"Peeking Through the Looking Glass" Altered Mirror for All Things Altered Bloghop with Sakura Hobby Crafts

Welcome to the Sakura Hobby Crafts Design Team "All Things Altered" Bloghop featuring Sakura 3D Crystal Lacquer with Terri Sproul Mixers. You should have arrived here from Barbara Moore's page...To get back to the top of the hop...please click here.

Also there will be BLOG CANDY to be won...stop at each stop {see the inlinkz below} on the hop and then go back and leave a comment at the Sakura Hobby Craft Blog with your FAVORITE Project in our bloghop. The winner will receive three (3) Terri Sproul Mixers and a bottle of Sakura 3D Crystal Lacquer.

Thanks for stopping by - I hope you have been enjoying our fabulous altered projects!

 

I created an ALTERED MIRROR for today's bloghop. I began with an old mirror from my bathroom junk drawer and an image transfer that I created using the Altered Pages Tiffany Windows AP-493 Collage Sheet and Sakura 3D Crystal Lacquer. I primed the plastic base with an antique gold spray paint. Please CLICK HERE to see instructions on how I made the image transfer shown. I embellished the mirrored side with and Terri Sproul Mixers and some bling from Want2Scrap.

Here is back of mirror after applying image transfer to mirror base.

Using double sided adhesive, I applied an ornate woven gold trim around outer edge of mirror. Then the details: I added a jewelry finding that is meant for having three dangling strands from. I used wire cutters to clip the loops off and sanded the edges away. I adhered this over the hole in my mirror handle. I added a cluster of beads on a headpin and stitched to the base of the handle.

I covered the stitching {a large knot of thread} with Crystal Lacquer and pressed in crushed glass seed beads. I also filled in the rest of the handle with crushed glass seed beads. How did I do that??? I placed seed beads in a ziplock, then wrapped in a towel and took a hammer to them on the concrete floor of my garage. It's messy - but it didn't take a lot to get what I needed AND it was the perfect amount of sparkle to coordinate with my lovely peacock.

Now the mirrored side gets some love...I applied a few light green rhinestones from Want2Scrap and then applied mixture of Sakura 3D Crystal Lacquer and Green Pearl Mixer with a fine tipped nib applicator bottle. I filled in the entire handle and around the frame with dots of green pearl. 

I cut a section of tulle and lace to cover my cracked glass that I broke it in the process of decorating the other side. I poured Crystal Lacquer over the lace to hold it in place and set in a couple more light green rhinestones. I filled the hole with Gold Glitz Effects to mirror the bling from the other side. After drying for a good long while, I tied off the handle with a real pretty bow using May Arts ribbon.

Presenting my drab to fab

"Altered Peacock Mirror"!!!

I hope you enjoyed my project and are inspired to go and create something today. On August 1st, I will have another fun and fabulous project how-to at the Sakura Hobby Crafts Blog! Have a fantastic weekend...and don't forget to vote for your favorite project!!! Sb : )

Linky for Blogger:

Christmas in July Helps Beat the Summer Heat - Festive Friday #14

Welcome to the fourteenth installment of Terri Sproul's 2012 Festive Friday Bloghop. I hope you have been enjoying all the ideas and creations on these hops. You should have arrived here from Laura's Page. To get back to the beginning of the bloghop CLICK HERE.

Here's a simple and colorful card to help you beat the summer heat! This card is created using scraps received in a "SCRAP SWAP" - which is a great way to get a fresh new pile o'scraps to play with. This card was real quick and easy! I matched up a couple of patterned paper scraps and I finished off this card with some glittery Sandy Lion Holiday Stickers and a red metallic twine bow - AND - I only fidgeted around with the bow for about 5 minutes, too. I really like how the similar colors in all of the elements really pull this card together. One of my favorites!!!

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Thanks for visiting!!!

The next stop on the Festive Friday Bloghop

is Angela at Midnight Crafting - CLICK HERE.

