Welcome to Our....Buckle Boutique

Hi everyone!  Hope you have great plans for the weekend.  We are back to the normal swim meet grind around here.  But, with swim team comes backyard get togethers and I just happen to have made another sign.

Once again I chose to use my Cricut, this time to cut a stencil which I used to paint the phrase onto some old wood.  After painting I went back over a few of the words with an alcohol pen.

 To create the flames I couldn't resist using a bit of my Rhinestone Sticker Sheets from The Buckle Boutique.  I used bits of a Red Classic Sticker Sheet and a bit of a Cheetah Sticker Sheet from the Modern Surrealist Collection.

I simply drew a flame shape on the paper side of the sticker sheet and cut with scissors.  The gel rhinestones cut so easily.

Don't you love the way the red and the cheetah blend together to make a sparkly flame.

Well, hope you have a great weekend.

Hugs.

Clear Scraps and Clearsnap - You Rock

Hi everyone!  I know, I know...I haven't been as attentive as I should be, but the fact is that I am a bit burned out right now, swim is a bit crazy, and really?  I just want to enjoy a bit of summer.

OK, but...I still love creating, and this month Clear Scraps was lucky enough to get the chance to play with some of Clearsnap's new Surfacez inks.  These are perfect for acrylic and all your other slick surfaces.

shhh, don't tell Ainsley, but I snagged one of her selfies for this fun and grungey layout.  hee hee

To make the layout I started with a Clear Scraps XL Deco Sheet, the 12" Doily Stencil and my new Sufacez inks from Clearsnap in Berry and Bluebell.

 I used a makeup sponge to pounce the ink through my Mascil rotating the stencil to add texture to my design.  I also pounced a bit of both of the inks on the back side of the acrylic to add a bit of depth.

I then used my 6" Polkadot stencil with black Surfacez on the front side to add another texture.

Next, a bit of Sunkissed Smooch Spritz to add a bit more color with a bit of shimmer.

Finally I mixed the Sufacez refill with a bit of water and flicked it onto my acrylic to create flecks and inked around the edges for a bit more grunge.  Of course, I managed to get a bit of ink everywhere, but...more grunge.  hee hee.

From here I simply layered a few sheets of torn My Minds Eye Papers and a Doily, added a few embellishments, my photo and was done.

This project was tons of fun to make.  The Clearsnap products worked so well on the acrylic surface.

Be sure to check out all the project on the Clear Scraps and Clearsnap blogs this week to see what the other designers came up with.

Hugs.

Blooming Through the Season Apron

Hi everyone!  Happy Friday!!!!  Hope you have fun things planned for the weekend.  We of course have a swim meet...but I am sure I will sneak in some playtime.

Speaking of playtime, with October upon us, I finally finished my September Blooming Through the Seasons project.  You know me, I can't follow instructions, nor do I have any patience, but I love this project all the same.

Of course she was supposed to go into an art journal...but mine isn't big enough, and I just happened to have this plain, white apron lying around so..... 

All the instructions for using the beautiful stencil that Jamie Dougherty created for Prima are in the class instructions....but I need to learn patience (so my mediums don't run everywhere) and to follow instructions...nah, I like her with a bit more color....and texture.  You know me...not much for white space.  hee hee

The next round of Blooming Through the Seasons is starting.  You should totally come play.  So much fun!  And grab some of those fabulous stencils!  Who knows what you will create.

Hugs.

Clear Scraps and Imagine Crafts - Perfect Together

Hi everyone!  Today I have a fun project to share with you featuring lots of yummy goodies from Clear Scraps and Imagine Crafts.  Imagine Crafts was super generous with sending the Clear Scraps team lots of goodies to play with.  We received 12 colors of StazOn ink, 6 colors of  IrRESTIBibles, the new GlazOn and some Ink Blushers.  Well, you know I couldn't resist breaking out a few things and making something.

Using Jamie Dougherty's Sharon Bloom girl stamp from Prima Marketing, I stamped the ClearScraps Acrylic sheet with the Black StazOn.  I then colored the backside of the image using a combination of the other colors of StazOn.  Using InkBlushers and a Fantastix I was able to fill in all the details of the stamp.

When my inks were dry, I used the Quaterfoil Mascil and a mix of the Silver and Bronze IrRESISTibles to add texture.  Once that dried...a few flicks of the Wedding Dress IrResistibles, a few rubons, flowers and a butterfly and my poject was complete.

I am very happy with how she turned out and look forward to finding a place for her to live in my home.

Hugs.

Stenciled Brag Book

Hello everyone!  I hope your day is off to a great start.  I know mine is. 

A bit back, I made this tutorial for Darice and wanted to share it here as well.   I know many people  have trouble with stenciling so I have included lots of tips to help you with the process.

Stenciled Rose Covered Brag Book Supplies:

• Memory scrapbook album 5 x 7 inch
• Martha Stewart Four Seasons Stencil
• Martha Stewart Satin Paint in:
  • Green Curry
  • Scallion
  • Raspberry
  • Pink Flamingo
  • Cantaloupe
• Martha Stewart Stencil Brush Set 

Tip 1.  To begin a project like this, I find it easier if I make a sample of my design on a piece of scrap paper.  This way, if I don't like the design, I don't have to try and get the paint off to start over.  You don't need to be neat, or clean...you are just trying to decide on the design.

Tip 2.  Start with the lightest color in your design and work toward the darker colors.  You can always make a color darker, but you can't make it lighter.  The center of my rose was the cantaloupe, followed by the pink flamingo, and finally the outside in raspberry.  You may find it helpful to wipe your stencil as you move it around the brag book.

Tip 3.  When you are stenciling an image that is on the edge of the stencil material, it can be helpful to add a border of tape to prevent any paint over flow.  Both the flower and the leaf I chose were very close to the edge of the stencil.  Adding a bit of tape to the edges helped ensure a clean image with no paint being pounced over the edge.

Tip 4.  Allow the paint to dry before beginning the next layer.  I waited a good half hour before coming back and laying the leaf stencil over the top of my flowers.

Stenciling can be a lot of fun, and with just a few helpful tips, can come out lovely every time.

I hope you give stenciling and this brag book a try!