Thursday, June 30, 2011

Happy July Celebration!

I can't believe I've been MIA for two weeks!  I've been busy with family and friends.  But now I'm back in the craft room, busily creating for the Design Team reveals.  I decided to update my blog for the 4th of July weekend.  So while I'm working on some new projects to post, here's  something I made last summer for the big celebration.

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

The Little Black Dress

 It's time for another Gingersnap Creations Design Team creation.  We're continuing  the June month's Shopping theme with a focus on Using Labels and Packaging in our Art.  This week it's GC107 Random Redhead Challenge:  Bags and Tags.


For the "bags" part, I melted a plastic shopping bag using my iron and a paper bag.  Here's where I learned about this technique:
Follow The Paper Trail You Tube video: Plastic Bag Mini Album Pages Tutorial 
Here's the addy in case the link quits working:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9pe5oXYYxU&feature=related
I used USArtquest Perfect Pigment Pure Liquid Acrylic in:  Cobalt Turquoise Blue with a little Burnt Umber. I added a bit of Adirondack Metallic Gold paint dabber.


For the "tags" part, I resized one of the alphabet tags from Altered Pages and added the words The Little Black Dress. I distressed the edges of the tag with Ranger Distress Ink in Antique Linen.   I also used one of the images from the 1941 Fashion page provided by Altered Pages.


A big thank you to Jean Moore from Altered Pages for being this month's sponsor.  There are prizes to be won so be sure to enter your art by July 17.  You may be the next Home Page Artist or one of ten Ginger Gems.

Monday, June 13, 2011

Some Digital Badges for Bella Creations

I'm not a graphic artist and I think I've made only three art pieces digitally.  But as part of my design team work, I've created quite a few badges for Bella Creations.  It's a nice change of pace to create something in a format other than paper and glue.  I'm no expert, so Photobucket is my best friend.  I take an image I like over to their site and use their text, glitter text, animations and frames. Works for me.  So here's what I made this weekend. 


Photobucket


This badge is for anyone who buys a Bella Creations kit. We've started a new group at Bella Creations, too--the Bella Trousse Artistes.


Here's the current June kit, Heavenly, that's for sale.  It's full of Pink Paislee Butterfly Garden papers.  There are two die cut embellies and a crocheted butterfly that are hand made for this kit. You've seen several of my posts using this kit in my art.
Here's my next badge:

Photobucket

Preferred Member: anyone who refers someone to Lacee who purchases the June kit gets a 10% discount on the kit. The person being referred also gets 10% off the June kit.


And my final badge:
Photobucket

We just posted the July Bella Creations Kit, Southern Charm, for pre-orders and it's already flying off the shelf. It's full of yummy Melissa Frances Vintage Fifth Avenue goodness. Again, this kit features exclusive hand made embellishments: two die cuts and that wonderful brown flower. 

There also is an add-on kit and a coordinating stamp set for separate purchase.  Here are the add-ons.
I just got the kit and add-ons in the mail today and can't wait to get started on my design team creations. 

As you can see, I'm excited to be a part of Bella Creations' design team, and we want our members to feel special too!  If you want to join in the fun, to get your June kit, head on over to the Bella blog.  To pre-order the July kit, just send an email to Lacee Broyles when you're at the Bella Creations ning site or send her an email here:
bella_creations_08@yahoo.com

Credits:  images used in the first two badges are free at Magic Moonlight.  Image in the last badge is from Gecko Galz Girlfriends ephemera set.

Saturday, June 11, 2011

On This Day

Today I went to a wedding.  I gave the bride and groom this card which is my Bella Creations design team work for the June Bella Muse Challenge.


Our muse is the image provided.  This month it's the happy couple on loan to us from the private collection of  our design team member Sandi McLean.


Each of the 12x12 Pink Paisley Butterfly Garden patterned papers (including the doily which I fussy cut) the flower, button, pearlized trim, ribbon, Cosmo Cricket Tiny Type, and the exclusive die cut butterfly are ALL FROM the June Bella Creations main kit, Heavenly. This kit is still available in limited supply at our Bella Creations blog.


