Introducing the new Spring Release!
Purrtastic releases so far!

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Ice Roses And Holly - A Winter Card for the Holidays designed for the 3CCC

Happy Holidays Everyone!

I hope Santa was good to everyone this year and you got lots of crafty goodness in your stockings ;0)
I'm on vacation at the moment and you are all probably super busy with your holiday festivities so I'm popping in today to share a quick project with you ;0)


The "Ice Roses and Holly" winter card I designed for the Third Coast Creative Coterie is really beautiful but it doesn't take ages to make so drop what you're doing and grab your supplies and get in a little stamping Me time!

Monday, December 12, 2011

"Percy On Ice" Removable Christmas Tree Ornament Card designed for the 3CCC!

Happy Rainy Monday!
It's pouring down outside so I'm in a winter mood today and thought I'd share this project I designed for the Third Coast Creative Coterie!


I also created this one with a special little someone in mind, Daniel my 4 yr old nephew ;0)  This is his Christmas card this year!  The ornament comes displayed on the card and then it's easily removed for hanging on the Christmas tree!  I think he'll love it, don't you :0)


Friday, December 9, 2011

Blockheads' Naughty Christmas Mice - Wood Ornament featuring Sharpie Coloured Game Pieces

Happy Friday Everyone!
Last week I shared my tradition of making porcelain Christmas tree ornaments with you all and now I'm back today with another two-sided Christmas ornament but this one is a lazor-cut wooden one with a two sided Sharpie coloured game tile center piece!  I decorated each side differently to show you two looks in one but you can make both sides the same if you want to of course!


 The two naughty mice causing havoc on the Christmas tree from Blockheads Paper Arts' Figgy Pudding stamp sheet are the featured images on the Lexigo game tiles.  If you're crazy about altering game pieces like me then you're probably familiar with the Chekit game!  The cream coloured game tiles are now hard to come by so I was particularly excited to find the Lexigo game that has the same shape pieces but are just slightly smaller and have letters on the back instead of patterns!


 I used the following supplies to create this wonderfully fun but still elegant Christmas tree ornament!
I call this a Christmas tree ornament but you could totally hang this on a display stand as a featured ornament in your home too!

Blockheads' Figgy Pudding Mice stamp sheet (the top left one)
 2 x Lexigo game pieces
Lazer cut wood ornament from Michaels
Black StazOn ink
Distress Stains:  Bundled Sage and Fired Brick
Fireworks Ink Spray:  Lilac Posies
Smooch Spritz:  Vanilla
Sharpie Markers:  Ultra Fine points - Black, Green, Lime, Rose, Pink Lemonade, Red, Brown, Coconut and Almond
Judikins Diamond Glaze
Delta Ceramcoat Gloss varnish
Metallic Gold Paint pens (broad and fine tip)
Yellow Glitter Glue
Gold wire
Gold jump ring and jewelry pliers/wire cutter
K and Company Poinsettia and Holly embellishments
Heat It embossing gun


Start off by colouring the inner edge with a broad point metallic gold paint pen, the side with the letters is the back so that edge is the inner edge.  It's important to do this step first because you won't be able to colour the sides of the game pieces when they're glued together!  Apply a small amount of Judikins Diamond Glaze to the back of one of the pieces and adhere them together.


Stamp the mice onto the game tiles with black StazOn ink and either heat set with a heat gun or leave overnight for the ink to dry.  Colour the images with Sharpie markers using my Sharpie Domino Queen technique and then edge and colour the sides with a broad point metallic gold paint pen.


Cut a length of gold wire and wrap it around the game tiles so that it sits in the groove between them.  Form a loop on one side and then wire wrap the other end around it to form the hanger.  Apply Judikins Diamond Glaze to the gold sides of the altered game piece with your finger or brush and then apply glaze to one side of the game tile directly from the bottle and let it dry.


Apply glaze to the other side once everything is dry.  Start on the wood ornament while you're waiting for the glaze to dry.


Stain one side of the wood ornament with Bundled Sage Distress Stain and let it dry.  Then spritz it with Fireworks Lilac Posies for a mottled effect.  The Fireworks sprays have a wonderful shimmery sparkle to them and this side of the ornament definitely gives me of visions of sugar plums ;0)


Stain the other side of the ornament with Fired Brick Distress Stain and spray it with Vanilla Smooch Spritz so that it shimmers too.  It's hard to see the beautiful shimmer in the photos but trust me, it is oh so pretty ;0)  Once dry apply gloss varnish to the entire ornament (both sides).


Colour the bow part of the ornament with the broad point metallic gold paint pen and outline all the edges of the cut outs and the edges.  

TIP:  Sealling the ornament with varnish first stops the gold paint from absorbing and bleeding into the wood and makes the gold areas more shiny too!


Colour the edges of the ornament with the broad point pen and then use the fine point metallic gold paint pen to get into the tight spots on the bow.  You could paint the sides of the ornament with gold paint and a brush if you don't have paint pens!


Apply yellow glitter glue to the bow, the outside edge of the present and the inside edge of the circle only.  Attach the altered game tile center piece to the inside of the ornament with a jump ring and embellish with dimensional paper poinsettias and holly and you're done!

