This is a unique challenge blog where we are inspired by and focus on the Vintage; shabby; mixed-media; art journaling; industrial, timeworn and steampunk genres and encompass the talent, flair, expertise and ideas of many artists that we are inspired by. We welcome all types of projects - cards, journaling, assemblage, layouts, albums, atcs, altered art in fact whatever you want to share (as long as it is in good taste).

Monday, 21 September 2015

Destination Inspiration - September - Terminal 3

All Aboard at Terminal 3!   Greetings fellow travelers!  Julia here today as your AVJ Creative Guide this week for our Destination Inspiration journey!  We always travel light for these journies - and for each Monday in September our trunks contain these 4 essential items:
1.  Product - Distress Ink
2.  Technique - Wrinkle Free Distress: Compendium of Curiosities Vol 1 Pg 33
3.  Color - Wild Honey
4.  Substrate - Anything 3D
Well - 3D is right up my train track - I LOVE making 3D items - and I'm also joining in with  Jennie's AVJ September Challenge Home Sweet Home - here is what I created with my Essential Items!
I made my house using the Sizzix Where Women Cook Box House die along with window and door dies from Where Women Cook Windows and Movers and Shapers Mini Openings Set
After die cutting the house pieces - I used the Wrinkle Free Distress technique on them - rubbing Fossilized Amber and Wild Honey on my craft mat, spritzing with water and pressing my pieces onto the mat.  I dried the pieces with my heat tool and then gently touched them back onto the mat to pick up dots of color - and dried the pieces again.
For the roof - I stenciled the pieces with the Burlap Stencil and Wild Honey Ink - then I pressed them into what was left on my craft mat of the spritzed inks.
After die cutting the windows and door out of the house walls - I added 'lace curtains' (Tim's Trimmings/Lace) to the tops of my windows, a die cut kitty (Cozy Kittys/Poppy Stamps) looking out of the back window (I added another kitty to the doorway - you'll see that below) and pieces of vellum 'glass'.
Now I must say - that at this point I had to go take a class in structural engineering to figure out how to get the roof together properly (!!)  Sizzix has instructions on their website but the photos/instructions were rather hard to follow.  I ruined one roof and then decided to try making one out of light computer paper and finally figured it out! (Mostly a matter of which one's a hill fold and which one's a valley fold!)

So -  moving right along - I am a person who has a great connection to the houses that I live in - I think it's because growing up I lived in the same house until I left when I got married.  Kent and my present home is Our Happy House because I love the style of it - it's cozy inside, we have two sweet gray kitties to share it with and I have several garden areas that I love to plant, care for and cut flowers from to bring inside! 

Here is the front of Our Happy House The 'happy' is a Celebrate Script thinlits die.  The 'our house' are Big Chat stickers.  You can see the 2nd kitty peeking out of the front door here.
My little house was definitely inspired by my big house - particulary the black fence!
I die cut my fence using Tim's On the Fence die and I cut it out of  a piece of black Coredinations Distress paper.
Here are the other sides of our happy house.
When I die cut the side windows they ended up a little 'wonky'!! So I framed them using a black Stabilo pencil that I then rubbed with a wet finger to smudge trying to trick the eye into thinking the windows are, in fact, plumb!!.  My garden flowers are made from Tiny Tattered Florals and I used Remnant Rubs/Botanicals on all sides.  I added dots to the leaves and lines to the fence with a White Souffle Puffy pen to add a little whimsy.
I particularly used the words below - as my 65 year old sister recently had a serious heart problem that required triple bypass surgery.  I was afraid I was going to lose her.  It made me realize that I need to be thankful each and every day just for being alive and not worry if I don't have all the material things I think I need - they are really not important at all.  So this side of our happy house reminds me of that.
  Here's a close up view of the kitties looking out of the window and doorway.  I cut them out of gray cardstock.
And here are my cat models - sisters - Boo on the left and Scout on the right! 

I hope you have enjoyed your journey from Terminal 3 with me today.  I know I had a wonderful creative trip making Our Happy House!  Another Creative Guide will be here next Monday over at Terminal 4 to take us on another creative journey!



14 comments:

  1. This is a fabulous DI with great techniques and details. It's clear that it is a very personal creation from your heart.............I love it !!!..............FABULOUS xx TFS Julia xx

    Annie x

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  2. Brilliant Julia - I love all the personal touches !!!

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  3. Such a very thoughtful project, and it worked out well (eventually, huh!) I love each side of the house - and your own!! Hope your sister is doing ok now.

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  4. Fantastic project Julia! Love how your own home was your source of inspiration! Thanks for the creative MOJO! Looking forward to playing along!

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  5. Oh wow Julia, what an amazing project!! Love every corner of it, (and so glad it's not just your me that struggles with Sizzix instructions lol)... You managed brilliantly in the end though! Love the way you did the stencilling on the roof, the kitties, the words and other additions are all just brilliant! Oh and I loved seeing the photos of you big home and your gorgeous real cats!! A fantastic DI from beginning to end!

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  6. I just love your tiny house, Julia - the wrinkle-free looks fab, and I love the burlap roof! Beautiful stamping, and what a great idea to add the picket fence - it's completely adorable altogether. It makes me happy just looking at it!
    Alison xx

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  7. Gorgeous Julia, love your house and how,you were inspired. I love the roof and the warm colour tones. I love the cat in the doorway too, the wrinkle free technique looks gorgeous. Love the fence. Tracy x

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  8. Oh Julia - this is wonderful and so are Boo and Scout! I love all your details - especially the cats and your personal inspiration. Put another smile on my happy little face this morning xxxx

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  9. Julia, your 3D house is fabulous, I love it, well done for mastering the roof too! Your real home is beautiful and your cats are just adorable - I love the names of the cats, especially Boo (my nickname!). Hope your Sister is improving day by day.

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  10. Your house is an absolute delight, from very angle. Taken together with your explanatory post makes it even more special and filled with meaning. Truly gorgeous. Nicola x

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  11. Julia, love your little house and your home that gave you inspiration! I especially love the Be Thankful angle. I hope your sister is doing much better. Now as for these kitties; I could wrap them up and take them home! So sweet! I love that you have sibling kitties...they look exactly like my friends Russian blues, also siblings, but you rarely see them cuddling together.

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  12. This truly is out of this world inspirational and inventive!!! LOVE each and every part. Jenny x

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  13. Your house is truly adorable Julia and I love the addition of the little cats and the contrasts on your roof, a super Di post.
    Julie x

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  14. OH Julia I so love your 3d house along with your emotive narrative too . So much thought and feeling have clearly gone into both . Thank you so much for sharing . Hope your sister is doing ok . x

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