Hi Everyone! Halloween is almost here, which means it's time for some winter holiday arting and crafting. I'm super excited to show you some of the new goods in the shop. You can see them all HERE! Some of my favorites are below. And make sure to go to the bottom of the post for a fun GIVEAWAY and info on our latest holiday swaps!
You will love these Pine Tree Cut-Outs. Great on ornaments and so much more.
And what can't you use stars for? Our fabulous set has several different styles and sizes, a must have especially for Christmas art.
New collage sheets? Oh yes, we have 14. Including several to go with our awesome Theatre Shrine Kits!
I couldn't wait to play with the new goods. First I made some ornaments using our new Layered Chipboard Ornaments. We are also hosting a SWAP with these!
To create my ornaments, I started by spray painting the chipboard pieces red and gold. Super fast and easy. Next I stamped the pieces with a script stamp using archival ink, and added some white German glass glitter using a clear drying glue (Tombow Mono Aqua). I glued my collage images to the back pieces of chipboard using Mod Podge and then attached the front piece also using Mod Podge. I held the two pieces together with office clips until dry. Clothes pins would also work and this gives you a great bond! I painted my Reindeer Antlers and Star Cut-Outs using white acrylic paint. After the Antlers were dry, I covered them with Diamond Glaze for added dimension. The Masonite trees were covered in green glitter. I added a small bit of Mini Scalloped Dresden Border to the ornament top (love the look of this) and then attached a few of our new charms to the ornament loop. Finally I added my hanger and tied a mini glitter bell into the bow. These were so much fun to make!
Next came my glitter houses, using our fabulous new Chapel Hill Stand Up Village Kit! We are hosting a SWAP with these as well!
This is really a piece of cake to make and looks gorgeous! I started by spray painting the fronts and backs of all of the pieces white. Next I glittered the house pieces, Star Cut-Out, and base using German Glass Glitter and a clear glue (Tombow Mono Aqua). I simply placed the pieces on a paper plate (one for each color), brushed on a layer of glue, and then covered them with glitter. Tap the pieces off and then pour what's left on the paper plate back into your container of glitter! Do any touch ups if needed. Once the pieces were dry, I glued on my windows and then popped my houses into the base with a bit of glue. Next I glued on my fence pieces, and the Gothic Fence Cut-Outs fit PERFECTLY around the corners. Finally I added some Mini Bottle Brush Trees. I didn't glue them down since it wasn't really necessary. I might want to change the scene later. And of course the village houses also look great covered in paper, stamped, collaged, painted, and more. I was just dying to play with some glitter! There is also a sweet Pine Lake Village Kit, and the houses are all interchangeable within each base and between both kits!
See that little light?
The other fantastic thing about the village kits is that a battery powered votive candle fits perfectly behind the middle house. I was fortunate to score a GLITTERED votive in the Halloween section last week. Since I was already planning my village, I snatched it up!
And since pictures just don't do it justice, check out the lit up house in this extremely short video!
And these you are just going to love. Victorian Exploding Picture Boxes! A few weeks ago I saw one on American Pickers and knew immediately that I had to make them! They come in 3 sizes too.
I decided that I wanted to cover my box in paper as a base. Of course you could also paint, stamp, emboss, cover with fabric, and so much more since they are made of chipboard. The box arrives flat, so simply use the flat box as a template and trace around on your paper. Cut out the paper and then attach to your box. You will want to cut your papers at the score and fold lines of the box so it folds properly. You can either do this before attaching, or after. I attached my entire paper piece first, using an extra strength Elmers glue stick and then I carefully cut my paper along the score lines and creases using and xacto knife. Just be extra careful that you are only cutting through the paper layer. If you're nervous, just mark you paper at the folds and attach them individually. Once covered I inked my edges and sprayed on a light coat of silver glitter spray for a sweet shimmer. I punched out my images using 2 sizes of scalloped punches. I attached my images with the glue stick and then went around the edges with gold stickles. I trimmed the box lid with German Dresden Baroque Border and attached my large Jewel Charm using E6000. For the inside bottom of the box, I layered 3 Star Cut-Outs, covering two of them with Inca Gold Gilder's Paste. You will have a blast opening and closing these boxes. They make exceptional gifts and/or gift boxes. How about personalize them with family photos! Your receiver will be delighted when they open the box!
I love the bit of shimmer!
The Halloween Tombstone Swap was such a blast that several of you asked for a Holiday Swap. Well, how about two? I just couldn't decide. The deadline isn't until December 3rd, so you have plenty of time. We have the Layered Chipboard Ornament Swap...
And the Artist Village Swap! I'm really excited about this one. It's a bit different, but that's why I love it! We will be swapping just the houses, and you will keep and decorate your own base. Come play in both and pay just one return shipping fee!
With all these new awesome things, I think a GIVEAWAY is in order!
1. Leave a comment on THIS post and let me know which of the NEW GOODIES you like best.
2. Next Monday, 10/29/12, I'll use a random number generator to select the winner of a gorgeous Pine Lake Stand-Up Village Kit!
3. If you are a winner and also a Facebook Fan, you'll receive an extra goodie too! Let me know in your comment if you are a fan, and please only leave one comment. Good luck and XOXOs to you all!
** Oh, and I almost forgot to mention, ALL Halloween Goodies are 10% for the next few days while supplies last. Stock up now, several of the goods may be discontinued by next year.**
Great news! We have 17 New Land of Enchantment Collage Sheets in the shop! ATC size, Microslide, Dominos, Circles, and so much more. There are several cute Christmas sheets as well if you are starting to get into the holiday spirit already!
I have some excellent Design Team work to share with you, using the new sheets. The adorable ATC above was created by Gerri Herbst using new Collage Sheets DP293 and DP286.
Design Team Member Jennifer Ingle created this adorable ATC journal using new Collage Sheets DP288 (one of my favorites!) and DP285.
Such a beautiful journal and stunning photos Jennifer!
(ATCs by Debbie Moon)
I also wanted to mention that our Tombstone ATC swap has come to a close and all returns have been mailed. You should definitely check out all the amazing entries HERE on Facebook. Everyone did such a fantastic job!
Hey everyone! I can't wait to share our FABULOUS new products with you! I had a great time designing them and an even better time playing with them. I probably say that every time, but really, I had the most fun with these! First off we have FOUR new Theatre Shrine Kits! They are smaller than the original Ornate Theatre Shrine Kit (which is still awesome by the way) but these are much less commitment. And if you know me, you know I love small. The new Medium Theatre Shrine Kits are just the right size in my opinion. I think it would be great to have a whole "village" of them. Not only are there kits, but there are also coordinating Curtain Collage Sheets, Paper Cuts, and Theatre Character Stands. Everything but the red paint came from Retro Cafe Art Gallery to create my two theatres! Alice above and Circus below. For the Alice Theatre, you can find the links to the supplies used here.
This Circus Theatre was such a joy to create! Talk about childhood circus memories. I could almost smell the popcorn as I was playing. You can find the supply list I used for this Theatre here.
As I designed the Theatre Shrine Kits, they all started to take on my favorite themes. Steampunk, of course!
And my second favorite holiday to Halloween, Day of the Dead. As you can see from the other new goodies, I kept running with the Day of the Dead theme.
The Theatre Stands are one of my favorites of the new supplies. They are super handy and you can convert any image into a Stand-Up! Think trees and other "stage props" too!
Back to Day of the Dead. One of my favorite Day of the Dead decorations is definitely Papel Picado which means "perforated paper", but generally the flags are really large. So I started thinking... Should I? Could I? and the answer was YES! Actual tissue paper picado as small as 3/4"! You even get some with the Day of the Dead Theatre Shrine Kit! You will need to add your own string, however I found that dental floss works like a dream because it has a flat edge. I simply added a touch of Mod Podge to the floss and stuck them on.
And then one thing lead to another and I had Masonite Papel Picado! This stuff is great because it's super durable and excellent for jewelry making. As you can see above there are many ways to attach them too. You can find the supply list for my necklace that's on the top here. When you apply your acrylic paint, brush it on with thin layers so you don't clog your holes. If you get paint on your edges, simply sand it off and then apply a black archival ink to the edges. This worked beautifully on my necklace. To finish the necklace I added a thin coat of Spray Acrylic for protection. You can make your pieces reversible too! For my necklace, I left the back natural dark brown for a classy look. These would make great craft show sellers. As would the ornaments below!
If you like to paint and doodle, you will have a blast with these large Sugar Skull Ornaments. I know I did. They are also great with our Stencils. My skull ornament supply list is here in the listing. With Sugar Skulls, pretty much anything goes. I can't wait to add some glitter and bling to some too.
We also have 10 awesome new Collage Sheets in the shop! Not to mention new Halloween Stamps, Washi Tape, Charms, and more. Check it all out HERE. I would love to know what you think about the new goodies! Your feedback always keeps me motivated to keep on creating!
I'm extremely excited to announce 27 Brand New GORGEOUS Collage Sheets exclusive to Retro Cafe Art Gallery by the uber talented Cassandra VanCuren are now in the shop! Not only that, Cassandra is offering one of her amazing necklaces as a GIVEAWAY too! (see below for details!)
But before we get to the giveaway, I have some fabulous Design Team art to share. This stunning Christmas card was created by Gerri Herbst using the new Christmas Pink ATC Backgrounds Collage Sheet. I love the combination of Shabby Chic and Christmas!
But that's not all! I've been listing tons of other new goodies including these super cute Mini Calendars...
...and AMAZING Antique Wooden shoe forms. Check out all that's NEW here!
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And now for the GIVEAWAY! Brought to you by the talented Cassandra VanCuren! Go visit Cassandra on her gorgeous new photography blog! You won't be sorry. Now, would you like to win this gorgeous necklace created by Cassandra?
To enter the GIVEAWAY for this stunning necklace created by Cassandra:
1. Leave a comment on THIS blog post and tell me your favorite Collage Sheet by Cassandra Vancuren. You can view them allhere.
2. If you are the winner and also a Facebook Fan, you will get an extra surprise. Let me know in your comment if you "like" our page.
3. One comment per person please. Winner will be selected via random number generator on Sunday September 16th. Good luck!
Next I did some stenciling on my base coat with the the Small Onomotoholes Stencil and my sponge brush.
For the stenciling I used the Copper paint. At this point I was satisfied with my base coat and decided it was complete. Of course you don't have to stencil. The patterns can be completely random, however as you will see later it made for great texture.
After an hour, it was time for the top coat. Again I broke out some stencils, this time the Small Diamond, and Half Two Stencils.
We LOVE seeing the art you create using Retro Cafe Art Gallery products! Email your photos to retrocafeart@gmail.com. We often feature customer art on our blog and Facebook Fan Page! xo
