Finished the tags!

Yes I did them all. There are elements of this that I don't like, the lettering for instance! I didn't have any tissue either so used a few flowers I did have. Apart from that it was funto do.

Here's to next year now !

The punultimate tag for 2011

Once again I didn't have the right stamps or the right dies for this but I got to use my favourite snowman and the UTEE technique was great fun.

... and the 10th one!

This really doesn't show itself as nice as it is. The technique using the image transfer onto sellotape is much better in the flesh. Another one that I will use in the future.

The 9th tag

This is one of the tags I did at on Saturday and a big thank you to Kate for having all the stash needed.

Loved the background for this one. I finished it off on Sunday morning which is why the Glossy Accents on the letters are still opaque - not quite dry

Not so much improvising...

... more a case of make do and mend with this tag. The only things I had were the tag, the Distress Inks and Glossy Accents. Still it was fun trying to use the techniques. I do like the shadow stamping, doing it deliberately is far more satisfying than it happening when you don't want it to! Anyway here is my effort -

Thanks for looking.

The 7th tag..

over half way through now. I am enjoying the challenge of making one a day. Today’s is better than yesterday and I am pleased with the way it turned out.

 

Needless to say there were several things I didn’t have but I did have half a sheet of glassine left over from a workshop so made the leaves, interesting how you can heat alcohol inks on that. Looking at it the only things I didn’t substitute were the tinsel, the beads and the tag itself. Still it worked out.

On the 6th day…

..another tag from Tim. I am not sure if this works or not. I had to use an different embossing folder and I had to stick my charm as I cidn’t even have the right rings.

 

I found that the paint didn’t want to work on the metal and had to put it on really thick or it went into tiny puddles. The embossing looks almost like crackle glaze! Maybe that is the paint underneath, or the distress ink.

 

More tags, more improvisation..

Firstly I have finished Sundays tag. There were a few things I didn’t have, crackle glaze being the main one. I do have a bottle but it has gone AWOL somewhere. I also don’t have the snowman die so I cut a reindeer and covered it in Glossy Accents then dripped some alcohol ink into it and left it to dry. It was a bit too bright so I added some Perfect Pearls which toned it down a bit. Then I didn’t have the snowflake edge die so used another one. Hey ho the technique is there.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next came Mondays tag. I had 2 goes at this, the first one was on some acetate I had and the inks just wouldn’t dry, they stayed tacky so when I tried to rub the Archival off it just smeared and was a proper mess. So I cut some packaging and did it again and that worked much better. (Reminder to self to keep some packaging tucked away.) I also don’t have the ‘backwards’ stamp so used a snowflake instead. I have to say the colours are a bit ‘in your face’ and I haven’t added the ribbon yet as it was drying. I inked it to match the tag so it will be even more pink!

 

 

I will be off to find todays tag soon. I wonder if I will have the stash to do it!

Chrissie decs

These are some of the decorations we mad at Saturday’s workshop.

 

  A pretty hanger made from 8 diecuts, inked and folded then stuck to a chipboard shape from the same die. One thing Mr Holtz does is he never makes his shapes symmetrical so the tricky bit here was to get the right ones back to back. The alternative is to ink the edges afterwards –there was a lot of inking done!

 

This was a lovely tag, lots of Distress inks and diecuts with a rubber stamp as well.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Possibly my favourite, a glass shape that we stamped and embossed with either silver or gold and then filled with ‘snow’ I added some Bedazzles as well.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A drunken tree, made from different sized rosettes, cut with the Tim Holtz die. WE had great fun getting them to stay in shape and got messy with the hot glue gun.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We also had some glass birds which we coloured with alcohol inks and added some wings, I forgot the photos! Maybe later.

Catch up day, or not

I was at one of Jennie's workshops yesterday. We mad some gorgeous Chrissie decorations and I will get them photographed an upload them tomorrow. Now Tim's Saturday tag I made a start on today but as I have no crackle glaze (lost it somewhere!) and no snowman die I decided to use a reindeer and cover it in glossy accents. Needless to say it is taking an age to dry so I got on with today' tag and managed to improves with just the embossing folder but it is done.

I am pleased with how it came out. I will get Saturdays and Monday's done tomorrow, then I will be all up to date.

Day 2 of the 12 days of Christmas tags

Well at least I had a sheet of old music paper and a stamp for the holly and ivy. Would you believe no string though and only some green wool for the neck. Still it was fun to do and at lest I have kept up so far - only day 2 though LOL.

