Monday, September 29, 2014

Challenge Winners - From The Heart

Welcome to the last Monday in September! It's time to announce the winners of the 'From The Heart' challenge. Thank you all of those who took the time to enter with fantastic projects again. The whole Design Team loved looking through them all to choose a winner, and this time our votes went to #13 Toni.


Just look at the wonderful stencilling and gorgeous flowers adorning this heart shaped home decor piece - we loved it all! And so congratulations go to Toni, our Frilly and Funkie favourite who has won the opportunity to be a Guest Designer here for a future challenge.

And Random.org has chosen a winner for our $25 gift certificate to The Funkie Junkie Boutique. Our congratulations go to #4 Pamellia.


A huge vote of thanks from the Frilly and Funkie Design Team to everyone who took part in this challenge and congratulations again to our winners. Please email Linda at thefunkiejunkie@gmail.com for the codes for the winner's badge and to give us your email address for the Guest Designer details (Toni) and for the gift certificate details (Pamellia).

Our current challenge, 'A Haunting Halloween' runs through Tuesday, October 7th. We hope to see you entering this time around so that you too can be in with a chance to win. And remember, you can enter up to 10 challenges including ours, and a maximum of 3 entries per person to our challenge. Please remember to link back to our challenge in your entry and mention in your post that you are entering this Frilly and Funkie challenge.

Have a great week!

Saturday, September 27, 2014

Saturday Step by Step - Not Too Shabby

Hi everyone and thank you for joining me today. Jenny here with a new step by step to get you in the mood for some weekend crafting. And here's the not so shabby chic card I'm stepping out for you (don't forget, just click on the images to get a closer look at the detail)...
I started with two squares of card (there'll be a fair bit of media going onto this so it needs to be of a heavier weight). Using the 'Basically Bricks' stencil I added Pumice Stone Distress Paint to the 'mortar' sections. Rather than waste paint I stencilled onto one piece of card...
... then flipped the stencil over onto the second piece of card and used a brayer to press the remaining paint into place. The first piece of card was reserved for use on a later project.
Tattered Rose and Wild Honey Distress Inks were blended on top of the stencilled paint after it had dried completely.
Petroleum jelly was smeared onto the ink in random patches.
Then I brushed a combination of Picket Fence, Antique Linen and Tattered Rose Distress Paints over the top. It was resisted by the areas covered in petroleum jelly to reveal the ink underneath. By heat setting the paint with a heat gun it allowed the jelly to be dissolved.
Using the 'Tic Tac Toe' background stamp unmounted with Watering Can Archival Ink I applied a little detail in patches, for that random feel.
Having blended Frayed Burlap Distress Ink lightly over the whole card I flicked a generous amount of water onto it, allowing ink to react before blotting it all dry (you can see why you need a heavy weight card!)
Next attention turned to the flowers. Using the flower stamp from the 'Build-a-Blossom' Stamp it Stencil it! set I stamped out the flowers in Watering Can Archival Ink onto white card. Having cut out them out (including cutting in between the petals) Wild Honey and Victorian Velvet Distress Inks were blended onto the flowers before they were shaped with a ball tool. I layered two flowers onto each other, then coloured some acrylic gumdrops with Cranberry Alcohol Ink and glued them into the centres.
I arranged the flowers onto the background to work out where they would look best. Then I used the stencil from the set to mark out their final placement.
The Watering Can Archival Ink was used again, firstly through the 'Dots & Stripes Borders' stencil and secondly on the lace edging stamp from 'The Beauty of Art' stamp set.
Getting back to the stencil, I applied Crackled Texture Paste through the leaf shape and allowed it to dry. To finish the card some seam binding (coloured with Antique Linen Distress Stain) was added across the stencilled stripes before I glued the flowers into place using the marks to guide me. I tucked some bronze leaves into the bouquet and splattered the whole card with Biscotti Perfect Pearls Mist. Finally I added a sprinkle of Chit Chat stickers - if you draw around these with watercolour pencils or Distress Markers and use a water pen to soften the marks you can really help to make them stand out.
And here are some close ups of the finished card... 



