April challenge: For the love of textures, gold and all things pretty and vintage

Hello there! It's Yvonne here to show you my inspiration for April's challenge. This 8x8 mixed media canvas features a couple of my current obsessions - textures created by paint, wrapping tissue and mediums, the colour gold and all things pretty and vintage.:)

The base was created with scrunched up wrapping tissue, then painted with various acrylic paint colours and gesso. For a shimmering finish, I added PearlEx in various shades of gold. I even took out my typewriter to type on my postcard [cut out from patterned paper in the Zeus and Zoe kit]. I tore some gold washi tape for added texture on the edges of the postcard. And added a pretty vintage button.

I must admit I went a little crazy with the clustering of buttons, charms and little trinkets here. But they are just soooooooo pretty right? Get yours at the Zeus and Zoe store. They add that special "wow" factor to your projects.

Won't you come play along with April's challenge?

Guest designer for April: Tracey Sabella

I am so excited to be here as Zeus and Zoe's first Guest Designer. I was delighted to receive the amazing package of delightful trims, embellishments and paper crafting products to work with. I'll share a little about myself and then my projects.

I've been married to my wonderful husband, Gary, for 30 years. We have four wonderful children and with two recent weddings are happy to see our family grow. I started scrapbooking in 2007, and it didn't take long for me to realize that I had found an amazing creative outlet. I love to learn new techniques and have fun sharing what I learn on my blog, Garden of Grace. As you will see in the projects I've created for you today, I enjoy deconstructing and giving items a fresh "new" look. 

My first project to share with you today is for our Zeus and Zoe April challenge, "Life as it Is Now," about me as an individual. One more thing - buttons are a requirement. Be sure to check out the Zeus and Zoe Etsy Shop for fabulous buttons and more. For all the challenge details and rules check out Sandi's challenge here.

"Best of Days"

This page represents my changing role in life. I home educated for 19 years until our youngest entered our local high school for her final two years. She graduates next month. Our children are stepping out and creating lives of their own. You could say my life has changed dramatically over the past two years. I've chosen to embrace the change. No moping empty nester here. I've hand written my thoughts about these changes on a tag attached to the back of my layout. The photo was taken at our daughter's wedding last October, and the butterflies represent the wings of change. 

A package of Prima Ruby Violet trinkets including a flower was included in my package. The star focal flower of this layout was created by pulling that flower apart. I painted the fabric portion and tucked a smaller Prima flower into the center. I rubbed with distress ink to achieve the vintage look. I placed Zeus and Zoe buttons here and there into my clusters. The other smaller flowers are from my stash. 

Moving to the other corner of the photo you can see the fabulous battenburg lace doily is the one thing I left untouched, allowing this gorgeous white lace to frame my photo. One of my goodies was a selection of vintage lace pieces. These two sweet butterflies were bright orange. I simply gessoed and inked them and adore how sweet they look "fluttering" on both ends of this cluster. The background leaves were stenciled using molding paste and a Dylusions stencil. 

When I saw this gorgeous medallion, it begged a prominent place on my page. Of course I did a bit of altering. It started out with a glittery hot pink resin center and coordinating heart dangle. I adored the large clear crystal and left it in place. The heart was replaced with the butterfly while the center was painted with Lumiere paint and dotted with little beads from my stash. 

I happened to have a perfect stencil in my stash used to add molding paste behind the medallion. Once dry, I misted with the Lindsy's Stamp Gang Aloha Avocado mist included in my package. I let it pool and drip down the page. Finally, I inked the molding paste with distress inks for more depth. 

Aren't these lace pieces simply gorgeous?? They started life in bold bright colors which masked the gorgeous design. A couple coats of gesso and some inking brought out their amazing beauty. I also touched the brown lace and daisy with a bit of gesso. The little metal butterfly beads were alcohol inked with several shades of green and gold. The two chipboard butterflies are from my stash and brushed with Lumiere paint. 

One more close-up of the clusters around this photo of "Me." The larger metal butterfly charm in the corner is also from my package.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

My second project to share with you is a card I created for my sister. She has been dreaming of owning her own home and has held on to her hope and faith as she saw several deal fall through after being told her offers had been accepted. This time it looks like the deal will go through and this will be the card included with her house warming gift. 

