Mixing It Up with Relics & Artifacts Ambassador Darlene Madden

I think the greatest gift my mother passed on to me was the ability to see potential, potential in the broken, battered, everyday items, as she always found a way to work her magic and make them beautiful. I remember as a young girl watching her take apart an upholstered sofa that definitely was worn, weary and weak in its current state.   When I asked her what she was doing, she told me that she was going to re-cover it with new beautiful fabric! I said, “Do you know how to do that?” She replied, “No, but I will figure it out as I go.”  Millions of staples and upholstery tacks later, she had pattern pieces to work with in order to guide her along on her “new and improved” journey.   I admired her “chase fear to the curb” kind of attitude in all that she did in her life.  I try to live that way everyday.

Speaking of everyday, I decided to do a special project for this blog.  Taking a few everyday items from my local dollar store I combined them with some spectacular pieces from the Relics & Artifacts collection, a self-imposed challenge of sorts.

Materials Needed:
Relics & Artifacts Coquille
Metal substrate
Acrylic paint
Trims
Filigree trims
Small glass vial
Map portion
Assorted mini beads and sea glass
Ribbon and wire to wrap handle on substrate
Adhesive
Stencil
Texture paste
glitter
Spray inks, blue, green.

Directions:

Apply brown acrylic paint to Coquille shells.  

Wipe off immediately with a soft cloth, leaving a nice aged patina to start creating with.

Using a blue acrylic paint, paint the metal substrate and let dry. Choose a watery looking stencil and use texture paste and spray inks to add some color on to the metal substrate.  Let dry.  

Add trim to the outside of the substrate for more texture and place shells and filigrees in place. Using a bit of white glue, add a touch of glitter on the waves for reflection and interest. 

Glue shells on with a strong adhesive and then embellish each one with treasures inside the shells.  Wrap rope handle with wire and ribbons and add a few beads to dangle at one ends of the handle.  

Let dry overnight and enjoy a watery feeling art piece made from simply Mixing It Up!!!!!

FAB-ergé Egg Shrine Workshop in Florida with Michelle Duke

Join the talented Michelle Duke for a Faux FAB-ergé Egg Shrine class featuring Relics & Artifacts by Sandra Evertson.  This workshop comes just in time for Spring, Easter, and Passover.  If you happen to be in southern Florida, why not stop by for a light lunch and some creative fun?

There are two opportunities to take the workshop.  February 23 or February 24 from 10:00am - 2:00pm.  A light lunch is included on both days.  

For more information, please visit The Duke and Duchess Designs or contact Michelle at duketimes4@bellsouth.net.

Space is limited so reserve your spot early!

Michelle Duke is a retired Neonatal Intensive Care Nurse of twenty years.  She began to pursue her love of creating pretty things and other artistic endeavors.  Her beautiful studio is located in sunny south Florida.

 

Thankfulness and Nutcrackers with RELICS & ARTIFACTS Ambassador Milagros Rivera

Thanks to Hurricane Maria, I skipped Halloween for the first time in 23 years.  No Thanksgiving either, although, I sat down with the kids and told them the million reasons why we needed to be thankful.  I refused to skip Christmas!  I found solar Christmas lights online and put them up. There's no shortage of sun here!  Last week, we got power at our work places so we're immensely grateful. Can you imagine celebrating 75 days without electricity?  Well, home is that way and so it is the reality for more than 60% of Puerto Rico.

After the free vaccination clinics we did, we're now spaying and neutering the same amount of dogs, 753 to be exact. It's the reason I'm still helping my husband at the clinic and you barely see me anywhere. Not that I don't miss you, which you know I do like crazy, but there's no time and almost no connectivity to the internet to go on social media as I used to.

I have collected nutcrackers since my son was a baby and about five years ago, I started creating my own using blank wooden nutcrackers to alter with paper. Last year, I experimented with Relics & Artifacts gorgeous Dresden trim collection to create one. This year, I thought I'd have to forgo the tradition when I spotted a single box at my local K-Mart. It was a girl, a Plum Fairy one at that and I can't tell you how much I enjoyed wrapping her hair in gold!  Her face is highlighted by one half of the wings!! Dresden certainly gives me a lot of creative license in how I use them and with their sparkle it's the perfect touch for the holidays!

