Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Enter to win CTMH goodies!!!


Hi Ladies!
Thanks for popping in....

Wanna win some crafty goodness???

Well - take a moment to hop on over to find out how you can win!
Check out Mandy Leahy's, a CTMH consultant, site for a few chances to win....
yum yum yum

http://www.mypassionforscrapbooking.com/Giveaways



You also have the opportunity to follow her blog...or maybe purchase supplies....or even become a consultant with her help.

Thanks for popping in to take a peek!
Hugs+Kisses
Renee

Tuesday, July 23, 2013

Creating a Crackle Effect Like a Mad Scientist!

Hi, Hello, Howdy, Hola, and Hiya!

Glad that you took the time to stop by.

I've been altering a lot of boxes lately.  "Naked" wooden cigar boxes, finds from my local thrift store, even some I've made using chipboard.  They're so much fun to alter.  There's no right or wrong way to decorate them.  And several of them have had the crackled paint effect on them. I just really like the look of it.

In the past, I've bought several bottles/jars of the crackle medium including Folkart and Ranger, and as you know, they can be a bit pricey.  And to top it off, the last jar that I purchased must've been defective, as it didn't crack! Drove me crazy....I let it dry on its own, I heat set it, I started over and put another coat on...and still it didn't crack.

Anyway, I digress...
On to why I'm creating this post.  If you haven't heard, you can make your own cracked effect on your next project using paint and Elmer's Glue (http://www.elmers.com/diy/project/crackle-finish).  Yes, good old fashioned, white glue.  And there are lots of cheap brands of glue to try out - from right in your stash, just like mine. And I tried quite a few....

I'll take you step by step through the process....Ready?

Paint your base coat of paint (using acrylic paint) onto your "project." and let it dry completely.  Using brush strokes that go in the direction that you would like your "cracked" effect to be, paint on a coat of glue.  It should be a generous amount.  Allow the glue to sit for a minute...let it get tacky - but don't let it dry or it won't crack....Add on a layer of paint (can be a contrasting color) and wait for it to crack on it's own, or use your heat gun to speed up the process.  Make sure that you keep your heat gun at a safe distance from your project and constantly moving. Otherwise the paint will start to "bubble."  Either way, it's interesting to watch the transformation! Easy peasy right??

Below, I've added some pictures to show how it turns out using different brands of white glue:


This is the effect using Elmer's



This is the effect using ModPodge   (http://www.plaidonline.com/mod-podge/brand/home.htm)



This is the effect using Playskool 


You can also add on a really thick coating of glue already mixed with paint and let it dry overnight:  it gives almost a leather-like appearance.  And it dries to a really hard finish.


This is the effect using glue and paint mixed together


You can use it on already printed or patterned papers; including book pages

This effect created using page from a book, ModPodge, 
white acrylic paint, and glimmer mist

It seems that this technique will work with almost any "white" glue.  I can't say that it will work with "all" white glue brands, as I didn't try everything on the market. (So that's my little disclaimer). I've also found out that you can "thin" out the white glue with water and it will crack a bit differently (cracks appear smaller). Soon, I'll have to try this technique on fabric.

If you're like me, you'll appreciate that it's a much, much cheaper alternative to buying the more expensive crackle mediums which may cost between $3.00 and $12.00.Yikes! And the bottles/jars just aren't that big.

I hope that you get to experiment like me to find out which method and choice of glues works best for you. And please, after you've done your "Mad Scientist" routine, let me know how you like it....

Well, that's all for now.
Again, thanks for stopping by.
Hugs+kisses
Renee

Saturday, July 20, 2013

Commissioned....

Hi everyone:

Just a quick post.

I'm trying to use my Prima Doll stamps more often.  And this is the best time to do so - as a friend's sister, who has purchased mixed media pieces from me before, wants to purchase a few canvases. Yay me!

She wanted three this time. One 5x7 and two 8x10 pieces.  My friend says that her sister is repainting her walls and wants to group them all together.  Wow! What a great feeling to have a little gallery of my work in someone else's home! It really does feel good.  And get paid?! (Visualize me doing my happy dance here!) And lucky me, I'd already done one 8x10 canvas before she asked me to (http://scrapsofcolor.ning.com/photo/primadoll2-july2013?context=latest), and so I'm ahead of the game!

Anyway, this is the 5x7 piece....
Products used: Prima Doll stamp, DCWV The Sweet Blossom stack, mulberry flowers, 
small doilies, Want2Scrap bling, Copic markers, ModPodge

I'll get started on the last one soon.  I've already chosen the supplies....  I just have to decide which Prima Doll I will use....

Stay tuned!

Thanks for stopping by.
As always.....
Hugs+Kisses
Renee




Monday, July 15, 2013

Altered

Hi good and crafty people:

I just wanted to share a quick project with you all.

