Thank you to everyone else for playing — and stay tuned: I have a some more Giveaway ideas brewing.

Also, don’t forget the Special Notices mailing list (to be notified when contests, giveaways or swaps announced). If you already receive the newsletter, after you enter your email address you’ll get instructions on updating your profile to include the second mailing list.

thanks,
Leslie

And one thing led to another, and the Giveaway package split into TWO! It will be a quick drawing (you have to enter by Tuesday night, May 15th — which, by the way, is the same deadline for entering the "Think PINK" Art Challenge on our Facebook Page). And commenting once will enter you in the drawing for BOTH Giveaway packages! (I’ll let the first name (randomly chosen) pick their favorite Giveaway package and the second name chosen will receive the other.)

Both Giveaway packages include the:
- Kraft Postcards and the
- Art Deco Beach Rubber Stamp Set (unmounted version).

So far, so good; now here’s were they diverge. So… the first Giveaway package (shown at top right) is the Brighter Combo (really… that’s the name… remember it if it’s the one you want). In addition to the postcards and stamp set, it includes:
- On the Boardwalk Borders and Seam Binding Set
- Tiny Bubbles Scrapbook Paper
- Travel Stick Pins
- Seashell Sequin Mix
- TWO collage sheets printed on cardstock (Bathing Beauties #1 and Art Deco Luggage Labels)
and a few sold out items I threw in for good measure.

The Softer Colors Giveaway package (shown at left, and that photo doesn’t do it justice: the colors are beautiful) also includes the postcards and stamp set, and:
- The new Seahorse Stencil
- Travel Coral Foil Paper
- Sea Glass Labels Scrapbook Paper
- Marie Fiber Set
- TWO collage sheets printed on cardstock (Strange Fish and Seashore)
and a few sold out items I threw in for good measure.

To enter the Giveaway drawing all you have to do is leave a comment on this blog post and tell me how you’d use the goodies (don’t forget to leave your email address, too, so I can contact the winner; note, your email address does not need to be made public). (I’m even including free shipping… though only in the U.S.A.)

After 12:01 a.m. on Wednesday morning, May 16, 2012, I’ll randomly pick the winners (you have until Tuesday night at midnight, May 15, 2012 to enter).

Remember: the entire Beach Theme section (including all those Giveaway goodies linked above) is on sale!

OK, moving on now! Venus on the half shell is quite a beauty, isn’t she? I’d tell you how Rhea did that with the sloping sand and pretties in the shell, but that would take out all of the fun of you reading it for yourself. I know: I’m horrible! Read on my Poppets, enjoy the tutorial and go make one for yourself!

Supplies

- Shadowbox
- Picket Fence Distress Stain
- Gilders Paste
- Pearlized Acrylic Paint
- Iridescent Spray
- Seashore Collage Sheet
- Tiny Real Seashells
- Small Glass Spheres
- Glossy Accents
- E6000
- Paper Clay
- Seaweed Fiber Set
- Sand & Tiny Pebbles
- Brass Shell Corners
- Brass Shell Scroll
- Liver of Sulphur Gel
- Travel Adhesive Borders
- Travel Stamps Varnished Paper

Directions

As many of you know assemblage work is a genre that I love. It takes patience as there are often many steps to prepping pieces but this is what really gives a project character. I will provide a loose guide and some key thoughts while showing a few specific techniques in making this lovely little Sea Shrine I created just for Alpha Stamps.

Here is what I started off with, a small 6×6 shadowbox I had in my stash. It looks quite like a small dresser drawer. I love that it is real wood, so it accepted several mediums quite well. Start by distressing your shadowbox somehow. I chose to add several (3) coats of Picket Fence Distress Stain along with Gilders Paste rubbed along the edges and on the hardware. The inside of my box was painted with a pearl color acrylic paint and then spritzed with some light blue shimmery ink sprays (not pictured). I typically strive to do two or three techniques to give elements depth.

Once I was satisfied with my base, I planned for my focal. I was immediately attracted to the Seashore Collage Sheet from Alpha Stamps. The focal image of choice was glued on to another piece of card stock before fussy cutting to add a bit of strength.

I had the idea to cut away the shell image and dig into my stash for a real one. Then I raided my beads and found some vintage pearls, added in some Tiny Real Seashells as well as some tiny Glass Spheres.

E6000 was the glue of choice here as the stuff I was gluing was “chunky.” I like to use that in this instance as it does set up fairly quickly. Matte Medium and Glossy Accents are also good go to adhesives for the assemblage artist.

Set your focal aside to dry for a bit and plan for assembly, I love this stage!

I wanted my shell focal piece to be in a bank of sand. To this end I used a bit of Paper Clay that I molded to form a slope. Remember, Paper Clay shrinks! Be advised that you will not have a perfect imprint once your clay is dry.

