Wednesday 29 February 2012

Gift week: Notebook

hello, 
Now this what I call a very clever idea today (doubled up with a happy mistake twist). I would not have thought of using the die for this, and it is so effective: well done Isa'sArt. I would love to receive a book like this as a gift, wouldn't you? 


I wanted to try to use the Sizzix TH Movers and shapers dies on a book cover to see if it works. And it does... Well, nearly.. You can see there was a little problem with the H on the book. So I cut the same "wish" in cardboard (and then with the Spellbinder scalloped oval) and glued it on the book. I guess you can call this a happy mistake. 


I then stamped and cut a Crafty Individuals butterfly and added body and antennae  made with self adhesive beads and wires


Add some inked ribbons and frills and you have yourself a gorgeous mother's day gift :)



Spellbinders dies: classic Scalloped Oval, Labels Ten 
Tim Holtz Movers and Shapers window die Wish
Stamps CI-235 , CI-231 , CI-256
Inks: Versafine and Distress

See you tomorrow




Tuesday 28 February 2012

Gift week: Perfume bottle

Hello, 
Back on day 2 of our "'gift week" with a lovely project from Gio, which would be a lovely present for a crafty friend, don't you think? 


This time I altered the "Woodware ATC in a tin": I used the box as a container for an altered real perfume bottle and I created a triptich of Gothic Arch with 3 of the 5 ATC contained in the tin.


I stamped the lady's silhouette (CI - 335) on a scrap paper, to mask the lid.
Using the Crafter's Workshop stencil HarlequinI I covered the lid with  Dreamweaver Transluscent paste, spreading it with a spatula ( since the stencil was dirty with old painting the gel had become coloured, I loved that effect). I set aside to dry and added some Crystal glitter glue. I stamped the body of the box using the same plate and blackJet StazOn. I stamped the silhouette on a piece of metal,
I cut it out and I glued to the lid.




For the triptich: I coloured the ATC with Dusty Concord Distress Ink and Tea Dye. I stamped the background using CI-306 - French corset and Distress Ink. I cut them in a gothic arch shape and I made some holes along the sides.
I stamped some perfume bottles using CI-335- Perfumery Paris plate and Jet black StazOn on a piece of metal. I cut them out and I glued to the arches. I linked the 3 gothic arches with a purple thread and a needle and added some lace.





For the perfume bottle: 
I painted it with Fresco paint Lilac and Snowflake using a sponge. I stamped it using the plate CI-335 - Perfumery Paris and Dusty Concord Distress Ink. I added the ribbon and some metal stamped details.









Materials:
CI-335- Perfumery Paris plate 
CI-306 - French corset
Dusty Concord and Tea Dye Distress Inks
PaperArtsy Fresco Finish paints: Snowflake and Lilac
The Crafters Workshop template - Harlequin
Dreamweaver Transluscent paste
Glitter glue: Crystal

See you tomorrow

Monday 27 February 2012

Gift week: frame

Hi, 
Welcome to a new week all about gifts. With mother's day just around the corner (in the UK), we thought we could give you a bit of inspiration. Having said that, it's not all about mother's day this week as there will be a couple of masculine projects too. 
We start off the week with Michelle and a beautiful little frame. 


I first stamped out the Impression Obsession images and coloured them with Promarkers
I then coated the frame with gesso and rubbed bundled sage Distress Stain along the edges of the frame. Give the stain a rub with your fingers to help smooth the stain into the gesso.
The ferns were stamped using a versafine spanish moss inkpad.
A few well placed knots of ribbon and the butterfly just completed the look!




I used
Impression Obsession - Gary Robertson designs: Spring flowers 3
CI-231 - Butterflies background stamps
CI-207 - leaves and flowers background stamps
Claudine Hellmuth Studio - Gesso


Saturday 25 February 2012

Simply Saturdays goes vintage

Hi,
Now I love what Gay does, love her work.. always, but this has to be my favourite cards of hers ever, particularly the white one. Although the black one is very striking too. 
What do you think? 






When cut out and embossed from copy paper the flower is inked gently with Distress ink Spun Sugar, covered in Rock Candy, Clear crackle paint from Tim Holtz. The flower will curl alarmingly as it dries, let it :0) When it's nearly dry gentle ease it out with your fingers and add the stamen and/or more colour. Another coat of Rock Candy makes the crackle more sparkly and deeper. Die cut motifs, stamp text in white ink on the black card and assemble


Materials:
Spellbinders, Ironwork Motifs
Crafty Individuals stamps, CI-214, CI-173
Text on second card is from 
Crafty Secrets Journaling
Distress inks, Spun Sugar, Pumice stone, Antique Linen.
Brilliance ink, Moonlight White.


