Just a touch of texture

Well it's been a bit like the plague house here in the Shires, both John and I have had stinkin colds, he's had his for over a fortnight and finally went to the Docters on Friday to be diagnosed with bronchitis and still running a temperature! Me, well I've had lots of coughing, wheezing and varaible vocal changes. I have two presentations to give on Tuesday and seeing as the lady on the cheese counter at Sainsburys couldn't understand me today it could an interesting experience.

I started working on this yesterday, all the "bits" (well fabric) had been laying on my workdesk all week to be honest but just didn't have the energy to play. I really enjoyed reading about Fran.tage in the July Craft Stamper and having purchased some delights at The Stamp Attic I was keen to give it a go.

I started off with a chipboard flower which I painted in Fresco Finish paints in French Roast, Chocolate Pudding and Irish Cream.  Whilst the top layer of paint was still wet I sprinkled on some Stampendous Aged Ivory embossing powder, Some Nutmeg embossing powder and some Antique Photo Distress embossing powder.  I then had to carefully heat it all to get it to melt - now that was a fun experience.  

After I'd added some more embossing powders as my long cylinder heatgun blew it away first time (and second) I managed to get it to melt and bubble ( I ended up doing it quite high and from underneath as well - me thinks I need a new heat gun).  I then used some glossy accents to add some crushed up Stampendous Tarnished mica flakes.

I am SERIOUSLY liking this stuff and want MORE. 

A metal flower and snap fastner coloured with alcohol ink added to the centre. The stem was a peice of florist wire covered in tissue tape.

As per usual there are lots of layers all stiched on.  From the bottom up we have:

• a peice of frayed linen
• a peice of book text inked in Brushed Cordory Distress Ink and Picket Fence Distress Stain.  A Swirl inked in Coffee Artchival and some Antique Photo Distress Embossing powder
• a small peice of PaperArtsy Crunchy Waxed Kraft Paper stamped and scrunched.
• a peice of off white cotton
• a peice of frayed hessian

 

An oblong of Kraft card was inked in Frayed Burlap and Brushed Cordorouy, cut with a die to give the perforated page hole on the left look. A ledger stamp stamped in Coffee Archival and Antique Photo Distress Embossing Powder.

Some more fabric and ribbon across this and some lace and ribbon top left. I then decided to hand sew an awful lot of buttons, beads and pearls on (well I say an awful lot, not really but you know what I mean).  

Everything was stuck onto a lovely painted and distressed IKEA frame.  

So that's what I created in between coughing and sleeping and blowing my nose and coughing and drinking like a teetotal fish. I really enjoyed the hand sewing and think I'd like to do more, perhaps on a bigger scale .... 

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

In the red

Time, there are apparently 24 hours in a day and 7 days a week, so thats lots of hours, right? Lots of hours supposedly to do everything we need to do (work, sleep, eat) and want to do  (craft, relax, blog).  So why doesn't it seem it this last fortnight?  

The needs, mostly work, the stress around it and the sleep needed to recover from the stress and intense working have taken over leaving very little time for the wants that in truth actually help with coping with the needs - caught!  But yes before you all start tutting and shaking your heads, I know (and I am) I should be grateful that I have a job, and that it is a good job but sometimes it's hard work and I get annoyed with it.

I had intended to be determined this week and get my contribution to Hels Sunday Stamper Challenge in on time. But due to the above time was running out and I thought I'm gonna miss it again. But then I thought, you know what it doesn't matter, you have to work to deadlines at work, crafting is your hobby, your downtime, your creative release, the only decisions you have to make is where to place something.  

In my craftroom I am my own boss and I don't have to respond to others or lead / manage others - it's just me and sometimes the cats.

So here is my take on last weeks challenge which was red.

Got all my red Distress Stains and Inks out and the lovely vibrant London Bus Fresco Finish and set to work. 

Started with my usual 8x8 card.  On top of that I inked some patterened paper stamped with some text stamp (very hidden now but it is there) and sewed on the card after distressing the edges.  

Added some layers of spotty fabric which I'd purchased on Saturday after a quick jaunt out to Bramble Patch in Weedon with my Ma (3 errands in an hour that day: deliver a large lamp to my mums friend for painting in a barge style, buy jam jars for rhubarb chutney making and look at fabric to back her latest quilt. All three just off the A5 either at Weedon or 2 miles up the road - my kind of shopping!) 