Have a fantastic Friday...and a wonderful day! Check back tomorrow for a special bloghop I am participating in with the Sakura Hobby Crafts Design Team..."All Things Altered". See you then!

: ) Sb

Happy Christmas in July Eve!!! Celebrating Christmas in July at Unscripted Sketches

Unscripted Sketches is celebrating Christmas in July all month long with fun projects, games and prizes...drop on by UnscriptedSketches.com to join in the festivities.

Today I am the featured designer as part of the fun - so head on over to Unscripted Sketches to see what's in store.

A little known fact...I was challenged just after Christmas 2011 to create Christmas cards all year for the weekly Unscripted Sketches projects. I thought it would be hard - but it has been fun...especially the weeks when the Grinch comes to visit! It's not really hard for me - I love making gifts and things for the holidays. Great thing, too...I already have enough cards for my holiday list...a couple layouts and a gift box, too!

This is my newest holiday creation which is using this weeks sketch Unscripted Sketches #168 with a piggyback challenge to use an animal as part of the design. I used my new favorite stamp from Viva Las Vegastamps! - this beautiful "Deer on Ball Fir". This is really large for a card, so I think that I am going to mount this to some thick chipboard and hang from a magnet clip. This will make a nice holiday gift.

Every other Christmas we travel up to Chicago to spend the holiday with my family and this year is our year to travel. My husband works for a large parking company and has one property he needs to check-in on so we will be staying downtown this trip. It's so wonderful to be amongst all the hustle and bustle downtown with all the holiday decorations and festivities. I even bring a little bit of Christmas along to decorate our room a little faux tree with LED lights, a stocking and a funny Christmas elf, and I always stash a special little gift for my husband {he is from Florida and not used to the c-c-c-old}.

Downtown on Michigan Avenue outside Marshall Fields.

Large tree outside of John Hancock Tower.

And roaming the streets we came across Christmas "Good" and "Evil".

I look forward to traveling there soon and I am counting the days until Christmas. Thanks for dropping by and I invite you to click the links below to visit all the talented ladies on the Unscripted Sketches Design Team. Everyone is celebrating Christmas in July and sharing holiday projects and traditions! Have a great day! Sb : )

UNSCRIPTED SKETCHES DESIGNERS

Adriana, Alicia, Arielle, Billie, CherylAnn, Debbie, Geri,

Jane, Jessica, Laura, Michele, Nicole, Patrice, Steph C.,

Stephanie G., Stephanie S., Susan {sbartist} and Tracey

What have I been up to Lately??? A little Recap...

July is just flying by and the excitement of CHA is upon us. Things have been crazy buzy at the day job, but I am not forgetting about my artsy/craftsy life! Since it's tough blogging everyday - I think I like giving a weekly round-up of what I've been up to and I hope you all enjoy this format too. 

Here's a recap of what's been going on in my creative world over the past week.

Thursday: my weekly Sketch-It Saturday with Unscripted Sketches creation. I made this fun Christmas layout using Unscripted Sketches #167 and papers from my Grinch papercrafting kit. Way back on National Scrapbooking Day, May 5th, I created the matching left hand side of this layout using Unscripted Sketches #157. Now I have a complete pair to go in my Holiday Scrapbook!

Unscripted Sketches is celebrating Christmas in July all month long with fun projects, games and prizes...drop on by UnscriptedSketches.com to join in the festivities. I will be featured on July 24th with some fun Christmas in July goodness.


Friday, I had a special fun project: a mixed media collage piece for an altered art/stamping collaborative between Viva Las Vegastamps! and Guache Alchemy. 

I began with this assortment of goodies from Guache Alchemy along with several stamps from Viva Las Vegastamps!

Here is my completed piece - sort of a tribute to "DAD". I made a faux aged leather background for this assortment of manly details. To see how I made my stamped pieces, CLICK HERE.

