Snowflake Crocheted Bead Wreath Tag

I’m a bit bummed about the photo of the wreath on this tag; it’s so pretty IRL and so hard to see in the photo!

I would have made the crocheted strand much longer so the final wreath would be thicker but I ran out of time. Maybe if the background was solid it may have stood out better, in fact I'm pretty sure it would have, my bad.

It’s actually really easy to make, you thread your beads on thin wire, 26 gauge or thinner. Keep your wire on the spool, don’t pre-cut it. Then just start chain crocheting it. Every so many stitches, you have to decide what look you want (one bead every stitch, every second, third…), you slide a bead along and stitch it in. Easy Peasy! I wrapped mine twice but I think I should have wrapped it at least 4 times to make it more dense and stand out from the background more.

For the background, I used Sharon Harnist’s double embossing technique. You can find her tutorial at the Classroom as part of the 12 tags of Christmas. I started by using glitter embossing powder but I overheated it so I embossed over it with clear embossing powder. Then I used two blues, one was more turquoise-ish, and E77 to airbrush the background. Removing the colour from the embossing was the fun part; it is quite dramatic!

I’m also going to enter this in the Really Reasonable Ribbon Challenge 62 to create anything!

Enjoy, Rebecca

RECIPE
Stamps: Thanks All Ways-PTI (on back)
Ink: Teal Zeal-Memento (on back)
Paper: white CS-PTI, chocolate CS-SU!
Accessories: craft wire-Michaels, beads, lace, crochet hook-stash, metallic string, embossing folder-Cuttlebug, 1/2” hole punch-SU!, small hole punch-WRMK Cropadile, Hero Arts ultrafine embossing powder, iridescent ice embossing powder-SU!, Copic airbrush system

Dream Art Journal Page

I am new to mixed media and art journaling so be kind. Here is my first page in my new art journal. I kinda winged it with the only pre-requisite being the colours required for the new Mixed Media Colour Challenge. and an idea that I might satisfy another challenge by adding hexagons but I love them so much I’d probably have used them anyway!

ETA: I just noticed how grey the top right textured area looks. I PROMISE, it isn’t like that IRL. Somehow, between adding the gold paste and adjusting the levels to make the other colours look right it does that. I don’t know why. Sorry! It is more accurate in the close up below though brighter white IRL .

I had so many ideas that didn’t work out. Gotta love that gesso. It’s like an eraser or a Copic blender pen for art journals! I orignally had a yellow BG with peach bubble wrap over it and then added the texture paste ‘doily’ over it. Which was good because I didn’t love the bubble wrap look too much. Then I tried adding the hexagon stencil with coral spray mist. Ugh! The spray mist was too intense and looked like my page was bleeding. Plus, it soaked right into my texture paste so there was no wiping it off. So I started fresh with new gesso and a new coat of yellow paint. Ahh, that’s better!

But now I was really missing the white of the texture paste so I reapplied it in the opposite corner. I had also added some pink on it with my Copic airbrush system so I added that back also. To make the original texture stand out, I added some gilder’s paste.

This is the new area of texture paste. It was brighter white but I added a tiny bit of gilder’s paste. You have to be careful with that stuff. Lots looks shiny and pretty. A touch can look nice or it can look dirty. I wish I’d used a bit less; maybe only on the outer parts?

This butterfly was traced from a Studio Calico mask. I was going to layer the lighter butterfly on top but when I realized you wouldn’t see any of the mist on it, I decided to place them separately. I hand cut the blush butterfly. The next mask size down is a lot smaller. I don’t know why there is such a jump in sizes as the next 4 are closer in size to each other. It’s a LOT easier to size up by tracing around a mask than to try and size down!!

So in the end, here are my layers. Gesso, acrylic paint, dictionary page, texture paste, spray mist, gesso, acrylic paint, Copic airbrushing, embellishments, Gilder’s paste.

I’m entering this in Crazy for Challenges C4C192 to use Hexagons.

Also Really Reasonable Ribbon #75 challenge to create anything but a card with ribbon.

And last but not least A Mixed Media Colour Challenge to use yellow, peach and pink. Click graphic to visit the post.

ETA: I completely forgot, I meant to also enter this in the Simon Says Stamp and Show Blog. Anything Goes.

Enjoy, Rebecca

RECIPE
Ink: Mister Hueys-Studio Calico
Paper: Dictionary page
Accessories: homemade texture paste (white glue, MS pearl paint, baby powder), Copic markers and airbrush system, Studio Calico and various stencils and masks, jewelry wire, May Arts ribbon, Gelatos (title), Prisma micron pen, gilder’s paste, journal (actually a cheap sketchbook)-Michaels, washi tape-MME, WRMK

Avon Gift Set

I found a few things in the Avon catalogue that I knew my girlfriend would like and were also on sale (yeah!) so when they arrived, I knew they needed some pretty packaging!

This also works for a couple of challenges, Skipping Stones Sketch Challenge, Joan’s Garden’s Challenge #41 – Recycle, Friday Mashup #85 Project Saying Thank You and Really Reasonable Ribbon Anything But A Card. (Click on sketches to visit blog posts)

The box uses a clear box I got stamps in from PTI. I added a cardstock bottom; makes for such a nice presentation I think. Quite professional I think. My button is also recycled, it still has the thread in it and even a scrap from the original garment on the back. I made the flower. It actually uses the Spellbinders rolled flower die. Doesn’t look like it does it? I’m going to be coming up with a tutorial on how I do that soon, stay tuned!

The sentiment says, “A friend is someone who sings your heart’s sing back to you when you have forgotten the words.” –David Coppola. You can click the photo to enlarge it and get a clearer version too. If you ever want to make a nice gift basket or gift box, consider varying the heights of items or raising them to make them more visible with glue dots. In baskets, professionals even glue things to skewers (with points removed) to raise small things up above the edges of the basket or container. I used them to hold the nail polish up.

Enjoy, Rebecca

RECIPE
Stamps: SSD Heartsong
Ink: pink pirouette-SU!, chocolate-PTI
Paper: DP-American Crafts, pink cs-SU!, white CS-Taylored Expressions
Accessories: leaf-Prima, lace-vintage, ribbon-May Arts, Nesties dies, MS punch, clear box-recycled from PTI packaging, button-vintage also recycled,