I hope you've got some ideas from this tutorial and feel inspired to get creating yourselves this weekend. The links for all the products used on this card are listed below with links to The Funkie Junkie Boutique.

Don't forget, the current Frilly and Funkie challenge 'A Haunting Halloween' is looking for Halloween themed vintage and shabby chic projects and there are prizes up for grabs so make sure you enter. And we'll be back on Monday September 29th to announce the winners of the last challenge - did you win?

Have a great weekend and take care of yourselves,
Jenny x


Thursday, September 25, 2014

Welcome back today's Guest Designer, Bonnie!

Today we are welcoming back Bonnie of Love, Light and Peace as our Guest Designer. Bonnie was chosen as the DT winner of the challenge A Summer Garden. Let's hear from Bonnie and see her wonderful project!


Hi, my Name is Bonnie McLain… and at times I am referred to as Love, Light and Peace… Bonnie.. (that is the way I have signed my name for a long long time now).

I am very proud and Honored to be the GUEST DESIGNER today for Frilly and Funkie… this Design Team has so very much going for it… and I love the challenges… they are so very inspiring and creative that I get really excited… I love doing this Guest Designer part… but LOVE doing the challenges too… so jump on up and go start to create something for this one… SPOOKY is what it is all about… I have been in the art field for over 50 years… and have done a lot of different professional types of art, such as; Fashion design, fabric design, in New York City Garment district… Art therapy in psychiatric Hospitals; Designed and manufactured a line of country gifts that my Husband and I produced from Aromatic Red Cedar and created a Cottage Industry for over 40 people. I have designed and also manufactured a line of hand wrapped jewelry. So I have been in the art business and field for a lovingly long time. I love it now more than ever, as it is all fun and games. I presently teach and have a nice studio in my home. What could be more perfect.

Doing challenges is a fun and learning experience for me in so many ways… and also meeting people from around the world. I have been on Design Teams, and also had web sites and Blogs for over 12 years now… All very exciting… I personally feel that once we stop learning and meeting others, our life will stop pretty soon… so I keep active in that area as much as possible… I do many different kinds of art even now, from knitting, spinning, felting, painting, metal wrapping, book making, Zentangling, sewing, quilting, making our clothes, basket making, journaling, all kinds of health situations, and cooking, along with canning and preserving our foods for the year. And challenges are a always on the top of the list… along with all the chores and loves of living and owning a farm… Have a fun day.


Spooky is the theme for Frilly and Funkie… and so I had to put on my thinking cap… since I generally do one frilly and one funkie… I will have to combine them… Oh I know what I can do… I have this paper mache house… and it needs to be used… so I will make it into a SPOOKY Haunted House…


I painted the house with acrylic paint… and then I went crazy using crackles, and all kinds of things to make the house look unkept... it had to be FUNKIE looking… and then the Frilly part… of course the ‘lace draperies’ or better known as dark cob webs…


I put a fence around a section, and an empty bottle… which I colored with inks and put a label on it… and a grave stone… every haunted house has a grave stone in the front yard, right???? I tried to incorporate all things that you might find around a haunted house… and there is also a little critter living there… but you will have to go to my blog to see that… Hope you enjoy this SPOOKY HAUNTED HOUSE.

I'm sure you'll agree that Bonnie's haunted house is fabulous and has provided more inspiration for the current challenge 'A Haunting Halloween'.

If you would like to be in with the chance to join us as a Guest Designer all you need to do is join in!

Tuesday, September 23, 2014

And The Winner Is...

As promised I'm back today to announce the winner of the random draw to win the  the bundle of the six glorious colors of embossing powders just released by Ranger and Wendy Vecchi. And the lucky winner is...