A spare bit of the red card (I'd cut a 12x12 down to 8x8 and that leaves enough card to make tags) was painted in some Limelight Fresco Finish, some crackly glaze on top and then some London Bus. Rubbed it back quite hard to reveal some of the LimeLight and then stamped Photograph in Black Archival and some reverse text in Cherry Stazon. Some felt and red ric rac added on the bottom of that and one of my distressed photos that had  a swipe of worn lipstick over it was stapled on.

The flowers are of course Wendy Vecchi.  Some scrap red patterned paper was stamped with as many flowers as I coud get on it in Black Archival then some cherry spray ink and Pefrfect Pearls sprayed over. Cut them all out and added them on trying not to obscure the fabric or the photo!

Ok well it's a bank holiday in the UK today, it isn't raining at the moment but who knows whether the taps will turn on later.  

Today I have some lemon curd to make and need to do something with the rhubarb I cut yesterday and didn't use for the chutney, which is absolutely delish I have to tell you and it will be hard work waiting for a month for it to mature! 

hugs

jo

xx

Show a .... not a leg but a tag!

I've really missed taking part in the challenges that lurk around the old blogasphere, so this week I was determined to take part in the Simon Says Stamp and Show, the theme this week being a tag!

To be honest I've attempted the challenges for a couple of weeks and time has run away with me and I've missed the deadline.   Not this week though I have even missed a trip to the gym tonight in order to finish this tag off - dedicated crafter me (easily distracted athlete as well to be honest).

So I wanted to use lighter colours this week and go quite shabby girly chic as well. So took out some Orchid Fresco Finish and put that all over the tag.  Added some PaperArtsy Crackle Glaze and then washed over the top with Vintage Lace that had a small dollop of Dolly Mix as well.

It was still a bit "pink" so went over the top of that with Picket Fence Distress Stain and finally a bit of Antique Linen Distress Ink.

I also knew I wanted to use sewing as a theme so used the Tim Holtz Haberdashery plate for all the stamping.  

First off used the pattern stamp in Pumice Distress Ink all over the tag, so subtle it's now faded into the background!  

Then stamped one of the circle cotton reel tops all the way down the side in Coffee Archival and then the dress form  in Coffee as well.  

On the dress form I added some Antique Photo Distress embossing powder and Milled Lavender Distress Embossing powder over the cotton reel tops, not all over left some ink.  Some of the Pumice Distress Ink can't have been completely dry so powder stuck there as well and I really like effect.

I painted spare scrap card with Orchid and Dolly Mix and some Walnut Distress  Stain and stamped in Coffee again.  Distress the edges and added Walnut Distress Ink. Finished off with mini staples, some sewing (wouldn't be me without some sewing), some gluing and ribbon.

So really pleased I've managed to complete a challenge this week, so no excuse for the gym tomorrow night , where I will show some leg!

hugs

jo

xx

Beach hut bliss

Helloooooooooo!

Ages ago (it might only have been last week, but I can't remember, the weeks are just racing by at the moment and I have trouble remembering what I did yesterday let alone last week!) I said I wanted to play with kraft card and yellow and I ended up doing something completely different.  Well the idea stuck with me and I needed to make it to get it out of the system if you know what I mean (do you or is it just me, it could be just me, I'm happy to accept that I might be a bit odd).

So in between green and chocolate I made this.

Started off with an 8x8 square of heavy kraft card and stencilled lovely Fresco Finish Pumpkin Soup and Haystack over the bingo mask in a couple of the corners bumping it a bit to get the shadow. Didn't cover it all just sort of haphazard and a bit shabby grungy!

Round the edge of the kraft card I did some sewing and added a scrap of calico and the seaside stamp from this PaperArtsy plate.  Love the fishes and the shells on this plate, so added a few shells in a very green Stazon. Distressed the seaside  words with a sanding block and some Walnut Stain Distress Ink.

The kraft tag was rollered with gesso and a very faint stamping in pumice of a large damask stamp.  The little house from PaperArtsy was painted in Beach Hut and South Pacific Fresco Finish and the edges given a good sand. A little red heart free hand drawn in red pencil. 

Under the tag I put loads (loads might be a bit of an exaggeration, but lets say less than 10 but more than 2) of layers: a yellow tab cut from a Tim on the edge die, some corrugated card and a scrap of yellow dotty card edged in Mustard Seed Distress In.

