Lemon Butterflies Tag

Hello friends! I hope you are well and had a good weekend! My youngest tried out instruments since he needs to decide which instrument/s to start playing after the summer. 

Please note: this post has affiliate links, for which I receive a small percentage of sales generated by the link, at no extra cost to you.

This week we have a Feminine theme at the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge Blog, which can be so many different things. Don't miss the last project by our April guest designer Estelle Palumbo aka Atouscrap.

I made a tag celebrating the first butterfly of spring, the lemon butterfly. I went with a soft yellow, grey and white color combo and a textured background. The doilies and butterflies were die cut with Tim Holtz Boutique Vault set and the sentiments come from Simon Says Stamp new Celebrate release.

Start by die cutting three doilies from watercolor paper. I used wax paper in between the die and the paper when die cutting this intricate die.

Glue the doilies to a tag and coat with gesso (I forgot to take a photo of this step). When dry, paint with watered-down Distress Paints and mist with more water if needed.

Stamp here and there with Simon Says Stamp Old Letter and Watering Can ink.

Die cut Simon Says Stamp Just a Note 2 from collage paper. The paper was made by adhering old book paper to watercolor paper and coating it with gesso. Paint the words yellow. This die also coordinates with the largest stamp in the Just a Note Notes set.

Apply Sizzix Luster Wax Ivory to the doilies and around the edges of the tag, for a soft shine.

Die cut butterflies from Simon Says Stamp Lemon and White Glitter paper. The butterflies are also from Tim's Boutique Vault set, which is a very versatile die set. Shape and glue to the tag.

You can to fold up some of the wings once the glue is dry, so that it looks like they are fluttering across the tag.

Stamp a sentiment from Simon Says Stamp Just a Note Notes from an inky left-over paper. Cut into a strip. Coat the die cut sentiment with Glossy Accents.

I haven't seen a lemon butterfly yet this year and spring has been cold so far here. 

Join us this week in our Up In The Air challenge! You have a chance to win a $25 gift voucher to do some fun shopping at Simon Says Stamp. You have until Monday 8am Ohio time. 1pm UK time, 2 pm CET to join in.

Do you use Instagram? If so please add #sssmchallenge so we can see your entries there too.

Thank you so much for stopping by here today! 

Happy crafting!

Anna-Karin

Supplies:

* Please note: the links are affiliate links, for which I receive a small percentage of sales generated by the link, at no extra cost to you.

Bird Tin Tutorial

Hello crafters! Today I have an altered tin to share. I made it for a friend who likes birds, but you can of course use a different theme instead.

 Please note: this post has affiliate links, for which I receive a small percentage of sales generated by the link, at no extra cost to you.

I recycled an old mint tin for this project and altered it with lots of ink, stamping and blue tit birds. The birds were die cut and then watercolored with Distress Ink. Tins are fun because you get four different surfaces to decorate, the front, the inside (which is great for fragile dimensional items), and the back.

The inside looks like this, with a quote to the left and two smaller birds to the right. 

Start by die cutting Simon Says Stamp Layered Bird Bunch from Ranger's heavystock paper. Smear Distress Inks on a non-stick craft sheet and press some of the pieces into the ink. Let dry and repeat. Paint the heads with a paint brush.

I did the same with the Simon Says Stamp Layered Birdie, only here I used the paintbrush a little more. The legs and beak were later colored with a darker shade of Black Soot.

Shape the wings a little and piece together the birds. Add white highlights with a gel pen and color the eyes with a black pen.

For the backgrounds I colored heavystock cardstock with several layers of first Distress Ink and then at the end, also Distress Oxide Ink. Let the paper dry in between.

Cut them into cards and round the edges with a We R Memory Keepers Corner Chomper. Later I also cut a fourth card for the back of the tin.

Stamp two of the cards with Simon Says Stamp Old Letter.

