Retro Café Art Gallery

Shadow Box Shrine Kit Giveaway Winners, Vintage Train Tickets, Free Shrine Kits, and More!

2012-01-29T03:49:00.198-05:00

Woohoo, it's time to announce the Shadow Box Shrine Kit winners!

The winners are #10 francine, #12 Kade, #78 lindacreates, #130 Francine Cronos, and #135 Cheryl! Please email me at retrocafeart@gmail.com to claim your prize and let me know if you are a Facebook Fan when you do to double your prize!

I wish I could give all 143 of you a prize. Maybe I can? How about this, spend $30.00 or more (before shipping) in the shop, and I will send you your choice of one Shadow Box Shrine Kit FREE as a gift! Simply let me know in the comments section at check-out, which kit you would like. Make sure you tell me the style, size, and whether or not you would like a charm loop. Shrine Kits will not be included automatically, you must let me know your choice and mention this post in the comments section at check out. Not valid for orders placed before this post. Offer ends February 6th!

There are also several new goodies in the shop including these fabulous Vintage Train Tickets! Along with 17 new German Dresden pieces, new Land of Enchantment Valentine's Day Collage Sheets, and more!

I couldn't wait to play with the Vintage Train Tickets so I made this sweet card. I attached everything using Incredi-sheets which worked great especially on the thin vintage paper. The little hearts were created using the Small Heart Background Stencil. I quickly colored them in using a pink Copic marker and then outlined them while the stencil was still in place using a fine black Sharpie. I also used a stamped Vial Label.

The flower is my favorite part, created from scratch using vintage dress pattern tissue. I simply cut out circles in various sizes, stacking them large to small. I then used my Tiny Attacher Stapler and stapled them in the center (so quick and easy!). Next I added some flat back pearls to cover the staple and then crinkled the entire thing. I sprayed it lightly with Silver Glimmer Mist to give it a bit of shine, and then finally attached it to my card with a small square of Incredi-sheet. So easy and so cute. It's also very lightweight, which is nice for the card. Oh, and see the little star on the Train Ticket? It was already punched like that. Sweet!

I have to thank my friend Mel from Ephemeraology! She told me about Feedburner, which allows you to sign up and receive blog posts via email! Feel free to sign up below, and Retro Cafe Art Gallery posts will be emailed to you! Now it will be easier to keep up with our many giveaways, sales, and contests! Simply click the link below to sign-up!

Subscribe to Retro Café Art Gallery Blog Posts by Email

And if you haven't already, you can sign up for our newsletter as well! I know many of you already are signed-up, but this seemed like a good time to mention it again. Sign-up for both and stay up to date!

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Finally don't forget to enter the current Gift Certificate Giveaway and enter the Valentine's Day Contest. Check out the awesome entries we have so far! xoxo, Kristin

Denise's Valentine's Day Cake Inspiration and TWO 25.00 Gift Certificate Giveaways!

2012-01-26T03:15:00.006-05:00

The wonderful Denise Phillips of Bird Nuts Mixed Media has created another fabulous cake for you as well as a few other inspiring projects! In celebration of Valentine's Day and sharing the love, we are BOTH having a giveaway on our blogs for a $25.00 Retro Cafe Art Gallery Gift Certificate! SO you have two chances to win! Before we get to the giveaways, let's check out Denise's lovely pieces!

Denise used several Retro Cafe Art Gallery products to make her amazing Valentine's Day cake including Paper Mache Boxes, Incredi-tape and sheets (to attach her papers), German Dresden (Fancy Silver Scalloped), Red German Glass Glitter, Silver German Glass Glitter, Stand-Up Bus Stop Lady, a Large Broken Heart, and Black Alpha Beads.

The topper is my favorite part! I love how she used the Large Broken Heart and Bus Stop Lady. Seriously brilliant!

Denise also created 2 projects usig the MEGA Circle Shrine Kit. Rather than making one shrine, she opted to use the pieces in another way! For the shrine above she used 2 of the shrine pieces along with Bus Stop Lady, Red German Glass Glitter, White Alpha Beads, Black Alpha Beads, Mini Bottle Caps (SO fun how she used them!), Silver Stickles, and the Small Heart Background Stencil (my favorite part!).

She cleverly displayed her shrine on a Clear Acrylic ATC Stand (not just for ATCs as you can see!).

Denise used the third piece of her MEGA Circle Shrine Kit to create this lovely work of art. It's a recycled CD case! So cool how the case is also the stand! She also used White Alpha Beads, Black Alpha Beads, and a 3" Distressed White Metal Heart.

Thank you Denise for the awesome love day inspiration! We have some love for YOU too in the form of TWO giveaways!

GIVEAWAY Details:

1. To enter a chance for the gift certificate on this blog, simply leave a comment on this post!

2. Next, hop on over to Denise's blog, where she will also be giving away a Gift Certificate. Sign on as a follower of her blog and leave a comment. Then you are entered in BOTH giveaways with two chances to win!

3. I will use a random number generator on February 10th to select the winner! Denise will do the same on her blog.
4. As you know I always like to sweeten the pot. If you are a winner on this blog and also a FACEBOOK fan I will make the Gift Certificate on my blog $40! Let me know in your comment.

There are also a few new goodies listed too including some lovely new Land of Enchantment Valentine's Day Collage Sheets and gorgeous new German Dresden in some hard to find colors and styles. And my new favorite, FUSCHIA! I'm proud to say we now carry 157 different types of German Dresden, and at great prices too!

Collage Sheet Giveaway Winners, New ATC Frames, and More!

2012-01-24T02:49:00.000-05:00

Last week I posted some fabulous NEW Collage Sheets along with a giveaway and now it's time to pick the winners! Drum roll...

The winners are Blessed Serendipity, francine, Lizzieta, Trisha Bee, and Compass Rose! Congrats!
Please email me at RetroCafeArt@gmail.com to claim your prize and also let me know if you are a Facebook Fan when you do!

And in other fun news, we have 4 brand new Crow Stencils, which were requested by my friend Maryjo Mcgraw! You can never have too many crows.

We also have these fun new Valentine's Day Red Acrylic ATC Frames! Each set comes with 2 ATC Frames, the inserts, and some sweet hearts. Supplies are limited on these fun sets. I love how they are semi-transparent and the image underneath peeks through just a bit.

Here is a cute Valentine's Day ATC I made using the new 4 Crows Stencil and the new Valentine's Day ATC Frame. I started with a Masonite ATC Blank and attached one of the background images from Collage Sheet DP253 using Mod Podge. I painted the background lightly with white acrylic paint and then doodled lightly with pencil. Next I stenciled on the crow using red and black ink pads and Color Dusters. The Color Dusters work great with our stencils. I also used them to add the light brown in the background. You can build layers so your ink can be light (the brown) or darker (the crow). The other awesome thing about our stencils is that they are made from stencil board which is treated with oils to help absorb the ink and paint so you don't get feathering or bleeding out! To finish the piece I did more doodling with a fine Sharpie. Note, the string spells out "love" (you may have to turn your head a bit) and there is also a small heart which I filled with Silver Stickles, though the silver is difficult to see in the photo. Finally I attached the Red Frame using 1/8" Crystal Clear Double-sided Incredi-tape which worked beautifully and was totally invisible once attached! The finished ATC is displayed on a Masonite ATC Stand.

Be sure to check back in on Thursday. We have yet another fantastic dual giveaway. Denise just might be "baking" again for us! xoxo

20 BRAND NEW Collage Sheets, Alice in Wonderland Goodies, and a GIVEAWAY!

2012-01-17T04:47:00.005-05:00

I'm beyond excited to announce a new line of Collage Sheets available in the shop! Gorgeous, colorful sheets created by the talented Cassandra VanCuren of Cassi's Creations! Cassandra is a long time friend, amazing artist, and all around sweet gal! Cassandra and I go way back, and come to think of it, she was one of the first online artists I ever swapped an ATC with! You should definitely check out her blog. She posts the most amazing eye candy! I'm thrilled to be working with Cassandra, and her sheets will be available exclusively at Retro Cafe Art Gallery. As always they are available in digital (jpeg) and paper formats!

Here are just a few of my favorites. There are 20 fabulous new sheets and you can see them all HERE!

Mermaids, Maries, Cakes, Borders, Words, Stages, Flowers, and more oh my...

And how about some art samples?

Design Team Member Jennifer Ingle whipped up this beautiful "Spoolie" using the new Rosey Marie Pink Collage Sheet, Pink Stickles, and a Memo Pin. Isn't she lovely? A huge thanks to Jennifer for making her so quickly too! I kind of sprung it on her last minute, but she handled it like a crafting pro!

I wanted to play too. When I saw the Alice in Wonderland ATC Collage Sheet they immediately reminded me of bottle labels. I knew right away I wanted to incorporate them with the Corked Vials. Of course the sheet makes great ATCs too!

I also knew I wanted a few embellishments to dangle off the bottle so Card Suit Charms were born! They look awesome in the red and black acrylic or you can get them in Masonite if you want to alter them yourself.

And what is an Alice in Wonderland bottle without a "Drink Me" tag? So I made some of those too! The font is pretty darn close to the tag in the original cartoon.

The Alice in Wonderland Tags come in a set of 4. Either two of each or 4 of one design!

And here is my finished Alice Bottle.

The bottle was really easy to make. I started by Shrinking down the Alice in Wonderland Collage Sheet and printing it out at 45% for the largest bottle in the Corked Vial set. After cutting out the image I peeled off one side of an Incredi-sheet, and placed my image on the sheet. I then cut out both layers, and was left with a perfect label sticker! I inked the edges of the image a bit, and then peeled off the backing of the Incredi-sheet and stuck the label on my bottle. Since the Incredi-sheet is double sided, permanent, and crystal clear, it worked like a DREAM to attach the label. (fun tip: you can decorate the back of your image prior to attaching the clear Incredi-tape, and your design will show when you are looking through the back of the bottle). Next, I tied a piece of cheese cloth to the top of my bottle (any ribbon or fiber would work). I attached the Drink Me Tag using a 7mm jump ring, simply pushing it through the cheese cloth. I also added a jump ring to the Card Suit Charm and then just for fun attached it to the cloth using a Mini Pin. Finally I filled my bottle with glitter! I plan to use the bottle as a cute, glitter storage container! Hope you enjoyed this mini tutorial!

