The Sky's the Limit by Angela Johnson

Hello all my crafty friends.

Today I am bringing you my very first Design Team Project for Meg's Garden.

When I first received my papers from Meg's Garden I was so excited, the papers were gorgeous.

The only problem was, because I liked them, I didn't want to cut into any of them.

Well, that wasn't going to get me far was it.

So I took a pair of scissors, took a long deep breath, and cut into a sheet.

For this month's project I choose to work with The Gentleman's Collection

designed by Kerry-Jean Watson.

The papers are beautifully distressed and aged, and are perfect for masculine projects.
I thought this canvas would look great hanging in a gent's office for some inspiration when needed.

 This paper collection just called to me.

I love hot air balloons; I think they are majestic and awe inspiring.
I still remember around 17 years ago travelling to work at 5am and seeing their outlines
in a misty sky. Simply Beautiful.

For this project I wanted the look of a sunrise, so I cut 2 strips the size of my canvas.
I then cut both sheets at one time so the rays would line up.
I distressed and inked all my edges with Vintage Photo.
I also moulded each balloon and banner gently to give them a 3D look.
For the quote, I took the commonly used 'The sky's the limit' and added to it.
I really like how it turned out.

Meg's Garden Products Used

A Travelling Gentleman Paper
A Gentleman on Time Paper

A Gentleman's Bike Paper

A Gentleman's Ephemera - Cut and Create Paper

Other Products Used

Vintage Photo Distress Ink

4" x 12" Canvas

Matisse Turquoise Background Paint

Black Sharpie

But wait, there's more.
What did I do with all the leftover pieces of paper?
I made a card and a tag of course.

The first is quite a masculine tag.
I just loved playing with that starburst/sun ray pattern.

Meg's Garden Products Used

A Travelling Gentleman Paper
A Gentleman on Time Paper

A Gentleman's Bike Paper
A Gentleman's Automobile

A Gentleman's Ephemera - Cut and Create Paper
Old World Time Transparency
Jute Twine

Other Products Used

Vintage Photo Distress Ink

Kraft Cardstock

Turquoise Brad

Yellow Leaf and Blue Flag
Recycled Packaging

For my tag however, I wanted to take the papers in a different direction.

I wanted to show the versatility of The Gentleman's Collection.
I created a feminine tag with lots of Meg's Garden embellishments.

  Meg's Garden Products Used

A Travelling Gentleman Paper

A Gentleman's Bike Paper

A Gentleman's Ephemera - Cut and Create Paper

Doily Strips

Design Elements Collage Stamp Set

Le Belle Jardin Labels Transparency

Old World Time Transparency

Cottage Cutz Leafy Foliage Die

Dodo Vine Wire

Round Silver Diamante Trim

Dusty Attic Celestial White Flowers

Small Lavender 1cm Roses

Other Products Used

Victorian Velvet Distress Ink

 Sheer Ribbon, Gold Bottle Cap

Chocolate  Pearls

Recycled Packaging (used as Tag base).

Thank you all for stopping by and happy crafting to all.

 

Pink Book in a Pink Box for a Great Niece

Hello Bloggers

Occasionally I find the time to do some projects - they are normally books & usually take lots of time with my dining room table a mess while the project is under way.  

This book in a box was inspired by the expected December arrival of my Great Niece - Lucy Eleanor who was born on 9th December weighing 3.1kg.  I finished the book, showed it to the my sister (the expectant Grandmother) who told me it needed a box for it.  After a few minutes of thinking about making one, I headed to Cheap as Chips & found a very sturdy rectangle box with a deep lid.  The book had become definitely 'over the top' & was quite thick so the perfect box was found.

The Pink Box

The main paper chosen for the box & book was Pink Couture Flourish P6263 because it has some gorgeous elements in the paper & also because it was a beautiful dusty pink.  All laces, flowers & embellishments are from Meg's Garden

Front of box - laces, pink tassel, Tim Holtz feet. pink double sided ribbon
 was threaded through the lace

Side of box

Front with tassel

Top of box

Handle to pull top off box (saves fingers on the lace), posy of Celestial White flowers
 & paper leaves

Butterfly transparency on top of box, chip corners

The box had to match the book so the same dusty pink paper was used to cover the sides & lid.  

