Four Ways Friday #67 - Boho Blossoms Punch

This week's Four Ways Friday is all about how you can use the Boho Blossoms punch in fun and exciting ways!

Of course, you can always use your punch in the usual way :)  Here I punched out a bunch of the smallest flowers using Very Vanilla and Basic Black card stock.  I then adhered them to the Very Vanilla card base using glue.  I then added the adhesive pearls to the flower centers.  Finally, I stamped the greeting from Sincere Salutations using Staz-On Jet Black ink and the stamp-a-ma-jig.

For this second card, I took a piece of Rich Razzleberry card stock and used the punch to punch out "windows" of flowers in the lower right hand corner.  I then backed the Rich Razzleberry card stock with a piece of Very Vanilla card stock to create the impression that the flowers were Very Vanilla in color.  I added a few punched out flowers to the piece and then added adhesive pearls to the the flower centers.  I then adhered the piece to a piece of Pretty In Pink card stock and adhered the entire panel to the Rich Razzleberry card base using dimensionals.  Next I punched out a decorative label and then adhered a piece of Old Olive satin ribbon behind it using a piece of tape.  I then layered circles onto the label using my 1 3/4", 1 1/2" and 1 1/4" circle punches.  The final 2 circles were attached to the largest circle using dimensionals.  I then added a small flower to the upper right-hand corner.  The last touch was the add a strip of designer paper that I punched with the scallop edge punch.

Punched shapes make great masks that you can use in so many different ways!  For this tag, I began with a plain tag and then adhered a number of punched flowers using temporary adhesive.

Next, I sponged the tag using Crumb Cake ink and then removed the masks.  I die cut the letters using the Alphabet Simple Letters dies and Crumb Cake card stock and sponged the edges using Chocolate Chip ink.  I then used my finger to apply champagne shimmer paint to all of the letters and adhered them to the tag.  A few of the flowers were also punched out of Crumb Cake card stock, sponged, brushed with a bit of shimmer paint, and embellished with adhesive rhinestones.  I then adhered the flowers to the tag and added a small piece of Early Espresso ribbon.  Here's a close up so you can see the masking more clearly:

I also love to layer punched shapes and use them to make magnets or push pins.

 For this last project I punched quite a few of the largest flowers and a couple of the middle sized flowers from Baja Breeze card stock.  I then sprayed them lightly with water and crunched them and let them dry.  Then I uncrumpled them and sponged them with Marina Mist ink.  I also punched a 1 1/4"  circle and sponged the edges.  Next I layered all of the flowers on top of one another and used my paper piercer to make a center hole.  I then pushed through a rhinestone brad and adhered the entire flower to the circle using crystal effects.  Here is a close up of the flower:

 I then used the crystal effects to adhere a magnet and also adhered a smaller circle to the back side of the magnet so that it can be used on metal surfaces without scratching.
I hope you've enjoyed this week's Four Ways Friday!  I hope these ideas inspire you to use your Boho Blossoms punch in new and exciting ways!!!!  I wish you a wonderfully creative and peaceful weekend!  (I will hopefully be doing some more house painting...I'll try to take more pics so you can see the progress!).

Four Ways Friday will be here later today!

Hi!  I just got back from a trip yesterday and was too tired to stamp, so Four Ways Friday will be coming a bit later today!  Hope you stop back by!

Butterfly Sign...In Progress!

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  We Are All Works In Progress!
I don't know why I've had an aversion in the past to showing you works in progress and why I have felt the need to always share completed projects.  Do you know why that is?  Do you come here expecting to see something in its completed state?  I realize that just showing you completed projects and videos of completed projects doesn't really share the truth of my creative process.  I have a lot of "ongoing pieces" in my craft room.  Some wait for days...or months...or, yes, years...waiting for my return to move them forward.  I am very much like these projects - a work in progress.  I am never completed - I am always changing, building up, taking away.  We are all works in progress - just like our art.  So today I'm going to show you a work in progress and we can enjoy the journey together (and yes, I promise to share how this piece transforms...whether that be a day from now, a month from now....or maybe even a year!).
Today's piece started out much like my "create art" sign.  I began with die cutting chipboard - time time using the Bigz Beautiful Butterflies die and the Simple Alphabet dies.  I then adhered the pieces to the base using glue.  This time I decided to start adhering metal tape from the home improvement store and adding a bit of sequin waste that I adhered with matte medium.  I want to thank RachO113 on YouTube for this inspiration.  If you haven't watched any of her videos and want to be absolutely inspired, you need to go and watch her at work with her art in her videos - she is truly amazing to watch!  Thank you Rachel for the inspiration!  Here are a few pictures of the process unfolding:

Next I finished covering the sign with the metal tape and then used my embossing tool to outline all of the raised areas - the letters, the butterfly, and the sequin waste.  Finally, I used some metal working tools to add some texture and distressing.  The tape is quite soft, so you can add texture with everyday items you have lying around the house or in your craft space.