On the top of the tag a strip of yellow felt given a scalloped edge with a Tim on the edge die and a strip of large yellow ric-rac.  Little bit of stitching to anchor it down and add a bit more texture. And of course a yellow Prima flower.

I am pleased with it, it's what I sort of envisaged, fairly clean, minimal colours that were fresh and vibrant.  The embellishments sit togethr nicely, there are different textures and shapes, so yep - it's a good 'un! 

hugs

jo

xx

 

Chocolate Delight!

Having to get up early in the week, often means I wake early at the weekends, sometimes I can roll over and go back to sleep but not today.  So I put a pot of coffee on and settled down to catch up with some blogs.  

I love these early mornings to myself sat the at the PC in the study catching up on blogs, the window is open I can hear the dawn chorus (a sure sign the days are starting to get longer) and my cats come and say hello -me time and it's bliss.

So this morning I caught up with Ellen Vargo's blog ten thirty-six and crafts and her fab tutorial on using a mix of ranger products to create backgrounds.  I was inspired by the Expresso colourwash and Picket Fence Distress Stain tag and raced (well gently ambled as John was still in bed)  to the craft to try it out.

I also knew that I wanted to take part in Hels Sunday Stamper challenge the theme being Life.  So hunted out some stamps with life in them.  Top of the pile a PaperArtsy one about cookies and chocolate chips! 

So started with a tag, actually make that two tags and smooshed them around in some Picket Fence and Expresso colourwash a couple of times, drying in between to get the desired background.  

Using a Glimmer Mist in Latte and Butterscotch colour wash I sprayed over a Glimmer Mist mask to add some more layers of colour.  Then adding some Fresco Finish paint in Irish Cream and French Roast over a flower mask from Crafters Workshop.  I was going to bump it to get some shadow but actually liked it unbumped.  Gave both tags a good sanding, some areas a bit harder than others to soften all the edges and reveal some of the Butterscotch.

Cut a couple of hearts from Grunge Paper using a PaperArtsy die and painted those with some French Roast and Irish Cream, one had some crackle glaze in between,the other didn't! Both again got a good sand to rough them up a bit.

So let's concentrate on the cookies tag first.  

I stitched some old book text and a scrap of linen on the tag. On the heart I added some swirls from this PaperArtsy plate, in Coffee Archival edged in walnut stain and then faffed around trying to to tie the string in a pleasing way (good job I'm chilled today).

The ATC underneath was smooshed around in the debris paint left on my craft mat.  I often do this with the dried paint, just spritz it with water, smoosh away and see what happens.  Stamped the text stamp from the plate in Coffee Archival. Attached this to the tag with tiny attachers that I coloured with ginger alcohol ink  The small quote tag was smooshed on the same way and stamped in Coffee Coffee Archival, and a button added. 

Ok, the second tag let's call this one creating.

I stitched all round the tags LOADS using straight and zigzag stitch. Then sewed some fabric strips on the tag and stamped the dressform in Coffee Archival from Tim Holtz Haberdashery plate.  Stamped the quote on a scrap piece of card and attached using the stained tiny attachers.  Added some string and a button.

Both of these took me all morning to make, I didn't mind though, it was nice to craft slowly, do something, go away and do some house work whilst waiting for things to dry or for me to think about the next stage.   I really love the colour scheme and how they are different but similar because of the colour and elements used. 

So thanks Ellen for the inspiration!

hugs

jo

xx

 

Labour of love or even loves labour lost!

This has taken me all week to make - I can't believe it took that long, but then again it started off with a spare ATC sized PaperArtsy Victorian lady (can't wait to get her grown up sister at the weekend) and ended up a 12x12 canvas!

I really really liked my calender pages so wanted to make a smaller (ha, like that happened) 8x8 replica for my art scrapbook.

So an  8x8 bit of paper painted in Fresco Finish Very Berry, Claret and Sherbet in the same way and stamped over in maroon Archival with the pomegranate stamp and butterflies, black Archival for the swirl.

Spare card that had been inked and sprayed was used to cut out the shaped oblong and Victorian lady was mounted on another bit of spare card.  Strips of ripped pink fabric, black and pink netting and some sari silk with lots of black stitching in straight and zigzag was added over the oblong and then Victorian lady added on top.

