fright night fancies

With all the recent holiday releases from some of my favorite companies, I was inspired to make a Halloween project. I know it is still July; but as a good friend said to me, "Halloween's only three months away!" I have also noticed that many of the local craft stores are starting to put out the Halloween decor, so perhaps the timing is just right. Wether you would like to give them away as favors or simply add to your decor, these fright night fancies are frightfully fun!

Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts has introduced a line of artist trading coin covers in various styles. They range from Alice in Wonderland to seasonal, including holiday sets. I look forward to using some of these in a traditional manner, but I thought it would be fun to use them as focal points for rosettes and attach them to sticks, creating wands. I begin with GSLC trading coin covers Halloween. The set includes four different designs.

I paint the witch coin cover with black soot paint on both sides and allow to dry. Once dry, I add a layer of glue to the central design and coat it with distress glitter. The designs have some intricate parts, so be sure to use a fine glitter so that the beautiful details can be seen.

Using a paper rosette cutting die, I cut multiple pieces from the Halloween Kraft Stash paper pad. The edges are inked with black soot distress ink and the die cut strips are glued end to end creating a circle. (tip: be sure that when gluing the strips, you keep the all decorative edges along the same side.) I then die cut a circle for the center that is larger than the trading coin cover. This piece will cover the open area within the rosette, as well as provide a base for the trading coin cover. A line of glue just along the outside edge of the back of the circle allows it to adhere to the rosette when "flattened."

Before attaching the glittered trading coin cover, I flip the rosette over and finish the reverse side. This step is much easier, and a lot neater, when completed before the glittered piece is attached to the front. I attach a wooden skewer stick to the rosette with tacky glue. (tip: be sure that the stick extends to the top of the rosette ring, this gives it more stability.) I have also added some die cut bats on thin wire to my piece, the wires slip through the gaps that the folds of the rosette create, and are attached with collage medium to the back side of the circle. When the adhesive has dried, the back of the rosette is closed up with another circle die cut. I used a patterned paper for this to add interest to the back side.
The wand is flipped back over and the finished trading coin cover is attached with collage medium. Decorative trimmings can be tied around the stick at the base of the rosette.
Each of the rosettes are created in a similar way, simply adjusting the size, or number of layers.

The cat on a fence trading coin cover is finished with a combination of paints, embossing powder, and glitter. I always love painting faux wood, and think it looks perfect on the fence portion. What Halloween piece would not be complete without a black cat? I added a dot of gold to simulate the glow of the cat's eye. The moon is coated with embossing ink then covered with ancient amber embossing powder and heat set. The trading coin cover is attached to a kraft stash circle that has been inked with black soot distress ink to simulate a midnight sky.

The largest rosette creates a perfect backdrop for the bat and tree trading coin cover. Using distress paints in shades of brown, I paint the tree limbs to look dimensional. The bat is painted with black soot paint and then covered with a thick layer of glossy accents and allowed to dry. Gold paint lines the interior rims of the bat eye openings. The trading coin cover is adhered atop two layers of Kraft paper stash and finally attached to the center of the rosette. Halloween trimmings are tied around the skewer at the base of the rosette.

The fourth trading coin cover is used to embellish a small round die cut box that contains candies. I die cut the box and cover it with Halloween patterned papers. This trading coin cover is finished using embossing powders. The piece is first painted with black soot paint, then each interior element is coated with embossing ink and covered with embossing powder, and heat set. I love the glow of the moon over the haunted house silhouette. Once it has cooled, the coin cover is attached to a circle of orange kraft stash paper that has been inked to simulate a spooky sky. Miniature bat die cuts are attached randomly within the coin circle. Additional bat die cuts are attached around the box sides, unifying the design.

 Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts also makes incredible, chunky artist trading coins. They are sold in sets of three. I have used them for another project that you can find here. The artist trading coins would also be perfect for layering beneath the trading coin covers.

I really enjoyed creating these fright night fancies, I hope that you may consider alternate ways to use the Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts trading coin covers. They are the perfect size to add to just about any project, or even use on their own.
Thanks so much for taking the time to stop by, I truly appreciate it.
~Ann
 xxx
 
I am entering this project in:
 Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge: Animal Magic
(Cat and Bats)


Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts:
Trading Coin Covers Halloween

other supplies :
Distress Collage Medium: matte
Distress Glitter: black soot
Distress Ink: black soot
Distress Paint:
black soot, ground expresso, vintage photo, walnut stain,
Eileen Hull / Sizzix Scoreboards Die: bigz xl cookie box
Seth Apter / Emerald Creek Baked Texture Embossing Powder:
 ancient amber. eclipse
Glossy Accents
Tim Holtz Ideaology:
Paper Stash Classic Kraft, Kraft Stash Halloween, Paper Stash Halloween, Trimmings Halloween
Tim Holtz / Sizzix Alterations Dies:
bat crazy, mixed media halloween, rosette set
Wire: 32 gauge
Wooden Skewers
Xyron Creative Station Lite

bird lady

Hello everyone, today I am on the Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts blog,
sharing "bird lady," an inspired santos doll.
For me, some of the first sure signs of spring are the birdsongs. I love seeing the robins, with their feathers still fluffed for warmth, come out and grace the landscape. Then, ever so gradually, many other species arrive to join in the song.
It definitely brings hope and eager anticipation for the warmer days ahead.
 This is the inspiration behind "bird lady."

I begin with a Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts santos doll. This set arrives flat; I carefully remove the pieces and wipe off the residue from the laser cuts. Next, I like to assemble the piece (without glue) into it's three dimensional form so that I understand how it will look as a finished piece. This allows me to visualize which finishes to use as well as helps to focus my ideas. 

Once I have settled on a theme, I disassemble the piece. One side of each part is painted with raw umber paint. The two flat circular disks are painted on both sides. When the paint has dried, using collage medium, I cover the unpainted sides with french book pages from my stash. This paper will serve as a base that I will layer over.

While the adhesive is drying, I put together the tiny bird box and tiny bird houses. Each of these sets contains pieces to make either: two tiny bird boxes, or two tiny bird houses. For this project, I have used one set of tiny bird boxes and two sets of tiny bird houses. The pieces are very small; however, they are fairly easy to put together. On the bird houses, one of the roof planes is just a bit longer than the other. When you assemble the house, be sure that the longer piece overlaps the edge of the smaller roof plane. I have added tiny shingles standard to the roof on one of the bird houses. The bird houses are painted with a mustard yellow color and then dry brushed with brown paint to create an aged wood look. The bird box is finished in a similar manner, but using a tuscan red color as a base. The roof of the bird box is painted with copper paint. A very small screw eye is attached to the center of each of the bird house roofs. 

Collage tissue paper is adhered over the book pages in a random pattern along the cage pieces of the santos' skirt. An image of a bird is collaged onto the bodice. The collage tissue is covered with distress collage medium to ensure translucency as well as a seamless transition. The edges of the pieces are sanded and then inked with brushed corduroy distress ink.

A branch is wedged into the santo's skirt and a small nest is secured into the "V" created by the twiggy branch. Three small eggs are safely tucked into the nest. 

The bird houses hang from chains grasped by the bird lady's petite hands.

She wears the bird box on her back, inviting another family to make it their home. Gold swirls and dots adorn the back side of the torso and arms. 

The bird lady's hair is an upside-down nest. Placed on her head and secured with collage medium. Resting atop, is a Relics & Artifacts robin preparing to take flight on a new adventure;

while we await the arrival of her littles.

I hope that you are enjoying these early days of spring and perhaps are inspired to create something that captures the beauty of this wonderful season. 

Thank you so much for stopping by the blog,

 I truly appreciate it.

~Ann

 xxx

supplies used:
branch
copper jewelry chain, jump rings
craft egg miniatures
craft nest miniatures
Deco Art acrylic paint: tuscan red, marigold, traditional raw umber
Distress Collage Medium: matte
Distress Ink: brushed corduroy
Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts:

Santos Doll, Tiny Bird Box, Tiny Bird House, Tiny Shingles Standard

Relics & Artifacts Resin Blanks: Mythos - bird
Tim Holtz Ideaology:
collage tissue paper- aviary, small fasteners, screw eyes  

nesting place

Hi everyone, today I am on the Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts blog sharing "nesting place", a project inspired by the start of spring. We have had glimpses of what is to come with some very warm days, which have have helped the daffodil bulbs begin to peek out of the ground. Spring is my absolute favorite season of the year and today marks its official start.

My "nesting place" is created using the Gypsy Soul Laser Cut mini house shadowbox 3. This piece is fairly small (3"h x 2"w x 1"d), which was just the right size to house my tiny nest and eggs. The mini house shadowbox 3 arrives in 6 pieces and requires simple assembly. For this project, I have also used tiny shingles standard on the sloped roof to give it an authentic house feel.

Once I have all the pieces laid out, I find the papers that I want to use to cover the sides and back of the house. I trace the outline of the (interior) surfaces to be covered and cut the paper to fit within the tabbed areas. This allows the pieces to fit securely together when assembling the house. When tracing the pieces to fit on the exterior surfaces, I keep to the outside edges. These pieces are adhered once the house sides and base are glued together. They will cover all of the joints to create a finished appearance at the edges.