I think you know what I'm going to say next - let's do a GIVEAWAY! We'll make this one a quickie!

1. Leave a comment on THIS post and let me know your favorite new Cassi's Creations Collage Sheet.
2. On Tuesday January 24th I'll use a random number generator to select FIVE winners to receive one of the new digital collage sheets!
3. If you are a winner and already a Facebook Fan, you'll receive TWO sheets! Go here to 'like" us. Let me know in your comment if you are a fan, and please only leave one comment.

You also have until the 29th to enter the Shadow Box Shrine Kit Giveaway if you haven't already, and until February 14th to enter the Valentine's Day Contest. Check out the awesome entries we have so far! xo

27 BRAND NEW Coffee Break Design Shadow Box Shrine Kits and a GIVEAWAY!

2012-01-10T01:44:00.002-05:00

I'm excited to announce a BRAND NEW line of Coffee Break Design Shrine Kits - Shadow Box Shrine Kits! There are 27 different styles, each available in 3 different sizes. The styles are really fun, and best of all each comes with a clear acrylic front, so you can trap in loose treasures if desired! Below are just a few of my favorites...

Pocket Watches

Gothic Arches

Gears and so many more...

Of course I couldn't wait to play with the new Shadow Box Shrine Kits! You can see a tutorial featuring the samples above right here.

I think this calls for a GIVEAWAY don't you?

1. Leave a comment on THIS post and let me know your favorite new Shadow Box Shrine Kit.

2. On Sunday January 29th I'll use a random number generator to select FIVE winners to receive a fabulous kit!!

3. If you are a winner and already a Facebook Fan, you'll receive TWO kits! Go here to 'like" us. Let me know in your comment if you are a fan, and please only leave one comment. Good luck!

Shadow Box Shrine Kit Tutorial

2012-01-10T01:18:00.002-05:00

Introducing, Shadow Box Shrine Kits by Coffee Break Design! A new line in addition to our other Shrine Kits. These kits are special because then come with a clear acrylic front that easily mounts to the top frame. This means you can add your art in addition to loose objects if desired. You can add glitter, beads, watch parts, sequins, shells, sand, and so much more. Or you can just use them to protect your lovely work. They are even cooler in person. The acrylic is so clear that the pictures don't really do them justice. You have to try some Shadow Box Shrine Kits for yourself! Below I will show you what I did with a few of mine. While these were fun to design, they were even more fun to play with. I did the pieces below in just under 2 hours which included time for photos!

Here is a small sampling! There are 27 different Shadow Box Shrine Kits, each in 3 different sizes! They are available with our without a charm loop. Great for making necklaces, ornaments, charms, pins, and so much more.

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I started by assembling a medium Retro TV Shrine Kit (one of my favorites!). They are easily assembled with just a bit of glue (I used Mod Podge) and they come with instructions though you could probably figure it out on your own. It's super easy. First I painted my TV with some silver acrylic paint.
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Our Screen Sirens Collage Sheet is perfect for this kit! I cut out an image and attached it using Mod Podge. Tip: Prior to assembling your Kit, use the middle piece as a template to cut out your image. Lay it over the image and trace it. Another option is to roughly cut it out and glue it to the back piece before attaching the middle piece. I planned to paint the inside of the kit so gluing the image in after was a better option for me.

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Next I pulled out a few goodies to attach. Some watch parts, sequins, and small beads to glue in as the "knobs".

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The star sequins are not attached. The will more around freely within the shadow box once I attach my clear acrylic front.
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Remove the protective paper from the included acrylic front. If desired, clean with some glass cleaner prior to attaching. My piece ended up covered in glitter so it was necessary :).

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To attach the acrylic, add a small amount of clear drying glue to the small ledge on the front of the kit. I used a small amount of Diamond Glaze. If you squeeze too much out, blot with a paper towel before attaching your acrylic front.
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Drop in the acrylic piece and you are all set! Tip: If you have added loose objects within your shrine, resist the urge to shake it up until the glue has dried. This will prevent any of the loose object from sticking to the glue before it has dried!

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I wanted a necklace so I added a 7mm jump ring and some silver ball chain to complete the piece. The TV also makes a wonderful pin or brooch. You can purchase any of the Shadow Box Shrine Kits without a charm loop for this purpose.

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For my next piece I started with a medium Pocket Watch Kit. After assembling I colored it using Inca Gold Gilders Paste. I just brushed it on with my finger.

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Next I stamped it with some archival black ink.

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I layered the inside with the watch movement image from the Steampunk Parts Collage Sheet, and then added a Masonite Gear that was colored with Violet Gilders Paste.
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I added a Mini Masonite Gear (unpainted), and then attached my acrylic in the same way I did on the first piece. The Shadow Box Shrine Kits are the perfect depth for adding the two Masonite Gears. I love how it looks like an open face pocket watch!
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Finally I added a brass pin back using E6000.
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For this piece I stared with a small Coffin Kit. To color it I simply rubbed it around my archival ink pad! Easy!

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You can allow the ink to air dry or blast it with a heat gun.
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I shrunk down the skeleton image from the Skeleton Doll Collage Sheet, and printed him out on card stock.
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I mounted some red felt to the back of the coffin using Mod Podge (it doesn't have to be cut perfectly since you can kind of squish it in) and then using a bit of Mod Podge mounted my cut out skeleton and a Tiny Brass Crown to the inside.
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Attach the acrylic, add a jump ring, and done! For a fun 3-D look you can mount your cut-out on a foam mounting dot.
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For this piece I started with a large Square with Scalloped Edges Kit. I painted the frame a dusty rose with acrylic paint and then glued in an image of my grandmother on her wedding day. Isn't she beautiful! To finish the image I edged it with Silver Stickles. Make sure you let the Stickles dry fully before adding any loose objects and/or attaching the clear acrylic front!
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To finish the piece I included some loose dried rose petals from my grandmother's services and then attached the acrylic front. Finally I attached some adhesive pearls to the frame and added a silk ribbon through the charm loop for hanging. I now have a super sweet and special ornament keepsake.
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For my last piece I had something of a beach house in mind. I started with a medium House Shadow Box Shrine Kit and quickly painted it with white acrylic paint.
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I sprayed the painted house with several shades of Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist. I wanted a "blotchy" look to mimic water stains so I purposely sprayed it on thick and only in certain areas, blasting it with my heat gun to give it a water color, blotchy look. I did several layers until I was happy.
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The Tattered Angels Glimmer Mists adhered quite nicely to the painted shrine. And just look at that lovely shimmer!
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Next I added the mermaid image from the Sand and Sea Squares Collage Sheet.
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I finished the piece by adding some loose glitter and faux moss on the inside before attaching my clear acrylic front. And finally attached a small shell from a previous vacation using E6000.

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I hope you are inspired to play with some Shadow Box Shrine Kits. Trust me, they are addictive! I had a blast making these. As always feel free to use any tips, techniques, and/or designs shared in this tutorial! Happy Creating! xo

Retro Cafe Art Gallery Valentine's Day CONTEST!

2011-12-31T17:50:00.003-05:00

In celebration of one of our most favorite holidays, we are having a Valentine's Day Contest! We love art, and we love our customers so it's the perfect combination! Find the details below and feel free to share the love and post the button above.

We have tons of Valentine's Day Goodies in the shop to inspire you including these adorable "candy" hearts! Of course you are not limited to these supplies. Entries must contain at least one item we carry in the shop, however you are not required to purchase the items from us. As long as we carry it, your art qualifies!

The Rules:

1. Submit up to 3 pieces of Valentine's Day art you have created! Each piece of art must include at least one item carried by Retro Cafe Art Gallery! You don't even have to buy it from us, as long as we currently carry it you're qualified. Of course each piece can have more than 1 product, but at least 1 is required. You can have 1, 2 or 3 entries. All mediums are welcome!

2. Email your photos to retrocafeart@gmail.com subject: Valentine's Day Contest. Please send a separate photo for each entry (just 1 image per entry - and yes you can make a photo collage). Files between 200 -300 KB preferred. I will post these photos on our Facebook page in this album as they are received. Please include your full name in your email and the Retro Cafe Art Gallery product(s) used. We only need photos, not the actual art! You will immediately receive your FREE Valentine's Day Digital Collage Sheet via email after we receive your first entry. You can even use it for your 2nd and 3rd entries.

3. Deadline to enter is Tuesday February 14th. Winners will be announced on the 15th.

4. We love our International customers and you are always welcome to play!

The Prizes:

1. There will be two, $50.00 Retro Cafe Art Gallery Gift Certificates awarded using a random number generator. In addition two 5 packs of Digital Collage Sheets will be awarded to two random winners. What are you waiting for? Get those entries in early so we can all be inspired!

2. ALL entrants will receive a special Valentine's Day Digital Collage Sheet just for playing, so everyone WINS! The sheet will be emailed to you immediately after submitting your first entry. And yes, the sheet can be used for your other entries.

3. Feel free to share the love by posting about this contest on your blog, Facebook, website, etc. You are welcome to use the Retro Cafe Art Gallery button at the top of the page. Good luck and let's have some fun! xo

Day of the Dead Cameo Pin Tutorial

2011-12-27T11:38:00.001-05:00

Time to make an awesome cameo pin! I went with a Day of the Dead inspired theme, however you can modify this tutorial to your heart's desire!

