A Romantic Shadowbox with Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts and Graphic 45

Hello everyone!  February is the month of Mon Amour, and I guess I am still in "Love" mode, so I want to share my GSL Memory Tray Shadowbox using Graphic 45's Mon Amour paper collection. 

I always do a dry fit of my chipboard, just to make sure I know how the pieces will fit together. This also helps if you a gluing directional printed papers to the pieces.

NOTE:  This shadowbox uses dovetail joints to join the pieces together for strength.  A dovetail joint is a series of pins cut to extend from the end of one board that interlock with a series of tails, or slots, cut into the end of another board.

First, cut five  2-1/8" wide strips from one sheet of 12x12 paper.  To cover the sides and shelf strips, first cover the side that will need to have the the tails, or slots, recut into them.  Never cover the pins or they will not fit into the slots. 

Right side that needs the slots cut out

Wrong side that has the slots cut out

Wrap and glue remaining paper over to the opposite side.  Do not recut the slots on this side.  The paper will cover the areas where the pins are inserted into the slots for a clean finish.

This side will be on the outside of the box, so do not cut the slots out.

I fussy cut images from the paper collection and decided where I wanted to place them.  Then I cut background pieces that would complement the images.  Rather than give you minute measurements, I always find it easiest to measure the pieces by laying the paper down and measuring against the chipboard itself.  Mark the spot with a pencil and take the paper to your paper trimmer for best results.

Cover the back of the shadowbox completely, including the pins.  This will cover the "works" when the shelves and sides are glued.  Trim away excess paper.

Glue the shelves and sides together, fitting each piece as you go.

Cut the Hearts Background apart, making the edges uneven, and paint the two pieces with red paint.

Cut and glue small pieces of the print papers to fit behind the open hearts, then glue the Hearts Background sections to the back of the shadowbox, as shown,  I also stamped the solid hearts with a crackle stamp and black archival ink.

Color the Love Heart chipboard with the red paint, then dab gold ink over the piece, concentrating on the word Love. I also treated Kiss Me the same and glued to the front, as shown in the photos.

Glue the Love Heart to the back and add diamond swirls gems to the back, as shown.

Adhere the fussy cut embellishments from the paper collection, using two layers of pop dots to lift the images in each shadowbox section.  I used flowers, charms, jewelry pieces, and anything I could think of that looked good.  

I fussy cut the large image of the pretty lady and adhered here to the left side of the shadowbox.  I also painted two wooden barrel shaped pieces with the red paint and a layer of interference gold paint.  Enamel dots were added to the front and back of the barrel pieces.

Here are closeup photos of each section of the shadowbox.  

Supplies Used:

GSL Memory Tray Shadowbox
GSL Word Art Romance
GSL Hearts Background
Graphic 45 Mon Amour paper collection
Black card stock
Embellishments:  flowers, leaves, jewelry pieces, charms, fussy cut images, gem swirls
Foam dots

I hope you enjoyed my project today and that you are inspired a bit to make one of these fun and easy shadowboxes from Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts for yourself.  

Thanks for stopping by, and have a wonderful week!

Barbara

How to Make More Crumpled Foil Flowers: Part 2 of 2

Hi everyone!  I am back today with part two of my two part series on making flowers using paper towels, heavy duty aluminum foil, scissors, flower dies or punches, and ColourArte Vivid Ultra Metallics.  If you missed my first video, you can find it HERE.

I have made a complete video tutorial to show you how easy it is to make these beautiful flowers.

Please consider subscribing to my channel HERE.

ColourArte Supplies Used:

Vivid Ultra Metallics:
  Jasmine
  Autumn Leaf
  African Jade
  Bolivian Blue
  Olive Vine
  Wine & Roses
  Siam White
  Solar Gold

Emperor's Gold Radiant Gels

Other supplies used:

Heavy duty aluminum foil
Paper towels
white gesso
Dynasty #16 paint brush
Scissors
Paper Punches
Tim Holtz Tattered Florals Die
Flower stamen
Decorative Brads
Quilling tool (Optional)

A few closeups of each flower.

I hope you enjoyed my project, and thanks so much for stopping by.