Supply List:
Relics & Artifacts® Dresden Trim
Wood Nutcracker
Craft Paint

Ol' Jack Frost with RELICS & ARTIFACTS® Ambassador Sherry Westfall Matthews

Oh, the weather outside is DELIGHTFUL!

I love the changing of the seasons and here in the South, it just doesn't feel like Christmas time until we see that first visit from ol' Jack Frost. Truth is, some winters, the closest we get to snow is a crisp, frosty morn where we wake to find rooftops glistening and our lawns looking freshly glittered.

That's when my holiday spirit kicks in and my inner kid peeks out!  Yep!  You could say that Jack Frost has a hold on my holiday heart. This is my tribute to the "Architect of the Flake".

From my rooftop to yours, Merry Christmas Y'all!

"It is the life of the crystal, the architect of the flake, the fire of the frost, the soul of the sunbeam. The crisp winter air if full of it."
-- John Burroughs, "Winter Sunshine"

Materials:
Relics & Artifacts® Figureheads 
Apoxie Sculpt 
Kroma Crackle
That's Crafty! Acrylic Upright, Arch  
That's Crafty! Dinky Stencil Snowflake background
Gel medium
DecoArt acrylics
snowflake confetti
bottle brush tree
buttons & beads in cool, frosty colors
bleach 

Calavera Necklace with RELICS & ARTIFACTS® Ambassador Chrissy Colon

I am not one to do the same type of project idea multiple times.  This one was an exception.  I embraced a challenge courtesy of a very good friend of mine who wanted a custom necklace.  She wanted black with bright, bold colors.  Since I never work with black, my natural response was, "Challenge accepted!"

As most already know,  I do love working with beads.  I find something calming and almost therapeutic about gluing each bead into place and watching my sketched design come to life.  When the piece is completed, the sense of accomplishment and completion is enough to stoke my creative fires.

While the overall design is simple, the bead work is where the magic is with this piece.  The creativity begins to flow and new ideas spring forth.  The second layer of the necklace that has the cross was one such "AHA!" moment.  The addition of a few stone skulls on handmade eye-pins stitched together the elements seamlessly.

Supply List:
Relics & Artifacts® Crosse Icons
Relics & Artifacts® Archangels
ICE Resin
Firemountain Gems seed beads
Carved stone skull beads
Necklace Chain
Head pins
jump rings
lobster claw clasp

Spanish Sun with Relics & Artifacts® Ambassador Heather Thompson

As the sun shines and reflects off the terra cotta rooftops,
standing against the sun worn wall,
A pure beauty, a true Spanish sun with olive tone skin,

With  a mysterious beauty about her,
as she stands against the Moroccan patterned earthy tones,

She emanates an enigma about her,
in the eyes of all who gazes upon her. 

Note: "Spanish Sun" originally appeared in Mixed Up magazine earlier this year as part of the Creative Play feature with a full stepped out tutorial.  Be sure to visit Pocketmags to learn more or sign up for a subscription.

Supplies: 
Relics & Artifacts® Facia Familiaris
Relics & Artifacts® Milagros 
Relics & Artifacts® Helios I
Relics & Artifacts® Helios II
Apoxie Sculpt
DecoArt Media: Primary Yellow, Cadmium Orange Hue, Yellow Oxide, Burnt Umber, Carbon Black, Quinacridone Magenta, Cadmium Red Hue, Dairylide Yellow, Pyrrole Orange, Medium Grey Value 6, Paynes Grey, Tinting Base, Gesso White, Decoupage
The Crafters Workshop® Viva la Art stencil
Canvas

From the Tribe: Relics & Artifacts® Guest Ambassador Jools Robertson

We regularly invite members from our Facebook Tribe to be featured as guest Ambassadors here on the Muse.  This month, we are honored, humbled, and thrilled to feature Jools Roberston as our Relics & Artifacts® Guest Ambassador.  

I was always encouraged to be creative from a very young age, my parents said I was great as a child as I would sit quietly for hours drawing, painting and cutting up!  Nowadays, I work full time as a textile designer working on commercial interior projects and developing product collections.  I’m constantly being creative working with textures, design and colour, which I love.

