The Olde Curiosity Shoppe Cabinet

Well, of course, to say this collection from Graphic 45 is right up my alley would be and understatement.

 

I don't know how I resisted cutting into these papers as long as I did, but here is what finally came to bear from my thoughts and ideas, my collaboration with the Man with the Tools, and some help from a really cool cabinet I found at Gordman's.

 

It was black and had just the middle section when I found it.

 

  

The bottom portion I've hoarded for a "decade".....as Erin and I clarified yesterday for meaning when I told her "I'd been experimenting and dying my hair for decades, so I KNEW what I was doing!"

 

 Don't we all???

 

 

  The top pieces were a laser-cut wooden frame I cut apart with Bill's help. It's painted with Liquid Pearls.

 

You can see the fussy-cut Butterflies here and there accented with Glossy Accents.

 

 This detail shows the Cash Keys on Link Chain with Screw Eyes to form a dangle.

 

 

  Lots of different types of bottles and some actual vintage "lick and stick" labels here in the right hand corner. I bought them many years ago...site unknown at this moment!

 

The G45 labels are cut and many are colored with TomBow markers, some are left alone with just a bit of Distress Inks for depth.

 

 

I LOVE the Eyes and Glasses. A bit of color to make them stand out more.

 

That is done to ALL the papers that are fussy-cut. So you will see a definite difference in how they began generally. 

 

  The Tim Holtz PulleyWheels have a chain and jump ring attached to the Flying Pig and the Clock Key.

 

They're attached with a screw eye in the middle for stability.

 

 

When coloring the papers, I usually use the same color pens and just add more color + shadows.

 

There are lots of papers and stickers layered up with chipboard all over the piece.

 

 

The Diamond paper is one of my all-time favorites for background from Communique and trim pieces from Bird Song and Playtimes Past.

  

There's also Staples Flowers and Stamped Metal Brads thrown in here and there. 

 Just another shot of the top.

 

The colors are  REALLY  enhanced with the  Glossy Accents  and markers. 

 

  The Death Microbe bottle on the top right is an actual vintage bottle and cork with some sort or "residue" still in it....ew.

 

The label is cut from  G45  papers though.

 

 

 

And these are the flowers on the back.

 

 

 

This bottom piece was an old bath salts box.

 

 

 And had to show you this shot of the birdcage! It's one of my favorite elements.

 

That's all I can think of, if you have any questions, just email or shoot me a  question on FB.

 

I've been trying to answer them as best I can. So don't give up.

 

I'm here to serve!

 

Linda

 

Santa and the Boys Plus Christmas Window Pages

Well, I promised 2 pages today, so here we go!

The first is one for the predominant front and the 2nd is for the so-called back.

I LOVE this Santa and the Boys from Happy Holidays 12x12 paper.

I used Maya Road Olivia Mini-Letters and red glitter.

Paint the letters the same color as the glitter 1st and then layer on the Glossy Accents and glitter.

I fussy cut the garland from the 8x8 pad Christmas Emporium sheet, and added Glossy Accents. Let dry over night.

Add black permanent marker to edges and chipboard strip to back.

I used 2 sheets of the 12x12 Santa square here. Cut out this one as shown.

Lots of Distress Ink was added here and there. The Dots are stamped with the above stamp and Iced Spruce Distress Ink.

And then add Grey Tombow Pen N75 for shadows. That makes things stand out.

Don't do the Santa and Boys...they'll be covered up.

Then I fussy cut the other Santa square from a 2nd sheet of 12x12.

NOW add the grey pen for shadows.

It REALLY makes a difference in the depth of the pictures.

Turn them over and add Black Chipboard to layer-up for more depth.

This shows the layered Santa and the Boys at a different angle.

I ADORE these little Christmas Tree lights from Darice!!!!

I added some gold metallic thread, twirled around a wooden skewer, heat LIGHTLY with Heat It Tool, and unwind gently.

Assemble your page as shown!!!!!

what do you think???

Next is the page on the BACK of Santa and the Boys.

This one is much simpler but just as fun.

Here is another one of the 4 sections of Happy Holidays 12x12 trimmed.

I used Distress Inks to brighten a bit, and added the stamped Holly leaves with Olive Archival Ink and the stamp from Christmas Emporium 2 around the frame edge.

I also used the Grey Tombow Pen N75 to shade a lot here.

The Christmas Bells from Tim Holtz Christmas Adornments are colored with Sharpie Fine Tip Pens.  Easy Peasy!

I put the Gold Stickles all around the Window Frame.

Cut out Holiday Wishes from the 8x8 Joyous Noel paper, add chipboard to back, edge with Gold Stickles, and glue to page.

Assemble as shown or however you wish! WHEW!!!!

Come back and we'll work on the remaining pages!

NOW I can move onto the next item on my list of things to do today!

