Mocha,Chocolate, Butterscotch, Caramel or Hazlenut???

Well things aren't too bad here on the ranch, perhaps that should be prairie as Mr trusty beast of a lawnmower has decided that enough is enough and he doesn't want to play anymore until he's had some TLC and new parts.  This means that the lawn hasn't been mown in a fortnight  and with all the rain its getting so long it's a job to see the cats lying down it!  I know the simple answer is to borrow one but the other half has had man flu all week which has meant he has had to stay in bed or on the sofa nursing and perfecting his cough (I could never be a nurse, no tolerance or sympathy at all).

So a touch of brown eh for Simon Says Stamp and Show?  Well after going on a stash spending trip last weekend with Lin and Karen at the the lovely Stamp Attic I bought more Prima Flowers. 

I know I have a gazillion already, but they just winked at me in that you know you want to buy me way and just I cannot resist.  In the original excessive collection of flowers are some brown ones, so in an effort to actually use some and reduce the size of stash (Chelsea Flower Show has nothing on me in terms of flowers). I though I'd base whatever I made around flowers  - lots of them.

Back to old trusty 8x8 this week and a piece of brown core-dinations card.  I sponged on some Fresco Finish French Roast, sanded that a little bit and then added some Chocolate Pudding through a flower stencil. Some more sanding and then Inka Gold through another stencil to give the tiny gold squares (bit sort of Klimt like if you know what I mean).  Heavier sanding along the edges and finally some swirls in Coffee Archival. 

You can't see most of this, but I know it's there and ~I think it adds texture and depth to the background and more importantly I enjoyed doing it!

I cut some old brown paper with the Vintage Cabinet die and added thin layers watered down French Roast over it.  Embossed it in a swirly folder and added Gathered Twigs Distress Stain over the top to highlight the raised embossing. Finally some text stamp in Picket Fence Distress Stain.

The tag was originally Kraft card which was painted in Chocolate Pudding, some Crackle Glaze over that, a top layer of  Irish Cream and then a watered down wash of French Roast over that.  Some flower stencilling and finally some stamping and embossing (the crackle layer looked superb but you can't see it now as I've covered it up with the stamping and embossing!).

Layered it all up with some corrugated card, ribbon, buttons and of course lots of flowers!

Hugs

jo
xx

Shabby Jubilee

Well better late than never I suppose!  

To be honest the jubilee weekend sort of passed us by, we didn't watch the Thames flotilla (I couldn't get it to be honest just watching boats go by, it sort of reminded me of golf - fine if you are playing but is it really a spectator sport???), couldn't face watching ageing queens and pop stars trying to sing on a roundabout and completely forgot about the service at St Paul's until it was half way through!

I bought a Union Jack embossing folder ages ago from that well know retail park crafting emporium in the UK and thought it was about time I actually used it.  So embossed a scrap of Tim  Holtz paper, added Festive Berries and Tumbled Glass Distress Ink over the top with a bit of Chipped Sapphire as well.  It then sat on my desk for a couple of weeks (you know, just sort of lying there you occasionally pick it up, waft it about a bit, put a bit more Distress Ink on it, say you like it and put it down again).

Finally this weekend I decided to do something else with it.

Now I really enjoy working in an 8x8" format but recently I've felt the need to go bigger (now now all you smutty devils - keep it to yourself).  So went for a 12x12" sheet of green ledger old patterned paper I had knocking around (knocking around, who am I kidding, I've got piles of 12x12. I reckon I've got a tower of paper that might just make that Shard thing they are building in London look like, well a small thing).  

I put a layer of gesso over the top and then started adding colour.  Glimmer Mist in greens and blues, the same Distress Inks as I used on the flag with loads of water droplets to give that shabby look. Once that was dry I stencilled over the top in Pansy for the text and Hyde Park for the circles. Some sanding all over and Walnut Stain Distress Ink round the edges.  Finally the stamping was in Grey Stazon using Tim Holtz wings and crown.

Over this base layer are various elements. I used a Tim Holtz ATC stamp that had crowns and lions on it (tres regal)  on three ATC sized card pieces. They all had Guacamole and Mermaid Fresco Finish as a base layer. Perfect Pearls powder in blue was put over the stamping, I distressed edges and added Festive Berries round the edges.

The file folder was inked with Tumbled Glass and Festive Berries dry embossed in a folder and Walnut Stain added to highlight the embossing.  

Added my usual strips of fabric (the red horizontal strip really pops and ties in with the flag, so glad I was brave and added it in) and loads of Prima flowers to complete.

I am dead chuffed with this and might have to have a trip to IKEA to get a frame to display it in rather than popping it in a 12x12scrapbooking album. Just need to find some wall space to hang it!

hugs

jo

xx

Rum and Raisin

Well it feels like ages since I popped here and left a post (it probably is, but I'm not going to look at dates and anyway how do you quantify ages, um?).  

It's been a busy week as well what with a funeral, always emotional but sometimes more so when the person you are saying goodbye to and celebrating their life is not that much older than you (ones own mortality really gets smacked in the teeth by Dr Death). 

This was followed by an overnight trip to Leeds for the HEIST Education Marketing awards. Big hotel, posh frocks everywhere and the little ole library came second in its category, we were well chuffed.  Of course I managed to get my heel stuck in the staging when we went up to collect our award and had to have my leg yanked out forcibly in front of nearly 300 people and it was all being videoed and photographed  - only me, mind you didn't stop me bopping afterwards (bopping?  BOPPING- it could be worse I could have said boogieing!).

Anyway enough of my hectic life and back to art!

I love this, I've had it finished for well over a week and I keep smiling every time I look at it, I love the colours, I love the textures, I love the composition -  I am one proud mama to have produced this!

It's essentially made up of three components: the frame, the fabric layer at the bottom and finally the tag.

I started off with an IKEA frame and painted it in Fresco Finish in Chocolate Pudding, over the top with some crackle glaze and then a layer of Nougat with a spot of Chocolate pudding.  The brush I used had some red left on it (obviously didn't clean that brush) hence the slight hint of pink in the top layer. An oblong of calico that was painted in nougat and stamped in Coffee Archival with a large text stamp from PaperArtsy. A strip of hessian and a scrap of corrugated cardboard stitched onto that.

The second component was the fabric scraps at the bottom.  I started off with some cream coloured felt, cut the edge with the Tim Holtz scallop die and the added layers of scraps of fabric, lace and ribbon.  The felt gives a really strong but soft  base layer for all the flimsy fabric.

Finally the tag, the spots were added through a mask with Chocolate Pudding again and then Picket Fence Distress Stain over the top just to tone it down a bit.  The large PaperArtsy numbers stamp was added over the top in Coffee Archival.  

A little bit of sanding and distressed the edge and added Walnut Stain Distress Ink around the edges.  A couple of bits of fabric and the most gorgeous pink spotted grosgrain ribbon (I've been hoarding this reel of ribbon for ages and finally plucked up the courage to CUT IT!) stitched on the bottom. You'll recognise the rose photo from previous work and again it has been sanded and had some Rock Candy over the top.  A bit of string, a Prima flowers and button centre to finish.

It's the last day of our loooong Jubilee weekend here in the UK, the weather is suitably bank holidayish - rubbish (see so typically British talking about the Royal Family ad the weather), so I'm off to have a play in my craft room!

hugs

jo

xx