Boots n Saddle Shadow Box

This project was made especially for Canvas Corp and the release of their Boots n Saddle paper line. 

I was thrilled with the challenge to find "junk" in a Western theme, a theme I would not typically gravitate towards.  The stuff I found surprised me.  I not only had quite a few fun bits in my stash, I readily found some charms at a big box store to suite this genre.

The steer is actually from a belt or a broken bit of jewelry.  Part of an odd lot from an estate sale I think.  There is one vintage Cracker Jack toy in there as well as a rope from a Clue game.  It is amazing what you can find when you start to think outside the box.

The rusty stars were from a recent exchange with my local Multi Media Mavens.  Jill gave these stars to me and they are the perfect addition to this project.  I added some color with a touch of German silver gilders paste (I got a new color!!!!) and mounted them in a way that leaves two of them free to move.

To create a title for the piece that goes with the paper line, I used my trusty Dymo label maker once again.  In order to alter the title, I used gilders paste, creating cohesiveness by using the paste consistenlty throughout the project.

Here is a nice shot of the texture I achieved by layering all kinds of products.  I used Tattered Angels high impact paints, Vintaj Patinas, Tim Holtz Rock Candy and also alcohol inks.  Lots of fun stuff to play with to get this super aged look.

Thank you so much for taking this trip out west with me!

Cheers,

Rhea

World Traveler Shadowbox

This project was recently featured on the Canvas Corp blog and I am happy to be able to now personally show it off to my readers!

I used 7 gypsies Serengeti paper along with a Solo Shadowbox to make this traveling treasure.  I tried to stay with an African theme to create this worldly assemblage.

The outside of the box was covered in paper tape to give it texture and alter it a little bit.  I also used burlap to give a backdrop to the smaller insets. This adds a rustic element.

The treasures inside started with the 7 gypsies charms.  I added from my own stash and I also made a special trip to my local bead shop to find a few unique things to round out my theme.  Many of the objects have been altered with patina or gilders paste.

In this piece I added some text and imagery via rub ons.  I absolutely am loving the arrow trend that is happening right now and I have added a few here and there to help the eye travel.  You can also see that I used rub ons in some of the empty areas.

As always I absolutely loved creating this piece and I just adore being able to share with you!  Thank you for stopping by!

Cheers,

Rhea

American Vintage Assemblage

I was inspired to create this project as soon as I saw the new American Vintage paper line come out from 7 Gypsies.  I slowly began to gather found objects as well as my coveted 7 Gypsies metal elements that I knew would complement the theme in order to create this fun vintage letterblock tray.

It takes some patience to make a project with this many elements, the key is to be patient and do it in stages.  Sometimes walking away from the project to let glue dry will allow you to come back and see the whole things with fresh eyes. I find this tactic really helps me to fill in every inch of my art, which contributes to my own personal style.  After coming back to my work a niche will be calling out for extra junk and the search will then start for another element to add.

When I make these assemblage style trays, I try to attach things at many different layers of depth.  In this project I used some scrap cardboard to prop up some of my ephemera and make it stand out.

Another little secret I will share is to mist your project with a sheer Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist at the end to cover up any glue that may have escaped. This trick will not totally cover the glue, but it will distract from it at least a little bit.

I mixed in lots of great elements from the 7 Gypsies line along with my own found elements and treasures to pull this piece off.  I love how the old and the new blend seamlessly together. It is fun to root through your junk drawers and your craft stash to come up with fun personal things to add to your tray. Another great idea would be to plan to make one of these before a road trip and then purposefully seek out your own pressed pennies, ticket stubs and ephemera to capture a memory in a whole new way!

You may have noticed that the base of my tray has been altered a little bit as well.  I used a scrap of paper towel to buff on a layer of patina colored gilders paste to add a weathered look to the wood.

I hope that this post has inspired to go through your trinkets and create a letterblock tray that captures a special trip or memory!

***This post was also featured here!***

Cheers, 

Rhea

Spring Shadowbox

So recently Graphic 45 featured the nicest spotlight on me!  Not only did we have to answer a few questions, but we had to make a tutorial in our favorite crafting avenue.  I chose to make a small shadowbox with Raining Cats and Dogs and the snapguide is below.

Check out How to Make a Small Shadow Box by Rhea Freitag on Snapguide.

The color palate in this line is great.  There is so much contrast.  It makes for a busy project, but I usually like lots of layers!

The metal flower above was faux enameled.  This gives it so much texture and age. The same technique was used on the filigree below.

I found yet another place to sneak in those cute red mushrooms.  I just adore those things!

The resin butterfly below has some patina colored gilders paste added to highlight the edges.  It also helps to bring it more into the intended color palate.  

