Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Wall Decor for the Hounds

Happy Hump Day with the Hounds! It was a very scary Monday night/Tuesday morning for us as I'm sure it was for many Knoxvillians. I lived in earthquake country all my life but this recent storm that just passed through really had my nerves rattled. I received a tornado warning on my cell phone accompanied by a shrill alarm with the words "take shelter now." I received this alert twice. The Giant was in Atlanta on the 6th floor of a hotel (that must have been scary since they were getting hammered as well) so it was only the hounds and I that quickly ran to our safe spot...the closet underneath the stairs.


During the first alarm, the hounds were put in their carriers which they DID NOT like. Bailey worked herself up into a frenzy, yipping and panting. After it was safe to come out, I decided to leave their harnesses on, just in case. I'm so glad I did because less than 30 min. later, the 2nd alarm sounded. We finally passed out around just after 2am, with the cell phone right next to my pillow. It was scary for sure but thankfully, we escaped damage and no one was hurt.  Southern TN was not so lucky nor the three states beneath us. My heart goes out to all who were injured or lost loved ones during these violent storms.

During this past week, I've been experimenting with my Silhouette machine and I am happy to report that I love it! I created this for Scrappin' in the City's April DT challenge which was to make something using vinyl. I had this bouncing around in my head for a while and thought that this was the perfect opportunity to finally have it come to fruition. 

Wall vinyl doghouses!






It was super easy as the Cameo has pre-set blade depths and speeds already figured out for you. I'm very happy with how they came out and it's got me thinking about what else I can stick to the walls! Have you created anything with vinyl yet and if so what was it?

Thanks for stopping by and stay scrappy...and safe!

-Gina & the Hounds


Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Whimsical DIY Decor in 10 Steps

Happy Thursday friends! What?! Two back-to-back posts? Oh yeah! Today, I depart the world of scrapbooking and show you a paper crafting/altered/mixed media project. I've been working on *her* for sometime, trying to perfect and streamline the process so you too can create your own whimsical creature. Allow me to introduce you to "Domestic Goddess."



What you will need:

Paper mâché bust 
Wooden candle pillar 
Acrylic or wall paint (I used Ultra Flat Matte UL200 in Petal Bloom sample from Behr)
150-grit sand paper or Dremmel with sanding attachment
Hazel & Ruby "Pass the Tissue" paper (I used Teal Then/White Polka Dot)


Teresa Collins Basically Essential Modeling Paste
Teresa Collins Basically Essential Palatte Knife Set
Mod Podge (I used Hard Coat formula)
2 paintbrushes-one for painting and one for decoupaging
Hot glue gun
Hot glue gun "finger" or Mod Podge finger (to protect from burns)
Jewelry wire
Washi tape
Kraft paper cardstock 
Heidi Swapp Color Mist (I used Blush)
White feathers (3 bags)
X-Acto knife
Pearl Pen (I used "Cream")
Heat gun (to speed up drying)
Baby wipes

Step 1: Cut tissue paper in four 1.5" strips and cut 1.5" squares from each strip. Apply Mod Podge to back of tissue paper squares and to the area of the bust you'll be working on. Apply tissue square to bust and smooth out using finger. Apply a thin coat of Mod Podge to the top of the tissue. Repeat many times until you get the desired coverage. I created a V-neck at the top of the bust.






Step 2: While bust is drying, begin work on the wings. Draw a wing shape (the size can vary) on one piece of kraft cardstock. Cut out and trace wing on second sheet of kraft cardstock.





Step 3: Shape jewelry wire around wing shapes to create a frame for each wing. Attach with washi tape. Leave an end piece (where the two ends of your wire will meet). 




Step 4: Mix about 4 large palatte knife-fuls of modeling paste with 10 pumps of Color Mist for each wing. Mix well until you achieve desired color. Apply tinted paste to one side of each wing (make sure you have wings oriented in the correct direction for each side of the bust). The more lines you create, the more texture. Continue until you have reached desired coverage (covering all kraft paper, wire, and washi) and texture. You can speed up the drying some with a heat gun. Allow to harden. 



(Note: I originally applied the paste after I had feathered. I recommend applying the paste before feathering so you don't get paste on the feathers!)

Step 5: Time to sand the candle pillar. (Make sure to move wings and bust out of the way before starting this step so you don't get wood dust stuck to your drying pieces.) If you have a Dremmel, you can do this step fairly quickly. If not, just grab a piece of 150-grit sandpaper and begin sanding. This is so the paint will stick better and will keep you from having to add a second coat.


Step 6: Wipe off pillar with a baby wipe to remove dust and clean up work space. Apply paint to pillar, focusing on any nooks and crannies it may have. I used one coat of Behr's Ultra in Petal Bloom which gave it a chalky texture. You can use acrylic paint as well which will give you a different finish.



Step 7: While candle pillar is drying, begin work on the other side of the wings, making sure the modeling paste has set if you opted to use it. Begin hot gluing feathers to each wing. Select feathers with a natural bend to go around the edge of the wing first then work toward the middle. Apply hot glue to the "stems" so as not to have yellow, gluey spots in the middle of your feathers. Continue until you have desired coverage. Trim around the edges if needed to "shape" your wings.


I used this brand of feathers.




Step 8: Making sure bust is dry, cut two small slits in the back with an X-Acto knife where end pieces of your wings will be inserted. Insert wings and secure with hot glue, smoothing out the glue do it doesn't leave big visible globs. Use dots of hot glue to secure wings to back of the bust. Apply a small strip of tissue to cover the area where the wings are inserted to give a smoother finish.