Sunday was my Altered Pages project day. I really appreciate being able to share what I make on my "OFF" Day. For Sunday's installment, I shared a how-to video on faux leather paper background techniques early in the day and shared my completed project later that evening. I like to call it Early Bird/Nite Owl crafting. CLICK HERE to see entire post.

Torn brown paper collaged to a black book cover makes a wonderful faux leather. My hairdresser has a a whole door covered like this in his Salon - it's so chic!

I used the newsprint aged faux leather technique to alter the cover of my art journal. I'm so happy how the cover looks accented with an assortment of collage images from Altered Pages. For durability I'm going to seal it with a coat of acrylic matte varnish. I added some metal book corners to the edges, too. CLICK HERE to see the technique how-to video.

FINALLY...yesterday I had a featured how-to at Sakura Hobby Crafts blog...making your own mists using Sakura 3D Crystal Lacquer and Terri Sproul Mixers. This was a fun project  and I used my stash of new stencils and punchinella to make masked layers of color to highlight one of my all-time favorite quotes. This is art journal page number 4 - started a in a second art journal with a white paper {my other art journal has black pages}. CLICK HERE to see the how-to.

Thanks for stopping by! Next week is jam-packed with lots of fun stuff and two blog hops.  Can't wait to get back to my art journal...and I've been challenged to do a live stream on Saturday...YIKES!

: ) Sb

Today is the Day!!! Guache Alchemy and Viva Las Vegastamps! Day 5 - and a Giveaway!!!

To see today's Festive Friday post...please CLICK HERE.

This week has been an altered art/stamping collaborative project between Viva Las Vegastamps! and Guache Alchemy. The work has been fantastic!!!

This is just some of the contents of my pizza box of goodies from Guache Alchemy. These are the chosen items that I used along with several stamps from Viva Las Vegastamps!

I also created a faux aged leather background to hold this assortment of awesomeness! Join me on Sunday and I will be sharing a how-to video on a similar background technique at the Altered Pages Artsociates Blog.

In this detail I used VLVS patent stamp #1687 on newsprint in grey ink crumpled and distressed with chalk inks and also the Ford Fairlaine #2129 stamped on powder blue metallic paper.

Detail #2 of Magic Accoutrements #2421 stamped on royal blue metallic paper in black ink; the  parchment tag {which came blank in the Guache Alchemy box}, I stamped the Tabasco with Chilis #11154 in brown ink. I colored/accented both images with Ranger distress markers.

This final detail is of the lovely "LOLA". This photo is created using Sombrero Lady #8990 and barbed wire fence #14021. She is colored/accented with Ranger distress markers painted on using a water brush and sealed with a REAL KISS!

Today my project is featured...and today is the final day to get in on the blog candy prizes. Head on over to Viva Las Vegastamps! Blog to see my entire project {full size} and get entered to win...

Hope you have a great rest of the day! Don't forget tomorrow is Sketch-It Saturday. Sunday I will have a video technique how-to at the Altered Pages Artsociates Blog. Happy creating!

: ) Sb

It's Festive Friday the thirteenth...Lucky Number 13!!!

Welcome to the thirteenth installment of Terri Sproul's 2012 Festive Friday Bloghop which today just happens to fall on Friday the 13th! To commemorate this SPOOKY coincendence, I am sharing a bonus Halloween goodie, too! You should have arrived here from Laura's Page. To get back to the beginning of the bloghop CLICK HERE.

This card is made using some leftovers from other Christmas projects and came together really quick. The lighter green paper is BoBunny and the sentiment and package stickers are Sandy Lion. The green swirl is from my magic bag of swap scraps finished of with a piece of red gingham ribbon and a section of eyelet lace.

Now for a Halloween Treat!

This vintage owl is from the blog "The Graphics Fairy". Please be sure to show the Graphics Fairy some bloggy love - I could spend days viewing all their images, but this one seemed to scream "BOO"!. The BOO is an Inkadinkado stamp embellished with of course, a MUST...googlie eyes. Happy Haunting!!!