Debra Reed!  Debra, please email thefunkiejunkie@gmail.com with your mailing address so I can get your embossing powders winging their way to you.

A huge thank you goes out to everyone who joined in the contest. There were 223 entries with all the comments, likes, posts and sharing on blogs. It was so much fun to see how enthusiastic every was over this wonderful prize. I wish I could give each and every one of you an Embossing Powder bundle! We still have some in stock over at The Funkie Junkie Boutique, as well as a few bundles of the new Tim Holtz Distress Stain Sprays.

Stay tuned to our Frilly and Funkie challenge blog and our Facebook page for news on sales, give-aways and new products, and don't forget, we are back tomorrow with the launch of a brand new challenge theme.

Monday, September 22, 2014

Would You Like to Win a Wendy Vecchi Embossing Powder Bundle?

Note; this is a sticky post until the end of Monday September 22nd. Please scroll down to see the new Friday Focus tutorial.

Have you seen the gorgeous new Wendy Vecchi Embossing Powders that match her archival inks?  We’re celebrating Wendy’s new release here at Frilly and Funkie by giving away a bundle of all six colors.  Contest ends midnight Eastern Time on Monday, September 22nd.  Results announced on Tuesday. 

You can enter our random drawing multiple times in multiple ways.  Here’s how:
  • Leave a comment on this post – one entry
  • Like our post on Facebook – one entry
  • Post the give away add on your blog (code below) – one entry
  • Post our store badge on your blog’s sidebar (code below) – three entries!!

Code for contest badge: 
<center><a title="The Funkie Junkie" href=" http://www.thefunkiejunkie.com/Ranger_Wendy_Vecchi_Embossing_Powder_Bundle_p/ep_wv_bundle1.htm" target="_blank"><img border="0" src=" http://i469.photobucket.com/albums/rr60/lindacoughlin32/WVEPBadge2.jpg" /></a></center>

Code for shop badge:  set up as an HTML/JavaScript gadget on sidebar and paste this code:

<center><a title="The Funkie Junkie" href=" http://www.thefunkiejunkie.com" target="_blank"><img border="0" src=" http://i469.photobucket.com/albums/rr60/lindacoughlin32/Volusionsidebar2102.jpg " /></a></center>

If you post the contest badge or the shop badge on your blog, please email thefunkiejunkie@gmail.com to us know so we can add your name extra times to the contest drawing!  Good luck!

Friday, September 19, 2014

Friday Focus - Lace Mini Album


It is Cec here and today I am presenting the Friday Focus on Venise Laces and I am going to show you this lace mini album.  For the next two weeks all the Venise Laces at The Funkie Junkie Boutique will be further discounted by 15% so this will be a perfect time to stock up.

So let's get started.


We have a thrift store nearby and I had never been inside until a few weeks ago and I found this small album for just 99 cents - what a deal and a perfect base for an album.  The first thing I did was to rip out the plastic photo holders on the inside.


I won't be providing measurements because each album is unique and I had to figure out every measurement based on this particular album but I will show you the process I went through.  The first thing was to cut a piece of batting to cover the album. 


Next I covered both the inside and outside with a layer of woven fabric making sure that I cut it at least 3/4 of an inch larger than the album.  I did not use hot glue because it isn't smooth but in the end, the lace may have covered any bumps if I had used it.

I put the inside cover on first and then ran a narrow strip of double sided tape on the fabric right next to the album edge so that when I added the top cover, I could adhere the two covers together and then the edge would not show.  Once the covers were attached I cut the edges down to about 1/2" using pinking shears.

I would have preferred to cut the edges with regular scissors and fray the edges but this was cheap fabric and it would not fray straight.  Usually you can pull a thread each direction to find the straight of the grain of the fabric but this would not let me so I went with the pinking shears - and got a vacuum cleaner out to pick up all the little fabric bits on my workspace :)


Next I started to make pockets for the inside of the album.  I didn't have any double-sided card stock that was large enough so I just found some digital prints in my computer files that I thought would look good together (these are from Far Far Hill) and printed them double-sided on white card stock on my laser printer.


