Keepin' it Junky with The Crafter's Workshop

Hello Lifers!

I am so excited to be sharing my first project as a full-fledged member of The Crafter's Workshop Design Team!

Today, I am sharing my version of a "junk journal."

For more details, check out The Crafter's Workshop Blog: Keep it Junky-The Crafter's Workshop

XOXO,

KERI

Graphic 45, Teresa Collins and Craft Warehouse...doesn't get much better!

Hello Lifers!

I am so excited to finally be sharing my project for Craft Warehouse today on their blog!

It features Graphic 45's "By the Sea" Collection and Teresa Collins Design's Basically Essential Stencil

Here's a sneak peek!

For more pics and a full tutorial, head to 

Craft Warehouse Inspiration Blog

Until next time friends...make your art intentional...not an afterthought.

XOXO

KERI

Graphic 45 Design Team 2014 Audition

 Hello Lifers!

Today, I have something a little different on the blog.

I decided to take a BIG leap and audition for the 2014 Graphic 45 Design Team and they require something a little different from any other DT I've ever auditioned for: a blog post dedicated to your audition projects.

Oh....and did I mention...you have to submit at least 6 (!) projects?

So grab a cup of coffee (or a glass of wine, depending on when you're reading this!), get comfy, and hopefully be inspired. :) 

Steampunk Spells

When I decided to audition, I decided to design all new projects (as opposed to using older ones) and I wanted to challenge myself to use things I had on hand.

My project featuring Steampunk Spells by Graphic 45 uses a 8 x 10 Chunky Canvas from Canvas Corp that had just not worked out. So, I turned it around and turned it into a shadowbox. 

I've always LOVED the look of Steampunk, but it's never been a style I could embrace easily. However, I think G45's use of oranges and turquoise brighten up the usual neutral steampunk pallet and made it much easier for me to work with.

My favorite part is at the center...gears from Want2Scrap that I altered using nothing but Tattered Angels Paints. 

Gears--naked and dressed:

So fun, right? :)

Here are a few close-ups: 

My flowers were made 2 ways: (1) the colored flowers are cut using Tim Holtz Tattered Florals Die for Sizzix from Tim Holtz Nostalgic Kraft-Core Collection from Coredinations. I then embossed it with a gear embossing folder from The Paper Studio and Distressed it with Tim Holtz Distress Ink in Walnut Stain. (2) The Metal looking flowers are cut using Spellbinders Dies and then colored using Tattered Angels paints (like the gears.)

 

French Country

Still feeling fall? Next up is some beautiful G45 French Country.

This project was made by doing a mixed media collage background using French Country Paper, Liquitex Matte Gel Medium and Tattered Angels Paints all on top of an 8 x 10 canvas from Hobby Lobby that I had on hand. 

I then cut about 40 flowers using Tim Holtz's Tattered Florals, wet them, scrunch them and Tattered Angels them (is "Tattered Angels" a verb? LOL)

I used a stack of mat board to lift my wrought iron piece up so that I could then tuck the flowers all around it.

Nutcracker Sweet

From Fall to Christmas!

For this project, I found an empty ribbon spool that once held 2 inch wire edge ribbon.

How "sweet" is this little scene!?

To make my 3-D scene, I fussy-cut out my characters from a sheet of G45's Nutcracker Sweet paper. I distressed them and then used pieces of bend mat board in the same of an "L" to make them stand. I was very strategic on the size and placement so the supports were not easily seen. 

A Place in Time 

G45's A Place in Time had so many options for styles-12 to be exact! Since I am tired of winter and longing for spring, I decided to use the paper for April, as well as a little throwback G45 line "Romantique."

For my base, I had this small 9 x 9 wooden tray that used to hold wooden veneers. (I've been hoarding this one for over a year just waiting for the perfect project!)

I colored my plain wood with Heidi Swapp Color Shine in Chartreuse. 

The green/gold color went perfecting to make this:

A few of my favorite close-ups:

The flowers are stems from Petaloo and the butterflies are from Heidi Swapp (colored with the same Chartreuse Color Shine as the base.)

Wanna guess what's in my little bottles? CHIA SEEDS! Don't they almost look like little pebbles?!

Phew! Are you doing OK? Do you need a break? 

No? Let's Keep going!

