CHA Winter Show 2013
Another Craft and Hobby Association Winter show has come and gone. While there were less vendors this year, I honestly feel this was one of the best I attended. This show was amazing! The classes, networking and show floor events were wonderful. I was able to make new accounts with several vendors and got to meet up with some seriously talented artists.
The wonderful Globecraft & Piccolo had a booth again at CHA. I am proud to be part of their Design Team and a part of product design & development! Members of the G&P design team, Jami Bostjancic (of Accent Allusions) and I were honored to be asked to do demos at the booth for three of the four days of CHA.
Here is some of the cool G&P products we got to demo at the show:
NEW Globecraft & Piccolo UV Resin: It cures in 3 minutes in UV light, scratch resistant, self leveling and not affected by humidity (in fact it can set up underwater). It works wonderful on top of chipboard, acrylic, paper, polymer clay, fabric, vellum and so much more!
NEW Globecraft & Piccolo Acrylic Bezels and Tags: Clear acrylic bezels and tags come in so many shapes and sizes. Perfect for making jewelry, mixed media and card decor! Looks lovely stamped and with paper backings.
NEW additions to the Globecraft & Piccolo Embossing powder line: These powders are specially designed to look awesome on large and small projects. G&P Embossing Powders are made of varying-sized particles that create a unique depth and dimension not available with traditional embossing powders. These wonderful colors can mimic stone, metal, natural elements and aged surfaces. The new colors are Real Rust, Ruby Red Slippers, Shamrock Dreams, Turquoise Lagoon, and Platinum!
New Piccolo Chipboard Elements: Now in many different sizes, great for home decor, card making, mixed media, jewelry and more! From holiday, seasonal, steampunk, animals, swirls, and elaborate corner and edge elements.
The Globecraft & Piccolo booth at CHA.
G&P display showcasing all of their embossing powders and chipboard charm sets. All of the charm sets on the velvet boards are my work. 🙂
G&P acrylic and chipboard bezels samples by the talented design team, the Secrist family (G&P) and I.
Just beautiful card decor work with Piccolos by the design team!
G&P Ornament sets. The lovely mixed media piece on the left is made by the talented Linda Neff (part of the G&P design team) from ornaments and a lampshade.
An overview of the booth.
Some samples of the demo work showing the new UV Resin and acrylic bezels! Pieces by Pat Secrist (Of G&P), Jami Bostjancic and I.The following photos are close up of booth display samples to show you how many new styles and techniques you can use with the new G&P products.
G&P acrylic bezel, G&P UV Resin, mica powder, permanent ink, paper and sticker gems.
Mini oval acrylic bezels with Pure Sparkle Glitter in Gold, mica powder, 3D Enamel Gel and sticker gems. Faux glass technique.
Top left and bottom bezels are acrylic and top right bezel is bookboard. 3D Enamel Gels, Pure Sparkle Glitter in Gold and Silver, mica powder and sticker gems. Glastique Gloss is used to seal each layer. Topped with the new UV resin. Nebula/night sky technique.
G&P acrylic bezel, G&P UV Resin, G&P Piccolo Gears, mica powder, permanent ink, paper and sticker gems. Piccolo layer technique.
G&P acrylic bezel, G&P UV Resin, mica powder, 3D Enamel Gels, Origami foil paper and sticker gems. Faux glass technique.Until next time safe travels!
Mushrooms and Merriment…
As a young child one of my favorite Christmas decorations was glass mushroom ornaments. They were typically red with white dots and wonderful highlights of pearls, silver, gold and glitter. To me it was like a little frozen bit of fairyland. Traditionally the mushroom ornament was seen as a good luck symbol. In Germany they were seen as a symbol of a person’s love of nature and hope for good tidings in the New Year. Well that got me thinking I just had to make one of my own!Supplies:
Globecraft & Piccolo DIY Portrait Ornament
Globecraft & Piccolo 3D Enamel Gel Satin Honeydew
Globecraft & Piccolo 3D Enamel Gel Napthol Red
Globecraft & Piccolo Piccolo Enamel/Embossing Powder Adhesive
Globecraft & Piccolo Mossy Glen Enamel Powder
Globecraft & Piccolo Pure Sparkle Gold Glitter
Globecraft & Piccolo Glastique Gloss Finishing Glaze
Globecraft & Piccolo Medium FlourishesReindeer Moss
Polymer Clay Mushrooms
Ribbon
Red Sticker Gems
I started with applying the Piccolo Enamel Adhesive to the outer rings of the ornament. I then coated the rings with Mossy Glen Enamel Powder and heat set with heat gun. I then drew a thin bead of Glastique Gloss Finishing Glaze around the inside of the ovals, placed the globes in each half and clipped into place.
Taking the inner ring, I applied Glastique Gloss around the edge and sprinkled on Pure Sparkle Gold Glitter.
