"Juliet" Steamer Trunk for Gypsy Soul Lasercuts

hi there crafty friends! I've been wanting to tackle this awesome steamer trunk project for ages and finally got brave! I chose the "Juliet" paper collection by Bo Bunny to finish my trunk.

The first thing I always do with 3D projects is put them together to make sure I know where everything goes and how it all fits. (It's important to note that if you are going to use the drop shelf that you attach it in the holes provided before you glue the sides together) I then take it all apart and paper or paint each piece.

After covering the panels I used this paper to cut strips for the edging.I ran the strips through the Cuttlebug in an embossing folder to add some texture, then lightly inked them.

For the "metal" corners I used a 1" punch  on metallic gold cardstock, then removed a quarter of each one to make a little "Pacman" (yes I AM that old!! LOL) Thanks to Gloria for that idea, which she used on her own beautiful steamer trunk, which you can find HERE.

This is what the embossed strips look like with the corners added:

When I saw this paper with the small panels of different prints I knew it would be perfect for the                                                                         drawer fronts!

Then I added some fussy cut images to the large panels at the back of the trunk.

I added some cutouts and stickers to the fronts of the drawers  as well.The hinges and latch came from a little wooden box from Dollarama that my friend gave me after I couldn't find matching metal hinges and latches that were small enough. These were perfect!

I glued chains to the drop shelf to keep it level and add interest, and inserted a brad halfway through (sliced into the chipboard with an exacto knife) to serve as a handle.

I had several little bottles of seed beads and microbeads, and this is perfect storage for them; in the drawers I put little jars of paint that were so small they kept getting lost in larger storage spaces....we all know a crafter can never have too much storage! Thanks so much for stopping by, and I hope you have a creative and happy week!

GYPSY SOUL ITEMS USED

8" Steamer Trunk

OTHER ITEMS USED

Bo Bunny Juliet paper collection

gold metallic cardstock
white glue

Darice embossing folder
pale blue and brown inks

hinges and latch from Dollarama wooden box

Vintage Valentine Triptych for Gypsy Soul Lasercuts

Sending love out to my crafty peeps! I loved the look of the triptych piece and wanted to find the perfect images, and when a friend passed these lovely Inkado Valentine cutaparts on to me, I knew they would be just right.

When you match up the triptych pieces, you will notice that the two that are meant to go on the ends have small protruding "feet". so be sure to place the pieces in the right order when you attach everything later, and of course when you decide how you are decorating them.

I decided to use FolkArt Crackle Medium, which is a three-step process that creates a terrific crackled effect with whatever two colours of acrylic paint you choose. Paint all pieces with the first colour (the one you want to show through the cracks-I chose gold) Be sure to allow the paint to dry thoroughly before moving on to the next step. You may use a heat tool to dry the paint if you wish. Afterwards, brush on an even coat of the crackle medium, trying to brush in smooth strokes going in one direction as much as possible. Use a thick coat for larger cracks and a thin one for finer cracks. (I used a thicker coat) Allow to dry thoroughly and do not use the heat tool for this step. After this you may brush on your surface paint (this is the colour that will show the most), again using long, even strokes that go in one direction, Allow to dry naturally once again-the cracks will form as the paint dries.

Afterward I sanded here and there on the edges for a more distressed look and then rubbed tiny bits of dark gold ink on those areas with my finger.

I cut paper to fit into each of the triptych pieces; when you cut your paper don't worry about the scalloped edges-you can cut the paper a little smaller than the base pieces because the frames will cover the edges.

I added some heat-embossing to my paper pieces, stamping them with Versamark ink then using Stampendous Aged Copper embossing enamel. The photo shows the details of the flourish design but the colours are a little lighter in person, more of a deep coppery gold with flecks of verdis gris.

I attached the images, then added a few metal embellishments, ribbons and flowers to finish the look.

                                                       

I had some tiny metal hinges that I attached to the back to connect the pieces to each other; you may cover the back with paper as well and/or decorate it if you wish.

The triptych could be used with so many different  themes-any holiday, to showcase quotes or poems, or to display photos. I'd love to see what creative way you find to use this great chipboard set! Thanks for stopping by and Happy Valentine's Day!

GYPSY SOUL ITEMS USED

Triptych-Arch Top

OTHER ITEMS USED

FolkArt Crackle Medium by Plaid
Gold and White DecoArt acrylic paints
Blue Fern paper-Courtship Lane
Stampendous embossing enamel-Aged Copper

"everyone needs a stuff holder"-for Gypsy Soul Lasercuts

Hey all! I've tackled a new storage piece in my quest for a perfectly organized scraproom; hubby asked what I was planning to put in it, and my response was, "stuff!" There are alphabet sheets in the paper pack so I decided to cut some out and officially christen this piece my stuff holder:

Here's a photo of the "naked" Memory Keeping Organizer; I like to put all 3D things together before I take them apart again so I see where everything fits.

I painted all the pieces light pink, and then I covered the outer pieces with patterned paper from this pad; as you can see I got a great deal on it!!

I just laid the pieces on the paper and traced around them, as the side pieces are irregularly shaped (and I don't  much like measuring anyway!) I sanded the edges lightly to smooth away and paper bits left over.

As you can see, I added bits and strips from some of the other papers, and I did this on the inside squares as well; there were chevrons, checks and floral patterns as well as the ones with tiny type, so I mixed and matched colours and patterns for a cheery look.

The honeycomb pattern was perfect for the bottom; I chose to cut out each square separately rather than having to cut the slots out of the paper where the vertical pieces fit.into the base.

I glued pearl along the top edge of all the pieces with a hot glue gun; using adhesive pearls with the flat bottoms would probably be easier, but I happen to have several strands of these in a variety of colours (pearl spaghetti, anyone?)

The sets of file dividers are wonderful; the larger compartments in the organizer just happen to fit 4" x 6" photos! These are perfect for the photos I'm planning to scrap soon, and it's a lot easier to look through 3 sections labeled by topic than a huge storage box!! The smaller file dividers I plan to use for diecuts, again divided by topic.

I had lots of fun putting this together, and even more fun putting my "stuff" in all of the compartments! I no longer have a ton of "miscellaneous  embellishments" piled in a drawer where they were a nightmare to look through-they're so much easier to see now and I will be much more likely to actually use these embellishments because I will see them and remember I have them. Treat yourself to one of these awesome organizers and you'll be glad you did!

GYPSY SOUL ITEMS USED
Memory Keeping Organizer

OTHER ITEMS USED

DCWV Vintage Collector Stack

pink acrylic paint
pearl strand
hot glue gun

Sing your own song-an altered record for Gypsy Soul Lasercuts

hey crafty people! As my first post here for 2017, I thought I'd do something kind of different that I've been thinking about doing for a while...I thought that a record would make an interesting round "canvas" for a music-themed mixed media project and this is what I came up with:

I got my record at a thrift store; it was a double set and I paid a whole 50c for the two of them!

The first thing I did was brush the whole thing with gesso; I did two coats, as covering a shiny surface is a little trickier. I also gessoed the main chipboard piece I was planning to use on the project.

I figured out where I wanted to put everything, then I added some stenciling with texture paste, using a script stencil and one that created small "coffee rings".

When the texture paste was dry, I attached all the items; I also added a few pieces of drywall tape for texture. I get it at the dollar store; it has an adhesive back and is great for crafting. If your dollar store doesn't carry it, it's available at any hardware store.

I added a coat of gesso to the whole piece; I used a sponge to apply it to the bare record parts to minimize the brush strokes, but this isn't necessary-you can do the whole thing with a brush. Just be sure to get in the grooves of the flowers and other dimensional embellishments so that everything is white.

