Friday 29 January 2016

Funtastic Friday - Fairy Foam Fun!

Hello!

I hope you are keeping well and staying away from any foul weather.  Yesterday was lovely but we have had quite a bit of rain and wind, which is perfect crafting weather!!

As it is a fun Friday I have used this week to try a new technique.  When I say new I mean that it is one I haven't done before but I know it has been around a while.  The technique is using shaving foam to create a marbled background effect (not as messy as it sounds!).

I will be entering this project into the following challenges...

* More Mixed Media Challenge - Blue
* Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers - T is for Technique
* That's Crafty Challenge Blog - ATC Challenge

I have made a video of the shaving foam technique but unfortunately can not get it to upload.
Here is how I did it...

* Spray shaving foam (not gel) into a tin/tub etc and smooth out (I use a ruler).
* Place your medium on the foam.  I used Dylusions spray inks (London Blue, Calypso Teal and Dirty Martini, plus a gold spray to add shimmer).
* Using a sharp tool (I used a kebab stick) swirl the foam around to create patterns.
* Place your card on top of the foam and press all over to make a print.
* Pull off your card and scrape away the excess foam (again I used a ruler).

I may try to upload the video to Face Book (link at the top on the left) so do feel free to check (can't promise I will get the technical hang of it enough though!!!).

I was able to pull off a number of prints as the pieces of card were small, but I also added more ink at times to create more.  Here is how they looked...
 


Normally I would now post a picture of everything that I used but today all the items are really in the photos.  The stamps that I used were all from Lavinia apart from the sentiment which came from a Finnabair set.

I will give you a brief description of what I did then show you in photos.

Once I had created the background and cut the piece to size (2 & a half inches by 3 & a half inches) I stamped on my elements using gold and black ink, then stencilled a few areas with sparkle texture paste.  The sentiment was stamped in versamark and embossed in black powder.  I mounted it on a piece of black card to frame it...






 Here is the finished piece...


I hope you enjoyed my fun technique this week!  I will be back with a new project to share on Monday.  Have a lovely weekend whatever you are doing,

Jane x


Wednesday 27 January 2016

Wonderful Wednesday - Purple Flower Clock

Hello to you all and I hope you are all keeping well this mid week!

Today I am posting another clock that I have decorated from the IndigoBlu canvas clock kit, but this one is a bit more floral and feminine.  It is also one of my favourite colours...purple.

I am going to enter this project into the following challenges...

* The Mixed Media Monthly Challenge - Time Flies
* Crafty Girls Creations - Anything Goes

Here is what I started out with...
One of my favourite Heartfelt Creations collections is the delicate asters, so I decided to use the papers, stamps and dies.    I started out by covering the canvas with the paper using mod podge to apply it, and also to the clock face (I put a layer of gesso on first to stop the glue sinking in too much).  Watered down Goldfinger paint (IndigoBlu) was added, including some 'splats,' and then I decided to use gold embossing powder around the edges to give it an old, gilded feel.  I also stamped and gold embossed some of the aster stamps, you can see them most clearly on the clock face...
As always I then felt the need to add extra texture!  I do love stencils and various different texture pastes (of which I have a few) and so chose a word stencil from TCW (probably one of my most used stencils as it goes with so many different styles and themes).  I also used a floral stencil to go with the theme of the clock, and these were done with sparkle paste from Imagination crafts, gold and lavender.  The clock face was created using the stencil which had come with another clock kit from IndigoBlu and again I used the lavender paste...
To add more dimension and interest I wanted to add some flower elements.  The delicate asters stamps do match with the dies, but to be honest this is one set that I find quite tricky to line up accurately and as I can be a bit picky sometimes I decided to die cut the flowers from patterned paper without the stamps this time.  Once they were all made I added gems for the centres and sprayed them with iridescent glitter varnish from Crafter's Companion.  Looking through the papers I also found a cute little butterfly which I cut out twice and layered up, adding more glitter spray...
Finally it was all put together with the clock mechanism.  I used a dremel tool to make my hole in the canvas, gradually making it bigger until the mechanism fit just right...



Hopefully the close up pictures show you some more of the details.

