Up-Cycled Valentine's Day Project

How fun is it to take something you find for next to nothing and turn it into something brand new and priceless?!  (after all, it is a one-of-a-kind piece of art!)  A few weeks ago I created a Valentine ornament using this silver plated coaster I picked up at the thrift shop for just fifteen cents!

I used alcohol inks and gold patina to turn the silver into a lush gilded golden color.  I knew from my painting lessons that gold paint is always more beautiful with red under it, so I wanted to see if the theory applied with inks.   I think it worked great!

 Using PhotoShop, I sized and printed out the Victorian image three times.  I wanted dimension so I cut out various elements and lifted with foam tape. (Remember the decoupage days?)  Stickles was added to the angel's wings and rose petal centers.  A silver braided cord (looks gold here--keep reading to find out why) was added around the inside rim with Glossy Accents.  Once everything was dry, I poured on a good layer of melted clear UTEE.  The heated UTEE has a golden color and turned the silver cord gold!

To finish, I glued on pearls colored with red alcohol ink and stamped, cut and distressed the banner.  Using my Vintaj hole puncher, I punched the hole at the top, added a jump ring and then threaded through gold ribbon and a bead.  Looks pretty rich for 15 cents, don't you think?!

Entered Into the Following Challenges:
SUGAR CREEK HALLOW--LOTS OF LAYERS
ORDER OF THE OPUS-GLUEI--GLITZ, GLAMOUR, BLING
MY TIME TO CRAFT--THINGS WITH WINGS
SIMON SAYS STAMPS--PAPER PIECING
THROUGH THE CRAFT ROOM DOOR--ANYTHING GOES

2nd Blog-A-Versary Give Aways!

Just like everyone else says, it's hard to believe that it's been two whole years since I first started this blog!  It's been great fun and I've made lots of online crafty "friends".  Thanks for being part of it.

Since the start of the blog, I've shared over 100 SVG files, countless examples of cards, scrapbook layouts and multi-media projects.  I've also shown you lots of techniques.  So now I want to see what YOU have created using SVGs and inspiration my blog.  There are freebies and a chance for a prize if you share!  

GIVE AWAY DETAILS:

Email (creative@avci.net) me a photo or blog link of what you've created.  Deadline is February 3rd. 

SVG SUBMISSION PRIZES:

Send a project using one of my SVG files and will send you the SVG of your choice from my online store.

Click over to the STORE to make your choice and be sure to include the name of it in the email message.  BONUS:  If you give me permission to post your project (either on the blog or the store) I will send you a second SVG of your choice.  You may send as many projects as you wish but a maximum of two SVG files will be sent to each entrant.

OTHER SUBMISSION PRIZE:

Send a project using one of my techniques or an interpretation of one of my shared projects and you will be entered into a drawing for a crafty prize package.  Multiple submissions are allowed, but please send pictures in separate emails.  You will receive one drawing entry for each submission.  Drawing will be held on February 4th.

Vintage Love Valentine's Day Card

I love black, white and red (check out my closet!) so I really liked using the vintage photo on this card because it allowed me to use my favorite colors.  And it was quick and easy to create!  The base is black cardstock (4.25" x 11") folded in half.  I printed the vintage image on white cardstock and trimmed it with a "photo" edge.

Then I cut out the embellishments using red cardstock.  The scrolled heart file is from my "Valentine Hearts" SVG set which you can purchase HERE.  I added Glossy Accents to the heart portions only to give them dimension.  

The heading came from my "Valentine" SVG set which you can purchase HERE.  To give the heading and the embellishment more dimension, I used a Black Soot Distress Marker and a water pen to shade the edges.

This is my Design Team submission for the Creative Cutting Challenge's newest challenge--Valentine's Day Cards.  If you use an electronic cutter and SVG (or similar) files to create your Valentine's cards, I hope you'll join in the fun...you just might win a $5 Gift Certificate valid on over 100 different SVG files.  And even if you're not entering, CLICK over to see all the great Valentine's Day Card inspiration from the entire Design Team!

And Another Love Story Begins...

