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Friday 29 July 2011

All Our Yesterdays

I absolutely love Faye Whittaker's All Our Yesterdays paintings and have cross stitched lots of her designs. When Joanna Sheen brought out a collection of rubber stamps using Faye's paintings I had to buy all of them!

I particularly love this stamp as it reminds me of my gorgeous Granddaughter as she likes to help in the garden. She also helps me pick the fruit or as she says 'going on a bear hunt' to pick the 'bluebellies'. Needless to say, none of the 'bluebellies' actually reach the kitchen as she gobbles them all up!

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:

theribbonreelchallenge.blogspot.com - Use white/cream, aqua, pink and a flower  and ribbon/lace.
theshabbytearoom.blogspot.com - Relax & enjoy using yellow, pink , green and neutrals.
stampinbsdesignteam.blogspot.com - Use ribbon.
citycrafter.blogspot.com - Vintage Garden Challenge.
colourcreatechallenge.blogspot.com - Use pink, green and white.
paperplaychallenges.blogspot.com - In the Garden Challenge.
flutterbywednesdays.blogspot.com - Use stripes & butterfly or fairy or angel.
simonsaysstampandshow.blogspot.com - Anything goes.
craftsandmechallenges.blogspot.com - Use ribbon.
handstampedsentiments.blogspot.com - Include a flourish.
craftypurplefrogchallenges.blogspot.com - Take a Dip Challenge - Water inspired project.
craftuscrazy.blogspot.com - Anything goes
deepoceanchallengeblog.blogspot.com - Use ribbons.

Thursday 28 July 2011

In the Garden

I really like this stamp by Sarah Kay as it reminds me of my beautiful Grandson when he plays in the garden. He loves being outside come rain or shine and will only come in when there's food about!!

This is only a short post today in order to put this card into the following challenges:

Ilovepromarkers.blogspot.com
#76 Anything goes
ribbongirls.blogspot.com Aqua
Trulyscrumptiouschallenges.blogspot.com #62 Buttons and Bows
Craftsandmechallenges.blogspot.com #45 Ribbon
lollipopcrafts.blogspot.com/2011/07/special-summer-challenge.html
paperplaychallenges.blogspot.com - In the Garden challenge

Wednesday 27 July 2011

Boys Boys Boys

I really enjoyed doing the Creative Expressions Calling Card challenge because it gave me some direction and focus for crafting. Sometimes I can go into my craft room and actually not really produce anything because I can't make up my mind what topic, which stamps to use, which backing papers, what media to colour with etc.. My DH would say I have too much that's why I can't decide and though I won't admit it to him, he's right!!

So having done one challenge I thought I would enter some others and I found it fun to follow a theme and more especially to combine challenges which restricts your choice but certainly overcomes indecision!

I am entering this card into the following challenges:

Ilovepromarkers.blogspot.com #76 Anything goes
getfunkyandcraft.blogspot.com/ Boys Boys Boys
ribbongirls.blogspot.com/ Aqua
lollipopcrafts.blogspot.com/2011/07/special-summer-challenge.html
sendasmile4kidschallenge.blogspot.com - For the Boys (Especially Teenager Boys) Challenge

Friday 22 July 2011

Home from Uni

I love when my daughter, Rachel, is home from University as it means I have someone to craft with. As much as I enjoy crafting by myself, its so much more enjoyable to play with somebody else who shares your interest.

Rachel is home at the moment for summer and we have several projects planned, such as a distressed mirrors, wall hangings, decorated bottles. Rachel has set herself the target of a large mixed media mirror using fabric, chains, beads and whatever else takes her fancy.

So far we have made a lots of cards, bookmarks and have started the distressed mirrors. Having somebody else to bounce ideas off is fantastic and we often suggest ideas to each other. The only problem is that my craft room becomes even messier with the two of us! 

Sunday 17 July 2011

Time Machine Wall Hanging: Tuesday 2nd August

Due to the success of my previous workshops, I now have regular work shop slots at "B"dz in Todmorden, on the first Friday of every month and the occasional Tuesday. My next workshop will be Tuesday 2nd August and we will be creating a Time Machine Wall Hanging.

