Saturday, November 25, 2017

25 Days of Christmas Tags


Hello, Crafty Friends! Welcome to day 25 of Tracey McNeely's 25 Days of Christmas Tags! I am so excited to be included in today's line-up! Today I m here with Pink &  Main and can't wait to share these four tags I created.

If this is your first year joining us and would like to learn more about link-up, please visit Tracey's original post here.

For all you seasoned peeps, let's get started!!


Here are my darling tags...


The stamped images are from Pink and Main's Winter Portraits stamp set. I colored them with watercolor markers and a water brush then die cut them out with the coordinating Winter Portraits Dies.

For the tags, I die cut white cardstock using Pink and Main's Scallop Hexagon Dies as a base and layered paper from the Frosty 6x6 Paper Pad that I die cut using the Nested Hexagon Dies.

I popped up each portrait image with foam adhesive squares then mounted them onto the tag bases.

I wanted to add a little bling without taking away from the images so I added bows made from gold accented organza ribbon to the top of my tags. Then topped each bow with a small snowflake button.

Here are close-ups of each tag...





I am truly grateful to be included in this year's line-up and so amazed to work with so many wonderful sponsors!

Thank you so much for joining us today!! Hope to see you all next year too!!

Pink & Main Supplies Used

Other Supplies Used
Sizzix Big Shot
Spectrum Noir Aqua Markers
Spectrum Noir Ultra Smooth Premium White Cardstock
Strathmore 140 lb. Mixed Media Paper
Xyron Mega Runner
Foam Adhesive Squares
Snowflake Buttons
Ribbon
Mixed Media Glue

HAPPY HOLIDAY CRAFTING PEEPS!!
~Mitsyana

Friday, November 17, 2017

Feeling Grattitude Wall Art

Hello, Crafty Friends!
I'm back with Team Xyron today and we have been partnering up with Waffleflower all week to bring amazing projects featuring awesome products from both companies.

Thanksgiving is just a few days away and I thought I'd make myself a little reminder... to always express my GRATITUDE. Not just on one day out of the year but every single day. So today I have this framed piece of wall art tutorial to share with you all.


Supplies Used
Mega Runner (Xyron)
Paper Crafting Medley- Iona (Little Birdie Crafts)
Patterned Paper (DCWV)
VersaFine Onyx Black Ink (Tsukineko/ Imagine Crafts)
White Cardstock
Mixed Media Glue
Frame
Jute

First, I gathered my materials. I dismantled my frame and removed the photo mat. I used the mat as a template and outlined it onto the back of my patterned paper with a pencil. Then, I cut out the traced shape using scissors.

I used a craft knife to cut out the inside window. Then cut a back piece from more patterned paper to layer the frame onto. I used my Xyron Mega Runner to layer and attach the two pieces together.


I used Waffleflower's amazing Feeling Gratitude Stamp Set to stamp in the window area of the frame. I used a stamp positioning tool just in case I need to restamp and want exact placement.


I stamped a second time onto plain white cardstock. The second impression didn't need to be perfect. I just stamped it to cut the two banner images.


I ran the two banner pieces through my Sticker Maker. Then applied them directly to the matching areas in the framed sentiment.

Next, I attached my chipboard flourishes onto the frame using mixed media glue. Then attached my burlap flowers and jute bow. Once the adhesive dried I inserted the mat back into the frame.

And here is my finished framed art...

Now, it's good to go!! This baby is ready to be hung on a wall or placed on a mantle or tabletop!


This is such a beautiful saying that holds very true. Feeling and being grateful is wonderful... but unless you express that gratitude no one will ever know it. 


I hope you all enjoyed this tutorial and that it inspires you to create and to share and express your gratitude with those around you!

Until next time...
HAPPY CRAFTING!!
~Mitsyana

***Disclaimer***
This blog is compensated to provide opinion on products, services, websites and various other topics. Even though the owner(s) of this blog receives compensation for our posts or advertisements, I always give my honest opinions, findings, beliefs, or experiences on those topics or products.
The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely my own. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with each manufacturer, provider, or party in question.

Sunday, November 12, 2017

Altered Hoop Art

Hello, Friends!
Today, I'm bringing you this Altered Embroidery Hoop project I created for Little Birdie Crafts!


Supplies Used 
Paper Crafting Medley - Aurora 13pc
4" Embroidery Hoop
6"x6" Orange Tulle
6"x6" Pink Tulle
Mixed Media Glue
Alcohol Markers (I used Spectrum Noir Illustrators)
Spectrum Noir Sparkle Pen (Clear)
Distress Oxide Ink-
Crinkle Ribbon
I love these Papercrafting Medleys from Little Birdie Crafts! These are awesome little kits that come with almost everything you need to make a project. Flowers, leaves, stems... even chipboard embellishments! And all you have to do is assemble onto your choice of media. Today, I chose to alter a mini embroidery hoop but these kits would go beautifully on a card too!


