The Good Life~Scraps Of Darkness Design Team Reveal~

Today is our official Design Team Reveal For Scraps Of Darkness June Kit-Firecracker!! If you haven't seen it yet, I urge you to head over the website and check it out! 

 I have a layout to share with you that shows the girly grunge side to the kit. I used a photo that I digitally color altered of one of our friend's daughter Madeline. Madeline is just such a cutie and with her tomboy look she has going on in the photo, it was just perfect for the look of the layout.

I double layered the paper from the kit, then I cut into the "boards" on the paper, and did some paper rolling, and some punching. I then took the stencil and mist from this month's Color Add On and lightly created a pattern on the background. I layered and distressed more layers of paper and matted the photo onto it. 

Here you can see all the cheeseclothand floral layers I created.

 The Ice Butterflies are from my Reneabouquets Etsy shop.

I distress painted the Kaisercraft wooden pieces from the kit and added them to the top and bottom of all the layering I did around the photo. The resin corners are from this month's embellishment add on. The vine sprays are from the kit, and all the lfowers are from past kits, and my stash.

Here you can see a close up of the drips, and the dimension that the paper rolling adds.

I took some of the BoBunny Stars from the Noteworthy from the kit, and puff painted them and then added seed beads for lots of texture.

Here you can see all the dimension that all that layering and technique created.

This next layout shows the more artisitic, mixed media side to the kit. It was completely inspired by the photo that I found from the Russian Ballet Company. I just love the lines of the Ballerina, and the striking colors of her tutu.

I used so many different techniques to create this layout. I did lots of random punching, paper tearing and rolling back, layer misting,  lots of texture painting, seed beads, Masking, snd cheesecloth work.

The background stenciling was done with that yummy Shimmerz that was in the Color Add On, and I also layer misted the flowers in the kit to bring out the wonderful colors in the photo.

The cheesecloth was indcluded in the kit, as well as those wonderful metal frames that I used to house the sentiment "Life ~ Beauty" that I created from one of the stickers in the Embellishment add on. The large flower, and smaller flower at the top corner were from the Flora & Fauna Add On, and the feathers are all from my stash. I used another stash flower that I cut apart for the rest of the petal work.

Here is a close up of all the texture and color.

If you love texture, and color as much as I do then that is one of the FABulous things about the Scraps Of Darkness kit, they cater to those of us who like to get inky and painty. Add On the Color Add On or the Creativity kit, and your imagination is the limit!!

Thank you for taking the time out of your weekend to check out my reveal pieces. I hope you have a great July 4th Holiday!!  Hugs ~ Renea

~Going Wild & Creating On A Budget With Scrapmatts Chipboard~

Time for my monthly Scrapmatts reveal, and this month for one of our Design Team projects we were asked just to go wild!! So as you know I love being given free reign and my wildness came out in the form of a shabby and whimsical mini album.  I used lots of new Scrapmatts chippies that just debuted this month, as well as some other staples that I love. I teamed them up with this month's Scraps Of Elegance Kit-Whimsy and let my imagination head "Up And Away"!

I did lots of fussy cutting, paper tearing, distressing, painting, inking, die cutting, stenciling, glittering, and layering. All the seam binding was hand dyed and crinkled.  Below is a list of all the Scrapmatts Chippies I used throughout the mini:

CB1208 Scrap Words 11

CB1209 Scrap Words 12

CB1207 Scrap Words 10

CB1198 Scrapwords 06

CB1199 Scrapwords 07

CB1188 Birds 06

CB5061 Australian Federation Corners 02

CB1028 Butterflies 18

And Here are some closeups of the details and pages:

I just love the whimsy and beauty of this album and those Scrapmatts pieces add such perfect touches to it~

This next project was a lot of fun, because the Design Team challenge was to create a project on a budget. You could only use 2 patterned paper, cardstock,   Scrapmatts chipboard~no store bought embellishments ;)

I decided to create a card, and started with white cardstock as my base. I then used 1 piece of patterned paper and alternated it with white cardstock for lots of layers, distressing the edges for softness. I then die cut some strips from the cardstock and tucked them into the layers for accents.  I created two ornate die cut layers from the white cardstock , and stacked those for dimension, then created a sweet heart by cutting out a heart shape from paper clay, stamping it with a "Wings" sentiment stamp and then using Tim Holtz Distress Markers to add color.