In my spare time, I enjoy all types of arts and crafts and working with multimedia, particularly altered art using paint, die cutting, stamps, lots of colour, texture and experimenting with new techniques. I am also a design team member for DecoArt and Stampotique.

To connect with Jools, find her on her blog, Creative Journey!

I’m very honored to be Guest Ambassador for Muse using the fabulous Relics & Artifacts® products.  I love to use architectural detailing in my work and always use moldings to create interest and dimension.  I also like to use various media to create texture, working with colours and metallics to create depth and detail. 

I chose to use the wonderful Ostensorium's design as it is such a fabulous shape based on a Medieval museum piece. It is also referred to as a Monstrance which comes from the Latin word, "monstrare", meaning "to show". 

The Romans used this type of vessel to hold and exhibit an honored object so it was a perfect place to use the beautiful Regalis center piece.  Just look at those cherubs! I started to do some research into them.  Wow! I was blown away.  I was inspired by one that had a red center and liked the silver colouration and beautiful jeweled finishes.  Now you need to know that I have a thing about wings! So, although unconventional, it makes it unique and personal to my style.

Here's how I put my treasured vessel together.

Step 1: Once I had assembled the Ostensorium I applied a coat of white Gesso and allowed to dry.

Step 2:  Apply crackle paste to the surfaces with a palette knife, thicker in areas to create larger crackles. I allowed the whole thing to dry for a few hours. Once it was dry, I adhered the Regalis pieces in place with a strong glue.

Step 3:  The wings!  I cut the wings in 300gsm cardstock using the Cricut ‘Lovestruck’ cartridge twice.  Glue both layers with PVA glue and apply texture sand with a stencil brush to create more texture.  Leave to dry for a few hours.

Step 4:  It's time get centered!  Paint the inside with Quinacridone Red and darken around the edge with Quinacridone Magenta and Carbon Black.

Step 5:  Apply a coat of Silver Metallic fluid acrylic once the crackle medium has fully dried.  Apply a wash of Carbon Black working around the edge of the embellishment details.  Wipe excess to create a tarnished look and highlight the crackle.  

Step 6:  To highlight, use a dry brush with the Silver Metallic and then embellish with crystals.

Supplies:
Relics & Artifacts® Ostensorium 
Relics & Artifacts® Regalis
DecoArt White Gesso 
DecoArt Crackle Paste 
DecoArt Texture Sand
DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylics:  Metallic Silver, Carbon Black, Quinacridone Red, Quinacridone, Magenta
Jewelled Embellishment 

Fractured Fairy Tale Chapter 3 with Relics & Artifacts and ColoriQue Ink

Cindy has just arrived at the biggest concert of the ages after undergoing an introspective transformation.  Today, Ambassador Monica Downing tells us what awaits inside!

Cindy roared into the parking lot on her bike and parked right up front. She made her way to the doors of the concert hall. 

Once inside, she began weaving through the crowd. As she made her way toward the stage, she removed her leather jacket and revealed a beautiful pair of butterfly wings. Her wings open up in all of their bad ass glory and hundreds of smaller butterflies fluttered up to the enormous chandelier that hung over the crowd. 

The light seemed to soften as it shed a beautiful and ethereal glow directly onto Cindy. The prince noticed this magical woman immediately, and for him, it was love at first sight. 

However, not so much for Cindy as she had her sights set on the lead singer of the band. The prince was suddenly in front of her, determined to get her attention. Before she knew it she and the prince were swept into the craziest mosh pit and rocking out hard to the band.

All the while, the butterflies clung to the chandelier and like magical little strobe lights, their wings began to flicker, flash, glimmer and shine with the most epic light show any concert had ever seen before.

Supply List:
Relics & Artifacts® Flora
Relics & Artifacts® Chandelier Pendants I
Relics & Artifacts® Chandelier Pendants II
Colorique by Lisa Marie Jimenez:  Black Diamond, Snow Summit, Poppy. Pink Ice, Ruby Slipper, Honey Bee, Turquoise Mountain, Pacific Ocean, Wisteria, Avocado
Chipboard butterfly wings
Misc. Butterfly Stamps
Black and white ink
Embossing powder
Glitter
Leaves and flowers
Clear crystal beading
TONS OF FREAKING HOT GLUE

"Once Upon A Midnight Dreary" with RELICS & ARTIFACTS® Ambassador Sherry Matthews

So who's excited about our new Literary Hauntings Challenge?  I definitely am!  I've made "no bones" about the fact that I am frequently inspired by works of poetry and literature.  You might even say I've "pondered over many a quaint & curious volume of forgotten lore."

