Sunday, November 4, 2012

CAN CAN YOU CREATE SOMETHING FRENCH?

Bonjour mes amis! (Hello my friends!)  

This week's Simon Says Stamp and Show is all about some French Inspiration.  If you've not already seen them, check out the tres belle (very beautiful) projects that my Design Teammates have created for you this week on our challenge blog...very inspiring!

I have created a little French shabby chic matchbox dresser for you this week.  I had seen this idea on Laura Carson's Artfully Musing blog and was fascinated with it.  So, of course, 
I had to make one!  There is a video and PDF available on the link to Laura's blog for all of the instructions.

Here is my little creation...a 10 drawer dresser made out of small matchboxes, some chipboard and covered in cardstock.   As you can see, it is very "chic" and belongs to a beautiful girl (in the "mirror") who earned her living as a can can girl in Paris.  How's THAT for French inspiration and imagination?  

The basic dresser is made out of 10 matchbooks.  They usually come bundled in sets of 10.  I bought mine at a dollar store for yep, you guessed it...$1.00.  The chipboard I used was pretty much scraps from other projects.  The cardstock that I used is from Prima's Almanac 6x6 paper pad.  Love that pad!  So many beautiful images and colors.  Perfect for this little shabby chic project.

Here is a closer view of the dresser top; with all of the "girly" things on top: a little mirror (charm), pictures of friends (found on the internet and sized to fit this dresser top), a little antique brass bird cage, a metal picture frame with her boyfriend's picture, two perfume bottles (that I made from beads, crystals and bali silver), Fleur De Lis hangers dangling little vintage keys, hearts and tassles.  

 
I love the "mirror" on the chest.  I had a round metallic silver frame that was perfect for the round mirror that I wanted to attach to the back of my chest.  But it was silver and everything else is either antique copper or gold.  So, I altered the silver into an antique bronze-ish finish first with gold acrylic paint and then rubbing some raw umber acrylic paint on it.  I sized my photograph of my lovely lady to fit the circle and then cut a backing out of black chipboard.

  
Here is my finished "mirror".  I love it!  It was easily attached to the chest by hot gluing it in place on the extra piece I added to the back of the chest (more about that in a minute...)

The drawers of this little dresser actually will slide in and out.  The Almanac paper pad actually has sheets of paper that are almost the perfect size to line the interiors of the drawers. Yes, each drawer is lined!


Each drawer front is covered with a different portion of a paper from the Almanac Paper Pad.  Then I made a template the size of the drawer front to be sure when I poked the holes in the center of the drawer, all of my drawer knobs would line up.

 
The little "knobs" are copper beads and flower spacers threaded on a head pin.  I bent the head pin to one side and used a touch of Glossy Accents to hold it in place. 


Here is a picture of the finished drawers.  I have a little feathery boa coming out of one of them, so you can see that they actually do open and close!  So fun!

The right side features dimensional butterflies taken from the Almanac Paper Pad and covered in Rock Candy Stickles for an extra vintage-ish texture and sparkle.  

The left side features Tim Holtz' ATC size collage of the Eiffel Tower, Mona Lisa and Carte Postale.  That has been heat embossed using my Ranger Heat It Craft Tool and Black Embossing Powder and a touch of Copper Embossing Powder added in.  Very French!


I added a piece of Grungeboard to the back of the dresser using Tim Holtz' Brackets On The Edge die cut.  Then I added a bead of hot glue along the base of the die cut as well as attaching it to the chest with a piece of Tyvek, using Scor Tape to hold it in place.  Then I covered the entire of the back with a piece of cardstock and embellished it.


The back of the dresser features Moulin Rouge posters, pictures of can can girls and the French flag hanging from the antique brass oval frame.  All of the posters have been coated with Rock Candy Stickles for an extra sparkle and texture.

The "CHIC" bunting is created from Tim Holtz' Mini Scallops On The Edge Die Cut that has been cut into sections.  I stamped the letters with Jet Black Archival Ink and folded the paper over a black cord then glued the sides together with Glossy Accents.  I stretched the cording from dresser pole to dresser pole and accented the poles with some pink tulle that has been tied on and ripped to make it look more vintage.  The bunting has been covered in Rock Candy Stickles to pop the colors of the pennants and give them that vintage texture and sparkle. 

Now it's YOUR turn to see what YOU "can can" come up with for a French theme!  Then post it to Simon Says Stamp and Show's challenge.  You could win our generous sponsor's 


$50.00 credit voucher!  You could also be recognized as one of our TOP THREE entries for the week!  Good luck!!

Here are the products available at Simon Says Stamp that I used in this piece:

















 

35 comments:

  1. Another brilliant make, you always pack your creations so full of vintage yumminess!!! Simply beautiful! Trace x

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  2. Oh, my! That is just stunning, such attention to detail, I love it: thank you so much for sharing!xx Keren

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  3. This is absolutely stunning! Love all the wonderful detail - and thanks for the links, must check them out too :)

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  4. Your attention to detail simply amazes me! What a glorious piece this is!

