StarLitStudio

Easter eggs with oxide butterflies

Fun times with Distress Oxide Inks!

 

The ingredients above on Bristol Smooth cardstock created the look below:

The experience with Distress Oxide inks is a consistently relaxed and pleasant experimentation, producing amazing results that are never replicated.  

That sentence says it all.

When spritzed with Distress Mica Spray (Tarnished Brass used) and heat set a delightful shimmer appears.

Memory Box Cascadia Butterflies die used - small butterflies were set aside and used on another project.

Lightly inked edges of butterflies with Distress Ground Espresso ink.  Layered butterflies using rolled Scor-Tape (technique here) to pop the wings of the smaller one, then wrapped the unit with hemp cording, knotting the ends to resemble the butterfly's head.

Covered wooden eggs with vintage sheet music strips and Distress Collage Medium Matte, and allowed to dry.  Filled a Mini Mister 1/3 with water and 1/3 with Distress Antique Linen reinker, cap and shake well.  Placed eggs into a box and sprayed, then allowing to dry.

The bases are vintage Coats and Clark wooden spools with silk thread.  Finished size of each - about three inches in height.  Happy Friday!

alcohol ink bookmark

Metal bookmarks from Prima Marketing feature an acrylic cabochon - excellent for highlighting a small piece of alcohol-inked Yupo.  

Yupo (I used white Yupo) is a non-porous surface that works well with Ranger's alcohol inks.  These bookmarks make fantastic gifts and sell well at my local artisan market on Saturdays.

Ranger Alcohol Inks used:  Rust, Mushroom, Lettuce, Pesto, Turquoise and Denim.  I used E-6000 and adhered the cabochon to the inked Yupo.  Allow to dry to completely then trim around the cabochon.  Adhere to metal bookmark using E-6000 and allow to dry 12-24 hours.

My technique uses small spurts of heat, drying the inks intermittently using Ranger's Heat Tool, which I embellished with alcohol inks years ago.

jazzing up die cuts

Back in the early 2000 I watched a few DVD's from Susan Pickering Rothamel - owner of USArtQuest.  

Sprinkling a light layer of chunky clear embossing powder onto inked die cuts then heating from underneath - accent/emphasize with Perfect Pearls.  This is a fun and quick way to add subtle detail to handmade cards.

Quick video detailing the technique:

christmas door knocker art

I've shared the front door knocker artwork in a few other posts: halloween 2012, christmas 2012, spring 2013.  Today's post features Carta Bella Christmas Delivery collection paper, Penny Black Nature's Friends (deer) and Tall Trees dies, and Simon Says Stamp snowflake die.  

All components were leftovers from other projects.  

The garland above the front door in the photo below was created by using lightweight outdoor ornaments and stringing on a sturdy cord with hanging loops at each end.  

It adds a pop of color without fuss.  We had a dusting of snow this morning - happy December!

tim holtz halloween coffin decor

Only at Halloween can you get away with decorating with coffins.  At least in my house.  

Tim Holtz idea-ology halloween product - pumpkins, broom, spider, patterned cardstock, word bands.

 

spider attachment loop was removed and body color altered with Festive Berries paint.

Spooky times ahead! Headed for the weekend - hope yours is a great one!

idea-ology flip frame art

Attachment style of the typed token using jump rings and a wire pin gleaned from Shari Carroll.  This piece utilizes a metal flip frame from Tim Holtz.  Snippets of papers and fabric from the stash were collaged until they 'felt right'.

Small talk sticker rambling on 'about something sparkly' fit perfectly.  Adhered a 'dust' definition from a vintage dictionary using multi medium and inserted a bit of fine, German glass glitter into the treasure bottle prior to sealing (again using multi medium).  The foundry frame grounds the focal point of this piece for me.  Linen thread used around bottle neck.

The paper that looks like tin - I purchased about 15 years ago from a quaint little nearby shop called 'Luna Studio' that closed about 14 years ago.  Its closing prompted me to open the online store - just so I could have access to supplies and continue to create.  

Neato photo of the youngest doin' the 'flip yer hair'...she's enjoying the pool now - as it's back to school next month!  Happy Friday!

FabScraps Floral Delight papers - decor piece

New FabScraps papers combined with a KaiserCraft Jewelry Box and knobs.  Painted edges with Ranger's Gesso then inked edges with Distress Tea Dye ink.  Top shelf is hinged and opens. 

Took this photo yesterday - today the side patio is covered in seven inches of snow.

more desk organizer sets

More about these in this previous post.

A store on Main Street here in town wishes to carry my desk organizer designs exclusively, so these will not be available in the market nor in my etsy store.  The store owner had such kind words for me about my work, which is always wonderful.  

I wish to thank Stampington for ignoring my submission email and photos of this concept - I thought it was pretty darn good. 

altered clock

Finally altered one of those idea-ology clocks - Memory Box & Poppystamps dies (Carolina Birdhouse, Small Hydrangea Blooms, Fancy Blossoms, and the new Thicket Wreath.  Fancy Blossoms were shaped like Kittie does it, pierced a hole in the centers and threaded a white stamen through; hot glued into place.

I found a mini, detail hot glue gun - going to have them in the store.  It dispenses the tiniest amount (like the head of a glass pin size!) of hot glue and I love it and have used it daily since it arrived.  It rests on an old Ranger craft sheet - great for protecting the work surface.

Base color of clock was painted with a moss-colored Rustoleum spray paint then decopauged with 7gypsies tissue paper and Ranger's Glue & Seal.  Papers inside the clock are Bazzill Vintage Lace (flower) and idea-ology Wallflower (background).  Birdhouse Words Border is an old stamp from Impression Obsession.

Clock runs on one AA battery and is now in youngest daughter's bedroom.  This one won't be going to the market!

7gypsies solo shadowbox desk organizer

Shown with cover closed.  The three small niches are lined with idea-ology patterned paper (Crowded Attic pad).

Desk organizer features a pop-up style post-it note cover for a 3x3 pad! Pencil is my attempt to show scale.  Sentiment is Wordsworth.

I adhered four, clear rubber feet at the bottom base corners for a finishing touch.  These are for the market on Saturdays.  Happy Weekend!

supplies:  idea-ology findings: curio knob, hinge clips, gem clips. label clips, sprocket and mini gears, word bands, Journaling Tickets, Ranger metal foil tape, 7gypsies solo shadowbox, gears stamp (Stampers Anonymous), Sizzix embossing folder, sewing machine, binder clips, French script stamp (Hero Arts)