Here is the piece in its "raw" form.  I have begun to add color to the piece using some non-SU! products and I also have an idea about how I want to keep moving forward with it.  For now, I will leave you and your imagination with this piece as it is in this picture...in the hopes that it will inspire you to take the process in your own direction.  And, I will continue to work the piece and share it with you as it evolves!  I hope we can enjoy this journey together :)

Create Art Sign - Continued!

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Delayed Gratification Can Help You Appreciate What You Receive

In today's world of instant everything, I find that I can forget to really appreciate that which I receive.  We have learned that we can get what we need at the click of a button - be it information; something new we buy on the internet; a message we receive from a friend through instant messaging, texting, or email.  It seems to train us to believe that everything comes quickly and it also seems to train us to not stop and really marvel at what we receive.  If things seem to appear automatically, we can begin to take them for granted.  So thank you for coming back by today for a little delayed gratification!  I hope you didn't mind the wait...and if you did, ask yourself why you minded and whether you can slow down your desire to have it all "right now!"  I am trying to teach myself this same patience and this same appreciation to allow things to come at their own time.
When we left off yesterday, I shared with you the sign covered in masking tape.  The next step was to sponge Soft Suede ink to the entire piece.  Next came some Chocolate Chip ink sponged in some places and then some Basic Black ink, sponged particularly around the letters to give them a bit of definition.  I then used my fingers to apply Champagne Shimmer Mist paint to the entire panel, right over all of the ink.  In person this sign has some great sparkle and shine!!!!  The paint also acts to "seal in" the ink.  I then stamped the word "create" from one of the stamps in the Charming stamp set.  I used my Soft Suede marker and Very Vanilla card stock and then cut out the word and sponged the edges with Soft Suede ink.  The word was applied to the sign using glue.  The brass hand was something I had in the craft room - it came in handy :)  I attached it using matte medium.  Next I stamped a brass metal tag using Staz-On ink and the Calendar Alphabet & Numbers stamp set.  I attached it to the sign using an antique brad.  Finally, I adhered the entire panel to a piece of Basic Black card stock and added some D-ring hangers with matte medium.  I haven't decided yet if I want to hang the sign using wire or ribbon...but I know I will decided when the time is right :)  I hope you like it!  Tomorrow check back to see how else you can cover chipboard signs for a totally different look!

Create Art Serif Essentials and Faux Leather Sign

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  It All Begins With An Idea Or An Action

Today's project started with the idea to make a sign for my craft room after I had completed yesterday's "create art" card.  What I find is that most of my art begins with either an idea or an action.  Sometimes I walk into the craft room and sit down and have an intention - an idea of where I want to start or what I want to do.  At other times, I sit down and I am clueless!  I have no idea what I am going to do or where to begin.  Either way creates a beginning - a place where my art begins.  You don't have to have an idea to actually get started - you can just get started :)
This first photo is where I began to bring the idea to life.  I cut a piece of chipboard for the base and then die cut chipboard with the Serif Essentials dies and adhered the letters to the base using glue.  I then began to apply strips of masking tape, smoothing the pieces around the letters as I went along.  Here are some pictures of the process I went through:

I kept adding the masking tape until the chipboard was fully covered.  I then used my embossing tool to press the tape down very tightly around the edges of the letters.  It's hard to tell in this last photo, but using the embossing tool to outline the letters really helps define the outline.  So I think I'm going to leave you in a bit of suspense and share the finished project with you tomorrow.  I figure it took me a little while to make this piece - a bit more time than my usual card, so it makes sense to me that sharing it with you should take a bit more time too :)  Stop back by tomorrow if you want to see what happened next! :)

Serif Essentials Art Card

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Create Art

Today's card is as much a message to myself as it is a card to post.  I still struggle with letting things get in the way of my creating art - my inner critic; time; needed the next supply before I can do anything - Do you suffer from any of these?  If I can just sit down and clear my mind a bit, then I seem to be able to overcome those things that try to get in the way.  So this weekend I spent some time sitting and, as a result, created some art...and it felt GREAT!  It all began with this card - my new mantra for myself :)  You may see this message again tomorrow...(hint, hint!)
This card was so simple and I love the Crumb Cake on Crumb Cake effect.  I ran the card base through the Big Shot with the Framed Tulips embossing folder.  I actually ran it through backwards - so the card front is "debossed" - I decided to just go with it :)  I then die cut the letters using the Serif Essentials dies and the Big Shot.  The letters and the card base were sponged using Soft Suede ink.  Next I stamped the word "create" by only inking that word on one of the stamps in the Charming stamp set.  I then cut it out and sponged the edges.  The letters and the word "create" were then adhered to the card using dimensionals.  I hope you like it...more importantly, I hope you like the message :)