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You only need a few supplies including a Medium Masonite Oval Cameo Frame (Front and Back Combo), 40x30mm Crystal Clear Acrylic Cabochon, Diamond Glaze, Skeleton ATC Collage Sheet (or any other collage image), Inca Gold Gilders Paste, Pin Back, E6000, and Silver Stickles. To begin I sized my Collage Sheet on the computer and cropped out a 40x30mm oval. Or you can just use an image that is larger than your Crystal Clear Cabochon.
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You can use your image as is or play with it a bit. I added a bit of acrylic paint, some graphite accents, and then a bit of Silver Stickles. Once you are happy with your image, you can attach your Cabochon. I find it's easier to add the Cabochon to a larger image and then cut around it after it's dry rather than cutting it out before attaching. Apply a generous coat of Diamond Glaze to the flat side of your Cabochon and then place it over your image, pressing down to release any air bubbles or excess glaze. I know I've used just the right amount when some squishes out the sides. Allow the Diamond Glaze to dry. I normally wait about 20 minutes.

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Once the Diamond Glaze is dry, cut around the Cabochon.

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Gilders Paste works great on any of our Masonite pieces. For my Cameo Frames I rubbed Inca Gold Gilders Paste on the front of the front piece and the back of the back piece.

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I also added some patterned tissue paper to the back just for fun, attaching with Diamond Glaze.

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Next, glue together your front and back frames, and then glue in your cameo. I used Mod Podge. If desired, add some glitter accents using Stickles (the BEST glitter glue out there!).

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Once everything is dry, attach a pin back using a strong adhesive such as E6000.

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And there you have it! Super easy and it can be modified in so many ways. Supplies Recap: Medium Masonite Oval Cameo Frame (Front and Back Combo), 40x30mm Crystal Clear Acrylic Cabochon, Diamond Glaze, Skeleton ATC Collage Sheet (or any other collage image), Inca Gold Gilders Paste, Pin Back, E6000, and Silver Stickles.

Happy Holidays!

2011-12-21T21:14:00.000-05:00

Happy holidays everyone! Our fabulous Design Team has been busy as usual creating some fantastic art samples. First I have a few Halloween images to share, which I'm sure you won't mind. I know for some of you it's Halloween year round! This wonderfully eerie journal spread was created by Bianca Mandity. Bianca used the Skull Stencil and had it created in a larger 7" x 7" size. You can have any smaller stencil made larger for you if it's not already offered right here. She also used the Small Gradone Stencil and the super cool newer Eye Stencil.

For the above page Bianca created several image transfers using the Steampunk Parts Collage Sheet and Skeleton ATC Collage Sheet. She also used the Wings Stencil, Small Onomotoholes Stencil, and the Spider Web ATC Overlay in the center.

In an earlier post I started to share some of Bianca's Christmas journal pages. Here are a few more! She colored the embossed deer using Varitone Ink! I just love how it came out.

For the wreath above and the center of the flower below, she attached a 25mm Crystal Clear Acrylic Cabochon to images from the Christmas Squares Collage Sheet. She also added a Journal Ticket to the page below.

And look how sweet this page with the Hello Deer Stencil is. She used the doe and added German Dresden Gold Antlers.

And here is Bianca's fantastic cover which includes several Retro Cafe Art Gallery goodies including a 2" Masointie Window, Adage Ticket, Fancy Scalloped Gold German Dresden, Christmas Muse Token, and a Christmas Squares Collage Sheet image. Awesome pieces Bianca!

Next we have some festive holiday creations from Jennifer Ingle! For the ornament above, Jennifer cleverly used the inside piece of Fancy ATC Frame Style 3 as the base for her ornament. The background is from the Vintage Grunge and Words Collage Sheet and she adorned it with several goodies including a 1" Chipboard Window, Christmas Muse Token, Red Fancy Scalloped German Dresden, and Gold German Dresden Antlers. Very creative!

Jennifer also created this fabulous holiday shrine. She used the ATC Shelf Shrine as the base. She also used some White Mica Flakes for the snow and bits of Antique Gold Medieval German Dresden Border.

What I love most about this piece is how she used the Hello Deer Stencil. First she used the actual stencil to create the shadow (look closely) and then she attached the inside cut-outs that come with the stencil! And a bit of Stickles (which we now carry - yay!) for sparkle! I can almost hear the crunch of the snow under the deer's feet! Love!

Next up we have several lovely samples from Gerri Herbst! For the tag above, Gerri incorporated several images from the Christmas Tags DP91 Collage Sheet. I love how she cut them out for a different effect and wrapped the whole thing up with Mini Christmas Tree Light Garland!

The piece above shows a clever way to use the Holes ATC Frame (one of my favorite frames!) and who doesn't love Steampunk!

Gerri made this sweet ATC using the 8 Pane Rounded ATC Frame. The image inside is from the Christmas Collage Sheet DP90.

And a Cheery Red Tag also using images from Christmas Collage Sheet DP90.

And look how cute Lucy looks! Gerri created the 3-D effect using the inside piece from the Fancy ATC Frame Style 4.

This elegant tag by Gerri features images from the Assorted Christmas Collage Sheet. Just love all of the golds!

Gerri is always so great at finding other uses for things. In the sample above she used a Gothic Arch Shrine on the front of a Christmas card! Sweet!

The next few samples by Gerri show several ways to use the Hello Deer Stencil. I love seeing some many different variations. The possibilities really are endless!

Now that was a lot of fabulous samples! But wait, we're not quite done...

We also have a few new Tutorials. You can see how Bianca created hand carved stamps using our stencils HERE.

And a fabulous ATC Gothic Arch Ornament Tutorial by Gerri HERE.

I wish you and yours a wonderful holiday season! From the bottom of my heart a huge thank you to each and every one of you for helping to make Retro Cafe Art Gallery a success! Lots more to come in 2012! P.S. we will be open through the holidays and will continue our usual shipping schedule. xoxo Kristin

Christmas Cake Giveaway Winner!

2011-12-18T14:48:00.001-05:00

Today is the day to announce the winner of our latest giveaway co-hosted with Denise! A huge thanks go Denise for her wonderful, inspirational projects! More to come I'm sure!

And the winner is #17, Narah-Kimberly! Please email us at retrocafeart@gmail.com to claim your Gift Certificate!

Don't forget to like our Facebook page. We have a random giveaway every Wednesday in addition everything else! During the holidays it will be business as usual at Retro Cafe Art Gallery so feel free to place your orders!

Earring Tree Tutorial

2011-12-14T13:03:00.000-05:00

Time to make an 'earring tree' :).

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To make this sweet tree that can also double as an earring holder for gift giving all you need is a Large Fancy Stand-Up Tree With Holes (the Small Trees would also work and have the same size holes or try a Traditional Tree), multi-color metallic eyelets (or any other standard 1/8" eyelets), Mod Podge or a similar adhesive, a Masonite Gear, Extra Long Art Brad, and some acrylic paint. For the earrings you will need Small XOXO Charms with one charm hole, jump rings, and some simple ear wires.
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I began by painting my tree using acrylic paint and a sponge brush. I dabbed/blotted it on to create some texture. You could also create some texture using the end of a paint brush or a scrunched up paper towel. I painted both sides and the base. Allow to dry fully.
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Look at that awesome texture!

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The eyelets aren't long enough to set, however gluing them looks just as nice and is much easier. I used Mod Podge to glue in my metallic eyelets. Use a pin or toothpick to add some Mod Podge to one of the holes and then drop in the eyelet. Repeat for all of the holes.

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The metallic eyelets remind me of the vintage mercury ornaments! Next glue the tree to the base. I used Mod Podge, but just about any glue will work.

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For my 'star', I used a Masonite Gear colored with Inca Gold Gilders Paste. You can also paint them with acrylic paint. I wanted the gear to spin (yay!) so I attached it through the top eyelet using an Extra Long Art Brad.
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Open up the brad on the back and snip down the ends using wire cutters.
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The earrings are super easy. Simply paint some Small XOXO Charms using you choice of acrylic paint. Attach 2 jump rings (so they will face the right way) and some fish hook ear wires and you're set. Hang them on your tree and you have a lovely gift for yourself or someone special. If you prefer post earrings you can make the earrings using the Small XOXO Charms without holes and our Earring Post Blanks. After painting your charms attach them to the posts using E6000.
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So there you have it! Earring holders can be a piece of art too! You just need a few supplies: Large Fancy Stand-Up Tree With Holes (the Small Trees would also work and have the same size holes or try a Traditional Tree), multi-color metallic eyelets (or any other standard 1/8" eyelets), Mod Podge or a similar adhesive, a Masonite Gear, Extra Long Art Brad, and some acrylic paint. For the earrings you will need Small XOXO Charms with one charm hole, jump rings, and some simple ear wires.

Bird Bracelet Tutorial

2011-12-11T12:24:00.002-05:00

This is what we will be making!

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To create this fantastic bird bracelet you only need a few supplies. 8 pieces of 18x13mm Masonite Ovals with Two Holes Vertical, 1 Pack of 7mm jump rings, A Silver Lobster Claw Clasp, Collage Sheet Images (I used DP87, DP88, and DP113), Mod Podge or a similar adhesive, Inca Gold Gilders Paste, and fine grit sandpaper.

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Begin by placing your oval over your image (I shrunk mine down before printing) and trace around it with a pencil. Cut it out and glue it to the oval using Mod Podge. It doesn't have to be cut perfectly as we will fine tune in the next step.

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This next part is really important. Use a piece of fine grit sandpaper and sand around the edges of your oval to remove any excess paper. I find that sanding in a downward motion works best. Don't sand back and forth, just downward toward your image. This leaves a perfect edge and it's really easy!

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After attaching your image to one side, create your hole by piercing the paper from the back side using a needle, safely pin, or an awl. I used a large sewing needle that I had on hand.

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Flip it over and enlarge your hole from the front if needed.

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Repeat for all 8 pieces and then also add images to the back if you would like your bracelet to be reversible. You can always leave the back plain if you would like. Either let the natural masonite show, paint, or add Gilders Paste to the back. I added images to both sides.

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To age my pieces I first added some white acrylic paint over some of my images using my finger. Just to make them a bit more hazy. Then I added Inca Gold Gilders Paste paste around the edges. I love how this turned out.

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Using 7mm jump rings or larger, attach your ovals together, adding 2 ovals per jump ring.