The flourishes got a coat of 3D Enamel Gel Satin Honeydew and the polymer clay mushrooms caps had a layer of 3D Enamel Gel Napthol Red applied. Let dry. Then little dots of Glastique Gloss on the mushroom caps and a sprinkle of Pure Sparkle Gold Glitter on top.
Once the mushroom are completely dry I bundled them together and wrapped Reindeer Moss around them tightly. I glued all the pieces of the ornament together with Glastique, carefully sandwiching the mushrooms and moss. I left them clipped in place until dry.
Using Glastique as glue once again, I added the flourishes and sticker gems to the ornament. Once dry I added the ribbon to the top!
Hop on over to the Globecraft & Piccolo blog today to see my Christmas Airship Express tutorial!
Until Next Time, Safe Travels!Let it snow…..
Even though it is not Winter yet, it sure feels like it. We have a cold weather front moving in and there is some talk of snow! It is the perfect weather to stay inside, decorate for the holidays and make gifts. Today I am going to show you how to make a snowflake jewelry set that can be put in a card set using Globecraft &Piccolo products.Supplies for earrings and necklace:
2 packages of Globecraft & Piccolo Snowflake Accents
Globecraft & Piccolo Pure Sparkle Silver Glitter
Globecraft & Piccolo Glastique Gloss Finishing Glaze
Globecraft & Piccolo Titanium White 3D Enamel Gel
Piccolo Easy Grip Tweezers
Pale Blue Sticker gems
Silver jumprings
Silver chain
2 Earring wires
Jewelry clasp
Flat nose pliers
Wire cutter
Carefully remove all of the snowflake Piccolos from the chipboard frame. Coat one side of all of the snowflake Piccolos with Titanium White 3D Enamel Gel. Let dry. Now coat the other side of only 1 large snowflake, 2 mediums, 2 smalls and 2 minis. The pieces with both sides coated will be for the jewelry and the snowflakes with only one side with enamel will be used for the card (or other projects if you like).
Carefully apply Glastique Gloss Finishing Glaze to all of the snowflakes and sprinkle Pure Sparkle Silver Glitter on top. Let dry.
Now apply two more coats of Glastique Gloss Glaze to the snowflakes. Let dry. The layers of glaze will give the snowflakes a glass like finish and help the glitter “pop”.
Now apply Glastique Gloss Glaze to two of the small snowflakes. Carefully position the mini snowflakes in a manner to create a enclosed space to put a silver jump ring through. Let dry. Go back and seal the areas where the snowflakes touch with Glastique. Let dry.
Use Glastique Gloss Finishing Glaze to glue on the pale blue sticker gems to the large, medium and small snowflakes. Let dry.
Open up oval jump rings and put through the small triangles in 2 of the medium, the space in small and mini glued pieces and 1 large snowflakes; close jump rings.
Cut 2 separate lengths (two inches long) of silver chain and attach each length to a medium snowflake with a small jump ring. Add another jump ring on top and attach the earring wire.
Cut two lengths of silver chain (1/2 inch long) and attach to the small and mini snowflakes glued together with a small jump ring. Add another jump ring on top and attach to the earring wire with the medium snowflake. Cut 16 inches of silver chain and string the large snowflake on it. Attach jewelry clasp to chain with small jump rings.
You can give the jewelry set as is or you can make a matching card to place the jewelry in. Use the left over snowflakes for embellishments on the card. 🙂Supplies for card:
White card stock
Pale Blue card stock
Globecraft &Piccolo Blue Pearl 3D Enamel Gel
Globecraft &Piccolo Glastique Gloss Finishing GlazeUntil Next Time, Safe Travels!
Globecraft & Piccolo Design Team and 3D Enamel Gels!
As you all know I have been a proud member of product design and development for Globecraft Memories for over a year now. I love the work and always look forward to testing new products. So I was pleasantly surprised when they graciously invited me to join their Globecraft & Piccolo online design team! There’s an amazing amount of talented ladies in this team and many diverse styles. I can’t wait to see what everyone makes! Please make sure to check out their blog often!
One of the new products we are getting to showcase and use in the design team is Piccolo 3D Enamel Gels. They are non-toxic, have no odor, are easy to clean up and have wonderful pigment-rich colors. They can be applied to chipboard, paper, plastic and fabrics with ease (I’m willing to bet there are even more applications that I have yet to try).
A new product they carry, blank Bookboard Bezels, are just perfect to coat with the 3D Enamel and turn into jewelry. A single coat on a bezel gives you a lovely transparency, two coats give a opaque glass like finish. When you apply a single coat on top of Globecraft’s Enamel Powders it has a wonderful stained glass effect, but you can also put a layer of 3D Enamel down first, let dry and then sprinkle a layer of Enamel Powders on top.
The 3D Enameling Gel does not boil when you pass the heat gun over to set the Enameling powders if the gel is fully cured. On this Skinny Tag bezel I used Mars Black 3D Enamel Gel and a overlay of Girls Night Out Enamel Powder.