Thank you for taking a look.  I will be back on Friday for some more fun!  This week I am trying a new technique and am going to attempt some miniature art!  See you soon,

Jane x

Monday 25 January 2016

Mixed Media Monday - A Vintage Lady

Hello all!

I would like to start by thanking all those lovely people who have viewed my page and made very kind comments about my projects, it is truly appreciated!

Now, although today is my mixed media post I have made a card.  This hopefully shows that adding  layers of different mediums and textures can be adapted for all types of crafting, including cards.

I will be entering today's project into the following challenges...

*  Sweet Sketch Wednesday - Using this sketch...


* IndigoBlu Challenge Blog - Anything Goes (using IndigoBlu stamps)
* Sweet Stampin' Challenge Blog - Vintage/Shabby Chic Theme

This was a fairly quick and straightforward project (well compared to a lot of what I do!) and this is some of what I used, in particular you can see the IndigoBlu stamp sets that were chosen...
I did spend quite a bit of time looking through my IndigoBlu stamps to decide what I wanted to do, and I already have some other ideas that I will be trying out soon!  However in the end I decided to use my 'Mr Darcy' set and the lovely vintage lady image (I am sure it is Elizabeth Bennett but she could be anybody you want).  I bought this set because I love Pride and Prejudice, but all the stamp sets I have from this company are stunning. 
The paper that I chose is from Bella Rouge by Prima, and once I had chosen this piece it led me to my colours for the rest of the project.
To create some more interest on the background I used the IndigoBlu flourish stamp, which I stamped in sepia Versafine, and a mini dots and circles stencil by TCW which I used with champagne sparkle paste.  I chose both of these to match in with the patterns on the main stamp image...
Next I moved onto the focal image.  I stamped and heat embossed my lady with gold powder and also a simple sentiment separately.  I then chose a teal type blue from my Inktense pencils to match the paper and create a background wash for the image and sentiment.  I wanted the flowers on the lady to stand out like the ones on the paper so used a bright red pencil for these.  After cutting out the image with a circle die the edges were inked with Vintage Photo distress ink...
After watering down some Goldfinger paint (IndigoBlu) it was flicked over the background and the main images to add a bit more interest and a more vintage feel.  To finish it off the layers were matted onto brown and vintage gold card, and ribbon and flowers added as embellishments...


I really like having the different textures as I think it adds another dimension to the card and hopefully it has an elegant vintage feel to it.

Thank you once again for coming over to have a look and read, I will be back on Wednesday with another project.

Happy crafting ,

Jane x


Friday 22 January 2016

Funtastic Friday - Vintage Travel Tag

Hello again!

Before I start today's post I would just like to say thank you to the IndigoBlu challenge blog team for choosing my butterfly as one of the top 3!  I am really pleased and am displaying my blog badge with pride!!

Now on to today's creation...
Having shown you a very pretty and feminine tag on Wednesday, I thought that it would be fun to create a matching but opposite tag for today.

This project is being entered into the following challenges...

* A Vintage Journey - Vintage Travel & Luggage with a Tim Holtz influence
* Fantasy Stampers - All About The Boy
* Artistic Stamper Creative Team Blog - Anything Goes

