The Sketchbook Project and TPBP July Challenge (part 2)

Hey there! Hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend :)  Yesterday was an awesome day, I spent some time with my mom and my future sister in law, exploring art and eating Vietnamese food (YUM!).  I don't know how many of you reading this are into art journaling, it's something that I've become very passionate about and just absolutely love.  There's something about drippy paint, watercolor crayons, splatters and collage layers that make me swoon (and no it's not the paint fumes :p) 

Anyways, the Sketchbook Project is currently in town displaying sketchbooks of about 10,000 artists from all over the world.  It was definately an inspiring experience and I'm seriously considering participating in the 2012 project.  You should go on over and check their site out, especially their gallery, and maybe consider participating too! I'd love to be able to share this journey with some of you :)

So that being said, all inspired and such, I could not wait to get home and get my fingers all inky and painty.  I decided to journal about change and was inspired by the journal page that TPBP's design team member Tammy created. You can view her video here, she also has other awesome examples on how to tranform your dressforms (I heart dressforms :p).  So here's what I created as another entry for The Piece by Piece's July Challenge, hope you like it:

Supplies used:

*Golden Regular Matte Gel

*Golden Gesso

*Smooch Spritz (Citrus Tickle and Gingersnap)

*Maya Road dress form chipboard (The dressform was used as a mask and

I also traced the dressform onto a scrap of plastic sheet and cut out the center

to make a stencil)

*StazOn inkpad (Timber Brown)

*Cosmo Cricket stamps

*FaberCastell Pitt Pens

*Golden Paint (Yellow Ochre, Titan Buff, and Green Gold)

*Liquitex Paint (Yellow Orange Azo)

*Paper Ribbon

*Ribbon

*Lace

(I cut the lace and ribbon into pieces, misted some, then glued them down with matte gel)

*Heidi Swapp Damask Mask

*Sequin Waste

The title is a quote by Faith Baldwin "Time is a dressmaker, Specializing in Alterations".

The journaling reads: This has been a very unexpected and difficult year for me. So much changes, full of ups, downs and in betweens.  While sometimes change can be bad, I am determined that although things are not working out as I had hoped, these changes will lead to something good.  I know I have the power to take my life in a different direction, for the better, and now is the time to do that.

The Piece By Piece July Challenge {Altered Dressform}

Hi Everyone!  Sorry it's been so long since the last time I posted.  I can't believe how time flies.  July has been a super busy month with family visiting from out of town, parties, and getting sick. I've also been having computer issues lately and haven't been able to get online for awhile.  So here's hoping I can get thru this post without my computer shutting down on me :0  Anyways, I hope if youre reading this, you are all doing well and enjoying your summer thus far.

Today I'd like to share what I created for The Piece By Piece's July Challenge.  I had so much fun participating in their first challenge last month and was so honored that Beverly (TPBP owner) and her DT choose my project as one of their winners.  I highly recommend checking out their blog for inspiration, especially for using all those wonderful trims that I'm sure you're probably collecting (I know I do) :p Also, if you're interested in adding more to your collection I definately recommend checking out TPBP's etsy store for some beautiful trims and embellishments.

For the this month's challenge you had to transform your dressform using trims, fabric and etc. I decided to make something that was both decorative and useful so I decided to make a magnetic board for all those important notes.  Here's how it turned out:
                                                              (Click on images to enlarge)

Here's a condensed description on how I put it together:
-I started off by gessoing and painting a Maya Road chipboard dressform.
-I traced the outline form on some decorative paper, cut, then glued down the paper with matte medium.
-For the top bodice I first ran some of the embroidered floral trim thru my Xyron, adhered it along the top at an angle then cut around the trim with scissors (I thought it would give the top a cute shape).
-I then adhered some beaded trim, ribbon and lace to accent it and inked the edges of the dressform with brown staz-on ink.
-For the magnetic base I took an old pencil tin and decorated it by adhering down 3 x 2 1/2 square inch pieces of decorative paper  (I thought this would give it a cute patchwork quilt look to go with the theme) with regular matte gel.  The paper pieces was inked around with vintage photo distress ink.
-I then brushed the entire piece with matte medium to seal it well.
-I sprayed the entire piece including the dressform with some glimmer mist and smooch spritz.
-I hot glued some rope trim along the inside border of the tin to frame it.
-I inked the edges of the tin with brown staz on ink.
-I took some coordinating buttons, tied ribbon thru it and hot glued some magnets on the backs.
-Then I painted some clothespins with gesso and stamped on top with brown staz on ink and attached
some magnets to the back as well.
-I hot glued some trim along the outside of the tin and tied a ribbon on the top for hanging.

I had so much fun putting this project together and was surprisingly pleased with the outcome.  I plan on putting a title on the dressform but haven't decided yet what that should be?
Thanks so much for stopping by and having a look!  Take Care!

{The Piece By Piece} June Flower Challenge

Hi there! So, I was doing some blog hopping and came upon The Piece By Piece and saw that they were hosting a flower challenge for June. The challenge is that you have to create 3 flowers using trim, lace or fabric.  I absolutely love flowers of ALL types and was excited to give it a try.  I usually tend to buy flowers that are already made so this was definately gonna be a fun project.  The challenge ends on the 30th so I quickly gathered up some trim and started playing.  It kinda got a bit out of control because once I started I couldn't stop :p Hope you like them.

Since my desk was overflowing with flowers (and supplies that I had not yet put away) I decided I might as well make something :)  Here's two cards that I made for a cousin and my mom's birthday next month. 

Thanks for having a look!  Take Care!!