Love-Create-Dream for Love To Craft Challenge Blog

Happy New Year Day - It's 2020, can you believe it?

Today I have exciting news: I have joined the design team at Love to Craft Challenge Blog (LTCCB) and my first make is for their January Anything Goes Challenge beginning Jan. 1 and ending Jan. 31. I've been playing there awhile and one thing I find so convenient is being able to enter any crafty make as long as it's new, decent and non-digitally created. I need a few New Year-themed Decos for my home displays, so that's what I went with and here's the first one to share with you.

 

I used a Split Coast Stampers sketch from Oct. 2019 as inspiration, but I flipped it vertically and then resized it to 8x8". From there I followed a loose interpretation of the elements flow. You see the Love-Dream-Dreate vertical die cut element, the round die cut element and the "branch" element, (although much of it is covered by images layered onto it). At any rate, these elements are there underneath the images and create the foundation of my piece.

I have used all Gecko Galz collage sheet images and fussy-cut them out. The fairy with her legs crossed and the January wreath are from the January 2017 monthly subscriber sheet. The cherub on the trunk and the girl sipping champagne in the horseshoe are from Happy New Year Baby sheet. And the clown/jester is from Happy New Years sheet.

I have progress shots and detail pics:

  

I began with an 8x8" chipboard square. I covered the perimeter with some wide washi tape that reminded me of Art Deco. Whenever I use washi, I usually stick some double-sided tape down first, then the washi. I made sure to put my Scor-Tape right up to the outside edges. That way I don't worry about the washi curling up over time.

  

 I cut a smaller square of DCWV glossy patterned card stock for my next layer, but I covered it with some pale pink tissue paper from my stash using a glue stick. This muted the bold dark numbers and gave some cool texture and grab to the background.

 

I've had these MAMBI Art Deco element and border stickers for many years and since they were the right color I decided to add some for added definition and detail. 

I cut tiny stars using the line die from Papertrey's Dangled Stars set. I cut them out of Ferrero Rochet and Godiva chocolate foil wrappers I've saved.

  

I bought this Joanne Fink by Spellbinders die set in 2019 and had yet to use it, so they became my vertical and "branch" elements of the sketch. I cut them from DCWV green patterned card stock I have from various Stack pads. I layered it on top of an old Foof-a-La tag from their Spring Pagentry paper collection. I wanted to accent the "Love Dream Create" so I colored that part with a green ProMarker a tad darker and brighter than the card. I have some very old pink Daisy D's scrapbooking card stock embellies and tags from an old paper collection and pulled one out, trimming it down to the sentiment to layer on top. 

 

I also had this never before used Seth Apter by Spellbinders circular die so that became my round sketch element, cut from the Foof-a-La collection paper. Also never used yet was this Altenew stamp and die set. I used still more Foof-a-La paper to die cut those flourishes to add into the collage. I heat-embossed the stamping on them. I used another tag to stamp the Cornish Heritage Farms New Years Greetings in VersaFine Claire Shady Lane green ink. I added enamel dots in pinks and greens and my foil stars all around.

I really like the subtle texture and pattern of the background on this piece. And the washi tape border picks up the brownish-gold in some of the images while the papers go nicely with the greens in the images. I like the green color vibe as that speaks to me for the new year, green being fresh and life-giving yet calming as well.

Here are a few more detail shots:

  

 I hope you will go over to LTCCB and check out all of the pretty makes from my fellow DT members and I'd love it if you would play with us - you have all month to enter up to FIVE different projects!

Thanks so much for visiting me today. Leave me a comment and I will come visit you!

Happy 2020, XOX

Challenges Entered:
1.  Split Coast Stampers Sketch 770 -- sketch shown above
2.  Crafty Hazelnuts Christmas #470: ACG + Opt. Christmas or New Years -- I've done New Years.
3.  Outlawz Monday Greetings Dec. 23 to Jan. 5: Happy New Year

4.  TTCRD for Dec.3-Jan.7: Anything Goes
5.  Time Out Challenge #151: Inspired by Words --

6.  Art Journal Journey January: Something New -- My theme is the new year, I'm new to a design team, I've used multiple dies that are new to me (aka never used before).