Sakura Blog Hop!!!

Hi there Hoppers!  Welcome to my page.  

This project is fast, fun and simple! I made a book mark but you could also make pretty stained glass sun catchers this way.

Materials:

Pastel Glitter Color Lacquer set

Plastic packaging (I always save these in case, waste not, want not)

Outline Stickers

THAT'S IT!

Adhere your outline sticker to the clear plastic packaging, the trick is making sure the sticker fits on the packaging, and get it stuck on nice and smooth.
Tip: resist the urge to cut it out, the edge of the packaging gives you something to hold while you color.

Next I colored in the image, using all the colors in the Pastel Glitter set, and set it aside to dry.  

Once it was dry I cut it out, around the outline of the sticker.  Punched a small hole in the top with a Crop a dile, strung a pretty piece of string through and put beads on the ends.
I love the way it sparkles and glows!

Check out more amazing and versatile products at Sakura Hobby Craft

Thanks for stopping by, remember if you are doing the Blog Hop make sure you click "Follow" at the top of each blog to follow us, and comment so you can win our Blog Candy!!  If you aren't doing the Blog Hop, you should!  Happy Hopping!

Merci~ Chelsea

Your next Hop Stop is: Creative Souls

Here's the blog list:

1)Sakura Hobby Crafts

2)Terri Sproul

3)Jenifer Van Pelt

4)KatScrap Studio- Karen Myers (previous)

5)Whimsykins by Chelsea (you are here)

6)Creative Souls (next stop)

7)Carole Lassak

8)Carol Berns

Ladylike

This is a paper mache dress form I decorated with a ladylike/steampunk/gypsy look.  I decoupaged her with paper and Alphonse Mucha images, I made the Mucha advertisement title into a garter belt, and put the girls in the ad on the back.  I cut the door in the front off with a craft knife, and sprayed Glimmer Mist inside, the newsprint that had been used for the dress form gave it even more of a vintage feel.  Then decorated with flowers, velvet ribbon, toule, paper flowers, gypsy theme stickers, rhinestones, pearls and a stick pin... oh and some charms hanging off the door.  Voila!  Hope you like her.

Merci!

~Chelsea

Front

Back

Collar Detail

Playing in the Dirt: Part 3- Patience is a Virtue

I haven't updated you all on the gardens, mostly because the changes have been subtle, over the weeks.  But I went to New York, and when I got back the difference was dramatic.  I suppose a watched pot really doesn't boil.  So I will start with the progress from before I left town, and end with what I found when I came home!

Garlic Chives and Rosemary

 The Garden at the Boy's house is slower going than the one at Mom's.  It has a little more shade.  Things are going along well, but slower than the other gardens seems to that gets full sun all day, and slower that the Boy would like.  That being said, we've used the herbs in cooking, we've steamed snap peas with Garlic Chives (using these makes us more patient with the garlic itself) and Rosemary.  We've also harvested the Bibb Lettuce and made a fantastic salad.  I found the location of the onions was too shady, so I have transplanted them and hope they have survived and thrived in my absence.  I will update more when I check on that garden this week.

On to Mom's Garden.  Before I left town here is what had progressed:
I had to cover all the seedlings with mesh to keep critters from eating the strawberries and destroying the kale.  Once that was done, all the plants seemed happy.  The pole bean is really working on reaching the Giant's house in the clouds.  Mom also planted more bean plants and some Corn, which I am very excited about.

Vegetable Garden

Corn and Green Beans

Artichoke Seedlings

 The artichokes sprouted, all 6 of them.  Only one has sprouted at the Boy's but that's good, we have limited space there.  Now we're thinking about where to transplant them when they get big, because they won't fit there eventually.

Tomatillo, Zebra Tomatoes

The Tomatillo plant is gorgeous and thriving, as is the Green Zebra, next to it.  The Early Girl is living up to her name and starting to bear some green tomatoes, and the newer Heirloom looks very happy with it's Marigold and Basil Pot-mates.

