the many adventures of a painter girl

sweet vintage bunny...under glass...

i played in the studio today making another sweet little easter decoration...

I found this cracked glass votive holder and decided that i had a different purpose for it...

i cut a base out of a thin board using a spellbinders die...

i knew i wanted to use the mini bunny die, it's the sweetest little thing...i cut several of them out of grunge board then glued them together...while they dried, I used clothes pins to hold them tight...

once dry, i used glue n seal to adhere coffee bean brown sparkly fluff to make my bunny fluffy...

i glittered his bow at the same time and set them aside to dry...

next...the easter egg needed some liquid pearls to make it shine...

i dipped it, smoothed it with a paint brush and set it aside to dry before adding chunky clear glitter and some pearly stripes...

and, for some cute vintage trim...

i took four layers of crepe paper, sewed them down the middle and folded it in half...cut the edge off with pinking shears and then cut in small strips in each 'valley'...scrunch it all up, and adorable trim it is!

misted water and biscotti perfect pearls on seam binding, scrunch, and dry with heat tool...makes for subtle vintage looking ribbon...

i added a button with a rhinestone center, and some cut grass...put it all together, and...

so sweet...and now a treasured easter decoration...

now, make me happy, and take one or two of the elements and make your own deliciousness!

a sweet song bird upon a branch...

April is upon us and with it comes song birds and flowers...flowers and spring renewal...

a sweet little song bird upon a cage...with vintage music sheet roses...

i love this bird on a branch die from the Sizzix Tim Holtz Alterations collection...it is the perfect addition to this little cage...the twigs are embossed with Walnut Stain Distress Embossing Powder...

i inked this little tea light holder with Alcohol inks and a foam piece...a wiping down with Alcohol Blending Solution and a towel gave it a great worn look...

i used the Tattered Pinecone die from his collection as well...except i made these beautiful roses instead...a little craft paper cut into strips and sprayed with Perfect Pearls heiloom gold spray and scrunched made for sweet little nexts...

a little Distress Stain dyed robbon, flowers and leaves made from the Tattered Flowers Garland die, and Vintage Lace die trim and trimmings...all came together for a sweet little spring project...

sing your sweet songs...enjoy the spring!

sunday junkin'

i enjoyed the sunshine today...a little junkin' in pasadena...and what i mean by 'a little' is a lot of little finds...

several of these items will be listed for sale soon, but one of my favorite 'keepers' is this mascara...

it's tiny and so stinkin' cute...and inside...

back in the day i don't think i would have bothered...but it sure is entertaining now...it's already found a home in my studio bathroom amongst other vintage make-up...

i love finding these little trinkets...and love even more to make something with the junk i find...here's a tag i made this week that says it all...

the finding and the making is what brings me joy...so fulfilled as i head into april...it's going to be an amazing month...i can feel it!

so sweet vintage easter basket

i made a sweet little vintage easter basket i thought i would share today...

i used a berry basket as the base and added lots of favorite elements to it...

first some ruffled crepe paper, then picket fencing cut out of grunge board and crackled with distress crackle paint in picket fence then i inked it with pumice stone distress stain...and my favorite trimming along the bottom, inked with peeled paint distress stain...

a glittified mini bunny with glue n seal and MS white gold glitter...his bow is rock candy distress crackle paint and inked with worn lipstick distress stain...

a little banner is the perfect touch...the words are stamped with hero arts alpha and pumice stone ink...add a little handle, vintage millinery and a seam binding bow...a sweet little basket, indeed...

quick, simple, and sweet...go make somethin' purdy!

sweet nesting bird tag

just a sweet little tag for this wednesday...played with the spritz n flick technique i learned in class with Tim Holtz...did i mention i am L.O.V.I.N.G. the Creative Chemisrty 101 online class?

told ya...sweet little nesting birdie...so soft and femine...or girlie as Big Mama likes to say...

i colored the bird and eggs with distress markers and a water brush...i did mention how much i love them right?

so much to love lately...what are you in love with these days?

lovin' ya,

the same, but different

so much inspiration around me lately...i am always my happiest when i manage to make time to play in my studio...pure bliss...

and a whole lot of fabulous, amazing inspiration comes from none other than THE Rock Star himself, Tim Holtz...

last night Tim's first ever online class began...i am so looking forward to the daily lessons and homework!!

pop on over to his blog or online card class for details...it's not too late to head on over to join in the fun!!

now...on to my latest creation...remember this tag? well, i loved it so much i had to make some more...only different...

see? same, but different...and i love them the same...

now go...look into the class, it may be the inspirational spark you need to find your creative bliss!