"Hope Is the Thing"

Close-Ups:

I deconstructed the May Arts Velvet Ribbon with Crochet Lace. The velvet created a gorgeous base for my layered flower, and the lace looks so pretty here. The pink resin rose and chandelier beads came glued and wired together as a single flower. Now separated, I used the wire to attach and dangle the beads and placed the resin piece in my flower cluster after highlighting the edges with a bit of metallic brown paint.

This view shows off the gorgeous lace flower. In addition to the gesso and inking, I added some sparkly seed beads to the center.

The gold cording had been woven into a lace with blue sequins. You guessed it. I pulled it apart and tied on these sweet tree charms that I altered by dabbing on brown metallic paint. The daisy stick pin was also dabbed with paint. The layered flower was created with a variety of Zeus and Zoe pieces - all but the inked paper daisy layer.

My package included this fabulous TPC Vintage Birdcage stamp set. The sentiment couldn't be more perfect to describe the enduring hope my sister has embraced on this journey to find a home. I used Truffle Mixed Media Inx to stamp and heat emboss with clear embossing powder, then fussy cut around the image. I colored by spritzing with the Lindsy's Stamp Gang mist and a bit of distress ink on the edges. The bird and cage were also part of this set. I stamped and heat embossed these images onto watercolor paper then lightly inked over the white background and fussy cut.

Nearly all the products used on this card are from Zeus and Zoe, such a great source of gorgeous and unique products!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Here are the amazing prizes up for grabs when you link your project about you in the upper right side bar. Don't forget to read the "Life as it Is Now" Challenge details and rules here.

The winner of this challenge will receive this fabulous prize package sponsored by Zeus and Zoe. As  you can see it is full of amazing products from an entire set of Lindsey's Stamp Gang Magicals to flowers, buttons, stick pins, stamps and more.

And a random winner will be selected to win this lovely May Arts lace and ribbon:

I hope I've inspired you to take on the challenge of creating a project about yourself. I know we're usually the one behind the camera, but each of you have a special story to tell about where you are in life, and I'd love to see those stories told here.

Have a wonderful day creating memories that will last! 

Necklace from Buttons...(lots and lots of them) by NellieBellie

Hello Zeus and Zoe readers! NellieBellie here and I’m so glad to be back with another project for you! This month’s theme is “About Me” and I’ve decided to loosely interpret that to make something for me personally. Something that I love and represents me. And I hope that you love it too!



A necklace made from gold buttons is my project this month. I love to wear simple t-shirts and jeans with a statement necklace. It fits well into my busy life and still manages to keep me looking chic. Best of all…you can easily make it in an hour or so!
 

To make this necklace I used some fabulous gold buttons from Zeus and Zoe and hotglued them to a piece of felt. A bit of Zeus and Zoe trim hotglued on makes the “chain”. This necklace was simple to make but still looks intricate, interesting, and fabulous! Best of all it’s easy to customize to your tastes and colors. Just switch up the button colors, trim pieces, even the shape of the necklace to create one of a kind pieces.

 

I had to include a real life picture of me wearing it. Doesn’t it look so chic and trendy! Love it! (that’s a whole lot of exclamation marks!)

40, It's Just A Number - April Challenge

Hello & Thanks so much for joining me today for an extra special layout!  Why is it extra special you ask, well because it's about me (heheheehe).  This month we have a REALLY fun challenge for you to play along with!!  We are challenging you to create a project with you front and center.  That's right, the theme is "Life As It Is Now" (for you).  So I hope you're up for the challenge because I'm looking forward to getting to know all of you better.  The only requirement you have is to mix some buttons into your design, easy peasy right!  

Ah...but wait, there's more!!!!  

To sweeten the deal, one lucky participant will be chosen by the design team and will win this fabulous prize pack sponsored by the Zeus and Zoe Esty Shop plus full bragging rights!!

Isn't that a sweet prize pack?!  (Sorry Macaroons not included, lol)  This generous kit includes:

a package of flowers, stick pins, buttons, ephemera items, a La Blanche Stamp, Washi tapes and a package of Magicals from Lindy Stamp Gang

AND

A random participant will also be chosen to win these beautiful ribbons from May Arts:

Okay so I know what your thinking, where is this extra special layout right?!  LOL, ready.........here it is!!

Tada!!  As you can tell, I'm having so much fun with this month's challenge (see you should join so you can have fun too, lol).  I rarely scrap about myself or even take pics of myself for that matter.  I always joke that my family is gonna look back and think I was never there.  That's the big problem with being the family paparazzo, right!  Well, for this layout I turned the camera over to my youngest son and had a mini photo shoot.  Luckily I found one that would work out of the gazillon he took, lol.

