Atlered Paintbrush

Hello Everybody!

I am so excited to share my project with you all today!  There are two parts to how this project materialized.  So get comfortable while I tell you my story! ;)

I follow Finnibair on Instagram.  They create the most beautiful projects.  Somewhere along the way I saw them alter a paintbrush.  If you look up altered paintbrush on Pinterest-a myriad of ideas will fill your screen.  So the next time I was at the Dollar Tree, I bought a paintbrush.  

Fast forward a couple of months and the said paintbrush has not been touched.  So as Ash Wednesday was coming closer my church was talking about members bringing in projects that they create over Lent.  Things like canvases, or if you sew/knit, or whatever artsy or crafty thing you have.  

So my paintbrush idea came back into my head.  I looked up Pinterest and Finnibair looking for ideas.  I got out my pastel color paints and although I was tired (lol) I was able to create.  Which is quite the feat sometimes.  

Thank you for reading my story.  Here is my Jesus inspired paintbrush...

This is how it started...

I covered it in gesso.  Even the bristles were painted with gesso.

Then I got out different findings.  I had tried a different set of wings and then remembered these.  They were a goodwill find. :)

I hot glued the wings and the lace.  I put modeling paste on the metal part.  Once it was smooth enough (which was not an easy task for me lol) I wrote in it.  

What is nice is the first time I didn't like the way it looked.  As a matter of fact I kept trying to write Blessed but it didn't fit.  Then the 2nd time I wrote Jesus-I loved it. 

Yay!  It's not perfectly centered.  But that is ok.  This was the first time writing in modeling paste.  (Some where I saw canvases made this way.)  I am always happy when I can incorporate a new technique. :)

So here is the placement of my found items.  The stars and butterfly and heart are wood.  The flowers are Prima paper flowers.  And the key and Believe are metal pieces.  Believe is Tim Holtz but I don't know the origin of the key.  I also used one of Tim Holtz's small dots stencils and modeling paste on the handle.  I also glued micros beads in the bristles to give more texture.

Here are the paints that I used to paint over all of the findings and lace.  I used the silver paint for Jesus.  The Art Anthology paint has little bits of sparkle.  The teal Art Anthology is called Pixie and the purple one is Wisteria.  I love these two colors together.  I wasn't expecting to use picked raspberries (the bright pink) but it really worked out on accenting the found pieces.

Here is a close up of the handle and flowers.  

Here is the whole paint brush again.  

Here is a different angle on the paintbrush.  You can see the sparkles in the wings as well.  :)

I would like to enter my Jesus Paintbrush into the following challenges:

Use Your Stuff:  #300 Twinkle Twinkle-use something sparkly: The wings are sparkly and the purple and teal paint have little sparkles.

The Mixed Media Monthly Challenge: Photo inspiration: Love.  I believe Jesus is love and there is also a heart. :)

Thank you for stopping by!  Until next time my friends...be the light :)

Halloween Vignette Box

Hello Everybody!

I follow Tim Holtz on a few different social platforms.  And I have been so inspired by the Halloween projects that he has been posting from different people using his awesome products.

So today I am showing you a little Halloween Vignette Box.  All of the products are Tim's except the black paint I used to paint the Vignette Box and the cheesecloth that is spiderwebs (totally got that from one of the photo's Tim posted.  Creative genius!)  Also, the frame that the picture is in is from Making Memories.  It was nice and square and purple until I cut it down to fit into the vignette box and dabbed black distress paint on it.  I had to draw a little jack o lantern face on the TH pumpkin.  :)

Here is the breakdown of this little box.  For the pumpkin I drew the jack o' lantern face on it with a precision pen (american crafts).  The back design is the back of a found relative card (a scrap because I used the face in a different project, but kept it because I might use the back side one day.  And I did!!)  I dabbed crushed olive distress paint on the card.

The girl's picture is from the photobooth pictures.  I bent it to give it crease and used distress walnut ink to darken it.  And then i put it in the frame.  Here is where the Making Memories frame came from-but I had already painted it when I took this picture.

