Feature Artist - Shabby Garden - Welcome Suzz!!

Hello Lovelies!!

Niki here and I am super stoked to be sharing this post about our Featured Artist! This artist was the winner of my "The Birds and the Bee's" challenge in June. I would love to introduce you to Suzz from Suzz's Stamping Spot! Say hello and welcome to Suzz!

Suzz is a multifaceted artist that doesn't limit herself to one style. She shows so many wonderful ways to make mixed media designs, everything from geometric to grunge and shabby chic. I don't know how she does it but WOWZERS! Hats off to you darlin!

Suzz has created another stunner for our Shabby Garden moodboard designed by Lisa. Her attention to detail and texture has me gobsmacked! Get ready to drool and oogle over this tempting and splendid creation!

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Hi Suzz here!  I am thrilled to be a featured artist at Anything But Cute!  The design team is creative and fabulously talented and inspires me every month with their art.

I am Suzanne Czosek (stampersuzz)  of Suzz's Stamping Spot.  I am a mother to 3 wonderful children, 2 dogs and a wife to a wonderful husband. I live in the Midwest in the USA. 

I have always been inspired by art and enjoyed trying new techniques, crafts and mediums.  A good friend of mine at work started me on card making and I have been hooked ever since. 

I am in love the Shabby Garden Mood Board provided by Lisa for this month's challenge.  Who doesn't love a beautiful garden full of texture, beautiful colors and a shabby effect?

You could spend days wandering through these gardens enjoying the smells, the feel and the beauty of the garden.  This had me thinking of how I could emulate the effect of the garden fence in all it's distressed glory alongside the cottage.

I started with the fence by creating a template for the pickets. I cut out enough for the front and back of my mini book.

I then painted them with a lovely soft lavender.

After they were dry I added a layer of Distress Crackle Paint - White to the posts and strips to go behind the fence posts.  I then let that dry and repeated the process on the back sides of the fence.

After everything dried I gave it a lovely spray of gray distress stain and followed it up with a smear of black dye ink over the surface.  Then I spritzed a little water over the black ink.  I ended up with a lovely mix of gray, white and lavender peeking through.

Next up I created a few houses to put as the main covers to my mini book.  These were just cut to scale with my fence.

I decided to create a roof line with tissue tape wrapped around the front.  I then decided a heart cut out would be pretty and used a die to cut a heart shape in the roof. I place them on top of each other with the tissue tape facing out and centered the heart and cut them both at the same time.

I then sponged on the same shade of lavender inside and out of the house. I stamped a ledger stamp in soft gray to add a little siding to my house.

I stamped some images and sentiments on the houses.

 My favorite part is the pretty bits and pieces on the front of the fence.

Thanks to the Anything But Cute team for letting me play along with them this month!

Suzz

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GOBSMACKED right? I know I sure am. The added flowers, clock and butterfly to the distressed fence is beautiful and shabbyliscious! How can you not be inspired to join in with this challenge after taking a gander at Suzz's creation. Get those shabby garden ideas out of your head and onto some canvas or paper and join in with Lisa's Shabby Garden Mood Board!

You have until the 4th of September to play - and you'll find all the challenge details as well as lots of inspiration from the brilliant Anything But Cute design team by clicking on the challenge link.

Happy Crafting and Carpe Diem!
~Niki