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

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

StencilGirl Earth Safe Finishes/Ann Butler Earth Day Blog Hop

Hello, Crafty Peeps!

Thanks for participating in the

StencilGirl 

AND 

 Earth Safe Finishes®/Ann Butler Designs™ 

Earth Day Blog Hop

Those of you who follow me regularly know that I am big on reusing, re-purposing, and recycling.  The Hubster says my single Cherokee gene drives me to preserve nature. 
 That may be true, but on the other hand,  it just makes sense to take care of the place that supports your survival.

The frame was another great find by The Hubster.  He does most of my "picking" at the Goodwill Store.  He presented this to me with an unceremonious, 
"I suppose you can do something with this!"  

I kept the frame on one of my work tables for two months and, during that time, experimented with possible project uses.  Nothing really inspired until I saw the 

"Tribal Men" Stencil.  

I created two projects for the Hop!

 Project #1

"Out of Africa, Kings"

I reversed the canvas and stenciled the image.  Looks like a Shadow Box!  Although not visible in this shot, the inside edges are painted with Earth Safe Finishes® Chalk It Up Licorice Paint.  Very dramatic.  I also use the Licorice chalk paint on the warriors.   I used the bottom of the stencil to create the design around the outer frame.

Project #2

"I Am The Strength of Africa"

Since the original picture was perfectly sized, I decided to use it as my canvas.  I applied two coats of Chalk It Up™ Snickerdoodle paint.  I allowed that to dry before adding a coat of Chalk It Up™Razzleberry, and finally, I used a toothbrush to swirl in Earth Safe Finishes ® Yellow Pigment and Chalk It Up® Avocado Pie.

I love how the colors of my "forest" provide the perfect material for  the warrior's garment.  The gold trim was in good shape, so I just cleaned it up and painted on a coat of Ann Butler Designs™ Iridescents - Sunshine.  The Black layer is Earth Safe Finishes® Chalk It Up™ Licorice.  The frame was painted with Avocado Pie and highlighted with gold and copper metallic wax.  The outside edges were painted with Ann Butler Design's Sunshine.  The interior molding was painted using Razzleberry.  

Products Used:

StencilGirl:  Tribal Men Stencil

Earth Safe Finishes® Chalk It Up™ Paints:

Avocado Pie, Licorice, Razzeleberry, Snickerdoodle

Earth Safe Finishes Pigment Inks:  Yellow

Ann Butler Designs™ Iridescents:  Sunshine

HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO WIN A JAR OF EARTH SAFE FINISHES VOC FREE PAINT?

Just leave a comment below and at the end of the hop, I will select two winners.  Our paints are earth friendly and pretty kind to DIYers too! I know you will love them as much as I do!

The Earth Safe Finishes® Design Team Members

Chana Malkah Harris

Irit Shalom

Steph Ackerman

Martha Lucia Gomez

Larissa Pittman 

Vishu Reberholt
Jeanne Streiff

The StencilGirl Design Team Members

Mary Beth Shaw
Mary C. Nasser
Carol Baxter
Gwen Lafleur
Janet Joehlin

Just leave a comment below by Monday, April 25th at 11:59PM Central Time.
The more blogs you comment on in the blog hop, the more chances you have of winning!
Winner will be announced on StencilGirl's Facebook page on Wednesday, April 27th.

THANKS FOR VISITING!  HAPPY HOPPING!
HUGZ
CHANA MALKAH

Shopping Our Stash - Cuckoo For You: Use Clocks

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Good Morning, Good Afternoon, and Good Evening!
CRAFTY PEEPS!
I am hosting the challenge this week at Shopping Our Stash and the theme I chose was
Cuckoo For You - Use Clocks
You can use clocks, stickers, stamps, charms, etc.
The project I created was inspired by Suzna of My Butterfly Kisses.  I have saved three tuna cans since January 6th when I first saw her project.  We always buy the small cans, so I knew I would have to make some adjustments...but I like challenges.

I started the project, planning to follow the tutorial and fabricate the clock parts; however, once I began, it occurred to me that it might be fun to use the Tim Holtz Alterations™ Tick Tock Die.

I cut five shapes from corrugated cardboard to get the depth I wanted in my frame. 

