Tuesday, May 31, 2016

Shopping Our Stash - The 4 Elements - Earth, Wind, Fire, Water

Hello, Crafty Folks!
IT'S STASH REDUCTION TIME
WELCOME,  New SOS Design Team members!

The Shopping Our Stash Team has a wonderful talent for coming up with offbeat challenge themes.   I usually get stuck trying to come up with a suitable project and this week was no exception.  I finally chose WIND and EARTH as my ELEMENTS.  This was a fun project and I had a chance to use the Emboss/Resist Technique.

You only need to choose ONE element but feel free to incorporate as many as you can/want in one project.   Please let us know your element choice.

Wind and Earth Elements Tag
Using the Emboss/Resist Technique.
 The element WIND is represented by the Butterflies.  Some are hiding in the forest!
I love to watch these elegant, beautiful insects as they float gracefully on air and then land gently on a limb, rose, or on your finger, if you are lucky!
The Green Ink is more of my Earth Element.
Stash Items:  Graphic 45 Product Backing Card.  An Irregular piece of cheese cloth leftover from another project was colored with chalk ink and used as ribbon.  
The back of the tag was colored with ColorBox® Pigment Ink - Ocean - from the Taos Paintbox®.  The edges were inked with ColorBox® Fluid Chalk Ink - Pumpkin Spice.  

What Was Done
This is a stash item!  Whenever I purchase carded items, I save the cards to use as tags.  The card is glossy so I covered it with a layer of gesso. 
I embossed the card  using the WRMK® Next Level™ Embossing Folder

COLORING THE TAG
  • Use the ColorBox®  Color Blender™ to apply your  Paintbox® inks.  For this project, I used colors from ColorBox® Chalk Paintbox®  Mercantile™(Alabaster, Red Barn, Guacamole, Sea Crystal) and Pigment Paintbox® Taos (Amber and Chianti)
  • Add ColorBox® Fluid Chalk Ink - Pumpkin Spice.  (I blended colors until I achieved a "forest" background.)
  • Heat Set the inks.  
  • Place ColorBox® Top Boss™ Clear  Embossing Pad directly on the tag and skim across the top.  Do not apply too much pressure.
  • Sprinkle clear embossing powder over the tag, shake off excess powder and then use your heat gun to melt EP.
  • Spritz card with complementary colors and blot away excess. 
  • Sand around the edges of the tag to remove some of the melted embossing powder.  Ink the edges.
  • Use SMOOCH® to paint my die cut sentiment. 
  • To add more color to the embossed images, paint the inside wings with Liquid Pearls®.  Also use Liquid Pearls® to trim the butterfly wings.
Thanks so much for stopping by!  If you decide to try the emboss resist technique, share your project results with me at A Place To Start in our Neverending Challenge!

HUGZ,
CHANA MALKAH
PRODUCTS - ClearSnap



OTHER PRODUCTS
We Are Memory Keepers® Next Level™ Embossing  Folder - Butterflies
Sizzix® Alphabet Dies - Mac and Cheese™
Liquid Pearls®
Pro Art® Premium Gesso

Disclosure Statment:
EFFECTIVE DECEMBER 1, 2009, FTC GUIDELINES REQUIRE BLOGGERS TO DISCLOSE ANY TIME THEY ARE COMPENSATED FOR ENDORSING OR REVIEWING PRODUCTS OR SERVICES.
The Project demonstrated above contains components I received for free in return for my services and for posts on my blog. I affirm that I have not made, nor would I ever make or endorse, misleading statements regarding any product or service used in the operation of this blog.
IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS REGARDING ANY PRODUCT OR SERVICE USED ON MY BLOG, PLEASE CONTACT ME AT CMALKAH@YAHOO.COM.



Wednesday, May 25, 2016

Shopping Our Stash - Square Roots - Anything But A Card

Hello, Crafty Peeples!
 The root of cardmaking is the square card but paper crafting has evolved and moved far beyond its humble origins.   I am always intrigued by the fascinating projects paper artist are able to fashion with scraps of paper and common household items.  

In addition to his amazing Goodwill "Picking Powers," The Hubster is an amateur Chef.  He created a spice rub for beef, fish, chicken.  This rub even makes baked beans taste better.  I have no idea what's in it but I love how it amps up natural flavors.

His sister, Portia, calls him JR (like JR Ewing.)  
I designed this bottle bearing that special  moniker just for her!

The Hubster's Family Famous, Friend Friendly Spice Rub!
The Hubster will not share the recipe but freely shares the rub. 
   
