Blue Fern Studios Bird Cage Chipboard

This Blue Fern Studios Bird Cage Chipboard is one of my favorite pieces in their collection.  I adore all the pretty elements throughout the design and it comes in two pieces which makes it even more fun to decorate. The sketch came from Keeping The Best a bi-monthly sketch challenge site. I adored this sketch so much, I used it twice.  I used a two-tone color technique on the chipboard pieces and have described below how you too can achieve this really nice crackle and toned affect.

To achieve the two-toned color chipboard piece, paint chipboard with a white dauber, and then apply your favorite crackle product to the large surfaced areas of the chipboard only. When the crackle product has thoroughly dried, use a misting product and apply the mist to the small areas of the chipboard.  Some of the mist will flow onto the crackle product which is fine.

TIP: To enhance those lovely little cracks on your chipboard, use a dry and sharpened watercolor pencil.  Hold the pencil horizontally to your chipboard, and press down the sharpened end of your pencil with your index finger on top of the sharpened area and gently rub in a tiny circular motion in a parallel position. Lift the pencil up and use your index finger and blend the color in. Do not hold your pencil in a vertical position.  Do not wet the watercolor pencil because it will render a muddy looking appearance. 

 

 

 

Blue Fern Studios Dress Form Chipboard

As I was working on this project for Blue Fern Studios, the dress form chipboard fell on top of this pretty green flat ribbon rose band that I've been saving for a future project.  An "Aha" moment came to me, and I quicky started ripping a part the flat rose ribbons with the seam ripper...I was going to make a skirt for my dressform.  I tied a bead on the end of each of the curly ribbons to give them weight to hold them down.  The chipboard pieces was painted with Tim Holtz crackle paint, inked along the edges.  A small Martha Stewart Stencil was applied on the stand of the dress form with some light texture paste and Rub'N Buff. The small Martha Stewart stencils are just perfect for Blue Fern Studios chipboard and they come in a variety of designs. The white butterfly on the bodice is from Prima.  My niece just painted her bedroom a light green color, and I hope she'll hang this canvas piece on her wall.

Picture of the flat rose ribbon that inspired the skirt.  

Keeping The Best - Sketch #56

Sketch#56 Challenge at Keeping the Best will be posted on March 18, 2013.  You have two weeks to work this sketch and submit it to enter in the challenge. Here's my interpretation of the sketch working mostly with products from Cashmere Dame line from Glitz and some yummy Prima flowers....trying to use up my stash and prepare room for some new stuff.  Gotta love the color black because it grounds all those bright pretty colors in the Cashmere Dame papers.  Hope to see what you do with the sketch too.

Strike A Pose (Designed with Keeping The Best Sketch)

Another Sketch Challenge from Keeping The Best.

When you were in your late teens or early 20's with nothing to do, you probably did this:  "Strike A Pose" when you're home alone with a loaded 35MM camera.  LOL.  Yep, I did it, that's me back then.   I laugh at these pictures now, but I'm glad I have them to remind me that I was once young and thin. :)  But, on to the good stuff about this crazy good sketch at Keeping The Best.  I love, love negative space it inspires me to get out my crafty mat, lay some inks, paints down and get to creating my own background papers. The lovely soft orchid and purplish colors from the Prima Corine flower (shhh...don't tell Erin Blegen that I have this flower, she's capable of reaching her hand in from the internet cloud all the way from her quaint little cabin to take it for her very own) inpired the colors for me to work with here.  And those pretty Brigitte Butterflies from Blue Fern Studios, seem to fit right at home all dressed up to the 9's in shimmering lavendar embossing powders, glitter and silver micro beads.

The challenge for this sketch ends in two weeks.  I hope to see your picture posted at Keeping The Best and maybe, just maybe, I've inspired you to go through your old pics looking for the "home alone" pictures.  I know you have them.....

 

Sketch #55



 

 

 

 

Blue Fern Studios Project - Brigitte Butterfly

These Blue Fern Studios butterflies are so pretty and delicate and I love how they look on this layout using a lacy technique with Stampendous Embossing Enamel.  If you apply some glue to your chipboard, and apply the embossing enamel and gently set it with your heat gun, you'll get a lacy appearance. If you use embossing ink and are heavy handed with your heat gun, all the enamel will melt and you won't achieve a lacy appearance.  Both techniques are great, it just all depends on what you're after.

If you head on over to Blue Fern Studios Blog, you'll find some instructions and tips on how I worked these Brigitte Butterfly chipboard pieces.