Monday, November 12, 2012

Have A Heart For Christmas!

I love it when a project comes together very easily, that you design around several challenges. I made this one in about an hour and a half yesterday, and that rarely happens. It usually takes me much longer, and I find myself being indecisive at every turn. I think the Christmas theme makes projects easier for me...although I don't know why, aside from the fact that I love crafting during this time of the year more than any other time. Most everything is sparkly yet vintage and full of tradition this time of year, and I love that!
Anyway, back to the challenges. I originally started this piece for the Everything Wendy Vecchi Yahoo Group's, Making Art Challenge. It's from Wendy's Book 4, pg. 30 for "Using Gesso For Texture", but once I got going, I decided to incorporate The Compendium of Curiousities II Challenge from Tim's Book (same name) pg. 65 for "Reflections Stamping", which is being sponsored by Simon Says Stamp, and the Sunday Stamper challenge for "Birds". However, this morning brought the Simon Says Stamp & Show challenge, which  is "Stamping With No Ink", and it just so happens that a lot of that is used here, so I am throwing my hat in that ring too. And, that's enough!
The base heart was painted with Ranger's Pearl Paint Dabber.
I stamped Wendy's ticking image in Silver Paint Dabber.
When everything was dried, I taped down Dyan's Snowflake Stencil and pounced Claudine's Gesso into it. I did this all over the heart. And just so you know, I am a bad stenciler...very sloppy!
I painted the corner piece parts with Silver Paint Dabber...
...the stars with Pearl...
...and the flowers with Stain.
I also stamped the flower's with Barn Door Stain.
Gold Stickles were added to the centers of the flowers, and Rock Candy Crackle Paint to the Stars, followed by Pumice Stone Distress Ink  when they dried.
I stamped the numbers in Pearl onto the corner pieces.
The leaves were colored with Mowed Lawn Distress Ink straight from the pad, and then misted with Sour Apple Perfect Pearls.
Then they were stamped with the dots in Pearl.
I stamped the White Clearly For Art with the Stampers Anonymous Newsy Bird. I cut it out, and heated it with my heat gun to soften the parts I wanted to shape!
I used Tim's technique for the Reflections Christmas Words Image, and adhered it to the back of the heart. I used Silver Stickles to dress up my Gesso'd snowflakes, and then added Dresden Foil, the Art Parts, and Baubles, along with the plumber's chain.
 
 
Supplies:
From My Stash: acetate sheet, bell, plumber's chain


I hope your hands get creatively dirty soon!



41 comments:

  1. Wow! Love this hanging heart, Anita! So many yummy details! Love what you did with that bird! Fabulicious!

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  2. Simply FAb!!!!! You're a genius! BARbarayaya

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  3. This is just amazing Anita. Loving that central panel which takes on the colour of any background you put it against (would be great with lights/firelight behind it too!) The silver also seems to take on different glows depending on the light source. So perfect for this time of year when the Northern Hemisphere seems to spend most of it's time in the dark!! Loads of clever ideas. Thanks Anita. Hugs, Buttons x

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  4. Layers and dimension at their finest. Love the insert!
    ~Susan Mc

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  5. This is gorgeous -love all the little details.

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  6. Wow, that is so beautiful!! I love all the layers of paint & ink.

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  7. A great festive make! Love all the elements you have combined!trace x

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  8. Anita, your Wendy inspired heart is beautiful! I love your Christmas theme with this one....so lovely! The poinsettias are beautifully done! Actually, I love everything about this piece! Gorgeous colors and stamping work! Thanks so much for sharing this wonderful creations with us at Simon Says Stamp and Show and thanks for the step by step, too! <3 Candy

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  9. Fabulous! Love how the bird sits on top of that rich background and such a great use of the Art Parts. Really gorgeous!

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  10. Oh wow Anita! Really really fabulous! This pieces shines and shimmers so well it practically speaks. Absolutely wonderful techniques and detailing as ever - you are so so talented. Big hug, Nicola x

    (ps lucky you coming from New Mexico mountains - I was in NM 4 years ago and I thought if I ever could live in USA it would be the South West, but especially NM)

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  11. AMAZING project Anita! It's just gorgeous. the attention to detail is awesome.

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  12. This is wonderful Anita, so beautiful in colors. I love everything about it.

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  13. Wow, Anita! This is so gorgeous! I love reading how you created it, so many beautiful layers!