 The herbs look quite happy, one of the Cilantros didn't survive transplanting but the other did.  the Dill is reaching for the sky and starting to flower, which we decided to just let it do.  We've started using them for cooking, it's so nice to have fresh grown herbs, I love it!  I say if you can grow nothing else make an attempt at growing your own herbs.  It may be a challenge but you definitely enjoy reaping the rewards.

Herb Garden

Then we got the Composter!!  You read that right.  After reading The Year I Ate My Yard, and getting Mom reading it.  We warmed to the idea.  Mom has a few friends who do it and they gave us great tips and support, one even gave us worms.  So Mom got a bin, and we filled it with grass clippings, newspaper strips, banana peels, cucumber peels, (organic) coffee grounds and filters, more dirt and grass trimmings, etc.  Added water and wormies and now the patience really begins!

Composter

Hard working Worms

Then I left.  When I got back all kinds of things had changed.  The Early Girl has one tomato turning red, and 12 more gearing up, the Zebra has 11 little ones starting to grow.  The Market Cucumber has 2 tiny cucumbers and boy are they spiney.  The lettuce is exploding, the Pole Bean has 2 tiny beans starting, and the Kale has almost doubled in size.  Everything looks pretty happy, as you can see.  So wait until they get to munch on some home made compost! 

Early Girl Tomatoes

Market Cucumber

Post trip Veggie Garden!

I guess now I better start looking at recipes, I am already excited to make my beloved Gazpacho recipe with home grown tomatoes, cucumbers, garlic and cilantro!  Oh boy oh boy!

~Chelsea

Father's Day Card

A play I have been doing since April (I Never Sang for My Father) is closing this Sunday, Father's Day.  I have had a great time doing this play, it's a wonderfully talented cast, and we have a great time together.  The play is about family relationships, loss and connecting with our fathers in particular.  So I thought my cards to the cast would also make a great Father's Day Card!  The specific touches I used for the play, can simply be changed for the things the Father in your life likes!

What I used:

• 3D Crystal Lacquer
• Metallic Color Lacquer
• Blank Greeting Cards
• Patterned Paper
• Cardstock with Poster Clip Art printed on my printer
• Cricut Sentimentals Cartridge, Chair
• Tim Holtz sheet music Texture Fade
• Distress Ink Pumice Stone, and Honey
• Rubber Stamps 

As I said, I used images that are from the play.  The Father's Chair is present on stage the whole time, and I think it's a great symbol of Dad, like his throne.  Can't think of a man I know who doesn't love his recliner, spot on the sofa or special gaming chair.  Dubonnet is also referenced in the play, but you could take Dad's favorite hobby, beer, soda, what have you and find a great vintage poster image like I did!  Trains, golf sports team, make it special and all about him.

I was mass producing these, if you have multiple Dads in your life you may want to do the same.
First I cut up my little Vintage posters, and die cut all my chairs and cushions.
I also cut some 3.5"x5" pieces of white cardstock and embossed them with the sheet music texture fade.  You could use any texture fade but I chose music, again, specific to the play...

Next I inked all the sheet music with Pumice Stone and an ink blender and went over again with the ink directly, to make the notes really stand out. 
I inked the seat cushions with the Honey ink, the chair in our play is kind of a mustard color, the paper I had matched but wasn't quite yellow enough, and I also wanted to give the cushions more dimension like a real cushion.

I used 3D Clear Crystal Lacquer on the bottle and glass of Dubonnet, to make it look like glass, and I added some copper accents of Metallic Color Lacquer to the edges of the image.  This really gives an image and extra quality, and polish that I love!  It's such a great way to keep it from looking like something you just printed on your printer.  It gives it that special touch.
I adhered the cushions to the chairs, and let everything dry for a bit. 