The Book

Pink cardstock was the base with pink PP from several of the mini packs. The covers & spine were done from boxboard. The front & back of the covers were padded for effect.

Front, side & back of book - viola velvet flowers, heart charm, gilt corners, jewel pin &
 same lace with pink ribbon as on the box

Front cover - the name of the baby was not know when the book was started but we knew she was a little girl - hence the pinks, laces & ribbons

Inside front cover - pale pink violas, pearl loop

Inside front cover with baby's first scan 

The inside pages of the book were able to fold out, had a magnet closure &  a photo mat inserted into the page. The photo mats were matched to the pages & had ribbon pulls

Page 1 closed by magnet, Chic Couture Flourish, diamante with pink pearl glued into it

Dreaming in the Meadows, german scrap, Pink stripes

Page 2 closed - small square doily on inside, outside flap French Garden mini paper, baby carriage charm

Page 2 open, Labels for Dreaming PP

Back of page 2 - violas, jewel pin & small doily.  Front of page 3 which is a 1/2 page designed for tags - small doily folded over the cardstock with a foam mounted label from Le Belle Jardin Labels, another Celestial White flower & jewel pin, lace on the edge & leaves from Leafy Foliage Die

Close up of doily with label

Back of page 3 showing doily folded over

Page 4 is also a 1/2 page size uses a scrap of PP from Chic Couture Flourish, Celestial White flowers & die cut leaves

Back of  page 4 with Music, charm & a folded small doily for pink tags

Page 6 is a full page open & pull down with a magnet closure. It is embellished with die cut leaves, pink rosebuds, pearl spray

An open page 6 using Dreaming in Rose P6347

Back of Page 6 uses Cream Lace paper & german scrap

Page 7 uses the  Birdcage from the French Garden Collection;  a tiny chip bird covered in german glass glitter & a tiny pink eye with  feathers collected from the garden; finished with a transparency butterrfly.

Page 7 back introduces a touch of colour to the book with Dreaming in Mulberry embellished with a bird charm & a Violet. Page 8 also uses the Dreaming paper on the inside with another label from the Labels for Dreaming paper on the magnetised flap.

Page 8 is open & continues the Dreaming in Mulberry paper with the inside a Pale Lavender Strip paper

The back of page 8 uses Dreaming in Mulberry embellished with an Organza Lace Flower in Lavender, cream & green

Inside the back cover uses Chic Couture Flourish paper again & is embellished with a White Flower, velvet leaves & a butterfly charm

Hope you have enjoyed looking at my Pink Book in a Pink Box project.  Any questions are welcome. The 'search'  on the home page of the website will take you to the products used. The book was based on the hidden hinge method of Kathy Orta http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Eb4Kx1FOvE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=biv9nwnJgJ8 - this video shows magnet use

Bye for now
Meg
www.megsgarden.com

A Reverse Canvas by Sandrine

Hello Bloggers

Sandrine's reverse canvas is fantastic:

'I thought to create something a little bit different this month, I wanted to incorporate Meg’s gorgeous lace in there as well and a little bit of mixed media elements.

I turned my mini canvas around, covered the wood with masking tape and covered in Gesso, when dry I added some modeling paste through a stencil in the corners. The inside frame was created with lace that I glued and painted with Gesso, I love the texture it created.

“You”

Here you can see the layers of paper, border, chipboard and stitching:

A close up of top cluster

 A side view of my canvas, showing off the gorgeous textures of modeling paste, paper flowers!