Magic of Oz

This collection has long since been one of my favorites from G45. They did a BEAUTIFUL job interpreting "The Wizard of Oz." I was so inspired by it that I made 2 projects with this collection.

First...I was inspired to make this amazing (if I do say so myself!) mini album.

From the outside, it just seems like a mini album, but the inside holds a secret...

Both the front and the back covers have 5 little flaps featuring the good on the front and then bad in the back, BUT...that's not the secret...do you see it?

All 5 of the center pieces open...making 5 even smaller albums. Each on has a small magnet to keep it closed and features one character on the cover.

Can you tell I LOVE this collection? No...then this one will change your mind.

This was the last project I made and I have to say it is one of my favorites of all time because it is so out-of-the-box...or should I say "out of the closet!"

Yup...that's a high heal shoe. It started out as an ugly plain black pump (purchased at my local thrift store for $4.) Then...came the glitter. I used the AMAZING Glitter Blast Spray Paint from Krylon in Cherry Bomb to transform it in to my own ruby slipper. 

Inside my ruby slipper is a mini tag album: 

And of course you can't talk about the "Wizard of Oz" with the Yellow Brick Road:

Or high heal shoes with bows and bling:

So there you go! My 6 audition projects for the 2014 Graphic 45 Design Team. 

To my readers...I hope you enjoyed looking at them as much as I enjoyed making them. These were definitely a labor of love. I hope to use these as tutorials soon, so check back to see how I did it!

To Graphic 45...thank you so much for this opportunity and for visiting my little blog. I hope you had fun.

To All..I will leave you the way I leave you every time we are together: Remember...choose to make your art intentional...not an afterthought. 

XOXO,

KERI  

P.S. Thank you for forgiving me for some of my pictures going outside the limits of my blog frame. I wanted my pics to be SUPER big! :)

Tuts on Tuesday...on Wednesday?

Hello Lifers!!

Guess where I am?! I am sitting at LAX waiting to board a plane for...HAWAII!!

For Real! 

My hubby had to go on an emergency 2 week business trip there (he buys seafood...long story) and after he had been gone a few days, he was like "Wouldn't it be great if you could join me?" So only by the grace of God and Him working out a TRUCKLOAD of miracles, my mom and his mom were able to tag team our kiddos so that I could go to Hawaii with him until Sunday!

Woo Hoo!

Because of that...Tuesday tutorials are a day late, but I'm not gonna leave you hangin'!

This past weekend, I was working on a mini album project and got to play with one of my FAVORITE 2 tool: Modeling Paste and Crafter's Workshop's 12 x 12 Brick Stencil.

If you're not familiar with it, modeling paste is a white substance that is the consistency of canned frosting and when it dries, it stays 3D. You can smooth it out or leave it bumpy and you can mix it with acrylic paint to change the color (and by some voodoo magic...it doesn't change the color of your acrylic! Weird, I know.)

Here's a close up of what we will learn today 

(I will reveal the FULL project at a later date.)

This is the cover of a mini-album, but you can use the technique on canvas, burlap or even just a heavy weight paper. 

Supplies You'll Need to Duplicate this (feel free to substitute for you own needs!)

Modeling Paste 

(I used Liquitex I bought in the Art Section at Hobby Lobby)

Medium and Dark Brown Acrylic Paint

Rust Red Acrylic Paint

Tattered Angels Glaze in Saffron

Brick Stencil (again..mine is by Crafter's Workshop)

Ready? Here we go!

·       We are going to start adding some texture by mixing some light brown acrylic paint with our modeling paste and light scrapping or painting through the brick stencil.

o   You want your modeling paste/paint mixture about the consistency of canned frosting.

o   Start with a small amount..a little goes a long way and it doesn’t store well for future use.

·        Start from the top of your project and work down. Take caution when you lift up your stencil that you don’t damage you hard work!

·        If you are in a hurry, grab your heat tool and speed the drying time up!

·        Once it’s dry, let’s add a little dimension. Grab your rust red and darker brown. Using your fingertips,  lightly rub your bricks first with the red, then with the brown.

·        To add shimmer and more texture, grab your Tattered Angels glaze and your heat gun. (Make sure to shake up your glaze well!)

o   Lightly swipe your glaze over your bricks.

o   While it is still wet, hit it with your heat gun. Because of the acrylic base, the paint will bubble up and once it’s cooled, will be permanent

.