Finally I Stamped the word "Congrats" on the side of the card, and used 3D Crystal Lacquer to glue everything in place.  I like the Lacquer as an adhesive, it sets things in place in seconds, and I know pieces aren't going to fall off, even going in and out of an envelope and being handled, like with some adhesives.  I also added some dots of more copper Color Lacquer to the "Congrats" to give the whole thing a uniformity.  And TADA!!  This photo doesn't do it justice, but the Crystal Lacquer really gives it finish and pizzaz!  I love the effect it creates, and I always love the "wait, you made that?" aspect that Crystal Lacquer gives.

I can't wait to hear what Father's Day slants you put to personalize yours, feel free to share!  Happy Father's Day to all the wonderful Dads in your lives!  Be sure and check out more incredible ideas by the other ladies in the Sakura Craft Design Team on our Blog.  We're also going to have a Blog Hop June 30th, with the blogs of all the designers so stay posted for that. Have a great weekend!  Merci.

~Chelsea

Fairy Favorite Garden Award

Since I am making my first attempt at Gardening right now, I have gardens on the brain.  So I decided this week my project would be a whimsical Garden Award, to be given by the fairies for their favorite garden of the day, week, moment what have you... you know how fairies are.

What I used: 3D Crystal Lacquer, Color Glitter Lacquer, Gem Particles, Glass Tile, outline stickers, crepe paper, phone book paper die cut in scalloped circle, scissors, ribbon, fairy image from G45 "Once Upon a Springtime" paper stack, rubber stamps, Distress Ink, piece of chipboard or cardboard, chopstick, needle, and thread.

 I am impatient about drying, so I like to do the wet stuff first!  I cut out my fairy stamp image, and used some dots of the Glitter Color Lacquer to adhere the Glass Tile (make sure you get the right side up, there is a right side to the glass, the edges are rounder on the top)  I left the stamp edge on, I just like the kitchyness of that, and the way the glass makes the image and colors, and glitter pop!

On the Scallop circle I arranged some of the black outline stickers and colored them in with an array of Glitter Color Lacquer colors.  I do love to color.

I set those aside to dry

 
 I stamped my phrase for the Garden Award on a strip of white paper, using alphabet stamps, and distressed the edges with Pumice Stone Distress ink.  I put some dots of peach Glitter Color Lacquer on it, and then covered the whole thing with 3D Crystal Lacquer, then added that to the other drying stuff.  (as you can see I got a little messy, which made my craft mat feel useful) I sprinkled some Gem Particles for fun.


Next I made my rosette.  I took about a yard length and 1" ish wide strip, and layered one slightly narrower on top.  Using needle and thread, make a running stitch just inside one edge of the paper (this will be your center side) run it all the way through, gathering as you go.  Tie the 2 ends of thread together, about as tight as you can, and still have the paper lay flat in a circle on your worktable.
I distressed it with Broken China blue and Pumice Stone Distress Inks.  I also trimmed, folded and distressed a strip to be my ribbons hanging down.

I didn't get photos of the assembly (for some unknown reason) my apologies.  Toward the bottom of a piece of chipboard I adhered a chopstick with 3D Crystal Lacquer (adhere the flat square end, so the narrow end goes in the ground like a stake.  Then I attached the crepe ribbons and blue ribbons, to hang down, then I put a small and large circle of Lacquer on the back of the rosette and stuck that on top of everything.  I like to hold the rosette down gently with the palm of my hand to make sure everything sticks well, but don't smash it flat.


To adhere the Gem Particles, I just made little dots on the peaks of the rosette with Lacquer, and sprinkled the Gem Particles over.  Once everything is dried, you can assemble.  The scallop circle goes first, then the glass fairy image, and then finally, the title!  It's a lot of steps, but lots of fun!!  Voila!

All that's left it to hand it over to the fairies and hope they like your garden best!

For more fun ideas using Sakura Craft Products check out the Design Team blog (of which I am a member)  Enjoy this lovely weather by taking a walk in a garden, yours or someone else's!

Merci! ~Chelsea