The chipboard pieces are gorgeous and full of detail. They're even beautiful untouched and left plain!
I chose to color this little gorgeous fairy with my alcohol markers. These are chipboard pieces so the ink does tend to absorb into the material.

*Tip*: Applying gesso before coloring will minimalize the this and will make your color more vibrant. For me I kind of like the brownish undertones.


After coloring, I used my sparkle pen to color over the skirt and wings for lots of shimmer and shine.
Once my fairy was all colored I needed a place to perch her. she is in a sitting position and I thought placing her in a hoop would look like she was swinging.

I wanted the hoop to remain open and airy but needed a backing to apply my embellishments. This is where the tulle comes in. I blended two colors of tulle, one on top of the other, to get the right shade to coordinate with my fairy and my flowers.

I cut the tulle, one orange, and one pink, into 2- 6" pieces. Then layered them over each other. I opened the hoop and placed the material over the inner hoop and fastened in place with the outer hoop. I used scissors to trim away the overhanging excess tulle.

With mixed media glue, I attached my leaves in an arch directly onto the hoop.  Then laid down and glued the rose buds and corkscrew stems next. I added the bigger open roses toward the midway point of the arch and tucked the stems randomly in between.

I shaded the edges of my leaves with Walnut Stain Oxide inks and then I glued them under and around the open roses.

I applied mixed media glue behind my chipboard fairy and attached her direct onto the tulle.


Once she was secure, I attached a bow made of crinkle ribbon to the hoop closure.

Now, she is ready to dangle and sway in her floral swing.
And here is my finished project...


I love how she looks like she is kicking out her foot with her other one curved back. It really looks like she's trying to build momentum and swing!

I hope you liked today's project!
See you all next time!
~Mitsyana

***Disclaimer***
This blog is compensated to provide opinion on products, services, websites and various other topics. Even though the owner(s) of this blog receives compensation for our posts or advertisements, I always give my honest opinions, findings, beliefs, or experiences on those topics or products.
The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely my own. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with each manufacturer, provider, or party in question.

Monday, November 6, 2017

Quick & Easy Rustic Fall Mason Jar Decor

Hello, Crafty Friends!! And Hello November!! 
Well, with a heavy heart I must say goodbye to my all my Halloween decorations. 
*insert uncontrollable sobbing*

I kept them up for as long as I could before hubby took me by the hand and finally told me it was time to let it go.

So, out with the skulls, spiders, & witches... and in with the gourds and cornucopias!

Today, I'll share how I made quick and easy fall decor from recycled glass spaghetti jars!



Supplies Used
Glass Mason Jars/ Glass Spaghetti Jars
Burlap (DCWV)
2.5" Wide Wired Ribbon (Kirkland)
Mixed Media Glue (Beacon)
Jute Twine

I start by cleaning and removing the labels off of these old mason jar type of glass spaghetti jars. My family eats a lot of spaghetti, and the glass jars they come in are too nice to throw out. So, I often keep them on hand. I clean them out and store them for later to recycle and/ or repurpose them. 

Simple soapy hot water is all I need to remove these labels. If I ran into an occasional rough spot, I simply applied a little bit of goo gone and gave a good rubbing with a paper towel to remove whatever remnants remained.

 I use a measuring tape to measure the circumference. I also measure the height of the areas I want to be covered and decorated. These particular jars have a recessed center. I shall use this area as a marker to where I wrap my burlap and ribbon.

The jars measure about 13.5" inches around and the recessed area measures about 3.5" high.

 Because the circumference was larger than my 12" sheets of burlap, I instead cut 2 - 7.5" pieces of burlap for each jar. I cut the burlap slightly bigger than the circumference to give an overlap.

I ran my burlap pieces through the Xyron Creative Station then burnished the burlap with a bone folder before peeling off the protective film. Then applied the strips to the center of the glass jars.

 Then wrapped them with a 2.5" wide wired ribbon around the center. I used approximately 25" of ribbon for each jar. I tied each ribbon into a simple knot then trimmed the ends at a diagonal to give them a "dovetail".

The burlap gives a nice rustic look. Pairing it with deep orange and brown colored plaid ribbon is an easy way create a "FALL" feel to the look.

Then, I glued and wrapped the lip of each jar with jute twine to finish them off.

My jars are done!! Now to fill them...

And filling them doesn't need to be difficult or expensive.

My backyard borders a pasture and is constantly filled with different wildflowers and grasses. Among them in this slightly tall grass that is similar in look to baby's breath but with smaller white blooms. I'm not sure what it's called but when bunched and bundle together it really completes the rustic feel I was going for.




Simple and pretty!

And when positioned in front of a mirror is made to look a whole lot fuller than it really is! 

