Thanks for the Memories - Julia's Final eP Post

We have had a fabulous run as members of the eclectic Paperie Design Team and wish to thank you all for your interest and support over the years. With the eP blog coming to a close at the end of the month, we all wanted to do something special to celebrate the fabulous friendships, tons of inspiration from other team members, from Kim, and from all those who participated in our challenges. Each of the current DT members is taking a day to post some of her favourite makes from her time on the eclectic Paperie team. We hope you enjoy the look back.

Julia here today-  with my final post here on the eclectic Paperie Blog (sob!)  Thank you Kim, for the wonderful opportunity you gave me to work with the other talented members of your Design Team!

Here are some of my projects created with products from the eclectic Paperie shop. 

 (you can click on the titles to connect to my posts for more details on each project)

Burlap Hanging

 

 Autumn Tag

 

 Strong Women Canvas

 

Halloween Box

 

Thanks so much for stopping by the eclectic Paperie blog today!

 

Spooky Cats Tag

Julia here -  just in time for Halloween -  I have a tag to share that I made for the August Tim Holtz Tags of 2014.

I started with a plain manilla tag - and laid down two pieces of Tissue Tape (under my cats) - I used Commute.  Then I stamped my cool cats from Tim's new set Halftone Halloween over the tape.  When I was all done with my tag - the cats didn't show up too well being stamped over the Tissue Tape - so I stamped them again on card stock, but them out, sponged the edges with Walnut Stain Distress Ink and layered them over the stamped cats with foam dots - slightly lower so the stamping behind looks like a shadow.  I also used some stamps from Steampunk.  The spider is die cut from Alterations Candlelight Fright - that I covered with Clear Rock Candy Crackle Paint.  I tucked the spider web into the Tinsel Twine and Natural Trimmings I looped through the hole on the tag.

I used Tim's Halloween and Harlequin Stencils with Wendy Vecchi White Embossing Paste over my tag.  After the paste dried, I colored my tag with Spiced Marmelade, Wild Honey and Weathered Wood Distress Stains - rubbing the stains on my nonstick craft mat, spritzing my tag with water and dragging the tag through the stains.  I let the colors drip down and dried the tag with my heat tool.  To add the dots -  I stenciled over the tag using Tim's Dot Fade and Walnut Stain Distress Ink.

I added a Plaquette with the #31 for Halloween that I covered with Archival Dandelion Ink.  I put a Remnant rub/Apothacary spider on a Vial Label adding a Chit Chat Sticker over it and inking that with Dandelion Ink. To finish off my tag - I spread some Glossy Accents on the top right and bottom left corners and a little on the left edge - than poured Mustard Seed Distress Glitter over it, tapped it off and let it dry.

A fun decoration or card to send for Halloween - don't you think?!

Who You Are is Completely Up to You

Julia here today to share a canvas I made using lots of Dina Wakley products.  I recently attended 3 workshops Dina taught and subsequently ordered lots of her 'stuff' from eclectic Paperie!

 I have quite a few photos to share showing how I got from plain canvas to done! So far in my 'mixed media' career I've only made a couple of canvases - I'm still in the learning stage! I started by brushing Gesso over the canvas, laying a torn edge sheet of tissue wrap over the Gesso and brushing with Gesso again.  I smoothed out most of the wrinkles - but left the ones that wouldn't smooth out.  I left this to dry overnight.

Then I dry brushed Sky and Lemon Dina Wakley acrylic inks over the canvas.  The great thing about dry brushing is that it dries quickly! (I REALLY hate waiting for things to dry!)

I stenciled the women with Watering Can ink which is a little softer than black.

Love the look of them!

To add some texture to the piece,  I used Wendy's white embossing paste with Dina's Affirmations stencil

I stenciled one sentence in the top left corner

and another in the bottom right corner

I inked a sun stencil from Dina's The Basics with Archival Orange Blossom

I inked little sections of Plastic Canvas around the canvas using Cornflower Blue Ink and stamped some sentiments from Dina's Face in the Crowd stamp set around the sun.  A little hint for stamping on a canvas that only has the wooden frame around the edges with the canvas kind of bouncy in the middle -  I placed an ink pad under the canvas where I wanted to stamp to give me a firm smooth base to stamp on

To finish it off - I sponged around all the edges with Ranger Distress Frayed Burlap and stenciled some Leaves with Fern Green Ink.  I spritzed the canvas with Dylusions White Linen Ink Spray - but it washed it out too much - so I quickly dabbed most of it off with a paper towel!

