There is always light if you choose to see it & be it - By Jenn White

Art matters. Art has magical healing powers. Art is everywhere & in everything. You yourself are a work of art.

Have you ever been so inspired & uplifted by another artist your sensitive artist's heart swells too big for your chest? So overcome by emotion it causes happy tears to spill from your eyes? 

This is how I felt while watching the first ever Inaugural Youth Poet Laureate, Amanda Gorman's recitation of her poetry. There were many other talented musical artists & speakers there I love too, sharing their gifts, performing throughout the inauguration.

They were all like sparks igniting so much shining light within me. I was positively glowing with inspiration. 

I felt compelled to create many art pieces after all I had witnessed & experienced in the days.

I decided to share one of those creations with you today. 

When I create, I begin by drawing rough sketch ideas in one of my many sketch books. As I look through all the inspiring photos of the products on sandraevertson.com I find so much inspiration there.

It is so pleasing to my imagination to visualize how Sandra's products can be combined to compliment each other in endless ways.

 In this creation, it was the curve & style of the finger petals on the Milagros III craft blanks set & the San Miguel Allende Nicho Kit that began the theme of this assemblage.

 I envisioned flower petals, a bird's tail & a peacock. I instantly wanted to use some peacock feathers with these pieces. The colors in the feathers coordinate so well with the Relics & Artifacts VerDay Patina paints. I love experimenting with the VerDay magic!

I was transported. I felt warmth & light on a cold Winter's day. I imagined myself into a brightly colored shopping bazaar full of Mexican folk art. Such a lovely cheerful place! A colorful feast for the eyes everywhere I looked. I love when my imagination allows me to travel without leaving home.

 I love layering Sandra's products!

I looked to see what I already had in my Relics and Artifacts Stash that would coordinate with the pieces I was about to order & found several to audition. I added one of the Three Marias Statuettes & two coordinating winged hearts. One from Sandra's Taos Sacred Heart set & one from Sandra's Mexican Folk Hearts Ojo de Dios set. I usually start out simply "less is more" but I always seem to end up "too much of a good thing can be wonderful!" 

 While editing the photos I decided my creation was missing something. I felt it needed some bling. I started having "What if" visions. What if I cut apart this silver & gold Daisy Chain Dresden? What if I add this flower petal shaped Dresden Coat of Arms piece? What if I add this Dresden Triangle Trim all around the outside edge? I thought it might be too much but it all ended up being the perfect added touched to shine up my creation

I wanted to incorporate hearts, wings & eyes into this piece to symbolize love, peace, hope & freedom. The awakening & opening of eyes, breaking the dark spell to see the truth & the light. 

I wanted to incorporate all of the miracles that happened for me & my family during the dark times & life style changes of 2020. I wanted to memorialize the loved ones I lost & miss very much. I also wanted to give thanks for the loved ones who reached out to me. I am so happy they have renewed hope & are here with us today.

I am so grateful you are still breathing & I am still breathing & we have more time here to make positive changes in our countries & on our planet. You are not alone.  

Just because I behave in a positive way does not mean my world is perfect.

I am very sensitive but I refuse to give in & let hate win. 

I will shine my light of kindness & help as many people as I can before my life clock stops. 

If you haven't yet, I hope you will decide to awaken & choose to shine your light too! 

Loving kindness does not cost a thing & is a priceless treasure at the same time. 

It will change lives & yours for the better. If we all pay this kindness forward we can make our world a better place.

HUGS! YOU ARE LOVED! - Jenn White 

Relics & Artifacts products used in this piece are as follows:

♡San Miguel Allende Nicho Kit

♡Milagros III Set

♡Taos Sacred Heart Set

♡Mexican Folk Hearts Ojo de Dios 

♡Three Marias Set

♡Mythos sets (the 2 little birds)

♡Relics & Artifacts VerDay kit

♡Relics & Artifacts Patina Spray Refill. (You do not want to run yourself out of this magic!)

♡Dresden Trim Coat of Arms in Silver.

♡Dresden Trim Large Daisy Chain

♡Dresden Trim Small Daisy Chain

☆Remember to add your HEART CHALLENGE submissions on the Relics & Artfacts Tribe Facebook Group by 2/12/2021 for a chance to win a shopping voucher for sandraevertson.com

#2021raheartchallenge 

Please be sure to read the rules in the pinned post at the top of the group page.Thank you & best wishes to you!