That was all attached to the 8x8 and it looked "ok" but not quite "grounded" needed something to balance it out. I have been perusing the Prima website and their booth at CHA and some of the design team work just blew me away with the layers and details. If you haven't seen, check out Tworzysko Finnabair and Heidi Kelley - gorgeous work.

So inspired I dug out my Prima flower stash and started adding flowers over the top of some inked corrugated card and more ripped fabric buttons added here and there. 

By this stage the 8x8 was never going to get in the scrapbook with all those flowers on, so 12x12 canvas was painted and sprayed and sprayed and painted and rubbed back and distressed with tissue paper script.     

With the 8x8 layed on top it was still ok, but again needed more "stuff". So more scrap paper sewed and some on the edge dies for the scallops went under the 8x8 now stuck down. Um still needed more "stuff" More inked and sprayed scrap paper was used with Tim Holtz rosettes dies and more Prima flowers added to come off the page.

I like it, I like it a lot, love the grungyness and the depth from all the layers of paint, spray, paper and fabric.  

But I am getting in a bit of a rut colour wise at the moment, so I'm going to clear up my desk clean off my mat and look for a new colour scheme. 

Blogger is playing up at the moment and I can't get the text aligned with the photo's (being off work today means I can get some decent  photos though) at the top of this post, it's annoying me and my slightly OCD to be symmetrical and balanced in design (ask my husband, it drives him mad when we are arranging furniture - move it to the left 2" no that's too far, you can imagine the rest)

hugs

jo

xx

Monochrome Magnificence

Well it certainly is a crisp crunchy chilly frosty morning here in the Midlands, I know 'cos I've just nipped out to the back garden in my dressing gown to take some photo's. Us artists eh!

The very talented and very nice Jo has set herself a challenge this year to blog more frequently, she's calling it her BIG Blog Project and the aim is each month is a colour and each week is a letter of the alphabet that will prompt a theme. Go check it out if you haven't seen.

This month is grey.

I like grey (I must do as I have two grey cats, albeit one is a tabby with white and the most gorgeous fawn colours on her that I'd really like to replicate but not sure how easy it would be take her to Homebase paint counter and say match that) in interior design and art, give me a piece of grey velvet and I'll happily stroke that with a silly grin on my face (rather like the cats when we give them catnip!). 

As a colour it's stylish, muted, calm and works with any number of other colours,  but I don't like it when it's in the sky because it's dull depressing and draining!

I made this a little while ago for another challenge which I can't remember what it was but I know I missed the deadline!

I look at this every morning when I'm drying my hair and it makes me smile.  

I love the layers, I love the messy stitching, I love the different textures of paper, felt and silky fabric, I love the photograph (one of mine, I really must do some more photography this year) which is really of bright red poppies but greyed out, I love the stamping and of course I love the colour.

It's an A4 canvas painted in white and a very pale grey which has been distressed with the heat gun to blister the paint in places.

On top is a 10x8 canvas board on top that has been painted in grey, a darker grey glimmer mist sprayed over a stencil and then stamped in grey Stazon .  It you look closely (and you'll have too) there is a random layer of tissue tape which has some card on top that has been heavily stamped with Tim Holtz dressmaking stamps. 

Then  layers of old paper, sari silk and light grey felt cut with a Tim Holtz scallop die and all stitched together. A number of grey buttons from the stash and some old Prima or Maya Road flowers again from the stash.

Right well time to crack on, a big rugby weekend ahead so will be camped on the sofa but before that I have a date with my husband - a breakfast date no less at our favourite American diner!

hugs

jo

Choices

Sometimes there just isn't enough time in December to actually think about Christmas, let alone craft about Christmas. Although I'm a great planner with copious lists and time plans for tasks I refuse to think about Christmas before December 1st.  

My family isn't big and they don't "do" Christmas (I haven't had a real present that was thought about, gone out and purchased and wrapped from my family for decades - just cash in an envelope), so leaving everything until December is manageable if somewhat depressing.

Given the general humbug mature of my family about Christmas you can imagine how joyous the actual day is.  My husband fondly remembers (as do I) the days of his childhood and youth when he and his family would sit around d the dinner table eating nuts and chocolates, sharing stories, playing games until finally it was tea time and the remains of lunch would be replaced by high tea.  Since his parents died over 10 years ago, Christmas have never been the same, my family will disappear from the table as soon as the main meal is eaten and have to be asked to come back to the table for the pudding.They all then go as soon as they can, usually around 4pm so no high tea.

