Here at Anything But Cute we love to see all the seasoned and expert mixed media artists, but we also want to encourage those who are just getting their feet wet. Our design team will always be on the lookout for these exceptional artists, and you just never know when we might be giving out something special to a talented mixed media newcomer.
Make sure to put 'newbie' after your name in the linky so we know who you are.
(new refers to 'new to mixed media' NOT 'new to our challenge')
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Showing posts with label challenge. Show all posts
Showing posts with label challenge. Show all posts

Monday, October 5, 2015

Challenge # 6 - 31 Days of Halloween

Hello Everyone!

Before we introduce you to our new challenge we have some bad news and some good news to share with you.  The bad news is that this is the last challenge for one of our team members, Georgie.  The good news is that she has become a contributing member of The Craft Stamper magazine so while she is moving on from this team, she will still be sharing her creativity.  We all want to thank Georgie for her contributions to our team and wish her all the best.  Now on to our new challenge:

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Sara Emily here, and I am your hostess this for this month's challenge here at Anything But Cute. A huge thank you to all of you talented artists, new and seasoned, who participated in Niki's Mixed Media Makover challenge last month! It was so much fun to see the before photos (which were great to start with) and how you recycled and restyled them into something even more awesome! Don't forget to check back with us next Monday when Niki and the team announce the winners of the Mixed Media Makeover Challenge. Now on to this month's theme.

For those that know me, you know I LOOOOVE Halloween!  It's a day when you can look any way you want and be someone you can't any other day of the year.Only I think it's more than just ONE day--I'll be celebrating for the 31 days of October!

"31" DAYS OF HALLOWEEN

If you love Halloween like I do, it's more than just one day out of the year, it's a season! For this challenge I would like you to make a mixed media card or project for Halloween. It can be spooky or not, but you MUST include the number "31" somewhere in your project. We can't wait to see the creative ways you'll be incorporating this number in your mixed media piece!

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And now for some inspiration from the talented Anything But Cute design team!

Sara Emily - sarascloset


I found this old box in the basement of an old house, and dusted it off.  Baaaaad mistake!  I seem to have awakened some lost souls when I opened it!  So I carefully  sealed the box and altered the outside using stencils and paste, paints, inks and stains and a bunch of other stuff.  Stop by my blog if you are brave enough to see what's inside! Mwahahaha!

Branka - Vintage Handmade

I was in the mood to create something funny and Dylusional for this amazing challenge theme so I pulled out my Dylusions big journal, my Dylusions paints, stencils, stamps, some markers, pens and voila, this is the result:) I put the number 31 on the belt buckle and a handbag.

Cec - CW Card Creations

I have altered a bottle that I picked up at a local thrift store for next to nothing.  It is covered with lots of texture paste, cheesecloth, ink sprays, beads, vintage labels, gems and some glittery spiders.  My #31 was painted, crackled and rubbed with pewter wax paste.

Georgie - Little Blue Craft Box

The Curse of 31
Saying the number 31 five times in the presence of five spiders will turn you into this...!! Shock Horror!!! Naaaaah, only kidding, but I did create quite the story in my head about this poor soul who dared to try. Embossing folders, foil tape, black distress paint kept me sane throughout this creation - just! ;)

Niki - Pawsitively Creative Crafts


31 Days of Halloween made me think of graveyards and skeletons! I love me a good haunted house and that was my inspiration for this design. This is my first time altering a TH clock and also making "clothes" for skeletons. I used so many products and supplies, the list would be longer than I have room to write. I have used the number 31 in two spots. 31 Halloween Hauntings and on a gravestone-Max died at 31 years old and now haunts people in the graveyard.

Samra - Paper Talk with Samra

I created a Gothic style greeting card. The background is a piece of chipboard treated with gesso, crackle paint and distress inks. I make the antique frame by gluing 8 diecuts and then painting them with black paint, crackle paint and then red paint. I wanted #31 to be the focal point of this project and I don't think you can miss it by any chance :)

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Wow! Aren't these Halloween projects spine-tingling?! Every month my Teamies leave me with my jaw hanging open over their creative genius-ness! Please hop over to the team blogs to see more photos and get some details on how these projects were made. And don't forget to leave some bloggy love while you're there.

