Anything But Cute Secret Santa

Happy Friday!! I hope you have fun plans for the weekend!! The design team of Anything But Cute held a Secret Santa drawing to create a project for one of our dear sisters. I was so excited to draw as my Secret Santa, the sweet, lovely and amazingly talented Branka of Vintage Handmade!! She is one of the nicest, most talented artists I've met in blogland and I'm so honored to be teamies with her!! I wanted to create something special for Branka since she is such an amazing person!! This is the card that I sent in a package to her in Croatia :)

For this card, I used papers from Maja Designs Winter Frost Basics set. I love this paper stack, and especially this vintage Santa image!! I wanted to showcase it with this card :) What a beautiful representation of Christmas!! The edges of all the papers were distressed with a Zutter DIA.

The back layer is a Precious Marieke Snowflake border die. The gorgeous crinkle ribbon is Steel Blue from the DL.ART Blues Bundle which matched perfectly with the papers. Tucked beneath the Santa photo are Impression Obsession Pine Branch dies, Impression Pine Sprigs dies and Sue Wilson Designs Holly Sprays.

The tree is an Impression Obsession Fir Tree die. It was covered in DecoArt Crackle Paste and once it dried, it was brushed with DecoArt Antiquing Cream in Raw Umber, which was then wiped off, leaving it in the cracks. Believe is a My Creative Time die and it was cut once in Maja paper and once in black for a shadow. It was popped up with foam tape for dimension.

The card was finished up with DecoArt Snow Writer for a frosty effect :) I am entering this in the following challenges:

1) Dies R Us - Christmas

How excited am I that my Secret Santa is the amazing Pamellia of My Little Craft Things!! Oh, I can't tell you how honored I am to own one of her stunning masterpieces!! Wow!! They are even more spectacular in person!! It's sitting on a special shelf in my craft room where I can gaze at it every day and be so inspired!! It is truly a work of art!! And not only did Pamellia send a card, but...

...she created this gorgeous handmade ornament, too!! I have my (sadly artificial) pre-lit tree up and I haven't had a chance to put any ornaments on it at all. I can't tell you how happy I was to receive this stunning one!! It is the most gorgeous ornament I've ever seen!! It's the showplace of my tree!! Please stop by Pamellia's blog, My Little Craft Things, so you can see what she created for me, and then go to the Anything But Cute blog to see what the rest of my sweet sisters created for their Secret Santas!! I guarantee you will be inspired!!

Thank you so much for stopping by!! Have a great weekend!! Big hugs :)

Anything But Cute Challenge #19 - Rustic Glam

Happy Saturday!! I hope you have fun plans for the weekend!! It's time for a new challenge at Anything But Cute!! The theme this week is an awesome one...Rustic Glam :)

The fabulous and amazing Niki of Pawsitively Creative is the hostess for this challenge!! Here's what she had to say about the theme:

Create a mixed media design featuring rustic elements such as whitewashed wood, chicken wire, burlap, soft subtle tones and neutrals. Don't forget to add the GLAM part with some sparkle and BLING!

For my Rustic Glam project, I upcycled an old bamboo light. This is what it looked like before.

I disassembled it and then coated the surface with super heavy gesso.

Once the gesso dried, I covered it with DecoArt Weathered Wood Crackle Medium. Once that dried and the cracks appeared, I applied DecoArt Antiquing Medium in Antique Gray to the cracks and then wiped most of it off with a wet wipe.

Here's where my project went off course. I'd planned on using real chicken wire and then adhering crystals to the holes. So, I went to Menards and Rural King and Tractor Supply, hoping to purchase a small roll. The smallest roll I could purchase was 50 yards!! I really had no use for 49 extra yards of chicken wire. So I was wandering the aisles of Joann and I came across these rolls of mesh. The one on the left is actually a chicken wire pattern with bits of glitter...glam bonus!! I loved the look of the one on the right, too so I purchased both :)

I used the chicken wire mesh on two sides and this one on the other two. To add a bit more bling, I strung crystals and added them to the panels.

Here's another look at the chicken wire mesh. You can see the bits of glitter.

It's kinda like Rustic Glam meets Shabby Chic!! Now it's your turn!! Head on over to Anything But Cute to see the AMAZING projects my very talented design team sisters have created for today's challenge!! Then link up your Rustic Glam mixed media project! I can't wait to see what you create :)

Anything But Cute - Inspired By An Autumn Day

This is my 2nd post...for the Scrapy Land Challenge, click HERE.

{Scheduled Post} Happy Wednesday!! It's time for a new challenge at Anything But Cute!! The theme this month is An Autumn Day.

The sweet and amazing Autumn from sewpaperpaint is our fabulous hostess this month and what a fitting theme she's chosen :) Here's what she had to say about the theme:

I could not help but chose October as my month to hostess here at Anything But Cute. This month, we want to see your creations inspired by An Autumn Day. Anything goes mixed media with an fall color palette, or Autumnal elements. Be inspired by nature with the sights, smells, and sounds of this beautiful season. We cannot wait to see the amazing artwork you turn out!

For my card inspired by an Autumn day, I started out with watercolor paper and my Dylusions sprays.

I just started spraying, with the lightest colors first. Lemon Zest...

Pure Sunshine and Squeezed Orange...

Some Postbox Red. I just kept spraying until I had a mixture I was happy with. I don't have pictures of the rest of the process. I wasn't really sure where I was going with this at the time :)

I added texture paste through a The Crafter's Workshop Believe Script stencil. The birds in the top left corner are a Tim Holtz Remnant Rub.

