Baby It's Cold Outside!

Hi Everyone,

Popping in with a fun Christmas project today.  I can't stop painting Salvaged Snowmen so I decided I better start making a few projects to use them on!
I have used a Mini Etcetera Tag to create my little Christmas scene.  Follow along and I'll give you a few tips on how I made it.

(click on picture to enlarge)

As I said, I used a Mini Etcetera Tag as the substrate.  I love this size and the fact that you get four in one pack.

I covered the tag with one of my favorite papers from the Christmas Paper Stash.  I also added a coat of Collage Medium over the top of the paper as well to seal it.

While that is drying, I cut a piece of packaging plastic and gather some supplies.  Grit-Paste, a palette knife and the Snowcap Layering Stencil.

I placed the plastic under the stencil and added the Grit-Paste in a rough manner.

So that when you remove the stencil it looks like snow!  Now to set aside to dry.

While the Grit-Paste is drying, I used the Sizzix Oval Framelit to cut two pieces - one thin chipboard, one woodgrain paper from the Christmas pad.

 I sandwiched them together with Collage Medium.

 Then for a very subtle look, I used Texture Paste - Transparent for the stars.  Once dry the glue will be transparent and only the Rock Candy will show.

I used Distress Crayon on the outside edges of the tag and added the center oval with Foam Squares from Scrapbook Adhesives.

The ledge was created by sandwiching two Ruler Pieces together (I cut them to size individually first) and using Collage Medium to set it in place.  Worked like a charm!
I also cut out the snowcap I created earlier and added it to the front of the ledge with Collage Medium.
One thing you won't notice in the picture is that I sanded off a bit of the snowman's booty so he sits flat against the back.  I used a face mask since he's made of resin and just rubbed it back and forth over the sand paper a few times.  This also helped him to fit on the narrow ledge much better.

This is a much better shot of the center.  The ledge and the snowman are securely attached.  I used some twigs from the garden to create a little scene in the back.  White paint on the trees give them the appearance of snow.  A little added Collage Medium so Rock Candy Glitter could be added.
I colored the Story Stick with Mowed Lawn Distress Crayon and added it to the scene with a Foam Square that had been trimmed.

I used a small brush to add the Distress Paint colors to the Snowman (Candied Apple, Black Soot and Evergreen Bough) and then let him dry.  I scribbled a bit of Walnut Stain Distress Crayon on my craft sheet and picked it up with a damp paint brush so I could paint it over the body to age it.
Once dry I added Glossy Accents over the top and sprayed Clear Rock Candy over the body using my Glitter Duster!

I created the "snow" for the ledge using my scratch tool and a small pieces of Warm and Natural (cotton batting sold in fabric stores).  Cut small pieces and scratch over it till it shreds and becomes fluffy.  Add the glue to the surface and then place the "snow" over it.  I have also added wisps to the twigs and used my Craft Pick to push it into the tiny tree.

I love this little tag - it would be an easy gift to make for a friend or neighbor and since the tags come in 4's and the snowmen come in 2's it's easy to create more than one.  I tell you once you paint the Salvaged Snowman you just want to paint another! 

(click to enlarge picture)

Now carry on,

paula

Paper Tree

Hello friends!
I am sharing an easy Christmas project today featuring die cuts.  This project is really about looking at the dies you own in a different light.  I used six different Thinlit die sets for my Paper Tree.  They were already in my collection of dies and maybe in a lot of yours too!  Four are Christmas dies, two are not.  I chose each die based on shape and scale...and I tested more shapes than I will show in the following process photos.  All pieces were cut using Distress Watercolor Cardstock which is nice a thick.
So here are the dies sets that made the last cut:

Festive Greens

Mini Christmas Things

Mini Paper Snowflakes

Funky Foliage

Funky Floral #1

Mini Holiday Greens

This is a list of the dies I used (top to bottom):

Mini Christmas Things - I only used the tiny snowflake that is on the die with the cup.
Mini Holiday Greens - four holly leaves + holly branch (I cut this in half to make two pieces)
Funky Floral #1 - smallest flower
Festive Greens - pine + long stem
Mini Paper Snowflakes - 4 of the smallest in the set
Funky Foliage - large flower (bottom left) - I only used the center, not the flower itself + large leaf (bottom right)

I built the tree shape on a piece of scrap cardstock to see how big the tree would turn out.  Basically I worked large to small...snowflakes, then leaves, holly, etc.