The Art Of Impermanence- Jenn Pipe

Let me tell you about some of my favorite moments from 2020:

The trips my husband and I took to the salt marsh during Golden Hour where we watched a nest full of fledgling osprey learn to fly and catch fish were some of my favorite moments. Or the time the snowy egret perched on the most perfect branch and allowed us to watch it preen and pose—as if it put on that show just for us.

There was the time when my daughter and I were walking around the nature preserve and a baby deer came right out of the brush next to us, as if in greeting, and then bounded down the path behind us. The moment was so fleeting—barely a breath—that neither one of us, despite already having our phones in our hands, were able to catch a picture of it (and I can’t help but think that was by design).

There were those mornings when my internal alarm would wake me up just in time to watch the sun light up the sky and for Mother Nature to paint the most perfect canvas. Mornings where I would rush down the stairs to get a photo from the deck before the light changed and the moment was gone.

Running across the parking lot at the supermarket when a biblical storm showed up, seemingly out of nowhere, drenching us and all of our groceries to the core. Then going home and jumping in the massive puddles that had formed in the yard, not a care in the world.

There were the countless moments of tenderness and spontaneous laughter between my daughters as they quarantined together this year, largely cut off from their respective social circles. Moments that hopefully remind them that they are each other’s first and best friend.

I spent a lot of time watching the massive tree next to our new deck the past four months. I discovered that the tree has a few branches that form the shape of a heart. And if I time it just right, I can capture a photo of those heart-shaped branches cradling the sun. I marveled at the tree’s strength as I watched it weather some pretty powerful ocean storms without losing nary a branch.

These moments are just the tip of the iceberg. And although they are vastly different, they all have one thing in common: IMPERMANENCE. Impermanence is defined as the state or fact of lasting for only a limited period of time. 2020 was a powerful teacher for me and one of the things it (re)taught me was the art of impermanence. Fleeting moments. Wisps of life and love. Gossamer things.

One of my favorite things to say in 2020 was, “But we will never get THIS EXACT moment ever again.” I would say it when I was chasing sunsets, watching storms roll across the ocean, taking a walk in the neighborhood we had walked 100 times before, during beach-combing and sun-bathing excursions, while voting and volunteering, during mealtimes, and when spending time together as a family. It became my mantra: a way for me to seek out joy, be 100% present, focus on the things that truly mattered, and find the beauty in a broken, broken world.

I thought I would like to give this concept a go in my art, as well. I have been feeling kind of flat and uninspired lately. The creative and artistic ideas aren’t beating down my door like they typically do. I thought it would be a good idea to experiment and play and create a bunch of things without gluing them down. Focus on the joy of the process instead of working towards a definitive outcome and see if I could free up the bottleneck to my creativity in some way…

Here’s what I did: I started simple with a piece of square kraft paper. I sketched a very simple silhouette onto it with a white gel pen. This silhouette would be my constant. Then, I gathered a bunch of materials from my office and set out to see what I could make with them. How fun it was to arrange and rearrange things until I felt I had them “just right.” How exhilarating it was to simply sweep the canvas clean and start over when I was done. How representative of life and nature to not glue things down and to enjoy the moment while it is here and then let it pass.

I ended up spending a couple quiet nighttime hours in my home office while I made these pieces. It was really fun to play without expectations or any direction or definitive outcome.

The first of the three is called “Winged Beauty.” In this piece, I started with the crimped pieces of paper that often accompany Sandra’s craft blanks. I turned those into hair. I then cut a piece of the Halo Dresden Trim into eyelash shapes, with petals from a mum as eyebrows. A Mexican Milagro Charm was used as a nose and I found a piece of bark that was perfect as some pouty lips. I used some balloon flowers, moss, and evergreens for the bodice and then I added the word “beauty” as a necklace. A set of Raphael Wings gives this piece an ethereal, angelic quality, while the “crown” was made with a piece from the Milagros III set.