I created a flower by die cutting, rolling, and layering some more of the white cardstock, spritzing the center with mist and dipping the edges in glitter glass. The chipboard piece is the Scrapmatts CB1202 Roses 02 

that I two toned colored with distress markers then embossed the rose parts, and added Stickles Glitter Glue to. 

The Tiny Dancer Butterflies are the two of the smaller ones that I handcraft for my Reneabouquets Etsy Shop.

I finished the back side out in another square of the patterned paper I used for the front of the card.

There you have it!!! Something beautiful created on a budget.

Hope you find the time this weekend to create something beautiful of your own! Hugs, ~Renea

Scraps Of Darkness Design Team Reveal With The June Kit-Firecracker!!

Have you seen the new Scraps Of Darkness June Kit-Firecracker yet?? If you haven't be sure to check it out, because it certainly lives up to it's name~it is hotter than a firecracker!!

This kit can be used in so many ways, and my first layout with it shows just how you can create a layout that shows off your patriotic side. 

It is based on this month's sketch by Suepup:

And features a photo of my Father In Law, Frank, when he was 25 and was in the Army. I just have to tell you that Frank is one of those men, who has been a true hero throughout his life, not only did he serve his country, but he has served his family to his utmost ability throughout his 73 years. As a teenager, his own father walked out on them, and Frank went to work and supported and helped to raise his brother's and sisters. He later married, had 2 children of his own, and when his marriage failed, he raised his children. He has raised one of his grandchildren, and when I was the ripe old age of 19, he accepted me into his family, and has always treated me like a daughter, never a daughter in law. He cried when his son asked me to marry him on Christmas morning, at his home, gave me things we could not afford, loved mine and David's son above and beyond.  I am so grateful for the values and responsibility that he instealed in his son, because he is a wonderful husband and father.

 Frank is truly the definition of what a hero is~a man of distinguished courage or ability, admired for his
brave deeds and noble qualities.

This July 4th, I salute my Father In Law~Frank Harrison.

The papers in the kit were perfect for Frank's military photo, and I got that wonderful filtered look on the large one by using the photo overlays in this month's embellishment add on. In the background, I did some stamping and splatter painting with the Jacquard paint from this month's Creativity Add On.

 I did lots of fussy cutting from one of the papers, accented the hexagon pieces with puff paint.  The mesh, stars and banners were from the kit. The dog tags, and Tim Holtz clip were from my personal stash.

The Bo Bunny Dimensional sticker from the E.A.O. , made a perfect embellishment with it's "Land that I love" sentiment. The circular pieces were left over Dusty Attic pieces that housed some chipboard gear frames that I painted white then distress painted with the Jacquard Paint from the Creativity Add On. 

The red and white flowers were from this month's Floral Add On, and the red flower was from last months kit. 

Here you can see all the dimensional layering that I did.

Thank you so much for letting me share my feelings and layout that salutes my Father In Law! I hope you have someone special in your life that you can truly call a hero :) Hugs, ~Renea

Tresors De Luxe Etsy Design Team Announcement!!

Good morning everybody!! Today I have a wonderful announcement to make. I am excited to say that I am now a proud member of the Tresors De Luxe Design Team!!

I will be joining a host of super talented ladies, some bloggers and some YouTube designers. I would like to welcome:

Cathi O' Neil (GDT Blog Coordinator)

You Tube Team:

Suzie Crafter 

Rebecca Oliver

Tricia Tilly

Toni Tickner

Linda Oleman

You can check out the blog announcement at:

http://tresorsdeluxe.blogspot.com/

You can visit the Tresors De Luxe Etsy Shop at:

https://www.etsy.com/shop/TresorsdeLuxe

Please be sure to mention my name with your order, and you will receive a free gift with your purchase!

