Creative Chemistry 102: Distress Paint Eroded Metallic

This one we're going to call an epic fail.  Tim warned us that the technique doesn't always work.  I am proof.  The technique is achieved by laying down a varied color of Distress paint on the tag.  He suggests blues and greens to get a copper erosion technique.  I don't think my incorrect coloring is the problem here, just a execution problem.  After the layer of color is applied and dry, a strong layer of metallic color (in this case Antique Bronze) is applied and then water is flicked onto the paint.  You then apply a little heat from a heat gun until the edges have dried a bit (not too much) and apply a paper towel over the paint.  This should lift off paint and leave some behind causing the eroded look.  I'm going to have to keep trying, this bit didn't work.

Creative Chemistry 102: Distress Paint Marbling

My OnlineCardClass, Creative Chemistry 102, started Monday.  To my huge disappointment, my shipment from Simon Says Stamp which contained the Distress Paints required for the first day of class was delayed in shipping by SSS such that it didn't arrive until Wednesday.  Needless to say, my participation was limited to listening/watching the videos and trying not to be mad that my shipment wasn't there yet.  Oh well, making lemonade out of my lemons, I sat down last night to catch up. 

The first technique used Distress Paints to create a marbling effect much like the Distress Stain Stamping technique. 

The paints are reactive with water until they dry.  After that, they are permanent.  This first sample has a better result, though I think I might have used too much water.  I also didn't apply any Distress Ink to the result because I wanted to keep the original paint result to view my test product.  

The second attempt resulted in a more marbled effect.  Practice makes perfect.  I really like this result and may yet apply some Distress Stain to add layers of color.  Cool technique. 

I feel woefully behind on class work.  I'm hoping to get at least one more post together this afternoon.  The pictures aren't the best as I'm making due at work with my cell phone- better than nothing as I want to spend a great deal of time this weekend participating in the class instead of taking pictures.  Wish me well!

Celebrating 20 Years of Wedded Bliss

I blogged a card earlier this year that I made to celebrate my 20th wedding anniversary.  Twenty years is a big accomplishment, but I'll honestly say that I am blessed to have found my husband and don't take credit for any wisdom in the finding.  I can see now that I could never have *known* he was such a great choice.  I firmly believe that he is a blessing bestowed upon me by the Most High God and I thank Him for this man.
The very first time I laid eyes upon my husband was my first day of work at a new job during college.  The job was a part time employment at a small business and I was the receptionist.  I'd no idea what a receptionist does.  They had set me at a desk right by the front door.  Behind me sat a small table with the business "mail boxes".  I was sitting there day-dreaming (I didn't know what to do) and this young man walked by to go get his mail.  The strangest thought crossed my mind- "Now that's the kind of man I could marry".  The thought was strange because I was 20 years old with no intentions of getting married.  I still had 3 years of college to complete and, at the time, I was brutal to young men that tried to court me.  I simply didn't have the time or interest.  I came to find out that this "kind of man I could marry" was involved in a serious relationship and soon became engaged to the lady.  Over the course of the next two years we came to know each other well, my Dan (I can say that now) was the co-ed softball coach and perpetually in need of girls to play ball.  He spent copious amounts of time teaching us girls to hit and field the ball.  Eventually, he called off the engagement and asked me out.  The rest, my friends, is a matter of history. 

I purchased this papercut from allcutupbydg whose shop on Etsy is filled with all kinds of hand created goodness.  I can promise you, if I were wealthy, I would own or gift every single piece she has created.  Still, this one piece caught my eye when Cath featured it in a post over at the Moxie Fab World.  Dan didn't necessarily know when I first saw him, but some innate part of me knew, so this seemed a fitting tribute to celebrate our milestone anniversary.

I finally found the right frame for the right price.  I covered the matting provided in the commercial frame with a piece of linen that I had in the stash.  I used glue lines to wrap the linen around the matting and glue it down.  A couple of small glue dots under a flower near the corner and under the tiny bird and the papercut will stay in place.  This work of art is going up in my bedroom near our engagement photo and an embroidered piece that a friend of the family gave us on our wedding day.

