Alpha Stamps Gypsy Fever Blog Hop!

(If you're coming across this post for the first time, please note that the deadline for this contest has passed and a winner has already been chosen. Stay tuned for more fun Alpha Stamps contests in the future!)

Welcome to the Alpha Stamps Design Team Blog Hop, and the Gypsy Fortune game! You will need to visit each of the four design team blogs (link listed below), find the four secret words, and create a Gypsy Fortune by unscrambling them.  Be sure to read through all the blog posts to find the italicized secret word in each one. Then unscramble the words, and leave the secret saying as a comment on the Alpha Stamps blog. If you enter the correct phrase, you will be entered to win $100 worth of supplies chosen for the Gypsy Fortune Teller Swap!

In honor of Alpha Stamps' Gypsy swap going on now, I've posted the little matchbox shrine above, made using an image from the Gypsy Beauty Collage sheet. I made this using the little inside drawer of a matchbox. I covered it with Kaisercraft's "Gypsy Sisters" paper, and added some Wine Beaded Fringe to the bottom of the box.

 For the inside of the shrine, I used foam tape to adhere a vintage postage stamp to the back of the box. I then used more foam tape to adhere my gypsy image. This gives the interior some nice depth. I inked around the edges of the type and glued them down, and then embellished the background with some sequin stars. Here's a little hint: when adding small elements like the stars, it's always best to add an odd number, like three, five, seven, or nine. Odd numbers of things are always more pleasing to the eye.

The beads on the top of the box came from that same beaded fringe along the bottom of the box. They are attached with E6000. The acrylic domino I used is pre-drilled with holes, so I fed the ball chain through the holes, put tape around the ends to make them fit tightly, and then pulled them up through the holes to catch. I then dribbled a little E6000 into the holes to help hold the ends of the chain in place.

I love the brass wings on the side of this shrine. To attach them, I used an exacto knife to cut a little slit, being careful to not cut through to the inside of the box. I dabbed a bit of E6000 onto the edge of the wing and stuck it into the slit. To make them sturdier, I glued a small gold bead to both the back of the wing and to the box. Because the bead is the same color as the wing, it's almost invisible, but it makes the wing so much more secure. 

Here's the gypsy shrine hanging on the wall in my studio. I hope my silent friend and adviser serves me well in the coming years.

I hope you enjoy this Alpha Stamps Blog hop. Did you find the secret word? Make sure you visit the other blogs, starting July 19th. Find the rest of the secret message, and then enter at Alpha Stamps to win the $100 Halloween gift prize. Good luck! Don’t leave your guess here as you don’t want someone else to receive your good fortune.

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Artfully Musing - Laura Carson | Visit blog

Junk&Stuff - Kristin Batsel | Visit blog

Rhonda Mum - Rhonda Secrist-Thomas | Visit blog

Starrgazer Creates - Rhea Freitag | Visit blog

Note: this is a private list. Only the list owner can enter links.

What is a blog hop?
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