Once upon a time...

Well, we're into December and soon it'll be 2020: The Year of The Optometrist 👀.  But until we get there, let's go back in time, to a land far, far away...

For the new challenge at Creative Artiste, I went back to my artsy roots and decoupaged a 12x12 paper maché box using DCWV's Once Upon a Time collection. This would be an adorable gift box to put your Christmas present in for a daughter, granddaughter, etc. Sparkly, embossed pages torn from a fairy tale, complete with a knight in shining armor!

Head over to the blog for the last challenge of 2019 at Creative Artiste! 

Winter Solstice

Hello, my lovely friends! I hope your Thanksgiving was full of love and fun! We're into December and getting closer to winter. Mixed Media Place has a challenge that invokes the winter spirit.

Winter has its dark moments but I find the colors in the sky can be quite vibrant - you get more purples, blues, and hints of green with your sunsets. Yes, you'll find empty bird nests, dried flowers, and bare trees. But there's also the iridescence of the Aurora Borealis. My project has captured that phenomenon with vibrant tones.

Let me say right off that there was no editing of the colors - Finnabair's waxes and paints are that spectacular!  I've been on a baby shoe kick here recently - they are such a different base for your projects and can inspire you to pack a punch into such a small place. Embellishments go a long way!

Winter doesn't have to be dreary, my friends. Punch up your projects with some vibrant colors and switch out your normal base with something different!

Thankful for the little things

It's Thanksgiving week - a time for families to gather together and eat until their pants pop open! And of course, it's a time to be thankful. We should always be thankful, especially for the little things. And I have a project I made that reminds me to be thankful for the little things God has given me.

Baby shoes - so much fun to upcycle and be creative! This little shoe is perched atop an old cardboard spool. It's embellished with buttons, lace, and a fancy ornament with a sparkling jewel.

The spool is adorned with printed handmade trim with a fairy and a flower. 

And what's inside? And old doll with his Teddy bear, ruler, scissors, and a small tree.

This is something my Mother would've adored and I believe I got some of my artistic talent from her. It's those little things I'm truly thankful for.

Warm and cozy

The weather outside is getting nippy, y'all, and I say bring it on! What makes you feel warm & cozy this time of year? Maybe some hot cocoa or a blanket by the fireplace while you watch the snow fall. Even decor in our homes can makes us feel that way: wood, burlap, fluffy throws over the couch. I made a decor piece that invokes that warm and cozy feeling...

This is a wooden artist's palette that I've recycled from a previous project that I was just over! I covered it in crinkled kraft paper (saved from packaging) and then went over it with some different watered-down acrylic inks to make it look worn and rustic.

I added a piece of wire fencing with an interesting piece of bark I found that had blown off our tree. I loved the curves and how it was coiled. From there, I just layered some goodies with a folded piece of woolen fabric as the base. And there's just a little pop of red twine.

I then added some embossed chipboard snowflakes, triangles, and sentiment adhered to another piece of bark. All the chipboard is from Creative Embellishments!

This will look nice perched under one of the Christmas trees or just sitting on a shelf year around! It would also make a nice masculine gift!

I'm entering this at Creative Embellishments November Challenge!

Folded book tree

Hello everyone! It's November already and we start thinking about colder weather, rustic cabins, and decorating trees! This month's Emerald Creek challenge - Aspenglow - will get you in that holiday mood for sure!

I made a folded book tree for my DT project - stop by the blog to get the details!

I  hope you'll play along with us and do some shopping! 

Emerald Creek Supplies:

Forest Foliage Textured Powder

Boho Blends - Paprika

Molten Dimension - Glistening Glass
Snowflake - Cling Mount
Silver Red Rhinestone Brads
Victorian Snowflake Charms

Other Supplies:

Embossing Pad

Scrap patterned paper

Trim
Paperback Book
Scrap Cardboard

Matte gel
E6000 glue

Madame Butterfly

Hello everyone! It's the 15th of the month and that means a new challenge at Bleeding Art!  It's always anything goes and we'd love to have you participate!!

For my DT project, I made a little Madame Butterfly 🦋

I recently obtained a bunch of different vintage and antique doll parts so I chose a Kewpie doll body and gave her wings!   The bigger wings are from Finnabair's butterfly tissue paper that I adhered to a cream card stock and cut out. I went around the edges with gold rub 'n buff.

The black wings are from molds I made of the new Butterfly Wings Art Foamies stamps from A Vintage Girl of which I'm a Brand Ambassador. I added waxes for an iridescent look. The smaller wings are also from Finnabair's tissue paper.

I put her in a little tin bucket - it was white but I painted it with iron paste and added a little rust paste, rusty wire, and safety pins. She's so adorable!

Please do stop by to participate! We have tab prize sponsors and you could be a guest designer!

I'm entering my little butterfly at Classic Design Team Challenge, Through The Craft Room Door, Arty Divas, and Mix It Up!