Rustic Nature Wedding Guest Book

On 3rd March this year, I've witnessed the wedding of a lovely couple I know - Ernest and Stephanie. As part of my wedding gift to them, I did a guest book for them. It was also part of Canvas Corp July Wedding Challenge this July. A long overdue project update here. This entry was on draft mode for very long till the birth of their son Theopilus reminded me on this book. Without much talking, here is what I've made for them.

The guest book itself is a vintage ledger book from 7gypsies Architextures which I purchased it for this purpose. I merely did up a mixed media layout for them on the front cover. I used quite a number of die-cuts for this layout, mainly from Tim Holtz steel dies. I tried to match up to the "look" of the photos they provided me and decided upon a rustic, dainty nature look. As always, I love to centralize my design focus as this is one of my most preferred layout.

Loads of floral and swirls, together with touches of twine, burlap, handwritten script and woodgrain effects which I transformed bits of chipboards into. Since the front is already quite dimensional, I kept the back of the book as simple as possible.

Wedding is just only a ceremonial indication of a marriage between a man and a woman, what's really important is the marriage itself. Therefore, I didn't just stop at the front cover, and think it'd be better to have one more layout of this lovely couple right at the very first page of the book which marks as the very new beginning for them after their wedding.

I hope the guest book has been filled up! 

Below is a list of supplies I used for this project with some links included. Unfortunately, not all are available and most 7gypsies and Tattered Angels products can be purchase at Canvas Corp website itself:

• 7gypsies Architextures 
• Vintage 12" x 12" Ledger 
• Mix and Match Bee 8.5″x 11″ Book
• Mixed Media Pack
• Tattered Angels 
• High Impact Paints (Antique Gold & Platinum)
• Naturally Aged Kit – Rusty Metal (Faux Finish Paint Kit)
• Color Wash Paint Faux Finish (Verdigris)
• Glimmer Mist (Key Lime Pie)
• Sizzix Tim Holtz Dies
• Flourish and Scroll
• Tattered Floral (Sizzix, Scrapbook.com)
• Garden Greens (Sizzix, Scrapbook.com)
• Styled Labels
• Ranger Archival Ink in Jet Black (Blitsy, Scrapbook.com)
• Own stash (burlap, jute twine, mini alpha chipboards, scripted handwriting & bark grain stamps) 

A French Carnival Sweet Paper Jar

Good day everyone! 

I'm so glad despite of my recent erratic hours, I manage to squeeze some time in between to showcase an interesting way in how to embellish a paper jar using the various dies from Spellbinders for Canvas Corp Brands' Product Match Up series. This will be especially useful if you're their Club Kit members.

I've this French Carnival idea at the back of my mind with an attempt to do up a Parisian concept-base project. I deliberately chose red and ivory as my main colours and would love to do up something sweet for a friend and sister-in-Christ. Without much consideration, I decided to do up another paper jar, based on a tutorial I did for my Graphic 45 Ambassador Audition entry last month. To give the jar a some dainty look, I added some Tresor de Luxe laces around the jar before embellishing. Move over to Canvas Corp blog here to view how I get all this done up! 

So here is the final product (with more pictures below) which I've already gifted to my friend on Sunday for her birthday. I filled up the jar with some sweets and small gifts within the gift box prior in gifting, which are not captured in the pictures here. However, this can serve as a good gift idea that's one of a kind; handmade and nowhere else available for purchase. After all sweets are consumed, the jar itself can be continued used as it labelled as or to store other things.

The top of the lid...

The gift box...

Using an eye bolt screw, I hang a small tag with handwritten birthday wishes beneath the lid that further make this gift a more personalized one. Well, that's how I used the various Spellbinders Club Kit dies to compliment and match up the various papers from Canvas Corp. If you're not or yet to become Spellbinders Club Kit member, you can simply sign up as a new member and get 15% off your fist kit by using this coupon code: CLUB15. As good as it'll last, therefore do sign up before it's gone for good!! 

Below is a full list of supplies I used for this project together with various links in where to get them:

• Canvas Corp 12" x 12" papers (Red & White Mini Dot Reverse, Red & Ivory Ribbon Stripe, Black and Ivory French Script)
• Spellbinders Fretwork Accent Die (Amazon, Spellbinders)
• Spellbinders Club Kits (Domed Treat Box set, Holiday Frame set)
• Tim Holtz Kraft Stock Metallic 8" x 8" Gold & Silver Cardstock (Amazon, Blitsy, Scrapbook.com)
• Bazzill Basic Walnut Cream Cardstock (Amazon, Scrapbook.com)
• Ribbons (old gold shimmer organza, ivory satin with gold metallic trim edge)
• Tresor de Luxe laces (white flower applique, Venice lace trims)

Always Love, Love Always - A Poppy Heartfelt Card

Alright, after months of delay with held ups, etc., finally my pilot Canvas Corp post went live. I'm sharing here today a poppy heartfelt card that I made for this month watercolour challenge. I also did up an easy-peasy tutorial in how to use various Tattered Angels products to watercolour stamped images. Click HERE to find out how.

I'm using the Poppy Heart stamp from IndigoBlu as the main focus of the card. Because poppies are red in colour, I contrast the background with a variety of blues, using the various texture papers from 7gypsies Architextures paper series as well a few drizzle touches of Frozen Berry Twinkle Me'lange, one of the complimentary goodies gifted by the owners of Little Birdie Crafts. Can you see how it sparkle that "special effects" on the card?

