Designer Crafts Connection Blog Hop - April

Welcome to the Designer Crafts Connection Blog Hop for the month of April. This month's theme is "Handmade Flowers" with an added challenge to create with things around the house. A perfect combination that is dear to my heart. I started looking through my stash and came across something I had been saving for a "someday" project, the pretty fabric bag that held my shabby chic duvet cover.

The finished project is a canvas tote decorated with the Tattered Floral Sizzix die. The lining of my bag is the intact duvet cover bag {see the floral bag below}. For the outside of the bag, I used leftover painter's drop cloth from previous projects here and here. I first cut and sewed the drop cloth to match the size and shape of the duvet cover bag.

Next I die cut some Tattered Florals out of more drop cloth material and applied a little Worn Lipstick Distress ink on the petal edges. This created the outer part of my flowers.

I wanted to use a different material for the center of the flowers to add texture and interest. I found a vinyl bag of decorative sea shells sitting around. I cut a different flower shape out of the vinyl and used Cranberry and Butterscotch Alcohol Ink to color the narrower petals.

I used embroidery thread and thrifted pearl beads to attach the flowers to the bag. At this point the flowers started to look like climbing Clematis. Using Broken China Distress ink, I added a hint of blue behind the flowers to tie in with the colors in the lining.

I sewed handles and then stitched the bag together. This entire project was created using only items that I had around my house. I love doing projects like this.

I hope you enjoyed my Handmade Flowers. Please use the Forward/Back button on the right column to continue through the DCC Blog Hop for more amazing floral inspiration.

This is linked to:
DIY Home Sweet Home, Homemaker on a Dime, Making the World Cuter, Sew Can Do and Skip to My Lou

12 Tags of 2012 - Retro Flower Power Tag of March

This is the second tag challenge for Tim Holtz's 12 Tags of 2012. I was so excited to start working on the new tag. You can see the inspiration piece on his blog here.

Tim's tag looked like it was inspired by the beginning of Spring, I decided to do a Retro Flower Power version for my tag. As always, I tried to use as many thrifted or vintage items as possible.

I first cut the tag out of cardstock using the Sizzix Tag and Bookplates die. I also cut some butterflies out of the recycled clear die packaging using the Mini Butterflies Set. The flowers are all vintage thrifted earrings with their backings cut off.

I first stamped the words using archival black ink. Next, I used Distress Inks in Peeled Paint, Dusty Concord and Stormy Sky and rubbed them on a Non-stick Craft Sheet then lightly spritzed water across all of the colors. I pulled my tag across the inks until I liked how it looked. While the inks were wet, I quickly sprinkled salt across the surface. The salt causes a resist effect with the water and when the ink dries there is a subtle but interesting texture.

Salt on the surface

After the ink dries and the salt is completely brushed away

Another example of the salt effect on the ink

You can experiment and get other effects. It tends to look better on darker inks. This is my attempt at a tie-dye effect for my retro tag.

Next I used Alcohol Inks on the clear butterflies. I always like to make my butterflies as symmetrical as possible. I applied the Alcohol Ink on one side and Silver Mixative on the opposite side so that they would not blend.

The butterfly on the right shows the alcohol ink side up. The one in the middle shows the mixative side up. The one on the left is folded for added dimension.

I began assembling the tag by adhering the Film Strip Ribbon and butterflies to the tag using Glossy Accents. I used the Film Strip ribbon as a "trellis" to visually support my flower. Next, I used a glue gun to adhere the flowers.

I used a thrifted piece of vintage Rayon seam binding for the ribbon. I laid it on the Craft Sheet and rubbed the Peeled Paint Distress Ink pad across it. Then I crunched it up and used it to wipe up any excess ink on the Craft Sheet. This created the wrinkled, distressed look on the ribbon. 

I'm having a great time playing in the Studio. 

This is linked to:

Coastal Charm, Making the World Cuter, Rook No. 17, Sew Can Do, Sumo's Sweet Stuff, Tim Holtz and Twin Dragonfly Designs

Decorating with Dominoes

This is a knock-off decorating idea from PB. I saw this in the background of a catalog photo and thought it was a perfect way to use vintage, thrifted dominoes.