chelle

 

Idea-ology Pocketwatch Challenge

the Inspiration Team was challenged to use the Idea-ology Pocket Watch...no rules, no constraints...so i totally went for it...

i knew exactly what i wanted to do...create something that brought Alice in Wonderland to life...the pocket watch has always reminded me of the story and that very late rabbit!

is it wrong to be in love with your own project? perhaps it's mostly because it's a disney movie theme? or just one of those projects that i really put my heart into...

the watch is all dirtied up...inked with a lot of alcohol inks, sanded and beaten with a hammer...all on purpose!

the rabbit was colored with my newly adored distress markers and a water brush...they make it so easy...love the look!

each of the elements layered on top of the cracked baroque grungeboard is on one of the three sizes of rosettes, each glittified...and the roses (of course being painted RED) are vintage paper pages cut with the Sizzix 3-D flower die...perfect for this theme...

it wouldn't be complete without the 'eat me' and 'drink me', now would it?!! liquid pearls made for a great icing on a rosette center cut out of kraft paper...and a mini vial filled with distress ink refill and water...mini adorableness...

each of the elements were hand altered to look old with a paint brush, my fingers, a cloth and alcohol inks...then each is sanded to grunge them up a bit...just those little details bring the metal to life for me...and no two ever look alike!

go on...get dirty, think outside the box, and put your heart into your next project!!!

chelle

 

Distress Marker Love

i had some time to play with my new set of Tim Holtz Distress Markers...and within moments, i was in love...mad love...

i knew i would love them, but what i didn't realize was how fabulous markers would be filled with my favorite ink...all the characteristics found in Distress Ink Pads and Distress Stains are found in the Distress Markers...the ink acts the same...

coloring with them garners the same conistent vibrant color, the blendability, the way the inkes work together, reactive to water...all there...and the real magic happens when you reach for your new Detail Tip Water Brush...

you can pick up the color from your mat or use your markers on the paper then blend with your brush...at the end, i added just a small line of direct marker to pop the color...

i love the result...and i secretly have a mad, mad love for this tag...so sweet, soft, and romantic...

go forth and color...i guarantee you will fall in love...

Lucky Girl

Happy March!! The Monthly Challenge this month at the Inspiration Emporium is a Color Challenge: Go Green!! Here's my project...

The challenge is to make a prokect that is mostly green...there is some question as to whether 13 is a lucky number or an unlucky number...i went with lucky! it's all about perspective!

My favorite part of the tag is the Vintage Lace die cut Tissue Tape...i may have to add it to every stinkin' thing i make!!! 

Head on over to the Emporium blog and play along with us!!!

Nineteen years ago, I was lucky enough to become this amazing girl's mom...she is and always will be perfection in my eyes...she inpsires me and makes me proud every day!!

I'm heading to Seattle to celebrate my girl...can't wait!!

Be Lucky,

Chelle

stuff that life is made of

sometimes you are fortunate enough to find the time to do the things you love the most...and, other times, you let life get in the way...

this weekend, i managed to spend time with a fabulous friend, spend hours creating...getting inky, enjoy one of my favorite meals, hit some favorite junkin' spots, watch a great movie, eat homemade ice-cream right out of the ice-cream maker, and serve up and drink some fabulous coffee...

here is the little tag with big heart...by that i mean that i designed it to send out to some of our great customers at the emporium...

i LOVE  the new Wallpaper & Wood Stamp from Tim Holtz Stampers Anonymous!

after stamping the background and inking the edges with Walnut Stain Distress Ink, i stamped the swirly flourish from the set Artful Flight...adding a few dots of Flamingo Liquid Pearls...

the flower is vintage sheet music cut with the Tim Holtz Alterations Mini Tattered Florals Die from Sizzix...and i adore it!!! i popped a Basic Grey brad in the center and tied tulle around it

the leaves are cut from the Kraft Resist Paper Stash using the Tim Holtz Alterations Mini Branch & Leaf Die...i inked them with Peeled Paint Distress Stain then inked with Walnut Stain Distress Ink...

Final touch...dyed seam binding...am i predictable, or what?

simple and sweet, with touchs of things i love!

the junkin' today was fun and inspiring...i don't have to come home with loads of goodies to feel successs...these are the few things i just had to bring home with me...the wee paper cuter is just so fantastic...

the details and wear on it are perfection...one of my new favorite things i own!

and...because i know you want to know, the movie? Money Ball...the meal, you ask? Felix...amazing Cuban Food in Downtown Orange...

oh...yeah, and there was this...

i hope you found some time for what you love this weekend!