Add to that my love of Halloween and it's no surprise that I am a fan of Edgar Allen Poe. His words evoke imagery that rap, tap, tap on the door of my imagination!  This piece is an homage to Poe's The Raven.

Hope you will all join in on the spooky fun of our #RALiteraryHauntings Challenge!

Materials:
Relics & Artifacts® Ancient Soul
Relics & Artifacts® Troubador
VerDay Paint Set
Apoxie Sculpt
DecoArt acrylics
reproduction iron doorknocker

"Nursing is Like Gardening" with RELICS & ARTIFACTS® Ambassador Heather Thompson

As many of you know, I am a nurse but also an avid gardener.  I enjoy them both immensely. During the summer months, I try to bring some cheer to work and I wear a real flower in my hair. Every morning after the long night shift, I pull my hair down and throw the flower on the dashboard while I unwind on my drive home from the crazy night I’ve just had.

This particular flower dried on my dashboard and it was just beautiful. Instead of throwing it out the window as I drive down the driveway the next night, I actually left it there to enjoy the beauty it had transformed into. Finally I decided that I just needed to capture it in time forever.

Since nursing and gardening are so similar, I wrote a small comparison and inspiration piece.

Nursing is like Gardening

Nursing is like gardening;
Everyday is a new day. Each day will bring new
Beginnings, new experiences. A new chance at life
To Bloom, blossom and grow.

Nursing is like gardening;
You will always have your pests.
Your frequent visitors, your difficult
Ones that are needy, that you don’t
Understand and never will. The
Ones that will present a problem
Around every corner and the ones that will never leave.

Nursing is like gardening
You will always lose some. No
Matter how hard you try and how
Much time and effort and heart you put
Into it. Some were just not meant to live.
For what ever reason, it was meant to be.

Nursing is like gardening;
Rewarding, hardworking, a learning experience,
Frustrating, fulfilling, distressing
Beautiful. From one end of the spectrum to the other.

Nursing is like gardening;
Worth every minute -the good, the bad and the ugly (and the stinky)

Enjoy every aspect and learn everyday. It’s
A good day when you can learn something new.
In every bad situation make it a learning experience,
And find something good with in it.
Nursing is like gardening.

Supply List:

Relics & Artifacts® Egg Shrine
Ice Resin
Spellbinders Designer Series Seth Apter Gridiron
Amazing Casting Resin
DecoArt Fluid Acrylics:
Phthalo Green-Blue
Cobalt Teal Hue
Ultramarine Blue
Titanium White
Americana Decor Crackle Medium

"Live In Color" with RELICS & ARTIFACTS® Ambassador Rochelle Gaukel

When I think of Frida Kahlo, I always imagine her sitting in a garden full of colorful flowers, living her life in color.  She danced to the beat of her own drum and many didn’t understand her and her artwork.

Though disabled as a child with polio and then at the age of eighteen seriously injured in a traffic accident, I believe art got her through her painful medical problems she suffered through her whole life. Art heals.

Many of her paintings were self portraits, using bright vivid colors inspired by the Mexican popular culture. These same bright colors were also reflected in her clothing and in the flowers she painted.

“I paint flowers so they will not die.” --Frida Kahlo

So, let’s live life like Frida, in full color, dancing to our own song, dressed in a frock with all the colors of the rainbow!

Supply List:

MUSE® Art Stamps Pangaea
MUSE® Art Stamps Introspective
MUSE® Art Stamps Namaste
Acrylic Paints
Crackle Medium
Dark Wax
Silk Flowers
Glass Glitter
Soldered Shrine
Glass Knobs
Vintage doll eye

"I Am" Art Pin with RELICS & ARTIFACTS® Ambassador Heather Thompson

"I am"
I am the Queen of my own Castle.
I am a see-er of beauty all around me.
I am the creator of my own destiny.

I am a lover of nature.
I am a compassionate heart.
I am a true art girl.
This is me. 