Little Lady- Guest Designer For Tresors De Luxe Etsy Shop

Well, we have made it to the middle of the week!! Just 2 more days to the weekend, and I can't wait. Some weeks feel longer than others, and this has definitely been one that has already been too long-lol! 

I have had the honor and pleasure of working as Guest Designer for Tresors De Luxe Etsy Shop owned by Lucy Ohanyan this month, and today I am revealing a layout that I created using some of her gorgeous lace and flowers. The following is the items that I used and they are linked to the store, so that all you have to do to add that Tresor touch to your projects is click and go :)

*Exquisite Off White Venice Lace Embroidered

 Guipure Lace Trim LA-017

*Gorgeous Rhinestone Centered Tea Green Velvet

 Flowers Approx. 2.5 inches across 3 pieces FL-004

*Stunning Light Pink Grosgrain Flower with Decorative 

Center Approx. 3 inches across FL-007

I also used my Scraps Of Elegance June Kit-Whimsy, along with some past kit pieces to create this layout.

I am a huge supporter of Etsy and try to purchase as much as possible from Etsy Sellers. The sweet image you see was purchased from Ireland Rose Nostalgia, and the Fairy Butterflies are from my very own Reneabouquets Etsy. You can also find those butterflies in the June Kit.

Here is a close up of the Tresors, flowers and lace that I used.

The carousel horse is a stamped image that I hand painted and decorated.

Is that lace not gorgeous, so perfect for adding a touch of elegance to your layouts and off the page projects!!

Thank you for stopping by, and I hope you have a great finish to your week. Hugs, ~Renea

Scraps Of Darkness Reveals The June Kit~Firecracker!!

Kit Ingredients:

**6 double sided papers from Bo Bunny's Anthem collection
**3 double sided papers from Glitz Design's Sunshine In My Soul collection
**1 double sided paper from Authentique's Pride collection
**Bo Bunny - Anthem Noteworthy Die Cuts
**Petaloo - Color Me Crazy Orchids
**Petaloo - Color Me Crazy Vine Spray
**Kaisercraft - Wood Flourishes - Ornamental Border
**Maya Road - Antique Metal Frames - Ornate
**Glitz Design - Sunshine In My Soul 12 x 12 Alphabets and Words Stickers
**Prima - Ingvild Bolme Chalk Fluid Edger - Farmer Jeans
**Inkadinkado - Clear Stamps - Bird
**Canvas Corp - Black Deco Mesh Ribbon - 4" wide x 1 yard
**Cheesecloth - 18" x 1 yard
**An inspirational new sketch by Suepup, created just for our Firecracker kit

We're sure you will love this beautiful and fun collection as much as we loved assembling it! 
for you!

 Design Team Inspiration 
with our June kit
 is coming soon!

Round Robin Round Two!!

Over in the Scraps Of Darkness/ Scraps Of Elegance forums we are heading into Round Two of  this month's Round Robin!! I have the pleasure of being on team 2, and I got to follow the uber talented Kim Arledge. Here is Kim's layout:

Is it not gorgeous in those blues and with all those layers!!

And here is my lift of her amazing layout:

I used a photo that my son, Draven took from his very own perspective. I love seeing the world from his eyes and his point of view, and loved this photo which looked so FAB with the May Scraps Of Darkness Kit-Destinations. Everything on this layout except the stain,cheesecloth, and corrugated board (all from a past kit) came from that delicious kit and the add ons that were featured with it~

Here are some closeups of the details:

I just love playing along with the Round Robin!! It is so much fun watching the kick off and then seeing how all the layouts progress as different artists add their own personality and style. If you have never had the chance to play along with a Round Robin, I invite you to join us in this fun challenge over in the SOD and SOE forums. You don't even have to use items from our kits-everyone is welcome!! There are step by step directions on how to play, and if you still have questions, one of our DT or members are always happy to walk you through it. We have such a great bunch of really sweet designers, and members over there that are such a joy and so helpful , so come on and play!! Hugs to you~Renea

Anna Pavlova Featuring Tresors De Luxe Etsy Shop

Happy Wednesday Everyone!! 

