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Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Kraftie Kre8ations Black and Orange Challenge Artiste Coffin Box


This is my submission for the Kraftie Kre8ations's Design Team Black and Orange Challenge. http://www.kraftiekre8ations.com/  It had to be a 3-D object.  I don't think I was very comfortable making 3-D objects from scratch 6 months ago but with my Cricut anything is possible.  The Artiste cartridge from Close to my Heart is full of cool boxes and 3-D objects.


I cut the box from Creative Memories black shimmer paper, the skeleton and top layer of the tombstone is CM Platinum shimmer.  The orange shimmer is from the Paper Company.  I ran it through the Sizzix with a Tim Holtz embossing folder.  All edges are chalked with Versa Magic Midnight Black.  I did not chalk the edges of the box since it will be handled so much.  I used glitter and glue for the embellishment on top of the coffin.  I searched long and hard from an appropriate orange glitter glue and it just did not happen.



I cut the skeleton 5.5" to make sure it actually fit in the 6" box and it worked with a little twisting!


I put a small paper easel on the back of the tombstone to make it stand up. 


 I am going to give this to my son today!  Happy Halloween!


I am entering this in the following challenges:

http://www.craftindesertdivas.com/2013/10/craft-it-up-link-it-up-linky-party-18.html

http://cardztv.blogspot.com/2013/10/cardz-tv-go-to-galz-challenge-38-ghost.html

http://www.sparklingblackrose-craftmylife.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/all-crafts-challenge-
octobernovember.html

http://sparklesforumchallenges.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/challenge-49-halloween-or-colours.html

http://totallypapercrafts.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/challenge-190-no-squares-allowed.html

http://thecraftingcafe.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/anything-goes-dt-call.html








Sunday, October 27, 2013

Monster Mash Scrap our Stash & Cardz TV Challenges




This layout is primarily made with Recollections Halloween from Michael's a few years back.  In the Cardz TV challenge, you are to use only black, orange and purple with a small amount of white or green allowed.  I did not use any other colors.  I even covered the eyes of the owls, bats, and spiders with orange bling!  I did leave the cat's eyes green on the fence embellishment because the eyes were oval not round like the bling.  I suspended the spider from a black glitter fiber.  The letters are from a crazy pack of assorted color shiny letters from Walmart a long time ago and some brand new black glitter thickers I just won from Scrappin' Madge.  I won two past Housecalls kits, they are pretty cool.   Check her out:  http://www.thescrappinlounge.com/  Thanks!!!


I also used the Scrap our Stash sketch with their twist to use paint or mist.  I created this to give to the host and hostess of the annual party.  Last year's them for Monster Mash was the 70's and the band was Gee your band smells terrific!  Last night's theme was the 80's and the band was Devil's Due.  



Close up of the flower I made with a random purple glitter flower, black velvet~y flower and a random purple bling.  Also showing the Heidi Grace sticker that I added to the background.




This picture is sort of blurry but you can get a good view of the Glimmer Mist in black magic.  It is oh so subtle on black paper.  



I popped up most of the embellishments on pop dots and added lots of bling.


I am entering this project in the following challenges:


http://cardztv.blogspot.com/2013/10/cardz-tv-linky-party-go-to-galz-color.html

http://dianamlarson.blogspot.com/2013/10/dlart-thankful-thursday-october-linky.html

http://thecupboardtrilogychallenges.blogspot.com/2013/10/challenge-16-halloweenfall.html?m=0

http://creativecraftchallenges2.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/challenge-21-anything-goes-blogaversary.html?m=1

http://www.ttcrd.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/ttcrs-challenge-oct-22-oct-28.html

http://scrapourstash.blogspot.com/2013/10/sketch-with-stash-challenge-8.html







Wednesday, October 23, 2013

Fantasy Brooch Bouquet~A labor of love...

I knew this project would take time but 35 work hours later, I call it a Labor of Love.  Of course, I had several friends who proved invaluable to this creation.  They donated brooches and other jewelry.  They helped twist all the pieces into flowers.  And finally a friend who worked at a florist during the summers of her college years help me arrange it.


My sister took some lovely pictures of it at the reception.


It is so heavy and the handle is so thick.  I have not found a vase or anything to hold it upright yet.




