Lid or Plaque???

It's a beautiful Spring day here with balmy temperatures just below freezing and gorgeous flowers blooming below the buckets of snow in the yard!  I had hoped to post this earlier today, but we've just recovered from a 3 1/2 hour power outage, so here it finally is.  I wish I wasn't so dependent upon electricity and heat, but alas it's finally back on and we're (snow day for the kiddos) happily thawing out together.  Once power returned I was able to hug my little silhouette and smile upon it as it went busily to work helping me create the decorations for this box cover.

Here is the original wooden box lid that I've decided to salvage and revamp.  It was a holder for Celtic stamps; which now have a new home and the box was too cool, but needed a new purpose. :)

Here's the cutouts that Ms.Cameo finished up for me and they are all part of the challenge happening over at Our Creative Corner which is Music and Kraft cardstock that I couldn't pass up!  Viola, here's the Kraft pieces drying from their Gesso bath and you'll also notice the elements of musical notes.

Do you like my miniature antique wash board?  The entire project actually evolved from this very first piece.  I was on Pinterest and saw some neat ideas for decorating a laundry room and saw one of these in someone's vintage room and wondered if I could make a miniature...and I did! Very simple design to create on the silhouette and using Kraft paper, I cut out each section 4 times to add layering for thickness.  The metal of the washboard is actually white corrugated cardboard purchased from Linda's Funkie Junkie Boutique and I've aged it with the faux patina technique.

Close-up of the music sheet flowers with Kaiser brad centers and each piece of foliage has been embossed with the musical folder.

 The bridge of piano keys flowing across the washboard and little musical notes flitting across the top.

Had to add the little bird as well because I love them. They have absolutely nothing to do with laundry, but if you sit outside with a nice cool glass of tea and begin to watch them, they can monopolize quite a bit of your time and therefore aid in the procrastination of said laundry task...always a plus in my book!

Okay, so here's how the laundry and the bird and the music notes all tie in together. I just love this sentiment from Berthold Auerbach. 

 Get it? Washes away = laundry...LOL! 

 If it was the last thing I did, I was going to make this washboard fit onto something with a symbolic meaning. I think I made it work just fine.

Here's the lid decorating the actual box in its original state.  I'm debating whether to close off the back of the lid and make it a wall plaque and then use the box base for another plaque or keep them together.   

What's your opinion?

Thanks so much for sticking around to get this far and I really and truly appreciate your time, visits and comments.

Hugs n' Happy Crafting,

Lisa xx

Other Fabulous Challenges I would love to enter:

Simon Says Stamp & Show - Quotables

Sugar Creek Hollow - An Altered State

Party Like It's Mardi Gras Centerpiece...

Happy Saturday to you!

It's time again for another challenge at Our Creative Corner and I am so happy to be hosting this week as well.  Sadly, it will be my last DT post with this wonderful team. I have so much respect for them and their immense creativity and I've had the amazing opportunity of learning from each of them personally.   But I never like to part on sad terms, so we're gonna have a party!!

This week I have chosen an inspirational photo and the theme is....

Party Like It's Mardi Gras!

Create any project using the inspirational photo below. 

 Please explain what about this image inspired your creation.

I think this image looks like it could be a showstopper. The grandness of the details and the exotic gold leafing with the vibrant purples and greens inspired me to make a centerpiece and pull from it the greens and purples.  But first I needed something tall enough to take center stage.

So, I found this old candlestick holder.

With a sponge and Gesso, I lightly dabbed the entire surface to conceal the true identity and color; rather like a mask for Mardi Gras.

Next was sponging on lilac acrylic paint in a hit or miss random pattern, followed up by the same technique in metallic green paint. While the paint was still damp, I sprinkled on bits of gold embossing powder and then heated lightly.  

Once the painting was finished, I took a nail file to the edges and sanded down for just a little added character.

Next was to decide on the over-the-top focal point.  While perusing through some images, I found this gorgeous woman attired for the festive event. This is actually a photograph of someones real tattoo. She's been double printed so when the centerpiece is turned, it looks just the same on the back. Isn't the ink work amazing? But she needed a head dress of feathers and all I had was white. 

So, in a metal pie pan went 2 white feathers with a drop or two of Adirondack Meadow Ink and a spritz of water and colored them up. The second two feathers were colored with a combination of the lilac acrylic paint and water.

An edging around the rim of her hat and the eyes on the mask with SU! Champagne Glass was then added.

