Stamptember Blog Hop with Scrap 'N Stamp

Welcome back! I am so excited to be back as a guest designer for 

Scrap N Stamp's September Blog Hop.

This month Scrap N Stamp is featuring

The Postage Strip Die from Memory Box.
This is such a fabulous and versatile die that can be used in so many ways!

Here is my finished project - a vintage photo inspired 5 sided frame.

The 5-sided frame came from a project my dad was working on. I knew I would use it some day but was waiting for inspiration. To make the insert for the frame I first took a piece of 12x12 chipboard and cut it to fit my frame. I then used natural canvas and Aileens Tacky Glue to adhere it to the chipboard. This took a couple of days to dry completely.

Once it was dry, I applied a layer of white gesso to seal the canvas.

Next I took a couple of stencils: Prima Grungy Grid and Stencil Girl Encouraging Scribbles and used these with  molding paste to create my focal point.

I painted the entire surface with vintage white acrylic paint once the molding paste was dry.

To start adding some colour to my canvas, I took some cheap acrylic paint I bought at the dollar store in blues, greens and browns. I added the blue and green paints with a brush then sprayed them water, letting the drip over my stenciled images. Next I added the brown by dry brushing along the edges and splattering some across the canvas.

The help the raised parts stand out a little more I used some Distress Oxides: Frayed Burlap; Walnut Stain; Vintage Photo and Black Soot. I 'painted' the Oxides over the stenciled areas to help them pop off the background. 

Next I collected some ephemera: vintage photos,  post card, book page, ration stamps, lace doily and a Wildflower Bouquet chipboard die from Southern Ridge Trading Co.

I used the Postage Strip die from Memory Box to die cut out 6 pieces from my vintage postcard and painted the Wildflower Bouquet die with some black acrylic paint.

 I began to assemble these pieces into my focal point. Before using the postage stamp die cut I did use some Distress Oxides to grunge them up a bit. After I got everything adhered down I decided that the black Wildflower Bouquet was a bit much - so I gently dry brushed some light brown acrylic paint over it It was just enough to help the flower die blend a bit into the background.

Here is my finished project again.

Check out some more inspiration from the

Guest Designer Team.

An Altered Book - The Castaways

Welcome back to my blog! things have been a bit quiet around here.

A word of warning before we continue - yes, an old book was altered, glued, torn and ripped in the making of this blogpost. Viewer discretion is advised. 

I have a lot of old books - some up to 100 years old - that I have collected over the years. Some I bought at garage sales, some of them once belonged to my grandfather and some were given to me by my crafty BFF, Nicole.

For this project I chose a book that came from my grandfather - The Castaways.

To begin I took the largest die from a rectangle nesting die set and traced out the shape on the front of the book, making sure to leave the title.
I took my x-acto knife and carefully cut out the traced shape from the cover. I made sure to a cutting pad under the cover before doing this.  Next I took my x-acto knife and trimmed a smaller sized rectangle shape through the first 50 pages or so.

To curl the pages - first I put my cutting pad in the book to protect the uncut pages; then i took my mister bottle and sprayed the pages a couple of times; next I took my fingers and gently starting curling the pages outwards. This took some time and required some additional sprays of water but I loved the results. while the paper was still wet I ran my Walnut Stain Ink pad over the curled pages and then let them dry.

My happy castaway couple is a card from the Found Relatives pack that I coloured with Distress Markers before adhering into my book behind the curled pages. Once I had this done I starting gluing these curled pages together along with the page with my castaways. Then I glue the lot to the front over. The remaining pages of the book were glued together in groups of 50 pages or so.

These became my journal pages - although I didn't actually journal as this was meant as a decorative piece. I did gesso the pages, add some Distress Oxide Ink, some stamping and then added some pieces that stick out the top and side edges.

Some of these pieces are die cuts, paper, vintage postcards and half of a stereoscope card. I happen to have a few of these and the palm tree one was perfect.

This is how the finished book looks and how it will be displayed. I just love all the bits and bobs peaking out of the pages.

To finish off the front cover I added a few of the wood starfish pieces from Southern Ridge Trading Co. They take paint very well and I love that they have a bit of dimension to them.

Elegant Edna.....my August Tim Tag

Is it August 21st already? My goodness, where does the time go?

I have to get my butt in gear before Tim blogs the September Tag!

I love the Friendship Words Block & Script Die sets - it took me a little time to get them positioned the way I wanted them and a little washi tape to hold everything in place. It seemed like a waste of washi but it was the only tape I had in the house. Desperate times call for for desperate measures!

 Meet Edna - an elegant lady from the Found Relatives collection.

I named her Edna after my very own great gram ~ a lady who could rock a stylish hat 

with the best of them.

 This tag is going to make a great gift tag for a friends upcoming birthday!

Be sure to check out Tim's Tag for August

Thanks for visiting my blog today!

Leave a comment so that I know that you were here. 

I love 'meeting' new crafty people that will inspire me!

~~ stay crafty ~~

julia

Submitted to challenge: 

Tim Holtz : August Tag 

Milkshakes......May Tag

Or in this case a 7" x  7" mini canvas. 

Check out Tim's Tag Tutorial & get inspired

This was a perfect project to use my mini retro diner ephemera.

The colours of the ephemera work really well with cracked pistachio & abandoned coral distress ink.

I couldn't resist using Fossilized Amber on the crinkle ribbon just for an added pop of colour.

Thanks for checking out my blog today!

~~~stay crafty~~~

julia

Challenges......

Tim Holtz.......May Tag

A Vintage Canvas

My Great-Grandma Edna was a grand lady. Full of life and a hearty laugh that would

 bring a smile to anyone's face. I give her full credit for passing on the 

scrapbook gene to me.

My great-gram with her husband Septimus & holding my grandfather - circa 1925

I recently inherited her scrapbooks (dating from the 1920's - 1970's), her mother's scrapbook (dating back to the 1870's) and my great-grandfathers scrapbook (dating from 1910-1920's) 

It has been quite a journey going through these old family photos & it has also been quite inspiring.

I recenyl started a series of canvases that will displayed in my home using copies of some of my favorites. This is one of them.....

This is a photo of my Grandpa & Grandma Shuttleworth on their wedding day in 1946. After editing the photo I printed it out on white tissue paper. I then used matte medium to adher it to an 8x10 canvas. I applied a light coat of gesso arounf the edges before starting to layer my paint. My next step was to stamp various images across the canvas. 

After adding some torn paper pieces to the canvas I started adding my 3D elements. The Foral Medley Frame from Blue Fern Studios was perfect and I couldnt wait to use my new Fossilized Amber Distress Stain on it. I finshed the frame off with a coat of Distress Clear Rock Candy paint for a little more added texture. Check out those Tiny Tattered Florals! It's my new favorite die!

I sat down earlier in the week & made a whole mason jar full of these tiny flowers! The quilling tool that comes with the dies really makes these flowers easy to assemble. 

Check out this demo video by Tim from CHA 2015.....

Finally here is my completed canvas.....

.....all ready to display with my other family canvases.
Check out A Vintage Journey Challenge Blog
for a lot of Tim-Inspired Shabby & Vintage goodness!

Thank for visiting my blog today! I really appreciate all your comments.

~~ stay crafty ~~

julia

Challenge Entry....
A Vintage Journey

Submitted for:

Emerald Creek Dares - Fall 2015 DT Call