Any form of art is accepted for the challenge.  I chose to make a sidestep card using my score board and coordinating deep green card stock from my stash for the base. Here is a side view of the sidestep card:


Each month we have a sponsor for the challenge who gives a fantastic prize. Winner is selected by random draw.  This month the sponsor is Apron Strings.  I also have their badge/link up on my sidebar. Here is their prize for this challenge. 


You have until the end of the month to enter you art using our June couple.  Their story needs to be told.  Submit your entry in the Bella Muse challenge section of the Forum at Bella Creations.  

I'm also entering this card in my cyber friend Vicki Romaine's challenge over at her blog The Cheerful Stamp Pad.   Her challenge is a card for a special reason. 
http://cheerfulstamppad.blogspot.com/2011/05/challenge-19-special-reason.html

Thursday, June 9, 2011

This is my design team work for June's Bella Unique challenge which is a technique challenge at Bella Creations.
 
ABOUT THE LAYOUT:
I fussy cut a couple of butterflies from the pretty Pink Paislee papers, tried my hand at wet distressing the paper, and used my die cut to make vines which I covered with Broken China distress ink to match dt Bella Heather's cherub die cut. This is a photo of my two dds. I got from them the matching Pink Paislee wood embellies--butterfly and cage, which I painted to match the paper.  The cage has several distress inks plus Perfect Pearls.  I added some bigger flowers from my stash as well as some matching Pink Paislee green alpha stickers for the title, SOAR. I hope the internet French translator didn't let me down. The quote is supposed to say, My beautiful daughters soar on the wings of butterflies.


ABOUT THE KIT:
I had a wonderful time working with the June  monthly kit, Heavenly, from Bella Creations

The kit includes these beautiful Pink Paislee Butterfly Garden 12 x 12 papers.  In addition to the flowers, trim, buttons, and bling that you'd expect in a kit, Bella Creations owner, Lacee Broyles, is adding some handmade embellishments.  The June kit includes a crocheted butterfly. You also get a die cut butterfly and cherub label created by dt Bella Heather Hudson who is offering an entire sheet of the cherub label FREE to anyone purchasing the June Heavenly kit.  But hurry, as there are only 11 kits left!  You can purchase your own kit at the Bella Blog.


ABOUT THE UNIQUE TECHNIQUE CHALLENGE:
This month we're challenged to make a ribbon flower with wired ribbon.  The technique is from our Bella Unique sponsor, the flying unicorn.  Here is the link to the tutorial: 
http://flyingunicornllc.blogspot.com/2010/05/tecchnique-tuesday-another-flower.html

The tutorial calls for 1-1/2" wide wired ribbon.  So I made a white flower using the exact directions. Once done, I decided the flower would make a great bow on a gift--so here it is for a wedding coming up this summer:   (sorry the photo is a bit skewed)

Then I decided to use a narrower pink ribbon with silver edging that turned out to be the right size for my layout.  You'll find it on the bottom of the layout. 
But I didn't stop there!  I took the garter ribbon that came in the kit and made another flower with it, my version of the unique challenge.  Here's my tutorial on the small and dainty pink flower:


Bella Soft and Dainty Flower tutorial using the pink garter ribbon in Lacee's June kit.
Take the length of ribbon and cut it in half so that you have 6 inches to work with.
Using a needle and thread and start rolling the ribbon, catching the center of the elastic as you go.

Once it is totally rolled up, stitch through all layers on each side of the center stitches you just did.  You will be cutting through all layers directly down the center in order to make 2 flowers.  Stitching on each side now, will keep the individual flowers from unrolling.

Cut down the middle, and finish backs as you wish.

Note to those with sewing machines:  You probably could sew your two rows first, then cut down the middle and roll each flower individually.  However, I don't sew, so when I cut down the middle first, the elastic and ribbon totally unraveled.  My tutorial is my version to keep everything from unraveling if you do it by hand.