I hope that we have inspired you to head to your craft room and pull out those creepy, bone-chilling, scary, or not-so-scary bits and mixed media products to create a Halloween feast for the eyes.  Just don't forget we need to see the number 31 represented in some way on your project!

The winner will receive the honour of being our Guest Designer for an upcoming challenge!

Here at Anything But Cute we just love to see all the seasoned and expert mixed media artists, but we also want to encourage those who are just getting their feet wet. Our design team will always be on the lookout for these exceptional projects and artists. You just never know when we might be giving out something special to a lucky mixed media newcomer. We all have to start somewhere, right?

Challenge runs until November 4th - we can't wait to see what you come up with! Happy Crafting from the entire team and thanks for visiting Anything But Cute!


Saturday, September 5, 2015

Challenge #5 - September - Mixed Media Makeover

Hello Everyone!

Niki here and I am your hostess this for this month's challenge here at Anything But CuteHuge thank you to all the artists that were able to join in with our last challenge! You all make this challenge blog amazing! We see such a wide variety of awesome sauce projects and details! You all rock! Don't forget to check back with us next Saturday when Georgie and the team announce the winners of the Making Magic Challenge. Now on to this month's theme.

Have any of you ever tried a new style or technique that didn't turn out the way you thought it would? Like maybe trying shabby chic when you are more of a grunge style artist and it ended up being a disaster? Or making hand made flowers that fell a bit short of the image you had in your head? I sure have! The rejects are laying around my art room looking sad. :( So I decided to try and turn some of these into designs I am proud of. Don't be embarrassed by the before picture (have you seen mine?) just have fun with this challenge and enjoy the process! Carpe Diem!

MIXED MEDIA MAKEOVER

Pull out an old card, tag, project, masterboard or embellishment that you weren't completely happy with or never completely finished. I want you to recycle it. We all make "mistakes" with our art right? Now's your chance to fix it. Redo it, hide the mistake, make it bigger, make it better, make it more beautiful or rip it apart and use the pieces! Give it a mixed media makeover! For this challenge you will need to include a before picture so we can see what you started with.

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And now for some gorgeous inspiration from the talented Anything But Cute design team!

Before

After
I just had to redo this disappointing canvas and make it over! This was a fun way to make something that I liked. I used so many supplies and found pieces from my stash. Metallics and textures are front and center for my dark chaotic textural fun. Fear No Art means create anything you darn well please and don't fear trying new things because you can always do a makeover!

Before

After 
As soon as I saw the theme Niki picked for this challenge, I knew that I was going to recycle one of my art journal pages I never liked. I decided to create something completely different from the original page using gesso, a lot of distress stain sprays, Lindy's sprays, Ecolines and acrylic paints. 


Before

After
My before item isn't something I didn't like but instead it is something that would not work for a project I had envisioned some time ago so I abandoned it.  (Note to self: Do not buy wood items from the dollar store if you want the surface to be smooth.)  I took it apart and created a wall hanging with a vintage peacock image and then I added lots of lace, flowers, buttons, beads and sequins along with paints and sprays to showcase her glorious colours.

Georgie - Little Blue Craft Box
Before
COMING SOON
After


Before

After
My message to all crafters is: Never try to save on materials if you want your project to turn out good...I tried to create my dress with ribbon leftovers and it turned out to be a huge mistake. So I used up the leftovers that you see in the before picture and added probably 4 times more ribbon and silk of all kinds to create this wedding dress card...

Before

After
When I create, I do it off the cuff, and usually make a few "rejects" before I settle on something that makes it to a finished product.  My before shot shows just a few things I pulled out of the recycle bin that weren't quite what I was going for the first time around. I wouldn't say this is a complete makeover, but a simple remodel.  What I've taken away from all this--never throw anything out! Recycle! Please pop over to my blog to see what made the cut, what didn't, and what else I've added to make this card!

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The fantastically talented design team here have come up with some whoppers! That's what I love about this team, such a wide range of talent and passion. Please hop over to the team blogs to see more photos and get some details on how these projects were made. And don't forget to leave some bloggy love while you're there.

We sure hope to inspire you with our unique challenge. Now it's your turn to head to your craft room and dig through everything you have to see what you can recreate or improve! Here is your chance for a total mixed media makeover!

