Welcome to today's Guest Designer, Julie !

Today we're welcoming Julie of Juliz Design Post, as our Guest Designer. Julie was the DT's chosen winner of the 'Bloomin' Marvellous' challenge. So, let's hear what Julie has to say about herself and also what project she's sharing.

Hi, I’m Julie a.k.a Juliz Design Post from Scotland, UK. I am absolutely thrilled to be showcasing my very first ever GD spot and can’t think of a better way than with Frilly and Funkie. I started blogging a mere 3 months ago, with help from my Husband Chris, who takes all my photos and updates my blog. As a child, my dad worked in the Merchant Navy and we would be lucky enough to go on the Ship for trips with him. Armed with our school books and very little toys, we had to find things to amuse ourselves. I can remember my sister and I being given a pile of A5 card that previously had Menu’s typed on them. This is my earliest memory of totally changing a piece of card, as we crafted 3D little houses and cars. It amused us for hours. Years passed, I dabbled in knitting, sewing, salt dough and dolls house craft, but my love of paper craft was reignited when Chris and I decided to get married 8 years ago and I needed Wedding Invitations. I love all things Vintage and Fussy crafting, taking sometimes a couple of weeks to finish one project. I find paper crafting to be one of the best medicines in life.

I was delighted to be told the challenge this fortnight was to be Die-cuts... but a neglected one. I did panic initially, as I use all my dies regularly, but I soon realised after rummaging through them I had this one from Cheery Lynn, that was sadly neglected. I cut it out and studied it for some time thinking how I could give it the WOW Factor and worthy of being used for my GD Spot. It took me almost to the following day for my project to be planned in my head. I wanted this to look like a Pergola in a Stately Home, with a Shabby Vintage feel and have light reflecting properties, with lots of detail to look at.

I cut out my die 4 times, edged with distress ink, mounting onto the reverse white-washed coffee sticks, this would make my item more rigid when it came to gluing. I layered parchment paper on to the frame so it would give a shadow effect the fretwork panels. The Bride and Groom were both edged with distress ink to create a shadow effect too, and I layered a piece of lace ribbon over her. I modelled her veil on the style of my mums and added a little metal wire covered in Flower Soft for her Headdress. I also scattered Flower Soft down her veil and onto the flooring to give the effect of confetti and fresh flowers.

The flooring was again made out of coffee sticks, cut, gesso’d and edges distressed and a little pen mark to resemble a nail in the floor and laid in a diagonal pattern. I mounted it onto a box, I made using my Scorpal Board, distressing edges and layering lace and ribbon flowers onto it. My steps were etched with the same die cut I used on my plant pots and rubbed over with distress to give a Shabby feel.

My trellised roof was made with sticks being white washed. I distress stained paper and stamped small leaves on to give texture and shade before die cutting the pieces, layering up and adding Flower Soft.

My trees were made from wooden beads glued onto garden plant sticks. I wrapped some twine around the sticks coated with Gesso and placed into a small wooden pot I had painted, adorned with a die cut and distressed. Topped with a little glue to which I poured on some sand and made a little bow to decorate. Finally. I placed lots of pearls onto it. My favourite embellishment.

Thanks for having me at Frilly and Funkie. I hope I have inspired you all to re-look at any of your neglected dies and I’d love if you pop over to my blog for many more photos and details on this project.

Julie x

I'm sure you will all agree Julie's project is absolutely stunning! A truly beautiful work of art, and what amazing inspiration to dig out your dies and see what you can make for the current challenge, 'Neglected Dies'.