A nod to Elizabeth

At was a Michael's the other day and picked up these 1 1/2" wood disks.  I decided to use some of the Distress Stains to color the disks.  Ranger makes so many colors of Distress stains (like 37!) that it was hard to choose which to use.  I decided that since I bought the "value pack" of disks (22 pieces for $2.99) I had the freedom to color away. 

You can see in this shot of the Distress stain oranges that each is very different.  Spiced Marmalade is a go-to favorite.

 Crushed Olive and Broken China are two must haves for this project.  Put these two with Spiced Marmalade...good stuff.

I found that the color goes on dark and lightens as it dries.  Some colors changed a bit when added to the wood for instance, Tumbled Glass is much greener than what I thought it would be. 
Let me walk you through the process.

Push down on your craft mat and squeeze just a bit to let the Distress Stain flow to the top of the felt top.

As it dries, the stain seeps into the wood and the color will start to lighten and change.  Depending on the intensity of the color you can leave as it or add more stain.

 I sprayed the disk with Perfect Pearls Mists - Heirloom Gold and let it dry again.

After the disk was dry I inked a stamp.  This stamp is from the set Papillon by Tim Holtz/Stampers
Anonymous. 

I only needed one butterfly so I just inked one.

To be honest I never even used an acrylic block during any part of todays tutorial, I just used my fingers to press the stamp down.

Here is the final result. 

Here is the same process using Dried Marigold.   Two coats made for a good carrot orange.  

The top image from the same stamp is also a favorite.  Love that it has the word butterflies in tiny, tiny type at the top.

 

Here are some others I made using more of Tim's stamps.
Going Somewhere - type
Mini Cirque Alphabet - letter R and flourishes on both pink and blue disks

Okay, so after coloring more than half of the disks I decided to paint some white to see what the Distress stains would do on different surface color...could the Distress Stain stay more vibrant?
Things I learned:
1. Paint the disc white and let dry completely
2. Use only 2 colors on each disc (more makes it muddled)
3. Normally you push down on the pin that is in the top of the bottle on a craft mat, then wipe the color on your surface.  For this project I pushed the pin down right on the disk...the lines will go away in a future step.

 You don't even have to cover all the white.

This time I used Perfect Pearls Mists in Perfect Pearl for a bit of shine.  When you add the mist it reactivates the Distress Stain making it bleed.  You can pick up the disk a swirl it or leave as is.

 As it dries, the stain becomes lighter just like the first disks.

This time I used the other smaller butterfly stamp on the Papillon stamp set.  Remember to always use Archival ink because its waterproof .  That way, if you want to add more color or Perfect Pearls mist you can, without the ink from the stamp running.

 

Then I just started I mixed different colors...blue and purple, pink and green, blue and gold, etc.  This is really kinda addicting.  

I am going to need more disks.

Another thought...how about adding Glossy Accents to to make it look like really finished.  It takes a couple hours to dry but it's worth the wait.  The color is fabulous.

Here are some other disks I added the Glossy Accents to. 
I know you are going to want to know about the stamps...the words are from the Papillon set and the very cool numbers are from Ma Vinci Reliquary.  The numbers are part of this unmounted set, Antique RSM alphabet.  The cap letters are 1" tall and the numbers are 3/4" tall.  The set sells for $32.00 and is unmounted, meaning you have to purchase cling mount foam to be able to use it. 

So one step further...what if I want to make a jewelry piece?  Then I think we need to make it look like an expensive soldered piece.  To do this I just used Memory Foil tape in silver. 
Super easy.
Just start wrapping around the edge with the tape.

 Press the tape down with your fingers.

Then use a bone folder to burnish.  Cool, right?

The back.

By the way, you can put a hole at the top for a jump ring with a good wood awl, no problem.

The whole idea of making the disc's into a necklace was spurred on by this picture I have had saved since I saw it online as part of Elizabeth Taylor's jewelry that was auctioned at Christie's in New York, last Sept.  The gold and ivory necklace is made from opera passes, circa 18th and 19th centuries.  Can you imagine how heavy this necklace would be?  The necklace was a gift to Elizabeth from the estate of Edith Head, the famed costume designer.  I have been secretly obsessed with the idea of this necklace from the genius idea of making the opera passes into a necklace, to the exquisite fabrication, to the fonts used.  I didn't even know there were such things as opera passes as keepsakes.  By the way, the necklace sold for $314, 500.

Now, by no means are the simple wooden disc's I made anything to compare to this necklace.  It's just the idea of the disc's becoming more than simple wood pieces.  I guess what I'm trying to say is, "Think outside the craft department". 

If you would like to read more about the Elizabeth Taylor collection you can find it here.

I learned a lot doing this tutorial today. 

1.  I love how one idea can lead to another...building till you get something really fun and cool.
2.  I think these will need to be incorporated into a class or kit this year.
3.  I now know how to spell papillon without looking it up.  Now if I can only get aisle and restaurant down I should be good.

cheers!
paula

Postale Layout

Since Postale started shipping this week (you should be able to order online next week) I thought I might show you one of the layouts I did for CHA.  The red paper is called "This End Up" (#19423) which I thought was appropriate for this picture of my niece's daughter, Ada.  The blue stripe is the backside of the same paper so you will need two sheets to make it exactly the same.  The remaining paper was used to create the striped pinwheels using the Tim Holtz die Mini Paper Rosettes.  This die cuts two sizes of pinwheels at the same time.  Just what I needed for this project.
I also cut a solid red piece of cardstock 1 1/2 x 12", then stamped it repeatedly with a date stamp from the Postale stamp using black Archival Ink from Ranger to create an over all pattern on the cardstock.