I love the way this ornament turned out!  It's fun and playful with the use of the mice images but still very elegant and beautiful because of the detailed scroll work of the wood!

I hope I've inspired you to create your own ornaments this year!  They make wonderful gifts but don't forget to treat yourself to one too ;0)

Happy Holidays!

I design for Blockheads Paper Arts * Third Coast Rubber Stamps * About Art Accents

Saturday, December 3, 2011

Christmas Porcelain Ornaments featuring Blockheads Paper Arts Christmas Stamps!

Happy December Everyone!

I'm back today with three awesome porcelain ornaments that are perfect to hang on your tree, give as gifts and you can even add them as gift tag embellishments on your presents as an extra little giftie for family and friends!


I make porcelain ornaments each year and get mine from Michaels.  I used Blockhead Paper Arts awesome Christmas stamp sets to decorate the ones I've made this year and here's the three stamp sets for you to check out.  Click on each sheet to go to Blockheads and the first 2 sets below are currently on sale so grab them while you can!

Figgy Pudding Mice
An Illustrated Christmas
Christmas Morning 

 I also used the Ornate Flourish from the Feeling Regal set on the Star Ornament.

Feeling Regal

 Snowman Snowflake Ornament
Stamp the images on to all the ornaments with black StazOn ink and either heat set or leave overnight to dry.  Colour all the ornaments with Sharpie markers using my signature Sharpie Domino Queen Technique!  Also check out my other Sharpie projects here on my blog!


I stamped the Snowman from the An Illustrated Christmas set on the front of the snowflake ornament.  If you don't like how the image stamps or if it smudges then don't panic!  Just wipe the porcelain ornament with a baby wipe or with rubbing alcohol and the image just comes right off!
You can't see it very well in the photo but I added Blue Ocean Sharpie to the outer edges of the snowflake and lightened and blended with a Colourless Blender Design Art Marker until it was just a subtle touch of colour along the rim of the ornament.

TIP:  You can get the same effect with a Copic or Marvy Le Plume Permanent Blender pen if you don't mind using it with your Sharpies or with a Adirondack Alcohol Ink Fillable Pen filled with Blending Solution.  You can also just use a Q-Tip dipped in rubbing alcohol!

I used the following Sharpies on this one:
Snowman: Ocean Blue and Blue Ice,
Scarf:  Olive and Kiwi
Carrot:  Orange and Pumpkin
Sticks: Brown,
Hat:  Slate Grey and Earl Grey

The ornaments are all double sided and on the back of this one I stamped the Snowflakes from the An Illustrated Christmas set and the Merry Christmas sentiment is from the Christmas Morning set.  I used Ocean Blue and Blue Ice for all the colouring on the back.


 Santa Star Ornament

For the star ornament I used the Santa from An Illustrated Christmas and the following Sharpies:
Skin:  Pink Lemonade,
Hat:  Pomegranate, Red, Ocean Blue and Blue Ice,
Beard/hair:  Coconut,
 Holly:  Red, Spruce Green and Kiwi.

On the back of the star I stamped the large Merry Christmas sentiment from the Christmas Morning set and portions of the ornate flourish stamp from the Feeling Regal stamp set.
I used Pomegranate Sharpie to outline the design.


The Holidays Are For Everyone
Tree Ornament
On this ornament I used the cute mouse and sentiment from the Figgy Pudding Mice set and stamped a portion of the present border from the Christmas Morning set on the 'trunk' of the tree and the decorative Star on the back with the sentiment 'The Holidays Are For Everyone'!


I coloured the design with the following Sharpies:
Mouse:  Coconut, Pink Lemonade and Red,
Snow:  Ocean Blue and Blue Ice,
Leaf and Trees:  Spruce Green and Kiwi
Tree trunks:  Brown,
Presents:  Ocean Blue, Blue Ice, Red, Pomegranate, Spruce Green and Kiwi.

Once all the colouring is done you need to seal them.  I prefer to use Krylon spray sealers on mine but you can also use Judikins Diamond Glaze too.  Spray each side first with Krylon Artists Workable Fixative.  Just apply 2-3 very light mistings and let each coat dry.  Then spray with Krylon sealer in the same way.  I used Gloss on mine but I've also used Matte and Satin in the past.  It's just a personal preference really and what I feel like using based on the design at the time.


So the ornaments can be hung on the tree or attached to gifts I finished them off with decorative ribbon tied in a bow.  You can also add other embellishments to the bow area like holly or poinsettias.  I also enjoy adding Swarovski crystals to my ornaments so they sparkle in the Christmas tree lights ;0)

I'm entering my ornaments into the following fun Challenges :0)
Buttons or Bows with Craft Your Days Away
The Snowman and Mouse Ornament in - Snowmen, snowflakes..snow with Sweet Stampin'
The Santa Ornament in - Tis the Season Challenge with So Artful Challenge
Decorate for Christmas Challenge with My Sheri Crafts

Only 21 days till Christmas and I hope I've given you some nifty ideas for gifts and for decorating your Christmas presents this year! 
Happy Stamping and have an awesome weekend!


I design for Blockheads Paper Arts * Third Coast Rubber Stamps * About Art Accents