Dina kept telling us to 'JOURNAL' on our projects in the classes I took -  so I could hear her telling me to do it on my canvas -  but I haven't developed a good scribble journaling technique yet - so I used some of her stamps from Hand Written Notes with Archival Jet Black ink to get it done! (see how much darker it is than the Watering can?!)

As with any mixed media project I attempt -  I always have difficulty knowing when to stop adding things!

I sponged over the stenciled sentiments with Cornflower Blue ink - but that didn't make the words show up enough - so I wrote over each letter with a black Stabilo All pencil.

Then I stopped.

My canvas is 12" x 9" and I think it will look nice on my wall - I just have to figure out which wall!

I hope I've inspired you to try 'painting' a canvas!!???

Here are the supplies I used that you'll find at eclectic Paperie

Dina Wakley Stamps:  Face in the Crowd, Hand Written Notes

Dina Wakley Stencils: Affirmations, Stenciled Women, The Basics, Plastic Canvas, Leaves

Dina Wakley Paints: Lemon, Sky

Dina Wakley Brushes

Accessories: Pallette knife,  Wendy Vecchi White Embossing paste, Gesso, Stabilo All Black pencil, Dylusions Ink Spray - White Linen,  Archival Inks - Watering Can, Orange Blossom, Fern Green, Jet Black, Cornflower Blue, Ranger Distress Frayed Burlap, Tissue Wrap/Melange, Blending Tool.

Be Thankful, Acorn

Hi everyone - Julia here today with a 6"x6" fall Thanksgiving decoration/card. 

First I die cut, stamped, colored, and layered these pieces using Tim's Acorn Blue Print Framelit stamp and die set.  I colored the acorn pieces with Distress Markers in Brushed Corduroy, Antique Linen,Gathered Twigs and Wild Honey and then brushed over them with a water brush. I sponged over everything with Wild Honey and Brushed Corduroy Distress Inks and flicked some water on the background piece.

I created the card/panel base using a piece of basket weave DP from Tim's Paper Stash/Destinations,  the Honeycomb die and Arch Frame die.  I sponged the honeycomb with Wild Honey Distress Ink, covered it with Glue N Seal and then poured Mustard Seed Distress Glitter over it.  After it dried I rubbed over it with my finger and then sponged over it with Frayed Burlap and Wild Honey ink.

I tied a knot of Linen Ribbon sponged with Wild Honey through the honeycomb.  I inked a metal foliage with Archival Orange Blossom and Potting Soil then rubbed some Rusty Hinge Distress paint over it and dried it with a heat tool.  I used a Trinket Pin to attach it to the ribbon.

I inked some Industrious Stickers/Borders with the Archival Orange Blossom and Potting Soil inks, dried them with my heat tool and added one along the bottom

and one along the top

I used Tim's Small Easel Die to cut the easel to hold up my creation.  I adhered it to the back of the panel with Scor Tape.

I think this makes a lovely decoration for Fall/Thanksgiving - to sit on a shelf or counter or maybe even on my desk at work!

Thanks so much for stopping by the eclectic Paperie blog today!  Everyday you'll find some inspiration here so check back often!

Stamps:  Acorn Blue Print Framelits - Sizzix Alterations
Paper:  White, True Black - PTI, DP Paperstash/Destinations Tim Holtz
Ink:  Archival Jet Black, Potting Soil and Orange Blossom; Ranger Distress Wild Honey and Frayed Burlap.
Accessories:  Glue N Seal, Mustard Seed Distress Glitter, water brush, foam dots, thick foam dots, Ranger Distresser, Rusty Hinge Ranger Distress Paint, blending tool, Honey Comb and Arch Frame dies, Idea-ology Industrious Stickers/Borders, Linen Ribbon, Foliage, Trinket Pin, Ranger Distress Markers - Brushed Corduroy, Antique Linen, Gathered Twigs, Wild Honey, Black Soot, Spritzer

Finally - my Art Journal

Hi eclectic Paperie friends!  Julia here to share my altered Art Journal.  I have been trying to muster the creative energy to make this for ages - I just wasn't confident in my skills to put it together in a pleasing (to me) design (!)

So I decided to bite the bullet and just jump in -  and here it is! My Journal that started out life as a plain black - spiral bound journal - I think I got it at Michaels.....I've had it for some time - gathering dust in my Craft Room!  

