Mixed shape mini-album for Gypsy Soul Lasercuts

hi folks! Spring is right around the corner and I'm so looking forward to the outdoor activities and get-togethers that will be a part of the months to come. I decided to capture some memories of one of those events in this mini-album.

A crafty buddy sent me a cute 6x6 paper pad a while back and it was perfect for these photos of a family BBQ we had the last time my dad came out for a visit. I printed four images on each 4" x 6" photo and they fit the small pages perfectly.

On some of the larger pages I was able to use two photos.There were a lot of group shots and I wanted to include as many of my relatives as possible in the album. I also wanted to focus on my father, as he was the guest of honour; he was visiting from out of province and this was the last trip he made before a series of strokes left him too weak to travel. This album is a perfect keepsake of a special family day.

I kept the design simple, adding a few popped-up fussy cut images from the paper and a bit of word art here and there. Some coordinating fibers on the ring finished it off. I love that you can finish an album like this as simply or as elaborately as you want and use it for any possible theme. Thanks so much for stopping by!

Gypsy Soul items used
Mixed Shape Mini Album

Other items used

MME Now & Then 6x6 pad

Time in a Bottle-steampunk clock for Gypsy Soul Lasercuts

Jim Croce definitely had it right...."there never seems to be enough time to do the things you wanna do once you find them...."so I wanted to use that sentiment in my clock project (and yes, I know you're going to have that song stuck in your head for the rest of the day now!)

I attached strips of foil tape to cardstock close together ,then ran it through my Cuttlebug in a gear-patterned embossing folder before colouring it with a variety of brown and gold alcohol inks. I then rubbed a little distress ink over the raised edges. (Once you emboss foil tape the seams don't show.) It cuts beautifully with scissors or a craft knife, so fitting it to the shape of the clock and putting a strip around the side was easy.

For the wings, handle, and legs I painted them with acrylic paint then brushed them with clear crackle finish  (Ranger Hard Candy) When that was dry, I rubbed gold and brown ink over the surface to accentuate the cracks.

The bottle came from Dollarama and the clock inside was a brad; I clipped the ends off and bent it a little to get it through the mouth of the bottle then bent it back with tweezers. I found the background image on Google Images. A little curled twine finished it off and I mounted it on a small piece of corrugate because where I wanted to display it a flat surface was more practical ,although the clock stands very well on the feet once assembled! Hope you like my creation and I also hope you find the time to do something you really "wanna" do today! Thanks for stopping by!

Gypsy Soul Items Used
Alarm Clock
Butterfly of Gears

Other Items Used
foil tape
Ranger Alcohol Inks
Ranger Distress Inks
Ranger Crackle Paint-hard candy
Cuttlebug embossing folder

Friends....a layout for Gypsy Soul Lasercuts

Hello dear crafty friends! This past weekend I was at a crop with some ladies from church who tend to do simple layouts, many with multiple photos. A lot of us began our papercrafting that way and then found our personal style and preference along the way, myself included. I began this page while I was there and decided to stick to a simpler style that showcased the photo, which is very special to me.

My father has had a series of strokes and can no longer get around on his own; his best friend took him "skating" one day-he posted a video and it was clear my dad was having a blast! Everyone should be blessed to have such a wonderful and caring friend. I used this "friends" word piece to emphasize their bond; after priming it with gesso I heat-embossed it with glitter embossing powder and mounted it on patterned paper that had foil stars on it.

The snowflake strip was finished in the same way and embellished with pearl centers.

I had so much fun with these cute little skates! I covered the boot with patterned paper and painted the blade with silver acrylic paint. I then cut shaped pieces and stitched "laces" with embroidery floss before attaching them to the skate.

I used the gorgeous Kaisercraft "Silver Bells" collection for this page and added some stencilling with texture paste. I plan to add some journalling before I put it into my album.

I love how versatile Gypsy Soul lasercut pieces are; great for layouts, cards or a variety of 3-dimensional projects...along with anything else your lively imagination can come up with! Have a great week and I wish you creative bliss!