Now comes the fun part! Choose some mists you like ( I used blues and greens and a pop of pinkish-red) and spray lightly here and there until you get an effect you're happy with. If it goes on spotty or too dark, dab with a paper towel or sponge while it's still wet. I also keep a bottle of Mr. Huey's Opaque White mist around to tome down any colours that look too bright or dark after it's dried. I like to work with my project laying down so the mists don't run although I know some people really like the drippy effect. I'm just too much of a control freak to let the mist dribble wherever it wants, I guess.

Once I was happy with the colours (this did take a while, so don't get discouraged if you don't like the look right away. I have even had projects that I gessoed over and restarted, but happily this wasn't one of them!)I inked the letters and the edges of the chipboard pieces in a deep blue to make them stand out a little more. You can choose to add more or less contrast, as you prefer.

The last thing I did was find a shank button that would fit in the hole in the center; I ran a piece of twine through it to make a hanger and glued the button down.Otherwise trying to hang this could be interesting; I just don't quite trust those sticky hook things!

Thanks so much for stopping by, and I wish you a wonderful 2017 full of love, joy, peace and creativity!!

GYPSY SOUL ITEMS USED

Flight of Fancy Music Girl
Music Symbols Shape Set

OTHER ITEMS USED

white gesso
Crafter's Workshop and Prima stencils
Ayeeda, Dylusions and Tattered Angels mists
Versacolor Inks
misc. flowers and burlap foliage

drywall tape

"LIGHT"-an art journal page for Gypsy Soul Lasercuts

Hello crafters! 'Twas the day after Christmas and...as much as I enjoyed all the Christmas crafting, it felt good to get back to basics a bit! I haven't done any art journaling in ages and-along with-my Bible journaling-I want to start taking the time to create at least a page a month. I found a verse I really liked on Facebook and it inspired me to put this page together:

I started by tearing a piece of Inkido paper to fit the page in my art journal; I roughed up the edges a bit and added a few extra tears.

I sprayed with yellow Ayeeda mist; the paper buckled a bit when it was wet but flattened as it dried. If your page doesn't flatten you can either put it under something heavy for a bit or run a hot dry iron over it.

I placed my frame where I wanted it then marked where my journaling would go. I can't print straight so I drew light pencil lines, one for each line of writing.Be sure to use a pen that won't smudge when you erase your pencil lines (test on a scrap if you're not sure)

I painted the chipboard pieces with yellow acrylic paint, then dabbed a paper towel in white paint and randomly patted it on when the yellow was dry. I set them aside to dry and moved back to the journal page.

I stenciled with texture paste, putting the starburst pattern where my light bulbs were going to go, and  added the other designs randomly for interest. I used homemade texture paste made with baby powder, white glue, and acrylic paint, but the commercial pastes are great as well-just make sure it's fairly thick to get clean lines and no bleeding under your stencil. Some people don't mind a less crisp look, but I confess I freak out a bit if my stenciling isn't at least pretty crisp and clean!

While the texture paste dried, I heat embossed the chipboard pieces with clear embossing powder; it brightened the colours and added a nice sheen. For a perfectly smooth finish I usually do two coats, but I liked the irregular and slightly bumpy effect of the single coat on these pieces.

I attached yellow vellum to the backs of the light bulbs for a semi-transparent look and placed them over the starburst rays. One of the bulbs had a cord on it which I cut off so they would both be the same; the chain stickers were perfect and have been in my stash for ages!

I used the hot glue gun to attach the frame and lightbulbs; the ladies were cut from a 7 Gypsies paper and popped up with foam tape.

This was fun to put together; I love adding meaningful pages to my art journal and playing around with techniques and products. It's a great way to express yourself and get a little messy-thanks so much for stopping by, and I wish you a happy, creative and colourful New Year!

                                                      GYPSY SOUL ITEMS USED

                                                      Scribbled Frames and Lines
                                                        Steampunk Lightbulb Set

                                                            OTHER ITEMS USED

                                                            DecoArt acrylic paints

Inkido and 7Gypsies papers 

Ayeeda mist

clear embossing powder and Versamark ink

                                                   Prima and Crafter's Workshop stencils