Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Grungy Colorwash Dress Form + a Challenge!

This week over at Linda's Grungy Monday challenge, we were asked to use Ranger's Adirondack Colorwash sprays in our creations. I LOVE the Colorwashes, so I was thrilled! Our hostesses this week are Hels Sheridan and Kate Taylor - be sure and check out their blogs, they are both fantastic artists! In addition, this week we have a sponsor - Outlaw Women Scrapbook Emporium - who is offering a $20 gift certificate to one lucky participant - woo hoo! I'm also entering it into the Simon Says Stamp and Show Distress challenge, 'cause, let me tell you, there is a whole lotta distressin' goin' on here! ;-)

Ever since I saw Tim Holtz's CHA project combining the Dress Form die and the Caged Bird die to make a Steampunk-y dress form, I have been dying to try it myself. I usually don't like to be a copycat, but this is such a cool idea! My dress form was created by adhering the new Craft Resist paper to chipboard and cutting it using my Vagabond (love that thing!). Side note: Did you know you can dilute Colorwash to make more subtle colors? I mixed Adirondack Meadow with water (about 50/50) in a Mini Mister bottle - I also added a little Perfect Pearls to give it some shimmer. It looks so good on the new resist paper!

I have so many different techniques and products on here, it's hard to know where to start! My dress form birdcage thingy was made by die cutting chipboard and then embossing it using my Faux Tarnished Metal technique. On the bottom, I die cut two gears using the new Sizzix Mini Gears die and did the FTM on them too. The tag was colored using Vintage Photo Distress Stain (I also tinted my ribbon with it!). I adhered a torn piece of the new Distress Core'dinations paper that I'd embossed with Tim's Regal Flourishes embossing folder to the left side. I sanded the raised portion and then inked it with Vintage Photo Distress ink. The background of the tag was stamped with one of the stamps from the new Haberdashery set.

Are you wondering about the challenge I mentioned in the title? Over at The Inspiration Journal blog, we are having our first challenge! All you have to do is create a project using Idea-ology Fragments and upload it to your blog and leave a direct link on this IJ blog post. What might you win? A $50 gift certificate to the Inspiration Emporium store!!! What a prize! Seriously, you could get a lot of great stuff with that kind of dough!

Even though I am a bit 'Fragment-ally' challenged, I love the little embellishments I made. I created them by first stamping the needle label from the new Haberdashery stamp set onto cream cardstock using black ink. I adhered two small Fragments with Glossy Accents and then trimmed them when they were dry. To finish off my tag I made a little flower by cutting the small flower from the Tattered Florals die out of the new Kraft Glassine Paper. Oooh, that stuff is very cool! I stamped them with the same stamp I used on the background and adhered them to my tag, along with a little button.

Thanks so much for stopping by - I'm heading out of town to see my son graduate from Air Force basic training (so excited to see him after two months!!), so I may not be around to comment back right away, but I do appreciate your comments! Please make sure you visit Linda's blog and see all the fantastic artwork created for this challenge and PLEASE be sure and enter your artwork for the Inspiration Journal Fragment challenge!!

28 comments:

  1. i love this piece! I was going to use the dress form but then didn't at the last minute. I am so anxious to use it.

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  2. Ooo, this is totally awesome Shelly! Love your take on this!

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  3. I just found your blog and I am so glad I did! I absolutely love your style. You are incredibly talented. I just started a YouTube channel and am restarting my blog. I am off to look at your past posts.

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  4. Hi Shelly! This tag is amazing! I love everything about it!!! Love the little flowers and the fragment pieces..the grungy "metallic" gears and bird cage...mixed with the dressform! All really cool elements! Thanks for joining us at Simon Says Stamp and Show! LOVE IT! <3 Candy

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  5. Wow, Shelly, that's breathtaking, wonderful elements. Such a gorgeous tag.

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  6. Fabulous piece, love the dress form and your embellishments. Wonderful. Tracy x

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  7. That is such a cool tag! I loved how you used your fragments and I hope you win. Connie :)

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  8. Fabulous tag Shelly! So many wonderful techniques! x

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  9. Shelly, this is wonderful! Love all you've done with it. Congratulations to your son.

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  10. Hi Shelley, love all the different elements/technique you have incorporated into this tag, love the dress form/birdcage combo and the use of the gears, how cool.

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  11. It is hard to say what i like best about your creation. First. Thanks for the idea of using colorwash with water. I had thought of that but had'nt tried it yet! Love your composition and the steampunk style. The colors also are just fab!

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  12. WOW....I just Love your Creations Shelly a birdcage Skirt?? Well this is just Genius...Love it!! hugs!

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  13. Stunning piece !! Everything works so well together.

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  14. OHGoodness Shelly, this is so creatively impressive. I thought the birdcage was your faux metal technique you did, didn't realize it was paper.
    I thank you for showing us. It is beautiful.
    Lesley

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  15. A brilliant tag. A real masterpiece of distress.

    Marilyn

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  16. This is a great piece. i love the torn textured paper, colors and detail. You did a great job on the fragments too!

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  17. Fabulous love the look you have created!

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  18. Oh my, so many yummy distressing techniques going on here. You have created such a beautiful piece, Shelly! I really appreciate how you describe everything you have done - so helpful to those of us still learning different techniques. One of these days, I must give your Faux Tarnished Metal a try. I just got the Haberdashery set in the mail this week and haven't had time to ink it up yet, but you sure are inspiring me to get going with it! Terrific take on this week's distressing challenge. So happy you joined in the fun with us this week at Simon Says Stamp and Show!

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  19. Shelly, Love the 50/50 and a mister tip. can't wait to try it. Love all the techniques used to create the fab piece.

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  20. What a fantastic idea to have the birdcage and gears as a kind of skirt on the dress form! This is a beautiful piece!

    Thanks so much for sharing your work with us at the Simon Says Stamp Challenge!!!

    -Sarah

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  21. There's a whole lotta FABULOUS going on there, Shelly! I love the design, and you're right-- using the dressform and cage together is just brilliant. Your Color Wash looks awesome. This is an absolute masterpiece, and every little detail is perfect.

    Congratulations to your son (and to you for raising such a wonderful young man)!

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  22. WOW Shelly, your tag is stunning and you're right I couldn't resist using the dress form and cage togther either LOL! I love your tarnished metal effect it really adds to the steampunkery feel!
    What a pleasure to have you join in the Simon Says Stamp and Show challenge this weeks!
    Thanks, HuGs Kim and the Team :)

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  23. Love this tag Shelly!!Love how you used the distressed inks!

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  24. Gorgeous, I love it! :)

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Thanks so much for taking the time to share your thoughts. I appreciate your comments so much!