Gypsy Soul items used
Winter Shape Set
Word Elements 1 small

Other items used
Kaisercraft Silver Bells paper collection
Recollections adhesive pearls
Ranger embossing powder-Bridal Tinsel

Colour....an altered wooden box for Gypsy Soul Lasercuts

Happy Monday crafty friends!  In my quest for organization I found this plain wooden box at Dollarama that's the perfect size to hold coloured pencils for art journalling:

I primed the surface with gesso then attached bits and pieces of chipboard and other goodies from my stash and covered the sides with patterned paper. I gessoed over all the items on top then painted them in a random pattern with Twinkling H20s . When that was dry I brushed a layer of iridescent green Silks over the top and then spray misted the whole project lightly here and there. Some microbeads and Prills scattered around were the finishing touch.This is the completed project:

I used a frame from the Easter build a layout set as well as pieces from the Gears and Spring shape sets:

I had already picked out the foam letters and was thrilled to see how perfectly the oval frame fit! Check out those purple beads-they're Prills by USArtQuest...I got them in a kit and now that I finally tried them out I want more-lots more!!

I inked the edges of the patterned paper and misted it as well to pull the colours of the project together:

This was so much fun to alter; thanks for stopping by and have a terrific week!

Gypsy Soul Lasercuts Items Used
Build a Layout Easter (oval frame)
Gears Shape Set
Spring Shape Set (flower)

Other Items Used

Twinkling H20s
Silks
FabScraps paper
 Prills/Lavender and Lace
various mists
gold ink
ModPodge

microbeads
various flowers and embellishments

playing with texture paste

hi there; if you've seen much of my work you'll notice that I LOVE to use texture paste, usually with stencils. I make my own paste and it's super-easy!

I don't measure my ingredients but start with about 4 Tbsp of baby powder and add 1 Tbsp of acrylic paint (whatever colour you want your texture paste to be) and about half a Tbsp of white glue (kids' school glue or any other kind works fine) Stir til it's combined; I like my paste fairly thick so it won't bleed under the stencils-I love a clean and crisp design. The stiffness of cake frosting is about right; you can add a more powder or paint until you get the consistency you want.

I use a palette knife like you'd use to spread frosting but a lot of people like to use an old plastic card (like a credit card or gift card) Place your stencil on the paper where you want your pattern and spread evenly scraping off any excess. You may want to hold the stencil down or tape it on the corner to keep it from shifting.

Here I used coloured acrylic paint to tint the paste:

Substitute baking soda for baby powder for a rougher texture...that's what I did for these bricks:

I started out with a thinner paste and added some sand to it for extra texture on my starfish:

In a sealed container it will keep for a long time. I usually just make up a bit at a time because I often colour it but you can make a larger batch-just be sure it's well sealed! It dries quickly-which is great on your project but not so great if you leave sitting out for a while....take it from me-trying to chip hardened paste off of your dish is less than thrilling! It washes easily with warm soapy water though, and if you ever do forget to wash it out or cover it, soaking it for while in hot water will soften it enough for cleanup.

Here's a recent page I made using several different stencils:

I hope you found this helpful and that you'll try making your own texture paste-I would be lost without this wonderful concoction!!

Splash-a lively and colourful layout

Greetings from Kingsville! We're enjoying a mild February so far and have seen a little rain so I thought these photos of my daughter were not entirely inappropriate for the season-although I believe they were actually taken in late summer a few years ago.

I decided to play around with a "messy" mixed-media style for this layout to set off the random look of the background paper and added bits of stencilling and stamping here and there. The chipboard border strip and the boots were run through a leaf-patterned embossing folder then painted with acrylic paint and heat-embossed with clear embossing powder for a shiny "wet" look.

I added a few sprays of mist and some spatters of paint before attaching the chipboard pieces; I especially love the way the boots came out and would love to have a real pair of rainboots just like them! Maybe my daughter's bright red dress is still around somewhere-now wouldn't that combination make an interesting outfit? On second thought maybe I should keep my more "interesting" ideas on my pages?!
Thanks so much for stopping by and have yourself a bright and colourful week!

Gypsy Soul Items Used
Spring Shape Set (boots)
Collage border-splash

Other Items Used

Darice embossing folder
Prima and Crafter's Workshop stencils
Memory Box die
Prima stamp

Standing Flip Book heritage album for Gypsy Soul Lasercuts

Hello there-this week I put together a heritage album using the Standing Flip Book and the lovely Botanical Tea paper collection.

The base and frame were painted then covered in patterned paper; the pieces fit together to create a sturdy stand for the album which was embellished with patterned paper and fussy-cut images which were popped up with foam tape for dimension.

I am blessed to have a number of old photos from my mother's side of the family dating back to the early 1900s and I printed out several of these to finish the album.

 

This is such a versatile piece and could be finished for any theme or to complement any decor-and would also make a terrific gift....hmmm....I think I may have to order a few more!

Gypsy Soul Items Used

Standing Flip Book

Other Items Used

Graphic 45 Botanical Tea paper pack
brown blue and pink inks
brown gel pen