These are heavy, plastic dominoes lined up on the windowsill. It is a very subtle display but just right for an out-of-the-way window.

The old dominoes were actually a very pristine creamy white so I wanted them to look a little more distressed. I lightly applied Alcohol Ink in the Latte color to give them a more aged character.

The two on the left are in their original state and the three on the right have the Alcohol ink applied. 

Fused Bag Art

A few months ago I had seen a technique of fusing layers of plastic grocery bags together but I didn't have any idea of how I would use it. Recently I experimented with a lot of Tim Holtz's products and a little idea started to grow.

I started with eight plastic grocery bags, cut open and laid flat into layers. I will be posting a tutorial on how to fuse the plastic bags but this post is about adding art on the plastic before fusing.

Because the plastic bags are non-porous it was the perfect surface to use alcohol inks. I applied the inks directly onto one layer of plastic. Next, I used permanent black ink and rubber stamped several designs. Here is how the art started off.

Since the plastic is translucent, I used French ephemera from the Graphics Fairy printed onto vellum and layered it behind the inked layer.

Once I had the art completed I fused the plastic layers together to create a large piece of Fused Grocery Bags. "Fusing" involves ironing eight layers of plastic between sheets of parchment paper. I highly suggest practicing with scrap plastic until you know the correct temperature to use. Too hot and it melts the plastic. Not hot enough and the layers do not fuse. Most tutorials suggest the Rayon setting on your iron.

My original idea was to add a layer of plastic over the artwork so that the finished piece would have softer colors. Looking back, I love how vibrant the original artwork was that I wish I hadn't covered it with the final layer of plastic. 

Once I had the large piece of Fused Grocery Bags, I cut it into a folded rectangle, sewed up the sides, added a gusset, sewed seam binding along the top edge and added a handle. Here is the finished piece both front and back.

It has a distressed look which is created from the fusing of the plastic. Perhaps if you use the perfect heat setting then it might not wrinkle as much. Now I'm thinking that maybe the muted colors work better with the distressed plastic. This was my first attempt with this technique. It is a great way to recycle your plastic bags and create some unique art.

I am honored to be featured at:

Thrifty Decorating

Rook No. 17

This is linked to:

504 Main, A Little Knick Knack, Be Different Act Normal, Between Naps on the Porch, Cherished Treasures, Chic on a Shoestring, FaveCrafts, Finding Fabulous, Frugalicious Me, Just a Girl, Homemaker on a Dime, Keeping it Simple, Life Made Lovely, Lovely Crafty Home, Making the World Cuter, Marvelously Messy, My Romantic Home, Not So Simple Housewife, Paisley Passions, Rook No. 17,  Running With Glitter,  Sew Can Do,  Simply Designing, Skip to My Lou, Somewhat Simple, Sugar Bee Crafts,  Sumo's Sweet Stuff, Tatertots & Jello, The 36th Avenue, The DIY Home Sweet Home Project, The DIY Showoff, The Shabby Nest, The Southern Institute, Thrifty Decorating, Truly Lovely, Vintage Wanna Bee and What Allie's Making Now

Valentine Heart Tartlet Assemblage

Today I Created | A Heart Tartlet Assemblage

I bought these Swedish Tartlet pans at an estate sale yesterday. I envisioned Valentine projects with the heart-shaped tins.

My first project was to use Cranberry colored Alcohol Ink in the center since this one particular tin had a flawed finish and the color would hide some of the scratches. I placed three drops of the ink in the center and tipped the tin to allow the ink to flow up each of the side grooves. I liked how this looks like rays emanating from the heart.

I embellished it simply by adding a smaller distressed banner with a stamped sentiment.

For this second Tartlet Assemblage I found this adorable image from the Graphics Fairy blog. I sized it to fit the tartlet tin, printed it on cardstock, trimmed it and edged it with tinsel ribbon. The last step was to adhered it to the center of the tartlet tin.

This is linked to the Graphics Fairy, Apron Thrift Girl, Creative Every Day, Keeping It Simple, Making the World Cuter, House of Grace, Someday Crafts, Blue Cricket Design, The Shabby Chic Cottage, Trendy Treehouse, FaveCrafts and Between Naps on the Porch.