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Add 2 extra jump rings to one side and then attach your clasp to the last ring. On the other side add several jump rings. I added 9 extra rings. This allows the wearer to adjust the length, which is especailly nice if you're not sure of the wrist size. If desired you can seal your images with Diamond Glaze (before connecting your ovals) or a light spray of Krylon Acrylic Sealer. I gave mine a light spray on both sides after it was all connected.

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I just love that you can make these reversible!

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The bracelet is also very lightweight.

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And done! You can see how I packaged my bracelet here using recycled materials. All you need to create one for yourself is 8 pieces of 18x13mm Masonite Ovals with Two Holes Vertical, 1 Pack of 7mm jump rings, A Silver Lobster Claw Clasp, Collage Sheet Images (I used DP87, DP88, and DP113), Mod Podge or a similar adhesive, Inca Gold Gilders Paste, and fine grit sandpaper. Make one for yourself or to give as a gift!

Recycled Gift Packaging And a Few More Handmade Gifts

2011-12-10T15:47:00.000-05:00

Last week I showed you some handmade gifts I created so I thought it would be fun to show you how I packaged them. I mostly used recycled materials. The small pieces worked great in some Altoids Tins I had been saving. For the kraft packing, I simply took some brown packing paper recycled from a package I received and ran it through the shredder. LOVE the simple look of this.

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For these sweet tags, I punched out parts of an old Christmas card using a scalloped punch and then punched a hole. The card was glittery and sparkly, which made for really cute tags!

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Believe it or not, I was actually out of ribbon, however I did have an old lace curtain laying around. I cut strips from the curtain and used them to tie up the tins. I really loved the frayed look of the lace. I added my punched tags from above, and done! And the packaging didn't cost me a thing!

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I really like how they turned out. Ready for gift giving!

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You could also add one of our Masonite Snowflakes to the package for a sweet touch. You can order them with charm holes so all you have to do is attach them to the ribbon with a jump ring (like I did) or tie them to the ribbon with a piece of string.

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My "earring tree" was too large for the Altoids tins, however I happened to have a gingerbread house tin that I have been saving forever. Perfect! I also tied it together with my lace ribbon and added a recycled tag.

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And a few more handmade gifts. I posted about this heart ornament earlier. To create the ornament I used Large Heart Ornament Parts (I layered a solid back, open frame with charm loop, and then an open frame), Heart Key Charm, Patina Gilders Paste, Inca Gold Gilders Paste, 7mm jump ring, and the new Fairy Dancers Collage Sheet.

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This ornament was also too big for an Altoids tin however...

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It fit perfectly inside one of the new 3" Heart Paper Mache Boxes! The recipient is very crafty so I left the box plain so it could be altered later. I used the same shredded kraft packing, however I also added some pink tissue for a little pop of color.

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Tie it up and it's ready to go!

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This sweet steampunk cupcake gal was a blast to create. I used one of the new Paper Mache Cupcake Boxes, Mini Gears, White Mica Flakes, Real Red Metal Paint, and a Small China Doll Head. If there is interest I may create a tutorial for her?

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I must admit I got pretty hungry for cupcakes while making her!

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The recipient of this sweet gal LOVES candy, so I filled her with Hershey Kiss Hugs and Cherry Cordials! Last night I gave out some of my handmade gifts, which is definitely the best part! What handmade gifts are you giving this year?

New Land of Enchantment Collage Sheets in the Shop!

2011-12-08T03:56:00.002-05:00

I just listed 17 gorgeous NEW Land of Enchantment Collage Sheets in the shop! You can see them all right HERE. There are new ATC images, New Christmas Images, Tags, and so much more. Available in digital and printed formats!

The Owl Wishes sheets are definitely among my favorites! There are TO/FROM tags and greetings tags. You can buy BOTH digital sheets for a special price too!

Oh My Deer! These are so cute! Also available as TO/FROM tags! The gift tags are also pretty awesome on vellum.

Check out this beautiful Fairy Dancers Sheet! This one called to me right away, so I used it to create this sweet heart ornament that will be given as a gift.

To create this ornament, I used the Large Heart Ornament Parts (I layered a solid back, open frame with charm loop, and then an open frame), Heart Key Charm, Patina Gilders Paste, Inca Gold Gilders Paste, 7mm jump ring, and of course the new Fairy Dancers Collage Sheet.

I hope you enjoy the NEW sheets!

And don't forget to enter our current giveaways. As always they are all linked up on the right side bar.

'I Love Retro Cafe Art Gallery' Blog Contest Winners!

2011-12-06T01:39:00.000-05:00

Our latest contest has come to a close and all of the entries were so wonderful! A big THANK YOU to all who entered and followed along. You can see all of the fantastic entries HERE! And now for the winners...

The two $50 Retro Cafe Art Gallery Gift Certificates go to Diana Heyne & Greta Young!

The two Coffee Break Design goodie packs are going to Jennifer Willis & Virginia Smith!

And the 5 pack of Digital Collage Sheets are going to Eugenia Strange!

We also had a special guest judge pick from our friends at 100 Proof Press. Their team selected their favorite for a generously donated $30 100 Proof Press Gift Certificate. Thanks so much 100 Proof Press!

And the winner as selected by 100 Proof Press is this wonderful piece by Mary Jane Chadbourne! I'm a fan as well as the moon is wearing our Glasses Cut-Outs!

Congrats to all of the winners! Please email us at retrocafeart@gmail.com to claim your prizes!

There are two giveaways still going on HERE (ends Dec. 10th) and HERE (ends Dec. 17th). Simply comment on the posts to enter. We also have a giveaway on our Facebook page every Wednesday so be sure to like us!

Denise's Cake and TWO $25.00 Gift Certificate Giveaways!

2011-12-05T01:45:00.013-05:00

The fabulous Denise Phillips of Bird Nuts Mixed Media and I are at it again! She has created two fabulous projects for you to see, and we are BOTH having a giveaway on our blogs for a $25.00 Retro Cafe Art Gallery Gift Certificate! SO you have two chances to win! Before we get to the giveaways, let's check out Denise's awesome pieces!

Denise used several Retro Cafe Art Gallery products to make her amazing holiday cake including Paper Mache Boxes, Incredi-tape and sheets (to attach her papers), German Dresden (Fancy Silver Scalloped), Ballerinas, Stand-Up Numbers, 6 Pane Window, Tinsel Garland, White Mica Flakes, Stand-Up Bus Stop Lady, Mini Christmas Light Garland, and White Alpha Beads. So yummy!

She used the Real Red Metal Paint to paint the ballerinas!

If you look under the cake you will see Denise used the lid from the largest box and a cut-out circle of cardboard to make the "cake plate". So clever!

And Denise didn't stop at the cake! She also made this adorable shrine using the ATC Shrine Kit, Stand-Up Bus Stop Lady, Filigree Box Feet, Ballerina, Medium Chiswick Frame and White Alpha Beads. I just love this so muh!

Thank you Denise for the wonderful inspiration and holiday cheer! We have some cheer for YOU too in the form of TWO giveaways!

GIVEAWAY Details:

1. To enter a chance for the gift certificate on this blog, simply leave a comment on this post!

3. Deadline to enter is Saturday December 17th . I will use a random number generator on December 18th to select the winner! Denise will do the same on her blog.
4. As you know I always like to sweeten the pot. If you are a winner on this blog and also a FACEBOOK fan I will make the Gift Certificate $40! Let me know in your comment.

There are also a few new goodies listed too!

Mini Journal Necklace Tutorial

2011-12-03T22:14:00.000-05:00

In this tutorial we will be making a Mini Journal Necklace as shown above. You can order the supplies separately on the site or you can order a Mini Journal Necklace Kit.

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We will begin with a Brass Treasure Box, 9 1" Rounded Square Stencil Board Pages, Silver Ball Chain, and Open Balls.

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Begin by punching 2 holes in the top of the box using a metal hole punch. If you purchase the Kit, the holes will already be punched for you.

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Remove the connector from your Ball Chain and thread one end of ball chain through the hole in the top of your box (go in from the top/outside) and add an Open Ball to the end. Position the open ball over the last ball on your chain and squeeze shut using jewelry pliers. Repeat for the other side. If you are leaving your necklace 30" long, no need to use the ball chain connector as it can fit over the head. If you want a shorter chain, simply cut to size and use the connector in the middle of the chain to secure.

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The Open Balls will keep the chain in place.

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Add an Open Ball to the chain on the outside of the box as well so your chain does not fall down inside your box. I used brass Open Balls on the inside and silver on the outside. The Kit comes with both finishes.

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Stack your 9 journal pages and then place a Long Brass Eyelet through the hole. Place your Brass Eyelet Washer smooth side up over the eyelet stem and then set your eyelet with a 1/8" Eyelet Setter . Remember to set your eyelet on a hard surface. I use a steel block. Don't pound too hard as you want your pages to move freely. You don't want a super tight setting. Alternatively, you can simply attach your pages using a 7mm Jump Ring.

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The pages can now rotate open (or flip up if you use a jump ring).

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Next, using my finger I added some patina with Black Gilders Paste. I tore some images from the laser printed DP113 Collage Sheet and attached them using Diamond Glaze again using my finger. Add a thin layer of Diamond Glaze on the top of your image to seal as well. I think tearing the images makes them look more aged. Add more Black Gilders Paste as desired.

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On the back I added more Black Gilders Paste and attached some printed tissue (any Tissue Tape works great) using more Diamond Glaze (top and bottom). The Diamond Glaze makes the tape translucent so only the print shows.

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Here you can see the front and back.

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I wanted a more aged look so using my finger I added Patina Gilders Paste with a focus on the edges and a bit of Inca Gold Gilders Paste for some shimmer. Add a final thin layer of Diamond Glaze using your finger to seal.

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Finally using E6000 I attached a few embellishments. A Resin Octopus aged with Inca Gold Gilders Paste on one necklace. And on the other a plain Masonite Mini Gear and a Masonite Letter (.75" S) aged with Patina and Black Gilders Paste. I also did a light spray of Krylon Satin Acrylic Sealer on both necklaces front and back for added protection.