The second piece is called “Grit and Grace” and my favorite part of this compilation is the eyes made from two of the Finger Ring Rosaries! I used an assortment of seed beads for the hair, a piece of a twig for the nose, and felt for the mouth. A sword from the Excalibur set, one of the resin hearts, and the snake from the Hieroglyphs set round out the Relics & Artifacts pieces for this installation of impermanent art.

My third and final piece is called “Undercurrent” and, with the exception of some polished shell pieces I found in my favorite cove, it exclusively uses products from the Relics & Artifacts line. I started with a large wooden Helios for the head, the same Dresden eyes from figure #1, and then a wide assortment of Sandra’s ocean-themed craft blanks. You will find pieces from Siren’s Song, Neptune,Cascara, Grotto, Triton, and Mermaid all working harmoniously together. 

Where this process was entirely new for me (I don’t typically create until and unless I am ready to commit to something), I feel like it opened me up to a bunch of new artistic avenues. I ended up combining materials I wouldn’t normally combine, I played with texture and composition, and it inspired me to want to pull more found items and items from nature into my artwork, whether that art ends up being permanent or impermanent. It was a low-investment, no-commitment way to make beautiful things and free up that creative bottleneck. I have a feeling this process will become part of my regular repertoire and I hope it inspires you in new and beautiful ways! 

I can’t wait to see what you create! Please tag me in your posts! 
In honor of the beauty impermanence and art in all its glorious forms,

Jenn Pipe
MUSE Design Team 2021

What Is Style? with RELICS & ARTIFACTS® Ambassador Darlene Madden

"Style.  What is your style?" This question has been on my mind lately as I listen to comments regarding my work. I hear adjectives like "pretty," "gorgeous," and "blingy".  And while those are all lovely to hear as feedback, I had the thought, "What else is there?"

I see myself as a creative person whose job it is to PLAY and mix it up a bit when I create. That is exactly what I have done on this latest triptych.  I played, pushed, pulled, and auditioned elements and pieces that I may have passed by on a less playful day.  As a mixed media artist, I am grateful to have a studio full of interesting treasures, as my treasure hunting goes a long time back.

My starting point were the three legs from Relics & Artifacts® and the wooden base that my husband built. From that point the piece began to evolve and tell the story. As far as style goes, yes, I may tend towards pretty and more feminine works for the majority of my pieces but I do not want to get too predictable.  So I say, "Keep them guessing!"

Materials List:
Relics & Artifacts® Milagros
Wooden base
Metal heat tape
embossing folder
up-cycled belt
Vintage playing card
rusty nails
screws
wood branches
steampunk gears
Barometer gauge
barn hinge
cabinet pull
polymer clay
staples
acrylic paints

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 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.

"Better Days" with RELICS & ARTIFACTS® Ambassador Chrissy Colon and CANVAS CORPS BRANDS

Have you ever had a project that started out as this incredibly inspired idea and as you worked on it, it completely fell apart?  I'm not talking about a slight shift in direction.  I'm talking it COMPLETELY and UTTERLY spiraled out of the sky and crashed into a flaming ball of wreckage? 

I have had more than my fair share of disasters and most of the time, they end up in the trash.  This project was on such fireball or a crashed idea but unlike my craft fails before, I could not throw this one away because I only had one Artboard to work with!

The Artboard substrate and the Papillon butterfly were painted and repainted a whopping three times before I finally found an idea that seemed to work!  A happy benefit of the multiple mulligans was I ended up with pieces that had some marvelous texture.

The result of my frustration and repeated do-overs was a piece that I ended up liking after all was said and done.  What was the lesson learned?  Maybe I should start to hold on to craft fails as they may have some locked away potential!

Don't forget we have a giveaway at the end of the 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® Papillon
Relics & Artifacts® Milagros
Relics & Artifacts® Dresden Wrought Iron
7Gypsies Artboard (6x6)
7Gypsies Parchment Rub-on "Grow"
Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist "Fully Purple"
Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist "Coffee Shop"

"Faery Door" with RELICS & ARTIFACTS® Monica Downing

Do you believe in faeries, in all things magical? Well if you know me at all, you know that I do.

When I go out in the evening and see the fireflies dancing on moss covered rocks, lighting up the evening sky with random magical bursts of light, my imagination goes wild.