Now I know it sounds like I'm moaning (I am I know), but it is their choice to behave this way and actually I respect that choice and it doesn't mean I don't love them - I do, it's just not mine or my husbands choice and it's not how we want to spend Christmas.

Next year we've decided it will be different.

Anyway as I said time disappeared before Christmas to actually make all the things I'd like to make (big plans again this year for Advent calendars, bunting etc, not achieved but I did make my Christmas cards) plus work was a bit manic and John was directing a pantomime for our local am dram group (Blackbeard a pirate panto which he wrote and it was jolly good fun, a real traditional family oriented panto. His goal for the coming year is to set up a website promoting all the panto he write and see if he can sell them).  But it was ok as I knew I'd got time off between Christmas and New Year as the Uni is closed to send time on some RnR which includes crafting.

I felt the need for some bright clashing colours as the house is decorated in muted shades of white, gold for Christmas so I went for some PaperArtsy fresco paints in citrus and red to make and 8x8 for my scrapbook.

I also had a play with some of the Portfolio oil pastels I bought from Leandra and Mark at NEC.  I like them, they give a hit of colour and add depth to the layers of colours. I sanded some of the colour away with a sanding block and sprayed on some dark red Glimmer Mist.  Tim Holtz snowflakes were added in cranberry ink over the top.

Christmas text was stamped in white. I cut out  some baubles from the carved ornaments die cut in pink Christmas paper and festive berries distress ink was rubbed directly to paper and then used to edge the baubles.

Scraps of paper to make the edging on the right, plus some stitching and a lonely fun foam snowflake who missed the garland to anchor everything both colour wise and elements.

All in all, good art therapy (goodness know what a psychologist would make of it but it worked for me - perhaps I should print out this blog and add the page in my scrapbook).

Right today I need to venture out of the house to go shopping to get supplies for lunch as friends are coming over. This means getting dressed, I've lived in my lounging pyjamas for the week ( just call me Norma darlings, Desmond not Major PLEASE!) and good as they are I'm not ready to swan around Sainsburys in them - yet.

hugs

jo

xx

Waste not ...

Where does the time go, I'm not even going to look and see when my last blog post was as it's tooooooooooooo embarrassing!

Anyway Christmas is here, well to be honest has actually gone.  I've done my commitments: decorated the house, sent Christmas cards, catered for Christmas Day and Boxing Day, got presents that on the whole everyone liked (my niece especially loved her cupcake baking goodies) and now the rest of the break IS MINE.

I intend to lounge around in PJ's, do some reading, watch some telly, eat SOME chocolate and do some crafting - oh how I have missed my craft room the past month.  So whilst I wait for some paint to dry here is something I did manage to make to decorate our tree with.

A snowflake garland!

I cut out loads of Tim Holtz snowflakes from white fun foam and stitched them together to make a garland. 

 

In my haste though to sew them I didn't really pay much attention to making sure they didn't get tangled so then had to spend 20 minutes with a helpful husband untangling them before we draped them on the colour co-ordinated (gold, white and clear glass) tree.

 

As I don't have a base plate for the mini die cuts (yet ...) I used the ATC die to put them in the cut out (thanks Lin - great tip) so not only do you get your snowflakes but you also get an ATC with the snowflakes cut out - result!

I stitched the ATC onto some brown card with brown thread and they are destined to be Christmas cards for next year.  I might even make them this year and get really ahead of myself!

Have a great break everyone.

hugs

jo

xx

Advent Sunday - eeek!!!!!!

Just a quicky to show I haven't forgotten crafting and blogland, just been uber uber busy at work and home which has meant I haven't been able to make time for crafting - bad girl I know!

So Radio 4 announced this morning that it was the first Advent Sunday, so that means only 4 weekends till Christmas Day, good job today is dedicated to Christmas card making!

Tim Holtz Christmas ATC stamps embossed in copper. With Aged Mahogany and Brushed Corduroy Distress inks to colour the ATC

Tim Holtz snowflakes stamped in Hazelnut on brown card with a light spray of aged brass Glimmer mist and aged photo round the edges.

Textiles: off cuts of linen and white cotton with a range of Stef Francis (finally putting to use, purchased ages ago) threads and fibres.

Right off to make more!

hugs

jo

xx

Feelin pinky?

I have to say I haven't been crafting as much as I'd like over the past couple of weeks, the onslaught of dark nights and dark mornings is beginning to make me lethargic and sofa bound.  