For the doll-I put collage medium crazing on it.  Then mushroom alcohol ink.  I was hoping to create the little cracks but not really.  It's so small that if there were cracks you can barely see them.  But the brown color makes the doll look even creepier so that's a positive.  :) 

The doll on the right is the original.  The one on the left is the one I used the crazying medium.

mushroom alcohol ink

Then I used dusty concord distress stain on the white rose ribbon.  I didn't have black and now I'm glad because it gives it some color-a slight contrast.  Then I glued everything down including the web from cheesecloth.

Here is another look inside of the box.

Lastly, I glued on the alpha tiles after I dabbed black distress ink around each one.  This was a super fun project-and since I have 3 more vignette boxes-I will be back with more.  :)

I would like to submit this vingette box into the following challenges:

The Mixed Media Montly Challenge-The pumpkins in the truck inspired the pumpkin in the vignette box.

Sunny Day Crafting-#19 Anything Goes

Inspiration Destination- Anything Goes #108

Until next time my friends...stay spooky :)

Think Rustic

Hello Everybody!

Happy Friday!  I am so excited to show ya'l this card I made.  It was inspired by the Rustic theme happening at The Mixed Media Monthly Challenge right now.  I created a mood board too.  Which was pretty cool-I haven't ever put one together before.

How much fun is this!?  There was so much inspiration from the design team and then from my own board, I hardly knew how to start.  And I have this thing for rust-I think it's awesome.  LOL I know it's destructive, but look at it on those metal letters.

So here is my card:

It's for a friend of mine who's birthday has passed (like a month ago--I know I know.)  So hopefully she will forgive my tardiness.  :)

The paper is from a wood looking paper from Simple Stories.  I inked walnut stain distress ink over the paper to make it less bright.  Then I stamped a Tim Holtz plant stamp from the Spring Sprung collection.  Then I put Versamark around the edges and heat embossed Tea Dye Distress powder.  I rubbed it after it cooled down to get the filler flakes off.  

I diluted some black paint and made the flecks in the background.  For the flowers I used rusty hinge and walnut ink for the flowers and the 16 bingo chip.  The 16 is for the year.  Not my friends age-but if she want to tell people that... ;)  I'll never tell. 

I found a bee button and cut of the shank, and then painted or rubbed more like it brown paint to distress it.  The bee was a bright yellow.  I stamped the happy birthday with a Great Impressions stamp on yellow vellum.  Lastly I added Queens and Co. chocolate delight pearls.

I am entering this rustic card into the following challenges:

The Mixed Media Monthly Challenge #28

Brown Sugar: Anything Goes #217

Great Impressions: Anything Goes

Thank you for stopping by today!  Until next time my friends...Have a great weekend! :)

Winged Birthday

Hello Everybody!

It's my turn to share a card at the Great Impressions Blog.

I love how this turned out.  I used H257 Someone Like You and E492 Twirly Background from the Great Impressions Online Store.  For the Someone Like You I used black embossing powder and then applied walnut stain and spun sugar distress ink over it.

Here is a picture of the background.  The paper is from Simple Stories.  I used spun sugar and the Twirly Background.  There were a few spaces where only 2 twirls would fit so then I just stamped the 2 to fill in.  Then I used light modeling paste with Tim Holtz's dot fade stencil.

The crown and wings are from the Tim Holtz die Heart Wings.  For the crown I put gold embossing powder on it and rhinestones.  For the wings I used dictionary paper and shaded lilac distress ink.  I used glossy accents to glue down the Someone Like You and wings because there is modeling paste underneath, and I wanted to be sure it stuck.

I added a little walnut stain distress ink to the edges.

I am submitting this card into the following challenges:

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge: Make It Sparkle--the gold crown with jewels

The Mixed Media Monthly Challenge--Use paste/gesso and a stencil

Thanks for stopping by!  Until next time my friends...make everyday special! :)