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Thanks for visiting!!!

The next stop on the Festive Friday Bloghop

is Angela at Midnight Crafting - CLICK HERE.

Have a fantastic Friday...and a wonderful day!
: ) Sb

Cindy Lou Who Christmas Greetings using Unscripted Sketches #166

Happy Christmas in July!!! Can you believe it?? I am still making Christmas Cards and the year is halfway through...YAY!!!

Today's Christmas Card #27 uses Unscripted Sketches #166. Cindy Lou Who brings you Christmas Greeting with a festive wreath. I have all sorts of wonky cut scraps leftover from my Grinch Paper Crafting Kit...and these all came in handy for this card. Only the the scrap of green branches patterned paper is from my Christmas paper scraps. This is mounted on a cream card base with some matching photo corners and I have another card for the pile. How's your Holiday crafting coming along.

What is Sketch it Saturdays at Unscripted Sketches? Every Saturday morning a new sketch is posted for the week. Flip the sketch, rotate it… create a card, a scrapbook page, a wall hanging, digital, paper, fabric, paint, anything your imagination comes up with! There is no right or wrong way, as long as you are using the Unscripted sketch as the inspiration for your creation! And everyone is invited to join in the fun...and post your creation on their page for all the world to see!

Thanks for dropping by! Have a great weekend!!!

: ) Sb 

Starting another month off with a BANG! A project recap from the past week...

I hope everyone had a wonderful 4th of July celebration yesterday. My husband and I had a BBQ with his family and took a leisurely evening walk to our local city sports complex to view our annual fireworks display. This year was the best fireworks display since we've lived there! Second best part - it wasn't rained out :)

With all the projects I've got going on, here's a recap of what's been going on in my creative world over the past week.

Last Wednesday was a strictly a "Create for Fun" project for Leslie Rahye's Wedded Bliss Bloghop. This small, intimate bloghop is to commemorate and celebrate Leslie's 20th wedding anniversary. I created a third page in my art journal "Lucky in Love" as I will  be celebrating my 20 years of wedded bliss this November. Please CLICK HERE to see entire post.  Please take time to visit all the stops on this hop - each project is full of LOVE!!!

Two projects for Thursday: First up the weekly Sketch-It Saturday with Unscripted Sketches creation. I made this fun "Merry Grinchmas" Christmas card using Unscripted Sketches #165. If you are keeping track - I think this is Christmas card #26 for the year. Unscripted Sketches is celebrating Christmas in July all month long with fun projects, games and prizes...drop on by UnscriptedSketches.com to join in the festivities.

 

Then for my Amazing Mold Putty project I created a seashore inspired bracelet using a piece of coral cast using Amazing Mold Putty and then cast with Amazing Casting Resin. Please CLICK HERE to see entire how-to project post. **BLOG CANDY ALERT** there's a 20% coupon at the bottom of the post, too!

 

Sunday was a project for Altered Pages that I actually took on a road trip with me. I took a little road trip away for the weekend and I packed a bag of crafty goodies and my Altered Pages collage images to create this vintage inspired travel honeycomb tag folio. CLICK HERE to see entire post.

Next up on Monday...another fun Viva Las Vegastamps! project! I just love the variety of fun stamps this store has...the selection is really "Out-of-this-WORLD"!!! I share a how-to alcohol ink technique featuring this space loving Terrier #4241. CLICK HERE to see How-to for my "Terrier in Space" Card.

FINALLY we reach yesterday, July 4th, for my top of the month Sakura Hobby Crafts project...the Pièce de résistance!!! I've created a Steampunk Airship ballon using a modern twist on traditional papier-mâché, painted with 3D Crystal Lacquer and Terri Sproul Mixers. CLICK HERE to see the how-to.

Thanks for stopping by! My projects keep on coming, but this weekend I have a bit of a break in the deadlines - so I think I am going to spend some quality time with my husband {since he is so wonderful about sharing me with my art}.

: ) Sb