DL.ART Thankful Thursday #188 ~ Gardens

Happy Thursday!! It's time for a new Thankful Thursday Challenge at DL.ART and the theme this week is Gardens. If you use the code l01210, Diana will give you 10% off your order at DL.ART!!

For my cards, I created shabby garden cards. The papers are from Craft and You's Rose Garden stack. The base layer was created with Andy Skinner's Mega Crackle technique.

A Prima Persian Lace die was added next. The butterfly in the top corner is a Fiskars Punch, and it was coated with Sparkle N Sprinkle Crystal Ice.

The cherub fountain was left over from a previous shabby garden project and it was perfect for this challenge. It's a Prima Baroque Mould 5, made with air dry clay. I then applied DecoArt Antiquing Cream in Burnt Umber.

Inside the fountain, I added Tu Tu Pink Prills (love them!!) with Finnabair Art Basics 3D Gloss Gel.

And I think these are Third Place Prills (not positive on the color).

Beneath the Wild Orchid Crafts flowers, I added Memory Box Tender Leaves and Anja's Leaves from Marianne. This gorgeous crinkle ribbon is Cappuccino ~ Coffee House Bundle #3.

This is my all-time favorite crinkle ribbon - Pink Champagne ~ Vintage Vinyard Bundle. Happy Birthday is from My Creative Time.

I am linking this up in the following challenges:

1) Jo's Scrap Shack Funday Friday - Anything Goes
2) Word Art Wednesday - Anything Goes

Now it's your turn!! Head on over to DL.ART to see the amazing projects my design team sisters have created for today's challenge!! Then link up your Garden project...I can't wait to see what you create :)

Anything But Cute August Challenge - Shabby Garden

Happy Friday!! I hope you have fun plans for the weekend!! I will be glued to the television watching the Olympics :) I am so excited to be the hostess for this month's challenge at Anything But Cute!! I hope you will join in!!

For the theme of this challenge, I chose Shabby Garden, using the following Mood Board:

For this challenge, we are asking you to take a stroll through a romantic shabby garden. Create any mixed media project strongly inspired by the mood board. Think flowers and plants in cracked pots, peeling paint bird feeders, distressed timeworn furniture, crumbling statues, soft pastels and feminine accessories. Don't forget to tell us how the mood board inspired your project and have fun!!

I was inspired to create a mixed media birdhouse dripping a carpet of flowers and vines.

I purchased this wood birdhouse at Hobby Lobby (with a 40% off coupon ;) I painted it with Raw Sienna acrylic paint.

Next was Andy Skinner's Mega Crackle Technique. I'm so in love with this technique!! The crackle is amazing :)

To add a bit more texture, I created stencils with an Elizabeth Crafts Design brick die, and then cut them to fit the front of the birdhouse. I covered the bricks with DecoArt Crackle Paste.

For the roof, I used DCWV's Corrugated Paper and cut the edge with a Spellbinders  edge die.

I wanted my birdhouse to have a carpet of flowers and wasn't sure how to do it. I decided to try a length of cheesecloth and then started hot-gluing flowers in a random pattern.

I used several different leaf and stem dies to add greenery to the blooms and fill in any gaps between the flowers.

I mixed Lettuce Adirondack Ink with water in a Mini Mister and spritzed the leaves, patting them dry for a soft green hue.

To add a bit of color to the birdhouse, I added drops of Spun Sugar Distress Ink with water in another Mini Mister and spritzed the bricks to highlight the cracks on the bricks.

I grabbed my Prima Moulds and used air dry clay. I wasn't sure which one I wanted to use at this point, so I made a few different ones.

Once the clay dried, I rubbed DecoArt Burnt Umber Antiquing Cream over the pieces and then wiped it off, leaving the cream in the nooks and crannies for a weathered look.

I decided on the angel above the opening, welcoming the birds home :)

My house needed a bird, so I found this wood one at Hobby Lobby (yep, another 40% off coupon ;)

I spritzed it with DecoArt Violet Shimmer Mist, covered it with Nuveo Embellishment Mousse (from Sparkle N Sprinkle) and then covered it in crackle glaze. Once it cracked and dried, I used DecoArt Antiquing Cream in Titanium White to highlight the cracks.

I had to attach a wood peg for my bird to perch on. You can also see the cracks in the bricks in this pic.

One side of the roof had flowers so the other needed something. I painted Tim Holtz Butterfly dies pink and used the Mega Crackle technique. The bottom butterfly layer was stamped with a crakle stamp.

I added pearl strands from Wild Orchid Crafts and some glittered butterflies to the flowers.

To finish the edge of the roof, I added strips of lace.

For the porch, I used more corrugated cardboard paper cut with an Impression Obsession Beach Fence. On the corners, I used Frantic Stamper Garden Birdhouse dies for the climbing vines.

