Linda’s DIY by Design: December 2013

Sunday, December 29, 2013

"Love is Everything" (Hanging Art Decor)

This is my Design Team Project for Discount Paper Crafts for the last month of this year! Wow! The time has flown by! I can't believe I have been designing for Cathie's Etsy store about 1 year now. It has been a fantastic ride and I can't wait to see what next year has in store! So for this month's project I have used a wire stand that usually houses 8x8 page layouts. I also made a heart shaped wall hanging that has a mini hanger I made from scratch! Can you believe it? :) I used acrylic paint mixed with sand to cover the hanger and add texture to all the flowers and embellishments. I did the same thing with the wire stand and all its embellishments. I used tons of Wild Orchid Craft flowers, lots of Prima goodies, Melissa Frances goodies, laces, and trims from my stash. From Cathies store, in this months design team kit, I was thrilled to use Marion Smith's "Garment District" 12x12 paper collection (coordinates beautifully with Prima Romance Novel paper collection), Prima Layla flowers, Kaisercraft "On This Day" diecuts, Prima resin keys and a wooden flourish (candelabra) by Kaisercraft as well. Here's the pics! Below the pics there will be direct links to any products I used from Discount Paper Crafts! Hope you like these!

wall hanging with handmade mini hanger

one side of the hanging art on wire stand

other side of the hanging art on wire stand

Thursday, December 19, 2013

"Believe" in Magic!

This is my design team project for December for Lavish Laces!! Of course, being the Christmas season, I wanted to go with the masses and create a Christmas project! I found this large
home decor wooden ornament from Michaels Craft Store just recently. All their Christmas décor items were 75% off...I couldn't believe it! It wasn't even an "after" Christmas sale...we still have a few days to go before the big day! Anyhoo, this ornament measures 12 inches across at the longest part and 11 & 1/2 inches tall. I loved that it had an extra shaped wood "tag" on the front, so I removed that and then tore off all the pre-printed paper and also removed the metal "cap" and wire hanger that was at the top (you know, on regular ornaments, the cap/hanger at the top...this had a metal piece at the top representing this). I used a cream color acrylic paint mixed with sand and painted the back of the ornament and extended this onto the front about a 1/2 inch all the way around. I did this paint on the little tag piece and metal "cap" as well. I used last years release of DCWV "The Christmas Combo" cardstock paper stack to cover the front of both pieces. I made the pattern about 1/8 inch shorter around the perimeter so that some of the paint could be seen around the edge. I distressed and sewed the edges. Across the center of the ornament I laid down a strip of fancy netting that I got from Joann's Fabric Store and used some beautiful laces from Lavish Laces Etsy store over the top. Down the center I used this white rosette trim, also from Lavish Laces. Its a floral shaped trim, but with the winter themed style of the ornament, I thought it looked similar to snowflakes...sort of...OK use your imagination...now it looks like snowflakes, huh? LOL! After I got this base of laces and trims down I adhered the top wood tag piece. I added another beautiful lace that I received in a gift from Jaizella (Owner of Lavish Laces) and a tiny pompom trim from my stash. Above that I used a pre-made wood word (purchased from Michaels ...added Gesso and used Tim Holtz White Picket Fence crackle paint. I adhered a Prima resin angel over the 'L' of the word 'believe'. Below this ensemble I added a cute picket fence. To the left of the 'believe' I added Wild Orchid Craft flowers (from Lavish Laces store) in creams and whites. Added a few Recollections flowers and some crochet flowers. The "25" is a tag from last years release of "City Sidewalks" by Pink Paislee. Underneath the "25" (on the fence) I added a tear drop gem, a jingle bell and a key. Amongst the flowers, you will see a white heart gear by Prima as well as a resin clock and metal clock hands. The metal frame is from my stash. Above the flowers is a resin corner piece by Prima. I chose all the embellishments, because in some way, they reminded me of something to do with believing in the magic of Christmas. Even the resin corner piece reminded me of this, because the design, sort of reminded me of a decorative element you might see on Santa's sleigh! I added texture to the tops of the embellishments with the acrylic paint/sand mixture and German glass glitter. To finish off the ensemble I added a pretty white sheer bow under the ornament cap and my signature "x,o" down under the fence in the left hand corner! Direct links to the products I used from Lavish Laces Etsy store will be below the pictures....and here they are:

Products used:
Beige Scallop Lace: http://www.etsy.com/listing/127052421/1-yard-exquisite-beige-scalloped-floral?ref=shop_home_active
White Fancy Scallop Lace: http://www.etsy.com/listing/163845245/1-yard-venise-white-fancy-scalloped-lace?ref=shop_home_active
White Shabby Chic Ruffled Rosette Flower: http://www.etsy.com/listing/163133478/white-shabby-chic-ruffled-rosette-flower?ref=shop_home_active&ga_search_query=shabby%2Bchic%2Bruffle
Wild Orchid Flowers Cream Open Roses: http://www.etsy.com/listing/170967098/20-cream-open-roses-15mm-12?ref=shop_home_active&ga_search_query=Cream%2Bopen%2Broses
Wild Orchid Flowers White Open Roses: http://www.etsy.com/listing/153774863/20-white-open-roses-20mm-34?ref=shop_home_active

Wednesday, December 18, 2013

"Box" of Memories

For this design team project for SaCrafters Zibbet store, I wanted a fun and creative way to display some memories rather than using a traditional album, so I decided to create a configuration style "box" full of memories. I started with a base made from a block of wood (I had purchased a package of raw wood blocks from a craft store) and on top of that base, I used a cute little box that I had found at a thrift store. This measures (with the lid of the box up) 8 1/2 inches tall and about 4 inches in width. It's small, but it packs a bunch of stuff into a tiny space! The paper lines I used were from Recollections "Union Square", Marion Smith's "Mad Tea Party" and Prima "Romance Novel". I sewed and distressed around the edges of all the papers and used a dark brown ink to add some color to the edges. On the bottom of the box, I used Tim Holtz metal photo corners and turned them upside down to use as "feet" for the base. On the base you will also notice a drawer...it's fake! I knooooow riiiiiight?!? Super cuuuuuute! I created a tiny drawer using chipboard and then glued it to the front of the base. On the front of the drawer, I used a drawer handle from SaCrafters! It only measures 2 1/4 inches in length! Super cute and super tiny! Inside the drawer, I added paper roses. On the left side of the drawer, a large spring (I found it at a garage sale) hangs off the side. On top of the spring is a cute key from SaCrafters Zibbet shop. (the links to all the products I used from SaCrafters will be below the pictures). On the opposite end of the drawer I placed a metal music note. Then I added a small working clock! It is 1&1/2 inches in diameter. I punched a larger hole in a Prima metal clock face and glued that to the front of the clock and then glued some Prima resin wings on the back side of the clock. I just laid the clock in the drawer. I didn't want to glue it down so that I could access the battery and time change function on the back! On the box itself...to the front I added a chipboard sentiment, as well as a wooden "x" & "o" and from the "o" hung a wood shaped heart--all these are from SaCrafters Zibbet shop. In the middle of the "o" I added a Prima Clock hand. I also added a few more flowers on the left side. Moving to the lid of the box...the "24-seven" is just a chipboard piece from my stash, but the wooden honeycomb shapes with word semtiments are from SaCrafters. Hanging around the lip (off the left side of the box) is a wood clock and adhered to the inside of the box at the front is a cute wood bicycle...(you guessed it!) these are also from SaCrafters! Inside the box itself are some journaling cards from 7Gypsies, Theresa Collins, and MS Mad Tea Party. I added a variety of sweet embellishments from Prima, Tim Holtz, ArtICake, and 7Gypsies. The 2 wood embellishments "love" ticket and "heartfelt" are from SaCrafters! I can't wait to add some photos inside as well! Hope you like it! Here are some pictures:

Sunday, December 1, 2013

Altered Canvas

This is a design team project for SaCrafters Zibbet store. I altered a 6x6 canvas to create a steampunk/vintage name sign for my YT channel. I started by using Claudine Helmuth multi-medium gel to adhere Tim Holtz Idea-ology tissue paper to the canvas. As I was adhering the tissue paper, I bunched it up in areas to create a wrinkled texture effect. I then used some Lindys Stamp Gang pink color to add some pink hue to the canvas because I didn't want this canvas to be too dark in color, although it is of a steampunk design. for a little more pink, I added a pink flower and at the top of the wooden lamppost, I used German glass glitter with some pink shimmer mist to tie all the "pink-ness" together! I then used tons of SaCrafters product, as well as prima product to create the look I wanted. I wanted this canvas to portray "what art means" in a fun way. I also used acrylic paint mixed with sand to apply some texture to the tops of the embellishments/flowers. Here's the pics: