7 Gypsies | Distressed Scrapper

Altered Box – dt project for Creative Embellishments

03 Oct 2013 1 Comment

by dlwidder in Cards and Projects Tags: 7 Gypsies, altered box, Helmar 2 step crackle, I am Roses, Pitt big brush markers, Prima Junkyard finding, Tattered Angels Glimmer Glaze, Tim Holtz, Webster's Pages charm

Hi, everyone! It’s Thursday, so I’m up on the Creative Embellishments blog (I’d love it if you’d stop by and say hi!) to share a project I created using some of the fabulous CE chippies! I love the versatility of these intricate laser cut pieces. They’re perfect for layouts, cards, altered art, art journal pages and altered art projects. 😀

I started with a plain wooden box that I’ve had around for years. I actually use it to store my Pitt Big Brush markers and artist pens. I started by adhering 7 gypsies tissue paper to the entire outside, being careful to match up the pattern to give it continuity. I then coated it with Helmar 2 step crackle. Once that was set and dry, I filled in the beautiful cracks it created with deep brown acrylic paint. I just buff it on and wipe off the excess with a slightly damp rag or paper towel.

Once the base is complete, you can decorate it any way you want! 😀 Here’s how mine turned out:

Here’s an angled shot so you can see the front too:

To alter the birdcage, I used Pitt big brush markers and artist pens (yes, the same one I normally store in this box. lol), then I went over the birds with a bit of Tattered Angels Glimmer Glaze to give them some shimmer and shine:

This flourish is actually a single piece that I cut in half, then painted w/Tim Holtz distress paint dabbers in 2 shades of green. I then added to the cluster w/some gorgeous I Am Roses flowers, a Prima Junkyard Findings bulb and a Webster’s Pages charm:

TFL! I hope you liked my project! Be sure to check out the CE October challenge post HERE. You could win a $20 gc to the Creative Embellishments store…and $20 goes a long way in there! 😀

Materials:

Creative Embellishments Birdcage
CE Flourish from set 4
7 gypsies tissue paper
Helmar 2 step crackle
acrylic paint
I Am Roses flowers
Wild Orchid Crafts metal embellishment
Prima Junkyard finding bulb
Webster’s Pages charm
Pitt big brush markers
Tattered Angels Glimmer Glaze
Tim Holtz Distress Paint
Shimmerz Texturez

Altered Helmar “Glue Daddy” Caddy

06 Sep 2011 10 Comments

by dlwidder in Cards and Projects Tags: 7 Gypsies, altered project, Crackle, G45, gears, Graphic 45, Helmar, tissue paper, wood

Caution: This post is photo heavy!

I was so excited when I came home from picking the kids up from school on Friday to find my Glue Daddy Caddy waiting on my doorstep! It didn’t take long for me to tear open the box and take it for test spin. Here’s the naked caddy decked out with my fave Helmar glues:

I knew this would be something I wanted easily accessible on my craft table and would be used frequently, so I had to make sure I created something that would really last. I started by applying Acid Free glue to one face of the caddy at a time and adhering tissue paper by 7 Gypsies. To remove the excess, I simply let the glue dry then sanded the edges, then moved onto the next side. Once all sides were covered, I inked the edges with distress ink. I then applied the 2 step crackle. Since this was my first project using this product, I was a little nervous, but let me tell you…it was soooo easy to use and the results are fantastic! I could readily see the crackle affect, but to accentuate them, I lightly buffed the piece with a papertowel dipped in a bit of brown acrylic paint. Working it into the cracks, I wiped the excess off with another part of the papertowel as I went, then sealed with Helmar’s Acrlic Sealer.

I LOVED the affect so much I didn’t want to cover the tissue paper design or crackle too much, so I only embellished one end of the holder with a couple 7 Gypsies sprocket gears, a Graphic 45 chipboard button and flower.

Here’s the finished piece with the fabulous Helmar products that helped make it happen:

Here are my happy glues in their new home:

TFL!

To order your own Glue Daddy Caddy from Tracy (Pres of Helmar USA), CLICK HERE. There are 2 models to pick from…mine, pictured above, is the deluxe model. The difference between this one and the standard model? The Deluxe model has pockets on the sides as shown. 😀

Scrapbook Challenges Layouts – First Post on the New Blog

04 Aug 2011 1 Comment

by dlwidder in Scrapbook Layouts Tags: 12x12, 7 Gypsies, black, blue, boys, CAS, clean and simple, doodling, epiphany punch, epoxy, faux stitching, graphic, journaling, layout, MME, multi-photo, My Mind's Eye, siblings, single page, single photo, sports, Sports Edition II, stamping, Teresa Collins, tissue paper, white

Sorry I’m a little late posting these. Since I was working on transfering content from my previous blog to this one, I wasn’t trying to add new posts in the interim, so my next few posts are just to catch up.

Scrapbook Challenges hosted a really fun Sizzling Summer event last month. It started with the Seasons of Change Hop On that I posted about previously then continued with 15 different sketches posted through the month (one new one each day M-F, then you had the last week to catch up on any sketches you missed). Though I didn’t do them all, I did have a lot of fun playing along and finished the month long event completing 8 of the 15 additional sketches. Below are 2 very different lo’s I created using very different styles. They were the first 2 I completed for the event.

This one really challenging for me since I don’t typically doodle on my layouts and Nat’s style is very unique. I was very inspired by her sketch and example (she was even nice enought to include a tutoral on how she created hers!) and loved working beyond my comfort zone. Thanks Nat! Here’s what I came up with:

If you have any questions about what materials were used, I’d be more than happy to let you know, just contact me with any questions. The bg paper is MME Stella & Rose, the tissue paper is 7 gypsies, the frame is Webster’s Pages, the drops I used for rain are by Robin’s Nest. All adhesives were by Helmar. Here’s the sketch it was based on:

I went very CAS (clean and simple) for the next one:

Again, since I’m posting something I created weeks ago, I’m not including a full materials list, but if you have any questions, I’m easy to contact. 😀 The papers and embellies are Teresa Collins Sports Edition II, I used an Epiphany punch and epoxy circle for the baseball embellie. All adhesives were by Helmar. The 450 Quick Dry made it a breeze to attach that bit of mesh trim on the photo, btw! 😀 Here’s the sketch my layout was based on:

Over the next couple of days, I’ll be posting 6 more layouts based on the Scrapbook Challenges sketches from last month. TFL!

Simple Man – Layout for Helmar and Punky Scraps

16 Jul 2011 6 Comments

by dlwidder in Scrapbook Layouts Tags: 12×12 layout, 7 Gypsies, Butterfly Garden, envelope, father and son, flower, G45, Graphic 45, layering, metal, misting, pink paislee, Prima, single page, single photo, tissue paper, trims

At the beginning of July, Helmar posted their gorgeous challenge sketch by Lydell Quinn. I knew right away that I just HAD to work this sketch! Now that I’ve completed my dt work for the month, I’ve had a chance to play around on some other challenge sites this week and have been cruising through some of my faves to see what they have posted.

Punky Scraps is a very unique challenge site and they post 3 challenges a month. This month, one is to use tissue paper on your layout. As luck would have it, I just received some fab 7 gypsies tissue paper that I was planning to use on a project this month! So, I figured this would be perfect to combine w/the Helmar sketch challenge!

A couple of weeks ago, Larry’s Aunt gave me a few photos of Larry’s father that I’ve been dying to scrap, but really wanted to make sure I created something Larry would love. Larry’s father passed away a year before he and I met, so I never got to meet the man who was, by far, the greatest influence in Larry’s life. From the stories I’ve heard, Larry is very much like his father and this particular photo is very special to me because, not only is it the only photo I have of the two of them together, but it also shows them doing something together that they both love. His father taught him to play the guitar, fish, hunt…not to be afraid of hard work. He taught Larry to enjoy the little things in life and what really matters. There’s a particular song that always comes to mind whenever I imagine the two of them playing their guitars together, so I used it as the title of my page. Here’s what I came up with:

Materials:

Pink Paislee (Helmar Preferred partner) Butterfly Garden Cardstock
7 Gypsies Birdsong tissue paper
Pink Paislee wood alphas
Prima decorative border
Graphic 45 staples envelope
G45 staples trims
G45 Staples flower
G45 Staples metal flower
G45 Staples metal buttons
Distress Inks

Adhesives: Helmar Acid Free
Helmar 450 Quick Dry
Helmar Liquid Scrap Dots
Helmar adhesive runner
Helmar Zapdots

Here’s the fabulous sketch I got to work with: