Here's my latest project for Basically Bare. 


I was lucky enough to score the awesome “Hooked on Fishing” line from the Paper Loft as part of my goodies to play with. I have never worked with such a heavily “outdoorsy” themed line before so I relished the challenge. What immediately drew me to these papers was the color palette. It’s an extremely sophisticated color palette and it just called to me.

Here’s what I came up with for some of this line.   The picture below is not actually the finished product.  As I was taking pictures, I realized that it still needed “something”.

The box before I realized it was missing something.

I decided to experiment with several techniques when putting this together.  The first was heat embossing.  I new that the “Film Strip” chipboard piece from Basically Bare’s “Paparazzi Set” needed to be dressed up a bit.  I inked the whole piece with my StazOn in “Timber” then heat embossed it with a gold opaque by Stampendous.  The square cut-outs made the perfect frame for my fish paper from Paper Loft.

To frame the top, I realized that I was in a minor crisis.  I wanted to use my gold ball chain by Tim Holtz.  Wouldn’t you know it?!  It wasn’t long enough!  BLAST!  ::cue super hero music::  In comes my gold mixative alcohol ink by Ranger!  TA DAAAA!  I had a silver ball chain from an old set of dog tags that I could use.  I ran it through the gold mixative and VOILA!  Awesome gold ball chain!  A little hot glue, a couple burns followed by some creative word usage, and BLAM!  Finished box top.

I love some awesome techniques...and ball chains.

Now my favorite little embellishment on this box has got to be the fishing lures I attached to the clasp.  I went to a local store and bought these lures specifically for this project!  They were just too cool and were the perfect accent to a fishing themed project!  BRILLIANT!  I used some hefty wire cutters to cut the hooks out of them because I just wasn’t feeling like getting stabbed with a treble hook and bleeding all over my project.

Once the hooks were safely removed, I attached them to the clasp using a spare jump ring I had in my stash.  I used the lure paper as a decorative strip around the body of the box and punched it using a Martha Stewart border punch.  For the ribbon along the bottom, that is seam binding that I dyed green using Tattered Angels Chalkboard Mist in “Fern”.  There is a subtle gold shimmer to it when the light hits it just right.  I finished it off with what was left of my Tim Holtz ball chain.  (I did cheat though.  The chain doesn’t wrap all the way around the back!)

Fishing lures are a PERFECT accent!  Just remove the hooks.  ;)

Now onto what I realized it was missing.  When you look at the previous photos, the box looks good, but it doesn’t seem to be “complete”.  It looks like it needs “something”.  A little OOMPH.  Pizzazz.  But something subtle.  Here’s where outlining can be a crucial detail.

An often overlooked detail, outlining can really define a project or an element.  At the same time, it can unify the different elements of a project.  I realized that this needed some outlining.  But where???!!!  Oh those li’l “somethings” get ya every time!  Then I figured out where.

My bluish lure paper just seemed to be floating on the box.  It didn’t really seem anchored and tied in.  Cue ZIG Writer markers!  I used my ZIG Writer marker and outlined the punched border.

Outlining!  Who woulda thought?

The effect it adds is amazing.  There’s a huge difference between the before and the after.  Outling.  It’s that simple. 

Thank you for checking out my latest project for Basically Bare and tolerating my ramblings!

Cheers!

A Spackle Experiment Gone Wrong

Those of you that are familiar with the Gauche Alchemy design team, know that it is fountain of inspiration and learning.  The Alchemists are always playing with product in ways that I never would have thought of.  On top of that, they use things that I never would have dreamed to use.

For instance, Michelle, makes awesome use of graphic design and modernism. 

By:  Michelle Hernandez

Misty wows me every single time with her grunginess using modeling paste (which is really just regular hardware store spackle!), mists, and ink.

By:  Misty Russell

Jo, transforms the boring every day object into some kind of treasure. 

Scrabble Tiles transformed to.....

...THIS!  By:  Jo Urbani

Well, I decided to try something out of the box for me.  I took a page out of Misty's book and tried playing with spackle.  It started out very well and was actually promising.  I used my spackle over the chicken wire template from Crafter's Workshop.

Should've quit while I was ahead.....

I added some Tattered Angels glimmer mist and these really cool paint pens by Kuretake.  They're called Painty FX and I love 'em!  I also added a goofy picture of the kids and some stamping.  It all sounds good and creative and whatnot right???

WRONG!

ACK!  What in the blazing hay-ul happened here?!

Yeah.  Disaster on a page right there!  MY EYES!  MY EYES!  Well, after staring at this...ok...pouting...for a half hour or so, I decided it was time to go to the experts.  I shared this flop to the Alchemists and let them chime in with their tips and tricks on how to fix it.

The advice I got was amazing, priceless, insightful, and brilliant.  Here is what some of them had to say.

Jennifer:  Composition-wise, it's always more visually appealing when the focal image is on one of the intersections of the grid (like a tic-tac-toe board over the page), so if the picture were off to one side and up or down a bit, the composition would instantly improve.  As for the stamping, something I learned while with CTMH (ages ago, feels like) is that random patterns look more natural when they extend off the page, so adding a few more of your stamping patterns going off the page might anchor it a bit better, so would over-stamping with another color (the black looks almost harsh next to the vivid brights).  All that said, the Be You and the heart draw the eye down and through the image, the focus of the page, which is another crucial part of composition--leading the eye--so int hat respect you rocked it out!  And the fact that the subjects in the photo are looking INTO the page instead of OFF or away from the spine is another trick they teach in design classes to create flow in work.

Misty:   If you dislike the stamping what is it that you don't like. I have some stamps like that and what I didn't like about them when I first started doing them was the shape. So i changed the look by ink'n it up very unevenly or if its a cling stamp don't put it on a block and just kind of press it down with your finger tips in random areas...or just in the middle of the stamp and only parts of the edges.  You could add little drips of gesso over the some of the stamping...and then wipe it off with a baby wipe or damp paper towel? this is all that I have learned through experimenting. Its scary because you don't want to screw up the rest of the page but when you wipe it with the wet towel it usually just gives it a cloudy look.

Lori:   I think adding some of the spackling on top again would look cool!  (She also suggested stamping in a lighter color as well, but I don't have any light color stamp pads.)


So, after applying these tips and taking the design advice offered, this is what I came up with.

Still not quite right, but better.

I tweaked, hemmed, haw-ed, and pouted a little bit more before I did some more rearranging, adding some more washi tape and redoing some of the paint splatter.  The end result is this:

I'm callin' it DONE while I'm just a little bit ahead!

Sometimes, stepping out of the box and learning something new often involves a disaster.  If you're mean, it is synonymous with disaster!  I'm still not 100% pleased with the end result, but it's better than before.


Thank you to my Gauche Alchemy ladies for your insight, how-to, and overall brilliance!  I loves youz guys!


Cheers!

We Are All WASHI'd Up!

Gauche Alchemy is ridiculously excited to announce that we now offer Washi Tape!  This is big thing for us and washi tape has become a staple in anyone's arts and crafts stash.

Numbers Set

We now offer 20 different sets ranging from sets that coordinate with our color kits to stripes, gride, dots, whimsical.  You name it, we probably have it.  But they are going FASTER than free wine at a wine tasting!

Grid Set

Here's the best part.  The price!  Our sets are $10 and free shipping to the US and Canada.  Don't worry if you live internationally.  Your shipping cost is only $2.50! 

Whimsy Set

Metallic Set

And this is just a small sampling of what we offer!  Get into the shop and snag yours before they are gone.  But no worries, we plan on keeping washi tape as a regular part of our inventory. 

Cheers!

"Just SMASH It Up!" (And a Coupon Code and Giveaway!)

Happy Sunday everyone!  I hope everyone is having a good, and safe, weekend.  I've been busy busy busy and getting messy messy messy.  I played with paints, gesso, mists, and even some spackle this weekend.

I even managed to get SMASHED too!  ::Gasp!::  "Did she just say she got smashed?!  Such behavior!"  LOL!  Not *that* kind of smashed.  The new theme at Paper Issues is "Just SMASH It Up!".  Not only do you get to check out the awesomeness that is Smash, we also have a mini blog hop, a discount code for 20% off your order at the Paper Issues shop, and a giveaway!  Who doesn't love a little somethin' somethin' just for checking us out?

First things first.  The other wonderfully talented ladies that are joining me on this mini hop are:

Lizzie Oakley

Amy Tsuruta
Holly Humbert

Christina C. <-------- You are here!

Wendy Antenucci
Paper Issues

This is my first attempt at using the SMASH Folio.  The SMASH Folio is ginormous.  It's a lot bigger than the regular journal, but the pages inside are just sooooo pretty!  Here's what I did with one of the pages.

There's a story here.  My youngest decided to cut her own hair.  She was scared she would be in trouble so she started crying.  I told her that as long as she told the truth, she wouldn't be in trouble.  Once she realized that she was "safe", she realized that I was laughing.  And that triggered these tears.  She was so adorable though!  

And who doesn't love a little bit of washi love?!  I went to town using washi tapes from Hambly, Heidi Swapp, and 7 Gypsies.  LOVE THEM!  And the photocorners?!  Also Heidi Swapp!  Her neon stuff is awesome!

What little girl hasn't tried to cut her own hair or someone else's?!  She has had her rite of passage into safety scissor and little girl world.  

 I saved the lock of hair she chopped off and put it into this little manilla envelope that I ran through my Cuttlebug. 

These SMASH books are meant for the everyday, mundane moments that we often forget.  They are great for jotting down a note, a thought, or an idea.  Have the ticket stubs from your first date with your love?  Just glue it down or tuck it into one of the gorgeous pockets.  

 Now for the goods!  For doing this hop, The Lovely Cassie is offering a giveaway for playing along.  To qualify for the giveaway, head over to the Paper Issues blog (I even linked it up for you!) and become a follower, then head over to the Paper Issues Facebook page (I linked that one too!) and click that li'l ol' "Like" button and join in the fun.  Be sure to leave a comment saying you hopped along with us, followed the blog, and liked the page.  You have between now and April 28th!

Now what do you get? Here's what you get:

You may drool now.... 

And I did mention a 20% off discount right?  Well, if you place an order in the Paper Issues Shop, you can use the code BADASSERY and receive 20% off your entire order.  NO limitations, NO expiration date, and UNLIMITED use!  It doesn't expire!  You can use it on ANY and EVERY order you place through Paper Issues!!  WIN!

Head on to the next blog and be sure to follow the blog, like the facebook page, and leave a comment on the SMASH theme saying you played along!  And while you're at it, save a bit o' moolah with that "badass" coupon code!

Cheers!

A Big Welcome!

We at Gauche Alchemy recently held a design team call looking for a writer, a videographer and a newsletter overlord.  The response we got was pleasantly surprising in that we received a number of amazing and fantastic applications from some very talented people.  We really wished we could've kept every one of them, but alas.  We could not.

However, we did end up increasing the number of people we were looking for!  The response was that awesome!  The final tally was 2 new writers, 2 new videographers, and 1 newsletter overlord.  Without further ado, allow me to introduce to you our new Alchemists.

The Writer Ladies

Jennifer "Scraps" Walker

Marilyn B. Hughes

The Video Chicks

Mary Brockway

Amy Lassiter

The Newsletter Overlord

Lori Wilbanks

Thank you to everyone who applied.  The choices were incredibly difficult to narrow down.  Please take the time to congratulate these talented women and visit their blogs or Flickr groups for some amazing inspiration.  