Once the tree was formed I could tell a medium Etcetera Tag would be perfect for the substrate.  I used Collage Medium to adhere the plaid paper to the substrate.  Once dry,  I added a layer of Collage Medium over the top of the paper as well.  It does take two sheets of the 8 x 8" paper to cover the medium Etcetera Tag.  I didn't have any problem matching up the plaid to make it look like one sheet.

One by one, I moved the pieces to the tag and recreated the tree.  Two things helped in this endeavor. First, I took a picture of the original tree with my phone so I could refer to the photo.  Second, I used my Sizzix Die Pick to adjust the pieces.  This worked MUCH better than trying to use my fingertip.
I glued each piece down with Collage Medium.  I also always keep a small paint brush nearby when working with small die cuts.  It's the perfect tool to brush away excess Collage Medium.

I decided to use a Christmas Quote Chip as the trunk of the tree.  I love Merry and Bright but Believe won out since it was a shorter piece and looked more like a trunk.

I had an idea to fill in some of the open space with "berries" to go with the holly leaves.  I used a 1/8th punch to quickly make a lot of "berries".

Then added them to the tree.  That die pick came in handy again, moving each little circle to the glue.  Once again, I used the small paintbrush to brush away the excess glue.

Once all the pieces were in place, I used Picket Fence Distress Paint and a Splatter Brush to create a snowy background over the tag.  I LOVE using the Splatter Brush - it just works like magic every single time.  I'm impatient so I dried the paint with my heat tool.

I decided I wanted a bit a sparkle so I got out the Glitter Duster filled with Rock Candy.

Flip the nozzle up to prepare to spray.

Working quickly, I added Collage Medium over just the white die cuts before spraying the Rock Candy over the surface. Using the Glitter Duster you get a light dusting of Rock Candy over the tree which is perfect for a piece like this!

 

It's hard to see Rock Candy in a photo but it's there and I know the tree will really sparkle at night.

I still needed to add the reinforcer (which I painted black) and a bow at the top of the tag.  I used Crinkle Ribbon and 4 colors of Distress Spray in this order: Pumice Stone, then Hickory Smoke, Candied Apple and Black Soot.  Only Pumice Stone had complete coverage.  All other colors were randomly sprayed and dried in-between with a heat tool.

I added the black reinforcer, then tied a fluffy bow.

And there you have it, a cute little piece all made from three pieces of paper!  I think it's going to look great as part of my Christmas decor.  Remember, you can use whatever shapes you want to create the tree - the bigger the shapes , the bigger the tree!

Happy Holidays!
now carry on,
paula

The Memory of It...

Hi friends!

I have a fun Halloween project today created with a small Etcetera Tombstone.  I started by adding Worn Wallpaper (Halloween) to the surface with Collage Medium.  I also added a layer of Collage Medium over the top to seal the paper then dried the surface with a heat tool.

I used the Falling Stars Layering Stencil and Grit-Paste to add stars to the background.  This process does take a little patience as you need to wait for one side to dry before adding the stars to the other side.

At the beginning of the drying process I used a Q-tip to remove a few stars to give more open space.  This is the reason I added the Collage Medium in the beginning - it sealed the paper which allows you to remove the Grit-Paste star with no residue.  You could not do this if it was just the Worn Wallpaper.
Now wait...tick-tock!

About 30 minutes later I added the stars to the right side of the tag.  Now wait again for the Grit-Paste to dry!

