Red Lantern

I hope everyone had a fantastic Independence Day, we spent the day playing around the house and after a brief stint at work I made it home in time to watch fireworks with the guys. All around a good day while enjoying some of our freedoms. 

I then spent the rest of the weekend putting this fun red lantern together for the Paper Girls Challenge Blog's newest challenge - Red, White, and Blue. We want to see what you can do with that theme, while I used traditionally patriotic colors I spun off and made a little bit of home decor. 

Here's a few close-ups of this one: 

I used Graphic 45 Fashionista papers, a wooden dowel, some popsicle sticks, Christmas wired ribbon (wires removed), Viva Decor Inka Gold and glitter pens, E6000, hot glue, gel medium and washi. 

Do you like that I included washi in my list? It's been my go to for temporary placement while designing projects. I don't know what I'd do without the stuff. 

The lantern itself was a $5 buy at Tuesday Morning, the glass pieces were missing but I knew immediately the general direction this piece was going to take. 

I used my Cameo to cut out all those flowers and leaves and a petal curler to give them some shape. The brad centers were from my stash. 

Thanks for stopping by, and don't forget to link up your RW&B projects!

Bloom where you are planted - 10 Things Flowers

I have a secret, nay forbidden love of flowers. Probably, it's been exaggerated because as a boy mom there aren't many excuses to bust them out! 

Well, one day recently I wasn't feeling like entering any challenges and thought I should work on some sort of ephemera that I could give as a housewarming present for some friends this summer.  The only mission I had was to use premade flowers (the Ten Things feature today at Practical Scrappers) and to get really messy. 

Bloom where you are planted

I used modeling paste over a stencil from The Crafters Workshop. As it was drying I stamped and heat embossed with gold Zing using a Mini Market background stamp. 

While the paste continued drying I watered down some old grey acrylic paint (read clumpy craft paint) and started washing it onto the page. Then I dripped one of my misters across the top - later it evolved into flower stems. Have to say that I l.o.v.e. the way the ink filled into the cracks in a very moss/ivy/organic way.

Most of the flowers are from Prima's Sprites collection, the netted and sheer ones are from Imaginesce, the big cream ones were saved when my mom did a little destashing. All of them got a little rub down in some Ranger Distress Gathered Twig ink. And some of them were garnished with some Distress Stickles Pine Needle. 

Now I just need to buy a frame the next time they're on sale. 

Other products used:

Large Alphas: American Crafts Thickers

Small Block Alphas: Authentique

Twine: won it in a scrappy challenge, the tag said honeydew on it but I think that refers to the color

Brads: Paper Studio (small) and American Crafts (large)