Plus I've had a lingering cold / cough that won't go away (I have threatened it with cough syrup, Vick's, the Mitchell boys - but it just laughs and makes me cough more), leaves me so tired I am in bed at 8.30pm most evenings. 

AND I really can't muster up any enthusiasm or ideas to make me get up of the sofa or stay up til say (let's be daring here) 9.00pm to craft!

Yep fair to say I'm feeling sorry for myself and to be honest avoiding the inevitable trip to the docs for stronger drugs (every year is the same).  Having an underlying chronic condition (don't panic it's only diabetes) is shall we say "annoying" sometimes.

Whinge over - are you still with me? 

Yesterday I was determined to make something. A crafty challenge works especially well if you've got no real ideas or want to think about ideas as you sort of just "follow the instructions".  Grungy Monday 24 fitted the bill, I just watched the Tim Perfect Distress video and got the necessary bits out to play with.

Started with a tag and coloured with Worn Lipstick and Dried Marigold Distress Inks. Added the swirls  from the Urban Chic plate in Barn Door Red Distress Ink and used Perfect Pearl over the top.

Then took an ATC and coloured that with Dried Marigold and Barn Door Red Distress Inks. Stamped the tattoo heart from the Urban Chic plate in the new Dried Preserves Distress Stain and used Perfect Bronze over that.

The numbers were inked in Dried Preserve and Perfect Pearls gold used on those. But then I over stamped them again in Dried Preserve as they faded / disappeared on the strip of card and I needed some contrast!

Edged everything with Barn Door Red and Vintage Photo Distress Inks and added some pink (yes pink) ribbon. 

Trying to actually show some "shine" which frankly was the aim of the game is quite hard work in daylight so this last photo goes against all my "you must use natural light" principles for taking photos - but look at the shine on that stamping!

So another day is looming, it's still pitch black outside, I was awake at silly o'clock as I couldn't sleep and of course the clocks have gone back so it's even more silly o'clock, but I love the silence only broken by the birds starting to sing - let's see what happens today.

hugs

jo

xx

Ten minutes!!!!!!!

Ten minutes to make a complete "something" with Tim Holtz products is this week's challenge from Grungy Monday.  Hum, it normally takes me ten minutes to decide on whether to use stains or inks, but a challenge is a challenge.

So taking the advice of Gabrielle I planned ahead.  Selected a set of stamps - mini classics, which sort of dictated the colour scheme (red white and blue) as the stamps have a french theme.

To the pile I added an off cut of white card, a page of text, two tags cut from Tim dies (I always have some knocking around on my desk ready for inspiration to strike), some background paper, embossing ink and black embossing powder, trusty inks and stains in appropriate colours and set the timer.

1. First cut the base card to 8x8" and then the next layer of old Basic Grey paper a little smaller.  
2. Die cut the white card with a PaperArtsy die and stamped the postcard card image all over on an angle in Tea Dye Distress Stain. Edged in walnut stain.
3. Spread some Picket Fence distress Stain on the large manila tag and all over the smaller one.
4. Added Faded Blue Jeans Distress stain to the large manila tag
5. Swiped Barn Door Red Distress Stain to the smaller one.
6. Swiped some Walnut Stain Distress Ink down the book text
7. Stamped and embossed the Eiffel Tower over the blue and the Mona Lisa on the red
8. Stuck the white postcard down on the Basic Grey paper, put the text on top of that and stapled the tag to that.
9. Stuck the Basic Grey down on the base card
10. Stuck the little tag with some foam pads on top of the big manila tag

Phew!

If I had time I would have quite liked to added in some journalling / title along the lines of - "So when are you going to take me????"  My dear husband who has conversational french classes every week for the past 5 years keeps promising to take me to Paris so he can practice his french and I can delight the art, architecture, pretending I'm Amelie or Meg Ryan.  

It hasn't happened yet either acting or rugby gets in the way (that's the excuses).  anyway my birthday is on a Saturday next year with no excuses of sport or thespianism (I might have just made that word up) on the horizon so I think we might manage it especially if I waft this under his nose enough times!

Hugs 

jo

xx

And no it doesn't mean I was rooting for France in the Rugby World Cup!

Spooky? Not really

Grungy Monday has returned and the them this week is .... Halloween.  