I'm entering my birdhouse in the following challenges:

1) Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Fabulous Florals
2) Altered Eclectics - Anything Goes Mixed Media
3) Love to Create Challenge - Anything Creative /Mixed Media
4) Rhedd's Creative Spirit - August Challenge
5) Things to Alter - Anything Goes
6) Decorate to Celebrate - Anything Goes
7) Love to Scrap - Take Two
8) Emerald Creek Dares - Get Outside and Play (birdwatching is a sport, right ??!! ;)

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!! I guarantee you'll be blown away!! Then I sincerely hope you will link up your Shabby Garden mixed media project!! I can't wait to see what you create :)

DL.ART June Linky

Happy Wednesday and happy first day of June!! Wow, how did that happen?? May just flew by!! A new month means it's time for a new month-long linky at DL.ART. As always, the theme is anything goes. Diana is having a special on all of the Coffee Bundles...15% off with no coupon necessary. Hurry, the sale ends at midnight on June 16, so hurry and get your Coffee Bundles while they're on sale HERE.

I had a custom request for two sympathy cards based on this card. I kept the design pretty close to the original card.

The papers are from Maja Designs. The edges were distressed with a Zutter DIA and bottom piece was stitched to the base of the paper.

The next layer was covered with Liquitex Texture Paste through a The Crafter's Workshop Art Is stencil. The one on top was covered with texture paste through a Prima Flourish stencil.

The butterfly is from Impression Obsession. The top layer was covered with Sparkle N Sprinkle Crystal Ice.

This beautiful crinkle ribbon is Baby Blue from The Baby Bundle. You can see a tutorial for the flowers HERE. Tucked under the flowers are Memory Box Chloe Stems and Tender Leaves, Cherry Lynn Dandelion Stems and Impression Obsession Curly Leaves. The resin light post is from The Paper Studio.

This beautiful crinkle ribbon is Baby Pink from The Baby Bundle. The cherub fountain is air dry clay and a Prima Baroque Mould #5. It was then covered with white paint. I'm entering this in the following challenges:

1) Word Art Wednesday - Anything Goes
2) Pause, Dream Enjoy Linky - Anything Goes
3) 2 Creative Chicks - Anything Goes
4) Jo's Scrap Shack Funday Friday - Anything Goes

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

Scrapy Land Challenge #42 - Lots of Layers

Happy Wednesday!! I hope you are having a wonderful week!! It's time for a new challenge at Scrapy Land and this one is my favorite - Lots of Layers plus a brand of die that Scrapy Land carries...there are over 40 to choose from!! Play along and you could win a gift certificate to shop at the Scrapy Land store.

For my cards, I used papers from Maja Design's Vintage Summer Basics. I used three different kinds of pastes on these cards...on the bottom, I used Texture Paste through a The Crafter's Workshop Art Is stencil. In the top corner is a Sue Wilson Dandelion Clock die. The next Layer is a Cherry Lynn English Tea Party Doily die.

On the middle panel, I used DecoArt Crackle Paste through a Prima Flourish stencil. The bottom of the panel was cut with a Spellbinders Curved Borders One die. Next is a Memory Box Stitched Circle die, followed by another that is covered with PaperArtsy Grunge Paste. While it was wet, I spritzed water on a Darkroom Door text stamp and pressed it into the Grunge Paste for some added texture.

You can see the texture in the Grunge Paste better in this pic. The banner is a Taylored Expressions Banner Stacklet One die.

The butterflies are Memory Box Butterfly Trio dies. Shabby White Frantage was added to every other layer.

Tucked among the blooms along with cheesecloth and baby's breath are Memory Box Chloe dies, Memory Box Tender Leaves and Elizabeth Craft Curvey Leaves dies.

The beautiful little cherub face is air-dry clay using a Prima Art Decor Baroque 2 mould. Once the clay dried, it was painted with a layer of acrylic paint and then a layer of DecoArt Crackle Glaze. Victorian Velvet Distress Ink was then applied over it to bring out the cracks.

You can see how thick with layers this card is!!

Scrapy Land Dies Used

I am entering this in the following challenges:

1) Word Art Wednesday - Anything Goes
2) Pause, Dream Enjoy Linky - Anything Goes
3) 2 Creative Chicks - Anything Goes
4) Little Scrap Pieces Show it Off Saturday - Anything Goes

Now it's your turn!! Head on over to Scrapy Land to see the amazing projects my design team sisters have created for today's challenge!! Then link up your Lots of Layers project using a brand of die that Scrapy Land carries!! I can't wait to see what you create :)

Also, you might have noticed that Scrapy Land is now carrying a new brand of dies...Tutti Designs. I'm excited that my sweet friend Diane of Nellie's Nest is on their inaugural design team!! She's having a giveaway to celebrate!! Stop by her blog to enter and let her know I sent you!! Have a great day :)