Recently, I added the Cricut 'Destinations' cartridge to my ever-growing library. Currently, this cartridge is an exclusive early release to HSN (available in a Gypsy bundle or as a separate purchase). It should be available in mass retail in December 2009.
I knew when I first heard about this release, it was going to be a 'must-have' for me. (But then again, aren't they all?) I've always loved the history and romance of old steamer trunks, valises, and portmanteaus covered with vintage labels/stickers from varied destinations and travels around the world. From the artwork, color combinations, landmarks, and world languages, they have always inspired and fascinated me. This cartridge takes that concept and gives it a modern twist. Covering locales and landmarks around the world--and cities in the United States--'Destinations' is a must for those with wanderlust and travel in their souls.
After glancing at some of the images, I was inspired to create a piece of home décor alteration. I've had a reproduction black steamer chest around my home for many years. It's served as an endtable, a book case, and numerous other functions in rooms around my house. I've decided to take it and decoupage it with 4" labels from landmarks around the world. While it will be a project in stages and over time, I thought I would show you two of the labels I created that will find their way onto the finished project as an introduction to 'Destinations'.
The first cut I made represents Rio de Janeiro ("River of January"), Brasil and features a depiction of its iconic Christ the Redeemer statue. I chose to cut all the pieces out of white corduroy-textured Bazzill cardstock with my Cricut Gypsy and Expression, then color them with my Copic Sketch markers, and finally, adhere their layers with Zig 2-way Glue and Sakura Quickie pens.
Using the Brasilian flag as inspiration for my color combinations, this is what my finished label looked like:
The second locale I "visited" was Moscow, Russia and its magnificent St. Basil's Cathedral (The Cathedral of Intercession of Theotokos on the Moat). Here are the cuts for this project:
For this label, I had two inspirations for the color scheme. The first was Stravinsky's 'The Firebird' (reds and oranges of flames) and van Gogh's 'The Starry Night' (blues, whites, and blacks of the night sky).
So two down, only several dozen to go...lol. Hopefully, I'll keep you updated on this project as the steamer trunk gets a facelift. In the mean time, I strongly recommend you give 'Destinations' a "trip"...
Keep Crafting!