MEG’S GARDEN PRODUCTS:

-       ROSE COLLAGE – LA BELLE JARDIN COLLETION - P6292

-       MA FLEUR ROSE – LA BELLE JARDIN COLLETION – P6296

-       LACE 3CM WHITE L2901

-       FRENCH WHITE OPEN ROSE

OTHER PRODUCTS USED:

-       IMAGINARIUM CHIPBOARD

-       WATERCOLOUR PAPER

-       TOOTHPICK

-       KITCHEN ROPE

-       GESSO, MODELING PASTE

-       BUTTONS, RHINESTONES

-       MARTHA STEWART BORDER PUNCH

-       KAISERCRAFT STAMS

-       BANDAGE MATERIAL, GAUZE, FOAM TAPE

I hope you like it! It was real fun to create! I love going off the page!

Have a great day!'

I love you going off the page Sandrine - well done.  Love all the elements, the layering & the soft colours.  You have seriously perfected the texture technique.

Bye for now

Meg

www.megsgarden.com

Inspire Card from Vicky

Hello Bloggers

Vicky shares this card with us & explains it:

'Inspire Card 

The extra strip of paper you receive with each of Meg's Garden papers are the perfect size to be folded in half to a perfect card size. I used the French Bird Cage sheet of paper from the Le Belle Jardin collection. This beautiful floral paper is so delightful and easy to work with. Meg also carries a beautiful selection of lace and flowers in the shop to embellish your projects. In addition, I have added some beautiful Dusty Attic chipboard pieces from my scrap stash and a handmade pink rose to compliment my card.

I used the mini word inspire, a left over piece from the French garden border casing and a chipboard butterfly. I primed the chipboard with gesso and used texture effects paste on the title and border and then glass bead gel and ink on the butterfly.

I also added a large handmade rose (tutorial to follow soon) and surrounded it with a few more flowers.'

This card is so gorgeous & shows how the strip can be used - well done Vicky. Love the hand made flower - scroll down for Vicky's tutorial.

Le Belle Jardin Collection

Paper flowers

TUTORIAL - SHABBY ROSE

My finished rose is 3 inches wide and 1 inch in height. I used punches that ranged from 1.5 inches to 3.5 inches to achieve this flower.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:

*8 punched or die cut flower petals in 4 different sizes and shapes with rounded ends.

*2 gelatos (or watercolor paint)

*water mister

*paintbrush

*thick rounded tip object (I use a sharpie marker)

*white glue - like Helmar Acid-Free

*white gesso or ink of choice

STEP 1: Smear or shave/scrape little chunks of the gelatos into a plate (I shaved the light pink and smeared the dark one) and lay your 8 flowers on a plastic or glass surface. Gelatos wash up easily and do not stain.

STEP 2: Mist the light color with water and apply to all 8 flowers. Here is a picture of my first 4 done.

STEP 3:  Mist the darker color with water and apply to petal tips. Note that colors will blend and get lighter as they dry.

STEP 4: Scrunch up each flower around a rounded object (like a sharpie marker) and roll against it to create a cup shape.

STEP 5: On one of your two smallest flowers, pinch the end to create a bud. Let all 8 of the flowers rest in this shape for a few minutes to dry a little.

STEP 6: Slightly open up the 4 larger flowers and glue together, off setting the petals (largest flowers on the bottom). I put a little dab of glue up the sides too to hold it together and stiffen as it dries.

STEP 7: Once the 4 larger flowers are glued, roll again around the marker to bring back to a cup shape.

STEP 8: Do the same thing with 3 smaller flowers, leaving out the bud. Again, the larger flowers are on the bottom.

STEP 9: Glue everything together and let dry in this shape. Note that the colors will get lighter as they dry.

STEP 10: Once dry, shape a bit more by opening it up and folding back a few petals. Then, I dry brushed a bit of white gesso on the tips for a shabby look and to stiffen so the rose will not easily crush. You could ink the tips instead of gesso for a more traditional look. TIP: Smaller flowers can easily be made by only using 6 flower layers.

Thanks for sharing this tutorial with us Vicky - the rose is so gorgeous & elegant

Bye for now

Meg

www.megsgarden.com