Build texture to digital layouts

I love the ability to cut and re-cut digital papers without being stuck with something that just didn't seem to work (and not having the pieces fall all over the place when trying to store them). So here's a layout I did the other night for the Peppermint Creative one word challenge. The theme was "Sparkle". I could have gone with just a digital layout. But as you know I love texture. So after building my layout and printing this baby, I diecut letters on double sided adhesive. First I backed one side of the adhesive with paper. Then I placed the adhesive sheet on my Pazzles mat and cut. Once done, I glued the letters down. Actually I could have done two sheets of adhesive but I initially tried to put the sandwich through the Big Shot with a Quickutz die and it bombed big time. Quickutz dies are not good for cutting anything thicker than one sheet of cardstock.  I guess I never mentioned that I broke my Revolution machine trying to cut one of these adhesive sandwiches months ago. We really had to break open the machine to get the die out to save just the die. So my advice is to stay away from their dies unless you have old ones in your stash like me.

Next came the glitter. I really love the texture of Glitter Ritz. Not only the look (because it's not overly glittery--like cheap chunky stuff) but it feels so soft on paper. It really doesn't feel like any other glitter. . .kind of like fabric that it's so smooth. So I glittered my title and around the frames in the layout. For that I used Sobo glue and just sprinkled away. One hint to use Glitter Ritz is that when died or stuck to adhesive is to burnish it into the surface. This will get all the particles to line up and shine. Unfortunately you can't see it at all in my layout because we have crappy summer weather and it sure doesn't catch light. Well that is because there is no SUN!

Altered Silver Platter Wall Hanging

 

I spend quite a bit of time roaming the aisles of Dollar Tree and one day it just hit me to pick up a few of the different shaped "silver" platters. As with my post yesterday, I am not so fond of shiny metal for my crafts. Maybe it comes from not photographing well. . . but anyhow, the first thing I did was to look for a sheet of paper that would suit the edge of the platter. I knew it had to be vintage so I grabbed my pile of Webster's Pages and committed myself to a brown alcohol ink and swiped it across only the edge of the platter. 

Once I figured out the paper I was going to use, I placed the platter on top of the paper and did an estimate on the width and height. I cut the paper first then traced the corners on the paper to fit inside of the platter. I did ink the paper with pink and brown.

I fussy cut the "Live the life you have imagined" from the same sheet of Webster's paper. I wanted it to stand out so I really inked that baby. Then I popped it with three layers of foam tape. After that I still needed something to make it stand out so I used a glue pen and some Glitter Ritz Grasshopper glitter. The Melissa Frances pearls finished the piece off. On top of that I used a Sizzix die to cut book board thickness chipboard. Then I used Melody Ross's doodle stamp to imprint the squiggly on the center. While the chipboard was still wet, I bent it to hold a real leaf shape. Once dried, I painted the leaf green (again always with my finger) and then inked the edges with Distress Ink.

Although it is very difficult to see in the photos, I used the glue pen to also add Melissa Frances' mica flakes. The white flowers are Prima with the colored centers. The small pink and peach flowers are from a local reuse store. And the big peach flowers are from a floral, planning shop called Fantastico in San Francisco. I think they were 6 for $0.59. The frame around the bird cage and keyhole are also Melissa Frances.

I actually made a special trip over to Scrapbook Territory just to find something to fill in the spot  where the K & Company chipboard bird is off to the side. Everyone in the store was WOWed by this piece just walking around in the store searching for my perfect match. And I did not leave disappointed. 

I filled in empty areas with Making Memories rubons and the Melisaa Frances pearls. Oh and that "paper" behind the photo is the Prima packaging from the flowers.

Hope you are inspired to create a beautiful piece from something so ordinary at the dollar store.