 I knew I wanted my focus to be on turning 40 because I reached my milestone birthday yesterday.  So that's the inspiration for my title and I wanted the layout to reflect my very favorite design elements and colors.  So with that in mind, I began working on my design.

My background paper is called Cupids Arrow from Kaisercraft's Sweet Nothings Collection and I added texture with molding paste and a Crafters Workshop chicken wire stencil.  Next I added in my very favorite blue soft body acrylic and magenta gouache paints.

To create layers, I added painted chipboard, an ink stained/doodled/stamped banner and some roses fussy cut from the Manor House flower packaging.

When I saw the beautiful Banana Boat paper by The ScrapCake in my kit, I immediately thought the grouping of circles looked like clouds.  So I fussy cut them out and added a couple here and there.  I feel like my head is always lost in the clouds day dreaming so I wanted to add them to symbolize the dreamer in me.

I tucked in some hidden journaling for my family using the ScrapFX tags from my Zeus and Zoe kit.  I colored them with various Dylusions inks and doodled around the edges.

To bring my design to life, I mixed beautiful vibrant flowers by Manor House, Prima, Recollections and my stash.  Since part of the challenge is to incorporate buttons, I added some of the gorgeous buttons from my kit to the big beautiful Manor Hour flower and then tucked in here and there.

I mixed in a couple of crocheted dollies, beautiful charms and stick pins from Zeus and Zoe kit.  I also created flourishes and loops with some jute twine and added a Prima light bulb from the Junkyard Findings line.

Here's a closer look at some of the layering, stenciling and paint.

Well friends, I hope I've inspired you play along with us.  This really is a great opportunity to have a little fun and express yourself through the colors of your soul.  So I encourage you to turn the camera over to someone else, take some pics and start creating!!  If you'd like some of the gorgeous items I used from Zeus and Zoe, just visit the online store.   Marivic can also put together a custom kit just for you, all you have to do is let her know what you're looking for or what your creative style is and she'll work her magic.

Thanks again for stopping by and Have a Beautiful Inspired Day!!

March "New Beginnings" Challenge winners!

Thank you to all who took time to play along with us last month in the March "New Beginnings" challenge. Your entries were spectacular, making it really hard for the DT to pick the winners! 

The winning layout is by Taniko who won this prize package courtesy of our sponsor DecoArt.

And our random winner is Amy Voorthius who won herself this prize courtesy of our sponsor DecoArt.

Congratulations to Taniko and Amy! Please send your mailing addresses to Marivic at berry71bleu@gmail.com so that we can send your prizes out to you!

Come join us for our April challenge "Life as it is now". This challenge is all about you as an individual. Don't forget to include buttons on your project!

April Challenge - Hopeless Romanitc Layout

Thanks for stopping by today!  Dana here sharing my layout for the April Challenge. The main aim of scrapbooking is to turn photographed memories into stories that can be passed down through the generations. Those recording the stories of the photographs are often the photographers, and are therefore not in many pictures themselves. I know I am one of those people. Even though I scrap about my childhood, I rarely scrap about myself as the person I am today, who I am now.

The challenge this month is to create and journal a project about "life as it is now," the subject being "you as an individual."  This challenge is open to interpretation and you can add as much detail as you wish, and share whatever you wish to share about yourself. Hidden journaling for personal information is fine. There is one additional requirement for the challenge, and that is to incorporate the use of buttons into your creation.

I'm a hopeless romantic. Some of my favorite writers are Jane Austen, the Bronte sisters and Virginia Woolf. I am very lucky enough to have my own Mr. Darcy in my life to keep me happy! When I saw the vintage fashion pages, jewelry and book pages in my Zeus and Zoe kit I was thrilled and included various pieces in this embellishment cluster.

I stitched together four pieces of beautiful May Arts ribbons to create this decorative border.

In addition to the gorgeous vintage buttons that I received in my Zeus and Zoe kit, there were also several packages of Ruby Violet embellishments like this button.

I hope you can find the time to enter this challenge!

The winner of April's challenge will receive a kit from the Zeus and Zoe Etsy Shop! The kit includes a package of flowers, stick pins, buttons, ephemera, a La Blanche Stamp, washi tapes, and a package of Magicals from Lindy's Stamp Gang!

Our main sponsor for May was kind enough to send some extra trim for a random winner this month!

