Wednesday 1 January 2014

No More Shopping Sins. . . . . . . . . . At Our Creative Corner

Hello Everyone and a very happy and healthy New Year to you all!
(I'm hoping that 2014 brings more good times to our family than perhaps some of us experienced in 2013.) 

A new challenge begins at Our Creative Corner today, hosted by the wonderfully talented Claudia. You are asked to search out supplies which you bought but have yet to use - we all have those little goodies hiding away somewhere don't we? We may be holding onto them because they are so precious or perhaps you bought something and then wondered what on earth to do with it!

This month we have a wonderful sponsor on board too for a randomly drawn entry. We are delighted to be able to offer a prize, kindly provided by Crafty Individuals! Not only is Claudia's challenge a great deal of fun but you get the chance to win a lovely Crafty Individuals treat just for entering. No brainer really isn't it?

Why not pop over to Our Creative Corner and see what my other teamies have come up with? I promise that you're in for a treat if you do. The best part is that you get to see all the design team's work now,  at the start of each month. A feast of inspiration for you all!

I had absolutely no problem fishing something out of my cupboard. I bought these flowers when I first started crafting with any regularity so they have been hanging around for nearly two years. They are very pretty but I have never found a way to combine them in my work - I prefer to make my own these days!

Delicate 'baby's breath' flowers which were just asking for a makeover!
Here's what I made to help show off my 'new look' flowers:

A beautiful sunny day took me outside to take my pictures. Some detail was lost in the shadows but you can see the details in the coming photographs.
The flowers were coated with acrylic wax followed by some rusting powder. This was left for a while then sprayed with vinegar and left to dry. So simple! The flowers were mounted on a painted scrap from my 'bits' box.
Some rusty wire was used to make springs and tiny rusty bells were attached to the ends.
I've had a number of rather battered bracelets for sometime now and decided to cut one and use it to finish the bottom of the tag. Some DecoArt Lustre was smoothed across the bracelet and buffed.
An oval shape was cut from card and coloured with distress ink. This beautiful Chapel Road stamp was then added using VersaFine ink. The edges of the oval were roughly embossed with gold powder.
The tag background was coloured with distress ink and then architectural and floral images were stamped using distress inks in various tones. The edges of the tag were shaded with Versafine ink. Embossed gold script was used randomly in the background of the tag.
A little rusting powder was used around the edges of the stamped oval too.
I still had a few of my leaves left so decided to use one to mount the oval on. Before using the leaf it was coated with some matte medium to help preserve it and prevent it crumbling.
The top of the tag is finished with some chunky jute and rusty wire.


I hope this inspires you to go and have a look over at Our Creative Corner to see the gorgeous pieces made by the other members of the team. It's over to you then to rummage through your craft stuff and find something that you've never used before in a project of your choice. Link up with us at Our Creative Corner and you may be the lucky winner of the Crafty Individuals prize; you may be chosen as one of our top three talents by Claudia and you could even be our 'top talent' next month! What are you waiting for? Can't wait to see what you come up with!

23 comments:

  1. Wow Julia, this is absolutely gorgeous. I love the way you put your pieces together and include lots of fabulous materials. Your little flowers look nothing like the originals and now have the most amazing texture and vintage look to them, what a difference.
    I am looking forward to seeing more of your fabulous creative art this year.
    Happy 2014.
    hugs {brenda} x0x

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  2. Oh wow Julia this is such a stunning project, so serene and totally beautiful!! The stamp is gorgeous, what a beauty and I love your altered rusted flowers! I have a ton of those flying around somewhere, you have totally inspired me to take them out and also give them a new leash of life. Love this project!!

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  3. Wow Julia, those flowers look amazing with the treatment you gave them! I just love how you added a real leaf to the tag, it gives it a really rustic feel, that Chapel Road stamp is beautiful and the 'battered' bracelet at the bottom is stunning. Wishing you a very Happy New Year and I hope that 2014 is a good one for you. Hugs, Anne x

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  4. This is so beautiful, Julia!

    Your makeover of the flowers turned them into rusted beauties! LOVE them - and your tag in whole!
    Hugs and happy new year to you!

    Claudia x

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  5. Love your flower makeover, Julia. Much more my style than bridal white. A fab tag!

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  6. Fabulous, Julia! I just love every detail - the gilded script, that wonderful leaf, the bracelet and of course those fabulous rusty flowers - just brilliant!

    Happy New Year!
    Alison xx

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  7. Happy New Year Julia.
    Your tag's fabulous, I love what you've done with the flowers.
    xxx Hazel.

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  8. Your work never fails to take my breath away Julia. You are able to put beauty into every single detail and I love the way you've transformed those once plain white flowers.
    I really hope 2014 holds so much that's good in store for you and your family after the rollercoaster that's been 2013. Much love, Jenny xxx

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  9. Happy New Year to you Julia! And what a fabulous make over those flowers got! They look stunning and you really wouldn't recognise them at all. And so many different elements on your tag - what a great idea for the bracelet too. You really give us so many inspirational ideas! Best wishes x

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  10. Ooh this is gorgeous sweetie, you are indeed and assemblage/technique Queen. I adore what you have done to those flowers, they look amazing.
    Huge hugs my lovely and here's to a fab 2014 x x x x x

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  11. Just a gorgeous tag, great texture, details and elements.
    Wishing you a happy, healthy and creative year 2014.

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  12. Those transformed flowers look amazing Julia!
    A fab piece of tag art.
    Missing the Skinner Gang too :(
    Happy New Year to you,
    Alison xxx

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  13. What a gorgeous piece of mixed media art, Julia! I love all the rusty bits, especially that amazing transformation of the white flowers - they turned out fantastic! I hope 2014 brings you everything wonderful in including good health, much love and lots of crafty time!

    Hus,
    Linda

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  14. I love your rusted flowers, a really cool effect!!
    Happy New Year!!

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  15. As usual such a nice and artistic creation Julia.
    Best wishes, Alie

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  16. TOTALLY BEAUTIFUL!!!! I love the transformed flowers now all grungy good! Gorgeous face, and love the sparkle on the edges, and the leaf completes it! Beautiful work! Happy new year to you, and may it bring you many blessings!

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  17. What a great transformation your flowers have gone through Julia and how wonderful it all looks photographed in the sun :)
    Happy new Year
    Von ♥

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  18. I would have never given those flowers a second glance, but did you ever add the wow factor to them!! This is a beautiful tag and your altered flowers work perfectly with the fabulous leaf!

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  19. Gorgeous xx wishing you a happy n year x hugs x

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  20. Only you Julia the Queen of rust could make the white now look so right!. Totally wonderful. I Hope wonderful adventures head your way through the cosmos this year Julia!

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  21. Gorgeous!!! Your attention to detail made this a spectacular project. Love it!

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  22. Oh wow, hat a delicate beauty x

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  23. Hi Julia, it's ages since I've visited but have had a lovely time looking back on many of your projects. And I really love what you have done with these flowers ... who would have thought that something so white and delicate could be altered to look so grungy - will look at my old stash of flowers in a different light from now on. Hope you are keeping and doing well. Elizabeth xx

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Thank you so much for taking the time to comment. Juliax