The winner will receive the honour of being our Guest Designer for an upcoming challenge!

Here at Anything But Cute we just love to see all the seasoned and expert mixed media artists, but we also want to encourage those who are just getting their feet wet. Our design team will always be on the lookout for these exceptional projects and artists. You just never know when we might be giving out something special to a lucky mixed media newcomer. We all have to start somewhere, right?

Challenge runs until October 4th - we can't wait to see what you come up with! Happy Crafting from the entire team and thanks for visiting Anything But Cute!


Wednesday, August 5, 2015

Challenge #4 - August - Making Magic

Hello Everyone!

Georgie here and I am your hostess this for this month's challenge here at Anything But Cute. We were pleased that so many of you joined us last month and you certainly pulled out all the stops to make some stunning beach and romantic projects. Don't forget to check back with us Wednesday when Samra and the team announce the winners of the Summer Romance Challenge. Now on to this month's theme.

MAKING MAGIC

Most of us are drawn to the magic of fairy tales and fantasy. The colours are often hypnotic and your mind is free to explore outside the limits of reality. For this challenge, I would like you to create a magical mixed media project strongly inspired by the moodboard. Be inspired by the theme, the colours, the textures or all three. Lets bring a little magic back!

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OUR SPECIAL GUEST DESIGNER - TRACY EVANS

Last month we gave out a very special award for Outstanding Technique to a talented artist Tracy Evans. You can see her award winning piece HERE. Tracy is the queen of texture and every one of her projects is so full of amazing colours and techniques! A big welcome to Tracy, we are so honoured to have you here with us today. Now for a few words from Tracy...
I would like to thank Pamellia and the team for inviting me along to be a Guest, I am hugely thrilled and honoured to be amongst so many talented artists.
I loved Georgie’s challenge theme this month, “Making Magic” which conjures up so many thoughts, especially when combined with the imagery, colours and textures in the mood board. Once I saw the mood board I was hugely inspired by the colours, textures and gold highlights. The first thing that hit me was the bottom middle picture, it looks like the texture from leaves to me, and that is, as they say where my piece began. I included a leaf from my garden which adds texture and life to my piece, nestled in the backdrop amongst layers of texture and paint. The droplets in the picture inspired my use of a glue gun in my magical piece and I added touches of gold, dry brushed over the whole canvas to give a touch of opulence and light to the design. The browns, turquoise and greens showcased in the mood board greatly inspired my colour choices achieved from DecoArt Paints and Lindy’s Stamp Gang Sprays which give a real touch of shimmer to my design.  

The mood board also conjured up thoughts of secret forests and hidden treasures for me and the facial image in the mood board inspired me to add a Sandra Evertson Relic piece for centre stage, which I aged with DecoArt products. Finally I added a feather to the background, applying Crackle Paste through a stencil, again inspired by the imagery in the mood board. The sprays, layers of paint, texture, shimmer and a touch of the garden really add a touch of magic for me and remind me of my garden which is a daily inspiration for my art.
Wow, thank you so much Tracy, your project is absolutely stunning!! And now for some inspiration from the wonderful Anything But Cute design team.

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I love the idea of the magical fantasy fairytale world, the creative possibilities are absolutely endless!  For my canvas, I was inspired by Gabrielle Pollacco's work, how she layers her pieces and uses colour. I used Dusty Attic chipboard, Lindy's Sprays, stencils and a good heap of black gesso.

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Branka - Vintage Handmade

Inspired by Georgie's amazing mood board I decided to try myself in Finnabair's style so I pulled out my canvas, my crackle paste, a stencil, a lot of sprays, some metal embellishments, my paints, some wood pieces, golden mica paste and started to create this without any particular idea of the final result. 

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Cec - CW Card Creations

I decided to try to channel my inner Finnabair and create a collage.  I saw one she did with a paint brush and thought I would make that my focal point and create a different layout.  To make this I used texture paste, stencils, fibers, flowers, buttons, metal bits along with electrical components my husband donated to the cause and wooden letters he cut for me on his new laser cutting machine.  Everything is coated with lots of paints and ink sprays.

***
To me, Knowledge is magic. It opens the doors to so many wonderful adventures and the most magical adventures I have had the pleasure of taking, are usually through a book. That is how I came up with my design for this month, and it is actually my first altered book. I used the colors and the feel of Georgie's magical mood board. I even incorporated the water drop details by using Glossy Accents. 