Supplies:
MUSE® Art Stamps Oculus
MUSE® Art Stamps Namaste
Relics & Artifacts® Visage
Relics & Artifacts® Papillon
Apoxie Sculpt
Retro Art Cafe Digital Collage Sheet
Retro Cafe Clear Acrylic Tags - O'Charms
Red Lead Paper Works Chotski Pin
DecoArt Media Crackle Paint
DecoArt Media Ultra Matte Varnish
DecoArt Antiquing Cream Black
DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylics: Titanium White, Cadmium Orange Hue, Diarylide Yellow, Payne Grey, Carbon Black, Cadmium Red Hue, Cobalt Teal Hue

"Soul Sisters" with RELICS & ARTIFACTS® Ambassador Monica Downing

So first things first, these MUSE Art Stamps by Sandra, what can I say?! I couldn’t wait to get them.  The ideas have flown freely since I received them. I have so many projects in the works that incorporate all of these amazing stamps. Thank you, Sandra, for beautiful, unique, original designs, and the mojo boost they have given me. Seriously inspiration overload here.

This piece was born of pure and simple experimentation that started off with a cuff base purchased from my local craft hobby shop.  I wanted this bracelet to have a gypsy-boho flare to it while being able to incorporate the amazing Frida Kahlo Soul Sister stamp into it.

I grabbed sari ribbon and fabric scraps and just started sewing them together. Layering them under the sewing needle, not worried about placement or perfection. I really just let the process flow in its own direction. Once all of the stitching was done, I attached this beautiful mosaic of sari ribbon and fabric to the cuff base and framed it with a gorgeous kaleidoscope colorful glass beads.

The Soul Sister butterfly is stamped into Apoxie Sculpt, painted, beaded, then sealed with Ice Resin.

Let me tell you, it was a process but WOW!  I am absolutely thrilled with this piece of wearable art and I hope you are inspired to let go, let your process flow, and create something for wondrous for YOU from your own creative soul.

I anticipate this cuff will being worn A LOT.

Supply list:
Sandra Evertson Soul Sisters MUSE Art Stamp
Apoxie Sculpt
ICE Resin
Cuff Blank
Watercolor Paint
Micro Beads
Sari Ribbon
Fabric Scraps
Glass beads

From the Tribe: RELICS & ARTIFACTS® Guest Ambassador Cristine Martin

This month in our monthly "From the Tribe" feature, we are showcasing the beautiful work of Cristine Martin. She has been so gracious to create not one but two beautifully crafted pieces that we are thrilled to share.  Let's get to know Cristine a bit.

Hi! My name is Cristine and I am so excited to be here sharing my artwork with you. I am an ultrasound tech by day and a creative creature by night. I live in South Miami, Florida with my 3 rescued cats, which always try to put their finishing touch to my projects, so I have to be extra careful inspecting my pieces so they don’t turn out to be a furry display of sorts.

I started my adventure in the art realm in the mid 1990’s working with polymer clay and moved into mixed media later on. I have always loved going on dangerously exciting expeditions looking for long lost treasures in flea markets, thrift shops, and antique stores around town or while visiting other cities or countries.  In this time of exploration, I had become obsessed with wings, angel wings more specifically, although angels, saints and flaming hearts always caught my attention as well as Victorian, goth and steampunk, old, rusty, dark and intriguing. Oh what a delightful mix!! So one day as I was surfing through YouTube, I stumbled across Sandra Evertson's video “Destiny’s Shrine” on Live with Prima and noticed all the beautiful details and mostly, yes, the angel wings. I had to have them!!! Not only did I enjoy that video I also fell in love with Sandra’s Relics & Artifacts line and the rest is history!

     Today's project is called "Heritage, The Irish Rose". To put things into perspective, I was born in Brazil, my father was American with Irish descent and my mother Brazilian with German descent. We should name a cocktail after this mix called the "Perfect Storm".  As I look at my Relics & Artifacts pieces, thousands of ideas flutter in my head like elusive butterflies.

I close my eyes to calm my mind and catch an idea. My Dad comes into mind with a huge smile on his face and that's the moment I catch that butterfly and call it the Irish Rose. My grandparents were of Irish descent and I have the freckles to prove it! I have been to Ireland twice and fell in love with it and the people. Ireland is truly magical and whimsical.