(Do as I say…not as I did! LOL! I decided-obviously-after I had done the next step...hence the blue! LOL)

There you go! You now have an easy and fun new technique in your creative toolbox!

Until next time my friends...remember...CHOOSE to make your ART intentional...not an after thought.

XOXO,

KERI

Blog Hopping with the Susan K Weckesser Crew!!

  2013 Susan K Weckesser Back to School Blog Hop!

Welcome to the 2013 Susan K Weckesser Inc Design Team Back 2 School Blog Hop.  Our Design Team and Guest Designers have created a week’s worth of great projects to bring you inspiration and fun -- all themed around Back 2 School. 

We encourage you to visit each member’s blog, leave a comment and maybe find a new blog to follow.

 After you have visited all participating team member’s blogs, go back to THE STARTING POST at Susan K Weckesser’s My Sweet Earth Blog and leave a comment letting us know which project either inspired you or touched your heart.

 Don’t worry, you have all week to take your time and go through the blogs. We’ll feature a few each day at Susan K Weckesser Inc, but will draw names from comments left on THE STARTING POST for our grand prize.

Here is the list for ALL team members, but again don’t panic, we will highlight a few each day so you can come back and visit a few at a time if you want because we know how busy you Moms – and Dads – are! You have until Saturday night 11:55 PM CST to leave a comment at Susan K Weckesser’s My Sweet Earth.

Here is the entire blog hop list:

Here is the entire blog hop list:

Susan K Weckesser
Rita Barakat – Design Team Member
Lynne Mizera – Design Team Member
Jeanie Dickinson – Guest Designer
Tracy Easson – Design Team Member
Tatiana Allen  - Guest Designer
Einat Kessler – Design Team Member
Jaine Drake – Guest Designer
Julie Short – Design Team Member
JJ Sobey - Design Team Member
Allie Gower – Guest Designer
Keri Sallee – Guest Designer

HERE WE GO!!!!

I'm so excited to be an All-Star Guest Designer with Susan K. Weckesser and this week the designers and guest designers in her crew are having a little back to school blog hop!

You can't have "Back to School" with out first having an AMAZING summer, right? So I wanted to gather all of our summer fun in one place.

Here is my little project:

This sweet little album measures just 4.75 x 4.75, but holds an amazing 18 pictures! 

How you ask?

ENVELOPES!!!

By chaining envelopes together, you can form a versatile album in any size and shape you need!

Click HERE for a full tutorial I did on my blog last year on the basics of making an envelope album.

As you can see, it folds out into a fun according shape that makes it easy to display.

This is how you get 18 pictures in such a small album! Hidden behind each picture is a card that holds 2 more pictures and journaling. I fell in LOVE with these square envelopes I found at Hobby Lobby! Adding my 4x4 square Instagram pictures made this album go together in a snap because there was no picture trimming! I didn't even have to cut paper for my inserts...I simply cut the cards in half that came with my envelopes. Easy Peasy! 

 I wanted to keep things simple because the pictures and paper were so great. I used a little Washi Tape (My Mind's Eye, Carta Bella and Queen and Company) and some wooden pieces (Studio Calico and Hobby Lobby) to accent the fun prints and colors of Susan's Paper. Using Susan's stamps from Unity Stamp Company on the wooden pieces gave them instant character!

I also used her "Celebration of Simple" pennant stamps by Unity Stamp Company to create my journaling spots on each page. Creative NOTE: Changing the placement of each spot keeps the album from feeling uniform when you reuse an  image like I did!

Here is a little side-view!

Here is a complete list of products used on this project:

Flowers: Michaels, Prima Marketing, Petalloo, Hobby Lobby

Envelopes and Inserts: Hobby Lobby

Twine and Adhesive: Canvas Corp

Paper: Susie B Studios (Susan K Weckesser)

Washi Tape: My Mind's Eye, Carta Bella and Queen and Company

Wooden Pieces: Studio Calico and Hobby Lobby

Pens: Sharpie and Sakuro

Ink: Ranger

Stamps: Susan K Weckesser for Unity Stamp Company

Rub-Ons: Fancy Pants Designs

Alpha Stickers: American Crafts

I hope you enjoyed my little project and it inspires you to remember all the summer fun you had now that the craziness of back to school is here!

Until next time creative friends, happy hopping!

XOXO,

KERI