Brenda at "B"dz is always complimentary about the projects I create and has wanted to take part in a workshop but she cannot leave the shop floor to join us in the workshop room. However, on Tuesdays, the shop is closed and Brenda concentrates on her own workshops, so she asked me if I would do a workshop on the occasional Tuesday so she could join in too.

The Time Machine Wall Hanging uses chip board, paints, inks, steam punk and lots of imagination! No previous experience of crafting is necessary, everyone has to start somewhere!!

Come along and let your imagination loose.

Tuesday 12 July 2011

Creative Expressions Calling Card Challenge

Creative Expressions are looking for 6 crafters to become part of their Design Team and have set a challenge called Calling Card which must be published on the applicants blog giving a step by step description of how it was made. This is my interpretation of the challenge and is designed to be about the things I enjoy doing.

My entry is a 12x12 canvas. On the happiness card I have written all the things that make me happy and represented these on the canvas.

Using stencils of a butterfly and a leafy design I applied moulding paste through the stencils on the bottom rightt hand side of the canvas. When this was dry the canvas was painted randomly in patches of blue, peach, pink, yellow, green and lilac acrylic paint to resemble an artists paint pallet. I then muted the colours by using a wash of watered down white acrylic paint. The leaves of the stencilled moulding were painted green, the flowers yellow and the butterfly in shades of pink.

The purple flowers were cut using various dies, one shaped into a rose, one by pinching the petals with a bead for the centre the third using tubular wire mesh ribbon with a brad to hold it together. I made the leaf using 1mm and 0.6mm gauges of wire.

To represent my love of cooking vials were filled with herbs and spices and together with a dolls house set of scales these were glued to the canvas with glossy accents.

The orange flower was stamped 3 times onto grungepaper. One was left whole, the second and third were cut on the inner rings to create the 3D effect.

The chipboard shape in the top left hand corner was painted with pale blue acrylic chalk paint and using cut and dry foam the edges were smudged with a darker blue. I used scrabble tiles and a chipboard question mark painted with the dark blue and adhered them to the chipboard shape.

The chipboard ME were already an orange but I wanted to tone the colour down and applied the crackle technique by covering with PVA glue slightly watered down, dried with the heat gun, then used a pale peach acrylic paint, dried with the heat gun and the crackles appeared as it dried.

The ATC in the bottom left hand corner was coloured with barn door, broken china, mustard seed and dried marigold distress inks using cut and dry foam and the colours blended together. The stamps are from Creative Expressions Vintage Artist plate and the paint brush was stamped on a piece of card, coloured, cut out and mounted with foam pads.

The Artist's pallet was stamped on white card and cut out. It was smudged with various colours of acrylic paint then small blobs were dropped on and left to dry. The tubes of paint were stamped onto white card and cut out. Each was coloured to match some blobs and then mounted to correspond with the blobs using foam pads.

The easel was made using water colour paper and the "painting" was created by using torn paper, finger daubers and the blue and green ink from the big and juicy Happy Birthday pad to imitate hills and sky. A small circle was cut from the sticky end of a post-it note for a mask to make a sun. Once the sky was complete I used the hole left in the post-it as a mask to colour the sun with yellow. A tree and way marker were stamped using the Foliage big and juicy and the shrubs were done using the edge of the tree stamp. The unique self was stamped over the scene and the easel was cut out and mounted using foam pads and glossy accents for additional hold.


The book shelf is made from lolly sticks, the bookends were the two ends of the lolly sticks glued to two button shapes from my stash. The books were made using templates from a dolls house website.

The key and lock were painted with Eco Friendly black paint then when dry bronze was dabbed on with cut and dry foam to make them more antique looking.

A dressmaker's pattern stamp was stamped onto tissue paper and fixed to the canvas with soft matt gel. The chipboard dressmakers dummy was covered in material and an over skirt of netting was sewn around the waist and finished off with a bow. This was completed by antique charms and buttons. The cross stitched dress was backed with dressmakers iron on interfacing to stiffen it and added to the canvas with pinflair glue.