Step 9: Apply dots with Pearl Pen to create a pearl necklace around the bust's neck.


Step 10: Making sure the pillar is dry, hot glue bottom of bust to top of candle pillar. 

Your Domestic Goddess lives! She will make a fun addition to a craftroom or a whimsical accent piece to your home decor...and you can say that you made it! There are many ways you can personalize this project, the possibilities are endless! If you attempt this project, please send pics, I would love to see them!

Thanks for stopping by and stay scrappy (and crafty!)

-Gina & the Hounds

The Cameo Has Arrived!

Happy Hump Day with the Hounds! Today's featured pup is Bailey. This photo is called, "Where's Daddy?"


It's here, it's really here!



I can finally say that I am the proud owner of the Silhouette Cameo. It has been over 3 months that I have been without an electronic die-cutting machine and I sure missed it. If you recall from a previous post(http://scrappinwithhounds.blogspot.com/2014/03/happy-birthday-bax.html?m=1), I left Team Cricut and am now a member of the Cameo community. I know there are still many out there who are die-hard Cricut customers and I hope the Explore gives you what you are looking for and makes up for the past poor customer service, Imagine, and all the other products Provo Craft has discontinued and no longer supports. I have just started playing with the Cameo but leading up to its arrival, I have been watching YouTube videos and reading message boards, trying to absorb all of the awesome things this machine can do. My very first cut was of this bone, (of course),


and I successfully was able to print and cut (this is why I bought an Imagine in the first place but when it arrived, it wouldn't cut. Lucky for me, I had EBay Buyer Protection behind me. Many were not so lucky.)

Print & cut chicks from the Silhouette store

An awesome YouTube channel I found for Cameo tutorials is Sarah's World 4 U. Silhouette America has its own channel as well and is extremely helpful, especially with the more advanced features of the machine.

My only complaint with the Cameo is that I can't make it cut from my iPad. There is an app called Splashtop that enables you to use the Design Studio (it allows you to connect to your laptop remotely) but because there is no way to plug a USB cable into an iPad, it doesn't solve my "I don't want to schlep my laptop along with all of my other bags of crap to a crop" dilemma. For those of you fortunate enough to have a Surface Pro 2, you can do what I wish I could do with my iPad and travel light (it has a USB port).

I plan to upgrade to the designer software soon and my very first task will be to scan a stamped CTMH image and cut it out! If you have any favorite Cameo blogs, channels, tips or tricks, I'd love to hear about them!

Thanks for stopping by and as always, stay scrappy!

-Gina & the Hounds




Thursday, April 17, 2014

CTMH's Timberline Collection Inspired Layout

Happy Thursday everyone from Bailey aka Foxy Doxie. She looks like she did something naughty.


Today I have a 12x12 layout featuring Close to My Heart's Timberline collection (and the Giant).




Materials Used:

Workshops on the Go Timberline (G1077)


CTMH Exclusive Ink Pad in Desert Sand (Z2118)


Timberline Assortment wood pieces (comes with Workshop on the Go or purchased separately) individual (Z3005)

If you like what you see, you can order from my Close to My Heart website here: www.scrappinhounds.ctmh.com. Just click on the button that says "Join" (if it's greyed out and says "leave," you're already in) next to "Gina's April Gathering." Remember, with a qualifying order of $50, you can receive April's Stamp of the Month, "Balloon Talk" for just $5!

Thanks for stopping by and stay scrappy!

-Gina & the Hounds

Tuesday, April 15, 2014

Croptopia Day 2 Layout Featuring Close to My Heart Flip Flaps

Happy Tuesday and happy Tax Day to my U.S. readers. I hope you all get refunds! I realized this weekend that I never wrote a review of Day 2 of Croptopia. I guess that's because there wasn't much to say other than I got a few more pages done, one of them being this layout for the Giant's scrapbook project.





I love these CTMH Flip Flaps! Check them out at www.scrappinhounds.ctmh.com. If you decide to order, remember to join my April 27th Gathering before submitting your order!


Materials Used:

Close to My Heart's 3x3 Flip Flap
MME Celebrate chipboard elements
AC Thickers "Reindeer"
Stickles "Platinum"
MME Izzy Smile Regard 12x12
Bella Blvd. Making the Team 12x12
Core'dinations Whitewash Collection "Grandpa's Trunk" 12x12
Core'dinations Foundations "Caspian" 12x12
Bella Blvd. Selfie 12x12
Prima Hello Pastel metal clip
The Twinery twine in Seaweed Stripe

Day 2 consisted of earning lots raffle tickets for the photo scavenger hunt, basket raffle, and layout contest.

Basket I donated to crop. Theme: A Whole Lotta Holtz. It contained paper, ink, and a lot of doodads.

I did not win a single prize...not shocking I can assure you. But overall, I had a good time. I wasn't as productive as I have been at other crops but at least I got a big project started (see Giant scrapbook project above).  I hope to have it done in time for my husband's birthday in June.  I do have one negative thing to report. I had a CTMH paper pack, "Balloon Ride," and my new Glue Dots dispenser stolen from me.  Who steals at a crop? I have never had this happen to me before. The organizer let us know at the beginning of the weekend that she had 3 Cricut cartridges stolen from the technology table at the last event she hosted. These particular cartridges sell for hundreds of dollars on eBay.

Do I need to worry about my stuff now at weekend crops? Have you ever been stolen from?

Thanks for stopping by and stay scrappy!

-Gina & the Hounds