I started with a clean bottle.  I keep a stash of bottles in my studio. I must have ten or twelve of these Red Rock Gingerale® bottles.  They make incredible bud vases.
I used ColorBox@  Glass Graffiti™ to color the bottle green.  I sealed the Glass Graffiti™ with Aleene's ® Acrylic Spray Sealer. 

The labels were colored with ColorBox® Seaglass Pigment Ink and the edges distressed using ColorBox® Crafter's™Ink by Ann Butler - Desert Sand.    The Hubster made a device that allows me to punch holes in almost anything (his real profession is engineering) and I  created my own shaker top from the original bottle cap.   To keep the contents from spilling,  I used my 1" circle punch to create a chipboard cover to fit inside the cap.
 The collar was created by wrapping twine around the neck of the bottle and sealing it with decoupage glue.   Then I applied Inka Gold - Hämatite and Gold wax and buffed to a high shine.  IRL the effect is pretty cool.   

Supply List:
The Hubster's Secret Spice Rub
Red Rock® GingerAle Bottle 
ColorBox® Glass Graffiti™ - Green
ColorBox® Pigment Ink - Seaglass
ColorBox® Crafter's® by Ann Butler Designs™
ColorBox® Stylus Handle and Tip
Spellbinders' Standard Oval - Metal Dies
Sizzix Alphanumeric Dies 3/4 inch
Viva Inka Gold Metallic Waxes - Gold and Hämatit
Marvy Metal Sayings "Friends"
Neenah Black Cover Stock
Medium weight Chipboard
Aleene's 
Twine

Disclosure Statment:
EFFECTIVE DECEMBER 1, 2009, FTC GUIDELINES REQUIRE BLOGGERS TO DISCLOSE ANY TIME THEY ARE COMPENSATED FOR ENDORSING OR REVIEWING PRODUCTS OR SERVICES.

The Project that is demonstrated above contains components I received for free in return for my services and for posts on my blog. I affirm that I have not made, nor would I ever make or endorse, misleading statements regarding any product or service used in the operation of this blog.

IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS REGARDING ANY PRODUCT OR SERVICE USED ON MY BLOG, PLEASE CONTACT ME AT CMALKAH@YAHOO.COM.

Friday, May 13, 2016

DecoArt Blogger Outreach - Freshen That Bathroom!

Hello, Crafty Peeples!
Thank goodness my project request was approved by the
DecoArt Blogger Outreach Program 
YaY!   
My guest bathroom has been varying shades of pink for the past twenty-six years.  Pink and blue, pink and green, pink and beige.  I really wanted to change things up without waiting for The Hubster to steam off the wallpaper (you know how husbands are when it comes to their "Honey Do" lists.) 
In The Beginning was the Wood!
This is the vanity after I scrubbed all the wood with Murphy's Wood Soap.  
I started dumping drawers then I remembered I needed a BEFORE picture.
 Thoroughly cleaning your wood is not necessary but was important to me.  I was surprised at the amount of furniture polish that accumulated in three months since the last time I stripped the wood. 
In The End was the Americana Decor® Chalky Finish Vanity
I love my new vanity.  To achieve this color:
 Mix One Part Americana® Decor™Chalky Finish "Yesteryear "
One part Americana® Decor™ Chalky Finish "Relic."

HOW I REFRESHED THE VANITY: 

Remove doors and drawers from vanity.
  1. Thoroughly clean your vanity of dust, dirt, wax, etc.  Clean wood requires less paint.
  2. Apply painter's tape to surfaces you want to protect.   
  3. To achieve this color: Mix One Part Americana® Decor™Chalky Finish "Yesteryear " and One Part "Relic."  Mix paint in small batches.  I used syringes to mix my paint and added an extender to prevent the paint from drying too quickly.  The color will be consistent. 
  4. Apply paint. Usually, only one coat of paint is needed.  I applied two and allowed 30 minutes drying time between coats.  After applying final coat, I allowed my vanity dry for 2 days but I am a little OCD!)
  5. Apply Decor™Creme Wax (clear.) I allowed the wax to dry tacky to the touch then buffed and repeated.  (Just remember, I am OCD.)***
 10mL syringes I used to mix my paint.  I was able to reduce waste by mixing small batches.

THE MODESTY WALL
I painted the counter of the modesty wall to match the vanity and trimmed it with Decor® "Carbon."
I allowed all of these surfaces to cure for a week.  Lots of wet stuff gets deposited here.
VANITY HARDWARE
Cabinet hardware is expensive.  Reusing is a much better idea.  Chalk paints provide great coverage and, if properly sealed and cured, will last for years or until your next "refreshing' project!
ACCESSORIES
The toothbrush holder and soap dish were originally pink.  The ring holder was pink and white with little flowers.  The soap dispenser is Ms. Meyer's®.  I forgot to take pictures before I started painting.  The decoupaged design is a napkin!
THE LIGHT FIXTURE
 I painted over the old metal fixture, put in some new LED bulbs and I was done! What a difference!