We're also challenged to use this sketch by our dt Bella, Heather Hudson:
I hope you'll join us at Bella Creations for this Bella Unique challenge. It can be any type of art format: card, layout, tag, etc. Just use the sketch and make a wired ribbon flower! More design team examples are at the Bella Creations site in the Forum under June Bella Unique challenge.

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Wishful Thinking

At Gingersnap Creations we are going Shopping in June with a focus on using packaging materials in our art! Join us in our tribute to retail therapy!

Along with our new theme, we are welcoming a brand-new sponsor to Gingersnap Creations - Altered Pages! They have some fabulous prizes in store for you this month!

This week it's the Spicy Supply Challenge --Packaging Materials.  Please visit Gingersnap Creations for all the details on entering this challenge.  You'll also see there the other design team Gingers' art created for this challenge.

For my design team creation, I used a variety of packaging materials.  Last week, I took out the cardboard insert from a package of new sheets.  I cut it down to tag size and ripped off the top layer, then added some Adirondack Snow Cap acrylic paint.  I'm not fond of those staples that snag your clothes if not removed carefully.  So I thought it would be appropriate to use lots of staples on this tag.  I found a little plastic bag with the "extra button and thread" usually attached to clothing.  I created my own sentiment and some "fabric care symbols"  to insert into the bag.  The tag trim at the top is a piece of shopping bag handle that I unraveled.  More staples.

I used one of the images provided by Jean Moore from Altered Pages.  This bathing beauty is on the 1941 Fashion Ladies sheet.  Never one to enjoy looking into the dressing room mirror, I came up with the sentiment, "I didn't know GUARANTEED TO BE LIGHT-WEIGHT AND WRINKLE FREE was referring to the suit!" Yup, it's that time of year again.  I printed the image onto beige paper, wrinkled it and distressed with Ranger Antique Linen, hoping it looked like I ripped the ad out of the newspaper to take along on a shopping trip.  I also distressed the Tim Holtz ticket WISH, epitomizing my bathing suit fantasy look. 

What will you create with packaging materials?  You just may be the next Home Page Artist or one of ten Ginger Gems!  You have until July 10 to upload your creation to GC106.

Monday, June 6, 2011

In the Gecko Galz Spotlight

I'M THE JUNE GUEST ARTIST IN THE SPOTLIGHT AT GECKO GALZ !

It's such an honor!  I was thrilled when Gecko Galz owner. Leanne Seed, asked to feature my work with her Gecko Galz images.

There's a lovely post on Leanne See's personal blog, Fripperies and Butterflies, showcasing one tag and two cards that I made using Gecko Galz images.
and Here: Gecko Galz
At the Gecko Galz company site, you'll find me in the Guest Artist tab.  Leanne featured quite a few of my projects here, including the card I made in memory of my brother when he passed away in January, some cards, and a matchbox ATC shrine.

Here are the two cards I created for the June Guest Artist Showcase:
The Surf's Up ephemera set provides this great image from the 1959 movie, Gidget, that deserves the retro look.  So I created a "Polaroid" photo that's "scrapbook worthy" and added the "journaling" while it was still in the computer.  I fussy cut the three surfboards and pop dotted them in front of a Tim Holtz hotel sticker.  I created "sand" with flower soft, scattered straw distress stickles, and glitter.  The ribbon is from some amazing stash I won on the Fripperies blog.  The background paper I created myself when I took a Spanish marbling workshop.  I love to use this "wavy" paper for beach scenes.  I edged the paper with shabby shutters distress ink.


The images from the Vintage Cars ephemera set works perfectly for the shapes on this sidestep card. I made a computer generated sentiment, pop dotted the gas logos, and added a Maya Road ribbon.  

I posted this second card in the Cartes Classiques group over at Bella Creations for the June masculine image challenge.  I hope you'll join my design teammate, Starr Timmons, in her group where she's offering some wonderful Gecko Galz images to use on your cards.