While waiting, I painted the Tombstone parts that come with the tag.  Once dry, I sanded each piece quite heavily.

When sanding like this it always brings up little pieces of the wood.

I solved this problem by rubbing a thin layer of Collage Medium over the surface.  Perfect medium for this job!

I added more Worn Wallpaper to the center and added a layer of Collage Medium to seal the paper.

 Because I sealed the Worn Wallpaper I can add Distress Crayon to the slick surface.

So my Grit-Paste stars are now dry.
Another thin layer of Collage Medium right over the top of the stars (yes, I always use my hands to get a thin coat.).
Dry with a heat tool.

I scribbled three colors of Distress Crayons on the non-stick mat then used a damp paint brush to color the surface (stars and all).  Remember the surface is sealed so you can pounce a wet wipe to remove crayon if it gets too dark.  Dry with a heat tool.

Once the surface was dry, I scribbled Tarnished Brass Distress Crayon over the stars and then rubbed it in with my fingertip.

 I even added a bit of Stickles!

I wanted to create a shelf for this piece so I used my Tonic scissors to cut two Ruler Pieces to size.  I sandwiched them together with Collage Medium and used two binder clips to hold them in place for about 5 minutes.
I colored the shelf with Black Soot Distress Ink.  Once you rub the ink over the Ruler, spritz it with water to let the ink run then dry with a heat tool.

 Once you adhere the two pieces that come with the Tombstone, you can add the shelf to the top.

 While the shelf is drying, I cut a Baseboard frame to make a doorway.

I rubbed more Grit=Paste on the inside edge of the frame and let it dry (what's with all this drying time?)

 Okay, so I'll color my Paper Doll with Distress Markers while I wait.

I waited at least 40 minutes before moving on to this step - it all depends on how thick the Grit-Paste is.
I sprayed it with Peeled Paint Distress Stain and then used a damp brush to move the color into highs and lows of the Grit-Paste.

I sprayed the doorway with Hickory Smoke Distress Spray Stain before moving on to this step where I added the moss.

 I also grunged up a Metal Gate using paint and alcohol ink, then promptly broke it in half.

I added foam squares to the back of the doorway so it stands out from the surface.  I broke the fence in half and added it to each side.  I did sandwich two bingo chips together to get the perfect riser for the paper doll.

Now the Mummy Cloth...my new best friend.  I sprayed it with Distress Spray Satin in multiple colors.  Love this stuff because you can pull it and shred it so easily!  I am going to be very sad when it goes away with the Halloween line!

 Mummy Cloth added with just a dab of Collage Medium.  Super easy to manipulate the Mummy Cloth with tweezers.

*You might notice I was testing a metal piece at the bottom.  Ultimately it will end up at the top of the piece so you could see it better.

Next up some Bouquet flowers.
I sprayed the bunch with Antique Linen and then rubbed them into a mix of Seedless Preserves Oxide and water to pick up some purple color.  Dry with a heat tool.

 Flowers added...

Now my favorite part, the Clipping stickers.
I recently watched the movie "Mary Shelly"with Dakota Fanning which tells the tale of Mary's life leading up to writing Frankenstein (I believe she was only 20 or 21 when she wrote it).  The movie was panned by the critics but I liked it because it kept me guessing (since I didn't really know anything about her personal life).  The cinematography and costuming were wonderful too.

 I love to challenge myself to create a story from the words on the Clipping sheet rather than using just one phrase.  This was so fun to put together (all the while thinking of Frankenstein!)

Here is that Electrical plate I added with Hex Fasteners.  I thought it spoke to the "Frankenstein" aspect of the piece because you can't have Frankenstein without electricity!

I added two long twigs to visually connect the top to the base.  They are each held in place with some Collage Medium at the top and bottom.

 

I love how this piece came together.  The Tombstone really makes for great substrate for so many pieces.  I think you could use this shape way beyond Halloween.

Now carry on,

paula