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The backs.

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Pop your mini journal and Mini Pencil inside your box and done!

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial and if you are interested I've put together a Mini Journal Necklace Kit. These make excellent gifts!

82 Fabulous New Goodies, Project Inspiration, 10% Off SALE, and a GIVEAWAY!

2011-11-27T00:13:00.007-05:00

I'm so excited about the AWESOME new products we have for you! All 82 of them (plus the new Collage Sheets for a total of 102!). I just couldn't stop myself this time around for our largest release yet! The first thing I'm really loving is our new BASICS collection. TONS of blanks - ATCs, Microslides, Dominos, Circles, Squares, Letters, and so much more in just about ever size, style, and material you can think of! Many people have asked for certain shapes with different holes etc. so now everyone is set! Check it all out HERE.

Here are a few more of my favorites! I know Christmas isn't even here yet, but I was excited to start working on my second favorite holiday (aside from Halloween) Valentine's Day! I threw in some St. Patrick's while I was at it. Above, Heart Skeleton Keys!

Circus Muscle Man Stand-ups (several styles).

Beautiful Cameo Frames and Profiles!

Also sized to fit our Crystal Clear Acrylic Cabochons.

"Candy" Hearts - in Classic, Current, and my favorite Anti-Valentine :).

Yummy!

Vintage ruler charms!

And 14 new Valentine and St. Patrick's Day stencils!

There are WAY too many new goodies to list, but you can see them all HERE!

With Christmas around the corner it was time to start working on some handmade gifts! I put several of the new products to the test and I can tell you they are fabulous! I plan to create tutorials on each piece below in the future, so I won't go into too much detail, but I will tell you which products I used.

Mini Journal Necklaces

Supplies:

Brass Treasure Box, Resin Octopus, Mini Gear, .75" Masonite S, Gilders Paste (Inca Gold, Patina, Black), Ball Chain, Open Balls, DP113 Collage Sheet, Mini Pencil, 1" Rounded Square Stencil Board Pages, Long Brass Eyelet, Brass Eyelet Washer, 1/8" Eyelet Setter, and Diamond Glaze.

I used the 1" Rounded Square Stencil Board blanks to create the mini journal. The pages rotate open :). Complete with mini pencil.

Junk House

Supplies:

House Shrine Pendant, Key Charm, Gilders Paste (Black, Patina, Inca Gold), and Silver Pin Back

Bird Bracelet

Supplies:

18x13mm Masonite Ovals, Inca Gold Gilder's Paste, 7mm Jump Rings, Matte Mod Podge, DP87 Collage Sheet, DP88 Collage Sheet, and DP113 Collage Sheet

Earring Tree (hehe)

Supplies:

Fancy Stand-Up Pine Tree with Holes, Metallic Mix Eyelets, Masonite Gear, Inca Gold Gilders Paste, Long Brass Art Brad Earrings: 7mm Jump Rings, and Small XOXO Hearts

Day of the Dead Brooch

Supplies:

Medium Oval Cameo Frame and Back, 40x30mm Clear Cabochon, Diamond Glaze, Skeleton Collage Sheet, Inca Gold Gilders Paste (my new favorite!) and Silver Pin Back

I had a blast making these! I also found that because I was making them with a specific person in mind, the ideas were flowing like crazy!

And here are all of my gifts under the tree :).

I have a gift for YOU too! In honor of "Post Black Friday" and "Cyber Monday" I'm offering 10% off EVERYTHING SALE in the shop. That includes an additional 10% off Sale items! Now through Wednesday. Sale ends at Midnight December 1st.

At check-out use Discount Coupon code: CYBER

And well, of course a product release like this calls for a GIVEAWAY!

1. We will be giving away FOUR goodie packs filled with samplings of the new products!
2. To enter for a chance to win, simply leave a comment on THIS blog post telling me which handmade gift above you would like to see first as a tutorial!
3. Deadline to enter is Saturday December 10th. I will use a random number generator on Sunday December 11th to select the FOUR winners!
4. As you know we always like to sweeten the pot. If you are a winner and also a FACEBOOK fan you will get an extra surprise with your winnings! Let us know in your comment if you are a fan and please only comment once! Simple click HERE and "like" us!

Also, don't forget - latest blog CONTEST is coming to an end soon. Deadline to enter is December 4th so you better hurry! There are tons of fabulous prizes!

Design Team Inspiration and Over 20 Brand New Collage Sheets!

2011-11-22T00:54:00.000-05:00

It's time again for some wonderful design team inspiration! The above piece is by Gerri Herbst featuring the Best Friends xoxo Digital Collage Sheet. She turned a little pot into a fabulous pencil/supply holder.

This gorgeous piece by Gerri features the Jewel Tone Vintage Collage Sheet, Best Friends xoxo Collage Sheet, and a Butterfly ATC Frame. I just love the depth of the piece.

For this beautiful piece Gerri used the Versaille Quatrefoil ATC Arch Window. I just adore how she embellished the top! And of course all the pink.

For this lovely ornament, Gerri used the 5 Pane Window ATC Frame, Christmas Tag Collage Sheet, and Antique Gold Scalloped Dresden.

And last but not least, a card by Gerri featuring William and Anna!

Next are some adorable ornaments by Jennifer Ingle! Jennifer started with the 3 Small Chipboard Houses, which are PERFECT for making ornaments!

She added some Red Scalloped Dresden, Mica Flakes, Glitter, and other goodies to create these sweet Christmas houses!

Adorable Jennifer!

You could also use the Medium Chipboard Houses to make some ornaments!

And keeping on with the holiday spirit, a wonderful Christmas book by Bianca Mandity. The cover is an old book, which she transformed into a binder style book using a small Tim Holtz Ring Binder. See how she installed it here.

The cover also features a 2 Inch Masonite Window, Antique Gold Scalloped Dresden, Adage Ticket, Christmas Muse Token, and an image from the Christmas Squares Collage Sheet.

This page features another Christmas Muse Token.

Another Muse Token and Gold Dresden Antlers.

The background for this page is a Vintage Medical Prescription.

This page features the Hello Deer Stencil, a Medium Classic Gothic Window, and Red Scalloped Dresden.

And finally, a Journal Ticket and an image from the Assorted Christmas Squares Collage Sheet are featured on this page. I do believe Bianca will have more fantastic pages to share, so stay tuned!

I'm also excited to announce over 20 BRAND NEW Collage Sheets. As always available in digital and paper formats! These are a few of my favorites but you can see them all HERE!

I hope you enjoyed the inspiration!

Door Shrine Kit Giveaway Winners!

2011-11-14T13:50:00.001-05:00

Here are the winners of the Door Shrine Kits!

Congrats to M. Salois, Judith, Electra, and Jane S.

Please email me at retrocafeart@gmail.com with your address so I can ship our your prizes. Also let me know if you are a Facebook fan. We'll have another giveaway soon, but in the meantime you can enter our CONTEST with tons of fabulous prizes! AND stop by our Facebook page every Wednesday for a random drawing giveaway!

ATC Sized Mica, Large Mica Pieces, and Fabulous Art Samples!

2011-11-04T13:35:00.000-05:00

Hooray, the fabulous Mica I had at CREATE in August is finally listed! Best of all, we have ATC SIZED Mica and lovely Large Mica pieces too.

Our Mica is a lovely amber color and is very shimmery in the light! It's also the perfect thickness in my opinion. I couldn't be happier with it! I'm also happy to offer it at great prices.

And for some inspiration, here is a gorgeous book created by Bianca Mandity! Don't you just love how she made the sewn pages from organza and ribbon?

On the front toward the bottom, you will see a little house shaped piece created from our Mica and Short E-Z Set Eyelets. Mica can be punched and looks great with an eyelet finish. You can also cut it into different shapes using scissors or run it through a die cut machine. Bianca cut her sweet piece with regular scissors. She also used painted Masonite Gears and the Steampunk ATC Backgrounds Transparency sheet. Because it's a transparency, it looks awesome within the sheer pages.

Here you can see another image from the Steampunk ATC Backgrounds Transparency sheet. She also used some gears as a stencil/mask on the left layout. At the top right corner you can see some embellishments made from our House or Shrine Acrylic Tags!

I love how she also created the binding from ribbon and Eyelets!

More images from the Steampunk ATC Backgrounds Transparency sheet and a Trinket Pin. Such an AMAZING piece Bianca!

And finally here is an ATC created from Mica, a Masonite ATC Base, and Short Copper Eyelets.

I hope you enjoyed the projects and you're ready to try some ATC Sized Mica pieces and Large Mica pieces! Another tip - Incredi-sheets are amazing for attaching Mica to your projects for a crystal clear permanent bond!

Door Shrine Kit Design Team Work and a GIVEAWAY! Plus TONS of New Goodies in the Shop!

2011-10-31T21:57:00.002-05:00

I'm so excited about our new Coffee Break Design Door Shrine Kits! Here we have the Baroque Door Shrine Kit.

The Traditional Door Shrine Kit

And my personal Favorite, the Victorian Door Shrine Kit.

The Retro Cafe Art Gallery Design Team created some AMAZING samples to show you!

This first piece is by Jennifer Ingle using the Baroque Door Shrine Kit. She also used the Corked Vials (for the sprinkles) and the image that says "Toys" from the Vintage Grunge ATC Backgrounds Collage Sheet. There is also a touch of Scalloped Gold Dresden. Completely adorable!

Jennifer Ingle also created this wonderful piece using the Traditional Door Shrine Kit. She also used an image from the Vintage Steampunk ATC Backgrounds Collage Sheet. I love the cool assemblage she created on the top.

Gerri Herbst created this super whimsy piece using the Victorian Door Shrine Kit. She also used a Small Frozen Charlotte, a paper rose, Adage Tickets, and an image from the Chic Demask Collage Sheet for the background.

I love how she used the fancy button as the door knob. What a fantastic piece!