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I could have gone in so many directions with this gorgeous mood board, but what caught my eye instantly were the face partially covered with gold and the moss in the woods, so I decided to create a mask partially covered with rustic gold glass glitter and a mossy background card. Yes, this is a card!

***
I was really inspired by Georgie's  Making Magic theme this month!  I just  reached in my stash and pulled out everything that sparkled and got to work!  I'll show you how I took this yard sale plaque from start to finish using paint, embossing powder, texture paste, metallic rubs, and the kitchen sink to make some magic! 

***
Wow, what an amazing line up of creations from our design team! I am proud to call these gals my teamies! Please hop over to the team blogs to see more photos and get some details on how these projects were made. And don't forget to leave some bloggy love while you're there.

I hope that we have inspired you to head to your craft room and pull out those magical inks, paints and embellishments! The winner will receive the honour of being our Guest Designer for an upcoming challenge!

Here at Anything But Cute we just love to see all the seasoned and expert mixed media artists, but we also want to encourage those who are just getting their feet wet. Our design team will always be on the lookout for these exceptional projects and artists. You just never know when we might be giving out something special to a talented mixed media newcomer. We all have to start somewhere, right?

Challenge runs until September 4th - we can't wait to see what you come up with! Be sure to review our guidelines. Happy Crafting from the entire team and thanks for visiting Anything But Cute!


Sunday, July 5, 2015

Challenge #3 - July - Summer Romance

Hello dear Anything But Cute friends! Samra here hosting this month's challenge: "Summer Romance".

Thank you so much to everyone who played along with us last month for our Make It Masculine challenge. There were so many amazing projects and each one was a gorgeous work of art! Don't forget to check back with us next Sunday when Cec and the team announce the winners. Now on to this month's theme.

I have found some beautiful romantic sea inspired photos that our dear Pamellia put together into this gorgeous mood board. What I would love to see is projects with a romantic theme a beach/sea theme or both, but they must be strongly inspired by the colors of this mood board. 

THIS MONTH OUR MOOD BOARD MUST BE DISPLAYED IN YOUR POST.
For your convenience, here is the image URL - http://bit.ly/1LFu5ND


I hope you will find some seashells that you brought home from vacation, get that Bahama Breeze paint that is waiting to be used and put them all into good use and "whip up" a mixed media piece for this month's challenge!

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And now for some gorgeous inspiration from the the talented Anything But Cute design teamI hope you will take a few minutes to click on their names, so you check out all the details up close.


I chose this theme because I love the summer and sea. I altered an old fancy chocolate box and gave it a new life as a sea and love themed decorative box. I painted the box with 3 different paints to give it this weathered seaside look. I used a lot of real seashells and some gypsum starfish, painted them all white to match the seashells and starfish from our mood board. I also used cheese cloth, dew drops and some Cricut cutouts to complete this design. 

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Branka - Vintage Handmade

I love everything related to summertime and sea. 'Summer Romance' is just a perfect theme for this time of year so I decided to create a canvas full of seashells and blue/green tones. I used a lot of mists, sprays and paints, crackle and sand paste, distress crackle paint in Clear Rock Candy and some embellishments. To imitate coral reefs I used Tim Holtz's Tattered pinecone die. 

***
Cec - CW Card Creations

For this project I decided to concentrate on the romance aspect and use the colours from the photo inspiration.  This is a Tussie Mussie that would have been carried by a bride in Victorian times but I added some shabby twists.  The cone is made from paintable wallpaper and I have added a variety of handmade fabric flowers, some embossed feathers that were fussy cut, a crackle lock and key and a handmade stick pin.

***
I absolutely love the theme Samra set for us... romantic blues, teals, turquoises and white are just perfect for this time of year and I felt inspired to create this card. The background was created using Spellbinders Shell Beauty 3D embossing folder and inked with Ecolines. The netting chipboard was some left over s from another project from Dusty Attic. 

***
Summer Lovin happened so fast! Yes, I just watched Grease a couple of weeks ago, anyhoo. This wonderful and soft theme made me think outside my comfort zone and try my hand once again at a sea and blue piece (the last one ended up in the trash). I love love because I have found my true love and I do believe that "True Love is Deeper than the Ocean". I even made my own seashells and sand!