The random winner will receive a beautiful selection of ribbon from May Arts!

Here are the rules: 

1. Projects must be linked up to our linky tool in the side bar, using the URL of the ACTUAL POST, not your entire blog. 
2. You may submit as many entries as you would like and combine your entry with up to 2 other challenges. 
3. Post this challenge to your blog and mention, in your post, that you are playing along at Zeus and Zoe TOGETHER with a link back to our Zeus and Zoe blog. 
4. All entries must be received by MIDNIGHT EST on the 31st of March. 
5. Entries to be submitted via the linky tool at the top of the sidebar ONLY, not by email and not by linking up in the comments section please. 

Information about our challenges: 
1. Zeus and Zoe Challenges are open to anyone, anywhere in the world. 
2. Our DT do their best to comment on all entries, you can make their job easier by turning off your word verification. 
3. Challenges are held monthly and each month TWO winners are chosen. One winner is chosen by our DT and the other is chosen by random draw. 
4. Challenge winners will always be announced within a week of the challenge closing and winners are then required to contact Marivic. 
5. Prizes not claimed within two weeks will be forfeited. 
6. The Merit winner will have an image of their project featured in the winners post, together with a link back to the homepage of their blog. 
7. Winners will be awarded a Winner's Badge to post on their blog...full bragging rights included! 

We can't wait to see your entries for this challenge! Thank you for your visit!

Life As It Is Now - April Challenge

Life as it is now.... April Challenge

Thanks for calling in and checking out the new challenge for Zeus and Zoe for April!

The main aim of scrapbooking is to turn out photographed memories, into stories that can be passed down through generations.  Often, those creating the stories of the photographs, are also the photographers, and more often than not, are not in many photographs themselves. I know I am one of those people, and even though I scrap about my childhood, I rarely scrap about myself as the person I am today and who I am.

The challenge this month will be to create and journal a project about 'life as it is now', the subject being 'you as an individual'.  There is much interpretation in the depth of how you can create, whether it is a canvas, a mini album, or a scrapbook page.  You can add as much detail as you wish, and about what topics you wish to share about yourself - this is totally up to you.  Hidden journaling for personal information is fine - quite often I will write my journaling, add to an envelope and adhere this to the back of my project creation. 

There is one additional requirement for the challenge, and that is to incorporate the use of buttons into your creation.  Everyone has a button stash, and in our DT kits from Marivic were some truly amazing, vintage buttons I have been just itching to work with....

I have created a paper bag, mini album. The post was going to be extremely graphic intensive, so I created a video to show all of the album.  This project is a work in progress, and still has a fair way to go for completion.

I really hope that my mini album inspires others to take part in this months challenge....
Sandie

   

The winner of April's challenge will receive a kit from Zeus and Zoe Etsy...The kit includes a package of flower, pin sticks, buttons, ephemera items, La Blanche Stamp, Washi tapes, A package of Magicals from Lindy Stamp Gang. Unfortunately NO Macaroons included...They're just there for decoration. This is what you will normally get as a part of a custom kit if you order from Zeus and Zoe.

Our main sponsor for May is kind enough to send some extra trim for a random winner this month..

The random winner will get trims from May Arts.

Here are the rules: 

1. Projects must be linked up to our linky tool in the side bar, using the URL of the ACTUAL POST, not your entire blog.
2. You may submit as many entries as you would like and combine your entry with up to 2 other challenges.
3. Post this challenge to your blog and mention, in your post, that you are playing along at Zeus and Zoe TOGETHER with a link back to our Zeus and Zoe blog.
4. All entries must be received by MIDNIGHT EST on the 28th. February 
5. Entries to be submitted via the linky tool at the top of the sidebar ONLY, not by email and not by linking up in the comments section please.

Information about our challenges:
1. Zeus and Zoe Challenges are open to anyone, anywhere in the world.
2. Our DT do their best to comment on all entries, you can make their job easier by turning off your word verification.
3. Challenges are held monthly and each month TWO winners are chosen. One winner is chosen by our DT and the other is chosen by random draw.
4. Challenge winners will always be announced within a week of the challenge closing and winners are then required to contact Marivic.
5. Prizes not claimed within two weeks will be forfeited.
6. The Merit winner will have an image of their project featured in the winners post, together with a link back to the homepage of their blog.
7. Winners will be awarded a Winner's Badge to post on their blog...full bragging rights included!

We can't wait to see your entries for this challenge! 
Thank you for your visit!