home is where the heart is

Happy New Year, right?!

My first blog post for the new year, and I can tell you we are colder here than Anchorage, AK. right now, 11 degrees or something crazy like that! Taking these pic's out on the deck this morning was an experience I tell ya, boo-zeeee. We are SO not used to this around here!

Now, I can say I'm warm and cozy, writing this post, really dreading going to work in the morning!

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Inspiration Emporium's challenge this month is to use diecuts or punches in your project.

This is perfect for me because I normally use diecuts in my projects.

The dies and punch I used are Tim Holtz Artful Dwellings for the houses and Mini Tattered Florals. I used a 3/4" square punch for the windows in the houses.

I used papers from the Tim Holtz 8x8 Seasonal Paper Stash for the houses and hand cut hearts and Terminology Tissue Wrap to cover the inclusion and for my flowers.

To start I painted gesso on the pages for a clean surface to start on. I painted on Distress Paint in Bundled Sage, a little Gathered Twigs and more gesso and wiped it off with baby wipes. Leaving enough paint to get the color I wanted.

  I colored the ABC Tissue Tape with Distress Bundled Sage ink and a blender tool.

The flower stems are made with Distress Markers.

The texture in the background is the plaid stamp from Wendy Vecchi's Be Inspired stamp set. 

I made the Bundled Sage polkadots on the background with the Distress Paint, I just stamped it on the page and I also swiped it on the tag after I had put Gathered Twigs Distress ink on over the Burlap Stencil.

My granddaughter Jayde was here and she stamped the sentiment for me, good job Jayde!

I traced all of the cutouts and diecuts with Faber-Castell PITT Big Brush Markers for shadowing.

I diecut the flowers and stapled them all together with the Tiny Attacher.

I wanted to lightly color them with Distress, I didn't want a vibrant color, so I made some little spray paint bottles with Distress Paint. I filled a Mini Mister about 1/3 full with the paint and filled  it up with water and shock it up, tah-dah!

 Now, it's your turn to create your diecut or punched project and upload it to the Inspiration Journal for your chance to win $50 to spend in the Inspiration Emporium store! (be watching, the post for the challenge should be up soon!)

Remember, you can always use my discount code ieirisgarden for 10% off your order!

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Have a great day, stay warm!