I started with various jewelry pieces, floral wire and white floral tape to create the flowers.  I watched several you tube videos before beginning.  I learned many helpful pointers such as using the thickest wire you can find.  In general, floral wire is thin and assist in making flowers hold shape.  Brooches are much heavier than flowers and I ended up making several "stems" at various points on the piece of jewelry and braiding them together to create one "stem" to hold the heavy pieces.  Another hint was not to use the "pin" on the back of the brooch, these open and close easily and could fall apart on you without warning if the closure accidentally disengages.  All the pieces are left usable again should you choose to disassemble the flower later with just a few snips with the wire cutters.   I intend to leave my bouquet intact and display it.



I ended up making 50 flowers and using 2 spools of silver wire (thicker of the two) and one spool of gold wire, and 2-3 packs of white floral tape.


Not all of my brooches ended up in the final piece.  As I worked on it and finalized my dress, I narrowed the "colors" to silver, gold, crystal and pearl.  There were a few colors, in the bouquet but I tried to keep with my chosen colors/theme.  I did use the abalone butterfly above but left out the copper piece.  As you can see there is a gold dogwood set of brooch and earrings above.  I used that one and several three pieces sets.  The key with all pieces is to have somewhere to wrap the wire securely on the pieces preferably in multiple points balancing the piece.  I used on "bunch" of ivory flowers from Michael's for the "inside" of my bouquet to hide the wires as I did not want a tight bouquet as I have seen in so many pinterest pins.  I also found 3 beautiful feather picks at Michael's. I searched four Michael's and never found anymore.  The bunch of flowers had greenery (leaves) which I left on and pulled the leaves off the bottom of the stem and inserted in the bouquet.


I also purchased this cone JoAnn Fabrics to help shape the bouquet.  I ended up tearing off the lace and putting my own gold tulle around the top of the plastic.  I also had to increase the size of the hole as brooch flower stems are very thick after using so much wire.



Some flowers after they have been wrapped but before the floral tape has been wrapped around them.


I tried to get a close up of where the pins are attached to wire.  


More "flowers", I used gold wire and silver wire depending on the pieces.  If it is a gold piece the gold wire blends with the piece, so you don't notice the wires.  


And the back of this set.


The brooch on the far right is my "something blue".


My friend wrapped wire through a broken pearl necklace and made this lovely spray.  I thought the colors were very close to the abalone, so I asked her to add it to the top.  As you can see it ended up in the front bottom of the bouquet. .


A pieces she gave me that started as a bracelet.


                                      A set I purchased for the bouquet at a resale shop.



More pieces these have been wrapped in floral tape to cover the wire and add uniformity.


A brooch I wore regularly in the 1980's.


A "1929" enameled dragonfly.


Rhinestone pieces: brooches, a shoe clip, earrings and clasps.



My friend also wrapped loosely some rhinestone bracelets that are in the bouquet.


These are all pretty old pieces that I have had in my collection for a while.  My grandmother immediately recognized the center piece as an old Avon brooch that she gave me.


More pieces:  You can see with as much wire as I used the heaviness is still obvious in leaning flowers.


There is a sterling silver ring and a broken barrette.


The bracelets stand up well with just a couple of wire but you still want them to be flexible!


Here's the centerpiece, a gift from a close friend who also helped wrap some flowers.


What a project.  One of those that I will not be duplicating!  Thanks for spending some time reading my blog.  Have a blessed day!

Thursday, October 17, 2013

Breast Cancer Hope ATC Swap for Kraftie Kre8ations

In this series of ATC's I created 10.  I needed 6 for a swap and I am using the last four for another Breast Cancer Awareness Project this month.  Both part of Kraftie Kre8ations:  http://www.kraftiekre8ations.com/


I have this beautiful TCP hot pink shimmer paper which I used on most of the cards.  I also used the Creative Memories Think Pink embellishment packs on most of the cards.  I had to add some bling and highlight with a sparkle pen.


This one also has some Creative Memories Fabulous Paper Flowers and white rick rack.


This one has some printed tape.


Queen and Co bling and velveteen brad.  I painted this pale pink card with a light gloss with Pearl Ex duo red/blue which has a pink hue.  I also used the Creative Memories pink ribbon punch.


American Crafts twine, CM Fabulous Paper flower and a beautiful brad.


I love the hot pink fiber with the CM epoxy think pink embellishment!


Lots of fiber and bling on this one.



A little different with the doily and CM shape maker circle tag punch.


Pearl paint.  



I didn't include a close up pic of the "cure" one because it was missing some bling, I did not discover until I was putting this set in the mail for the swap.  I did replace it before it went in the mail and later I found the one pink crystal stuck to me!

I am entering this in the following challenges:






Thank you for reading today!