Well, aside creating this card for the watercolor challenge, I decided to gift this card to one beautiful couple from Texas I met 2 weeks ago while they were here for missionary work - John and Carla Moore! It was via John Moore's Searching for the Truth programme I managed to find my way to the LORD's church. The one True Church where I get to meet many Christians around world where we are all bound by one faith and one truth. Christ's Church is without border and that's the beauty of the LORD's church. It's indeed one such blessing to be part of this amazing big family of God. LORD's willing, I got to meet him this year together with his lovely wife, Carla. They are back to their home in the US, and till next time we will surely meet again...

Me with The Moores 😄

All the biblical virtues of Love which I dedicate to the Moores...

I hope this will be a refreshing idea in how to use various Tattered Angels mists and paints for watercolouring. Again, here is the shout out! The watercolour challenge is open to everyone till 4th June. The winner of the challenge will be invited to be Canvas Corp Brands Guest Designer. Meaning to say, you will get a box filled with goodies from all 3 Canvas Corp Brands to play with should you crown as the winner. Without much hesitation, do hop over HERE to enter the challenge.

Below is the full list of supplies I used for this project with various links in where to get them:

• 7gypsies Architextures™ Mixed Media Pack (Amazon, Canvas Corp)
• 7gypsies Architextures™ 8″ x 8″ Paper Pad
• Architextures™ Parchment Rub-On – Inspire
• Tattered Angels Naturally Aged Kit - Rusty Metal (Amazon, Canvas Corp)
• Tattered Angels Calendar Mist Kit - Kisses (Amazon, Canvas Corp)
• Tattered Angels Color Wash Paint Faux Finish - Verdigris (Amazon, Canvas Corp)
• Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist - Key Lime Pie (Amazon, Canvas Corp)
• Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist - Curious (Amazon, Canvas Corp)
• Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist - Cork (Amazon, Canvas Corp)
• IndigoBlu Poppy Heart A6 Stamp
• Little Birdie Crafts (Twinkle Me'lange in Frozen Berry, Chipboard Vine)

That about it for today and I shall see you very soon again for my next tutorial. Therefore, do stay tune!

My Canvas Corp 4" x 4" Canvas Art

One of the requirements for being part of Canvas Corp Crew is to do up a 4" x 4" canvas that best represent yourself. It was a rather busy week for me last week, however I manage to get my canvas all done up! Can't wait to share it around and here I am sharing this today! Yeah!!!

It was indeed my very first time doing such a small canvas art. Though I felt I might not have enough to work around with, I managed to come up with a composition that's within the context I'd want to express. Using various Tattered Angel's mixed media products as well as Finnbair's old mechanicals, this is what I came up with. As the canvas itself requires no priming, you can pretty much work straight to it. I die cut out a few florals from some of the papers within 7gypsies Architextures 8.5" x 11" Mix and Match Book using Tim Holtz' Tattered Floral Bigz Die, distressed the edges and layered over the canvas to create some texture before all the misting and painting comes it. 

Those pretty lace I wrapped around the canvas is from 7gypsies which unfortunately it's a retired item. To give it a little rustic and ragged look, I misted some bandages with Tattered Angel Cork glimmer mist to go over the lace, and secured it with some Prima jute straw.

Not wanting to spare the empty space at the back of the canvas, I decided to do up a miniature Art Room within. That cute little frame is from my paperclay try outs using one of my Martha Stewart silicon moulds, which is of a good size to fit within. 

Nonetheless, it was a rather fun process to do up such a small mixed media canvas work. I'm pretty please with the final composition though I was a little concern about the small space given. Below is a list of supplies I used for this project with some links to various sources should anyone of you are interested to get them:

• Canvas Corp 4" x 4" Canvas
• 7gypsies Lace Trimmings
• 7gypsies Architextures 8" x 8" Paper Pad
• 7gypsies Architextures Parchment Rub Ons - Inspire
• 7gypsies Architextures 8.5" x 11" Mix and Match Book -Bee
• Tattered Angels Glimmer Mists (Cork, Vintage Pink)
• Tattered Angels High Impact Paint (Antique Gold)
• Tim Holtz Tattered Floral Bigz Die (Scrapbook.com, Sizzix)
• Tim Holtz Tiny Tattered Florals Thinlits (Amazon. Scrapbook.com, Sizzix)
• Tim Holtz Distress Ink in brushed corduroy (Amazon, Blitsy, Scrapbook.com)
• Tim Holtz Idea-ology Mini Plaquettes
• Martha Stewart Frame and Flourish Silicon Moulds
• Copper Metallic Papers (Cardstock Warehouse, CutCardStock)
• Prima Marketing Finnabair Mechanicals
• Prima Marketing straw jute
• Creative Paperclay
• Own stash (miniature red roses, tiny glass bottle, brass key, green foliage, golden studs and sequins)

I hope this has been an inspiration in how to work within small canvas spaces. I shall see you all very soon with a tutorial.

Creating with Canvas Corp Brands

Yes it has been quite a while I'm announcing something new and finalized. After finally getting myself settling down, I'm proud to announce that I'll be working with Canvas Corp Brands as their Creative Crew for next year, offering extensive product usage and online tutorials/classes.

It's a good come back to rejoin the community and I intend to do this for as long as I could and will be actively searching around to work with various companies. I hope I'm able to offer more useful techniques to all people alike, whether you are just a hobbyist or someone going through some adversity that need some creative outlet to cope.

Do stay with me. 

Cheers!!!