The final touch of the Fleur De Lis was attached  along with some white and gold mesh filler and my centerpiece was complete.

Initially I had pearls and gems and flowers and gold ribbon and I was really going to paint the town red, or purple, green and gold, in this case, but when I went to add them one at a time, it felt like the piece was rejecting them. It's bold, it's noticeable, it's vibrant in parts and yet it's refined with the the conservative base it all started on.

Well, that's it for me, let me know what you think and I'd really love it if you shot over for a visit to Our Creative Corner to see what stunning creations my teammates have made for 

Party Like It's Mardi Gras!! 

Hugs n' Happy Crafting,

Lisa xx

Got Shabby?

Hello to you! 

Welcome back again to my little crafty spot in the world.  

Today I've got a crazy project for you that is inspired by the current challenge over at Our Creative Corner where Sharon is hosting this weeks theme of 

SHABBY CHIC!

I've taken several pictures to explain the process.

VERY IMPORTANT STEP here...

At this point, make sure you have an entire box of nicely organized hardware sitting just at the edge of your desk. With your elbow, ever so skillfully, shove that sucker right off onto the floor and watch as 200+ pieces scatter across the floor and into your carpet!

Then proceed...

Thank you again Mitra....LOVING those Scrabble pieces :)

And there you have it.  A very inexpensive, Shabby Chic holder that hangs on the wall to inspire you.  

Hope you've enjoyed your visit and please check out the incredible creations from my teammates at Our Creative Corner and see the excellent definition of Shabby Chic as described by our host, Sharon.

Hugs n' Happy Crafting,

Lisa xx

Challenges I would love to enter this project into:
Anything But a Card - Things With Wings (Birds and Butterfly)

X's and O's

Hello lovely people!

Here is my DT card for Our Creative Corner where the challenge is...

Aqua and Pink 

Hosted by our own very talented Sharon Wheet who asks that you also include a flower.  

Please join us for our new year of challenges and while you're there, you'll enjoy the immensely creative ideas from my teammates. 

Thank you so much for stopping in today!

Hugs n' Happy Stamping...

Lisa xx

Supplies Used:

Aqua Paper free from online Vintage Embellishments

Free SVG cutting file at Bird's Cards

Pink and Aqua heart with flowers from Free Pretty Things For You

Pink ribbon from The Funkie Junkie Boutique
Aqua Corduroy brad from Fancy Pants Designs

Dreaming of a "Purple & Silver" Christmas

I have never ever ever thought to make a silver and purple Christmas card...ever. However, how fun this was to create after all.  Thanks to Christina from Our Creative Corner who has challenged my out of the box thinking with the theme Silver and Purple for this weeks theme! 

Purple and silver inked background with a handmade Bingo card and digitally inserted silver Santa.  A few handmade crocheted items and silver buttons and purple bows with last but not least a silver colored bingo chip. 

I hope you'll head on over and submit that last minute Silver and Purple Christmas card that you might need to make and while you're there, please check out the amazing works of my teammates!

This will be the final post of the month for Our Creative Corner as we're taking a little Christmas break, so don't miss out on the last challenge of the year.  We'll return the first week of the New Year!

Hugs n' Happy Stamping to you all,

Lisa xx



Nature's Christmas Colors

 

Helloooooooo! 

Wow, what a week it has been.  I'm so happy it's Saturday.  Now I can go face the insanity at the mall and the overcrowded stores, the parking spot that is located the farthest most point from the store, the screaming children because the last Furby was just sold to someone else...OMGOSH...what was I thinking? I can't wait for MONDAY!

Oh, but there is some fun to be had today and it's happening over at Our Creative Corner. Our very own lovely Liliana aka "Lili" is hosting this weeks challenge and she has determined our theme to be...

Stitching and Fabrics!

Nature and it's natural colors really brought this Christmas themed card to life, starting with the earthy wood grained background. That is not paper, it's actually a piece of cream fabric that I've lightly painted Gesso over and then heat dried. Inking a wood grain embossing folder with Vintage DI, I've run the fabric through the folder and then machine sewn onto the card.  The thread was actually white, but a lovely affect happened when I ran a dauber of Vintage DI over the threads. They really popped out nicely.  The remainder of the decorations are simple sticks from the yard, hot glued to some greenery and a double bow of red and gingham and the gorgeous male cardinal sitting perched in the snowy mix.

More inspiration can be found amongst my talented teammates at Our Creative Corner so be sure to check out what they've all created with Fabric and Stitching!