Peek-a-boo!

Next up is Bianca Mandity's piece using the Baroque Door Shrine Kit. Bianca also used the Spiderweb ATC Overlay as the background (brilliant!), a Gravestone Border, and Small Bat Wings. On the front she used the Number Block Stencil to create a shrink plastic piece as the door number!

I'm loving the colors on this piece!

And finally, Kristin Hubick's piece using the Victorian Door Shrine Kit. You can see the full tutorial HERE.

We have TONS of other new goodies too....

Several types of mini hardware! Perfect for the new Door Kits, ATCs, or jewelry projects!

Stand-up Men to go with the Stand-up Ladies

Mini Masonite Gears

Several types of Extra Long Art Brads

New Acrylic O'Charm Charms!

Authentic Vintage Prescriptions

Vintage Perfume or Poison Bottles (swoon)

Small Stand-Up Numbers

AMAZING Vintage Circuit Boards in Small Sizes with eyelet sized holes! 5 Types!
Great for Steampunk art!

Colored Metallic Eyelets. These are awesome on the circuit boards!

FANTASTIC ATC Easel Stands! So handy.

Adorable Mini Pencils that really write!

See ALL 32 of the New Goodies HERE!

And of course a product release like this calls for a GIVEAWAY!

1. We will be giving away FOUR of the brand new Door Shrine Kits!

2. To enter for a chance to win, simply leave a comment on THIS blog post letting us know your favorite new product!

3. Deadline to enter is Saturday November 12th. We will use a random number generator on Saturday November 13th select the FOUR winners!

4. As you know we always like to sweeten the pot. If you are a winner and also a FACEBOOK fan you will get an extra surprise with your winnings! Let us know in your comment if you are a fan and please only comment once! Simple click HERE and "like" us!

Also, don't forget, now through November 13th, all orders of $100 or more receive FREE SHIPPING! International order included. (Our Halloween Treat to you!)

Woohooo! Stock up on those Christmas art supplies!

You should also enter our current CONTEST for tons of awesome prizes!

Victorian Door Shrine Kit Tutorial

2011-10-31T21:57:00.000-05:00

For this project I started with the super cool new Coffee Break Design Victorian Door Shrine Kit (designed by moi!)

You could also use the Baroque Door Shrine Kit or Traditional Door Shrine Kit!

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There are many options for altering the masonite pieces. Acrylic paints, covering with paper, gold leafing, the list goes on and on, however I decided to spray paint my pieces which was super quick and easy. I simply laid them on cardboard and applied 2 coats of red spray paint to each side.

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The spray paint gave wonderful, even coverage and like I said, was really fast!

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Next using some archival black ink and a script stamp, I stamped a few of my pieces. Loved how this looked! The pieces are nice and flat and if you alter the pieces prior to assembling they are really easy to work with. Anything you can do on a canvas can be done to the pieces! The sky is the limit.

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To speed things up I used my heat gun to dry the ink. This also helps "heat set" a bit.

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Assembly is very easy. Just use a bit of glue inside the recessed notches. Just about any white glue will work. I use my Matte Modge Podge for just about everything and it's great for the kits. Elmers, gel medium, wood glue, etc. will also work just fine.

For this kit, it's easiest to attach the sides first.

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Next attach the top, again placing the glue in the notches. The door goes in next with the top hinge inside the hole. The bottom gets attached next with the bottom hinge inside the bottom hole. This lets the door swing open and closed! This one is really easy to put together and instructions are also on the package.

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Finally, attach the lovely decorative header!

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And done! Super easy.

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I wanted to give my piece an aged look so I added some Patina Gilders Paste using my finger. I really focused on the edges of the piece. Remember in my Gilders Paste Tutorial I told you how great it looks over painted pieces? Well there you have it.

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Gilders Paste is also amazing when applied directly to our Masonite Cut-Outs. Here I added more Patina Gilders Paste directly onto our Masonite Gears and Mini Masonite Gears again using my finger. Very quick and easy!

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I attached them to the inside of my piece using Mod Podge.

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I was thinking about adding some light to my box later, so I thought a transparency in the window would be awesome. Any ATC sized Collage Sheet Transparency would be perfect. I went with the Vintage Steampunk ATC Backgrounds transparency sheet.

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I placed it on the back side of my door and then roughly traced out the piece with a sharpie. You'll want to leave a bit of a border so you can attach it to the back of the window.

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I've found that the very best way to attach a transparency (or vellum) is using Incredi-tape! It's crystal clear so you don't see it through the transparency and there will never be bubbles. Plus it's amazingly strong. The 1/8" Incredi-tape is really thin and perfect for something like this.

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Beautiful! It looks like stained glass.

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The Door Shrine Kits do come with door knobs, however I wanted something a bit fancier. The kits were designed to go perfectly with several of our new Brass Door Knob Plates. The plates fit right over the existing key hole in the door! How cool is that? I used the Fancy Brass Key Plate with the Rhinestone Knob.

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Of course I had to add a bit of Patina Gilders Paste to the Key Plate too. And as a final touch I attached another Gilded Masonite Gear to the header, layered with a random watch part.

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Finished! (or am I?)

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As you can see the door swings open and closed!

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The Door Shrine Kits are also sized to hold ATCs. You can use it to showcase one, or use the piece as storage for several!

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I wanted to highlight the transparency image so I had an idea...

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I went to Target and purchased a LED battery powered color changing light to put inside.
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The photos really don't do it justice. It's very cool!

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Notice the changing color!

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You could make some lovely Light up Christmas Houses too.

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Oh, I think my piece may be haunted! lol. I love this happy accident thanks to my shutter speed :).

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I hope you enjoyed this tutorial! In addition to the Victorian Door Shrine Kit you can also get the Baroque Door Shrine Kit and the Traditional Door Shrine Kit. All are ATC sized! The Traditional Door Shrine Kit is great for adding a mini assemblage to the top and is VERY stackable. The bases of all 3 kits are the same size so you could stack them and attach them to the sides of each other to make a whole building and the doors will still open!

Door Shrine Kit ideas:

1. Decorate your kit and use it to house a gift card for giving.

2. Create a lighted village for your mantel.

3. Use them to showcase or store ATCs.

4. Create a totem pole or building by attaching the kits by the sides (and tops with the Traditional Door Kit).

5. Use it as a traditional shrine to honor a person, place, or thing.

6. Turn your piece into an ornament.

7. Attach the back to a larger piece or assemblage.

8. Create a secret book to hide inside.

9. And a hook on the back and hang them on the wall to display family photos or secret treasures.

10. Use them to present a handmade gift such as some handmade jewelry. Especially if you are like me and you don't like wrapping presents.

Just a few ideas. I'm sure there are many more. As always, please feel free to use any of the ideas and/or techniques presented in this tutorial! Also, check out the fabulous Door Kits created by the Design Team. Have fun! xo

Alter it Monthly Guest Artist and Sponsor

2011-10-31T21:56:00.000-05:00

This month I'm delighted to be the Guest Artist over at Alter it Monthly! The theme for November is:
"Drawers doors and secret compartments.
Make an item that has a working drawer or door in it. Something that can be opened and looked into..."

This theme was so inspiring to me, that it inspired me to design 3 new Coffee Break Design Door Shrine Kits! "an item that has a working door" check!

I had a blast creating this piece. You can view my full tutorial HERE.

Also, for more inspiration check out what the Retro Cafe Art Gallery Design Team created HERE!

This piece is also functional and holds ATCs!

Retro Cafe Art Gallery is the sponsor this month at Alter it Monthly. Be sure to enter beginning November 1st for a chance to win a $50 Retro Cafe Art Gallery Gift Certificate!

Happy Halloween! A treat for you - FREE SHIPPING on orders of $100 or more for 2 weeks!

2011-10-30T16:51:00.006-05:00

Happy Halloween! One last Halloween Design Team piece to share by Gerri Herbst!
Gerri used the Spiderweb ATC Overlay, Spider Cut-Out, and the Edgar Allen Poe Collage Sheet. What a fantastic piece!

And now for our treat for YOU! For the next two weeks, orders of $100 or more will receive FREE SHIPPING. Even on International orders! Ends November 13th.

This is a great time to stock up for your Christmas projects. Some of our top picks include Christmas Collage Sheets, Dresden (lots of gold, silver, green, and red!), ATC Arches and Windows (great for ornaments! Simply secure ribbon between your front and ATC Arch Base or ATC Base), Chipboard Houses (also great for ornaments or Christmas villages), Shrine Kits (make em' Christmas!), Christmas Muse Tokens, and so much more!

I Love Retro Cafe Art Gallery CONTEST! Over 5 FABULOUS prizes!

2011-10-27T01:29:00.000-05:00

It's that time again for another fantastic contest! This time the contest celebrates all things Retro Cafe Art Gallery! And because we love our customers, we have some awesome prizes for you! Speaking of awesome prizes, we are super excited about a really fun addition to our contest. We have teamed up with our friends at 100 Proof Press, and they are going to be a guest judge for the contest. Their team will be selecting their favorite to win a $30 100 Proof Press Gift Certificate! How cool is that. They have amazing stamps so this is a great prize!

There will also be two $50 Retro Cafe Art Gallery Gift Certificates and two Coffee Break Design goodie packs! Not to mention everyone who enters will get a fabulous Digital Collage Sheet plus we will be adding prizes as we recieve entries (see below). And it's so easy to enter. All you have to do is submit art that incorporates at least 1 product from Retro Cafe Art Gallery! You don't even have to purchase it from us. As long as we currently carry it, you are qualified! We have SO many goodies in the shop, you are bound to have something at home. See the details below!

The Rules:

1. Submit up to 3 pieces of art! Each piece of art must include at least one item carried by Retro Cafe Art Gallery! You don't even have to buy it from us, as long as we currently carry it you're qualified. Of course it can have more than 1 product, but at least 1 is required. You can have 1, 2 or 3 entries. All mediums are welcome!

