Crafty Secrets March Linky Party and Design Team Challenge: Go Green!
Hello Friends! Welcome to the Crafty Secrets March Linky Party! I think we are all ready for a dose of springtime right about now. We’re focusing on spring: green growing things, St. Patrick’s Day, Easter, flowers, or anything that makes us think of spring. The optional twist this month is to use an upcycled element in our projects: a bit of corrugated cardboard, a twist tie, an old container, packaging material, jars, bottles…anything that would normally end up in the landfill. Now I love me a good upcycling challenge! As you know, my Closet of Shame is filled with all kinds of “trash” that I love to turn into treasure, so this was a fun challenge for me.
This bit of home decor started with an empty pasteboard berry basket. I had some paper mache eggs that I decoupaged with strips of paper from the Crafty Secrets Digital Garden Papers and went to work building this fun springtime floral arrangement. Here’s what you need to make this project:
- a one quart pasteboard berry basket
- white acrylic paint
- paint brush
- paper mache eggs, available at most craft stores this time of year
- Spanish Moss, or some other kind of filler for your basket
- Crafty Secrets Digital garden papers
- Crafty Secrets Friends and Flowers Vintage Cuts
- an assortment of Mulberry Flowers
- ribbon
- small chalkboard (I don’t remember where this came from)
- White Sharpie to write on the chalkboard
- small birdnest (from the craft store)
- Claudine Hellmuth Matte Multi Medium
- Hot Glue Gun
This project is so quick and easy! The key is to print the papers onto very thin paper. Just use the cheapest, thinnest printer paper you can find. I tried to print onto tissue paper, but did not have any success with that experiment. (If you know how…please let me know!). I tore my paper into random strips, painted the back with Matte Multi Medium and then smoothed it onto the surface of the egg, repeating the process until the whole egg was covered. Then, I just brushed the tops of each egg with more medium and let them dry. As you can see, the ink did not run, and I think this is due to the fact that I used Claudine Hellmuth Matte Multi Medium. It dries very quickly and is not a super wet adhesive. So that’s what I would recommend for this type of project.
Once I had painted the berry basket, I brushed the edges of it with a little Vintage Photo Distress Ink to age it a little. I also added a strip of this pretty printed ribbon around the top of the basket edge.
I know you’ll want to see what the rest of the team has cooked up for you this month! Be sure to visit their blogs and take a peek at their amazing projects and tutorials.
Special Guest Designer: Karen Letchworth, My Cup Runneth Over
Darlene ♥ Diane ♥ Elizabeth ♥ Ginny ♥ Gloria ♥ Melody ♥ Michele ♥ Shantaie♥ Sheila
Oh, and did I forget to mention that there are prizes? One lucky participant will be randomly selected to win a fabulous prize package of digital papers, images and other fun artsy stuff. You can find all the details and photos on the BLOG.
Now it’s your turn! Dig through your stash of Crafty Secrets goodies and work up a new project to share with us. You do not have to follow this month’s theme to play along, but it’s always fun when you do. If you don’t have any Crafty Secrets goodies, there is a free download in the Linky Party Post on the Crafty Secrets Heartwarming Vintage Blog. So no excuses! Go get your craft on, and link up before midnight on Sunday, March 15th. I can’t wait to see what you make!
Here’s hoping that all these spring projects will drive Old Man Winter out of town for good!
Thanks for stopping by,
Cheerio,
kathy
Seriously, can you BE any more creative????? This is jaw dropping! Next to that altered wagon, this is the best springtime project I have seen yet this season!!!
So adorable, and a perfect Springtime creation.
This is just so cute Kathy. The basket holds such a wonderful array of spring. I absolutely love the little birds.
I have printed on tissue quite successfully using the methods mentioned in comments by your blog friends. You can use a small amount repositional tape or a little from a spray. Just make sure you feed the stuck end into printer first. X
Oh, wow! I love all of the wonderful spring colors you used. Lovely!
I love those strawberry baskets, and LOVE how you filled it up. Gorgeous Spring goodness, and what a centerpiece!!!
