Using Up Scraps

I don't know about you, but I always end up with a box of scraps that sit there and glare at me for years until I give up and throw them away!

Here's and idea to finally get rid of some!

This card was made using paper weaving.  I cut an aperture in a separate piece of white card using a Spellbinder die (saving the cut out of course!).  Next, cut the paper into strips of various widths.  Attach a line of double sided tape to the top of another piece of card that is slightly smaller that the top aperture layer.  Start sticking a line of the papers onto the tape.  When you get to the other end, weave the papers in and out horizontally.  Place the aperture over the top.

To finish the card, I stamped and embossed a butterfly onto vellum.  Cut out 2 more dies in black and white and stamped a sentiment onto the card.

This one hasn't been made from scraps as it's for a workshop and I wanted everyone to have the same paper but it was paper that I didn't like and would never have used so it still counts!

All the stamps and the set of dies are from Creative Expressions.

I'm up to my neck in gilding flakes at the moment making samples for Ally Pally.  My biggest problem is that in my studio I have a wall mounted heater that blows out warm air.  I have to wait for it to go off before I remove the lid from the flakes......timing is all!!!

Right, better get back to the studio, lots more demo ideas to prep.  Please remember to leave comments to be in with a chance of the blog candy.  The post with how to enter is further down.

Thanks so much for visiting.  Until next time.....

Carrying on with the Bird Theme

Of Course you can Fly.
I designed this card for a workshop later this year at Martells.  I had no idea where I was going with it when I started putting it together but I was so pleased with the end result.
I made the background using the wet smooshing technique with Distress Inks and overstamped some tiny birds with Black Archival, they were 2nd and 3rd generation stamping.
The birdcage was cut using a Spellbinder Die.  When I decided where I wanted it to go, I stamped a bird to fit in the cage and a branch for it to hang from.  The larger bird is also a die from the same set as the cage and I wanted him looking in at the other bird.
I stamped a swirl in the bottom corner and added some black seam binding and a dazzler.  The message was stamped on the same background then stuck on with 3d foam pads.
All of the items used were from Creative Expressions..visit their website for product details.  There's loads on there including their own blog.
I spent a merry few hours playing with some gilding flakes yesterday.  When I'd finished the studio looked like an explosion in a fairy factory and so did I.  I'll take a piccie of the finished piece and you can let me know what you think.
Anyhoo, samples to make for Ally Pally today so better get on with it.
Thanks for visiting and any comments are always lovely to see.  You do sometimes wonder if there's anyone reading this!  One last thing.....please remember the blog candy!
 



A Little Bird Told Me!

Well, this is a complete change for me....a 3D project!

My good friend, Michelle Mogford-Jackson (aka the Art Tart) was teaching on the same cruise as me in January and she persuaded me to have a go at one of her projects.

I put all the pieces together on the ship but left the final gluing until I got home as I wanted to do some stamping on it and also, it was a lot easier to transport when it was flat!

Michelle calls it her "Wishing House" and it was good fun to make.  From time to time we all need to leave our comfort zones and have a go at something new.  So, thank you Michelle! 

If you'd like to see some wonderful projects please visit her website...www.thearttart.  Make sure you click on the right site, you can have a nasty surprise if you don't!

I've used various stamp sets on it including the Swirl and Bird sets from Creative Expressions.  The edges have had the benefit of Distress Inks!  It was mostly put together with good old Cosmic Shimmer Dries Clear Glue.

I had a parcel delivered yesterday with new toys for me to play with.  I managed to get hold of some of the Gilding Wax and now I want to add it to everything!  I think it's going to look fantastic rubbed onto Beeswax. 

So, you can guess what my plans are for today!!

I'll let you know how I get on but in the meantime, have a happy, crafty day and thanks for dropping by.

An Oldie but a Goodie

This card was made using such an old technique but one that's great fun.

The background was embossed with the Fretwork Mask through the Grand Calibur and lightly inked with Spun Sugar Distress.

The next stage was to make the background for the stamped image.

Cut your cardstock to size.  Put shaving foam into a container...I use a throwaway plastic plate.  Smooth the shaving foam down with a ruler.  Add ink...for this card I've sprayed Cosmic Shimmer Vintage Misters onto the shaving foam but you could use Distress Re-Inkers.

Swirl the inks around but try not to "muddy" them too much.  Whatever you see on the top of the shaving foam is what you will get on your card.  Press the piece of card down onto the foam, lift and remove excess foam.  Voila..you now have a piece of marbled background card!  It even smells nice!  Use the very cheapest shaving foam you can find...mine was about 45p!

The stamp is from a set by Creative Expressions as were the hat pins, fabric rose and seam binding.

Now onto other matters!!!

Many thanks to all of those who came to the demo yesterday.  I had great fun "playing" and I hope you went away with a few new ideas.  Hope to see you again at the workshops or perhaps we can persuade Henry to have another demo!  Don't forget, if he doesn't have an item in stock from Creative Expressions, he can order it for you.  If you have any problems, please contact me.