I found these cute birds in my embellishment cup and decided to add them to the front.

The Rub 'n Buff® Ruby Red, Autumn Gold and Patina achieved the look I wanted.

I used Earth Safe Finishes® Chalk It Up™Huckleberry Cobbler as the base color, and Americana Decor® Chalky Finish™ Serene on the back.

To achieve the rusted metal look desired, I applied:  Americana® Dazzling Metallics "Glorious Gold," "Splendid Gold," and "Festive Green."  I also used Rub 'n Buff® "Patina," "Ruby Red," "Grecian Gold," and "Autumn Gold."

There was really no rhyme or reason in how I applied these mediums.  I just kept working with them until I was pleased with the result.  I buffed my metallic wax layers, but if you want a more rustic look, do not buff.  The frame braces were created using two latch die cuts from the Alterations® Hardware Findings.  I used lightweight chipboard to cut the latches.

Deciding on the contents of my clock was a major decision.  I never CASE another designer' project exactly.  Usually, I will take the basic idea (Tuna Can) and then go off in a totally different direction.  (I actually have another tuna can project I'm working on that I think will be great fun.)  In this case, I wanted to stay with the clock theme, so I looked through my metal embellishments and came up with these clock pieces.  After that, I just grabbed flowers, berries, etc., and put them where ever they fit. 

I painted the inside of the can to match the oxidized metal appearance of the outside.

It was necessary to elevate my clock works since my acetate window would stop at the beads and washers that cover the part of the legs that extend inside the can.  I used a plastic bottle cap to do this.

I cut a piece of designer paper to serve as a background and adhered everything with Locktite® Super Glue™  I added a few gears, flowers berries and brads.

Once I decided on my clock face, I added some bling and a brad and then attached the acetate window.  I used super glue to hold everything down.

When I added the bottle cap to my clock, I also secured it by adding this metal wind up key and securing it with a nut from one of my nut and bolt sets.

The rear rest was made using a Tim Holtz Alterations® Game Piece

My teammies created some fabulous projects for your inspiration.  

Stop by and leave a little love!

CHRIS

BARBARA

JESSI

DEENA

LAUREN

DONNA

ALICA

Hugz,

Chana

Earth Safe Finishes - Altered Primitive Lap Desk

Hello, Crafty Peeples!

I am so excited to share my monthly project for Earth Safe Finishes™!  It seems as though time has flown by and I can't believe that the 2015 Team year will end in May.  The products are wonderful to work with and they are VOC free.  The range of colors and selection of products is diverse and the price points are reasonable and comparable with the marketplace.

I remain in the throes of my love affair with ESF Chalk It Up™ Licorice and Blood Orange Sorbet

Last month, I created the "Artsy" Chalkboard.  This month, I finally worked up the nerve to paint my Primitive Lap Desk.  I have held on to this desk for over six years until my artistic ego overruled my sense of preservation.  The Hubster loves it and that makes everything just perfect

Hope you like it as well.

Information on the supplies used in this project can be found at:

EARTH SAFE FINISHES ARTISTS BLOG

I can use this as a chalkboard

Or, I can use it as a writing table by just slipping in my reversible blotter!

IN THE BEGINNING

 This is the primitive desk in it's original wood finish!

I even painted pencils to match!

Hope you like the transformation.  By the way, you can see the complete line of Ann Butler Designs™Iridescent Paints at Earth Safe Finishes.

Thanks for stopping by!

Earth Safe Finishes - Artsy Chalkboard- DIY - Altered Clipboard Project

Hi, Crafty Folks!

Today I am here with a DIY project Using Earth Safe Finishes® Chalk Paints and Acrylic Pigments.  I love our products, not simply because I am on the Design Team, but also because they are environmentally friendly.  

I created this project to hang on the door of my studio and it not only looks fabulous, but also serves as a great reminder board!  

This design was inspired by Tammy Tutterow!

As a paper crafter and someone who has a chronic illness, what I eat and what I breathe are vitally important.  Our products are VOC free and that is no small thing.   Stop by our blog for fabulous DIY ideas and more information about our paints and other mediums!  

The Step-by-step Tutorial for this project can be found HERE

BEFORE

AFTER

Thanks for Stopping By!

Hugz,

Chana