I love being surrounded by this lush green dense forest and the inspiration it gives me to create.

I used a vintage door plate as the base for this fairy door.  When I was making it, I imagined the magical place that it must lead to. A place with faeries bouncing off colorful mushroom caps, butterflies and bees dancing on brightly colored flowers. 

With dragonflies swooping around, birds of every kind singing away, and rays of sun shining through the trees with wish faeries floating around, shedding a magical light on all of it.

I hope I’ve made you believe even just a little bit. If you truly look around there is magic everywhere.  Go outside and find some 😊

Supply List:
Relics & Artifacts® Milagros
Relics & Artifacts® Regalis
VerDay Patina Paint System
Vintage door plate
Velveteen leaves
Miniature metal gate

"Make a Wish on Butterfly Wings" with RELICS & ARTIFACTS® Ambassador Lynne Moncrieff

Anyone who creates with RELICS & ARTIFACTS, surely are smitten with the fact that no matter the vignettes that swirl in our mind’s eye, there will be a RELICS & ARTIFACTS piece to transport a vague notion, into a completed project.   The scene in my head, of a butterfly child, was able to be manifested by pairing one of the smaller Papillon pieces with a Milagros. 

Make your way through the forest, where your footsteps are silenced from the cushions of moss which abound.   Can you spy the butterfly child?  They say the butterfly child is a chameleon, blending in to the backdrop of the moss as he rests against a tree trunk.  Sweet, berry coloured flowers burst in bloom.  Kneel down and place your cheek against them, the petals will give your cheeks velveteen kisses. 

An Archival Wooden Case allowed me to create a setting for the butterfly child. With Infusions (crystals colours with walnut ink base) and Moss Painted Finishes Kit, the case suddenly took the form of colours of a forest.

The Infusions were extended to several elements on this project, including the Papillon and Milagros.  By first applying a mere hint of Grungepaste, it heightened the sense of texture.  A final brushing of the Moss kit, merely brushing on and brushing off, left a hint of mossy-ness on the Relic.  The mottled effect suited the vignette.

The Milagros fit perfectly to the Papillon, with the placement of the wings giving the impression that they have sprouted from the Milagros, as well as the antenna.

When working with a theme relating to nature, I will often layer textural elements, most often found papers and torn textiles.  They capture that sense of bits of this ‘n’ that which might be caught up on a passing breeze and gathered around a tree trunk or caught in branches.  The butterfly child was layered onto calico, corrugated cardboard and lace, all of which had been stained by mopping-up the Infusions.  Torn pieces of silk sari ribbon, also stained, would flutter in the breeze.

A cluster of velveteen flowers were the perfect detail to add to the frame of the case, bringing interest and colour and most importantly, helping to set the scene for the butterfly child.  The final element was one of my stamped Affirmations, stamped onto some pieces of previously stained book pages. 

Why not seek out a butterfly today and make a wish!

Supply List:
RELICS & ARTIFACTS® Papillon
RELICS & ARTIFACTS® Milagros
RELICS & ARTIFACTS® Velveteen Flowers Tangerine Berry Blossom
RELICS & ARTIFACTS® Archival Wooden Case II
That’s Crafty Clear Stamp Set Lynne’s Affirmations Set 1
PaperArtsy Infusions
PaperArtsy Grungepaste
Plaid FolkArt Painted Finishes Kit - Moss
Memento Ink Tuxedo Black
Golden Gesso
GoldenGel Medium
found papers
various laces
sari silk ribbon
calico

"Follow Your Heart" with RELICS & ARTIFACTS® Ambassador Milagros Rivera

We all have it within us, a need to look to the skies above, a need to improve ourselves, be better, set goals and reach them.  We just need to follow our heart and reach for the stars!

As always, the Relics & Artifacts® pieces have a way of whispering which direction they want to take me.  I debated on this one as I had two possible choices that would lead me through different paths. By incorporating Seth Apter's new die, I had the perfect platform to work the Relics.   I envisioned the hands, holding a fragile gold thread, representing the good in our lives.  This one was dictated by Cat Kerr's stamp, "follow your heart". 

