Halloween Boo Banner

I just adore the fall season.  There is something about the crispness of the air, the spectacular Michigan color show and the perfect temperature that really inspires me.  Making fall and Halloween inspired crafts is always fun too.  I made this "Boo Banner" for Alpha Stamps and it certainly has a fall feel.

Using the mini Halloween kit paper as the background, I layered medallions to create what I would consider a classic banner look.

 

 

Instead of using my typical inks to darken the edges, this time I used black acrylic paint.  I wanted to get an extra grungy look and I feel this was a good tactic to achieve this.

Each medallion was backed with some old lace. I simply bundled it up in a pleasing fashion and then added a few staples before hot gluing.

 

 

I was also pleased to be able to use an old piece of chain to extend my piece. I am always happy to be able to use up something in my stash.

 

I hope you enjoyed this simple project that can really be made for any season.

 

Cheers,

 

Rhea



 

 

Fall Decor Blog Hop

I am so very happy to be able to participate in a wonderful blog hop compliments of Graphic 45, Petaloo, and Xyron.  There are some amazing prizes to be had, if you should choose to enter, details below. The theme for this hop was fall decor, and the projects my fellow team mates have put out have been absolutely astounding.

To start this piece off I painted a small matchbox by Graphic 45 with black acrylic paint.

I covered the outside with my favorite paper from Steampunk Spells. I got to try out Xyron adhesives and fell in love, the Mega Runner is just awesome.   As you can see the edges of the box, along with the metal elements are buffed with a little bit of copper gilders paste.

I love the crown I created for the top.  Here I use a large brass stamping from B'sue Boutiques along with another filigree and an old typewriter key.

I just cannot get enough of Graphic 45's metal keyholes.  A matching pair bookends the project. You can also see the lovely flowers here from Petaloo.  These add dimension and bring out the autumnal colors of the project.

I hope you found a little fall inspiration on my blog today.  Be sure to stop by the Graphic 45 blog or their Facebook page for your chance to win two lovely prizes.

Cheers, 

Rhea

Bohemian Bazaar Box

I was inspired to make this quick and easy box after indulging in a guilty pleasure, a fancy make-up set.  The colors on the box reminded me of Bohemian Bazaar and I decided I could work with the palate.  With school right around the corner, this would make a perfect pencil box at the desk of any teen. 

To start off, I picked out my papers and took some measurements.  Nothing had to be perfect, since I decided to embrace the colors present in the box and let the edges show. 

To create interest on the top, I matted the title page of the paper with a contrasting paper that had a small print.

I used scor tape throughout this project.  I love that it is ready for you when you want, and there is zero dry time!

Next, I started to play with the layout of my embellishments.  I always try to plan things out so that I have balance with color, as well as content.

In order to give my resin pieces a little more interest, I used Vintaj Patina.  I simply added it in a few spots and then wiped it off, letting a bit of the color stay in the crevices.

A heavy craft glue was used to adhere my flowers and corners.

And here is the finished box.  I left the inside unaltered, as I intended this to be a school/pencil box.  The sturdy plastic coated paper will take the wear and tear of lose markers, uncapped pens and pencil shavings come September.

I gifted this little prize to one of my artsy pals, Brittney.  She is fun and vibrant just like my little treasure box. I hope you found a bit of inspiration in this post. 

Cheers, 

Rhea

House of Grace with Kristen Robinson

I finally had a moment to post the last of my classes with Kristen Robinson.  Her inspiration will stay with me a long time though.

In this class we played with mold making, something I have never done before.  It really was quite simple to make them, and I can see it opening a whole new realm of possibility in terms of using those things I really treasure in a new way.

Kristen brought a paperclay heart already dry for us to work with.  Since I decided to do a series of three hearts, I made a few more hearts from her molds in class.

I decided I wanted to add some metal elements, so I rooted through my junk and found lots of fun objects: wings, keys, a pen nib and eclectic scraps.

On this last heart I actually stamped right into the clay when it was wet.  This was a fun technique that evolved as we played in  class. 

I would highly recommend any class that Kristen ever offers in your area.  She was a very kind and generous teacher.

Cheers, 

Rhea

Shabby Chic Round Robin

Well this is the last I will be posting about my Kindred Souls round robin contributions.  Sadly this swap is coming to an end.  For this post I will be showing off two pages both with shabby chic themes.

The first book page here is for Carol.  Her theme was inspirational sayings with a shabby chic feel. She also mentioned that she liked things with wings.  I used a variety of Graphic 45 paper including sheets from A Ladies' Diary and Botanicabella.  The key and key hole were aged with acrylic paint and gilders paste.

Gloria's book continues the same theme, so I stayed in a similar color palate.  I stretched myself to use some old trims I had on hand.  Lots more Graphic 45 with chip board parts and more metal staples.

One of my tried and true strategies when edging out this type of page is to use decorative tapes.  I love that this hides my sloppy cutting.  The edges were waxed with gilders paste as well.

On the back of this page I have used a sheet from an old Sears and Roebuck catalog.  I thought the imagery fit the theme well.  I did add a subtle layer of shimmer with a spritz of ink and a stencil.

I really had a nice time stepping outside of my usual style.  This is why I like to play in swaps such as this.  I am eagerly awaiting the return of my journal.  I will be sure to post when it arrives.

P.S.  Gloria, I could not resist adding a few bits of junk to the outside of your book.  I hope you don't mind!

Cheers, 

Rhea

Twinkle Twinkle Altered Box

As soon as I saw the star themed papers in the new Mother Goose paper line by Graphic 45, I knew I would have to make something with that theme.  I have been fascinated with the night sky ever since I was a youngster.

I finally caved and used one of the lovely door knobs that Graphic 45 makes for their staples line.  It was hard to use, but I think it fits the piece nicely.  Of course to add a little age, I brushed on some patina gilders paste.

In order to achieve dimension and depth, I mounted my focal on some foam I had on hand.  Lots and lots of Petaloo flowers were used too.  When I am making something like this, I will root through my stuff and pull everything I can in the intended palate so I have lots to choose from as I create.

Here is another look closer inside.  It is hard to see, but I did use a glitter pen over all the letters that frame out this project.

Another trick I used in this project was to add lots of ink to tone down the colors.  The yellow was just too bright for my taste, so I used faded jeans distress ink to change the hue and edge my fussy cut flowers.

I hope you enjoyed this fun little project.  I know I enjoyed reminiscing about how often I used to wish upon stars and I have been inspired to do so again.

Cheers, 

Rhea