Friends are Flowers

Hello friends!  It's Saturday, and that means that we have a brand new Anything Goes Challenge in full swing over on the Polkadoodles Blog.  This week, the Design Team was challenged to create a friendship themed project using flowers and autumn colors, so I decided to create a tag. 

I was dying to play with the Magic Garden Soup collection, and they were perfect to crate my tag with.  I printed up one of the tags and numerous elements from the collection and cut them out.  

Using Antique Linen Distress Ink, I inked up the edges of all of my elements and I also used a script background stamp randomly on the tag.  

I layered my elements and adhered them to the tag and finished by adding some ribbon. 

I hope that you are inspired to go get crafty and create something beautiful!  Make sure to share it with us and be entered to win some great prizes, not to mention bragging rights!  

Thanks so much for stopping by!  
Xoxo, Kim

Mixed Media Wall Art

 Hiya crafty friends!  I am so excited to share my first DT project for the fabulous Megan's Papercraft Treasures!  Each month, we will be focusing on a different technique or type of project to showcase for you. 

For August, we are focusing on chipboard.  I had never actually worked with chipboard before, but thought this would be a great opportunity to try a mixed media canvas.  I honestly had NO clue what I was getting myself into.  This took me days to complete, but really that was just because I wanted to make sure the layers were completely dry before moving on to the next step.  I really had a fun time learning to use products that I had never used or hadn't used in a long time!  

I started with a blank 8x8 canvas that I prepped with Heavy White Gesso prior to painting with acrylic paint.  The key to mixed media projects is layers, layers, layers.  I think what I love most is the mess that I get to make and watching it turn in to something incredible.  

I randomly stamped partial background stamps on the canvas in pigment ink and allowed to dry.  I followed that up by adding embossing paste over a stencil and then using several ink sprays to add color and sparkle.  I also used Distress Oxide on the edges of the canvas to give it a shabby, vintage look.  

I distressed some patterned paper with my scissors and Distress Oxide Ink. To adhere them, I painted a layer of clear gesso where I wanted them, added the clear gesso to the back of my papers and laid them down.  I then painted the clear gesso over the top of the papers.  

Once dry, I adhered my painted chipboard sentiment and the remainder of my embellishments using Multi Medium Matte.  Sorry, for the super speedy tutorial, it is a lot of information to add to a blog post.   You can find a pdf tutorial here.

I am so incredibly happy with how this canvas turned out!  I have two more coordinating canvases in the works.  Stay tuned! 

Products Used:

• 8” x 8” Canvas
• Prima Marketing Heavy Gesso - White
• Prima Marketing Clear Gesso
• Ranger Multi Medium: Matte
• Craft Smart Acrylic Paints:  Robin’s Egg Blue, Ocean Breeze
• Distress Oxide Ink:  Vintage Photo
• Versafine Pigment Ink: Onyx Black
• Lindy’s Stamp Gang Starburst Spray: Time Travel Teal, Shabby Turbine Teal, Tibetan Poppy Teal
• Altenew Ink Spray:  Metallic Antique Silver, Iridescent
• Ranger Texture Paste Antique Crackle
• Stampin’ Up Basic Patterns Decorative Masks
• Stampers Anonymous Wendy Vecchi Script Background Stamp
• Joyful Home Crackle Background Stamp
• Celebr8 Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow Laser Cut Chipboard
• Recollections Butterfly Embellishments
• Recollections Paper Flowers
• Paper house 3D Stickers:  Paris, London
• Stamperia 12” x 12” Patterned Paper: Around the World
• Assortment of paint brushes
• Scissors

As always, thank you so much for taking time out of your day to read through my ramblings!  If you are in Australia, please make sure to pop in to Megan's Papercraft Treasures!  

Check out her store where you will find all sorts of goodness!  Also, come and join our Creative Friends Facebook Group.   Here, you will find monthly challenges, inspiration, and maybe a special offer or two! 

Much love!