Leanne is very good to us over at Bella Creations.  She sponsors my Oh La La group where each month she provides a free image for my challenge and then also gives the winner a free ephemera set of choice.  She also featured the work of entire Bella Creations Design Team on her company site.  You'll find her images scattered through other Bella Creations group challenges.

I love working with her images and have used them in my design team work for both Bella Creations and Gingersnap Creations.
Take a peek at Leanne's newest venture, her company blog, Gecko Galz, where you'll find freebies and challenges.  

BLOG HOP WINNER ANNOUNCED

The Bella Creations Blog Hop was a big success this weekend.  Thanks to my followers who hopped along and welcome to my new visitors.

As promised, here's some information about my Heavenly Mail which is my give-away prize.
The materials used are from the Bella Creations debut monthly main kit--the June kit Heavenly comprised of Pink Paislee Butterfly Garden papers, some hand crafted embellishments, and lots of other yummy goodness.

For the hop, each Design Team member created an envelope and tag to give away on her blog.  This same envelope and tag is also a challenge at Bella Creations.  One of our members, Lili, challenged the DT to create an envelope, and now we're all in a contest to see which one will be the members' favorite. If you did the hop, then you know that the competition is pretty fierce!  I'm glad I'm not voting!

This same envelope also is the design team example for the Tres Chic challenge for members this month at Bella Creations.  Here are the requirements which I incorporated:
Style: soft and dainty

Color scheme: creme, soft pink, yellow, pale green
Elements: button, feather, cherub, doily(paper or fabric), flower
You don't need to have the kit to enter the challenge, but you do need to incorporate the required components.

In the photo up above, I turned one of the small alpha/cherub images into a postage stamp and then using my Red Lead stamps to add "art post" " and the cancellation waves.  I also used 3 colors of Ranger Distress ink on the white envelope, and typed the song lyrics on the Cherub die cut.  Our design team Bella, Heather Hudson, is offering a free sheet of these die cuts to anyone who buys the Heavenly kit.  You do get one die cut with your kit.  But it was handy to have an entire sheet to use digitally. The doily and butterfly are fussy cut. The postage stamp alphas are from Crafty Secrets and not part of the kit.


This is the back side of the envelope and tag.  If you like to ink things up, Ranger Distress Ink in Shabby Shutters and Vintage Photo matches this paper line quite well. I love this double sided patterned paper.  It worked so well for this project.  I only added the fussy cut angel and a Crafty Secrets sentiment sticker.

I love the sentiment.  My new friend and winner of my blog hop prize is.................
ksval1956 said...
Lovely, lovely tags! This will be my first blog hop - sounds like a great time!
Congrats Valerie!  Please pm me either here (it's one of the tabs up top) or at Bella Creations on My Page with your snail mail addy so that I can post your heavenly mail!

Be sure to check out Valerie's art and freebies on her own blog, Right Brain Freedom

I will be featuring the rest of my design team work for Bella Creations later in the week.

Tomorrow, Tuesday, I would like to share with you the new things I designed for Leanne Seed when she asked me to be the guest artist at Gecko Galz.  In the meantime, I have the links posted in the sidebar.

Sunday, June 5, 2011

LAST DAY TO HOP- FIRST DAY TO BUY

Here it is! The First Bella Creations Main Monthly Kit featuring 12x12 pages.  This June main kit is called Heavenly.  This is available for purchase on the Bella Creations Blog.


This is the last day of our Blog Hop.  I'm so excited to have so many visitors leave comments and thrilled that some of you new to my blog have decided to become followers!

If you want to be included in the hop for a chance to win prizes, please see the post directly below this one for the blog hop list and directions.

Please come back here tomorrow, Monday, June 6, to find out who the winner is of my " heavenly mail".

I'm also excited that my art is being featured.  See my sidebar for details.  Tomorrow I'll tell you more about that, too!

Thursday, June 2, 2011

BELLA CREATIONS FIRST BLOG HOP IS HEAVENLY

Ready for the first ever Blog Hop for Bella Creations?
Well we are ready, the Design Team and our fearless leader, Lacee, have been brainstorming on how to make this blog hop fun, with some great prizes and……………………..are you ready?

