"Always Believe" upcycled frame

Hello Crafty Friends!

Spring has sprung and, as a gardener, my mind is full of ideas for the gardens.  Last week my friends and I started various sunflower seeds.  The visions of tall, happy sunflowers in our late summer gardens has been the subject of our excited talks this week.  I guess you could say that gardeners always believe- that with our pleasurable work- something wonderful is about to happen.   

With gardens on my mind, I upcycled a frame using Quietfire Designs' "Always Believe" stamp and "Believe" die.  

 Jet Black Archival Ink was used on Graphic 45's Nature Sketchbook ivory paper.  (Nature Sketchbook was used entirely as the papers for this project.)  Sweet butterflies and lush foliage create a natural frame around the beautiful stamp.

Believe was die cut and mounted on two layers of papers.  Lady bugs and a dragonfly grace the lovely die cut.

After hours of fussy cutting, mounting with foam tape and adding Stickles or clear enamel, my dreamlike garden wall art was complete.  Seeing the frame on my wall makes me smile with thoughts- and belief- that the gardens will lush and beautiful with life.

Thank you very much for stopping by!  I do hope you enjoyed the project.  Maybe it has inspired you to make a project for a gardener friend or yourself.  Feel free to share a link in the comments here or on social media as we would love to see it!  :)

Have a happy, crafty day.
Big Hugs,
Kathy Jo

Something Wonderful – Stamped and Stenciled Postcards

By Judi Kauffman for Quietfire Design

 

Thank you for inviting me back as today’s Guest Designer. One of my New Year’s resolutions for 2017 was to make and send more postcards. It’s now early March and I’ve kept it going, usually at least half a dozen per week, but often more!

This batch is super simple. A bit of stamping and some sponged-on color for the first 3, shown in the photos above (these are on heavyweight ivory cardstock), and 3 more, shown in the photo below (this time on blue flannel finish cardstock).

Five more, shown below, incorporate the same stamp, tan flannel finish cardstock, plus a stencil and a bit more sponged-on color. A useful hint: Make several of each as I did – no reason to clean a stencil after only one or two!  (click on each photo to see it nice and large!)

 

 

YOUR TURN!

1. Pick your favorite sentiment, greeting, or quote from the Quietfire Design collection. Using a dark ink, stamp it, centered, on a piece of cardstock. (Shown: Reddish brown, black, and bright green.)

2. Use the photos for inspiration. Stamp over and around the stamped message OR stencil over and around the stamping. Using a light touch and very little ink, sponge on more color, highlighting the stenciled design and some or all of the words. Another option: Use a torn paper mask.

 

3. Sponge more ink around the edges of each postcard.

4. Option: Stamp and stencil on the other side, making sure to leave an open space for the recipient’s name and address and a hand-written message.

 

SUPPLIES –

Quietfire Design rubber stamps:

Always Believe (or any sentiment, greeting, or quote)
Crackle Background
 
A Way With Stencils:
Feathers
Dotty
Butterfly Kaleidoscope
Butterflies & Stars

Other Supplies:

Cosmetic sponge wedge or stencil brush
Craft sponge
Dye-based inks in colors of choice
Cardstock in colors of choice

{Thank you very much for sharing these ideas with us, Judi.  Love how you've used the same stencil twice on the same postcard!}