***
I was so inspired by Samra's mood board! All of those blues and aquas with the surf and sand, who can resist the beach! I decided to put together a mixed media frenzy of waves and sand using lots of crackle pastes and glitters. The sand dollar, starfish and seashells are all authentic and the hand painted wood piece is a memento from a vacation taken many moons ago.

***
Sara Emily - sarascloset

I made a canvas this time using lots of texture and natural objects found at our local beaches.  A ton of mixed media products were used including pastes, inks, paints, stains, and sprays as well as fibers,beads, die cuts, rub ons, stamped images, and more! What could be more romantic than a walk on the beach with your sweetie!

***
Wow, what an amazing line up of creations from our design team...and now it is your turn to let your imagination loose and take our breath away with your makes! I hope that we have inspired you to head to your craft room and put those summery paints and embellishments to work.

The winner will receive the honour of being our Guest Designer for an upcoming challenge!

Here at Anything But Cute we just love to see all the seasoned and expert mixed media artists, but we also want to encourage those who are just getting their feet wet. Our design team will always be on the lookout for these exceptional projects and artists. You just never know when we might be giving out something special to a talented mixed media newcomer. We all have to start somewhere, right?

PLEASE NOTE - WHEN WE USE THE TERM "NEWBIE" WE ARE REFERRING TO THOSE ARTISTS WHO ARE NEW TO MIXED MEDIA...NOT MIXED MEDIA ARTISTS WHO ARE NEW TO OUR CHALLENGE. Thank you.

Challenge runs until August 4th - we can't wait to see what you come up with! Be sure to review our guidelines. Happy Crafting from the entire team and thanks for visiting Anything But Cute!


Friday, June 5, 2015

Challenge #2 - June - Make It Masculine

Hello, Cec here and I am your hostess for the second challenge at Anything But Cute. We were pleased that so many of you joined us for our first challenge and you certainly  pulled out all the stops to make some fantastic projects. Don't forget to check back with us next Tuesday when Branka and the team announce the winners of the Vintage Garden Challenge. Now on to this month's theme.

MAKE IT MASCULINE

I decided to call the June challenge Make It Masculine and would like you to make a mixed media card or other project for a fellow in your life. It could be for Father's Day, a birthday, an anniversary or just because you want him to know how special he is.

***
The Anything But Cute design team has created some wonderful inspiration for you.  I encourage you to click on their name, which will take you directly to their blog so you check out all the details.


I made this Father's Day card for my husband and it features stenciling with both texture paste and distress ink, a panel covered in casting material, a handmade hot air balloon along with some metal embellishments. Lots of ink sprays and wax paste were added to create a unified colour palette.

***

I decided to create a steampunk style cardboard hanging plate with cogs, gears and pipes for my son. The pipes were made of plastic straws that left from my daughter's birthday party. I used black gesso for the base and then applied my antique paste in bronze. Also, I used an acetate package and a printable downloaded image. 

***
To be honest I wasn't really sure how this would turn out. I had an idea in my head that I wanted to do a little deep canvas with cogs, Tim Holtz embellies and left over items from an Ikea haul ages a go. With this I just ran with the mojo, and a happy little helper, and created!

***
This is my first masculine piece. It isn't a card, or a canvas, but recycled manila folders. With the 4th of July coming up, I first thought of our soldiers (masculine to the nines) and how much they have done for my country. This piece will be an abandoned art piece at a local Veterans Hospital to say thank you to whomever picks it up.  

***
I have been dying to try out some new earthy type techniques using my new DecoArt products, so this was the perfect opportunity. I have altered a book box for my Dad for Father's Day. Lots of faux bark, wood, leather and metal to make it masculine! It's sort of Steampunk meets the Deep Woods!

***

As soon as I saw the theme Cec picked for this challenge, I knew what I was going to make:this frame to put a picture from amazing 70,000 Tons Of Metal Cruise I went to with my husband earlier this year. This is the first time I used aluminum foil tape and it was so much fun!!! The gears were either die cuts or crafter clay molds and bolts and nuts were the real metal ones.

