How Does Your Girl Grow?

Mary, Mary, quite contrary
How does your garden grow?
With silver bells and cockleshells
and pretty maids all in a row



Happy Monday, People!  Another start to another crazy week ahead in my little corner of the world!  It just amazes me how much STUFF can get crammed onto the calendar for just one week, LOL!  Ahhhh!  The joys of having kids who are involved in so many different activities!

I did manage to sneak  some "just for fun" crafting in on Sunday. Ok.....maybe not "sneak".  More like blatant "I'm ignoring the dishes, the laundry, the weeds and the fact that I need to help youngest kiddo get his science fair presentation board done!"  I NEEDED to have some fun, hehe!

ANYHOOS!  As I was saying, I managed to get in some play time this weekend.  I have been looking at the demo tag sitting on my desk that I made (but never used) for Part III of the E-Team's Distressed series.  It was just yelling "weathered fence to me".  Then I started talking to The Toad about Wendy Vecchi's Clearly for Art Modeling film.  And all of this led to THIS



A recap on the makings of the tag:  I first painted the tag with some acrylic paint (not worrying about covering the entire tag).  I then used Distress Stains in Antique Linen and Weathered wood randomly on the tag, wiping the excess off between colors.  I believe I swiped some Distress Ink in Brushed Corduroy directly onto the tag (hey!  It's been a whole week!! Surely you jest in expecting me to remember what I did a week ago!!) 

I then dug out a flourish from an old package of idea-ology grungeboard plain elements.  I was able to quickly add color with the Distress Stains in Peeled Paint and Forest Moss.  Yes, these stains just might become one of my favorite color mediums!  Because I am impatient when Mojo starts working, I used my heat gun to quickly dry the flourish and adhered it to the tag with a bit of Glossy Accents.

The flowers are a total experiment using Wendy's Clearly for Art Modeling film.  I started with the white film.  First I tried to ink the film with Distress Mustard seed ink.  While the white film FEELS like a thick paper, it has some type of coating on it that does not hold the Distress Ink color.  I then pulled out my alcohol inks (butterscotch and rust) and applied it randomly on both sides of the film.  After it had dried, I die cut the flowers with the two smallest Spellbinder dies Daisy Head.  I sniped the petals to the center so that I could bend them to my liking when I heated the film.  Note:  I will admit that I had a difficult time holding onto the flowers, heating the film and trying to get the bend I wanted without burning my fingers to smithereens.  NOT that I think this film is difficult to work with.  I just think that I have gotten use to working with the flexibility of metal that I will require a BIT more practice on using this film.  AND I intend to use it again.  OFTEN.  This stuff is too cool!! I glued the flowers together with E600 glue.  The fumes might kill me, but that stuff STICKS! LOL!  The leaves (from the Daisy Head set) were die cut out of TenSecond Studios Poison Ivy metal.  Some large 1/2 pearls were colored with copics and adhered with some more Glossy Accents in the center of the flowers.

To finish off the tag, I pulled out Crafty Secrets creative scraps Farm Fresh.  Cut the image out, added a bit of Fired Brick sponging along the edges and mounted to the tag with dimensionals.  For once, I had some perfect gingham red ribbon to finish off the tag.  Though for the life of me, I can never get the tag ribbons to look decent in photos.  Maybe I need to use a bit of tape to make it "stand" up! haha

I must say I am rather pleased at how this turned out as it was an experiment!  I look forward to exploring more  possibilities with the modeling film!

I hope you all have a wonderful week!  'Till then..................explore something new!!

Shhhhhh!!!

The E-Team and Crafty Secrets teamed up for a special blog hop today!

And I have a secret to share!  Shhhhh......come closer.......I hear that if you leave a comment on each of the DT blogs that you will increase your chances of winning one of SIX fabulous prizes! Three of the prizes will be from eP and three will be from Crafty Secrets. You will have the weekend to visit each of the blogs and the winners of the eP prizes will be announced Monday on the eP Blog!!

E-TEAM

Daisy/eP blog

Broni Holcombe

Latrice Murphy

Linda Duke

(who is participating for both eP and CS!)

Linda Ledbetter

Micki Harper

Sherry Cheever

and

Me!