Thank you for indulging my in my reminiscence.  I still feel much like that 20 year old looking at possibilities and dreaming of a day...

Day 2- A two page layout for the Hawaii scrapbook

So I, albeit slowly, continue to plug my way through my catch up project.  Today I'm sharing a layout I put together for our first full day in Hawaii.  We knew that we wanted to get to the USS Arizona memorial early in the day to soak in the sites and information without the bustle of the crowds which inevitably flock to the memorial.  Since we were still on Arizona time, the first day seemed appropriate.  We slept in until 6 am (because we went to bed early the night before, exhausted from our flight).  Four showers, a shared breakfast with Dan's parents, and we were off on our adventure of the day.  We arrived before the memorial opened, so we took a moment to stop by the signage out front.  The page is made with the patterned paper from the Maggie Holmes Signature Series and a piece of grid patterned paper from the stash. The sentiment was created by covering a chipboard letter D with a patterned paper scrap and sanding the edges.  I paired it here with a "a" and "y" from a metal "Baby" set that's been in the stash for nearly a decade (bought a set of three, used one and kept the other two... don't know why except it kinda works here) and with a chipboard piece from the Maggie Holmes Signature Series Chipboard Stickers. 

The matching second page uses more chipboard pieces from the set and one of the fabric frames from the Signature Series Stitched Fabric Frames.  The sentiment was cut from one of my stash papers and stapled in place... what do you think... too many staples?  I agree but the freak in me would let me remove them because of the holes that would be left behind.  In some sort of weird way, holes are *worse* than too many staples.  I'm telling you, I'm a nut!  Just a small Floral Flourish to peak around the frame and I'm done.

Yeah- three whole pages scrapbooked.  A few more to go.  Just keep on scrappin', scrappin', scrappin'.

Vintage Pillowslips

Grab a hold of something, this is a picture heavy post.  I apologize right now.  Except I don't.  I'm indulging a little bit of nostalgia, a little bit of my desire to document my own personal history here on the blog, and a bit of sharing some contagious craftiness.

What follows is pictures of pillowslips (a nostalgic way of referring to pillowcases) my great-great aunts made at least 50 years ago.

No one remembers quite when the pillowslips were made, just that my grandma's aunts (referred to as aunties from here on) embroidered the images onto pillowslips and my grandma crocheted the edges.  I had a difficult time choosing which to highlight in the pictures

The detail is fascinating.   I had a little rag doll as a kid that I knew came from aunties, but they had passed away before I was born or very soon after. Still I was raised with stories about aunties.  They were busy little bees- two sisters who lived together and took care of each other in their old age. 

The aunties had severe arthritis.  My grandma has said my entire life, "I've got to keep moving so I don't freeze up like aunties did."  So, despite several arthritis complications of her own, my grandma recently traveled to Michigan to celebrate my aunt and uncle's 65th wedding anniversary and also down to visit us in Arizona.  At 86 years old, she's done well at not freezing up despite three knee replacements (one knee replaced twice) and multiple surgeries on the joints in her fingers.  

Yes, that is the backside!

The work done is really exquisite.  I've embroidered.  I like to think I've done a good job, in fact I have a table cloth with a rose done in yellow much like this pillowslip.  What's amazing to me is the neat job done on the back of the project.  Almost as good as the front...

The crochet thread is very fine- not sure what it compares to today's product.  It seems somewhere between tatting thread and crochet thread.  The crochet work was done by my young grandma.  She does a much easier edge with a larger thread to this day on receiving blankets for her great-great grandkids.  These precious, used blankets are stored away for my kids to use on their kids.

One more of the backside

And the care taken to crochet into the fabric- neat, orderly and tight.  Fabulous.

My grandma brought them to my mom as she wants them passed on to someone who will appreciate the work and remember the source.  A little part of me is sad that this lovely work spent a lifetime sitting in a closet so they wouldn't get worn out.  A lesson- crafting is made to be used and worn out, not saved like a precious thing.  Still, what joy to pour over these pillowcases all these years later.

backside!

What do you think?  Lovely no?  Definitely contagiously crafty.