The number 2, on the right, was added to represent my two beautiful grandchildren - they are my pride and joy.

The three flowers in the top corner were cut using spiral dies and cordinations card which was then sanded to distress it before rolling them into the flower shapes.

Finally I added Tim Holtz corners to complete the canvas.

This was a really enjoyable project which incorporates a lot of different techniques, hence quite a long blog. It is about the things I like to do in my spare time and I had a great deal of fun deciding what to use/make to represent my hobbies.

Saturday 9 July 2011

Bookmark Workshop: How did it go?

Following on from my previous post, my bookmark workshop was a great success and the ladies thoroughly enjoyed themselves!

Everyone finished their projects and were very pleased with the results. At first, the ladies felt the project was 'out of their comfort zone' and were a bit dubious as to whether they would actually be able to paint, claiming that they couldn't paint at all! But, thanks to Sheena's Paint Fusion, painting is made easy and the ladies quickly discovered this and couldn't believe what they were able to produce! Even with lots of practice with this technique, I couldn't differentiate between mine and the other ladies projects, finding them all terrific! Can you tell the difference?

The ladies showed a strong interest in the Paint Fusion range and were very eager to learn more and see what else they could do. I now have a regular work shop slot at "B"dz in Todmorden, being the first Friday of every month and the occasional Tuesday. I intend on doing a lot more Paint Fusion projects due to its popularity! Thank you to Sheena for such an excellent range of products and thank you to all the ladies that attended on Friday, it really was an excellent day!

Sunday 3 July 2011

Bookmark Workshop: 8th July 2011

My daughter, Rachel, decided she wanted to start beading. Brenda at "B"dz Bead Shop in Todmorden regularly holds beading workshops and Rachel asked me to go with her to some classes. I really enjoyed them and saw how I could incorporate beading into my card making and mixed media projects.

I had been on a retreat and had painted and stamped a mirror. There was something missing and after making butterfly earrings at one of Brenda's classes I knew how I was going to finish it, and this is the result.

We have been to quite a few of Brenda's workshops and after seeing some of my work she offered to sell my cards in her shop. Of course I jumped at the chance and then she suggested I might also like to do some workshops in her shop.

I was quite nervous when I held the first workshop but once I started I started to really enjoy myself and discovered that I really liked teaching others and the ladies produced some lovely projects. Perhaps I had missed my vocation? There is something very rewarding about sharing your know how with others and watching them use that to create something of their own.

The hardest part is deciding on what project to do. It has to be something that can be completed in 2 hours bearing in mind that not everyone will have the materials to finish projects at home.

My next workshop at "B"dz is on Friday morning 10.30am-12.30pm, 8th July. We are going  to use Sheena's Paint Fusion to create book marks. I had shown Rachel how to paint with Paint Fusion and we made a book mark together; she was really pleased with hers and amazed at how easy it was to do. Sheena's Paint Fusion technique makes painting easy for everyone!

Friday 1 July 2011

Birthday Bookmark

I bought a book for my daughter's boyfriend, Sean, for his birthday and decided to make him a bookmark to go with it. He had passed remarks that he kept losing his place in his book, so a bookmark seemed appropriate. A handmade bookmark would also be more personal and unique to him.

The shabby chic look I had learnt at Sheena's workshop can also be quite masculine. Sean supports Watford - I know......... but someone has to! Watford play in black and yellow so I used those colours as you can see from the photo.

I cut a piece of mount board for the bookmark and rounded the top corners then painted it black. Once I had dried this first coat with the heat gun, I painted over it with PVA glue which I also dried. The yellow coat was then put on and as I dried it the crackles appeared. I love this technique. The chipboard letters were done with the same technique, painted first with yellow and then the black as a contrast to the base and then glued on. To finish it off I dragged on some black soot distress ink using cut and dry foam and then sprayed it with clear spray and shine.

There is a saying amongst crafters that they don't waste a blooming thing and I am no exception. Last winter I bought leather boots which had leather strips on the zips but I lost one and of course I kept the other one as it might come in handy. Yes, you guessed it, Sean now has it on his bookmark!

Needless to say, Sean really liked his bookmark.