2. Email your photos to retrocafeart@gmail.com subject: I Love Retro Cafe Art Gallery. Please send a separate photo for each entry (just 1 image per entry - and yes you can make a photo collage). Files between 200 -300 KB preferred. I will post these photos on our Facebook page in this album as they are received. Please include your full name in your email and the Retro Cafe Art Gallery product(s) used. We only need photos, not the actual art! You will immediately receive your FREE Digital Collage Sheet via email after we receive your first entry. You can even use it for your 2nd and 3rd entries :).

3. Deadline to enter is Sunday December 4th.

4. We love our International customers and you are always welcome to play!

The Prizes:

1. There will be two, $50 Retro Cafe Art Gallery Gift Certificates awarded using a random number generator. *NEW* The 100 Proof Press team will also be voting on their favorite for a $30 100 Proof Press Gift Certificate! In addition 2 Coffee Break Design goodie bags will also be given out to 2 random winners. No doubt they will contain Shrine Kits, Stencils, Cut-Outs, and more. AND for every 25 entries received, a 5 pack of Digital Collage Sheets will be added to the prize pool. So FIVE+ prizes. $130 in Gift Certificates alone. What are you waiting for? Get those entries in early so we can all be inspired!

2. ALL players will receive a special Digital Collage Sheet just for playing, so everyone WINS! The sheet will be emailed to you immediately after submitting your first entry. And yes, the sheet can be used for your other entries.

3. Please help share the love by posting about this contest on your blog, Facebook, website, etc. Remember, for every 25 entries we receive, we will be adding to the already awesome prize pool! Feel free to use the Retro Cafe Art Gallery button at the top of the post. Good luck and let's have some fun! xo

Land of Enchantment Collage Sheet Giveaway WINNERS!

2011-10-26T23:56:00.003-05:00

A huge thank you to everyone who left a comment to enter the Land of Enchantment Collage Sheet Giveaway! 141 comments, wow!

I have another lovely art piece to share with you by Jennifer Ingle using the Love Who You Are Large Image. She also used some lovely Metal Corners! So sweet.

And the winners are....

Congrats to Teri Gordon, Marsha Marsha Marsha, lindy, and Cher!

Please email me to claim your fabulous prizes! I know several of you are Facebook fans so you will be getting an extra goodie!

Stay tuned for another awesome contest coming soon! xo

New Design Team Art to Share!

2011-10-25T01:22:00.002-05:00

Hooray, I have lots of Design Team work to share with you! The piece above was created by Jennifer Ingle using the Spider and Web Cut-Outs, Corked Vials, and an image from the Steampunk Parts Collage Sheet. I think the piece is adorable and would make a great place holder at a spooky dinner. You could personalize them with names!

The sweet card above was also created by Jennifer Ingle. The dollie image is from the Hello Dollie Halloween Collage Sheet. Love it!

This awesome card was created by Gerri Herbst, again using the Hello Dollie Halloween Collage Sheet. Gerri created the background using her old spin art machine! How cool is that!

For the above piece Gerri used the Lace Quatrefoil ATC Arch, Dead Tree Cut-Out, Bat Cut-Out, and Gravestone Borders. This piece is super cool and I love how she created so much depth!

Another gorgeous piece by Gerri Herbst using the Vintage Striped Sewing ATC Collage Sheet. I think the colors she used are fabulous together!

And the final piece by Gerri tonight using the Fancy Frame 3 ATC Frame. She also used one of the images from the Vintage Grunge ATC Collage Sheet behind the frame. Love the bit of sparkle.

And lastly, an awesome journal page spread by Bianca Mandity. She used one of the images from the Fairy Doors Collage Sheet and created an image transfer. Such a cool look.

And here is a closer look at Bianca's image transfer! Awesome.

Oh, and if you enjoy Shrine Art and Day of the Dead Art you should have a look at the photo album I added HERE on Facebook. Come see Bianca's amazing Shrine Installation at the Indianapolis Art Center and more!

I hope you enjoyed the inspiration, and don't forget to enter the Giveaway below. You might just win some fabulous Collage Sheets! xo Kristin

Land of Enchantment Collage Sheet GIVEAWAY and Denise's Fabulous Samples!

2011-10-19T21:58:00.004-05:00

So far I'm thrilled by the response to having Land of Enchantment Collage Sheets at Retro Cafe Art Gallery! I'm delighted to bring them to you both in digital format and for the first time in printed format! I know several of you are happy about that. I thought it would be fun to have a giveaway with several chances to win some of the 200+ wonderful sheets! The amazingly talented artist, Denise Phillips created some wonderful pieces to inspire you!

Denise started with the Masonite Stand-Up Houses for these cuties. The images are of course Land of Enchantment Collage Sheets. The sweet birds are from this Circle Collage Sheet and the backgrounds were made using the fantastic postcard image in this ATC Collage Sheet. As a final touch, Denise added our Tiny Brass Crowns!

Next, she created this wonderful Shadow Box! The background ferris wheel can be found in The Vintage Sepia Collage Sheet and the hot air balloon in this Circle Collage Sheet. The vintage Carnival Tickets and Alpha Beads can also be found in the shop!

And last but defnitely not least, the "French Peacock" shrine! In this piece you will find our ATC Shrine Kit and Arch Shrine Kit. As well as a gorgeous brass Feather Crown! The gold paint and Hitch Fasteners are also from the shop. As for the collage images, Denise used this lovely Rose Collage Sheet for the shrine background (and the display background). The text on the bottom of the shrine and the fabulous egg pedestal can be found on this gorgeous Large Journal Image. This piece is so Denise and every single supply came from Retro Cafe Art Gallery!

A huge round of applause to Denise Phillips for her amazing pieces! Please go pay her a visit on her blog! You really should become a follower while you are there as she is always sharing amazing art and techniques. She too is also a fan of giveaways and has more to come! Tell her we sent you!

Speaking of GIVEAWAYS! Let's have one NOW!

1. We will be giving away FIVE Land of Enchatment Digital Collage Sheets to FOUR lucky winners! That's right, four winners! Yep, 20 sheets!

2. To enter for a chance to win, simply leave a comment on THIS blog post!

3. Deadline to enter is Wednesday October 26th. I will use a random number generator on October 27th to select the FOUR winners!

4. As you know I always like to sweeten the pot. If you are a winner and also a FACEBOOK fan you will get an extra surprise with your winnings! Let me know in your comment if you are a fan and please only comment once! Simple click HERE and "like" us!

Latest Giveaway Winner!

2011-10-16T00:56:00.005-05:00

The time has come to announce the winner of the recent giveaway, co-hosted with Denise Phillips! A big thank you to all who joined in the fun!

And the lucky winner is #5, Francine! Francine is also a Facebook Fan, so instead of a $25 Retro Cafe Art Gallery Gift Certificate, she gets a $40 certificate. Congrats! Stay tuned, more fun contests and giveaways to come!

PLEASE VOTE - Anything Goes Halloween Contest!

2011-10-15T01:04:00.004-05:00

(Artwork by Debbie Patterson)

The Anything Goes Halloween Contest has come to a close, so now we need YOU to vote!

There was NO WAY we could narrow this one down with 89 amazing entries! Please vote by "liking" your favorites. And yes, you can like more than one! You can also "Share" the album and have your friends and family vote too! Check out the awesome entries and vote HERE!

Voting ends on Monday October 17th at 6pm EST.

UPDATE: Congrats to all the winners! Hop on over to our Facebook page to see the results!

Gilders Paste - New in the Shop and a Tutorial

2011-10-10T00:45:00.001-05:00

I'm really excited to announce that Gilders Paste is now available in the shop! This exciting medium is wonderful for adding a patina to many different materials including Wood, Resin, Metal, Ceramic, and just about anything else you can think of. I absolutely love the stuff! For this quick tutorial we're starting with Resin Octopus Cabochons, Masonite Gears, and Raw Brass Fleur De Lis Stampings.

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I simply opened up my tin of Gilders Paste and applied the paste to the stamping using my finger. Yep, that's pretty much all there is to it! Add as much or as little as you would like to achieve your desired look. And of course you can also apply the paste using a brush, sponge, cotton swab, or even a rubber stamp. If you are using a rubber stamp, just be sure to clean your stamp soon after using.

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Ah, so lovely! I used Patina Gilders Paste for the above piece. Patina is fantastic with raw brass.

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If you aren't happy with the look, you have a few minutes to wipe it off with a paper towel and then start again.

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Next, I tried Black Gilders Paste. It gave a fantastic aged/burned look.

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You can also mix and layer the colors. Here I layered a bit of the Patina over the Black.

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Look how amazing the Silver Gilders Paste is on the black resin octopus and the Masonite Wood Gear! Just a quick swipe with the finger and voila!

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The Silver Gilders Paste looks really cool on raw brass too!

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Here is another instance where I used two colors. I used the Verdigris and the Antique Gold, applying both with a Q-tip.

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I love how the White Gilders Paste looks on the resin octopus. Of course you can use less to achieve a grayish color. The white has many possibilities for that antiqued look, especially when added over a painted piece.

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Look how much more awesome this octopus looks on the gear now that both have been gilded. I used Copper Metallic on the octopus and Violet on the gear. The Gilders Paste dries to the touch really quickly (in just a few minutes on all of my pieces) and cures in about 12 hours.

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And here is a group shot of all my pieces. While I added the Gilders Paste directly to the brass, resin, and masonite pieces, there are many other options. For instance, using the Masonite Shrine Kits or Masonite Cut-Outs, you can paint them first and then use the Gilders Paste to add antiqued accents. You can also dilute the Gilders Paste to create a spray. One tin goes A LONG way covering 30 square feet and if your paste dries out, you can easily revive it! I hope you enjoyed this quick tutorial. You can read more about Gilders Paste here on our website and buy all 17 colors here! P.S. the paste easily washes off of your hands with regular soap and water. xoxo

Published - 1000 Steampunk Creations and a Few New Jewelry Pieces

2011-10-04T23:32:00.004-05:00

I just wanted to share that I have a few pieces published in this fantastic book! 1000 Steampunk Creations is a great book (and I'm not just saying that because I'm biased). It's packed with inspiration and the pages are nice and heavy with beautiful color. I also love that the cover looks like a stencil. You can't tell in the photo, but it's actually cut out from the cover. I'm completely honored to be in this book with so many fabulous artists!