While the box portion of the house is set aside to allow the glue time to cure, I begin work on the roof pieces. Both sloped chipboard pieces are painted brown, and while drying, I begin inking the shingle pieces. the tiny shingles standard are the perfect scale for this house. Each row is cut to the proper length and inked with brushed corduroy distress ink. This gives the look of real wood shingles. When the pieces are ready, they are layered onto the base. I begin at the eaves and layer each row on top of the next until I reach the peak of the slope. 

Note: one of the slope rectangular pieces is slightly longer than the other. When assembling, this piece extends above the second sloped piece at the peak. I attach the shingles to the second side and the last layer of shingles meets right at the roof ridge. 

A piece of thin dresden is adhered along the front edge of the slopes. This entire assembly is set aside to dry completely before being attached to the house.

I rub a small amount of gel stain into an old thread spool. When the stain has dried, I secure a piece of crocheted lace around the spool with distress collage medium. The spool is then attached to the center of the base of the house to raise it up. 

I twist some raffia and twig roping into a circle to create a small nest. I add a lot of glue to the base to keep the shape and set aside to dry. Three mini decorative eggs are coated with glue then covered with gilding flakes. These eggs rest at the center of the nest. 

A clipping sticker is cut to fit and attached to the rear of the house reading, "the pretty little birds chirped" and at the center of the bottommost house edge, a chit chat sticker reading, "home."

I hope you have enjoyed learning how I created "nesting place." Maybe you are inspired to create your own spring project? If you do, the GSLC team and I would love seeing what you create! Please share it with us on the Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts Craft Group on Facebook. You can find it here.

Thanks so much for taking the time to stop by today, 

I really appreciate it!

~Ann

  xxx 

I am entering this project into the following challenges:
Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge: Miniature / Tiny Things

supplies

crocheted lace

Distress ink: brushed corduroy

Distress collage medium-matte

dresden trim

Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts:

tiny shingles standard, mini house shadowbox 3

mini decorative eggs

Nuvo gilding flakes

thread spool

Tim Holtz Ideaology:

chit chat stickers, clippings stickers, memoranda paper stash

out of the ordinary

 Hi Everyone, this month the Emerald Creek Dares Challenge is inspired by the song Ordinary Day by Great Big Sea. When I listen to the song, it helps me to understand that one's state of mind plays a huge roll in the way the days unfurl. Each day can be filled with adventures or challenges, depending on how you look at it. I find myself best able to tackle whatever life throws at me by being as prepared as possible.

For me, this "preparedness" to ensure a positive frame of mind can take the form of a list, or a quick sketch of an idea that pops into my head, sometimes it's a thought or something inspiring jotted down on a piece of paper to be put to use when needed. I have created a small wrapped journal to keep handy which will hold all of these special things.

I cover an Eileen Hull wrapped journal base with handmade inked papers. On the short closure flap, I emboss a stamped image along the edge with Seth Apter baked texture in patina oxide. This powder creates the most wonderful finish, full of interest. 

I want the inside to coordinate with the colors of the exterior and to have a soothing appearance. In order to create this effect, I partially stamp (with Versamark ink) using a script stamp along the paper. This is coated with the new Emerald Creek Allure powder in Iceberg. 

Iceberg is a gorgeous translucent powder in a blue aqua color. It is very fine and works really well on super detailed images. When the embossing has cooled, I ink the paper with distress inks. The embossing creates a resist. I love the how the translucent color stands out against the background.

The album is assembled and mini notebooks and pocket folders are inserted. Now it is time to add the special details. 

I coat some feathery flourish chipboard laser cuts with patina oxide embossing powder and heat set. When cool, these are added in various locations.

Emerald Creek daisy brads are coated with embossing in patina oxide to coordinate and give a special finishing touch. I create a belt closure and add embossing to potions of the buckle. 

I am looking forward to putting my mind at ease by having this journal in hand. 

Perhaps you have been inspired by my take on this month's challenge? We would love to see your interpretation of Ordinary Day. Join the #ECMAR2019 challenge, if you dare!

