Guest Designing for Gauche Alchemy!!!

When I was contacted by Stephanie at Gauche Alchemy regarding being chosen winner of their December CASEd CHristmas Challenge, I was over the moon excited!!  I've been dabbling with GA products for some time now and am always blown away at the intricate details and hard work that goes into hand picking each and every kit.  I am madly in LOVE with their Ouchless Cardboard.  When I have it on hand it is a constant 'go-to' for me.  I have the Envy Green kit as well as the Lady Marmelade Orange kit.

It really doesn't matter what kit you get as they are all FABULOUS!  And at their beyond reasonable prices you'll want to grab all of them!!!  hehehehe!!  Just call me The Enabler!!

But I digress - back to my winning the December contest.  The fabulous gals at GA generously sent me the Acme Kit in addition to being awarded a Guest Design Team spot for February!!  WOO HOO!!  Can you tell I'm excited???

The first things that came to my head when Stephanie told me the theme of "Things I Love" was my two children....OBVIOUSLY!!  =)  They are 6.5 and (almost) 5 respectively and they are the tiny loves of my life.  They have changed me to my core...inexplicably, intensely and in ways I never would have imagined.  Being a Mother is what I was meant to do with my life. 

Using my Acme kit, and my other GA goodies that I already owned, I present to you my first official GA Creation.  It is a 12x12" layout with a bevvy of deliciousness all over it!!

I started with a heavy piece of textured blue cardstock.  I backed my cardstock with a thin piece of cardboard as I knew I was going to be adding a lot of 3-D embellishments and wanted to make sure that my creation was going to be secure.  I sanded my cardstock heavily giving it a beautiful worn texture.  I then ran my Distress Ink pad in Vintage Photo across the entire page very haphazardly.  I then hit the corners with my Brilliance White ink pad.  I used clear embossing powder and coated the entire 12x12" page.  I then hit it all with my heat gun and everything came together with a beautiful glossiness.  I then stitched around the entire perimeter with a wide zig zag stitch to add a subtle framing element to the page.  I wanted to work 'relatively' diagonally from the right corner down to the left corner.  Some elements strayed but overall that's the vibe I was going for.

While thinking about the layers and embellishments that I wanted to use, I started with my children's school photos, one drawing each from them (they LOVE art), a panel that contained my not quite 5 year old son's signature (it's VERY unique).  I took their drawings, scanned them in, shrunk them down and printed them out.  I matted the photos and stitched around their edges.  I also matted and stitched their school pics. 

I then began pulling out goodies from the GA Acme kit.  I used the following elements: 

• jumbo playing card (my kids are crazy for the game 'GO FISH')
  
• brown and orange vintage button
• DELICIOUS mustard color wide lace ribbon (which I pleated and stitched together)
• silver punchiella
• the anchor is from a beautiful sheet of vintage paper that I punched out (my son loves pirates!)
  
• fabulously blue acrylic paint (splotches on the library card holder)
  
• pink vintage paper with the K circled (the first initial in my daughter's name)

I used one of my favorite new stamps from Smeared Ink along with the gorgeous blue paint that came with my Acme kit to create the splotches on the library card holder.  I filled out the library card with my children's favorite books from this year.  I kept the library card insert from the photos as it sort of covers up the goodies behind it when it's tucked into it's spot.  I wrapped my library card envelope with white felt ric rac that I had on hand and stapled it down with bright shiny green staples. 

Using some bits and bobs from my Envy kit, I added a green tag that says "Things I love...Winter 2011" and a tiny green safety pin with a teeny tiny turtle on it as my children LOVEEEEEE turtles. 

I used brown Love, Elsie cupcake paper that I distressed and stitched with snowflakes around the edge to accent the left side of my layout.  I had a rhinestone X from an old hair clip of my daughters and a round paper clip with the Eiffel Tower on it.  When put together they spell "XO"!  You can't get more perfect than that for this theme!!! 

I am so thrilled at how it all came together.  I am thrilled with the goodies from GA and once again, honored to be able to create for you!!

I hope you enjoy and have been inspired!!

Crafty Hugs-
Meredith