It's summer time! Yippee!! Yay!!! Hooray!!!! And it has definitely been a hot one here in Philly....Sometimes I feel like I'm melting.  But hey, I'm not complaining - at least not yet.  I'm not usually a "summer time kinda gurl."  I'm more of an "in between spring and summer kinda gurl." LOL.  Give me 75 degrees, no rain, bright sunshine, a lukewarm breeze and I'm a happy chickadee!  However, anytime that I can come out of the ten layers of clothing and feel like I'm not weighed down is Summer. You know how it is....less clothing.  So, you gotta take the good with the bad...La dee dah!  And although it's been really hot, it's been raining a lot. And I guess because we've had so much rain in the past few months the flowers are really blooming. There are flowers, flowers, flowers, everywhere - on desks, in windows, on steps, in the parks, in the supermarkets, at the bank,  on clothing, even in hair.  Aaaahhh, beautiful flowers. I love flowers. Don't you?

So lately, everything that I've made has incorporated flowers one way or another (of course right?).  Well, because it's summer, that means bar-b-ques...lots and lots of bar-b-ques!  You know you're gonna wear one of your fiercest summer outfits, but it still needs a little something....

I have several plain cuff bracelets in my stash.  The kind that you can get for under $5.  And so I decided to alter one....here it is.....

For this one, I just added some mulberry flowers with a little hot glue and started piling them on!

I have a couple of "filigree" style white cuff bracelets too. If it weren't getting so late, and I didn't have to get up in the morning, I would get a start on that one too.  I already have an idea to make it pretty "monotone." Basically white-on-white. Goes with everything right? LOL

Anyway, thanks for stopping by. I truly appreciate your support!
Hugs+Kisses
Renee

Huge Blog Candy!

  


Hi Everyone!
Happy Monday Morning


YAYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!

I found a new blog that I really like http://livaly.blogspot.com/2013/06/quite-huge-giveaway-for-you.html. And there's blog candy up for grabs.  She felt guilty for "neglecting her followers - LOL!  Enter today! Today's the last day....


Talk about great items/products being graciously given away! Lovely, absolutely lovely!

These are some (yes, only some....) of the items up for grabs in this amazing giveaway






Everything in this giveaway has been on my WISH LIST for a long time!!!


May God be with me...
Fingers, toes, eyes and everything crossed....
Knocking on wood....
Carrying around with me a four leaf clover, rabbit's foot, and horseshoe....

A big thanks goes to  for the opportunity!!

Bye for now
Hugs+Kisses
Renee



Tuesday, July 9, 2013

Finishing "Unfinished" Projects

Products used:  pre-primed 8x10 canvas, homemade modeling paste, Want2Scrap bling, 
Copic markers, Ranger Fine Glitter in Diamond


Hi everyone:
I don't know about you, but I really do have craftingADHD.
I tend to jump from one project to another.  That's what happens when you have ideas just bouncing around in your head! LOL.  I could be working on a project, something will pop into my head - distracting me, I'll drop that because I start thinking about something else, and voila! on to the next project...sigh...and I'm not sure if that's a bad thing or a good thing....

But anyway, I started working on this canvas and got "distracted"...
I put on a coat of acrylic paint, got her paper pieced together, added her wings and then stopped....she sat, neglected, for a little over two months.

I heard her calling my name sometimes.  And I would pick her up and stare at her and even occasionally ask her what she wanted from me (although she wouldn't answer me), but eventually I'd put her right back in a corner somewhere.  

Well, she called my name around 4:00 am Saturday....must be the "Angel" connection...LOL.  She said that she didn't want much.  Just a little bit of attention.  She whined a little bit "come on, come on, finish meeeeee."  

So here she is!  Didn't take a lot to get it to where I wanted it either. And I really like how it - oops, sorry Angelgurl - I really like how SHE turned out.

By the way, when I finally climbed back into bed, I heard a small whisper of thanks....made me smile before I fell back to sleep


What do you think?
Hugs+Kisses
Renee

Monday, July 1, 2013

What an awesome giveaway prize!!!



Hi all:

Just a quick post today....

If you're like me, you love crafty gadgets.  Things that make my life easier.  And this little baby would definitely not only make it easier, but it would add such flair to any project.

With this kit, you can easily create personalized ribbons for gifts, decorations, crafts, and more! Print a special message on a gift to a friend or brighten up party favors with personal messages to each recipient. Create and print a cute message for that handmade scarf or ad some fun touches to your next scrapbook layout. The possibilities are endless with this fabulous product!

And guess what????  You can get "iron on ribbon!"  Gasp! Heart beats faster! Eyes turn glassy! You now develope that weird grin when you think of what you can do with it!!


So, for a chance to win....

http://create.northridgepublishing.com/giveaway-friday-epson/