We'd love for you to join in the fun.

Until next time,

Hugs n' Happy Stamping...

Lisa xx

 

 



Joyful Vintage Christmas Days...

Hello there :)

Here we are again on another wonderful Saturday and it's time again for our latest challenge over at Our Creative Corner.  This week we are host by Irena and she has chosen a challenge that is near and dear to me, Vintage Santa Claus Is Coming and use red!  If you enjoy that little Santa in the center of the rusty bottle cap which was purchased at The Funkie Junkie Boutique, which is also sponsoring the 12 tags of Christmas challenge, it's free with a link provided by Irena here.  This challenge didn't have to be a card, so I was jumping for joy when I realized I could combine it with Linda's 12 tags of Christmas challenge too.  As you can see the red tulle poinsettia with Santa and bow take front stage, but tucked in under all the wonderful red vintage decor lay some wonderful old vintage advertisements that I've sized down and crackled.  Waaaay under all of that is a layer of burlap on the top of this Altoids can that has been stamped with black embossed snowflakes. 

There's just something so wonderful about a vintage Christmas that makes me want to bake cookies and watch all the classic black and white shows while cuddled on the couch with the family.

We'd really love to see your ideas for a Vintage Here Comes Santa & use red.  Maybe you'll find that you love it so much, you'll want to enter it at the 12 Tags of Christmas Challenge too.

 

Here is Linda's Tag #8 and from this I drew inspiration off of the Santa, the color red, the poinsettia and the burlap.

Thank you so much for stopping in and don't forget to take a wonderful peek at the glorious vintage Santa creations from teammates at Our Creative Corner too.

Hugs n' Happy Stamping...

Lisa xx

 

 



The Heart Of a Mother

Hello to you!

This is my project for the current challenge at Our Creative Corner, hosted by Irena and she has chosen the theme ABC; Angel, Button, and Chipboard.

I've taken several pictures so you can see the process I used to make this.

One page of sheet music was used to make the dress, cover the halo, her arms and the chipboard base.

 

A little stocking stuffer for someone special in my life.

Here is the actual song by Henry Burr, 1916 Mother

Please join us at Our Creative Corner for our ABC challenge and while you're there, check out the amazing creations from talented teammates!

Hugs to you all,

Lisa xx

 



Altered Altoid Cabin In the Woods...

Welcome to my little winter wonderland on a tin container.  I'm so excited to tell you about the inspiration of this ornament because it has to do with our current challenge over at Our Creative Corner, hosted by my blog buddy Susan.  This week she's asking us all to use Foil and Alcohol Inks!!  You can check out Susan's and the other team members incredible makes here.

I couldn't wait to get my hands on the foil and inks as I created the sky background to fit on my Altoids can.  This is regular cooking foil with drops of Stonewashed Adirondack Alcohol Ink.

The inspiration for this little corrugated cardboard log cabin comes from another challenge that I am combining with this one over at The Funkie Junkie for the 12 Tags of Christmas Challenge.  Using a metal tin and foil seemed like a perfect combination.  Below is Linda's 7th tag and I drew inspiration from the log cabin, corrugated cardboard, trees and the snowy scene.

The 12 Tags of Christmas challenge is also sponsored by the The Funkie Junkie Boutique and Linda would love for you to stop by and visit her. :)

I couldn't stop with just the foil sky so I drew more foil in by adding a foil roof on the log cabin with hints of Vintage Photo DI and drops of Pearl Mixative Adirondack Ink. The background trees are acrylic painted and then glossed with clear embossing powder, but one tree stands out with it's foil structure and inking of Meadow and Espresso Alcohol Inks. 

While still wanting to add even more foil, I've crumpled up bits of it at the bottom, gesso'd it up and then sprinkled with SU mica flakes while dripping bits of Lemonade and Pearl Mixative Alcohol Inks as well.  The finishing touches were Opaque powder embossed snowflakes, painted Gesso snow and Xmas Red Stickles and a burlap bow, OH and a little bitty wreath on the front door.

I hope you've enjoyed seeing my latest Christmas tree advent calendar ornament, and are inspired to join us over at Our Creative Corner for the Foil and Alcohol Inks Challenge!

Please note, Our Creative Corner has a max of 4 challenges total; ours and 3 others.

Hugs n' Happy Stamping....

Lisa xx

 

Challenges I would like to enter this into:

The Funkie Junkie - 12 Tags of Christmas (Tag 7)