The tree is a Frantic Stamper Medium Bare Ash die, cut in black sticky-back foam.

The leaves were all cut from the sprayed papers with Cheery Lynn Fall Leaves dies. I love the texture the swirls give to the leaves. Memory Box Grove Branches were added among the leaves, as was a Leane Creatief Pine Cone die.

The frame was made with a silicone die, air dry clay and crackle paint. Once it dried and cracked, DecoArt Raw Umber Antiquing Cream was rubbed into the cracks. The stamp is a Stampin Up stamp and you can't tell in the pic, but crackle glaze was added. Grateful is a My Creative Time die and the beautiful crinkle ribbon is from DL.ART.

I added some sisal for fall texture and inked all of the edges with Gathered Twigs Distress Ink.

Now it's your turn!! Head on over to Anything But Cute to see the amazing projects created by my talented design team sisters. Then link up your project inspired by an Autumn day. I can't wait to see what you create :)

Anything But Cute Challenge #17 - Friendship

Happy Monday and happy Labor Day to all my friends in the USA!! I hope you had a wonderful weekend!! It's time for a new monthly challenge at Anything But Cute!!

The sweet and talented Branka of Vintage Homemade is our fabulous hostess this month and she's chosen the theme "Friendship". Here's what she had to say about the theme:

Friendship is a relationship of mutual affection between two or more people. We want you to show us a mixed media creation that's inspired by friendship. You can create anything, from tags to art journal pages but make sure it's a mixed media piece. Let's celebrate friendship together!

For my project, I created a friendship canvas for one of my oldest friends, incorporating several of her favorite things. I started with an 8 x 10 canvas and flipped it over. I covered the canvas with gesso and then applied drywall tape to the edges.

Next, I applied crumpled white tissue paper to the center for texture.

I added texture paste through a Tim Holtz Brick stencil to the background.

For added texture, I applied crackle paste to a piece of heavyweight cardstock and applied it to the canvas. I also added the crackle paste to the sides using the brick stencil. I applied paste through a Crafter's Workshop Art Is stencil as well (not pictured).

Now to fill in the background. I used a Cuttlebug die to cut the flowering vines in cardboard.

I cut other pieces in cardboard and covered them with gesso.

I added some some chipboard pieces, buttons and lace, as well as the friends forever wood pieces. I coated the entire canvas with gesso. This is where things went a little sideways. I wanted to use my Finnabair Mica Powders to color the canvas, but my experiment was a huge disaster. I'm too embarrassed to show you what it looked like, so I covered the entire canvas with black gesso and started again :)

This time, I used several different colors of Viva Decor Inka-Gold. After I had the canvas the colors I wanted, I used white gesso and a dry brush to highlight different parts of the canvas.

I am entering this in the following challenges:

1) Jo's Scrap Shack Funday Friday - Anything Goes
2) Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes
3) Emerald Creek Dares - Anything Goes
4) A Vintage Journey - Create Within a Frame
5) Creative Artiste - Anything Goes Mixed Media

Now it's your turn!! Head on over to Anything But Cute to see the amazing projects my design team sisters have created for today's challenge!! Then link up your mixed media Friendship project!! I can't wait to see what you create :)

Anything But Cute July Challenge - Summertime Fun

Happy Tuesday!! It's time for a new challenge at Anything But Cute. The sweet and wonderful Anne of Redanne is our hostess for this month's challenge and she has chosen the theme "Summertime Fun". Here's what she has to say about the theme:

What does Summertime fun mean to you? Spending time by the seaside, foreign travel, camping in the great outdoors or simply enjoying time in the garden? Create a MIXED MEDIA project focusing on how you like to spend your Summertime. Don't forget to tell us how your project relates to our theme.

Summer to me means the beach. I love spending time by the water, whether it be a creek, lake or the ocean. For my summertime project, I created my perfect vacation spot...a cabin by the ocean :)

I started by covering the canvas in super heavy gesso, using a pallete knife to give it texture. I added some crackle glaze to the corners and let it dry.

Next, I started building color. I used sprays and gelatos in colors of yellow, green, blue and tan.

More color, using DecoArt Media Sprays and Dylusions Sprays.

Once the colors dried, I used Paper Artsy Grunge Paste to adhere cheesecloth to the bottom of the canvas, as well as Liquitex Glass Beads gel.

To create the rocks, I cut thin pieces of styrofoam packing material into rock shapes. Then I mixed gray and metallic paint to cover them.

On the part I wanted to be the sandy hill, I dabbed on acrylic paint and while it was wet, I covered it with real sand.

For my shabby beach cottage, I used a Tattered Lace Cabin die. I covered it using Andy Skinner's Mega Crackle technique.

I selected what die cut pieces I wanted to use and cut them in grunge board. I then covered them with gesso. I sanded down the fence for a shabby look and used acrylic paint and distress ink to color the remaining pieces.

Mr. Pelican enjoying the view :)

I used gesso to create the sea foam.

A close-up of the crackle texture.

The sign is a Die-Versions Life is Better at the Beach Cute Cube. I covered it in gesso and then used DecoArt Antiquing Medium. Viva Inca Gold Metallic Rub was randomly brushed over it. I adhered the cube to a piece of double sided tape and then covered it with sand.

I am entering this in the following challenges:

1) Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes
2) Dies R Us - Outdoor Fun
3) Little Scrap Pieces - Show If Off Saturday
4) My Sheri Crafts #185 - Down At The Beach

Now it's your turn!! Head on over to Anything But Cute to see the amazing projects my design team sisters have created for today's challenge!! Then link up your Summertime Fun mixed media project!! I can't wait to see what you create :)