Addendum: I have posted a third Valentine Heart Tartlet Assemblage.

Alcohol Ink Glass Ornament

Today I Created | A Glass Ornament colored with Alcohol Inks.

This was another easy project. I used clear glass ornaments and removed the metal tops. I placed two drops of Alcohol Ink inside of the ornament and then sprayed canned air inside to spread the color.

After several trial and error attempts I discovered that it looked best if you spray one color inside one half of the ornament (bottom or on one side). After it is dry then add the second color but don't spray it. Instead roll the ornament until the color coats the remaining area.

Another lesson I learned was that it helped to have a blow dryer to quickly dry the ink inside of the ornament. The ink tends to stay liquid and pools in a giant blob if it doesn't dry quickly.

I finished off my ornament with a little paper banner that I stamped and glued onto the glass. The colors look very nice with a light behind them.

Sizzix Triple Play Blog Hop - Twist Cube, 3-D

Today I Created | Karen Burniston's 3-D Twist Cube using mostly Tim Holtz product.

Welcome to Week 2 of the Sizzix Triple Play Blog Hop. The featured die is the Sizzix Cube, Twist 3-D pop-up Bigz XL die by Karen Burniston. I had a lot of fun with this project so I included a lot of details regarding products used and various techniques.

My design concept was to try and use as many Tim Holtz products from my stash as possible. I started off by doing a lot of sketches and some test cuts to see how everything went together. When I was ready I cut all of my pieces from tan cardstock (the only product I had to purchase) and made little piles of embellishments that I planned to use on each side. Next came the fun part of decorating the sides.

The image above is the top with the cube folded flat. I used the Sizzix Retro Circles Texture Fades to create the pattern in the paper and Distress inks in Spiced Marmalade, Tea Dyed and Barn Door. I applied the inks using the technique in Tim's Compendium of Curiosities (CC) book, page 33. I attached the Button (my stash) by inserting the stem of the button through the cardstock and attaching it with wire hidden inside and then looping a Ball Chain around the button. Other products used: Journaling Ticket and ABC Skid alphabet stickers by Creative Imaginations. The other items you see along the edges are actually parts of the various sides of the cube and will be described later.

On the front of the cube I used the Cracked Texture Fades and applied the same colors of Distress inks plus Dusty Concord using the CC technique on page 40. The die cut shape is the Styled Label stamped with the Crown from the Regal Flourish stamp set using the technique on CC page 37. I also added a Game Spinner.

The left side has two paper images from the Graphics Fairy. The crown paper just worked so perfectly in this design. The stamp in the corner is part of the Regal Flourish set using Black Soot Distress Ink. I also used some Traveler Tissue Tape, Ball Chain and Type Charm. I punched a small hole on the front and side of the cube and hung the Type Charm from the corner.

The back was a little more free-formed. I used the same inking technique on CC page 33 but without the Texture Fade so the ink blended on the paper surface. The Clock is from the Journey stamp set. The Wings (top right corner) are die cut from plastic packaging using the Sizzix Heart Wings die and then embossed with the Patchwork Texture Fade. I inked them with Alcohol inks in Purple Twilight and Sunset Orange.

On the right side I inked all of the edges before assembling so I was able to get crisp edges. The wing is created with the Regal Flourish stamp and Perfect Pearls using the CC technique on page 38. The Crown is die cut from Grunge Paper using the Sizzix Heart Wings die then I applied Rock Candy Distress Crackle Paint and Dusty Concord ink using the technique on CC page 42. It is attached using a Memo Pin. Other product used: Filmstrip Ribbon with a bit of Alcohol ink for color.

The bottom side worked well because I used only three main colors of Distress inks in this project so, although the panels are all very different, they visually work together. I used a French postcard image and a French map image from the Graphics Fairy on two panels. The other panel is a continuation of the side. I added more Traveler Tissue Tape and a stamp from the Journey set.