The land has so many incredible shades of green, some I have not seen before. The gears in my head are turning, I take out the flaming hearts and go searching for shades of green, gathering waxes, sprays, acrylic paint, Bohemian jewels and findings. And so the Irish Rose comes to life!

Cristine has also prepared a Snapguide tutorial so that you may be able to create your own heritage inspired piece.

Project 2 - Summer Heritage- The Dream Catcher

   I had a dream, a very colorful dream. Since I am in heritage mode and we are in full swing of summer, nothing like creating something colorful and connected with nature. I decided to honor the native American Indian heritage with a slight twist. The dream catcher is a handmade willow hoop on which is woven a web or net. This dream catcher can include sacred feathers and beads or objects of protection.

“The dream catcher is hung above a sleeping area in a place where the morning light can hit it. The nature of the dream catcher will attract all sorts of dreams to its webs. When bad dreams come, they do not know the way through the web and get caught in the webbing where the first light of day causes them to melt away and perish. The good dreams, knowing the way, go through the center of the web and slide down the feathers to the sleeper below.” --Anishnabe as remembered by WayaGola.

I used Sandra Evertson's Helios I as the hoop and I love it’s sun rays, so it was perfect for this project. I had colorful threading which came from a huge bag I found in a store with bits and pieces and rolls of yarn and colorful ornate strings.

The large butterfly is from the Papillion collection of Relics & Artifacts. The butterfly is a powerful representation of transformation, hope, renewal and rebirth. An important message carried by the spirit of the butterfly is about the ability to go through important changes with grace and lightness.

The legs are from the Relics and Artifacts Milagros set. I decorated them with colorful threads and feathers representing the joyful dance of life. The eye in the center of the web is from the Archival Cast Flaming hearts EX I Votos collection. Some folks call it the evil eye, I prefer to call it the angel eye, keeping a watch and protecting you.

Sweet dreams….

Isn't Cristine's use of the Helios frame simply brilliant and inspiring?  To find out how she wove such a colorful masterpiece, follow her Snapguide tutorial and create your own magical dream catcher.

If you would like to connect with Cristine, which we highly recommend you do, you can find more of her beautiful creations on Pinterest, Instagram, and on her blog, The Flight of Wings.

RELICS & ARTIFACTS® Featured Artist: Carrie Eckert

We are constantly amazed by the talent our Relics & Artifacts® Tribe exhibits and from time to time, we like to feature exceptional talent and innovation here on the Muse.  Today's featured artist is Carrie Eckert.  She is widely known in our Tribe for her astounding Frida collages.  Let us take a moment to get to know a bit more about Carrie.

I have been a compulsive creator of art since I was a little girl. I started by making sand candles and purses as a young child and sold them to a few stores in my town. Later in my early teens years, I studied ballet. During all the time spent in between rehearsals, all the girls would knit. I also learned to quilt at that time. Our ballet instructor, who came from Russia, taught us how to make ballet costumes and headpieces.  I also choreographed ballets and taught ballet. After I stopped dancing, I needed to fill  that creative void.  I taught myself how to paint faux finishes. I also created bead work for clothes.

While my children were babies and I stayed home, I began to make jewelry and sold them to stores and to special customers. While visiting Barcelona, Spain one year, I was in awe with the works of Antoni Gaudi. I loved the vibrance of all the colors in mosaics. That was my new passion in the '90's! I began reading everything on how to make mosaic structures with cement. 

Fast forward to 2014, when we moved to La Quinta, California. I finally have an art studio where I can create 24/7! I  branched out from just using mosaics to adding mixed media.  And one thing leads to another. Now I am an obsessive junk yard dog. I'm making weekly trips to the local thrift stores in the hunt for vintage and upcycled castaways! (I sneak it home  so my husband doesn't see my new treasures.)

Now I use metal, canvas, wood, plastic,  paint and just about anything I find to create mixed media and assemblage art. I continue to branch out and try new things. I am a self taught artist, doing what I love to do, creating unique art stories with a theme. I do not  limit my work to one style because I would become too bored. I like to mix up my art to keep myself interested.

Carrie continues to wow the senses on her Facebook page, Mosaics By Carrie, as well as on Twitter (@mosaicsbycarrie).  She welcomes commission requests and can be reached via her website, Mosaics By Carrie.