Once your form starts to dry a bit, I recommend taking it out of the box to dry quicker. I am impatient, to speed up the drying of the clay even more, I baked it in the oven at 250 degrees until hard. Mine a good hour due to the thickness of the piece.

Now is the time to attend to collaging the background in your piece! This is another opportunity to add layers, depth and interest. This time around I played with the seaweed fiber set and layered in some collage sheet elements from the Seashore Collage Sheet and the Travel Stamps Varnished Paper. I used Matte Medium to glue down my fiber bits then gathered items to assemble into the project.

Keep in mind it is a good idea to include things that are of a different scale, this is how you achieve interest. Also items tend to look better placed in odd numbers. I used E6000 to start gluing in my ocean treasures. I was sure to audition each piece before adding glue to them.

Shells, starfish, a bottle of garnet sand, sea glass and more tiny shells are all fun items to include. Most of these smaller items were glued down with matte medium. I find that this disappears the best and really does hold pretty well. Inside of my sandy bottle I included a secret note and a few tiny clam shells and tiny seahorses.

I made a handy sandy paste that dries rock solid and I think will have many crafty uses. Here is the recipe: one part Glossy Accents, one part matte medium and two parts sand. I simply mixed it in a small resealable container and I just keep adding to it when I start to run low. My measurements are rough and approximate, you can tell when the mixture starts to thicken too much, you want it to still have some viscosity.

Slather on your paste behind where your focal is going to land, filling in any edges from the paper clay shrinkage. I used a Popsicle stick. Add glue for your focal and place it where you would like, for this large piece I used E6000. I added a bit of my sand formulation over the edges of the shell and over the rest of the paper clay bank. I think this helps it to blend, and it works as an extra adhesive. I also added more tiny real seashells at this point, making sure they had good contact and were wet with adhesive.

To finish off my box I added a decorative border of shells from the Travel Adhesive Borders. I also glued down some Brass Shell Corners and a Brass Shell Scroll that were altered with Liver of Sulphur Gel, Gilders Paste and then a coat of Picket Fence Distress Stain. Yet another great example using the rule of three when distressing an element for a project!

I hope you learned a little something along the way. Assemblage art is such a fun way to tell a story, thanks for joining me as I tell mine!

Cheers,
Rhea

As always, if you create your own shadowbox we would LOVE to see it! Email pictures to me and I’ll put them up on the Alpha Stamps Blog!

And the Design Team at The Altered Alice received the Alice’s Adventures Rubber Stamp Set (also On Sale!) and they’ve created some really fun artwork! The tag at far right is by Tracy Evans (UPDATED: see the Alice in Wonderland Gallery for more Alice in Wonderland art samples by The Altered Alice Design Team (and ours!). (Psst… there are way more Alice galleries; see the Alice in Wonderland Tea Party Swap page for a list.)

Now, to some new Alice-inspired goodies I created (or sourced) in honor of the Challenge…

Alice in Wonderland Tea Time ATC Kit
New and On Sale!
A cute (and colorful) little kit with lots of options for The Mad Hatter's tea party. See the sample ATCs at left made by Teri Calia using this kit (for ideas only; the finished ATCs are not included in the kit).

Teri also added some glitter accents with Diamond Stickles and gave the paper cut-outs some dimension by using Sticky Thumb Dimensional Foam (the dimensional foam is also On Sale!).
 

A Large Blue Caterpillar ATCs Collage Sheet
New and On Sale!
Shown at right; a new collage sheet in honor of the Altered Alice Challenge.

The following is from Alice's Adventures Under Ground (afterward
developed into "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland"):

She stretched herself up on tiptoe, and peeped over the edge of the
mushroom, and her eyes immediately met those of a large blue
caterpillar, which was sitting with its arms folded, quietly smoking a
long hookah, and taking not the least notice of her or of anything else.

But wait… there’s more! I created a new White Rabbit ATCs Collage Sheet that’s only available (free!) if you enter the Altered Alice Challenge!

And don’t forget to look below for more beautiful papers, paper flowers, ribbons, filigree, back in stock items, and our Month of May Guest Designer!
 

Cherry’s postcards and note cards make you want to just run and jump in the ocean, frolic in the waves, and not care whose watching. Just make sure that you don’t take ALL of your clothes off when you’re running into the water!

“Hello my name is Cherry and I live in a very rural area in Oregon along with my husband, son, two cats, and a dog…all of which are male. Yes you heard me right! They are ALL male. I stay in touch with my feminine side by creating, and with my love for home, family, decorating, thrifting & junking, paper crafts, and any other whim I might have………

I am very passionate about making cards and altered art. This passion to create keeps me sane and makes my heart happy. I have loved meeting like minded folks and sharing this hobby and passion with others along the way!

It has been so fun and exciting to play along this month with Alpha Stamps!”

See more of Cherry’s artwork in the Gallery.
Visit Cherry’s blog here.