Here is a pocket all glued together.  The fold-over flaps and seam at the back are glued down and there is a small strip of double-sided tape on the inside bottom, which makes this a pocket.


After I got all the pockets made I realized that I had wanted to add some inking with Frayed Burlap Distress Ink on all the edges so to make that happen on the fold-over flaps since they were already glued down, I just put a piece of paper up against the edge and got it done - where there is a will, there is a way.  I made a total of six pockets


Next I made a binding system and attached it to the inside of the spine using a strong liquid glue.  There is a fair bit of space between so that lots of things can be stuffed into each pocket.  Each of the upright strips will have a pocket on each side.  The other two pockets will be fastened to the inside of the front and back.


The next step was to adhere all the pockets.  I started with the pockets attached directly to the covers and then added the pockets to the binding system making sure that they were back to back.  After I finished I added an extra top loading pocket to each of the pockets on the insides of the covers but forgot to take a photo of this.


Next I made a stacked flower to go on the front.  It is just a Prima flower, with a gathered piece of organza and a section cut from a piece of lace I had in my sewing room.  I also crocheted a "flower" or medallion to use on the back but didn't take a separate photo of that but you will see it on the album.


The next step was to pull a bunch of different Venise laces to work with.  The best thing about this project is that you can use little leftover strips and nothing has to match.  I took some lace hem binding and attached that to the sides of the front and back so that the album can be tied together when it is full.

Then I started covering the front and back with lace.  At first I tried laying it out to create a pattern and then realized that it looked better if I just dove in and started adding it.  Make sure that your lace overlaps onto the spine by a tiny bit.


Once all the lace was added I added a pre-made fancy tulle strip to cover the spine because something vertical looked better than a strip of lace.  Then I added the embellishments - the crochet "flower" to the back, a vintage image framed in lace to the front, the stacked flower, a bunch of glittery Prima flowers that had been in a spray but I took them apart and pink pearls here and there.  I also made a couple of bead charms and attached them to the spine with a tiny pink bow.

You can use any of the Venise laces (and the Venise lace appliques) that are available from The Funkie Junkie Boutique but these are the ones that I have used:

Wednesday, September 17, 2014

From The Heart

It is Trace here as your host for the second week of a new challenge here at Frilly and Funkie. I am thrilled to be choosing the theme this fortnight which is 'From The Heart'. Your challenge is to create a vintage project that has hearts as the focal image; you could make a dimensional piece, a card, ATC or tag, as long as hearts are the main focus.

The winner will earn a Guest DT spot here at Frilly and Funkie, and everyone who enters will have the chance to win a randomly drawn $25 spending spree at The Funkie Junkie Boutique.

The guidelines for entering are simple: create a new vintage or shabby chic project following the challenge theme, link it up below to your post (not just your blog) and also include a link back to this challenge in your post. You can combine our challenge with up to 10 challenges (including this one) to be in with a chance of winning. Make sure you follow these rules as unfortunately we have had to eliminate entrants from the prize draws in the past when they have entered too many other challenges. If you are entering through a public forum please use keyword F&F. Also, please be sure to turn off your Word Verification so our design team can leave comments on your blogs.

You've seen the pieces created by the Frilly side of the team (below) so now let's check out how the Funkie side of the team have interpreted the theme. Remember, if you click on the names you'll be taken to the relevant blog posts for more details and photos;

Sue Carrington - Stamping Sue Style 

Jenny Marples - Pushing The Right Buttons

Trace Metcalfe - inkypinkycraft

Linda Coughlin - The Funkie Junkie

***************************************************
WEEK ONE

And let's take a look at the gorgeous makes from The Frilly side of the Design Team;

Cec Wintonyk - CW Card Creations

Rebecca Deeprose - Paper Primrose

Nancy Dynes ~ Tattered Treasures

Linda Coughlin - The Funkie Junkie


Hope that you will find the time to join in the fun and enter your 'From The Heart' piece using the link below. In the meantime we'll be back tomorrow with more inspiration from the winner of a previous challenge, Donna of From My Art 2 Yours, so make sure you check out her fantastic project.