Thank you for sharing your beautiful art, vision, and creative brilliance with us, Carrie!  We look forward to seeing your future works.

"A Fair Lady's Shrine" with RELICS & ARTIFACTS® Ambassador Heather Thompson

During ancient times of heroic knights and young fair maidens, kings and noblemen would have their young daughters fancied up in their most beautiful courting dresses and glamorous facial paint.

They would capture the eternal youth, first in portrait, by the most talented artists in the region, then they would encase it in a magnificent shrine made with the prettiest jewels and dressed in trims of gold and silver. The shrines were painted with the brightest pigments and tones for the most dramatic and eye-catching effects.

Conceptually, the more beautiful and alluring the shrine, the more appealing to the eyes of would-be suitor knights, all in the hopes of marrying the young maiden to a rich and wealthy family and unifying powerful families. 

After accords were struck between the fathers of the noble maidens and the suitors, the fair ladies dressed in the most magnificent formal attire.  In this final show of beauty and opulence, maidens were officially affianced to their future husbands in hopes of finding their happily ever after. 

Supply List:
Muse® Art Stamps St. Cecilia
Muse® Art Stamps Oculus
Relics & Artifacts® Dresden Trim Wrought Iron Gold
Relics & Artifacts® Bohemian Jewels Ruby
Ice Resin
Iced Enamels Shattered Mica
DecoArt Media Primary Magenta
DecoArt Media Primary Yellow
DecoArt Media Phthalo Green-Blue
DecoArt Media Cobalt Teal Hue
DecoArt Media Cerulean Blue
DecoArt Media Cobalt Black
Liquid Pearls Buttercup
Coffee Break Designs Mini Ornate Framed Shrine Kit Style 5
Seth Apter Stamps Spot Lights
Seth Apter Stamps Border Lines
Metal Frame
Rhinestones

"The Reading Room" with RELICS & ARTIFACTS® Ambassador Sherry Matthews

"Reading gives us someplace to go when we have to stay where we are."
~Mason Cooley

I can't even imagine a world without books. Books educate and enlighten. They entertain and ease our stress.

Books are a ticket to escape to a haven all our own or a way to connect to faraway lands . Books introduce us to innumerable people, both living and dead.

They transport us through time and allow us to journey through space. Each journey begins with the turn of a single page.  When you curl up with a good book, where does it take you?

"For a fantastic voyage without leaving your nook, crack open the cover and travel by book." ~Sherry Westfall Matthews

Supply List:
Relics & Artifacts® Andromeda Mini Throne
Muse® Art Stamps Basque
Muse® Art Stamps Celestial
Muse® Art Stamps Devotion
Apoxie Sculpt
DecoArt Craft paints
E6000 adhesive
Embossing powders
Ranger Perfect Medium stamp pad
vintage shadow box
vintage millinery flowers
scrapbook paper

"Versailles" with RELICS & ARTIFACTS® Ambassador Rochelle Gaukel and CANVAS CORP BRANDS

Welcome to my project collaboration with Canvas Corp Brands. I am sharing the 4” x 6” canvas and paper book that I received from Canvas Corp. The inspiration for the book came from an antique piece I found at an antique market in Arezzo, Italy.

The beautiful blue tone of the jewel went perfectly with the other paint supplies from Canvas Corp. For the centerpiece I used the Rising Spirit III set from Relics & Artifacts for the front cover.

I have been watching the television show “Versailles” and can say that it had a lot to do with the inspiration of this piece as well. The opulence and grandeur of that time truly came out when I started putting this book together. The blue and gold theme resonates from the decor of the Versailles property. Velvet, lace, gold gilt, sparkling jewels, tapestries and ancient book pages are all the things that this book is made up of. I could imagine it sitting atop an ornate side table in one of the grandeur rooms of Versailles. Or perhaps on the night table in the kings bedroom.

The Tattered Angels glimmer glam glitter paint was all I needed to add that extra color and sparkle to the heart, wings and flame after it was painted with an acrylic gold paint. The blue of the glimmer glam paint got into all the crevices of the piece and added another dimension that worked well with all the jewels and charms on the book spine. The paint was also added to the braided trim around the book that was originally a cream color. The gold glimmer mist was added to the heart and the inside book pages for that “aged” look.