Crafty Secret

Vicki Chrisman

Pam Hooten

Michele Kovack

Melissa Phillips

Flo Teixeira

Julie Campbell

Mary Hamer

Crafty Secrets equals vintage.  While I like the vintage look, I find it out of my little comfortable creative box.  But I think I may have found a way to create that vintage look fairly easily.  Creative Scraps.  These are pre- printed images on thick card stock.  There are two sheets, double sided.  That is a LOT of images to inspire layouts, color or themes. 

My project today actually came from The Toad's inspiration while looking at the Wonderland Tea Creative Scraps.  He suggested that I make a dimensional card based on the Mad Hatter.

I took it a step further.  I created my own version of the Mad Hatter's top hat.

Or should I say Mrs. Mad Hatter's dress hat?!

The elements on my top hat were inspired by the details on the "tag" that was cut from the Wonderland Tea Creative Scraps.  I began with a paper pattern that determined my size to make the crown of the hat.  I then made a metal sheet sandwich with TenSecond Studio's Pearl metal, some vanilla textured card stock from my scrap pile and Scor-Tape to give more stability to the thin metal.  I would have preferred to use the Humungo Killer Adhesive sheets, but it would seem SOMEONE ran out!  I am impressed that the Scor-Tape seems to be doing a fine job of holding the metal together.  Good to have a back up on the Killer Adhesive!

I then ran the metal sandwich through my Big Shot with TenSecond Studio's new Kabuka mold #15.

NOTE:  these molds are NOT designed for the various die cutting machines.  BUT!  You can use them in these machines by adjusting your layer sandwiches.  DO NOT force a tight sandwich with the mold through your machine.  Either the machine or mold will pay the price.  For MY machine I used the following sandwich for this particular project:  Essentials Platform, Kabuka mold, metal sandwich, paper shim, thin cardboard (think packaging) shim and acrylic plate.  I will not guarantee that this same sandwich will work in your machine.  You may need to adjust the number of shims.

Since I had added the paper to the back of the metal, the embossing is not as detailed or "deep" as it would have been had I just used the metal alone.  But the slight texture was perfect for the embossed "fabric" look I was hoping for.  I used a burnishing block to lightly sand the color off the raised embossing. 

The top of the crown and brim of the hat were created the same way.  I used my old Creative Memories adjustable circle cutter to customize the size of circles needed. 

The hat was assembled with Scor-Tape.  Vanilla silk ribbon (from Target, I believe) was adhered around the top edge with more Scor-Tape.

The "rose" ribbon is from the Findings section of the Idea-ology line Trimmings. I used Tattered Angel's Glimmer Mist in Cherub Pink, Candy Apple Red and S.W.A.K. to dye the ribbon.  The wide silk ribbon (from my stash) actually has a very faint, pale pink tint.  Did you notice the FABULOUS bow?!  Yep.  The ribbon challenged fingers managed to tie that beauty in only FOUR attempts!  I'm improving in my ribbon skills! LOL!

The "tag" was cut from the Scraps and the corners rounded with a punch.  Hat pins are from Maya Road.  The 1/2 back self adhesive pearls have been in my stash for a while. 

If one was to host a tea party, I could see this hat being one element of the centerpiece.  Or perhaps, made in miniature, a place card. 

While I got  two "That's pretty cool" comments from all the Kiddos and "I came up with a good idea" comment from the Toad, I don't think that they would appreciate having to sit down for proper tea! LOL!  But I must admit, I do like how this came out!

I'm already thinking of ideas for the other images on the Scraps.  I just might get into this vintage look after all!

'Till then.......................make some time for creativity this weekend! 

Be Vwery, Vwery Qwiet.........

..............cwafting is twaking place! Said in my best Elmer Fudd typing!

Hey People!  I know that things have been very quiet around here.  Crafting has been shoved to the back burner by Life the last few days.  You know, kiddos, laundry, school stuff, laundry, x-rays, waiting for kiddo to have his wrist immobilized in a cast, laundry, exercise (shock!), work, laundry. 

You know, LIFE.

But! I did get some fun crafting time in today! 

The bad news is...........I can't share it yet.  You have to wait until Friday. 

But here is a little hint for ya................

'Till then.......................

P.S.  I am REALLY excited about this!