That's me!

A few closer shots.

I have several craft fairs coming up, and here are just a few things I made today. I make things all of the time, but often forget to share :). This Friday I'll be at the Indieana Handicraft Exchange!

These guys are pins and hair clips. A big hit last year! Tis the season :).

I also did some soldering. I tried to challenge myself and worked with a few materials that are new to me. I really like how the buttons and broken china turned out. And of course the rhinestones and watch faces are real vintage pieces.

And while I have your attention, don't forget to enter the GIVEAWAY and the HALLOWEEN CONTEST!

xo Kristin

A Fabulous $50 Gift Certificate Giveaway and Denise Phillip's Coffee Break Design Shrine Kit Samples!

2011-09-30T12:58:00.010-05:00

I'm sure you've heard me mention Denise Phillips before! She is a FANTASTIC Mixed Media Artist and a huge fan of Retro Cafe Art Gallery and Coffee Break Design products, and boy does she know how to use them as you will see from her amazing projects! The first uses the ATC Shrine Kit, Alpha Beads, Acrylic Cabochons, Corked Vials, and Denise's magic. You will often see fabulous nature themes throughout her work!

This next piece is AMAZING!

For this gorgeous piece, Denise used several Coffee Break Design and Retro Cafe Art Gallery products including the Halloween Mini-Dash Shrine Kit, Spider and Web Cut-Outs, Bat Cut-Outs, Alpha Beads, Silver Scalloped Dresden, and a Blue Ballerina (which she painted black, clever girl!). She made it for a dear friend who happens to have a birthday on Halloween!

Denise tells me she has now added a pedestal and doilies!

Denise has a fabulous blog and she posts regularly. She started it fairly recently and is off to an amazing start... that being said... the GIVEAWAY!

Retro Cafe Art Gallery will be sponsoring TWO $25 Gift Certificates! One and this blog, and one on Denise's blog! Denise calls me the "Contest Diva" so it seems only fitting!

Details:

1. To enter a chance for the gift certificate on this blog, simply sign-on as a follower on the right side-bar, and then leave a comment letting me know you've done so and you are all set.

2. Next, if you hop on over to Denise's blog, she will also be giving away a Gift Certificate in the same format so you have TWO chances to win!

3. Deadline to enter is Saturday October 15th. I will use a random number generator on October 16th to select the winner!
4. As you know I always like to sweeten the pot. If you are a winner and also a FACEBOOK fan I will make the Gift Certificate $40! Let me know in your comment. Please only comment once (or twice if you want and I will delete one of the posts before drawing the winner)! You can simply hit "like" below!.

New Design Team Work and NEW Antique Brass Box Feet!

2011-09-28T11:54:00.001-05:00

I have some fantastically haunting Design Team work to share with you! The above journal page is by Bianca Mandity. Bianca used several Coffee Break Design Stencils in her page including Ugly Witch, Large Psychedelic Circle Set, and Night Sky. I love all the depth she created in her page!

The above and below pieces were created by Gerri Herbst. In the above page, Gerri incorporated the Edgar Allen Poe Collage Sheet, Mysterious Bird Cut-Outs, and Gravestone ATC Borders.

For the fabulous banner below, Gerri used the Vintage Halloween Collage Sheet, Witches, Hats, & Cats Cut-Outs, Bat Cut-Outs, Spider Web Cut-Outs, and Small Fancy Gothic Windows. Both of Gerri's pieces are spooky and beautiful at the same time!

Lastly, this awesome assemblage piece was created by Jennifer Ingle. Jennifer used a Quatrefoil ATC Arch, ATC Arch Base, Fractured Doll, Film Strip Ribbon, Tissue Tape, German Dresden, Glitter, and several other finds for her piece!

I just adore the rusty nails!

And for some brand new goodies, we have some fantastic Antique Brass Box Feet that fit several of our Shrine Kits perfectly! Available in "Fancy" and "Filigree", these feet are a must have!

You still have until October 14th to enter the Anything Goes Halloween Contest and we will be announcing a great giveaway very soon!

Congrats to the Winner of Debrina's Gorgeous Art Piece!

2011-09-25T12:20:00.006-05:00

Today is the day to pick the winner of this lovely art piece by Debrina Pratt!

And the winner is... drumroll... ... ...

Number 11, Jan Vermillion Thomason! Congrats Jan, I will be contacting you! Funny how the generator is all number ones.

Thanks to all who commented and played along to tell us your favorite Land of Enchantment Collage Sheet at Retro Cafe Art Gallery!

Over 22 New Goodies!

2011-09-23T11:07:00.008-05:00

I've added several new goodies to the site including these fabulous vintage sleepy eyes that really work! These would be great for steampunk art or anything Halloween!

Other new favorites include Mini Silverware Sets, Peacock Feathers, Alterable Paper Mache Hands, Mini Bottle Caps, Alpha Beads, and SO much more! Check it all out HERE!

I've also added several new Land of Enchantment Business Card Templates! They are all so gorgeous. See them all HERE.

Don't forget to enter the giveaway for a piece of Debrina Pratt's beautiful artwork! Deadline is Saturday. Enter now!

And Finally, check out all the AMAZING entries for the Halloween Contest! You have until October 14th to enter yours.

xoxo,

Kristin

Land of Enchantment Design Team Work and Halloween Mini Dash Shrine Kit Winners!

2011-09-18T12:14:00.023-05:00

Hooray! The winners of the Halloween Mini Dash Shrine Kits are Shelly, Steph, and Kristi! I'll be emailing you for your addresses! Congrats!

And now for some GORGEOUS Design Team Samples using the new Land of Enchantment Collage Sheets at Retro Cafe Art Gallery!

First up is Bianca's awesome piece using the DP137 ATC Sized Skeleton Collage Sheet. Bianca started with our semi-gloss printed sheet and created an image transfer! This is what Bianca said to me in an email: "They really transfer quite cleanly. I think it's the paper you use. So fantastic. I got a wild hair and decided to see what would happen if I used the varitone ink on top of the transfer--it was magic! Any place that the transfer tore leaving a rough spot, took the ink and then browned up, so it looks all vintage and distressed, rather than sloppy." So there you have it, our paper is great for image transfers and works beautifully with our Varitone Ink! Bianca also used the new Mysterious Birds Stencil and the Ink Blot Stencil. Read more about her piece here.

Next up is the this fabulous piece by Gerri using the DP136 Salvaged Maps ATC Collage Sheet. I love the look of these vintage map images and I love how Gerri personalized her sample! Gerri also used the Rounded Square ATC Frame and a Black Mat Board Witch Cut-Out in her creation. Read more about Gerri's piece here.

This sweet card was created by Jennifer, starting with the DP124 ATC Sized Collage Sheet. The chair, butterfly, and even the punched out scalloped bit are all from this fabulous collage sheet! I love how Jennifer created a window with the 3-D effect of the butterfly in this card. Read more about Jennifer's piece here.

I also wanted to share this adorable card by Jan DeBellis using the DP142 Vintage Whimsy ATC Collage Sheet. Jan was the first to snatch up some Land of Enchantment Sheets and I was surprised and very impressed when she emailed me this card same day! Thank you for letting me share your beautiful work Jan!

I hope these gorgeous pieces provided some inspiration! So many amazing possibilities with the Land of Enchantment sheets! And if you haven't already, don't forget to enter the GIVEAWAY for a fabulous piece of Debrina's Original Art!

Debrina Pratt's Land of Enchantment Collage Sheets at Retro Cafe Art Gallery and a GIVEAWAY!

2011-09-16T01:44:00.017-05:00

I cannot even tell you how excited I am about this! Retro Cafe Art Gallery and Debrina Pratt have teamed up to offer GORGEOUS Land of Enchantement Collage Sheets in the shop! Debrina and I go way back to early 2000 when we were both just starting out. I'm honored to call her a friend and now a business colleague, because, well, she is amazing in so many ways! And of course I love fairies (I even have one tattooed on my back) and anyone who knows Debrina, knows she herself is a sweet pixie who loves fairies too!

The best part about Retro Cafe Art Gallery carrying Debrina's sheets, is that for the FIRST TIME EVER you can get them in printed format! Of course you can get them as a digital file, but now you can also get them professionally laser printed on Semi-gloss Paper, Transparency Film, Sticker Paper, Fabric Sheets, or Vellum!

So just how many sheets are we talking about? Well, we are starting with 236! Yes, you heard me correctly, 236 amazing sheets have been listed! We have several categories including ATC Sized, Circles & Ovals, Squares, Microslides and Dominos, Assorted, Vintage Children, Tags, Cards, & Labels, and even some Larger Images!

We are also carrying Debrina's fantastic Business Card Templates, which you can have customized if desired. Isn't that deer the sweetest?

And for the BEST PART OF ALL, Debrina is offering up the gorgeous creation above to one lucky winner! She made this special piece of original art just for this launch, and maybe just for you! Her art is so wonderful and very sought after, so you don't want to miss this!

Giveaway Rules:

1. To enter the giveaway for Debrina's gorgeous art piece above, simply leave a comment on this blog post letting me know your favorite sheet from the Land of Enchantment Collection at Retro Cafe Art Gallery.

3. Share the love by posting about this giveaway on your blog, Facebook, etc. and should you win, I too will offer up a lovely prize (a Retro Cafe Art Gallery Gift Certificate) so you win twice as big! Let me know if you have done this in your comment. Feel free to grab the lovely blog button at the top of the page, created by Debrina, to spread the word!

3. Be sure I have a way to contact you if you are the winner!

4. Deadline to enter is Saturday, September 24th. I will use a random number generator to select the winner on September 25th!

Good luck and I hope you enjoy the new Land of Enchantment Collage Sheet Collection at Retro Cafe Art Gallery!