Today I have a project that I created as Guest Designer for Tresors De Luxe Etsy Shop that is owned by my sweet, scrappy sister Lucy Ohanyan (aka LucyCCJ). The shop is just gorgeous, and if you have not checked it out, I urge you to, because it is full of the most luscious laces, and oh so FABulous flowers. I swear, I think Lucy opened that shop just for me-lol!! The following layout features the following items from the Tresors De Luxe Shop:

*Exquisite White Venice Lace Embroidered Guipure Lace Trim LA-058

*Gorgeous Blush Pink Tulle Flower with Sequin Center and Loose Sequin in the Petals of the Flower Approx. 4.5 inches across FL-047

*Gorgeous Rhinestone Centered Ivory Velvet Flowers Approx. 2.5 inches across 3 pieces FL-001

I also used the Oh So Romantically, gorgeous  June Scraps Of Elegance Kit - Whimsy to create this layout, and it features a Vintage Photo of the incredibly beautiful and extremely talented ballet dancer Anna Pavlova.

I did tons of fussy cutting, layering and stamping to create this layout.

The Love Story Butterflies were created by me, especially for this kit, and you can find them in my Reneabouquets Etsy Shop.

Here are some close ups of the details:

Here is a close up of those soft, romantic flowers from Lucy's Etsy.

And here is a close up of that luscious lace.

I hope you have enjoyed a look at my soft, romantic side, and hope that I have inspired you to create something beautiful of your own!! Hugs ~ Renea

ATC Swap~A Mermaid's Tail

Over in the Scraps Of Darkness/Scraps Of Elegance forums we are having an ATC swap!! I got to swap with my scrappy sister Lee (aka ViolentKittie), and Lee loves color and technique work.  I wanted to create something that reflected her and that love, so I took a mermaid head that I have on file and digitally merged her with a mermaid body then really gussied her up using, Diamond Glaze from this month's SOD Creativity Add on, lots of glitter, stickles, and ZVA bling from a past kit. The base was created by taking an acrylic sheet, also from the creativity, and painting it with Lindy's Magicals, I love the way the acrylic sheet made it look like a suncatcher in real life. I then outlined it with Glitter Glass, added some layers of seed beads coated in the Diamond Glaze, and started adding some embellishments. The sea glass, and Prima spray with the star are from some past Scraps Of Darkness Kits. and the shell is a real one that I edged with some of the Silver Magicals from the Creativity and added some seed beads, more of the ZVA crystals, and a little sea turtle metal charm to from my stash.

I just love swapping these little beauties with my scrappy sisters, and I hope Lee loves her colorful, full of technique rendition!! Have a great weekend!! Hugs, ~Renea

Tresors De Luxe Guest Designer

When Lucy Ohanyan (aka LucyCCJ)  the owner of Tresors De Luxe Etsy Shop asked me to be her Guest Designer for the month of June, I quickly said "YES!!" She carries some of the most gorgeous laces, and flowers, that are so perfect for those times when I am in the mood to do Vintage, and Shabby Chic work. 

The following is a layout that I created using her Exquisite Off White Venice Lace, and one of her , oh so gorgeous, Rhinestone Centered Lime Organza Flowers, and my Scraps Of Elegance May Kit-Yesterdays.  It features a sweet Vintage Image that I purchased from Digital Collage Sheets then color altered. I just love all the elegance that the Tresors De Luxe items added to this layout. 

 I did lots of punching layering, and fussy cutting for this layout. The Champagne Dreams Butterflies are from my own Reneabouquets Etsy Shop.

Here is a closeup of that amazing Lime Organza flower.

Here is a close up of that exquisite, high quality lace.

Thank you Lucy for asking me to Guest Design for Tresors De Luxe this month, and thank you to everyone who always leave me the sweetest comments!! I am truly grateful :)  Hugs, ~Renea