If you are a follower of my blog, you know of my love for bulldogs.  It started way back in the 80's with my first one, Mack.  When I started this blog almost two years ago, I was Momma to Louie and Millie and frequently used them in posts (Scrapbook Layouts, "Pet Week" SVGs, Studio/Bulldog Museum, etc).  Louie passed away in June of 2011 and Millie this past October.  They were elderly and in the last months of each of their lives, quite sickly.  It was so hard to lose them and I missed them terribly.  People started asking me when I would be getting another bully.  I was torn between a rescue dog and a puppy.  I put it all into God's hands and left it up to Him as to when I'd welcome a new bully into my life.  Well, His timing is always perfect and this past weekend, much to my great surprise, He delivered the perfect little bully to me.

I'd like to introduce you to this bundle of sweetness.  His name is Gus and he has filled my heart with joy!  I was totally in love with him before he even walked through my door.  You'll be hearing more about him as time goes by but if you don't see a post from me for a few days, you'll know why.  I'm busy getting sweet puppy kisses!

Still Time to Enter the SVG Challenge!

If you create using SVG (or similiar) files with an electronic cutter, I hope you'll join our "Valentine's Day--Not A Card" Challenge.  You just might win!  Enter now through Saturday midnight (EST).

Even if you don't use SVGs,  there is loads of Design Team Valentine inspiration for you to take a peek at: 

CREATIVE CUTTING CHALLENGE

Foiled Valentine's Day Card

I had a small square of red foil wrapping paper left over from Christmas and decided to put it to use on a Valentine's Day card.  I embossed it and used alcohol inks (Cranberry, Red Pepper, Silver Mixative), pouncing them here and there all over the foil.  This gave it a really nice marbled look.  I attached the foil to the card base with Glossy Accents.  Over the foil, I layered a piece of white cardstock that I diecut an oval from (using Petite Scalloped Ovals Large).  I rounded the corners with a punch and attached to the foil again using Glossy Accents. 

In the oval opening I added the Filigree Hearts which I cut from the FANCY HEARTS SVG set out of white cardstock and attached with GA.  I cut a second file out of red cardstock and snipped just the hearts out.  These I folded in half and glued down along the crease.  I accented  down the fold with Liquid Pearls (Silver Pearl) and on the diecut oval points.  I also added Liquid Pearls (White Opal) at the top and bottom white diecut scrolls.  I finished by gluing on a ribbon.
This card entered into the following Challenges:
DIVAS BY DESIGN--ANYTHING GOES
FRILLY AND FUNKIE--ANYTHING GOES
CRAFT ROOM CHALLENGE--VALENTINES
CREATIVE CREATIONS--ANYTHING GOES
MY GRAFICO--ANYTHING GOES
UNSTAMPABELLES--USE ONE OR MORE DIES
CARD MAKING MAMAS--ANYTHING GOES

Valentine's Pillow Box & SVG Freebie

Hope everyone had a great holiday season!  The challenges at CREATIVE CUTTING CHALLENGE have started up again and this pillow box is featured as my design team submission for the current theme of "Valentine's Day--Not A Card".  If you use electronic cutters, I hope you'll pop over there and join the challenge!  Now for the design details on this pillow box:

I have pillow boxes that other SVG designers have created but I wasn't happy with them.  The perforations were way too small for easy folding on the curved ends (and it took forever to cut).  If you plan on making a bunch of boxes, it would be very time consuming to hand score those curves.  So I got to work and created this pillow box that has large dashed folding perforations. 

You can get the pillow box SVG file for FREE HERE. (If you don't have an electronic cutter, a pdf of a pillow box is very easy to find with an online search)  Because the dashes on my file are larger, be sure to use a nice weight of cardstock for your boxes.  I used this great Valentine's kraft paper (sorry, I don't have the name) for my box.  I used Scor-Tape to make sure that the box held together once filled with sweets.

 

To decorate the box, I found some scraps of a paper lace doily.  I trimmed it to fit the front and glued it down with Glossy Accents. I cut the cupid from my VALENTINE  set out of kraft cardstock then distressed the edges with Brick Red and Vintage Photo Distress Inks.  I mounted it to a diecut heart with foam tape.  The heart also has DI added to the edges and I punched holes at the top to run baker's twine through.  The twine wraps around the box, with each end coming up through the holes.  I tied a double knotted bow in the center.  Pretty sweet, don't you think?

This project is entered into the following Challenges:

MY GRAFICO--ANYTHING GOES
ANYTHING BUT A CARD--THINGS WITH WINGS
AVADARES--VALENTINE'S DAY OR LOVE
SIMON SAYS STAMP--EMBRACE THE OLD