 

I decided to see how Distress Stains would look on Kraft Glassine Paper.  So I stamped the bird and window frame from Tim Holtz Classics #16 stamp set using Archival Jet Black Ink and let it dry.  Then I just dabbed Tumbled Glass and Picked Raspberries Distress Stains over the images - they kind of beaded up on the Glassine paper so I just kept dabbing and the color did soak in a 'blotchy' kind of way - and they did keep their bright colors!

I die cut borders using Tim Holtz Vintage Lace Sizzlet die out of a Foil Tape Sheet that I had adhered to white card stock  and then inked it with Ranger Distress Black Paint.  I adhered the strips across the top and bottom of my cover .  I didn't pop out the little circles on the lacey cuts so the black distress paint would show up better. I also used this technique on the crown and ink bottle which I'll show close up below.

The sentiment stamps are from Destination Art by Wendy Vecchi/Studio 490 Stampers Anonymous.  Perfect for my Art Journal I think!

 

I added Forest Moss Distress Stain to some White Embossing Paste from Wendy Vecchi and applied it to both the Dot Fade and Stripes stencils.  I cut the label from the Apothecary Bottles die from cork, stained it with Picked Raspberries Distress Stain and added some Life Quotes Remnant Rubs to it.  I dabbed the edges with Frayed Burlap Distress Paint.

I stamped the feather from Tim Holtz  Bird Feather stamp set on vellum using Frayed Burlap Distress Paint (wash your stamp right after 'inking' it with paint!)  The paint on the vellum is very subtle but can be seen better IRL!  I added some Life Quotes Remnant Rubs over the feather  (note - Remnant Rubs will NOT stick to the Kraft Glassine but will stick to vellum- how do I know this??!!)

The ink bottle is a die cut Apothacary Bottle that I cut the bottom off of to look like an ink well - with the feather as the pen.

I die cut another  Apothecary Bottle labels out of Art Parts Clearly for Art Modeling film, added a Chit Chat sticker that I stained with Tumbled Glass Distress Stain and outlined with a black Stabilo Pencil and layered it over the bottle.  I used the clear film as I didn't want to hide any of the design on the inkwell!  I used the Sizzix Patchwork Embossing folder on this.

 

Here's a close up of the crown.  The curve of the crown fit nicely over the bird's head.  I used the Riveted Metal Embossing folder on the crown

You can see the Idea-ology Door Knob that I screwed into the cover better in this photo - you can actually open the Journal with the knob - so fun! and when the Journal is open on the table - the knob actually protects the popped up pieces on the cover since it keeps the cover from lying flat.  I looped a single piece of Linen Ribbon through one of the binder rings.

I wanted to keep the back flat - so there is nothing sticking up here. I used several Remnant Rubs here (Life Quotes and Botanicals).  I used the same papers on the front (under the Kraft Glassine) and the back - Paper Stash/Wallflowers.

I stained some Chit Chat stickers with Picked Raspberry Distress Stain and outlined them with a black Stabilo Pencil 

I die cut the Ornante Frame from Kraft Glassine and stained it by dabbing Tumbled Glass Distress Stain over it and framed the gentleman's face on the patterned paper.

 

 I used the same papers on the inside covers - I've just left them as they are for now - they have such wonderful imagery on them - maybe I'll put some sentiments or stampings on later.....I find I sometimes have to just STOP before I over do it - and go back later to see how I feel about it!

Now I just have to work up the nerve to actually do something on all of these clean white pages inside my Art Journal!!!   One step at a time - right??!!!

Thanks so much for sticking with me through all of these pics!

Stamps:  Stampers Anonymous - Classics #16 and Bird Feather/Tim Holtz, Destination Art/Wendy Vecchi,
Paper:  Kraft Glassine - Idea-ology; Foil Tape Sheet - Ranger, Vellum - Stampin' Up, Paper Stash Wallflowers - Tim Holtx, cork sheet - Michaels, Art Parts Clearly for Art Modeling Film - Wendy Vecchi/Studio 490.
Ink:  Archival Jet Black
Accessories:  Ranger Distress Stains - Tumbled Glass, Picked Raspberries, Forest  Moss; Ranger Distress Paint - Black Soot, Frayed Burlap; Alterations Dies - Apothecary Bottles, Heart and Wings, Ornate Frame, Vintage Lace Sizzlets; white embossing paste - Wendy Vecchi/Studio 490; stencils - Dot Fade and Stripes - Tim Holtz; Cropadile; Idea-ology Door knobs, Chit Chat Stickers, Live Quotes and Botanicals Remnant Rubs, Linen Ribbon; Black Stabilo Pencil.