The tree is up, and it needs some wrapped presents underneath it!

Linda

Dancing Around the Christmas Tree

Hello Bloggers!

This is on the front of the book page I did yesterday. (To see how we started, see yesterdays post.)

The papers again are from the 8x8 paper pack Christmas Emporium from Graphic 45.

I took the Game Piece and added red and black permanent markers to it. Then a layer of Glossy Accents to the top.

Gold Stickles and Platinum Pearl-Liquid Pearls are dotted around the tree and edges to brighten up the Christmas Party.

Tea Dye Distress Ink is added to the Let It Snow-Christmas Past tan paper and the ever popular Botanicabella-Antiquities background paper. (I loved that collection:(

I've fussy cut the scroll and the bow. Glossy Accents is applied to the Bow for dimension.

I REALLY loved how the Bow turned out!!!

The Bow and the Scroll are layered up onto chipboard. I used 2 layers for the Bow.

Glue as you like and you're done!

Any one of these pages could be used as a Christmas Card idea....make a whole set!

Moving right along now.

Another page tomorrow!

Linda

And Happy 30th Anniversary today to the best guy ever! Mwah!

Christmas Emporium Book

We're Home!

We had a great time on our Smoky Mountain trip! It was full of great food, fun, shopping and tours.

That having been said....there's no place like home!

So I decided to work (finally) on putting together the book that goes into the Graphic 45-5x5 Kraftboard Altered Art Box with Album.

This is just one of the BACK pages. We'll prep all the pages here with Distress Stain to start.

Come back tomorrow for this front section!

This page is a bit bowed in the picture because of the "stuff" on the other side...Greetings really is straight, I promise!

If you have the wonderful box, you know it comes with an insert book. It folds out into 4 accordion pages.

I took one of my favorite Distress Stain - Fired Brick and outlined all the sections to begin with.

Then I added just a touch of Aged Mahogany and Vintage Photo. I used 2 layers of the Fired Brick to get a rich, deep color on the Kraft Paper.

Almost all the papers are the 8x8 paper pad from the Christmas Emporium collection again.

Since you've cut all the pieces out of one sheet for the box, all you have to do is decide where to put theses gorgeous papers!!! Right???

This is basically just a section of the Happy Holidays paper. (This is the 12x12 sheet here.)

I cut out the one section, then Distress Inked with Tea Dye and Vintage Photo and the Blending Tool.

Glue to to 3rd page from the left on the back.

The Snowflakes are from Maya Road, and the Glitter is Martha Stewart.

Add Glossy Accents and pile on the glitter. I use a piece of chipboard or plastic packaging to GENTLY press the glitter on top to flatten. Then move out of the pile to dry.

Thanks to Lisa M. Pace for teaching me to do glitter. She is the Glitter Queen!

(Check out her new book Delight in the Seasons and her new stamps by Pink Persimmon.)

When they're dry, spray with Blue Smoke Perfect Pearl Mist to add a more vintage look.

You can see the difference in the before and after in the picture above.

The Best Christmas Wishes and Greetings pieces are added to black chipboard.

Punch a hole in the tag, add an eyelet, and tie a piece of gold ribbon.

The Snowflakes needed a "little somethin' more" so I added a Rhinestone.

These were clear, so I added a bit of Denim Alcohol Ink to them for color and contrast.

A Green Metallic Gelly Roll pen makes a few marks around the border, and Coffee Archival Ink added a few more swirls on the tags.

I found the tiny wreath somewhere in my travels, and it was exactly the same size as the one in the picture!

The Star is from Mark Richards.

So I'll be working to put the other pages up as the month goes on.

But my suggestion for gluing is start on the back with the flat pieces, and move to the front.

Live and Learn!

Don't forget that Inspiration Emporium has $5 shipping in the US, and they carry all the things you need for Tim's 12 Tags of Christmas. So check them out!

Linda

Christmas Emporium from Graphic 45

 Those of you who follow me may remember I started this Graphic 45 Altered Art Box/with Album in Sept. up at the cabin in Minnesota.

Having said that, it's not unusual for me to work on something for months. Look at it, play around, add this, think of that at midnight, forget what I thought about the next morning....etc, etc, etc.

But, I did paint the box and glue the 2 layers around the base that you see here with the GORGEOUS Merry and Bright paper.

I LOVE the papers with the most black in them for some reason, and this one is fabulous!

These are mostly from the 8x8 paper pad Christmas Emporium, but I did use a few 12x12 sheets and some lighter backgrounds Let It Snow from Christmas Past.

I started by painting the box with Black Acrylic Paint.

Then I cut the papers apart...

Literally....all of the pieces...only using one of the 2 sheets in the pack.

Then I trace and cut the opening for the front section, stamp, distress ink, spray, and glue.

Time for a night photo.....this really shows the gorgeous spray of Sunflower Sparkle Perfect Pearls Mist on the blue paper for the cover front.