I didn't want to ruin the surprise of the completed cube so I left these last two photos for the end. As I said at the beginning, I did sketches and made samples to see how everything would work together. Before assembing the final cube I laid everything out to see how it would work. Here are the photos prior to assembly. You can see in these photos that I had additional embellishments (Swirls and Key) that I did not use in the final piece.

I hope you enjoy this example of the Twist Cube as much as I enjoyed making it. And thanks to Karen Burniston for designing such a clever die.

Please continue on through the Blog Hop using the Forward or Back links in the Triple Play Blog Hop blinkie. And please be sure to visit again next Thursday when the featured die will be the Flower, Beauty Bloom.

Halloween Tea Light Party Favor

Today I Created | A Halloween Tea Light Party Favor

I admit that I love using the Tim Holtz, Paper Rosette die. It tends to give everything a party feel.

I first printed and die cut the owl that I found from the Graphics Fairy using the center shape from the Paper Rosette die. Next, I cut and assembled the Paper Rosette. I used a brayer and white acrylic paint to highlight the edges. Then I inked the edges of the Owl center and glued that to the front of the Rosette.

While all of that was drying, I used Alcohol Inks in Sunset Orange, Terra Cotta and Purple Twilight to add some color to a clear glass tea light holder. Finally, I wrapped the glass with a piece of ribbon by The Paper Company Studio.

Halloween spirit

Today I Created | A decorated frame in the Halloween spirit.

This project began with an oak frame. I rubbed the oak with steel wool and painted it black using acrylic paint.

I used an orange piece of paper embossed with the Texture Fades, Pumpkin Patch pattern. I sprayed it with brown, red and olive green Glimmer Mist and sprinkled salt on it while it was drying. The salt created the "stars" in the top corner near the moon. After the paper dried I rubbed black ink to make the pumpkins stand out.

I used a Tim Holtz Scaredy Cat die cut that I first applied Picket Fence Crackle Paint and then rubbed black ink to create a rough texture.

The fence is the On the Fence, On the Edge die that I inked and sprayed.

The moon is cut from Glow in the Dark paper using a circle punch.

To assemble the piece, I glued the fence and cat to the front of the picture glass. I glued the moon to the background paper and applied foam spacers along the edge of the paper to add some dimension behind the glass.

The last thing I did was to add the blood splatter. I used my glue gun with the intention of making it look like a spider's web in the corner but the glue fell as droplets. This gave me the idea to color them red with alcohol inks and turn them into blood droplets instead. A happy accident.

Skeleton Tag

Today I Created | A Skeleton tag

I used the wax-resist technique on this tag. I started with a cream-colored tag and embossed the skeleton using the Halloween Night Texture Fade. I rubbed wax over the skeleton, fence and spider web allowing the unwanted raised parts to "disappear" later.

I sprayed Raven Glimmer Mist and dusted some white Perfect Pearls while the tag was still wet. The raised parts of the tag that weren't rubbed with wax then disappeared when covered with the dark Glimmer Mist.

I used three rain drop stickers by Cloud 9 Design and applied red Alcohol Ink to create blood drops. The bats were cut from a Sizzix die and glued onto craft wire. The ticket is by Daisy D.

Another Disk Experiment

Today I Created | A stamp-resist, alcohol ink disk.

I applied alcohol inks on a clear CD disk. Next I used Archival ink (black, but any color will do) to stamp on top of the alcohol inks. I used a fairly solid pattern of rubber stamp as the design.

Immediately after applying the rubber stamp ink I rubbed it off with a paper towel. The rubber stamp ink and the alcohol ink lifted off of the plastic leaving a clear area.

I love this technique.

Alcohol Ink experiment

Today I Created | A decorated CD using alcohol inks.

I like creating things out of recycled items. I found that there are unprinted blank CDs used in packaging the unwritten blank CDs. These seemed like the perfect medium to create art using alcohol inks.

On this sample I applied alcohol inks and then rubber stamped a swirl pattern with StazOn blank ink. On the opposite side I applied a thick coating of Rock Candy crackle paint. This wasn't as visually interesting as I had hoped. I stamped brown ink on top of the dried crackle paint to add interest.

I learned that crackle paint works best on porous surfaces.