A Faithful Friend

Hello and welcome! It's been a while since I've had an opportunity to create something, but yesterday I had a few precious (almost uninterrupted) hours to play in the Closet.  At first, I thought I might try out some of my newer supplies. But as things sometimes happen, I reached instead for some of my old tried and true things, having been inspired by a scrap of metallic kraft stock already embossed and inked on my worktop and a couple of scraps of  inked Ideaology cloth tape that didn't make it onto a past project. My plan:  make something for my friend who had to put her precious furbaby, Zoe, down. May he now be enjoying a joyful, pain free Heavenly life.

 I also was inspired by Stacy Hutchinson's vintage framed artwork and tried the technique she used on an Ideaology Found Relative; click on the link for the details. If you love vintage, you'll want to check out her amazing blog. I chose this obvious choice of girl with her dog for my piece. The paint colors I used are Antique Linen and Speckled Egg,  the collage paper is Typeset, and I found an appropriate Clippings Sticker that describes Zoe. I added a wee bit of color to the girl's cheeks and to both bows with markers.

I didn't have just the right size of Etcetera Tag, so I fashioned one of my own out of a MDF frame backer I had in my stash. I just cut off the corners with my kraft knife. I applied an Ideaology Design Tape to the edges before adhering the background paper (not really seen in any of the photos, but it neatens the edges). I chose a couple of patterns from a couple of  older Worn Wallpaper packs--regular and Halloween--for my background and the Stacked Baroque die cut.  The background was adhered to the board and blended and splattered with Ground Espresso ink. Pardon the glare in the next three photos.

I wanted to represent the heartbreak my friend must have experienced as she made the decision to let her dear friend pass. I had an extra little scrap of the same paper in the pack, so I sprayed it with water, wrinkled and balled it up, tore it, rolled  the edges and left it to dry. Later I stitched the tear and blended it with Ground Espresso.

I die cut two Baroque pieces, and cut the brown one in half and strategically realigning to serve as a mat for the Wallpaper cut, which is blended with Antique Linen and edged in Ground Espresso. Yes, I realize the pattern is upside down, but don't our lives get turned upside down when we lose a faithful friend?

Because my inspiring scrap of embossed kraft stock was too small, I embossed and sanded another and this time, inked it with Speckled Egg Oxide and Rustic Wilderness ink. I edged it with Black Soot paint.

A flower that came as part of a huge crafty gift from my sweet friend and former teammate Suzanne Czosek (Suzz's Stamping Spot -- another wonderful blog you must visit for some great inspiration and techniques) was spritzed with Speckled Egg Oxide and water as was the piece of blue dyed crinkle ribbon that came on the little thank you gift from The Funkie Junkie Boutique. I added a little bit of Frayed Burlap ink to the ribbon before allowing it to dry. The Garden Greens die cut was sitting on my worktop, and I inked it with peeled Paint and Bundled Sage. I tucked it under the flower as well as some cheesecloth.

That's all for me! I hope you have a wonderful, crafty weekend! 

Hugs! Sara Emily

I would like to submit to these inspiring challenges:

The Funkie Junkie Challenge Blog Anything Goes (boy, does this feel weird!)

Simon Says Stamp Monday Four Legged Friends

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Use Dies and/or Punches (I used 2 Sizzix dies and a corner punch to round the corners on Found Relative and and the 2 mats.)

These Tim Holtz products were used on my project:

Stacked Baroque Thinlits Die

Garden Greens Thinlits Die

Swirls 3D Texture Fade

Ideaology: Fabric Tape, Metallic Kraft Stock-copper, Found Relatives, Worn Wallpaper, Clippings Sticker Book

Distress Ink: Ground Espresso, Antique Linen, Frayed Burlap, Bundled Sage, Peeled Paint, Rustic Wilderness

Distress Oxide: Speckled Egg (Pad and Spray)

Distress Paint: Black Soot, Antique Linen, Speckled Egg

Distress Markers: Evergreen Bough, Spun Sugar