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  14. This is gorgeous! I love how its Wendy Vecci style christmas! The center is so pretty and unique! Love all the color too.
    Kate

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  15. Anita, this is gorgeous!!!! I love everything about it!!! With gesso and stencils, unless you use a sponge and keep it thin, it's always messy because the gesso seeps under the stencil.

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  16. So pretty! Love the polka dots--I usually hand-paint my dots--who knew there was a stamp! So fun to have a project that comes together easily and looks like you spent days!

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  17. absolutely stunning. I love this. It is elegant, Wendy and just beautiful.
    susan s

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  18. BEAUTIFUL!!!! I really love how this project turned out!!

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  19. God, how beautiful! This is just awesome! Anita, you're just a storehouse of wonderful ideas! Very pretty and glamorous thing! ...

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  20. This is amazing! So beautiful hanger in shape of heart for Christmas with gorgerous elemens. Wonderful idea:) I love this.
    Greetinga Asia:)

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  21. Hi Anita, I just adore your Wendy heart, that newsy bird stamp is fabulous and so is all your stamping (without ink!), the whole piece is quite stunning! Well done on your Wendy win too, now that is a great prize worth having....... Crafty hugs, Anne x

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  22. A creative and peaceful heart Anita!
    Thanks for showing the pictures..

    greetings, Alie :-)

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  23. Wow Anita. This is very inspirational. I absolutely love it. You have given me quite a few ideas for future makes.

    Thanks for the 'how to' so appreciated x

    Hugs

    Annie x

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  24. So cool, 1 and a half hour, hard to believe. Your heart looks fantastic, a great decoration for Christmas.

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  25. Anita this is beautiful. I love all the steps you gave and a deocration for a packagae or the tree is what this little guy needs.
    hugs and loving all you are creating. ox

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  26. I really like how you used the reflections stamp on the clear part. All the imagery is just yummy happy goodness - love it!

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  27. Very beautiful Anita! Love the bird image layered over the transparency! Also, love that you shot it on different backgrounds...very nice!! xo Evie

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  28. Oh so many gorgeous techniques and treatments... and all adding up to a wonderful piece of decorative art! Love the spotty flourish twigs, and the crackly stars, and your bird looks so amazing in his frame... wonderful!

    Thank you so much for your lovely comment... As one of my earliest followers, I'm so grateful for your continued support and friendship as well as the extraordinary inspiration I always find here. Thank you!
    Alison xx

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  29. So the other day I see dead turkies and now I think I'm going instantly color blind. I thought it was yellow and then it looks blue... I may be losing my mind and my eye sight, but at least your art is so layered in textural wonder, I can braille it to death. I LOVE what you've designed here and I'm very impressed with the time frame it took you to make it in too. A show stopper and head turner for sure!

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  30. Your Heart is just Beautiful Anita. Your creativity is overflowing with all the layers,textures and colors. Well done my friend.
    Hugs Lynn

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  31. Gorgeous ! Love all the different elements, colours and your perfect craftswomanship,

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  32. Wow...Anita, this is so lovely ang delightful creation! Love the beautiful texture and gorgeous embellishlments.... :)

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  33. You've got such a beautiful heart...:)) Love all the layers, the sparkle, the cute birdie - love everything! xx

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  34. Gorgeous piece! Love it very much! Lots of techniques in this one, and can't believe you did it in that short amount of time! Fabulous! Thank you so much for joining us at Simon Says Stamp and Show. Hugs, Sandra

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  35. Gorgeous Anita, absolutely amazing! So many beautiful embellishments and layers - a stunning piece, for sure!

    Hugs,
    Linda

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  36. This is great Anita! It's cheery and cute without being "cutesy". Thanks for sharing :D

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  37. I love the way you attached the chain. Really gorgeous creation!

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  38. Love the way you just get into your craftroom and work those stamps! You use them to great effect to create all your interesting patterns and techniques. Your step thrus amuse me because it looks like you don't even bother with mounting your stamps and you just fly with your creations. Same sort of stuff that gets going on in my room too! Nice piece of work.

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  39. love it, love those snowflakes, I am a stenciller just like you... thikn it is a better way to be... who needs perfection eh? Well, this is perfection in the best way, all sparkly and pretty and lots of 490.... perfection in my eyes! thanks for joining in with the Sunday Stamper x

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  40. Gorgeous heart Anita, looks pretty perfect to me too.

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