Kaisercraft Off the Wall - Embrace Imperfection....more grunge!

Hi there & Happy 2015 to you all!  Michele here again with my second Off the Wall layout.

This time I let myself get really grungy and chose what I think are three VERY suitable photos to match the papers. 

We all have that friend who brews their own, right? Because it's cheaper, stronger, or (supposedly) tastes better. Usually it's beer, sometimes it's a liqueur - maybe something like Baileys Irish Cream, occasionally it's wine made from strange plants like Elderberry, Dandelion or Pear. 

This time it was just straight spirits...like Vodka or Schnapps - only much worse. LOL! My layout tells it like it is.

This year I really need to stick to my NY Resolutions and use up the TONS of stuff I have in my stash! I started this layout with just that in mind.

Who else has dozens of sets of unused alphas? Fortunately someone clever came up with the idea of using them to create texture and interest on the background, so I happily embraced that idea on this layout.

There are three layers making up this background - all inked on the edges with Black Soot Distress ink and an Ink Blending tool. First a sheet of Kaisercraft Navy Weave Cardstock, followed by a sheet of grey corrugated cardstock from my stash with one edge torn off and a sheet of the reverse of Attitude , also with the edge torn off. I cheated a bit and used this last edge to tuck between the cardstock and the corrugated card so that it looks like there are four layers.

Then I started to play. I can't remember in what order I did this, but I don't think it matters much either.

Around the edges are some torn printed tapes....Kaisercraft Dominos and Happiness, and Darice Black and White Script. I randomly pushed Viva Decor Mother of Pearl Light Blue Modelling Cream and Matt Multi Medium through my Dots template and then I added some American Crafts Thickers in small groups around the page.

Over the top of these is a light, watered down coat of black Gesso, just to take the shine off the letters and to make sure the next layer stayed on - the next layer being a coat of Clear Rock Candy Crackle Paint - very thin on top of the letters - but quite thick in the spaces between them. This took ages to dry, but when it was completely crackled I added some Chipped Sapphire Distress Ink. A splodge of the ink pad on my craft sheet, a spray with water, then I applied it in and around the crackled areas with a paintbrush.

Before adding the photos I laid a few vertical strips of paper and some Idea-ology Film Strip Ribbon down the side of the page. The paper strips are the cut off manufacturers edges from the Off the Wall Attitude and Tag papers. The Film Strip ribbon is out of stock right now, but I need some more, so I will be asking Tracy to re-stock.  ;)

My photos are all mounted on Dimensional Tape. In keeping with my resolution, I have used eyelets and Silver Iron Chain to join them up. It must be years since I used my Crop-a-Dile and eyelets!!

Embellishing this one was fun. There's some tangled blue embroidery thread, Gadget Gear Cog Charms, Silver Typewriter Charms, Rhinestone Dots (both Black and Clear) and Licorice Twist Sugar Beads.

In amongst it all there are also some small watch parts my hubby found for me on eBay, an Ideaology Word Band - ''Embrace Imperfection'' and a small bottle. Inside the bottle is some water with Chipped Sapphire colour added (Shhh ... I rinsed my paintbrush in it). A small white Ideaology Remnant Rub - Halloween Apothecary was perfect as a label for it. I love that these come in both black and white :)

My journalling (as usual - not really expansive, but descriptive of the photos) is on printable canvas. In case you can't read it (I know it isn't very clear) it says:

''a - Politely agree to taste your friend's home brew''

''b - Savour the flavour''

''c - Give him a considered, honest opinion''

Since I have used less than three whole papers from this range on my last two layouts, I still have stacks to use. Look out for some cards and tags coming your way soon!

"Grunge" Photo Wreath

My Circle of Grunge

Yeah, I know - I can only do sweet and pretty for so long, before I feel the need to grunge something up. So here is my grungy version of the 'Photo Frame Wreath".

I started off with a wreath, and covered it all over with our white butterfly felt ribbon. Then it was given a coat of Ranger 'multi medium matte' to give the felt and wreath a protective coating and to provide a surface that will hold any art mediums eg spray, paints etc.

Next I painted it with Kaisercraft 'pistachio', 'black' and 'gold' paint and embellished with layers of flowers, chipboard and charms (all relating to my theme of "Time Flies" - how quickly the Angels have grown up).  I picked embellishments that had different - but complimentary tones - so that after all the mists and other mediums are added they would give me a range of matching shades.

Once everything is dry, it's time to hit it with splotches of 'Apple' Glimmer Mist (love the gold base in this spray) and my homemade 'Vintage Photo' Glimmer Mist in random areas.  For a little extra 'grunge' I also added  a little black ink here and there.

Grabbing some acetate, I randomly stamped with a cog stamp and Stazon 'jet black' (this is the only ink that I am aware of that adheres to acetate) and added a few chipboard cogs and cog charms.
 To add interest behind my clock and photos, I adhered some cogs to the middle of the wreath as well.

I had an old drawer handle lying around - so I glued it into the top of the wreath and attached a bronze chain and some love charms.

My clock chipboard I painted with Kaisercraft 'pistachio' and black ink.  After painting and inking a few chipboard cogs, I popped the onto the clock face with my photos and attached to wreath (with jump rings) onto the border filigree to hold it secure.

To get that gorgeously grungy look to my chipboard angels wings - I started with a spray of water then I scrunched them up; and finally I painted them in gold, before applying a clear crackle paint layer with an overlying swipe or two of black ink.

Over the top of the angel wings I placed a small chipboard clock that was firstly painted green, before being embossed with Stampendous Black Embossing Powder. I've then wrapped some bronze chain around it, added a clock and heart charm and then adhered it to the wings over some black mulberry flowers.

The final step was to apply some 'Mint Green' and 'Brown' Inka Gold to highlight random areas on wreath.