Thank you so much for stopping by,
~Ann

supplies used:
copper 1/8" eyelets
Distress inks:
ground expresso, walnut stain
Distress oxide inks:
broken china, spiced marmalade, vintage photo, walnut stain
Distress paint: walnut stain
Eileen Hull / Sizzix wrapped journal scoreboards die
Emerald Creek Embossing Powders:
Baked Texture - Patina Oxide
Allure - Iceberg
Emerald Creek Forge:
daisy brads
Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts chipboard pieces:
feathery flourishes
Lineco: self-adhesive linen hinging tape
Tim Holtz / Stampers Anonymous stamps:
entomology, ornate trims
Tim Holtz Ideaology: buckles, fasteners
Versamark embossing ink
Xyron permanent adhesive

taming creative chaos

Hi everyone, this year one of my goals is to tame the "creative chaos" by getting my studio space more organized. I spent some time at the beginning of the year cleaning, organizing, and quite honestly, simply putting things where they belong. It seems that the more creative I am, the more of a mess my studio space becomes and the harder it is to find things that I have set aside for a specific purpose. To that end, I need a place to keep all of my handmade cards. I seem to have quite a pile and yet when a birthday or holiday rolls around, I am always searching. 

Today I am on the Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts blog sharing this card organizer with you. There are so many ways that it can be used. The trim organizer (as it is titled in the GSLC shop) is very generous in size. The base measures 11" by 5" and has a central divider creating two equal compartments. These compartments easily fit A2 cards, and even slightly larger. The organizer comes with 12 dividers. These are shaped like flat bobbins, so could technically be used to store ribbons or trim; however, I am using them as simple dividers between types of cards. The box arrives arrives flat (6 pieces) and requires assembly. The twelve bobbin cards can be used as bare chipboard or finished with paints or papers as I have.

I always find it easiest to test assemble the piece, this way I can better understand what areas will be visible as well as facilitate the order in which things should be glued. I sort through my paper stash and select a design that I think will work well for my purpose. The interior surfaces can be covered with smaller sized pieces; however, a 12x12 sheet will work best on the long exterior sides (one sheet will cover both the front and the back.)

Before I begin adhering my chosen papers, I paint all of the edges with black soot paint. This will create a finished appearance along the edges where the different papers meet as well as conceal any cuts that may be just a bit too short. Then I begin cutting the papers to size. Oftentimes, when there are multiple sized pieces and they are close in size, I turn them over and give them a designation (letter or number) then also write that onto the chipboard at the location it will be adhered. It helps to keep everything from getting mixed up when it is time to assemble.

I like to add may papers to the Chipboard pieces white they are flat. I find it easier to adhere the papers correctly and, when necessary, weigh them down until dry to keep the edges from curling. On this particular piece, I realized that it would work better to attach the two long exterior paper pieces after the box was assembled. There are no "right" and "wrong" ways to assemble the Gypsy Soul Laser Cut pieces, generally whatever works best for your project. The main piece of advice I always follow is: to ensure the tabs are able to connect easily, do not cover with paper, the added thickness generally does not allow for the tabs to insert into one another.

Once I have all of my paper pieces adhered to the interior surfaces of the box pieces, I begin to assemble. I spread clear, quick dry multi-purpose glue on the tabs and flat areas to be joined, then insert the tabs into the corresponding slots, beginning with the central divider. Next, I attach the front and back box sides and clamp together at the central divider until dry.

The final pieces I assemble are the two end pieces. I use clamps to secure these as well; however, it is not necessary.

With the box assembled, I add the final papers to the front and back exterior sides. (Note: I always ink the edges of any cut pieces so that the white does not show.)

I consider adding feet to the base of the box for a more decorative look, but decide on adding a piece of crafting felt to the very bottom of the organizer. This will allow the box to be situated on a solid or wire shelf, as well as protect any surfaces that it will be set upon. Once assembly is complete, it is time to begin work on the bobbins. 

 My original thought was to divide by months of the year (there are 12 dividers/months), but I believe what would work best for me is to sort by occasion or theme. To this end, I keep the dividers simple. I have learned over the years that my storage solutions are often evolving and this will allow me to change things up easily (if necessary) at a later date. I select some of my favorite worn wallpapers, and paper stash designs for the bobbins. The edge of each bobbin is painted with black paint and allowed to dry. One side of the bobbin is coated with collage medium, I secure the desired paper in place, and weigh down until dry. Once dry, I trim the paper edges with an Exacto knife. All of the bobbin pieces are covered on both the front and back sides.

 

I finally have a special place where I will be sorting and storing miscellaneous cards I have made. There will be no more searching amidst the piles, only flipping through my organizer to find the correct one.

I hope that you are finding time to get creative this year, I have found that even in organizing there are ways to exercise my creativity. Thanks so much for stopping by, I truly appreciate it.
~Ann
  xx

Supplies:
3M quick dry tacky glue
Distress collage medium - matte
Distress ink- brushed corduroy
Distress Paint - black soot
Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts - trim organizer
Tim Holtz Ideaology -
worn wallpapers (original and halloween), french industrial paper stash