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!

Challenge layout - March - "Direction"

Hello everyone! Riikka here with my first post on Zeus and Zoe!  This is my creation to the March challenge "New beginnings". 

This autumn is going to be a new beginning for me in some ways. I've been at home with the kids almost 4 years now and shall return to work again during autumn. So now I'm considering my direction and what to do with the new start. The journaling of the layout is at the back.

I had some great blue papers in my Zeus and Zoe kit and the acrylic paint in the sponsor DecoArt matched it perfectly, so I did a blueish layout. But I just have to tell you that blue is my favourite color and the color of hope, so it fitted perfectly with my theme.

Almost all of the materials in the page are from my kit. I used some patterned papers, chipboard embellishment, the flower, the lace and the jewellery pieces from the kit. The tickets, the flower and the oval are all cut from different patterned papers in my kit. Please check the Zeus and Zoe Etsy store for similar materials! I just added a doily, some washi tape and some alphas to the mix from my own stash. 

For the background I used some my own stencils with Tattered Angels mists and then finished the layers with the DecoArt stencil and acrylic paint. I also traced the swirls of the stencil with black felt pen.

I hope I inspired you with my layout! Please, take part to the challenge if you already haven't done so. We would love to see what you create!

March Challenge - an altered book cover

Hello there! It's Yvonne here. I recently started art journaling in old books and for the March challenge, I altered the cover of my art journaling book.

I started by cutting a window on the cover and some inner pages. I wanted to create some depth for the beautiful Zeus and Zoe embellishments but still wanted for the book to fit nicely on a bookshelf. 

I used the DecoArt stencil along with Golden glass bead medium to create a raised texture on the cover. Then I painted it with DecoArt paint and added some PearlEx for some shimmer.

For the base of the window, I used a vintage birthday card and some pretty embellishments. I also added some swirl chipboard to the cover. All from the Zeus and Zoe store.

March Challenge Project - When Life Really Begins

Hello everyone, Norma here!!  I'm so happy to be here with you today to share my very first Zeus and Zoe project.  This month we are challenging you to create a "New Beginnings" themed project using a mask or stencil.

So for my take on the challenge, I created a 12x12 mixed media canvas inspired by this beautiful Barbara Deangelis quote,"The moment in between what you once were, and who you are becoming, is when the dance of life Really Begins".  

To create my canvas, I started out by adhering handwritten vintage letters and sewing patterns from my Zeus and Zoe kit.  Next I added the flourishes with molding paste and a DecoArt Spiral Scroll stencil.  Once the molding paste was dry, I painted over the entire canvas with acrylic paint.   Then I fussy cut the birds and flowers from the KaiserCraft, Sweet Nothings Collection - Devoted patterned paper that came in my Zeus and Zoe kit and highlighted with a wash of  DecoArt Twinkles craft paint. 

I found this beautiful vintage photo on Magic Moonlight Freebies.  What I really liked about the photo is that she looks so happy, don't you think.....like she's very happy with where she is in her life.  I thought she matched the quote perfectly.  So I matted the photo with KaiserCraft, Sweet Nothings Collection - Devoted patterned paper and some beautiful embroidered lace from my Zeus and Zoe kit.

My kit also contained beautiful Manor House Fantasy Moonlight flowers and a piece of butterfly printed canvas that went perfectly with my design.  I fussy cut one of the butterflies and a flower from Designs Galore - French Floral Text patterned paper (also from my kit).  Then added more of the Twinkles craft paint to all of the flowers and the butterfly for some added sparkle (cause you can never have to much, lol).

To bring everything together, I added some of Zeus and Zoe's beautiful velvet lilac ribbon and embroidered flowers.  I also tucked in Prima flowers and bling from my stash.  Next I hand wrote the quote onto the backside of the Kaiser patterned paper, fussy cut and inked.  To complete my design, I added purple paint to the edges.  I really like the way the purple paint frames the composition.  

This month's challenge is sponsored by DecoArt and they've given us some fun prizes to share with you.  So I hope I've inspired you to play along with us in this month's "New Beginnings" challenge!  

To find similar items to what I used on my project, visit the Zeus and Zoe online store and don't forget Marivic can put together a special kit just for you.  So if you have something in mind just let her know!  

Thanks so much for joining me today!  I'm really looking forward to seeing all of your beautiful creations, have a beautiful day!!

  

March Challenge: New Beginnings

Thanks for joining us today! Dana here introducing the challenge theme for March. The month of March brings longer days, warmer temperatures, the rebirth of flora and fauna and Spring! A talented set of new designers begin their term this month and to celebrate the commencement of the new design term and the upcoming Spring Equinox, the Zeus and Zoe Team challenges you to create a project inspired by the theme "New Beginnings." If you started a new job, moved to a new city, are taking a class, treated yourself to a makeover, repainted your house, celebrated the birth of a child, or are reorganizing your scrap space we want to see how this journey has inspired you! This theme is open for interpretation, so we are adding an additional requirement for this challenge to use a mask or stencil on your entry.

This beautiful calendar page came in my Zeus and Zoe Kit and I immediately fell in love with the image and gorgeous color palette. I always look forward to Spring when things begin to turn green and flowers begin to bloom and I created an inspirational piece to hang in my scrap room.

This quote sticker is part of the 7 Dots Studio Hopefully collection and fit perfectly with the New Beginning Theme for the challenge this month.

The Zeus and Zoe Etsy Shop has a fabulous selection of Manor House Creations flowers and vintage trinkets.

I used molding paste, a DecoArt Jacobean Floral Stencil and Glamour Dust Glitter Paint to add this flower design to my page. I love the glittery finish from the paint!

Our sponsor for March is DecoArt.

Since 1985, DecoArt has manufactured one of the broadest lines of acrylic paints and finishes for general arts and crafts use in the world. The line includes all-purpose acrylics for professional artists, crafters, and students. Located centrally in the United States, DecoArt manufactures numerous specialty paints that are designed specifically for surfaces like glass, ceramics, fabric, and metal, from its Stanford, Kentucky production facility.

Product Overview
DecoArt has one of the widest selections of paints and finishes for arts, crafts, and home decorating. DecoArt has a full product line which includes over 25 brands of paint and finishes. DecoArt products are sold in all major craft chain stores in the United States, as well as having a strong market presence internationally in over 75 countries abroad. 

Commitment to Quality 
DecoArt assures its loyal and new customers that they can use their products with confidence. All DecoArt products are non-toxic and user- and enviromently-friendly.

DecoArt makea safe products. Their paints and specialty products are made in the USA to federally-mandated and industry-wide safety and quality standards as established by the Art & Creative Materials Institute (ACMI). ACMI employs one of the nation's top independent toxicology groups at Duke University. All of the DecoArt formulas are reviewed and have been certified as non-toxic by this group. 

For a chance to win some DecoArt products link up your newly created project by the end of the month.

Prizes:

Random Prize:

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!