Thanks to Americana Decor® Chalky Finishes my bathroom has gone from this:
TO THIS:
The new smaller commode helped the transformation.  These cool colors help the room appear larger and the white just feels "clean."
The window shade is white not blue.

~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~
My next planned project for the Blogger Outreach Program is to transform my dressing closet into a craft storage/mini workroom!  I have to estimate how much paint is needed and then decide if it is feasible.  I encourage you to look around your home and find a DIY project.  Start small and work your way up.  Chalk paints are great and easy to use which is perfect for novice DIYers like me!

HUGZ!
CHANA MALKAH!

*** For those who are not OCD!
(excerpt from DecoArt® web page)

AMERICANA DECOR® CHALKY FINISH

Quickly and easily refurbish flea market finds with Americana Decor® Chalky Finish paint. This ultra-matte chalk paint requires no priming or sanding before using. No special skills required to achieve looks from shabby chic to bohemian modern. Customize with waxes or varnishes to finish and protect the paint surface. Unlike Annie Sloan branded waxes, Americana Decor wax does not need to be reapplied to upkeep the protective finish.
  • Ultra-matte, chalky finish
  • Available in 29 vintage, intermixable colors
  • No priming or prep needed
  • Adheres to even the slickest surfaces
  • Easier to distress than other acrylic paints
  • One-coat coverage with most colors on most surfaces
  • Durable due to unique cross-linking feature of paint resin system
  • Water-based for easy clean-up
  • Made in the USA

Tuesday, May 10, 2016

Shopping Our Stash #251 - April Showers Bring May Flowers

Hello, Crafty Peeples!

I hope you will join in the fun this week at Shopping Our Stash!  
This week our Stash Reducing Theme is:

April Showers Bring May Flowers 
Create your project using: umbrellas, rain or flowers. 
Another idea would be a creation for a Baby or Wedding Shower.  

My project is pretty pedestrian.  I am working with some new ColorBox products and I don't have many pastels, so I decided to go with the earth colors of which I am so fond!

GROW WHERE YOU ARE PLANTED!
My flower was created using the ClearSnap Art Screen "Poinsettia."  The background was embossed with the WRMK Next Level EF "Butterfly."
 Rather than fabricating a traditional card, I chose to create a panel card!  I knew I wanted to use the "Grow where you are planted" sentiment but the problem was finding a complementary sentiment for the back panel.

Supplies used:
Stash Items:
The vertical Paintbox has been in my studio since the year 2000, I think!  It definitely qualifies as a stash item! The white card stock is also about 10 years old.  It was left over when we closed our graphics business in 2005.

I used the ColorBox Stylus tool and cotton swabs to color in the stencil.  After the inks dried, I fussy cut the flower and sprayed it with Aleene's Glossy Sealant.  I love the new colors and the fabulous Chalk Paintbox!

Happy Crafting!  Looking forward to seeing your project in our challenge!

HUGZ,
CHANA


Sunday, May 8, 2016

HELLO, CRAFTY PEEPS!

This is my final post as a member of the 2015 Earth Safe Finishes® Design Team.  This has been a fun year and I have fallen in love with the ESF products.  Beyond the fact that the paints and other products are VOC free, the quality of the products is superb.

I always look to grow from my Design Team experiences, and that has happened with Earth Safe.  I am not into DIY/Decor in a really big way and Nancy and Ann had a lot to do with that.   Thanks, ladies, for the opportunity.  I hope I always did justice to your projects.

This project gave me the opportunity to work with some new ESF Chalk Paint Colors, Snicker Doodle™ and Razzleberry Tart™.  Of course, I had to throw in a little of my favorite Chalk It Up™ Licorice!
The Hubster found this chair at the Goodwill Store (his new second home) and we both thought it would be perfect for our eldest granddaughter.  Last week, however, it was claimed by another grandchild.  Fortunately, The Hubster had seen a doll's high chair in his travels, so he went back and got that and I am currently working on restoring that for my granddaughter. 

To create the back, I cut a panel from my burlap cloth and decoupaged it onto a piece of burlap paper!



Earth Safe Products:

Chalk It Up Paints™ Snickerdoodle, Licorice, and Razzleberry Tart

Earth Safe Finishes Sealant
Rocker Front View
I have enjoyed sharing my projects with you over the past year.
I hope somewhere along the way I have inspired you to grab some Earth Safe Finishes® products and get out the and DIY!
Happy Crafting!
Hugz
72dpi ESF Chana 2015