12 tags of Christmas - No. 1

I am intending to do as many of Tim's tags as I can, you can see them here . I don't have the die for the word, the die for the pine cones or the leaves and twigs. So I found a nice font, cut the word on the Robo, cut some Spellbinders leaves and flowers and here is the end result.

I loved doing this one, the embossing worked well, Oh and I didn't have a white dabber (sure I have somehwere but it is not where it should be). Looking forward to tomorrows.

Fun, fun, fun…

Another Saturday at Pickleberry with another great workshop from Jennie. We filled a printers tray using 14 different techniques. We all ended up very inky but very pleased with what we did.

 

Here’s mine -

 

 

Each compartment had a different technique. I think my favourite is the top left, it is a tiny plastic lizard. He is covered in gilding flakes then put into the box and totally covered in UTEE. I finished it off at home with the letters, cut on the Robo and then dipped in Platinum UTEE. I may add something to the letters but I have time for that. It looks OK as it is I think.

 

I also made one of the Advent Boxes from a kit. Almost all the bits were cut, was I grateful for that. It took me a while to just cut and emboss 2 boxes with their lids, I think I might have lost a bit of patience with 25 of them. I just have to get the numbers done. Still thinking about the best way to do that.

 

I thought the flash flare was a problem but it shoes the dots on the red card which is used for the bases.

 

I have also got a few more Christmas cards don, just over half way with those. I need some nice ideas for the rest.

On the catwalk!

I went to another workshop yesterday, run by the wonderful Jennie from The Artistic Stamper where we decorated a mannequin. What fun it was too, we inked and stamped sticky backed canvas for the bodice and then made the skirt with a birdcage die stuck on to more sticky backed canvas then we added gilding flakes – have to love those. We then cut leaves out of grunge paper, mouldable plastic, metal and shrink plastic and played with those using alcohol inks. Then it was time to assemble. It took a little longer than we had so we all took the foundations home to finish and I couldn’t wait so did mine this morning. Hope you like the end result, I am very happy with it.

 

Big catch up

It hs been so long since I blogged, I have almost forgotten how! Well not really but you know what I mean.

 

I have done quite a lot more than is here but I would have to split it all into 2 or 3 posts so I thought one of my favourite pieces would be best.

 

First there is a LO I did of the kids ‘When they were young’. The photos were taken when we took them to Kenya on holiday and we came across the pics while clearing out some drawers. I just had to do this

 

Next I have some photos of Connor with his pop up tent, he loved it and spent ages popping in and out

 

The image is a bit small to show his expressions but they were so funny.

 

I also made a star book for Alan, he doesn’t have many photos of Connor and wanted some. Hope he likes this

 

Lots of pics of him with various family members and on his own.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then I did a UTEE class with the lovely Jennie and put my pieces on canvases, this is one of 3.

The yesterday I did a Spellbinders workshop where we used a new template for making flowers. We made this first, you can see the

template as well. It is easy once you get the hang of it and there are some videos on You Tube that I want to check out in case there is more.

 

Then we cut the same template in felt and this is the result

 

The one with the green leaf has another, larger leaf which is hidden and is set on a brooch pin. I added a few Stickles to match.

 

Finally I spent the afternoon playing and made these.

 

From the left, one made starting from the centre of the template(normally you start form the outside). Makes a tighter flower. The middle one is made with 2 die cuts, the same as the ones on the trinket box. Finally I had a go at cutting 3 and assembling them, I actually like this the best and will make more once I find some suitable paper.

 

OK this is the end of a long post, hopefully it won’t be so long next time.

 

Thanks for looking.

Crafting again - YAY

Yes I have made a start, well with the new Grandson I really need to got moving or things won't get done when they should.

So first the front page for Michaels 1st year album. Jackie had 4 scans and got copies of each one for me to put in the album. I have done a flip book with them and the duck was on the folder each scan came in. I have done the last page as well but it is just a list of important information about the day, prices and things that happened in history. It is a very functional LO so doesn't warrant a photo.

This is the first one in the album we will keep here and will include lots of the photos that don't go into the 1st year one. I am really pleased with it, though I say so myself.

How long has it been?

I really haven't had the energy or the inclination to do anything apart from my monthly workshops. Things are improving though and I managed a couple of very basic LOs to complete our Tombstone album. Now I need to get the rest of the Arizona trip finished.

I have a number of projects to think about.I have my version of a printers tray to prepare. I have the papers to go in the back of the units and some tissue tape for the edges. A few embellishments are waiting and I will collect some more along the way.