Grungy Boys layout with Geli

I just love the new grungy embellishments at my2angels.

Let me show you how easy it is to make a simple boy's layout look great.

Use a 5x7" photo and cut a 5x12" mat from patterned paper. Add some punched strips and both sides and adhere to the background.on the mat. Glue the photo on. Tuck some printed acetate under (or stamp some grungy designs) in the top left and near the bottom right corner.

Choose one of the Grunge Charming Dates (there are 5 to choose from and they all look awesome) and glue it in the top left corner. Add the date.

Cut and fold a star shaped rosette (I used a die for that) and glue a Grunge Love You to Infinity Key in the middle. The hard work is all done for you - there are little cogs, hearts and a key and other small bits and pieces!

Glue the chain with the "Love you to infinity" in place.

Now, all you have left to do is a title (I used ready-made chipboard flags strung on some baker's twine) and you are already done!

Super quick scrapping at it's best.

Geli

Introducing ...

So he outgrew that sweet little smile and that cute little button nose and she’s no-longer your ‘baby’ girl with the gap-toothed smile. 

Some teenagers are hard to love and others squirm when you even so much as whisper that “L” word. 

And shhhh – sometimes you think you would love them more, if only they were an infinity away. 

But love them you do – so it’s time for a funky, steampunk inspired, grunge version of our “Love you to Infinity Charming Key Chains”. 

This edgy, teen friendly range sees the same large bronze key and photo frame charms as our earlier release, but this time we have grunged them up with some cogs, arrows and mesh for him

and some arrows, roses and stars for her. 

Priced at a low $3.95 each, this is sure to be your new ‘must have’ embellishment. They are available in the new available section here

Hi ladies! It's my turn again, and after scrapping pink for a little while it's back to the grunge.

I thought I'd show you a bit more of the very versatile Kaisercraft Base Coat this time - but the fabric textured papers this time rather than the bricks, metal and wood.

The base for this layout is a sheet of the reverse side of  'Lace', and it really is the reverse of lace! A coarsely woven, stringy design - I love it! On top of that is a heavily distressed 'Linen', which was punched, torn a bit, doodled on and inked with Walnut Stain Distress Ink before I started to alter it. (LOL!)

The altering was done by first attaching a variety of strips of tape and some mesh then adding a pattern with a Twiddleybitz Narrow Arrow stencil and Gloss Gel Medium. I added a second layer of textured pattern with the Crafters Workshop Punchinella circle stencil and some Ferro Metal Effect Texture Paint. First Iron and then Amber Gold. A smear of white Gesso around and about emphasised some parts and toned down others.

Then just in case that wasn't enough, I stuck on the left-over pieces of paper you get when you use a border punch, and added some stamping (again Walnut Stain) using a Kaisercraft Clear Stamp. I had a glass of water on the desk...for drinking, not for brushes...so I dipped it's bottom in some watered down Vintage Photo distress ink on my craft mat and added some circles.

To mat my photo I chose a slightly larger square of 'Timber' and several strips of the same paper with the ends cut into V shapes to match the arrows. All the edges are distressed and there is a swipe of Black Soot Distress ink on most of them. Down the right hand side I punched one longer strip to match the edges of the page. I didn't think too many extra embellishments were necessary on this layout, which is quite busy, so the only extras are a piece of ruler, some coiled string, brown paper butterflies, two metal loops and an Antique Bronze Timepiece.

Also tucked in under the photo on that side is a journalling tag that I cut to fit from an Inkssentials Kraft ATC card. There's an Idea-Ology Reinforcer around the hole and, so that it's easy to pull out and read, I attached a piece of Black Iron Chain to it.

On the other end of the chain is a bronze bottle cap with an Antique Bronze Compass Charm in the centre.

Cut an Idea-Ology Alpha card in half to add a pair of 'S's - my childrens' initial - and add a my2angels Grungy Love you to Infinity Charming Key Chain, a piece of string and a butterfly or two and you have a gorgeous mini cluster in the top corner of the layout to finish off. The 'S's have been inked and splashed with water to add to the grunge.

Michele xx

Introducing "some of" our latest new designs

We’d like you to welcome the latest addition to our Charming Button Collection – the ‘Precious Memories Banner Set’. 

Our ‘Precious Memories Banner’ collections provide the perfect matching embellishments for your cards and layouts. 
Each set includes a “Precious” plaque, a button with charm; and the “Memories” Banner.   

and also new to arrive are ...


 White Magnolias
approximately 4cm wide
3 for $1.20

First we had Antique Bronze Rose Chains
and now we have ...

Black and Silver Rose Charming Chain
with a coordinating Flower Centre

The combination of Silver Chain with coordinating roses and silverf flower charm with a coordinating sparkling flower centre, is the perfect embellishment for your cards, OTP's and layouts.

In each pack you receive one silver rose chain measuring approximately 18cm in length  and 
coordinating flower centre approximately 2cm

In between designing I have managed to complete this layout

The theme just had to be time!
as it was the first time my brother and sister met my DS - at approximately 20 minutes old.

So out came the clock charms - pretty much all of them - and then it was 'time' to get down and dirty with texture paste and my Twiddleybitz Clock Template over some black cardboard. (which I tore in some areas)

I've worked with the embellishments and a Twiddleybitz School Dayz Chipboard Clock to place them down the page on an angle - this helps to direct your eyes from the top to the bottom of the layout.

 

Once the paste was dry I covered everything with Claudine Hellmuth Multi-Medium then sprayed with Metallic Pewter Distress Stain which I put into a spray bottle

 then sprayed with Jack Frost Glimmer Mist and Tarnished Silver Glimmer Mist

added our "precious" plague
and white tags for my journalling

and our new Black and White Precious Memories Banner

COME BACK TOMORROW
as we have more new releases to share