July ePlay Challenge - Altered Bottles

 

Hi everyone, Julia here - for my first time hosting the 1st Thursday of the month ePlay Challenge -  and I challenge you to Alter a Bottle!  It can be glass, plastic, big or small -  I just want to see how you will take it from plain to WOW!

I started my project with a triangle shaped, clear glass bottle with a cork stopper in it from Michaels that cost $1.00.  It measures about 2 1/2"x 2 1/2" x 2 1/2" x 4 1/4" high.

And here is how I turned it into 'WOW'!

I learned this crackling technique from Wendy Vecchi, when I took her class at Kim's brick and mortar eclectic Paperie shop in Exeter, NH.  We didn't make one that day - but Wendy had two on display and she explained her technique to me.  You start by covering the bottle with a paste -  I used Wendy's Silver Embossing paste.

After that's dry - you cover it with Wendy's Crackled Texture Paste (if you don't use the embossing paste first - the crackle will peel right off after it drys!)

After the crackle dried - I sponged over the whole bottle with 3 Ranger Distress ink colors - Salty Ocean, Mustard Seed and Gathered Twigs.

I took the floral border from Industrious Stickers/Borders and inked it with 3 Adirondack Alcohol Inks - Stonewashed, Rust and Lettuce.  I dried it with my heat tool and adhered it along the base of the bottle.  I added ScorTape to it even though it already has adhesive just to give it a sticking boost against the inked crackled surface!

I wanted to hang something around the neck of my bottle and I had just purchased some Idea-ology Fragments/Charms.  I thought I remembered that Tim Holtz had a technique for using them in one of his Compendium of Curiosities - and sure enough, I found it on page 55 of his first book.

First you pounce ink on the charm using the felt applicator and some Adirondack Alcohol inks.  I used the same ones I used on my Industrious Border above -  Stonewashed, Rust and Lettuce.

Then you put some Alcohol Blending Solution on a corner of the felt applicator and touch it to the center of the charm - that makes the ink flow away - so you want to blow on it once it clears out just the center area to stop it from clearing all the way to the edges.  You can add more color to the edges if you want after this step.

Next I ran a thin line of Glossy Accents around the edges of the inked side of the charm and laid it over the image I wanted to frame.  Once it was dry I cut around the edges.  The butterfly is on a sheet of paper from the Tim Holtz Ideology Paper Stash 8x8" Collage pad.

Look how beautiful it looks - and it's such a simple technique!  I looped a piece of Linen Ribbon through the hole and tied it around the neck of the bottle.  I knotted a shorter piece of Linen Ribbon just above the charm and spread out the ends - I love the wonderful texture that gives to the ribbon!

I used Glossy Accents to adhere the Charm to the bottle - I didn't want it swinging around or loosening the ribbon.

Here's a close up of the inking on the Border Sticker - and you can see the Silver Embossing paste showing through the cracks of the paste better on the next two photos.

Here's a close up of the lovely Linen Ribbon with it's pulled apart ends.

A side view of the bottle -  I left the two sides plain - wanting to show off the wonderful crackle and also to appreciate the beauty of the charm on the front!

And here is my pretty little bottle in use as a vase -  as soon as I finished my bottle - I rushed out to my front garden and cut a few things that were blooming to see how they would look - here are a few pics!  Here it is filled with a stem from Solomon's Seal and Goldenstar blooms.

Here's my vase with a big orange marigold and a Solomon's Seal stem.

And a final variation of blooms - Goldenstar and Dianthus.

My little flower filled bottle is now proudly sitting on my kitchen windowsill where I can enjoy it each morning before I leave for work!

I can't wait to see what kind of bottle you choose to alter and what techniques you use to take it from plain to WOW! 

If you would like to "Alter a Bottle" we would love to see your creations. There is a generous $25 gift certificate for Kim's fabulous eclectic Paperie Shop, for one lucky winner.  You have the whole month of July to get your project done and add it to Mr. Linky at the end of this post!

Thanks so much for stopping by the eclectic Paperie Blog today -  where every day a member of the Design Team posts something inspirational!

Paper:  Idea-ology Paper Stash 8"x8" Collage
Ink:  Ranger Distress Salty Ocean, Mustard Seed, Gathered Twigs, Adirondack Alcohol Inks Stonewashed, Rust, Lettuce and Alcohol Blending Solution
Accessories:  Studio 490 Wendy Vecchi Silver Embossing Paste and Crackle Texture Paste.  Idea-ology Fragments/Charms, Linen Ribbon, Industrious Stickers/Borders; Glossy Accents, ScorTape.