I'll be demo-ing Gilding Flakes at Ally Pally on Saturday 13th April.  Just waiting for the "goodies" to arrive from the lovely Sue Wilson so I can get started playing  working, I mean working!!!

Anyway, off to the studio to tidy away all of the stuff I took with me yesterday and wait for inspiration to strike.

Many thanks to all who visited the blog yesterday...I'm going on a mission today to visit as many desks as I can!

The blog candy is still there so look for the posting about how to enter for it.

Until tomorrow...have fun and happy crafting.

WOYWW

Good morning and Happy WOYWW.

I thought I'd take a piccie of my "heat it" station!

This is where the iron, heat gun and Melt Pot live (along with essentials like the kettle!)

My Melt Pot had gathered dust on a shelf until I saw Hels on C&C and I just had to get it back out and play.  I should have been prepping for todays demo but this was much more fun!  Anyway, here is the result.

I had a really cheap canvas that needed cheering up so covered it with Vintage Shabby Tim Holtz paper.

I melted Beeswax on a low setting in the Melt Pot, stamped some images onto a single layer of tissue and applied them to the canvas using the wax.  The stamps are also by Sir Tim.

I covered a small square of Studio 490 Art Parts with the same paper, stamped a message and 2nd generation pattern then painted the wax over the top.

The flowers and leaves were made from Spellbinder dies as where the flourishes.

I used Hels tip of scrunching up the leaves before coating them in wax.  The sides of the canvas and the Art Part were painted with Eco Green Black Acrylic Paint.  It's a great range of paints and I love them because they dry really quickly.  Everything I used is available from Creative Expressions. So, once again, many thanks to Hels for getting my Melt Pot mojo working again!  I'm also entering this as my Sunday Stamper entry...it's nature themed this week.  Pop over to Hels blog for details.

I've got some candy up for grabs...please see previous post for details.  It's a fab set of stamps and masks.

Off to pack up the car with all the demo stuff...really looking forward to it and I'm taking the canvas with me to sit in pride of place!

I'll try and get around to as many of you as I can but thank you for visiting and all your lovely comments...I was blown away last week.

Blog Candy and Fairies!

As promised, the blog candy has arrived.

I thought it should be a bit special to "kick things off" and celebrate the fact that I'm finally blogging again!

To win is simples!!

First, become a follower of the blog.

Next, leave a comment.

And finally, put a link to your blog if you have one...if not, don't worry.

The more posts that you comment on, the more entries you get into the draw.

The draw will take place when I get to 300 followers.

Good luck everyone, they're a fantastic set of stamps and the Tim Holtz mini masks are fab.

I thought I'd put a different sort of card on here today...very different to my usual grungy, distressed look!

This is one that I taught at a workshop last year.

The stamp is from Creative Expressions.  I heat embossed the image then painted her with Distress Inks mixed with Mica Powders.  The wings were stamped twice onto fusible film, cut out and glued on with CS dries clear glue.

I cut the image out using a Spellbinder die.

The background was made by putting a piece of card into a Creative Expressions Embossing Folder, running it through the Grand Calibur, then inking with Spun Sugar Distress Ink.

It's a nice easy card to make and I usually forget about using fusible film but it does make beautiful wings for fairies, butterflies and dragonflies as well as a stained glass effect for windows.

A Eureka moment!!!

I must get down to the studio straight away...I have some of the Spellbinder D Lite window dies!!

Don't forget to watch Hels fab shows on C&C over the next few days...the melt pot techniques are amazing.

Have a terrific day whatever you're up to and many thanks for visiting.

More Nautical!

Thought I'd show you another Nautical themed card today but with a completely different look to yesterdays.

It can be difficult to make mens cards unless they like a pint or play sports but these Nautical stamps from Creative Expressions are great.  Even if they have no interest in the sea, there are maps and a globe.

The background for this card has been made with Cosmic Shimmer Misters.  I sprayed a piece of card with gold, placed the fretwork mask over the top and resprayed with green.  The edges were distressed with Peeled Paint.

For the globe, I sprayed the colours onto my craft mat, then used a paintbrush to colour it in.

The ships wheels were stamped, cut out, coloured with Distress Ink then triple thick embossed.  Other than that, just normal stamping and embossing.

This is another card from a workshop at Martells later this year.  I'm trying to be very organised this year and have all the workshops planned well in advance.  It's actually working and I only have 3 more projects to sort out for November!

The boot fair was a wash out...or should I say a snow out!

We ended up in a lovely country pub with a roaring log fire and met up with some friends that we hadn't seen since August last year.  A much better way of spending a very cold afternoon!

I'm off to the studio now to finish prepping for the demo on Wednesday.  I just hope people turn up!!

Also want to sort out some candy so please look out for that.

Many thanks for visiting and leaving comments.