I have 3 canvases that I want to make into a trio to hang somewhere but need to get a distress stain for the base coat.

Then there are several Christmas things to work on, started in the New Year and got no further!


I will get back to regular work soon and then there will be pics as well.

Cards and things

After what seems to be ages I have completed some things and also remembered to bring the camera down from the attic so I can get some other things uploaded. So here we go.

 

First the Mothers day card I made for MIL. Quite a simple card but she liked it.

I finished these three yesterday.

 

There is a LO with no pictures which is the introduction to the re-enactment of the Gunfight at the OK Corral, the first LO of that series which is Doc Holliday and the ‘card’ I have made to welcome the forthcoming grandson.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Finally a close up

 

 

It is not an original idea but one I found at Kate's. A large cotton spool covered in ribbon and some added buttons. A piece of dowel sits in the hole, held in place with some bluetac. The top is a shield shape cut on the Robo, inked and embellished with a quote ‘Welcome to the world'’ some narrow sticky borders and some more buttons. The back is blank for us to write on when the time comes.

 

Hopefully I will get more done now!

Another Workshop

Yes i attended another of Jennie's workshops yesterday and we played with the new colour washes, Perfect Pearls mists, distress inks, UTEE and so much more. This is what I made

and it is hanging on the craft room wall for inspiration. I also had time to make a little journal with a few more edge pieces of the jigsaw, that is going to become a journal of our daughters pregnancy, it already has the first 2 scans and a few notes but I won’t show it till it is completed which will be about July time.

Home Decor Plaque

Goodness that sounds so American! There is no other way to describe it though. The method for the metal flowers is shown in an earlier post. I thought long and hard about the word to use and I am still not sure if it is the right one but that leaves me scope to make another one!

 

 

I think I will do another one as there are a couple of things I would change, partly because I didn’t think it through properly.

 

Oh and all the flowers, leaves and the heart are in metal with no backing, I might change that but I will experiment first.

Birthday time.

We have 4 family birthdays in 9 days starting with Gary on 25 February, then Stef, Jackie and finally Gary on 5 March. I have been making the cards gradually over the last few weeks and got them finished in time. The 2 for the boys are a decoupage and a pyramage. I had the diecuts tucked away and the subjects are good for the boys.

 

 

 

The girls ones are a bit different. The pink one is for Stef (she is such a pink girl) and is a double stamped technique. You need a stamp with open areas, ink up a stamp with fine detail ( mine is tiny script) using a Versamark, ink up the main stamp (mine is poppies) with Versamark, stamp the fine detail directly onto the other stamp then stamp the other (poppies) onto the card. Cover with embossing powder, heat and watch the magic. I then coloured the flowers and stems using distress inks and Cut n' Dry™ Nibs.

 

Jackie’s card is a resist technique, the background stamp is embossed with clear embossing powder over Versamark then distress inks over the top. The butterfly is embossed with pale blue embossing powder and flies off the page.

That Calendar

OK so it took a while but I have finally got to take the photos and bind it together so it has pride of place in my craft room.

Stand by for all the months, some look a little pale but they work IRL.

There you go! The December page was one we had free range on. I used the resist technique on the borders, with a musical stave background stamp. The I filled the gaps wither side of the month with a Christmas stamp using Versamark and Perfect Pearls.

Arizona layouts

I seem to be taking ages with these, not the normal rush that I do. I think it is because I do other things these days but I have also had some mojo problems. I am gradually getting them done though, about half way through now. I have completed one 8 1/2 x 11 album of the Grand Canyon, the pics are great for us but I suspect pretty boring for others. I have another album the same size for the Tombstone photos. Chris put in a special request that we have a separate one just for that. The rest of the photos will take up 2 12 x 12 albums and the first is now full. Here is a selection of some of the contents.

 

Downtown Tucson, taken from the Interstate. We saw this view a lot as we drove this road almost every time we went out for a day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We stumbled across this amazing Western shop in flagstaff. I used to work in shoe shops part time while I was studying but I have never seen so many boots in one place. All colours and lengths, and yes they are real chaps hanging on a rail as well.

 

 

 

 

 

 

A composite of 3 photos made up this view of the Canyon. The most amazing place I think I have been to.

 

The map was in one of the free guides we picked up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This was one amazing place, Davis Montham, otherwise know as the ‘Bone Yard’ and huge area covered in so many planes all mothballed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Finally there had to be one of the car we had (sorry about the reflection). We did manage a few trips with the top down but it was far too hot a lot of the time, much to Chris’s disgust.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I will no doubt get round to showing a few more when they are done.