I hope you enjoyed my project collaboration with Canvas Corp Brands. Their products blend well with the Relics & Artifacts line and are so easy to use.

Don't forget about our giveaway!  Keep reading below for more details on how to be entered to win.

Here is all you need to do.  Be sure to use #RACCBmatchup so that we can track you down!

-Leave a comment here on any or all of the Match Up Posts during the month of July with Relics & Artifacts® and CCB.  You can leave one on each post for more chances to win. 

-And/or leave a comment on the CCB Facebook page.

-And/or leave a comment on any of the CCB Instagram posts where you see any of the projects from the CCB team or the RA team. 

Feel the urge to join the addiction that is Relics & Artifacts®?  Take a look in the Sandra Evertson shop and stock up.  You can also join our Relics & Artifacts® Tribe on Facebook and be inspired by fellow creatives in the best creative group on the web!

Be sure to follow along by searching #RACCBmatchup too.  If you love what you see and would like to join our Facebook group, the CCB Collective, just click the link and ask to join today.  We would love to have you! 

Supply List:

Relics & Artifacts® Rising Spirit III
7gypsies Gypsy Book: Canvas 4x6
Tattered Angels Glimmer Glam Glitter Paint - Night Sky
Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist - Gold
Acrylic Paint
Crackle Medium
Dark Wax
Bronze chain, charms, beads
Braided trim
Velvet
Lace
Vintage book pages

"Old Soul" with RELICS & ARTIFACTS® Ambassador Monica Downing and CANVAS CORP BRANDS

Today, we have our first Ambassador project for our match up with Canvas Corps Brands! 

Monica ushers in this collaboration in true Relics & Artifacts® style with this jaw dropper!  Let's hear the inspiration and story straight from her!

This piece was created for our Collaboration with Canvas Corp Brands.  When I received my package I knew what I wanted to do.  Creating this piece, I was imagining reading the story inside the pages of this old vintage book.

The story of a sailor turned pirate. A pirate who fell in love with a beautiful mermaid.  The mermaid followed his travels all across the ocean’s of the world. One adventure after another they fell deeper in love.

As he aged over the years, she remained young and beautiful and magical, as did their love.  The pirate and the mermaid spent the last of the pirate's days together, away from the rest of the world.

The pirate saved the mermaid’s tears in an old glass vial to be buried with him as a way to keep her forever love.

Monica has also put together a Snapguide tutorial so that you may recreate your own inspired story of love.

Don't forget that there's a giveaway at the end of this month!

Here is all you need to do.  Be sure to use #RACCBmatchup so that we can track you down!

-Leave a comment here on any or all of the Match Up Posts during the month of July with Relics & Artifacts® and CCB.  You can leave one on each post for more chances to win. 

-And/or leave a comment on the CCB Facebook page.

-And/or leave a comment on any of the CCB Instagram posts where you see any of the projects from the CCB team or the RA team. 

Feel the urge to join the addiction that is Relics & Artifacts®?  Take a look in the Sandra Evertson shop and stock up.  You can also join our Relics & Artifacts® Tribe on Facebook and be inspired by fellow creatives in the best creative group on the web!

Be sure to follow along by searching #RACCBmatchup too.  If you love what you see and would like to join our Facebook group, the CCB Collective, just click the link and ask to join today.  We would love to have you! 

Supply List:

Relics & Artifacts® Ancient Soul
Relics & Artifacts® Spirit Treasures
Canvas Corp 5x7 Stretched Natural Canvas
Canvas Corp Burlap Sheet
7Gypsies Architextres 12x12 Paper -Floral Guide
7Gypsies Architextures 12x12 Paper – Old Window
Tattered Angels Chalkboard Paint – Seven Seas
Tattered Angels Plain Jane Simply Sheer Gold Rim
Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist – Autumn Nights
Ice Resin Iced Enamels- Gold Glitz
Ice Resin Iced Enamels – Raspberry
Ice Resin Iced Enamels – Ivory
Ten Seconds Studio Verday Paint
Heavy Modeling Paste
Crackle Paste
Vintage Tin
Vintage Crochet Doily
Vintage Book Paper
Copper Sheet
Chain
Glass Bottle
Metal Ribbon