I hope you enjoyed my upcycled project and it makes you give those usually discarded jars a second thought. Repurposing them isn't just good for the environment, especially during the holidays, it's good for your wallet too!!

HAPPY UPCYCLING, FRIENDS!!
~Mitsyana

***Disclaimer***
This blog is compensated to provide opinion on products, services, websites and various other topics. Even though the owner(s) of this blog receives compensation for our posts or advertisements, I always give my honest opinions, findings, beliefs, or experiences on those topics or products.
The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely my own. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with each manufacturer, provider, or party in question.





Wednesday, November 1, 2017

Dia de los Muertos Mini Art Journal

Hello, Crafty Friends!!
No, This is not a late Halloween post. This is actually right on time! Because this is a Day of the Dead (or Dia de los Muertos) themed project. 

Day of the Dead is a Mexican Holiday that celebrates family, love, and remembrance of those who passed. And ironically is not just a "day" but three days long. Each day is reserved for the remembrance of a child lost (Oct. 31) or an adult (Nov. 1) and for visiting of the souls at the graves of the departed loved ones (Nov. 2). Graves are cleaned and decorated. These shrines are often adorned with marigolds and sugar skulls and the favorite food or drink of the deceased. You can read more about this amazing holiday here.

I have come to love this wonderful holiday. I am drawn to the traditions, bright colors, flowers, and of course, sugar skulls. And though I am not of Mexican descent, I still have a huge respect for the culture. What's there not to love?? So I made this Dia de los Muertos inspired Art Journal to show my love for this amazing and beautiful holiday!


Supplies Used
 Eileen Hull Passport Die (Sizzix)
Eileen Hull Leaves, Spring (Sizzix)
Crafty Chica Sugar Skull Framelits Stamps & Die Set (Sizzix)
Crafty Chica Hola Flower Stamps & Die Set (Sizzix)
Crafty Chica My Happy Life Cardstock Pad (Sizzix)
Eileen Hull Blends- Nutmeg (ClearSnap)
Tim Holtz Distress Ink-Vintage Photo (Ranger)
140 lb. Mixed Media Paper (Strathmore)
VersaFine Onyx Black Ink Pad (Tsukineko/ Imagine Crafts)
Zig Clean Color Real Brush Markers - 60 pk (Kuretake/ Zig)
Chipboard
Hemp Twine
3D Dots (EK Success)
Tacky Glue (Collall's)

I start by cutting two pieces of chipboard down to 4.25" x 5.5" pieces. Then, I run both pieces through my Xyron Creative Station Lite machine and add adhesive onto both sides of each of the chipboard pieces.

I also cut my patterned paper, from Crafty Chica's My Happy Life Cardstock Pad to 4.25" x 5.5" pieces.

I peeled the protective film off and adhere a sheet of cardstock onto both sides of each cardboard piece.

I also repeated those same steps onto a 3" x 6" piece of chipboard. But only applied paper to one side of the chipboard piece.

Then, I laid both pieces onto my Eileen Hull Passport Die and cranked it through my Big Shot machine. Tip: Make sure to put whichever paper /side you want on the outside of your cover to be faced down against the blade.


Here I have the basic parts of the book all cut out.

I add tacky white glue down the spine and adhere the front and back covers together. To ensure and good grip and proper alignment I like to use mini clothespins to hold my pieces in place.

Then, once the glue set I inked the edges of the entire book with an Eille Hull Blends applicator in Nutmeg.


I stamped the skull image from Crafty Chica's Sugar Skull and Hola Flower Stamps & Die Sets 
onto mixed media paper using VersaFine Onyx Black ink.

Then, colored them in using my Zig Clean Color Real Markers.

Once I was pleased with my coloring, I die cut the images using the matching dies that came in each set.


I die cut a few leaves out of green cardstock using Eileen Hull's Leaves, Spring die.

I folded down the center to create a spine. Then folded at a diagonal to create the veins in the leaf.


I inked over the raised creases with distress ink and a blending tool.


Then attached the leaves, twine bow, and sugar skull onto the front cover of my book. Then I attached the flowers over those. I added foam dots under the skull and one of the flowers for a bit of dimension.

Now that the cover is done, I moved onto the inside.

I die cut the insert pages from the Eileen Hull Passport Die out of plain chipboard. Then simply folded and creased each chipboard page.


I fastened each page to the spine using hemp twine. I inserted each individual strand through the hole in the page, then, through the hole in the book. 

I gathered the strand on the outside of the spine and tied at a basic knot.

And here is my finished book...

I left all the pages blank because I plan on using this as a mini art journal. Chipboard is great at holding its shape against moisture. All I need to do is slap coat of gesso onto the page if I plan to paint. The gesso helps to prevent the paint from getting sucked up by the chipboard and makes your paint spread further. 


I hope you enjoyed this project for today!! 

Happy Day of the Dead Everyone!!
~Mitsyana