Forever and a Day

Hello Everyone. As some of you will be aware already, I won at Frilly and Funkie on their last challenge, ' Bloomin Marvellous' with my Flowers on a Log design. I am absolutely delighted to say my prize was to be a Guest Designer for their latest Challenge 'Neglected Dies'. I hope my project inspires you to enter their Challenge this fortnight. There is also more inspiration from the Design Team on their blog HERE. 

I use all my dies regularly. So I had to start looking through them for a neglected one and soon realised  I had this one from Cheery Lynn that hadn't been used for a while. I cut it out and studied it for some time thinking how I could give it the WOW Factor and worthy of being used for my Guest Design Spot. It took me almost to the following day for my project to be fully planned in my head. I wanted this to look like a Pergola in a Stately Home, with a Shabby Vintage feel and have light reflecting properties, with lots of detail to look at.

I cut out my die 4 times, edged with distress ink, mounting onto the reverse white-washed coffee stirrer sticks, which had been carefully placed so my corners would butt together neatly.This would make my item more rigid when it came to gluing and make it easier for joining the papers together, as I was gluing the sticks, rather than the paper for a neat edge. I cut out and layered parchment paper on to the frame so it would give a shadow effect to the fretwork panels.  

The Bride and Groom were double layered for strength and both edged with distress inks to create a shadow effect. I layered a piece of lace ribbon stained with tattered rose over the bride for her dress and a few pearls around her neck. I modelled her veil on the style of my Mum's using some net and added a little metal wire covered in Flower Soft for her Headdress, scattering Flower Soft down her veil and onto the flooring to give the effect of confetti and fresh flowers. 

The flooring was again made out of coffee sticks, cut, gesso’d, crackle stamp applied and edged with distress and a little pen mark to resemble a nail in the floor and laid in a diagonal pattern over a piece of cardboard. I then cut around with a craft knife so it would fit in to my pergola.

I mounted the flooring onto a totally sealed box I made using my Scorpal Board. I lined the inside of the box with some more sticks to strengthen it. You will see this on my photos, just click on them to enlarge if needed. The base of my box once built, I distressed the edges, layering lace I had stained with Tattered Rose and ribbon flowers were placed around it.

My steps were made using the CL medium matchbox die. The top step was made cutting a matchbox in half and gluing it together without tucking down the edges. I etched with the same decorative CL die I used on my plant pots and rubbed over with distress to give a Shabby feel. 

My trellised roof was made with sticks being white washed first. I then distress stained white paper and stamped small leaves on to give texture and shade before die cutting  the pieces. I used an embossing tool to shape the leaves and flowers before layering up and adding Flower Soft and pearls.

My trees were made from wooden beads glued onto garden plant sticks. I wrapped some twine around the sticks coated with Gesso and placed into a small wooden pot I had painted, adorned with a die cut and distressed. Topped with a little glue, to which I poured on some sand and made a little bow to decorate. Finally. I placed lots of pearls everywhere. My favourite embellishment next to flowers.

I do hope you have enjoyed looking at my very first Guest Designer post since starting my blog 3 months ago. I think Chris has excelled himself with the photography on this post and hope you agree. I would love if you left me a comment. Thanks again to all at Frilly and Funkie for giving me this opportunity. I’m thrilled.


Julie x


Products Used : Cheery Lynn Dies, Wedding Vows FRM138, Flourish Leaf Strip B178, Tiny Flower Kit B376 and Flourish Band B176. White cardstock, Parchment paper, Distress inks, pens and stains in Tattered Rose, Bundled Sage, Pumice stone and Weathered wood. Flower Soft, Fushcia, Leaf green and Christmas green. Indigo Blu crackle stamp, Inkylicious leaves stamp. Wooden beads and pots, lace, ribbon flowers, pearls and glue.

I would also like to enter this in :

Vintage Udfordring - Monochramic Challenge

Country View Challenges - Paper Chase

Thats Crafty Challenge Blog - Anything Goes

That Craft Place - Anything Goes Challenge

Inspired by Stamping Blog - IBSIC #79, #80 & #81 Challenge

Bunnyzoes Crafts - Monochrome Challenge