Keep those fingers inky,
trace x


Monday, September 15, 2014

Challenge Winners - A Summer Garden

So here we are, another Monday, and it's time to announce the winners of the 'A Summer Garden' challenge. Thank you all of those who took the time to enter with some utterly beautiful projects. The standard was exceptional again and we were spoiled for choice when voting. After much deliberation the Design Team picked #2 Bonnie McLain as our winning entry.


We loved the multi-layered design and beautiful handmade flowers all demonstrating Bonnie's attention to detail when creating this card. Congratulations Bonnie on being our Funkie Favourite for the 'A Summer Garden' challenge and winning the opportunity to be a Guest Designer here at Frilly and Funkie for a future challenge.

And Random.org has chosen a winner for our $25 gift certificate to The Funkie Junkie Boutique. Our congratulations go to #17 Toni of Studio Garage Band.


A huge vote of thanks from the Frilly and Funkie Design Team to everyone who took part in this challenge and congratulations again to our winners. Please email Linda at thefunkiejunkie@gmail.com for the codes for the winner's badge and to give us your email address for the Guest Designer details (Bonnie) and for the gift certificate details (Toni).

Our current challenge, 'From The Heart' runs through Tuesday, September 23rd. We hope to see you entering this time around so that you too can be in with a chance to win. And remember, you can enter up to 10 challenges including ours, and a maximum of 3 entries per person to our challenge. Please remember to link back to our challenge in your entry and mention in your post that you are entering this Frilly and Funkie challenge.

Have a great week!

Saturday, September 13, 2014

Saturday Step by Step

Hello everyone. I'm happy to be with you today with a Frilly and Funkie Saturday StepxStep. I am in love with Pion Design's paper collections and just recently acquired the collection called 'A Day in May' in the 12x12" format. The collection is gorgeous and certainly not limited to spring, so my itchy hands just had to do something with it. I've had some plain jane bottles sitting on a shelf and it's ridiculous to keep dusting them, so I was spurred to action...


What a really fun project this was! Let me walk you through it step by step and you may be lured into thinking of those olive oil bottles, bath salt bottles and any piece of glass container, with a crafter's eye!...


I began with a craft paint that's suitable for wood, glass, metal or fabric. Using an off-white color, I painted the edges of the larger bottle (because I was running really low!!) and the entire smaller bottle, including the round glass topper. I needed 2 coats to get adequate coverage, though I think 3 would have been best...


Beginning with the flat sides of the larger bottle, I cut panels to fit each side, while leaving space at the edges to allow the paint color to show and give the bottle a more 'finished' appearance. Ranger's Multi Matte Medium was used to adhere all of the paper pieces. Using a foam brush, a quick coat was painted onto the bottle and then a coat onto the back of the paper panel. You will have a minute to move the paper piece around a bit to center it properly. If you bend the paper panel so that you can adhere the center of the panel first, then you can push any bubbles out towards the edges as you lay the rest of the panel down. It was also very useful to use a rubber brayer to remove bubbles and even out any lumps of multi matte medium. Wipe any medium off the brayer, with a wet wipe, to prevent it from ruining the rubber. Don't worry if you get some Multi Matte Medium onto the face of the paper. It won't matter. Just wipe any large lumps off...


The side panels of paper seemed a bit naked (like the one laying down), so I distressed the edges with a bit of distress ink. You can see the subtle effect on the side panel that has been applied...