Stamp the third card with a sentiment. Stamp the small tree from Simon Says Stamp All Seasons Tree with Pawsitively Saturated Royal ink. Stamp twice without reinking.

Stamp in a few places with Simon Says Stamp Crackle Background and white emboss.

Adhere the papers to the inside of the tin. Add small twigs, dyed mummy cloth/cheese cloth and some sequins. The birds were adhered with three layers of Simon Says Stamp Pawsitively Perfect Foam Tape.

Make sure that it is possible to close the tin before gluing everything in place. I have made a few tins that don't close too, but I wanted this one to close.

The small birds and twigs are protected inside the tin. They are meant to be baby blue tit birds.

If there is space, you can tuck in another sentiment.

The lid of the tin had been coated with two layers of gesso and painted with Antique Linen Distress Paint. Glue a twig to the front of the tin and add some dyed mummy cloth / cheese cloth. Adhere the bird with two layers of foam tape. 

I adhered Tim Holtz Tissue Tape around the tin, adding a little glue too, to make sure it was stuck down well.

The sentiments were stamped on inky paper and cut into strips. They come from Simon Says Stamp Forest Scenery.

The ink background has a lot of texture and in some places it looks like the ink shines.

I turned the birds into blue tits, which is one of my favorite birds, but you can also turn them into other birds.

By stamping twice without reinking in between, you create a sense of dimensions, since the fainter trees appear to be further away.

Don't worry about stray embossing powder, it only adds texture.

I decided to add paper to the back too. It was stamped with two sizes of trees from All Seasons Tree and and a sentiment from Simon Says Stamp Season's Greetings.

Add white anemone flowers with a white gel pen. 

Thank you so much for stopping by here today! 

Anna-Karin

Supplies:

* Please note: the links are affiliate links, for which I receive a small percentage of sales generated by the link, at no extra cost to you.

Vintage Frame Canvas

Hello crafters! Today I have a mixed media canvas to share, using a vintage frame, crackle paste and a bunch of ephemera. The techniques can be used on other surfaces too.

 Please note: this post has affiliate links, for which I receive a small percentage of sales generated by the link, at no extra cost to you.

I found the vintage frame in a second hand store some time ago and used together with a childhood photo of my dad. The canvas is about 4x4 in. Stamped labels, idea-ology ephemera, tissue paper and crackle paste were used to build up the layers, together with some bits and pieces. 

Start by applying matte medium to the canvas and place Tim Holtz Typography tissue paper into the medium. Add wrinkles and then add another layer of medium on top of the tissue paper.

Add a little crackle paste here and there with a palette knife.

When the paste is dry, crackles will appear. Paint with watered-down Ground Espresso distress paint.

Apply a tiny bit of Sizzix Gold Luster Wax to the project, with your finger.

Stamp labels on Tim Holtz Backdrops papers using Simon Says Stamp Pawsitively Saturated Cadette ink and Red Geranium Archival Ink. Die cut with the Mixed Labels coordinating dies. The larger stamp comes from Simon Says Stamp Document It and the smaller labels from Mixed Labels.

Ink and distress the labels. 

Color Tim Holtz Bouquet Findings flowers with Distress Watercolor Pencils and mist with water to blend to colors.

Layer the labels under the frame and add a small piece of mummy cloth / cheese cloth. Fold up some of the edges.

You can also stamp sentiments directly on the background. Tie the frame with twine and glue to the canvas.

Add the flowers in a couple of place and two postage stamps from Tim's ephemera packs. 

I also glued a few vintage buttons to the canvas. Here you can see the effect of the Gold Luster Wax well.

Stamp small sentiments on the areas of the labels and ticket which show.

I really like the effect of crackle paste and all that texture.

Labels are great 'homes' for sentiments and titles.

Behind my dad there are lots of drawings from his class mates. 

Thank you so much for stopping by here today! 

Anna-Karin

Supplies:

* Please note: the links are affiliate links, for which I receive a small percentage of sales generated by the link, at no extra cost to you.