Have a wonderful weekend, and stay crafty, my friends!

Barbara

Romantic Valentine's Day Cards

Hi everyone, and although a bit early, Happy Valentine's Day!  I want to share a couple of vintage Valentine's Day cards with you today.  Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts has a wonderful selection of romantic style chipboard that is just perfect for all of your card making projects, or try them in your scrapbooking too.

My first card has a lot of brown in it.  I was hoping to keep it somewhat feminine but also be appropriate for that special man in my (your) life.

I cut tan card stock to 10" x 7", folded in half to make my 5"x7" card base.  Then I cut layers of print paper from the Rossibelle paper collection, sizes shown in the photo below.

I distressed the edges of the layers with a distressing tool, then edged with brown distress ink.

The floral strip was punched with the bracket punch.

The paper pieces were all layered to the card base, as shown below.  Pieces of thin fun foam were added beneath a couple layers just to add dimension and interest.  

All chipboard pieces were first painted with white gesso.  This seals the chipboard and prepares the surface for your inks.  It will also keep the chipboard from sucking up large amounts of your ink or paint.  Use whatever inks or paints you have that match colors in your chosen paper.  The solid heart was covered with a piece of the pink print paper and the edges were sanded with an emery board.

The remaining chipboard pieces were colored with Prima ink pads, as follows:

Filigree heart frame - inked with Old Rose ink
Solid heart - covered with pink print paper, stamped with Prima 961961 and Tin Can ink, edged with Shabby Tote ink
Be Mine - inked with Vintage Pink and Turquoise Stone inks, edged with Black Coal inks
XOXO - inked with Garden Green, Olive Vine and White inks
Border lattice heart - inked with Tin Can ink

On the back of the filigree heart, I added small strips of chipboard to one side so that it would be level when I place the solid heart beneath it.  Refer to photo of finished card.

Glue the Be Mine piece to the solid heart, as shown.

Adhere the filigree heart frame, tilting it slightly over the solid heart, as shown.

Adhere the pieces to the card front, as shown.   I was not sure where I was going to place the small lattice heart until I noticed that Mine from the Be Mine piece was "floating". 

 This is where it came in handy.  I slipped it under the word so it would support it.  However, I also determined that the Tin Can color was not right, so I gessoed it again and colored it the same as I did on the XOXO piece. 

Here it is with a pretty bow attached.

The second card is super easy and quick.  

I cut a piece of pink 12"x12" card stock in half at 6", so when folded in half, it would make a 6"x6" square card.  The print paper was from Making Memories that I had in my stash, but any similar paper you have on hand would work.  

I adhered some really pretty white lace along the folded edge of the card.

Each piece of chipboard was first gessoed, as usual, and then colored with the Prima ink pads.

Border hearts - inked with Sweet Pea and Blossom Tree
A Little Romance - inked with Blossom Tree
Lips - inked with Hydrangea and Blossom Tree
Delicata Golden Glitz was used on all chipboard pieces to bring out the gold in the paper.

To bring out the gold in the paper, I decided to hit the chipboard lightly with a Gold Delicate ink pad.

Adhere chipboard pieces, as shown below.  A few flowers and die cut leaves were added below the word art.  I also added the pink ink to color the two white flowers.  

Supplies used:

GSL Border Sticks Lattice Hearts

GSL Word Art Romance

GSL Filigree Frames Shape Set

Printed scrapbook papers (Prima Rossibelle, Making Memories)

Fiskars bracket edge punch

Fern leaf die (Cheery Lynn)

Prima ink pads (Sweet Pea, Hydrangea, Blossom Tree, Old Rose, Vintage Pink, Tin Can, Turquoise Stone, Black Coal, White, Garden Green, Olive Green)

Prima 961961 Peeled Paint clear stamp 

Delicate Golden Glitz ink pad

Floral Embellishments (Recollections)

Lace strip

Blue organza ribbon

White gesso

Distress edger tool

Brown distress ink

I hope you have been inspired to use some beautiful chipboard pieces in your next card making project.  It not only adds dimension to your background, but not so much that it cannot be mailed.

Thanks so much for stopping by, and have a wonderful, crafty day!

Barbara