Our reveal of Bella Creations first kit………………………….
Lacee has done a fabulous job since she opened Bella Creations with the goal being to start her own kits. Well the time has come. Starting in JUNE you will be able to purchase your very own Bella Creations Kit designed by Lacee.  Here's a sneak peek of the first monthly kit entitled Heavenly:

Want to see more of it???  na na na---not until June 5th when it goes on sale.  But what's in this next photo?


We have all been super busy creating with the first kit, and oh what fun it has been!! We decided to make an envelope card using the contents of the kit and felt it was only right to give away the first projects made with the kit. So here is my heavenly mail, which you have the chance to win by being a follower of my blog and leaving me a comment on this post!!! 

If you follow through the entire blog hop, you have more chances to win additional prizes from the rest of the Design Team. 

So let's get started:


As you hop from blog to blog, you also should be collecting all the secret words that you need to make a sentence.  Please leave a comment and become a follower of every blog along the way.  At the end  of the hop, you will email Lacee your sentence.

Lacee will pick a random winner to receive a mini album kit that she has designed. Here is a pic of the mini album kit -- a prize worth hopping after:


Here is the order of the blog hop and order of the secret words for your sentence..

You will start here:
LACEE ; http://okiescrapper.blogspot.com/
CARLA: http://carlascuriouslycraftychaos.blogspot.com/
HELENE: http://2amscrapper.blogspot.com/  (you are here)
STARR: http://starr-timmons.blogspot.com/
SHAWN: http://poetryinapotoftea.blogspot.com/
SANDI: http://scrapbookinwithg.blogspot.com
CATHY: http://catbaker24.blogspot.com/
HEATHER: http://heatherahudson.blogspot.com/

FINALLY BELLA CREATIONS BLOG: http://bellacreations.blogspot.com/

And then you need to go to the site: http://bellacreations.ning.com/

Remember once you become a member (if you aren't already), look in the forum for the JUNE kit reveal called Heavenly. This is where you will find the email address to email Lacee the sentence that you collected throughout the hop for a chance to win her fabulous mini kit pictured above!


Here is what you've been waiting for:  my secret word for the sentence......is.......
                                                PEEK 

Now it's time to TAKE A RIDE FROM MY BLOG TO THE NEXT DESIGN TEAM BELLA, STARR  http://starr-timmons.blogspot.com/  for your next secret word.  Starr has created something spectacular as her prize so be sure to leave a comment there and become her follower!

On the little diecut card inside the envelope, I printed the song lyrics performed by the group Train.  I found the lyrics on the blinkie ball created by Rose Petals from Heaven which I posted on my sidebar,  While this post is up, you'll be hearing the song's refrain:
Go on hitch a ride on the back of a butterfly.  There's no better way to fly (Get to me).  

Be sure to fly back here to me on Monday, June 6th.  Towards the end of that day, I'll be posting the winner of my heavenly mail, giving more deets about how I created it, and revealing more news!

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

June "Starr's Garden" Limited Edition Mini Album kit


It's the first of the month at Bella Creations and with that comes the reveal of the month's Limited Edition Mini album kits created by Lacee Broyles.

This month Lacee have taken inspiration from one of her Design Team gals,Starr Timmons.  Starr told Lacee she loves flowers, and Lacee channeled that inspiration into every aspect of this kit. There are tons of flowers, "IAM ROSES" and "Primas" as well as a few others; heck even the papers have flowers on them. This is a charming vintage rose garden inspired kit that you wont want to miss!! Hurry fast as this kit is super limited and will be sold only while supplies last!!!


To order the kit, go to the Bella Creations Blog and look on the sidebar for the Buy it Now button.

Starting this month, Lacee also will offer a regular, full size kit (in addition to her mini album kit).  The big kit will be revealed on the fifth of every month.  To kick off Lacee's kit of the month, the Design Team at Bella Creations is having a three day blog hop.  Please join me back here on Friday, June 3rd for the start of the hop!  

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