Stickers at top of layout
Mini Label Stickers - Travel  (Stars, This Way)
Mini Label Stickers - Flea Market (Remember This)

Here is the order of the layers:
Red printed base paper - This End Up
Blue stripe paper - stitched to the red printed paper
Naked tab card - sprayed with a bit of Tattered Angels Chalkboard paint - Priority.
Red cardstock stamped with date stamp.
Mounted picture - 5 x 7" picture on red cardstock
Paper tape with numbers - stitched down on one side.
Embellishments

Some pieces are adhered right to the paper and some were added with Therm o web 3D Foam Strips.  I like these 5.5" Foam Strips because I can cut them to the size I need.

Postale Tag inserts (red polka dot card) stamped with a alphabet stamp from the dollar bin at Michaels.
Lille Tag (you can only see the number 22 sticking out)
Calendar Tickets - Blue Jan (butterfly is added)
Mini Label Stickers - Flea Market (handle with care, limited edition, black arrow, priceless)
Rubbings: Tickets

I used the Postale clear stamp on creme cardstock to create the centers of the two pinwheels and the Swiss cross.  On the Swiss cross I just cut away the dots to make a smaller circle.  The number 25 in the center of the cross is from the butterfly rubbing sheet.

You can also see here the month date stamp that I used on the red strip of cardstock previously mentioned.

Embellishments under pinwheels:
Paddington Letters - Letters have been painted with Tattered Angels Glam - Air Mail
The word TODAY is cut from another Lille tag then outlined with a black pen.
Pointing Finger Postale paper tape is used to draw your eye to the name.

Well, I hope that was not too confusing of an explanation on how I created this layout.  I'm excited Postale is shipping now and even more excited to see what everyone is going to create using it. 
cheers!
paula

Framing it up.

Thanks for all the comments on that last post.  Rest assured, I didn't eat the Multi Medium but I came awful close a couple of times.  Not sure why I didn't move the yogurt after the first time.  I am going to guess there was no room on the desk to move it to.  Very likely.

I was in Michaels (once again) last Friday and came across this.  A frame that will fit the quote from last week.  I figured the stand will not be in until April and I wanted the quote up now, so this will work.  The frame is part of a "basics" line so it was only $7.99 and I am sure you can use a coupon on it.

Since my printer only prints 8 1/2 x 11" I cut the printed quote so that it would "float" on a larger background. 

Like this.
All I did was cut a piece of heavy watercolor paper to fit the frame and center the quote I printed on light blue paper.  Super simple.

This shelf is to the right of my desktop computer.  A perfect place to see it every day.  This wall is ever changing...with the season, my mood, a special gift or purchase, you name it and it makes an appearance on the wall.  I bought the shelf at Pottery Barn a few years ago which serves as a great place to just lean a pictures against the wall for a time. 

I am obsessed with chalk letters.  I bought these at Farm Chicks last June.  It was actually 4 bags of letters that I use to spell different things.  When the letter/numbers are in their original state they have sharp metal pins jutting out from the back so they could be put into an advertising board.  These letters had the pins clipped off, yet there is just enough of the pin left to be able to push them right into the wall and have them stay.  lucky me.

The metal typewriter piece came from Farm Chicks too.  Love the typography in gold on the black painted metal.

I added some old salt shakers full of mother of pearl buttons and photo of my mom and I, taken  outside a summer rental cottage at Avila Beach.

My favorite Cori Dantini print, "the gatherer".

A few more little pins and an old school photo (not of me, I'm not that old).

A mixed media canvas I did as a guest on Jenni Bowlins blog a while back.  I was glad I got to keep it.  And a button card send by my friend Laura...notice the logo?

Well that's what the wall looks like today.  Come back next week and it could look totally different.  But that what makes it fun.  New inspiration, new colors, on going gallery of stuff I love.

cheers for a great week!
paula

For the Love of ....Labels?

1.  Have you been to Staples lately?
I made a visit there over the weekend to see this...Martha Stewart's new line with Avery.  Enough to make a girls heart swoon.  My husband said, "I now know what to buy you for Valentines Day...a bunch of labels." 
He does know me.

There were so many shapes and sizes!  The more I looked, I realized there were different kinds of labels.  My husband kept joking he could hear angels singing.  He finally just sat down in an office chair and played Solitaire on his iPhone.  Maybe I should have got a picture of that.

These are dishwasher and freezer safe.  Love that idea since I store many kinds of nuts for baking in the freezer.  Currently I use a Sharpie on the plastic container for the name and date yet I still have a hard time reading it when the nuts are added to the container.  These labels will solve the problem.

How about removable adhesive?  again, solves a problem (I hate soaking and scratching the label off the glass jar once the contents are used) and in a classic style.

There are also other types of labels.
Dry Erase Label 
Chalkboard labels
Pre-Printed kitchen labels
Kraft Labels
Metallic labels
Permanent labels
Color-coding labels

There are also notebooks and office supplies, but they are not as cool as the labels. 

2.  Vintage Labels:
If you would rather have vintage labels for certain projects, be sure to check out Julie Collins Etsy shop.  She has so many lovely things as I am sure many of you have purchased from her before.  Her packaging is always impeccable and you know how that always gets me.
I had the pleasure of meeting Julie for the first time at CHA as she sat at the table to write an order for a few things from 7g.
Just lovely.
...and of course we talked about packaging.

3.  Printables:
Poppytalk (love the Poppytalk blog) has a free printable if you are into printing labels yourself.  Just click on the link and download from their site.  Super easy.

4.  One last thought.
When you're working and your tired.
Never do this.
Not admitting anything...just saying it's not a good set up. 

cheers!
paula