically no effort at all! Again, I randomly smeared with Peeled Paint Crayon.
Real moss?
To finish off the faux stone headstone, I used Wendy's clever idea to get that authentic dimensional mossy look, but tweaked the recipe a bit. I stirred up Peeled Paint Powder and Collage Medium until I got the desired consistency and smeared that on over some of the areas with the Peeled Paint crayon. I tried using another 'moss' recipe on my haunted bird house, including collage medium and dryer lint, but it looked like slime.
Real copper bats?
No, of course not! Bats aren't copper! I used Metallic Kraft Stock in copper color to cut my Bat Crazy bats and colored them with alcohol inks and Black Soot paint. You know copper gets a lovely patina when you heat it, and I bet these bats have been simmering for hours!
Real cast iron?
The witches from the Halloween Paper Dolls colored with Distress crayons stand watch over their corroded cast iron cauldron. No, that's not real cast iron; it's hoarded Grungeboard cut with the Cauldron Bigz die. I painted it with Black Soot paint, smeared with Grit Paste and then knifed on some more of the old non-crackle crackle paint. I painted the dried grit paste with watered down crackle paint and when it was dry, smeared with Rusty Hinge crayon. I heated it with my heat tool 'til it bubbled. The thickboard tags/tombstones and Grungeboard sure can take a lot of abuse between layers of wet mediums and the heat! I wet the cauldron from the back, shaped it and secured with a rubber band overnight to help shape it into more of a rounded bowl.
Dyed (Frayed Burlap Oxide spray) Mummy Cloth and inked/stained and 'copper' ivy (Garden Greens) creep up the sides.
So is it a real tombstone?
No, it's just a little wall hanging that has no place in my 'real' cemetery.
Now, that's real wicked!
Thank you for hanging in there with me! I urge you to stop by The Funkie Junkie Boutique blog to check out the amazing faux finishes my talented teammates have included on their projects to inspire you. Then it's over to you! I hope you'll play along in this fun challenge; I can't wait to see what you will make! Happy crafting! Sara Emily
Sympathy cards can be some of the hardest to make, but my husband asked that I make one this evening to send to one of his cousins. I find it's always best to keep them simple.
I used Botanical 3D embossing on the frame, inking the folder with Victorian Velvet Oxide on the side with the black print. Before inserting my water color panel into the folder, I spritzed with water to allow the inks to oxidize. After it dried, I blended lightly with Frayed Burlap ink.
I cut the panel with Stitched Ovals die and backed this with a panel I gently blended with Frayed Burlap ink. I spritzed it with a little water and blotted with a clean towel. I used Big Cheesecloth background stamp by Tammy Tutterow, also inked in Frayed Burlap. My Stampendous sentiment is stamped in Forest Moss then Versamark inks using my stamp platform and clear embossed.
The die cut flower is from Wildflowers #2 set and colored with Victorian Velvet Oxide and various green inks and markers.
It's a very simple card, but I hope it brings her some comfort after loosing her brother.
Thank you for stopping by and wishing you a good start to the week. I'll be back Wednesday to share my Design Team project for The Funkie Junkie Boutique Blog. I hope you can join me! Sara Emily
Hello friends and happy Saturday! It's my turn to present Saturday Showcase at The Funkie Junkie Boutique Blog. I chose to shine a spotlight on Stampers Anonymous Pressed Foliage stamps by Tim Holtz. If you would like to see some close ups and a step by step tuorial, then pop over to the blog. I hope to see you there! Happy Fall Crafting! Sara Emily
Hello! It's time for a new challenge at The Funkie Junkie Boutique Challenge Blog. I'm hosting this challenge and 'It's Halloween!'
I love Halloween! With Halloween just a few weeks away, I challenge you to create a vintage or shabby chic project with a Halloween theme. Your project can be as silly or creepy as you like, but just have fun!
As always, the winner will earn a chance to be a Guest Designer at a future date at The Funkie Junkie Boutique blog, and everyone who enters and follows the rules will go into the draw for the chance to win a $25 spending spree at The Funkie Junkie Boutique. There are also Top 3 Badges for three additional outstanding entries, chosen by the Design Team. Please see the blog for details.
Apologies for the long post. I tried to make a video, and failed miserably. But my son thinks he figured it out before this went live, so it's added at the end. (Fingers crossed, it works!)
I couldn't let Halloween pass without an altered birdhouse, which I make every year. The original bird house looked like this:
After applying Opaque Texture Paste through Tim's Decayed Layering Stencil and allowing it to dry, I smeared with Ranger Grit Paste, Opaque Crackle Paste and added some Prima Mini Art Stones for more texture. The entire thing was colored with a variety of products including Distress Oxide sprays and inks and Distress paint.
Here's a shot of the base before I painted it with black gesso and paint and Oxide spray in Lucky Clover.:
I made the fence with kraft card stock embossed with Lumber 3D embossing folder. I highlighted the texture with Weathered Wood, and die cut with Planks Bigz die. I rolled the planks and adhered to straws. I smeared with Crackle Paste, and when dry highlighted cracks with Distress Crayon. I tied them up with wire from my stash and adhered with Distress Collage Medium Matte. Everything is adhered with the collage medium--this stuff sticks everything quickly and permanently. I had three fence posts left over, so I cut them in half and adhered to the front of the base for a border.
I chose one of the new Halloween Quote Chips to make a sign. Those Hardware Heads fit perfectly on the new chips.
Let's take a closer look at the completed house and yard. First, the house...
Bat Crazy die cuts are all over the place! This looks like a popular roosting place.
The five small spiders are the silver toned charms from Linda's shop. I altered them with Distress paint and crayon. The large spider is from a cheap plastic ring; so cheap all it's legs were stuck together, poor dear.
Tim's Mini Scallop 3D Impresslits make wonderful gingerbread trim on this vintage cottage.
Around back all is quiet...
Now, let's tour the garden... An Idea-ology zombie hand looks like it's pulled the rotted Idea-ology pumpkin right from the swamp. The Pumpkin Pieces come in three handy sizes in the pack--I used all three. Mummy cloth dyed with Oxide sprays add mysteriousness. The vines are cut with Garden Greens Thinlits die and are colored with mop ups of all the leftover sprays --I cut, then color.
The cornstalks are made with Wildflower Stems #2 Thinlits stems tied on a base of raffia. I had to get those Idea-ology Creepy Eyes just for this shuck stack. I love dem bones--the new Idea-ology Boneyard and Skull Fragments come in some new great sizes so perfect for my garden/graveyard. The tombstones come as they are shown with the zombie hand in the Cryptic pack, and I added my favorite epitaphs from Tim's Halloween Remnant Rubs.
To the left of the house is another creepy garden. Wisps of Mummy Cloth makes great weeds!. The resin headstone in the back is from my stash -- it started out black and white, but was easily turned to 'stone' with Oxide sprays and a smudge of crayon. I was happy it matched the scale of Tim's perfectly.
Another Crazy Bat hangs out in a twig from my yard-turned-defoliated-tree, and the spiders weave their egg sacks. These are actually mini Christmas baubles from my stash covered with Mummy Cloth, and the eggs are clusters of mini art stones colored with Oxide spray.
I hope you enjoyed your tour of my Foreboding altered birdhouse. With all the great Idea-ology Halloween goodies and Distress Oxide sprays, it was really easy and so much fun to pull together.
We'd love to see what you're making for Halloween, so after you've seen all the wonderful makes from my teammates on the The Funkie Junkie Boutique Challenge blog, please link up your silly or creepy Halloween make. I can't wait to see what you will create! Sara Emily
