January Kit Creations by Tracey S.

It's Tracey S. here to share my January Kit Creations with you. What an amazing kit this was to work with, so packed with fabulous embellishments so perfectly paired with the BoBunny Powder Mountain collection!!

We moved back to Ohio to be closer to family in 2000 and are now used to snowy winters, but when we lived in North Carolina a snowfall covering the ground was a rare event. This is our Carolina home during one of those snows.

"Carolina Snow"

Main Kit

Here are some close-ups of my handcrafted flowers and pinecones clustered with vintage buttons from my stash and the lovely kit pearl strand.

My first attempt at quilling for this snowflake. The pattern can be found here: Resse Dixon Quilled Snowflake

For this snowflake I used Martha Stewart White Texture Effect:

My next layout is of a shot taken at my parent's home on Westville Lake in Ohio. As soon as I saw this paper, I had a vision of creating a window in the lodge wall.

"Westville Lake"

Main Kit, EAO, FAO

To make this window frame, I created a cut file on my Gazelle to fit my photo. You could also cut the chipboard with a craft knife. I painted the chipboard brown then covered in crackle accents. When Dry I took the white Prima chalk ink and brushed across the frame gently to highlight the cracks. 

A close-up of the vocal flower and vine. 

One of my layered Snowflakes. I cut the corrugated board with my Sizzix Snowflake die, and a smaller flake in kraft, then topped with one of my hand crocheted snowflakes, Bitty Blossoms Rose and pearls from the EAO kit.

And a side view to see the dimension:

My final kit creation is another Carolina snow. The children and I built this snowman in our front yard to the delight of the passersby! 

"Frosty"

Main Kit, EAO, FAO Kits

I created these sweet white fabric flowers using the main kit stamens to complement to focal kit flower.  The corner flourish was created with modeling paste and microbeads for some wintry shimmer. The white sparkly snow is a mix of Fran-tage embossing powders and flakes sprinkled on my page and heat set from below. 

 I altered the Prima flowers by opening them up and spritzing with Sapphire Glimmer Mist. The white leaves were cut with Spellbinder's Folaige dies, pinched to create the leaf veins and then covered in crackle.

Another of my handcrafted crocheted Snowflakes topped with a Powder Mountain button.

A cluster of BoBunny snowflake buttons, crocheted snowflake, Bitty Blossoms rose and paper punched snowflake heat embossed with holographic embossing powder to add sparkle. 

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you found something new to try out on one of your own projects.

Tracey S. Tutorial "Sweet Open Roses"

Hi, this is Tracey S. with you today. I have a tutorial for my Sweet Open Rose to share with you. 

One of the things I enjoy incorporating into my scrapbook pages is flowers, especially handcrafted flowers. When I don't have just the right color or size flower in my stash, I can create what I need. I created all of the flowers in my ScrapThat! Carolina Snow page including this Sweet Open Rose.

Sweet Open Rose Tutorial

Please note - while this looks like a lot of steps, I separated out each possible step for followers that may be less experienced at creating flowers. These little gems are quite easy and go quickly once you have made a few. 

Supplies: 

1. Die Cut Machine (Big Shot)

2. Donna Salazar ~ Spellbinders Rose Creation Dies - 3 smallest dies

3. Paper Scrap (Powder Mountain)

4. Distress Ink (Brushed Corduroy, Frayed Burlap) (Optional)

5. Foam Ink Applicator (Optional)

6. Craft Mat (Optional)

7. Paper Scrap (Powder Mountain)

8. Foam Mat

9. Stylus (optional)

10. Round Nose Pliers (Optional)

11. Glue

12. Stamen

13. Gesso, White Paint, or White Ink

14. Paint Brush

Step 1. Use die cut machine to cut 1 each of three smallest Rose Creations petals. For this project I used a scrap of grey from the center of the Powder Mountain page from the ScrapThat! January Kit.

Step 2. Ink petals. For this project I first applied Brushed Corduroy, then I applied to just the edges the darker Frayed Burlap. You can use any color of ink or skip the inking altogether. If you don't have the Ranger applicator any kind of foam applicator will work.

Step 3. Place the petals on a foam mat and using a stylus or other rounded object use a circular motion to form a cup in each petal. Any kind of foam mat will work - even the foam packaging that brads are tucked into. If you don't have a medium size stylus, try the back end of a large paint brush, or capped pen - anything that is rounded and smooth. 

Step 4. Shape the petals by grasping the side of each petal and rolling back with round nose pliers. If you don't have round nose pliers (in the jewelry department), you can roll the petals around something like the end of a paint brush or even a toothpick. The pliers do make quicker work of this step, however. 

Step 5. Glue the petals together with the largest on the bottom working up to the smallest. Be sure that the petals you are laying on top are arranged so that they fit between the petal of the layer below for a more natural appearance. Also be sure that your holes line up so you will have a spot to add your stamens. 

Step 6. Place your blossom on your foam mat and press into the center.

Step 7. Use the round nose pliers to curl down the wide outer edge of each petal - just a little. Again, another rod like a paintbrush or toothpick will work.

Step 8. Ink the Stamens. This step is optional depending on the look you want. I used the ink left on my applicator to tone down the bright white. These are the stamens included in the January ScrapThat! Kit.  I left one white in the photo to show the difference.

Step 9. Pull the cords of the stamens through the center hole. Pull them to one side on the back and glue down, trimming away the extra length of cording.

Step 10. Dry Brush Gesso onto the petals for a snowy look. To dry brush, put a drop of gesso onto a craft mat (paint pallet, foil, plastic lid . . .) Dip your brush into the gesso and brush most of it off. Then start applying the gesso to the flower for a light snowy appearance. If you don't have gesso, you can use white paint, or even the white ink included in the ScrapThat! January kit. While the ink will have a different look, it will still soften the brown.

I hope you've enjoyed this tutorial and will give it a try. There are a lot of variations you can make once you have mastered the basics of this technique by changing colors, petal sizes and even adding additional petals. You can also change the center with a pearl, gem, brad, flower bud, microbeads, - the sky is the limit. 

Once again here is a close-up of my project flower:

And my "Carolina Snow" Layout with the ScrapThat! January Kit: 

I can't wait to see the flowers you create. Be sure to share them in our ScrapThat! Gallery.