Until next time, cheers!

My First Basically Bare Project!

Hiiiiiidey Hoooooo!  Hope everyone is doing fine and dandy!  I know I am.  You wanna know why?  Well, even if you don't, I'm going to tell you anyway.  My first project as part of the awesome Basically Bare design team went live yesterday over on their blog.

And now, I can share it here with all of you!  ::Golf Clap!::

I kept it kind of simple this time and even dove into some of the Nikki Sivils stuff that came in my package.  Those of you that know me, know what I tend to gravitate toward.  I've never worked with Nikki Sivils stuff before so this presented a unique challenge for me.  How do I take a line that is traditionally cute and tweak it to fit my more eclectic and quirky style? 

Cue Basically Bare "Gears" and "Celestial" embellies!  YAY!  ::Golf Clap::

I picked up an inexpensive (ok...stupid cheap...like less than a buck cheap!) wood frame from a local store (gotta love Wally World), slapped some Delta Creative acrylic paint in "Red Oxide" down (the frame liked it....a lot) and let it dry.  Once it dried, I took my Tim Holtz distress ink pad in "Black Soot" to the edges of the frame and glued down a Tim Holtz ball chain (::snort:: I said "ball".).

I chose to use "Noah's Overalls" from the Nikki Sivils "Noah" line as a secondary frame for where the photo would go.  That grid pattern is awesome!  Of course, I also inked the outlining edges using a Clearsnap Cat's Eye "Black" ink pad.

Now, I knew I wanted my frame to be boyish, but ageless.  I wanted it to be something that could be displayed no matter the age.  Basically Bare's "Gears" and the stars from "Celestial" were perfect!  The kraft color of the large gear and the stars were a perfect complement to the rustic color scheme I was using.  The black chipboard gears were an awesome accent, while the acrylic stars added a mucho bueno highlight. 

I simply "dressed" my naked ::cue cat-call whistles:: shapes up using my Cuttlebug and embossing folders by Tim Holtz and Provo Craft.  Add a fussy cut circle from the papers and some highlighting using my ZIG Millenium Pen and KAPOW!  Awesome corner cluster!  YAY FOR SIMPLE! 

To keep it balanced, I added 2 embossed stars in the upper corner of the frame.

And voila!  There you have it!  Done sir done!  Now, head on over to Basically Bare and check out some more kick ass projects from the team and get to gettin' messy! 

Cheers!

Paper, the Red Carpet, and Old Hollywood...

Gauche Alchemy has done it again!  We have released another themed project kit and this one will be sure to have you drooling!  Raise the curtains!  Raise your glass!  Hell, RAISE THE ROOF and give it up for Show Stoppers!

As Maggi has so eloquently said, "Your projects are sure to make the Best Dressed list! Can we say Award for Best Artist?"

Show Stoppers!

Here’s what you get:

-A random assortment of 11 awesome pages of Gauche Alchemy ephemera (of course)
-An assortment of patterned papers from the likes of Prima, Graphic 45, and others
-A KaiserCraft “Big Ticket” mini album
-A 12×12 piece of our wallpaper paper
-A Tim Holtz “Tickets” stamp
-A Gauche Alchemy “TekniKolor Color Kit” containing various bits and bobs
-A large black sequin fabric swatch
-A small coordinating fabric swatch
-Various lace and trims
-A Groucho Marx patch
-Tickets
-1 Piece of punchinella
-1 Piece of PVC punchinella
-1 12″ strip of film

*Please note the pictures above are merely representations of what you’ll receive; due to the nature of vintage ephemera, each kit is unique!

Patterned Papers and Wallpaper Swatch

ACTUAL movie ephemera!

Why yes!  It's a project kit!

TekniKolor Color Kit

Tim Holtz Stamp and more doodad fun!

And here's an AWESOME thing for you!  This kit is only $39.00 and ships F-R-E-E to the United States and Canada! All other countries pay only $8.00 to ship!