dlwidder

Best Friends – Canvas

05 May 2016 Comments Off on Best Friends – Canvas

by dlwidder in Scrapbook Layouts Tags: best friends, flowers, heat embossing, masking, mixed media canvas, stenciling

Creative embellishments chippies are so much fun to work with and so versatile! For this canvas, I simply applied a light gesso, then heat embossed to give them a wonderfully enameled look that makes the stand out from my project. As it happens, CE’s founder and head designer, Nicolle, is my best friend. She’s a true inspiration. Hardworking (did you know CE is family owned and operated? They do everything from design the pieces, cut them, weed them, package and sticker them, and ship them!), creative, uplifting, supportive, and more! I cannot imagine my life without her. I’m so blessed to have met her. ❤ So, my project is dedicated to my bestie, Nicolle. 😀

I started out by painting the canvas board with black gesso, then used white gesso and stencils for the corner work. I then used modeling paste with 2 other stencils for the other details (though much of it was covered by the flowers). Once that dried, I used Lindy’s Stamp Gang color shots on the white gesso . I used a heat gun to dry the links between colors. Next, I adhered the clock pieces in 2 different sizes, on either end of my project. I then clustered and layered the flowers, skeleton leaves, and leaves across my project. Last, I added the sentiment, heart piece, and title piece, which I cut in half to better fit my project. That’s another thing I love about all the CE pieces. Though thick and durable to withstand all your favorite wet mediums, they’re also easy to cut to suit your needs. 😀 Here’s how my project turned out:

Close ups:

CE products used on this project:

My Buckaroo – CSI 198 and Creative Embellishments

26 Apr 2016 Comments Off on My Buckaroo – CSI 198 and Creative Embellishments

by dlwidder in Scrapbook Layouts Tags: 12x12 layout, Creative Embellishments, distressed, father and son, laser cut chipboard, layered papers, song inspired, Wood veneer

Creative Embellishments is one of the sponsors for this month’s CSI, Color, Stories, Inspiration challenges, so several of us have been guest designing for some of their case files. 😀 They offer fun, inspiring challenges, with lots of prize ops, including the $30 gift voucher to the CE store that’s up for grabs! 😀 I had a blast solving case #198. The colors really work for me since blue is my favorite color and hey!…it’s also fave among my boys and my hubby! We all wear a lot of blue. lol Here’s how my page turned out:

Close ups of some of the CE pieces I used:

The Case File image:

For my evidence, I used stripes, trees, leaves, mesh, weather-related elements. I then combined hanging something, animals, and string by attaching 3 wood fish pieces with string and hanging it from the corner of the cardboard with a brad (though I did cut up and adhere the fish to my layout with foam dots so they wouldn’t tear off or get snagged on something else. 😀

I hope you enjoyed my project and are inspired to play along with the CSI challenges this month! We can’t wait to see what you create! 😀

CE products on my project:

Penn State York Bridge Building Contest

18 Apr 2016 Comments Off on Penn State York Bridge Building Contest

by dlwidder in Scrapbook Layouts Tags: Creative Embellishments, laser cut chipboard, mixed media, rubber stamps, scrapbook layout, Wood veneer

This year, Alex participated in the Penn State York Bridge Building Contest and came in 3rd! Everyone was pleasantly surprised since it’s rare for Freshmen to place at all. Most of the winners tend to be Juniors and Seniors each year. 😀 He was so proud of his creation (which shattered during testing, which happens to nearly all the bridges).

For this page, I was inspired by the CSI, Color Stories Inspiration case file #196 that we’re sponsoring. Be sure to check out their challenges this month for your chance to win the gc to the Creative Embellishments store that’s up for grabs, along with tons of other fabulous prizes! 😀 Here’s what I came up with:

I chose glasses, cogs, gears, technology accents, and circles for my evidence. Most of the pieces were altered using acrylic paints or mists. For the testimony, I incorporated the word, “technology” into my journaling. Here are some close ups of the layered pieces:

The CSI inspo board for case 196:

CE products used:

Encouragement/Incentive Board

29 Mar 2016 Comments Off on Encouragement/Incentive Board

by dlwidder in Cards and Projects Tags: Creative Embellishments, encouragement, flowers, lace, laser cut chipboard, mixed media canvas, mixed media tags, Pan pastels, Pitt markers, stamping

I’m up on the Creative Embellishments Blog today, sharing a project I created to hopefully motivate my children to do their chores! Getting them to help around the house or complete a single chore each has been nearly impossible, so I decided to create an encouragement/incentive board. Each day, they will find their tag on their dresser to remind them to get their single chore done. Once completed, they can add their tag to the their clip under the board. Then each night, I can give them a marble for completing their task and return the tag to their dressers. They can then save up their marbles for a prize that’s redeemable once they’ve collected 10 marbles. 🙂

The start out, I took an 8×10 canvas board and coated it with a spray adhesive and layered 2 different laces over it, covering it completely to create the background texture. I secured the excess material around the back. I then coated the whole surface with gesso. As that was drying, I cut a piece of cardstock for the back. Its purpose is to hold the 3 clips at the bottom of the canvas board so the tags can slip into place. I just attached the paperclips to the cardstock using 3 larger brads. Then glued the cardstock to the back of my project. It also gives the back a nice smooth finished look rather than having loose material ends showing there. 🙂

I then used 2 masks and misted the background for the main piece. To alter my chippies, I used Lindy’s Stamp Gang mists on the Falling Star Border piece and the Star title piece, along with the butterflies. I tried to create more dimension and detail by edging the flourishes and fern pieces with Pan Pastels. Here’s how it turned out:

Close up of the left cluster:

Close up of the right cluster:

I then created the 3 tags simultaneously. One for each of my 3 youngest children. I started out by lightly gessoing each tag. I then selected 3 shades of Lindy’s mist for each tag. I misted with the 2 lightest shades, then splattered with the 3rd, applying the heat gun after each layer. When splattering, to create drippies, I just hold the tag upright after sprinkling it with color and tap it on a solid, protected surface to encourage the droplets to move down my project, then use the heat gun to set it. Once dry, I then stamped each tag with a different CE background stamp. I love how fun and versatile they are! There are quite a few that are a staple in my craft room. 😀

I then selected a different panel piece for 2 of the tags and a Chicken Wire Border pieces that I pieced together for the 3rd, and snipped off the pieces I wanted to use. I love using just bits and pieces of the panels on different projects. They’re a great way to add interest and dimension and 1 piece can be used on several projects when you cut them apart on primarily use on visible areas of your project. 🙂 For Madison’s and Christian’s tags, I had left a good bit of the base showing through gaps in the panel so you could still see those details, but on Matthew’s I’d opted to cover the bulk of it with the Retro Square Panel. So after I painted each of the panel pieces, I stamped again on top of the panel piece on Matthew’s tag, mirroring the background stamping. I selected CE chippies that go with their personalities and interests and incorporated them into their tags, keeping their favorite colors in mind. For Christian’s and Madison’s tags, I misted the pieces. For Matthew’s I used acrylic paints and PITT markers. Here’s how they turned out:

Close up of Madison’s tag:

Close up of Christian’s tag:

Close up of Matthew’s tag:

Here’s how it all looks assembled:

I’m really hoping that them wanting to have their tag on display like this will encourage them to get their chores done early (without being reminded), rather than waiting until bedtime. 😀 Wish me luck!!!

CE products used:

For the canvas:

Falling Stars Border

Star Student title piece

Flourish Set 4

Flourish Set 20

Flourish Set 21

Flourish Butterfly Set 2

Flourish Butterflies Set 3

Fern Foliage 5

For Madison’s Tag:

Grunge Music Note Sheet Stamp