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  5. OH MY GOD Candy, You have outdone yourself yet again, This is fricking fantastic, love every little detail, the perfume bottles are genius.. If this needs a new home i'm more than happy to take it off your hands lol xx

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  6. Eye catching, inspirational and great design. I cannot believe this is made from match boxes, so so realistic. The finishing touches really add to the charm of this piece and the mirror is gorgeos, so ornate. I love how you have found so many things in miniature like the bottles and mirror, exquisite. This is one to treasure Candy. Tracy x x

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  7. Oh Candy, you amaze me with your project every week. This is SO wonderful! As always, you added the most amazing details. Love everything on top of the little dresser, the perfume bottles, tiny framed photo, mirror. And the banner is so clever. You even decorated the insides of the drawers and the back of the unit!

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  8. Wow, that is just so neat! Not my style but I can clearly see making it mine with a few changes. So many details to pore over...I gotta get another cuppa. Thanks for such stupendous inspiration!

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  9. Ooh la la Candy, C'est magnifique!! I saw this over at Laura's and wanted to make one and you have now inspired me to do just that. Love all the little details, your hand made perfume bottles, the gorgeous little picture frame and hand mirror are all fabulous but the mirror does it for me, it is stunning (and so is the lady). You never fail to impress with your amazing creations - Wow - I am in total awe!! Crafty hugs, Anne x

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  10. So detailed and fabulous! Very French indeed!

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  11. Wow, Candy, mir fehlen die Worte, so ein traumhaft schönes Werk! Ich bewundere die vielen liebevollen Details und die wunderschönen Dekorationen, das ist einzigartig!

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  12. Awesome piece Candy. Will pop over to check SSSS out x Annie x

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  13. Another amazing piece, I love it, the pic frame is great, and using matchboxes, who woulda thought!!!

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  14. SO tres chic, Candy!
    Thanks for sharing this beautiness!

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  15. So Tres Chic, Candy! Thanks for sharing this beautiness!

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  16. Starting to get hacked that I'm not getting your feed! Anyway, I LOVE THIS!!! It's the epitome of the French madames dresser! I love all the elements and it is so chic!!!! COOL MAKE!

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  17. WOW, Candy! This is way too cool!!! Hmmm....do my granddaughters have a place to put one? Oh, I love this!

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  18. oh mhy word Candy, this is TOTES AMAZEBALLS... LOVE LOVE LOVE IT!!!! where ever do you get your ideas from? they all rock.. .not long now hunny..counting the days lol mwah

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  19. Oh my Candy ! I've been trying to find time to visit since I saw your fabulous project on the SSS&S post. Wow, I love it ! Sue C x

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  20. Oh my I don't know how you can come up with the ideas . This project is adorable and so Frenchy. Love all the little dresser pieces and the pic. frame. Thanks for sharing
    Marilyn

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  21. Chère Candy,
    j'aime beaucoup cette création. Magnifique.
    (Good time to reactivate some of my sleeping french vocabulary).
    It is too late for a cup of coffee because it is half past midnight here in Germany. ;-)
    But I can't take my eyes off. That is soooo beautiful.
    I love all the little details and I am always impressed by your enormous creativity.
    Thank you so much for showing.

    Anke x

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  22. This is brilliant! I loved seeing how you put this together. It looks just like a real dresser! Fabulous!

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  23. WOW! Your attention to detail is so inspiring!

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  24. Stunning, Absolutely Stunning! Such intricacies. I love it! At first glance I thought it was an actual dresser. I thought you might have decorated it, lol. I should have know. Love it!
    Hugs, DAngina

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  25. This is amazing! What a stunning dresser! It has so many details. Wow!! Love everything about it! Gorgeous!!! Hugs, Sandra

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  26. Such a neat and dainty project for a girl, Candy! I love all the attention to detail you put in this piece!

    *mwah*
    Steph
    Simon Says Stamp!

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  27. Wow! So much detail on something soo small and chic. Love it! Well done Candy!
    Oo la lah indeed!
    xx

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  28. This is amazing, Candy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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  29. I am in awe! This is so fun and girly and fabulous!! Love how there are things on the chest and that each drawer is lined. WOW!! So awesome :)

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  30. Hey there my sweetness, your cabinet is OVER THE TOP, that BEAUTIFULL, I am loving it. Fabulous detaills everywhere, so much to see, I will check it out in a minute for the second time, cause there is soooo much to see, a FABULOUS and AMAZINGLY made creation by Candy's ARTISTIC hands wowww Hugs Terry xxxx

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  31. Utterly enchanting, Candy! I love the imagination and creativity you share with every project - always so full of inspiration... I'm rooting for your Cancan girl, and hoping things don't head downhill from there! Beautiful Almanac papers - a big, old WOW! Thank you so much too, as always, for your hugely supportive comments - they mean so much to me.
    Alison x

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  32. I always look forward to your art, dear Candy and you never fail to amaze me with your lovely work! This is simply gorgeous and elegant! Bravo!

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  33. WOW! That is just amazing. I absolutely love every part of it! All those little details, you have created a whole world with this piece. Kim

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  34. Amazing. Thank you for so many details.
    I may try to do something like this (not as amazing) for the French inspired Bayou Halloween hop!

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