Maybe it is just me, but I feel like I shouldn’t say that I like something I’ve made; that it would sound arrogant somehow. It took me months of making before I would even sign my work, but why shouldn’t we be proud of what we have created?

Everything I create comes from my heart; it is born from my passion and the art of crafting is my therapy. So I am determined to work against this conditioning that we must never say we love something we have made; I have worked hard to teach my body to do what my brain asks of it and I am proud of everything I create because I know how hard it was to get where I am today.

? Plus, I REALLY love Beauty & The Beast! ?

I made the Bell jar shape on Silhouette Studio and added a swirling filigree and snow flake cut file that I purchased on the Design Store (link below). It took me a while to get the full cut file to a point that I was happy with it, and it was all just a case of experimenting and messing with it until I got the look that I was after.

I once I was happy with it I cut it from Vellum, which I glued onto an acetate sheet. Then I made another cut file by offsetting the outer parameter of the jar, and adding this into a 4.75×6.75 inch rectangle; this gave me a card panel cut with an opening slightly larger than that of the vellum so that it could sit over it but still show a border of the vellum.

I cut this 5x out of a dark navy heavy cardstock, so that I would have 1 to sit on top of my acetate & vellum and I could stack up the other 4 to sit behind it, creating a shaker panel.

I typed my sentiment and used Silhouette software to trace it and create the sketch line, then I offset the outer of entire sentiment to create a cut file; this meant that my Cameo 4 wrote the sentiment for me, in a silver sketch pen, then cut it out.

I took inspiration from the rose and jar out of the live action BATB that came out in 2017, I absolutely love the aesthetic of this version.

I wanted to capture the light that seems to come from the jar & rose itself, so I blended some Distress Oxide onto the top navy panel. I used Salty Ocean to blend over the edges of the jar and then I added some Chipped Sapphire onto the outer edges of the panel itself; this gives the area around the jar the appearance of being illuminated. At the same time, I also blended the lighter Oxides over one of the inside jar pieces, so that I could use this as a background for my jar.

I spritzed a little pearlised water over both pieces, (this is just a mixture of water and perfect pearls that I make up in a mini spritzing bottle, it gives amazing coverage and shine!

I printed off the Dreamy Rose image from Alex’s latest release onto Neenah 80lb, and I coloured it with my favourite red Copic blend. I used the same method that I always do; mapping out my shadows first by adding the darkest colour to the base of each petal and anywhere that a petal is sitting on top of another one. Then I add my lightest colour to the highlight areas, this is just the easiest way I find for me, personally. I then add the colour in the space between, using 2-3 colours to slowly transition between my darkest & lightest shades. I also printed and coloured 4 additional petals.

Once I was happy with the flower itself, I added the colour to the stem using the same principles as with the flower.

I glued my Rose onto the background piece, then added 2 petals to look as though they were falling down from the Rose. Once the glue had thoroughly dried I added some clear sparkle hearts from my stash and sealed the shaker panel.

I glued another petal on the front to look as thought it had fallen and was resting on my sentiment. I added a few sparkling clear confetti sequins then I attached the entire panel onto a 5x7inch kraft card base!

This photo angle really shows off the beautiful shimmer you get from using that pearlised water! I’m really quite proud of this one, and I will love seeing it on my wall; and right now that’s the most important thing to me.