When I was little, my dad used to call me Sol.  He would say, "Oh the sun is out!" I don't know if it was because my hair was really blond or because I was a very early riser, but I have very fond memories and those prompted this next piece

I decided to add Cat's stamp,s"he flies with her own wings", both in Latin and in English. I also gave her wings.

(One last close up.)

As on my night version, I added stars here as well.  You'll be able to follow along on Snapguide for the first piece!

Supply List:
Relics & Artifacts® Archival Case Wood Tray I
Relics & Artifacts® Milagros
Seth Apter "Ray of Light" die set
Cat Kerr "Follow Your Heart" stamp
Cat Kerr "She Flies With Her Own Wings" stamp
The Crafter's Workshop paints
The Crafter's Workshop white gesso
fabric
chipboard

Day 4 with That's Crafty! and "The Stars" by RELICS & ARTIFACTS® Ambassador Lynne Moncrieff

We are moving right along with our mash-up with That's Crafty! and today is no disappointment either!  Today, we have Lynne Moncrieff and a piece inspired by the stars.  It's loaded with so much texture, you'll wish you could touch it through your screen!  Remember to revisit each post this week, leave a comment, and cross your fingers that you are picked to be our winner of *3* Relics & Artifacts® Matte Resin Craft Blanks of your choosing!

One of many wondrous aspects of creating is when a gathering of supplies magically unveil a narrative, a vignette, bringing meaning to a project.  When the result has personal significance, even though it might not be evident to another’s eyes, that is when creating becomes a multi-layered experience.  This project is such a piece, with the personal significance of my relationship with Relics & Artifacts and That’s Crafty, both companies coming together in this week of collaborations.  I am in such a privileged position to be on the teams for both companies, companies whose products I adore, add to that, the honour of being in teams who are passionate about their creative lives. 

Relics & Artifacts constantly inspire and with a wide range of That’s Crafty surfaces available, it is a wonderful marriage when combining products from both companies.  Often, it is the Relics & Artifacts, whispering their stories into my ear that is the springboard for a project however, this time, the journey began with a stamp, one of my That’s Crafty Lynne’s Affirmations, “Always believe the stars are within your grasp”. 

It is easy, in this world, to become jaded; positive words can seem cliche.  But my belief, Affirmations can surely do no harm so long as the intention is always from an honest place and used appropriately.   The realisation that a Relics & Artifacts Milagros hand paired with the Affirmation stamp, could come together in the form of a shrine, thanks to a That’s Crafty Art Shrine.

In life, we truly are on a journey and as with any journey, no matter the distance, it is not always the smoothest of rides, yet we keep our focus on the destination. This I tried to convey with the elements I brought together such as the Infusions stained corrugated cardboard scrap, set in the niche of the shrine, a symbol of ruts in the road.  Dipping into a Rust Painted Finished kit, I set about altering the silver star Dresden Trim into rusty stars. The contrast of the Diamond Bohemian Jewels on the rusted stars gracing the arch of the shrine, represent the shining light of hope we should try to keep within us.  Barely seen on the face of the shrine and look closely, stamped onto wispy pieces of mop-up paper (Infusions stained kitchen paper towel) are stars.

Lives are busy but it would be wonderful if you found time to visit each Relics & Artifacts and That’s Crafty collaboration project.  Each team artist has created inspirational art with their individual styles shining through.  Today, Nikki Acton has an awe inspiring piece in monochromatic splendor for you.

Supplies:
Relics & Artifacts® Milagros
Relics & Artifacts® Dresden Trim Star Chain Silver
Relics & Artifacts® Bohemian Jewels - Diamond
That’s Crafty Surfaces Matchbox Arch Art Shrine
That’s Crafty Clear Stamp Set – Lynne’s Affirmations Set 1
PaperArtsy Fresco Finish Chalk Acrylics: Seth Apter Set 1 (Buff, Midnight)
PaperArtsy Grungepaste
PaperArtsy Infusions: Sleight Blue, In The Navy
Plaid Folkart Painted Finished Kit - Rust
Golden Gesso, Matte Gel Medium
Staz-on Jet Black Ink

Extras: star shell button, black cotton sewing thread, re-cycled cardboard ribbon spool, motif cut from vintage doily, rusty tin wire, re-cycled corrugated box packaging, calico, various Infusions stained laces and mop up papers