Heritage

The main inspiration for this collage was the vintage postcard (top middle) that I purchased at a local flea market.  It is dated 1912 on the back.  I may have to cover it in plastic as it does have some chipping on the front..It also worked out well that the colors I used are the colors of my living/dining room where I have the rest of my family heritage photos/collages.

This has to be the biggest creative project I have tackled at one time in the last year.  I love 7 Gypsies' artist trays. I must admit I am glad I chose the smaller one as my first.  I've had these copies of my husband's grandparents and great grandparents for a while, but just didn't know how I wanted to display them until I got this tray.  It has truly been a labor of  love.  I had to make myself stop adding things as  the farther along I got, the more ideas flowed.  So, part of me wishes I added a little more lace or bling but then I didn't want to overpower the photos any more than I have.  And, as an added plus while creating it this week, I stumbled upon two challenges in which to enter it. 


The two small roses were white paper roses I had left over from another project and I sprayed them with Glimmer Mist and Walnut Ink and actually let them burn on the edges a bit for a more vintage look.  The larger rose is from a flower die and sprayed with the same inks.  The initial "S" chipboard was painted with alcohol inks and then sprayed with Glimmer Mist Viva Pink.  The square clay heart medallion I stamped and baked.

SPIES: 
Stamps:  Heart (in clay mold) from Craft Smart.
Paper:  Le Jardin DP--Stampin UP!; Red Music -- Hot Off The Press; Red damask  and green damask (large flower) DP from stash. Black cardstock.
Ink:  Staz On Cranberry; Adirondack alcohol inks --- metallic gold, currant, meadow;  Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist -- Viva Pink, Starfish;  Tsukinek Walnut Ink - Java.
Extras:  Paper flowers; Metal; Sentiment emboss word; chipboard letter; photo corner die cut; tag die cut; square nestabilities;  lace punch; lace frame, 'Heart' bingo card - Jenni Bowlin; black letter stickers; gold button and heart; metal key and lock; gold ribbon, light green ribbon, twine.  Vintage postcard.

CHALLENGES:

STAMPIN ROYALTY:  Anything But A Card
LEXI'S CREATIONS:  Use a photo.


For those interested, the top right photo and bottom middle photo are Dave's grandparents, Alex and Dorothy Salkeld.  The top right corner is Mabel & Harry Biggs, Dorothy's parents. 

Happy Sunday!

"Creative Roots"

Lemon Trees

Day Dreams

Along with playing with clay this week, I got back to my artistic roots and actually PAINTED for once. It's been many years since I actually put brush to canvas and while I found my techniques rusty, it felt really nice.  I did discover I need to replace a great bit of my paint inventory as LOTS of my tubes and bottles had dried up.  

These two "paintings" are actually minis....4x4 canvas.  I wanted to start back small and be able to finish something in less than a week.  In my days of old, a painting would take me several weeks to finish, mostly due to being in school and a teenager.  So, these minis I just goofed around using some of the techniques I could remember.  I used acrylic and tole or craft paints. I also experimented a little with some stamps and dye ink on top of the paint.  I used the wooden back of a stamp to place under the canvas for support while I stamped my image.

I have to confess too that these mini paintings are actually some of my first attempts at abstract painting.  Most of my painting I did was landscapes, seascapes, etc.  So as the first painting began to take on life, green blobs became trees, then I used a small design stamp and the design became flowers on a hill.  Then, the trees became lemon trees.  After studying it a bit I got a feel for Tuscany.

The second painting was even more thrown together and then stamped.  I called it Day Dreams because it reminded me of sitting outside in a meadow or field of flowers on a sunny day.

Paint your Soul!

Clay Play

Looks can be deceiving!  My blog has not truly proven the fruits of my creative labors this week.  However, now it is about to do so.  I also gave my blog itself a slight facelift for its 1st birthday, going back to 2 columns to be a little more roomy.  There is something about back to school and the beginning of fall that just seems to power up my creativity.  As you see above, one of my endeavors was playing with clay.  I haven't done that since my kids were in elementary school! 

I tried my hand at combining stamping, painting and clay all together.  I googled several tutorials on painting/inking and using stamps with clay so that I would not wind up ruining my stamps.  I like the turn out of my pink heart the best of the three, with the dragonfly a close second.  The framed heart cracked a bit around the holes I made but I think it was mostly due to the fact that I forgot to make the holes before first sticking it in the oven and it had baked for two or three minutes before I realized it!  Then, of course, I had to pull it out and it took me about 10 minutes to get the holes made (clay gets REALLY hot REALLY fast!).  Then, back in the oven and time adjusted.  If you have used baking clay, you know that it is pertinent that you follow the baking time precisely.....now I know partly why......cracking. Of course, the fact that I was baking clay at Midnight could also have something to do with the errors. 

Happy Blogaversary!

Happy 1st Birthday To My Blog!

Vintage Anniversary clipart compliments of
The Graphics Fairy.

 Today is the one year anniversary of Snap, Scrap, & Dazzle!

It's been a wonderful year of crafting and it seems so long since it first began. And as with all birthdays, I look back and can see just how much I have grown not only in my art and crafting, but in my blogging as well. My wish for my next year is that I continue to go beyond my creative comfort zone.

"My Love" Birds

Today is my hubby's 45th birthday!   Just took him to dinner at Outback and had a few minutes before going to see The American to post his card.  This is the card I made him.  He is a bird lover and so I had to incorporate birds into it.  I chose the Colour Q challenge for his card because it has such great masculine colors this week!  Great timing!

I've been working with paint chips for the Gingersnap Creations Scraplings trade and was inspired to simulate the effect on this card with the blues. Unfortunately, I didn't have blue paint chips that were appropriate so I cut three strips of cardstock for the different blues here applied them on the suede backing and then stamped them.

SPIES:
Stamps:  Take Flight - Red Lead Paperworks; Sentiment - Anna Griffin.
Paper:  All cardstock except for brown tag and brown backing behind bird image that is brown buckskin suede texture.
Ink:  Staz On Timber Brown.
Extras:  Cuttlebug leafy branch emboss folder; navy raffia wire; brown suede rope; metal leaves and metal button.

Have a Flutterby night!

Celebrate Shiny Metal

Trying my hand at something new again --- embossed metal.