***

I had this cigar box on my shelf for over 2 years with one piece of home made background paper on it. I had visions of leather and rust when I started, and I hope I was able to convey that in using various products and techniques I've either picked up here and there or just experimented with. I probably used every single type of mixed media product in my Closet on this leathery-John-Wayne-turned-greasy Steampunk box I made for my husband.

***

Now I hope we have inspired you to get your mixed media supplies out and create a masculine project to share with us.

The winner will receive the honour of being our Feature Artist for an upcoming challenge!

Here at Anything But Cute we just love to see all the seasoned and expert mixed media artists, but we also want to encourage those who are just getting their feet wet. Our design team will always be on the lookout for these exceptional projects and artists. You just never know when we might be giving out something special to a talented mixed media newcomer. We all have to start somewhere, right?
Be sure to add "newbie" after your name in the linky, so we know who you are.

Challenge runs until July 4th - we can't wait to see what you come up with! Be sure to review our guidelines. Happy Crafting from the entire team and thanks for visiting Anything But Cute!


Tuesday, May 5, 2015

Challenge #1 - May - Vintage Garden

Hello Everyone!

Branka here, hostessing the very first challenge ever here at Anything But Cute.

With summer just around the corner, I find myself yearning for all things Spring. What I think about the most when I think of spring, is all the things you find in your garden. With that in mind I have chosen the theme 'Vintage Garden'.


What do you think of when you hear the word Garden? Is it flowers, birds, butterflies, dragonflies, bees, lattice, vines, fences? Whatever garden vision you have, we want to see it. But make sure it's in a vintage style.

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And now for some gorgeous inspiration from the talented Anything But Cute design team!

***

I remember how happy I was when visited my Grandmother during my childhood. When I'm thinking of that wonderful time I can see her vintage garden, an old fence, a lot of beautiful flowers and a fresh green grass, in front of my eyes. I was inspired by those lovely memories to create a canvas for our first challenge ever at Anything But Cute.

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My Vintage Garden began with this lovely vintage image of a woman and her children out in the garden.  I decided to go monochromatic and soft so I changed the image to sepia and then created a canvas full of texture, flowers and bits and pieces from my craft room around her.

For me, Vintage Garden is akin to a Secret Garden. Capturing the majestic beauty of a hidden gem in a wondrously overgrown estate garden, lost in time but not in mystery and splendour. My mind goes to romantic bridges, overgrown walls with magical out door mirrors, the odd quirky outdoor garden feature... :) and then, this canvas was born. I used Prima resins, sprays, dry wall tape, crackle, micro beads... the list really goes on :)

***

When I think of a Vintage Garden my mind automatically went to soft colors and lots of wonderful birds singing. Any type of garden inspires me because I do not have a green thumb at all and have mad respect for anyone that can keep any plant alive! 
I decided to build a 3d canvas for my Vintage Garden complete with an antique hanging birdhouse and an overgrown bird bath. I used lots of cardboard, paint and handmade flowers to create my scene.

***
Samra - Paper Talk with Samra

Vintage Garden always sparks thoughts of  home and picket fence...That is why my card represents all that with addition of some handmade flowers and moss ...

I was inspired to make a 3 dimensional garden after attending our town's Spring Garden Tour 2 weeks ago. Each of the four sides of my birdhouse has a different garden scene including a fountain, a garden wall, a Wisteria patch and potting area, and a rose garden. I used many recycled materials and altered others. Paints, paper clay and a box of tissues helped me create this whimsical garden.

***

Wow, what an amazing line up of creations from our design team! I am proud to call these gals my teamies! Please hop over to the team blogs to see more photos and get some details on how these projects were made. And don't forget to leave some bloggy love while you're there.

I hope that we have inspired you to head to your craft room and pull out those flowers, bugs and fences to create your own version of a Vintage Garden! The winner will receive the honour of being our Guest Designer for an upcoming challenge!

Here at Anything But Cute we just love to see all the seasoned and expert mixed media artists, but we also want to encourage those who are just getting their feet wet. Our design team will always be on the lookout for these exceptional projects and artists. You just never know when we might be giving out something special to a talented mixed media newcomer. We all have to start somewhere, right?

Challenge runs until June 4th - we can't wait to see what you come up with! Be sure to review our guidelines. Happy Crafting from the entire team and thanks for visiting Anything But Cute!