Have a great weekend
See you next week


Friday 24 February 2012

Vintage week: Hanging hearts

hello, 
It's all about loving vintage.. or vintage love... with Linda this week who made those beautiful hearts for you.
Hope you like them


While spending a fabulous weekend teaching and demoing in the shop I found a bit of time to ooh and arrh at all the stash in the Craft Barn ... It is a fabulous shop with an amazing range of products ... well worth a visit in my opinion! Anyways ... while I was there I saw these fabulous Artemio Wooden Heart Blanks and decided they would be perfect for our Vintage Shabby week. I covered them with Tim Holtz's Shabby Vintage stash and then aged them with Vintage Photo Distress Ink. A few book page embellishments made with Tim's dies ... some lovely Crafty Individuals images ... a bit of Rock Candy Stickles and some Viva Pearl pen to finish!





Ingredients :-)
Tim Holtz stamps: Shabby French 
Pearl charms
Old Book




Thursday 23 February 2012

Vintage week: Scissors holders

Hi, 
How about a bit of sewing today, with addicted-to-sewing-Gio of course ;)
Aren't those just gorgeous??


Let us know what  you think...




I cut out  four trapezium shape from a piece of calico and batting, the same height as the scissor.
I coloured the fabric with Distress Stain, and I covered it with Distress stain Picket Fence to give a worn look. I then stamped the vintage CI-328 images using Archival Ink Coffee.


I added a piece of lace, a flower cut out from a doily and some buttons. I even stamped the little buttons.
If you don't have buttons of the right colours, you just need to colour them with alcohol inks.
I sewed the batting and the calico pieces together.
With the leftovers I covered the handle of the scissors.




Material
Distress Stain Spun Sugar
Distress Stains Dusty Concord, Wild Honey, Picket fence
Alcohol ink Purple Twilight
lace and buttons




Wednesday 22 February 2012

Vintage week: cards

Hi, 
A few vintage cards for you today made by the talented Michelle. 
Hope you like them. Don't forget to let us know what you think... 


This is a really simple card. I just stamped the lase stamp in TH Victorian Velvet ink across the bottom of a piece of cream card.
The topper was made by inking up one of the ladies from the Crafty Individuals stamp with versafine and lowering the stampbord piece on to it to carefully stamp the image. The image was then painted with TH Distress Inks and when dry triple embossed with the UTEE. When this was cool I rubbed a little Rub and Buff around the edge of the tile.
This was mounted onto the card and the sentiment stamped et Voila!


Katzelkraft unmounted rubber stamps Lace
CI-322 - Three ladies (dressmaker)
Crafty Secrets: Card sentiments
Distress Ink pads: Tattered Rose, Victorian Velvet, Weathered Wood
Stampbord domino size
Ultra Thick Embossing Enamel (Ranger): clear
Rub 'n Buff: Autumn gold


*****

The Garden Girls stamp was stamped in the corner using the versafine ink pad and was coloured with TH Distress inks. The rest of the card was then inked using an applicator and the lace stamped on the top
The addition of the sentiment and the card was complete.


For this card I used
Crafty Secrets: Garden girls
Katzelkraft unmounted rubber stamps Lace
Versafine ink pad - vintage sepia

******

The card was first covered with some paper from stash, then I stamped the Crafty Individuals stamp with Versafine and coloured it with TH Distress Inks
After cutting out it was mounted on the card.
The Lace stamp was stamped and embossed on cream card using versamark and white embossing powder, then inked with antique paper and Tea Dye Distress inks.
A few flowers, bows and pearls finished this card of beautifully!

For this card I used:
Katzelkraft unmounted rubber stamps Lace
CI-303 - Dames de Paris
Versafine ink pad - black



Tuesday 21 February 2012

Vintage week: Art Journal

Hi, 
Day two with Neil and a fabulous vintage Art Journal page. So much to look at. 
Gorgeous, don't you think?

The inspiration for the page came from a sentiment on a greeting card that I saw ages ago and it stuck with me: "Grandmothers are just vintage little girls"




So as it's a vintage theme I went to town with lace and stuff! (unusual for me I know)
The page was painted with Americana acrylic in blues and whites to create a base to work on to which I glued some lace along the bottom and top
The doily is a lovely detailed one from Cheery Lynn designs which I cut out twice. I coloured the main one with Tea dye and Victorian velvet distress inks and stamped the script in the Victorian velvet. The images are from the Crafty Individuals booklet people and places 2.
The main flower is from some paper I made and cut out using the tattered florals die. Some swirls were die cut too and then I just kept adding trims and flowers and gems until I was happy! Lastly I used a label maker to do the sentiment as it's also kinda vintage now too!




Materials
Crafty Individuals People and Places 2 image book
Cheery Lynn French pastry doily die
Sizzix Flourishes and Tattered Florals dies
Distress inks - Victorian velvet and tea dye
Andy Skinner stamp set - Gothic

See you tomorrow

Monday 20 February 2012

Vintage week: tag

Hi, 
Hope you had a lovely weekend :)
This week is all about vintage with a variety of projects and step by steps.
Starting with Isa'sArt and her gorgeous tag. 
Thanks for popping by


\
Tip of the day
When you trim lace and ribbons, keep the off-cuts. Here Isa used them on the lady's hat. Nothing's wasted.

Isa stamped the fan on fabric and then stitched on top. Isn't this a gorgeous little detail ?


Materials:

Stamps CI-335, CI-285
Stickles: Star dust

See you tomorrow