Halloween - the majority of the UK just doesn't really get it. Perhaps the pagan undertones are just too scary for us! But too be honest when it's teenage kids roaming the streets in Scream masks menacing you for money and causing criminal damage to your property when you don't cough up; so that you are forced to either go out or sit in your own house in the dark in fear of a knock on the door, it seems very removed from the cute candy dress up we see over the pond (phew that was a long sentence - apologies).

So going back to the pagan undertones of the dead walking, of the macabre, the spooky and the downright spine chilling who else does it better than Edgar Allan Poe, so in homage, I give you Raven.

Having acquired the new autumn palette of colours from Mr Holtz (not personally of course, courtesy of Karen at LB) I decided I'd use those on a tag.

Put some of the Ripe Persimmon (orange) on my craft sheet, spritzed with some water and  smooshed the tag through it a couple of times drying in between.  Then with a blending tool I added Seedless Preserve (purple) in the spaces where the orange hadn't stained. Stained a piece of text with Barn Door Red and stuck that down the edge of the tag and dragged a white paint dabber down it to give a bit of streaking.

 

Then with a craftworks stencil I added Gathered Twigs (brown) towards the bottom and up the side. Finally using black archival I added in some stamped images from Mini Ornaments plate.

The Raven himself was cut from a PaperArtsy die and coloured with Black Soot Distress Stain and Violet Glimmer Mist.  He sits on a torn, inked and scrunched up bit of spare card attached with a staples. 

Mind you Mr Raven might not be Mr Poe's but rather Arabel's Mortimer - still miserable and naughty but perhaps not as scary! 

hugs

jo

xx

 

P.S Joan Aiken has to be one of my all time favourite children's authors, her fantasy novels especially the short stories about Mark and Harriet Armitage and the strange things that happened to them as if they were natural everyday occurences.  Perhaps I'll revisit on the sofa with a cup of tea and some jaffa cakes!

Get out of jail!

I'm taking a day's annual leave today - why?  Just because I can - aren't I the rebel!

I've had a lovely morning so far and I intend to spend the rest of the day crafting (a little bit of housework just to keep things ticking over of course). But I thought I'd show you the birthday card I made for my oh so fantastic niece who was 17 at the weekend.

I started off with a piece of white card which I embossed in pink with a Tim typeface letters stamp all the way down the card.  When that was dry I went over the top of it with a Black Soot Distress Stain which really set off the pink letters and made them pop!

The Tim butterflies were stamped and embossed in black on old piece of background paper I'd made ages ago with Fired Brick and Barn Door Distress Inks.  The card was originally a parchment colour and a linen effect. 

Distressed the edges with my trusty tonic tool and added some Black Soot Distress Ink round the edges. Used foam pads to mount it on top of the pink letters and voila - one grungy goth emo card (I know I know I am mixing my genres but figured only craft types would be reading not grunge, emo or goths!) 

So just a quick post now I'm off to the craft room to have some fun - I may blog later!

hugs

jo

xx

ATC's aren't easy!

The Simon Says Stamp and Show challenge this week was to make an ATC - how hard can that be?

Hard.

I did have a grand idea involving a box canvas, linen, four ATC's inks and Tim Holtz stamps, which I started and then stopped (I will return to it- never fear 'co I think it's going to be good) and instead raided the um pile (unfinished projects) for stuff to make a quick ATC.

The ATC had been cut from some mount board and covered in a scrap of Tim Lost and Found, some white paint added, then Fired Brick Distress Stain over the top and a swirly stamp from Mini Classics plate stamped in grey stazon.   I did sand it a bit and some of the paper rubbed off, but that was ok - added to the shabby charm!  The edge was inked with Chipped Sapphire Distress Ink.

The house was a spare one cut from the Artful Dwellings die for the Home Sweet Home project .  I added some Antique Linen Distress Stain and stamped the Eiffel Tower stamp from Mini classics in grey stazon.  The metal roof was a spare bit of metal with some grey paint added and ribbed back to expose some silver. Again some Chipped Sapphire Distress Stain round the edge.

The bird was a spare one from the tweet tweet project, so it had already been stamped with Papillion background stamp. I edged in Chipped Sapphire just to give some definition.

The little hanging bracket is a book ring coloured with Slate alcohol ink.  The inspiration for this is Gillian - so thanks Gillian for the idea.