After all of the sides have dried thoroughly, apply 2 coats of multi matte medium over the paper and paint. They don't need to be heavy coats, just reasonably even. In between these steps, I placed my foam brush inside a freezer weight, zip lock bag to keep it from drying out. The thicker plastic will work better than a sandwich bag or plastic wrap. If you choose to wash the foam brush, be certain to let it dry thoroughly before continuing. Any moisture in the brush will dilute the medium and possibly buckle the paper...


What fun to find all the bits and pieces to play dress up... with a bottle. In addition to using strips of half pearls to edge the paper panels, I used lace around the neck, larger pearls around the rim and picket fence distress stain to soften the color of the cork! Untreated cork has quite strong color. The Distress Stain just soaked in over a few minutes and provided a great solution! Paper flowers (coated with multi matte medium for durability) and a cluster of beads using pearls and some peridot beads were added to a necklace of chain, drape around the base of the neck. If you don't do beading, perhaps a broach?! I made three multi-looped bows. One was glued to the top of the bead cluster...


The other two bows were adhered to the top of the cork, sandwiched between two paper flowers. Each flower faces out and the loops of the bows created a fan effect...


Some pearl swirls were cut from Prima's 'Say It With Pearls' adhesive sheets, rearranged and adhered to the side panels...


Don't hesitate to cut apart and rearrange these adhesive sheets. It's amazing how you can make them fit nearly any project when you let yourself think outside the box!...


You can see that pearls (from the Say It With Pearls sheet) were also cut and added to the shoulders of the bottle...


The back panel is a simple and really lovely corner from a sheet of paper… by the way, all the Pion Papers are double sided to give you LOADS of design choices...


The second and smaller bottle coordinates with the first, but is different enough to keep it interesting. This one has some die cut flourishes on it's shoulders, framed images and metal embellishments...


The paper panels were added in the same way as the first bottle, die cuts were added in the exact same way as the paper panels and then the same two coats of medium covered it all. Pearls were added to outline the panels and then I began to frame some lovely images. Using two resin frames from Ingvild Bolme, I first needed to change the chalk white coloring. I applied a coat of Antique Linen Distress Paint. I love being able to just dab it on with the foam applicator! I think I love it so much that I mention that at every opportunity! When it was dry, I dabbed frayed burlap distress ink over the entire frame, using the new mini ink blending tool. Just love this little size for getting into tiny spaces...


After applying the distress ink all over the frame, take a barely damp cloth and wipe the ink off of the raised surfaces, leaving it in the recesses...


Place a line of Glossy Accents on the back of the frame and place it over the image you choose. I tilted this one to fit the frame. When the glossy accents has dried (an hour here in Arizona, longer where it's more humid), trim the paper from the outside of the frame, using a craft knife. If you forget and trim it on your non-stick craft mat, you can mend the cut with some tape on the back side (I know, it didn't have a front or back, until I cut it!). See below!...


The trim was cut to wrap around the neck. The flower that was attached to the left end of this length of trim, was removed to allow the flower on the right end to 'mesh' with the scallop, when it's wrapped around. This makes the join flawless. I choose a trim with a short repeat, with this in mind...


The brass embellishments were treated to some of the Antique Linen Distress Paint. By using a light pressure, it touched just the high spots...


Some pearl cabochons that I found in the Funkie Junkie Boutique were attached with a generous amount of Glossy Accents...


I must 'fess up', the image on the back of the bottle was from Pion's 'Vintage Garden' collection. Their collections often work very well together...


Both the framed images and metal embellishments were adhered with glossy accents. A thick rubber band was used to hold them in place while the adhesive dried. I changed my mind and decided to color the lace trim around the neck...


Some paper flowers top the stopper. They remind me of a flowered hat! Some charms finished off the neck. Oh the possibilities! I don't think these will be the last bottle I dress up and I'm thinking they would make great gifts as is, or filled…hmmmmm! I've added a list of the products used from The Funkie Junkie Boutique below so you can play dress up with me too.

Thanks for joining me today.
Sending you blessings and hugs,