Inspired By...Paris!

Whether it is a song lyric, or a quote from your favorite author, an idea from your favorite blogger, or you want to create something inspired by your favorite artist,  this week we want to see how you are "Inspired By" someone else and their creativity. Perhaps you’ve always wanted to try a Wendy Vecchi style piece, or you wish to try your hand at layering like Finnabair. Maybe your favorite book can serve as inspiration for a canvas piece or a place you've visited inspires you to create a new art journal entry. If you have a Pinterest account full of inspiration you’ve not used, this would be a great time to pick something, and give it a go. Whatever it is, take the inspiration in front of you, and make it into something uniquely you. We can’t wait to see what you’ll try, and how you’ll inspire us!

Hope you aren't tired of hearing about my recent excursion across the ocean, because as you can guess this frame was inspired by my trip to Paris. I still can't believe I was in the City of Lights...a dream come true! Only three of us where able to continue on, and once again I had to have something special to give to the girls to remember this wonderful vacation. So I transformed el cheapo $1 store frames, to house that one special photo that each of us would cherish and look at fondly. Each lady told me the colors of their Art Studio or place they keep their mementos in. 
If you come back tomorrow, you will see some of my photos of Paris, and hear all about it...the good, the bad, the ugly, and the pretty! 

I spray painted a gold base, and followed with a white crackle top.

Using Tim's Distress Paints from Ranger, I shook them first then applied some to my craft sheet and dabbed the Parisian script and postmark images of Tim's from Stamper's Anonymous into it so I wouldn't have too much paint on the images so it wouldn't run. I used Broken China here and on the other,  and then Fired Brick on the last one.

I didn't want to risk any crackle flaking off, so I sealed this with Glossy Glue N Seal. The Glossy gives the vintage feel of this a nice contrast, but it's not too shiny at all...just perfect.

After it was thoroughly dried, I began stamping the Parisian images from Tim's Paris to London and Paris Memoir, and from Artistic Outpost's Paris Exposition (Linking to their May Monthly Referral Program as well. ) in Jet Black, and heat embossing them with Ranger's Black Powder. I also used the bee from Tim's Oddities set, appropriate for Debby I think!

More Distress Paint to compliment everyone's colors, covered the metal bits from Idea-ology. I then sanded them a bit. I didn't paint the metal from the Fired Brick frame.

I added the year in the balloon and sealed the numbers in to match the texture of the rest of the frame.

I didn't like that the sanded portions were silvery and the frame crackle was gold, so I added a little bit of dried up Inka Gold...I like it dried by the way...on portions of the silvery bits..much better. I love the way the pink metal looks...very Ooh la la!!! I should have painted in the word Paris here in black and totally forgot in all my excitement of the Inka Gold. It doesn't take me much to be excited I guess.

I poured Crackle Accents into the ornate frame opening. It totally would have looked better in black letters...oh well. I also gave the edges of the frames a little Gold Paint Dabber distress.

This one is mine...typical red, black, gold, and grungy.

This is Debby's.

 

 

This is Michelle's.

 

 

Does someone creative inspire you all the time? Do you have a Muse? Have you ever visited a place that ignited your creative fire? If so, create something based on that inspiration, and enter it into our challenge. You just might be the lucky winner of a $50 voucher to Simon Says Stamp. You can also be named as one of the "Top Three Picks" for this challenge. Good luck, and visit the other DT member's blogs to be inspired by their inspiration! WOW!!!

 

Supplies:


I hope your hands get creatively dirty soon!