So considering in the end this was a very quick make made up of odds and ends on the um pile I quite like it, especially the colour combo, Fired Brick and Chipped Sapphire - rather delish and shabby!

Right that big idea is calling (plus others), but I really should do the massive pile of ironing that is engulfing the dining room table at the moment - sigh.

hugs

jo

xx

Love, what is the meaning of this love?

Love, such an interesting word with so many different emotional responses to it's utterance and interpretation of  what it means.  Suffice to say it means different things to different people and the strangest things get done in the name of love.

OK Saturday philosophy lesson over, down to art!

Sunday Stamper this week was Love, I could have gone girly romantic (not my natural state but I can do) or do I go a bit grungy (happier)??

Started off with a tag which had white dabber streaked down it and then one of my new Distress Stains - Victorian Velvet put on top (it was well juicy as it was new).  Little bit of Aged Mahogany added as well.  Tim's music score was stamped on top in Aged Mahogany Distress Ink and a little bit of Black Soot ink round the edges. 

I covered some scrap card with Aged Mahogany Distress Stain, stamped the wings in Black Soot Distress Embossing powder.  cut them out and added some gunmetal stickles.

Underneath the heart (a PaperArtsy die heavily inked with Fired Brick, Aged Mahogany and Black Soot) is a very old stamp essentially a heart surrounded by text.  I stamped on some red distressed card and embossed in clear and then put Black Soot over the top. I added some gunmetal stickles to the plain heart but when it dried it didn't look right  hence the large heart to cover up the "design mistake"!

The banner at the bottom was from Tim and then I just added the words  - my heart is. 

So although the look is quite grungy, I'll accept the sentiment is quite girly romantic!

Right busy weekend ahead with family commitments which means not a lot of time for crafting but I'm sure I'll manage to squeeze something in at some time!

hugs

jo

xx

Home Sweet Home

Houses are quite a strong "thing" for me, I was always rearranging my room (I had the smallest room as I was the only girl) as a child, if I can't sleep I fantasise about decorating friends houses. And I loved (and still love) reading about houses. all the little doors and windows in the Magic Faraway Tree, Pa building the house in Little House on the Prairie and my favourite turn to when stressed with life - Milly Molly Mandy and especially the decorating of the jam storeroom - for the jam of course, not because it was going to be Milly Molly Mandy's first bedroom.

I have quite a few house stamps from PaperArtsy and PaperBag Studios (and I REALLY want the Claudine Hellmuth houses) and of course the Tim Artful Dwellings die.  I've wanted to make a terrace of houses for a little while and the idea has been steadily simmering on the back burner.

I started out painting an IKEA mirror frame in blues and greens. I used lots of watered down gesso over the top to tone down and give it that beach hut washed out look.  Tissue tape around the edge of the frame and Walnut stain over the top of that and round the edge of the frame as well to give it a bit of a grunged up shabby look!

The house were cut from mount board and painted in guacamole and toad hall fresco paint, a light wash of gesso and then stamped in various PaperArtsy stamps. The roofs were a combination of odd bits of embossed metal from previous projects and tissue tape grunge board. All sorts of odds and ends of metal embellishments, buttons and a paper flower were either inked with alcohol ink or left bare to "dress" the houses. Good old walnut stains added round the edges to continue that shabby look.

The"road" is a strip of grunge paper inked in Peeled Paint and shabby shutters distress stains, more watered down gesso wiped on top and the ruler from Tim's Curiosities stamp set stamped in grey stazon (love this - loads).

The flowers at the bottom are PaperArtsy again stamped in grey stazon and cleared embossed and the centres painted in a turquoise sparkling H20( haven't used these in ages - feel some flower stamping and  gentle painting activity coming on!)

Finally the numbers are Tim grunge blocks left over from the ArtsyCrafty day in February painted in white dabber and the numbers in Weathered Wood distress stain. Again more Walnut Stain added round the edges.

I'm really pleased with how it's turned out, the frame is really heavy and chunky and the houses are sort of folksy quirky shabby - a bit like I imagine the houses were in that Faraway Tree!

Anyway it's Friday night, so there's a bottle of rose chilling in the fridge, a trip to Olney tomorrow for haircuts and shopping (ooh I wonder where - perhaps here!) and the rugby season starts this weekend so off to watch Northampton Saints play Gloucester on Sunday at home - Autumn is indeed fast approaching.

Oh and of course there might be some crafting this weekend as well!

hugs

jo
xx