Thank you so much for stopping by!  Happy Spring to you! (at least there is sunshine in Michigan...but it is still way too cold.)

Cheers, 

Rhea

7 Gypsies Serengeti Receipt Holder

Today I took some time to finally play with some of my new goodies from Canvas Corp.  I created this mixed media receipt holder with the Serengeti paper as the springboard for inspiration.

In order to add a layer of texture I used a few fun things. One is resin covered tissue that has been ripped and torn.  I also used some tissue tape.  The tissue tape was added over the edges to break up the hard lines of the receipt holder.    

Yet another fun element in this project are the patches.  I added them with vintage pins in the brass color.  

I am always trying to fill in every nook and cranny.  To that end, I also added some labels that I embellished with rub ons.  

I was able to sneak in a bit of twine by attaching it to a few of the global tags.  This adds more texture and a bit of movement.  

 Lots of the mini ephemera and vintage photos were used as well. 

This project was so super fun and it really came together quick.

As I created this I thought of an old friend of mine.  She is doing everthing she can right now to find a way to volunteer in Africa to save animals, specifiacally rhinos.  I wish her the best in achieving her mighty dream!

I hope you enjoyed today's post.  As always I treasure being able to share my goods with you all.  It inspires me so!

Cheers, 

Rhea

Tangled Journal Page

This project was completed for Canvas Corp and their recent Tangled challenge.

My focal here is from the Journey Tangled Pack and it was really easy to create.  I layered on lots of products, including some Tattered Angels S.W.A.K. mist, to give it a mixed media feel.  I was sure to add some of my own doodles and marks to make my page unique to me. 

The sentiment was taken from the new Gypsy Moments paper.  I love how the ink bled through the words making them blend into the background a little bit.

I also challenged myself to use some craft supplies that had been neglected.  It is my goal in 2015 to use up the good stuff!  To that end I used some butterfly rub ons as well as the paper flower borders which had been lying around forever.

I hope this post inspires you to use some of those old supplies as well.

Cheers,

Rhea

Small Steampunk Canvas

For our introduction on the Canvas Corp design team, they asked us to create a tiny 4x4 canvas that represented us.  Of course, I knew I would go with an industrial themed piece.  

I tried to incorporate some of my favorite products while making this fun steampunk niche.  The back of the canvas was used so that I would have a small space to tuck things inside.  I used this project to utilize some completed elements that had not been used like the resin encased tin type and resin filled bezel.

Paper tape from 7 Gypsies was added behind these ladies to add some interest to this background. I also used a lot of gears from 7 Gypsies as well.

The layers of metal embellishments were built up with matte medium.  Lots of copper mica flakes were tucked in as I built up the canvas as well.  This adds a lot of glimmer and glitz.  There are so many little bits tucked inside! To keep the element of movement present in this piece I attached a bird charm that has the ability to swing on the tiny pin.

I hope you enjoyed seeing a project that hopefully represents me as a designer.  Thank you as always for your readership!

Cheers,

Rhea

Timeless Valentine

This lovely card was made with lots of great stuff from Canvas Corp.  The base of the card was misted with red, pink and bronze Glimmer Mist and I also added lots of paper and embellishments from 7 Gypsies.

The challenge was to send a card to someone you usually would not send a Valentine to.  I had just had a nice long chat with my sister, so it was she that inspired this fun card that actually made it in the mail.

I crafted a layered heart with burlap, paper as well as some 7 Gypsies tissue paper that had been covered in Ice Resin.  I love the translucent look of this element.

I stumbled across an old clock die cut that was coated in gesso, embossed and later distressed and sanded that added nice compliment to the heart focal.  Sometimes having a messy work space helps my process unfortunately.

I added some 7 Gypsies paper tape to bring in more of the vintage colors and add more texture to the background.

Finally, I used my favorite pins, also from 7 Gypsies to attach my sentiment.  In order to add more fun to the recieving of this card, I enclosed it in a quickly made handmade envelope as well.

I am excited to surprise my sister with an old fashioned snail mail hello!

Cheers,

Rhea

Come Away with Me Printer Tray

Oh how I love to create these printer trays!  This one was made for Graphic 45 with their Come Away with Me paper line.  The palate of this paper collection is really lovely.  

Within each cubby I used lots of the coordinating chipboard and stickers.  The product line mades it so easy to be able to complete one of these.

Lots of travel themed charms were added as well to add interest and flare to each little spot.

I think that one of the reasons I like to make these is that there is always so much to look at.  

Another way that I added interest was through the use of paper flowers as well as ribbons on the small tags.  

You can see here that I also used my favorite, gilders paste, to alter the wood.  The edges were trimmed with lace in order to change up the look a bit.  I have made so many of these!

Thank you so much for taking the time to check out this post!  

Cheers, 

Rhea