If you layer the Enamel Gel between layers of Glastique Gloss Finishing Glaze you can get an amazing level of depth. Mars Black, Ultramarine Blue, Purple Mist 3D Enamel Gels, Pure Sparkle Silver Glitter and Mica for this celestial sky set.
You can get the illusion of glass when you add Glastique Gloss Finishing Glaze and Art Glitter Ultrafine Angel Dust glitter on top of the 3D Enamel. I used a Flower drop bezel , Dark Green, Metallic Gold, Purple Mist 3D Enameling Gels, and sticker gems for this piece.
The 3D Enamel Gel has a natural gloss finished if applied straight from the bottle but if you use a cosmetic sponge to stipple it on you can get a satin finish. For this Graffiti Art necklace I used a Square Tag bezel, Glastique Gloss Finishing Glaze and 3D Enameling Gel (Titanium White, Orange, Cobalt Turquoise, Bright Yellow, Napthol Red, Metallic Silver, Metallic Copper, Mars Black).
The new Enamel Gel is perfect for when you want just a touch of color. The tiny applicator tip on all of the Gel bottles makes it easy to apply it to any Piccolo element. With this Steampunk Gear Bezel, the Bright Yellow, Metallic Silver and Metallic Copper 3D Enameling Gels give it that perfect touch of color.Until Next Time, Safe Travels!
Día de los Muertos, a history of thousands of years…
Día de los Muertos, otherwise known as Day of the Dead, is an amazing and wonderful holiday honoring and remembering passed loved ones. Rich in culture and history, it is often misunderstood as a form of Halloween. It is based on an old holiday, created by Meso-American indigenous culture of the Aztecs, and dedicated to the goddess Mictecacihuatl (Our Lady of the Dead), who presided over and protected the dead. Originally celebrated at the time of the corn harvest, it would last a whole month, beginning in July and ending in August. But when the Spanish invaded Mexico, the Spanish tried to eradicate this holiday, fearing it to be a celebration of death. The Spanish did not understand it was a celebration of the cycle of life and that with death there is rebirth, like the crops that were being harvested at that time of year. The Spanish tried very hard to stop the celebrations but the indigenous people would not let go of their beloved traditions. As a compromise the customs became intertwined with the Christian commemoration of All Saints’ Day and All Souls Day. Because there were also many other pre-Hispanic cultures of Meso-America that celebrated days honoring the dead such as Mayans, Toltecas, Tlaxcaltec, Chichimec, Tecpanec many of their traditions were added to the celebrations, giving this holiday a history of thousands of years.
A family altar with religious items, photos and ofrendas. The celebration traditionally starts at midnight the night of Oct. 31 and goes to November 2. Traditionally November 1 is to honor children and infants Día de los Inocentes (“Day of the Innocents”) and deceased adults are honored on November 2 Día de los Muertos (“Day of the Dead”). It is a gathering of family and friends, prayer, signing and celebrating, joyous time of celebration in remembrance of those passed. Ornate altars are created and decorated with marigolds, sugar skulls, ofrendas (offerings) such as the favorite foods and beverages of the departed even possessions of the deceased. Some choose to celebrate at home and others go to the graveyards to clean the graves, hold all night vigils, and leave candles and flowers. For many communities it becomes a festival for all to participate in with parades and street parties.
A family altar dedicated to couple who owned a local community market. A common symbol of the holiday is the skull (calavera), in the form of masks, figures, sugar skulls, dioramas, puppets, and paintings called calacas (colloquial term for “skeleton”). People dress up as the deceased with elaborate face paint and clothing. Some people even wear shells, nuts or bells, so when they dance, the noise is suppose to wake up the dead to celebrate.
Handcrafted happy small calacas on a altar. Many of the skulls and skeletons made for the holiday are happy, bright and festive. In keeping with energy of the holiday they are meant to joyous, to live our life to the fullest. Though some calacas are made to remind us that death is a fate that even the rich can’t avoid such as the modern “Catrina”. Catrina are skeletal female figures in fancy clothing and accessories, normally made as a figure or painting. They are based on the work of Mexican printmaker José Guadalupe Posada, La Calavera Catrina, which was meant to satirize the life of the upper classes. Since his death his images have become associated with Día de los Muertos. Though like many elements of the Day of the Dead even Catrinas is seen as a reinvisioning of the Aztec Goddess Mictecacihuatl by some.
Giant calacas at the Day of the Dead, Hollywood Forever event. As the years go by more traditions are added to the Day of the Dead, with the modern age and technology more people can now enjoy and celebrate a once little known holiday. Originally from Mexico it is a holiday now celebrated the world over, with decorations, food, music, parties and the tradition of remembering our loved ones, a concept many can relate to and be joyous about.Until next time, Safe Travels!
Ancient and Contemporary Inspired Artistry