Next I start layering.

The hardest part for me is deciding it's time to glue.

So I punched out all the Christmas Emporium Tags 1 and started to add paper and stamped images to the backs.

I also used Christmas Emporium 1 and Christmas Emporium 2 Cling stamps throughout.

This is a look inside the box standing up after I've tied the tags to a Tim Holtz Curio Knob.

A closer detail look at the inside spine. Be careful not to layer anything too thick as the box will not close properly. 

The chipboard frame is from Red Lead, and I've added many different layers of Distress Ink and Stamps.

The cutout frame with Glossy Accents is layered on top.

The Gold beaded trim is tree trim from Hobby Lobby.

The Wooden Stars and Gold Rick-Rack are from JoAnn's.

Although the papers from Graphic 45 are perfectly vintage the way they are, I tend to add Tea Dye Distress Ink. It seems to make them just a bit richer and deeper in color.

I've stamped the edge here and added some extra dots as fill in.

The green chipboard piece has permanent marker along the edges.

After painting a couple of layers of acrylic paint on the wooden feet, I added Platinum Pearls-Liquid Pearls in little dots. 

Then some black Gel Glaze Pen dots to the bottom of the feet.

This is the bottom of the box.

I stamped the rejoicing family onto Let It Snow paper and added different Distress Inks to the edges.

The Green is Evergreen Bough from the Limited Edition Winter 2011 Distress Ink from Tim Holtz, and an Artistic Outpost stamp from the Sleigh Ride set.

The stamped piece was layered onto Transatlantique-Globe Trotter paper for drama!

Here's a detail shot of the Stamped images with Jet Black Archival Ink, and dots that I can't live without.

  

This is a dark picture of the inside of the box.

This is what is on my desk....Emma told me it was "kinda a mess" yesterday. JUST KINDA??????

I think I've worked harder than that to make it a REAL, BIG MESS...but that's just my opinion.

Now to decorate the INSIDE PAGES...I WILL POST THEM STARTING DEC. 1ST.

Come Back AGAIN!

Linda

A Busy Week

WOW! It's been a whole week since I've blogged!

We've been busy around here, cleaning up the garden and yard for winter.

Lunching with our friends in Lincoln.

Shopping and installing a new 42" LED TV in the bedroom. (got a real education with THAT adventure). Bill is genius when it comes to fishing a wall PERFECTLY for the cable!!!

I was extremely impressed!

Then I programmed it...yes, I did quite well even if I do say so myself. I learned a lot when I put in the DVR in my Studio.

One night earlier this week, I was working in the Studio, and out of my window, I saw the most glorious MOON!

So, to cut the chance of glare....my worst enemy it seems....I opened the window and got this cool shot going through the trees! More like Halloween than Thanksgiving, but I'll take it!



Erin had a school project due this week using the Mayan Indians for various things...art project, recipe, report....etc. And this is what she made with clay.

I did help a bit with the idea....these are all canvases covered with a really cool soft, air-dry clay!

Two 8x8 canvas boards on the bottom, then a 6", a 5", a 4", 2-3x3, and 2-2x2" canvases glued together. The top piece is just a square of clay in the top piece.

She really did a fantastic job!!! So proud of her!!!

 FUN TIME together!!!!





Today I decided I'd cleaned out enough closets and drawers in the last few days....7 bags to Goodwill!

I thought it was time to get out the half-done Graphic 45 Christmas Emporium project and work on that for awhile.....

So I dragged out a bunch of stash and hoped for inspiration.

It's still a work in progress, but I've been taking pictures along the way, so perhaps a TUTORIAL will be in the near future.....STAY TUNED!

Then in mid-afternoon....Bill brought up the mail!!!!!!!!!!!!! WOW!!!!YAY!!!! What a treat!!!!!!

My Trinket Case and Cargo Case from Tim Holtz!

Already loaded up some of the things in the Trinket Case....still giving some thought to the Cargo Case.

I really think they need some ALTERING.....so I'm working on that thought, too!

Taking in easy, reading on the sunporch, and relaxing for a few weeks has been wonderful.

So that's the weekly update here from me.

Monday it's back to the dentist to check on the root canal and another tooth.

"Getting old ain't for Sissies" ~Betty Davis

Linda



Doin' the Happy Dance Again!!! YAY!

OH! You guys will LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this new publication....I am amazed at the color, the layout, the 300 different projects that are in it......it's a MUST have for sure.


The link for the magazine is Scott Publications here.

This is one of the projects in there.

And my Steampunk Clock....on my wall ticking away as we speak.

And probably my favorite is this one. All kinds of metal from several different places.

So that's it for today. Off to pick up the girls for the afternoon.

It is a gorgeous day.

Be Well.....and Be Good to each other.

YOUR FRIEND IN ART!

Linda