Let's get messy in February!

The True Xoxo challenge is up for February. I will walk you through my messy layout. I tried to do just about every messy thing I could think of.

As always I started off with a clean, pre-shrunk 12-inch square of canvas purchased from Jo-anns.  I prepped the fabric with gesso and then a coat of pale pink acrylic paint. Out came the punchinella and gray paint mixed with modeling paste. The left over mixture was scraped around the edges of the canvas. I pulled any frayed pieces to give an even more frayed look. Next I added Pan Pastels  and randomly. I used embossing ink and powder to give even more of a gritty texture. What is more messy than embossing powder? Glitter! Yes there is some of that too. I keep a bottle of Perfect Pearls mixed with water handy so I spritzed the entire surface.

Now Riley did the ultimate messy fling of paint on me. So I went in and tried to cover up turquoise paint. I started back at the beginning to clean up the spots. The final messy product was Color Bazaar powder.
 

Challenge 25 at True XOXO Girls

January's design challenge at True XOXO Girls went live yesterday afternoon. The challenge this month was for the design team to create a layout containing "ONE," which would be anything from the word down to one of a variety of items on your layout such as my fun take. Now I did use the same photo in my New Year's card so forgive me if you see it two days in a row.

Now one (haha! keeping with the "One" theme!) would think that it would be quick and easy to stick with just one of something. I spent quite a bit of time on this layout. I had already taken the photo in between holiday shows for the musical theater company. But as always I tend to scrap without thinking of a photo because I am too lazy to print an image up to start with. I used to always start with a photo but that led to too many printed images and I always felt like I was behind. So anyhow...back to the process. I decided that I needed to stash bust. Christmas was going to be the theme. I must have had this paper since I started scrapbooking five years ago.

I ruffled the red grossgrain ribbon myself using the ruffler foot on the sewing machine. That is probably the one item that took the most work to be done but was the quickest thing for me to do. It was all about placement of items and lonely stash that needed to go. I really did have a lot of fun with this. I suggest you give the "ONE" concept a try. I know it may be difficult with other themes but I know you have to have Christmas paper and lots of photos.

Here is a run-down of everything I used:

One of EACH: sheet Bazzill Dotted Swiss, CI paper, strip of other side of paper, sticker border, scalloped snowflake border rubon, ruffled grosgrain ribbon, red/green string of sequins, bottle cap, Bath and Body Works reindeer gift card, Build-a-Bear heart, holiday newspaper archive film strip, red/green photo turn, green brad, pink velvet brad, silver sequin rickrack trim, felt flower, beaded snowflake, fabric/bling candy cane brad, snowflake brad, brown bling, red arrow, blue arrow, Santa sticker, tiny red button, silver stud, Santa's helper tag, gold bow, epoxy sticker, green gem, blue velvet brad, pink bling, snowflake blink, sting of pearls, green glittered strip of double sided tape, red wire, gold bow, Good/Bad list button, printed decorative tape, and one photo of one silly elf.

 

Happy 2012!

Custom Fit Sewing Adventure

For the past few weeks, I have been consumed with costume design and construction. I have a friend who led me to tutu.com last year. I had purchased their smallest pattern for a bodice (size 6 slim) and instructions to construct a ballet tutu over a year ago. Well I lost the pattern. So I bought a size 7 slim this time around plus the smallest panty bottom.

Riley wanted to participate in the school talent show at the local mall. I wanted her to do a Tahitian dance solo...no luck. She wanted to sing so she chose "Let It Snow" with her vocal teacher. I decided to make her a tutu. She selected the color and the fabrics. Tulle with glitter....seriously I had glitter clogging my sewing machine. It needs to be taken in for cleaning.

Anyhow the panty pattern was a size 8. I think it fit me. So I had to cut a pair of underwear and wing it. I winged a lot of the process. The pattern was REALLY big. I admit, Riley is small. Maybe in tutu.com's terms, she could have been been a size 4 or smaller. So I had to draft my own pattern pieces for just about everything. I didn't know the technical names for the pieces. I didn't have an example. Their expensive instruction booklet (it's on spiral bound, one sided photo copies) has really no photos or diagrams. Very few I should say. But I am proud to say I constructed this professional level tutu. If Riley would have chosen a stiffer net (of course without glitter), this would have been a "pancake" style ballet tutu which I hooped and used steel spiral boning as well.

After this, I just may be ready to take on any project.

True XOXO December Challenge

It's the 1st of the month again! Check out the True XoXo blog challenge. The design team was challenged to create a project using this photo as inspiration.

Now this isn't an image I would normally scrapbook so I was indeed challenged. I knew I liked the black and white pattern. Okay I have to admit that I knew I had similar paper in my stash. HA! The rest of the vintage type images/colors...well I initially thought of Webster's Pages. But then I looked down at my feet and stared at a class kit I got at Scrapbook Expo in Anaheim from a Prima class. It was perfect since all the papers were under 6" and great for stash busting.

The flowers and doily were sprayed with Glimmer Mist. The letters are wood from Pink Paislee. The small "embrace" block is from Melody Ross' GCD Studio line and came from one of the prize packs I won from the Spring contests they had earlier this year. This layout is a whole lot of layers and nothing complicated. No cutting because I really had cut it all in the class. I still don't know how I feel about the contrast of vintage and black and white....