Hi Kathy, I can’t say enough about this one, such a gorgeous project. All those lovely textures
and colors, an super center piece. What creative person you are. thank so much for keeping us inspired, and saying AH!MAGNIFICENT.
I wondered what a pasteboard basket was, but seen it’s the cardboard ones. We usually only get the plastic ones. I love how you put everything together and make it so amazing. Thanks for sharing.
I LOVE that you painted the berry basket, how perfectly adorable!!!! You never miss a beat girlie!
Hi Kathy, your Spring basket is so pretty! I love how you decoupaged the eggs and all the pretty colors you used look so great together. I saw you wanted to print on tissue and and I’m including a link to a great tutorial Vicki did where she printed some of our papers from CD 3 on tissue and melted them around candles. I’ve used the same technique to print on fabric as well and it works great – just be sure to tape the tissue down flat to a piece of cardstock and you can trim it afterwards. Other people may want the link as well: http://vickichrisman.blogspot.ca/2012/07/tissue-candle-tutorial-and-giveaway.html
Also, thanks so much for hosting and being a fantastic DT Leader!
Sandy
We have just arrived back. Switched on and oh Kathy xxxx jen
Wow! Wow!! WOW!!! Another beautiful, beautiful creation, Kathy! I second the information Astrid gave about using a carrier sheet for printing your tissue. It works quite well. Thanks for the inspiration and another lovely breath of Spring!
~Kris~
The first thought that went through my mind when I saw this was “Della Robbia”! OK so his creations were mostly white but the content of his terracottas were similar.This is so much to look at, just when I thought I had taken it all in I saw those darling little birds nestled in. This is so creative, wonderful, and so you. Thanks for your continual inspiration and all you do. Oh! I forgot to mention that fab bow.
Whew! Another WOWZA creation that I just LOVE!! Your are SO CREATIVE and I just might have to ‘case’ this one to put on my kitchen island for a touch of spring in the house (not looking too springy outside yet! LOL) Always such a thrill to see what you & the other CS girls come up with for our linky parties … what a creative and talented bunch!
Hugs … and thanks again for awesome inspiration!
I can’t get over all the gorgeous elements you stuffed in there so beautifully! What a bundle of springtime joy!
Kathy…this is absolutely DARLING and so appropriate for all of us wishing for SPRING to get here…as we look out at the white snow covering EVERYTHING!) You did a fabulous job of taking a plain little pasteboard berry basket and turning it into such a sweet home decor piece. This makes me smile and feel some sunshine warmth inside just to look at it. Your little decoupaged eggs are so pretty and I love how they are nestled among the blooms and sweet little nesting bird. I also love the seed packet…so perfect to be sitting among the flowers and the “Think Spring” chalkboard sign. This is adorable!
You are rocking this one Kathy, this is so darn cute, love the all the details that you put into this project, from the eggs to the flowers and the the little bird in the basket. The eggs are eggstra fabulous. I am really thinking spring now with 8 more inches of snow on the ground, I needed some inspiration. Thanks so much for sharing Kathy.
Hugs
Oh my goodness….I humbly bow at your skills and artistic talents!!!!! Blessings!
Beautiful, Kathy! Love the whole project!
A beautiful Springtime home decor piece, love how you put this together with those gorgeous blooms!!.
When I print on tissue paper (which I do regularly) this is what I do: Cut your tissue to the size of your printer paper, then adhere it to a piece of printer paper with a removable tape runner, run it through your printer in such a way that the image will appear on the tissue, all printers are different, so you need to make sure obviously what way up to put your tissue and carrier sheet into your printer…). After image has printed, carefully remove carrier sheet and you are done. Works for me every time. Good luck!
Another “knock your socks off amazing” project!!! I love your eggs, and have a few sitting here right now, just waiting for paper!! Super cute idea to use the berry basket filled to the brim with all this wonderful goodness!! Funny I tried the tissue paper too, I have a tutorial I will send you and see if you can figure it out. You now have a beautiful piece of Springtime decor to set out….gorgeous my friend, gorgeous!!
I really like your paper mache eggs!