As always here are some of the main items that I planned to use...
For this project I went about things a bit differently to usual.  I normally begin by creating my background then work forwards, so to speak.  However this time I really wanted to use some of my more unused craft stash to make an embellishment.  I was going to use the melt pot but didn't have quite the right items for what I wanted to make so instead I got out my Vintaj paints and metal embossing folder from Ranger.  After running a metal disc through the cog folder I used  4 different paints and the sealer to create the look I wanted and sanded back the raised areas with the special block...
I also had a circle embellishment that came with my MDF tags (Anna Marie Designs) which I cut up, painted with Vintage Photo distress paint then embossed with aged taupe embossing enamel from Stampendous.  Some of the powder was also added to the metal embellishment for a more aged look and finished off with some patina gilding wax...
After this I created the background paper to stick onto the tag. 
I used a technique that Tim Holtz shows in one of his tutorial videos when using distress inks but added a couple of extra steps.
I started by using my Prima Mechanica mask through my die cutting machine to create a pattern on a piece of A4 cardstock.  Then I crumpled it up (it felt very wrong!), opening it out and crumpling again a couple of times.  When I was happy with It, I opened it out and swiped my Vintage Photo distress ink pad directly onto the card, as well as highlighting the peaks from the crumpling it also accentuated some of the cogs.  Using a spritzer I sprayed water over the paper and allowed it to react.  I wanted a bit more colour for my background so I also used Vintage Photo and Antique Bronze distress stain sprays over the card.  When it was how I wanted I used my craft iron to flatten it back out, here is how it looked close up...
I wanted even more interest in the background so stencilled with the Mechanica using Vintage Photo.  Using a craft knife, the card was then cut to size and the tag prepared by painting with black gesso...
Once I had stuck the paper down and used a gold gilding pen around the edges, I stencilled through a TCW stencil (Cogs and Gears) using Versamark in a number of places and heat embossed using the aged taupe again.  Then I used a TCW reverse chicken wire stencil to add some more detail with Decadent Oak sparkle paste from Cosmic Shimmer...
Now it was time to create the focal points!  I always add words of some sort to my projects and this time I changed my mind from the original quote that was in the first photo!  I wasn't sure how I wanted my stamps to look and whether I wanted my main image coloured or not, so in the end I decided that I would try a few different styles and choose.   However I only ended up trying one as I was happy with how it looked. 
I created a background cardstock for the stamps using the same distress stains from before as well as some Shabby Turbine Teal spray ink (Lindy's Stamp Gang), followed by some subtle stencilling using vintage photo and the same TCW cogs.  Once it had all been thoroughly dried I stamped a vintage car from Stamps Away (Pilkington Transport 4) using pewter embossing powder, as well as 2 sentiments from the Inkylicious 'Dream' set.  They were then cut out using oval dies and the largest Italian Circle die from Sue Wilson.  Vintage Photo was used again to ink around the edges of each die cut...
It was then a case of putting all the pieces together.  So after playing around with the layout I stuck all the pieces down using Pinflair glue gel to give them dimension...
This was going to be the end but I felt that it still needed something extra so I used some of my favourite finishing touch products...micro beads and glass beads in 3D matte gel. 
Finally I added some rustic looking string to hang the tag with and here is the final project...



Another fun project to make.  I do love being able to use such amazing products to make so many layers and textures!  I already have lots of ideas in my head for upcoming projects...
I hope you enjoyed seeing the process.

Until next time, happy crafting,

Jane x

Wednesday 20 January 2016

Wonderful Wednesday - Pretty Romantic

Hello again and welcome to my first Wednesday post!

As you may have begun to tell I do like a bit of alliteration (comes from previously being a primary school teacher) and hopefully you are all having a lovely mid week.

Following on from my steampunk themed bottle on Monday, I am going for a different feel today, I am going for pretty and romantic. 
As it will soon be February I thought it would be good to start getting ready for the 'special' day.  Also over on Hels Sheridan's blog 'Ink on My Fingers' she runs a challenge, and at the moment the theme is 'Oh you pretty thing'.  So what better excuse do I need?
If you haven't seen Hels blog before do go over for a look as she makes beautiful items and also has some fab tutorials.

Anyway here is what I decided to use for my project (this was not the first photo I took as I did change my mind a couple of times)...
 
I decided to use an MDF tag rather than make a card as I like being able to add textures and mediums, and the MDF gives me a much more sturdy surface to work on.  The papers, stamps and dies are all by Heartfelt Creations (the Romantique collection) as they just seemed perfect for the colour scheme that I wanted for this project.
 
First I painted the tag with gesso and applied the paper using gel medium.  After sanding off the edges with an emery board I painted on watered down distress paint (tattered rose and worn lipstick).  Once this had dried I used a gold gilding pen around the edges  and then used the same colours of distress ink to blend around the paper...
I wanted some extra interest in the background so used one of the stamps that matched the paper and embossed the images using shabby pink embossing enamel from Stampendous.  I then used the script part of a stencil with champagne sparkle medium (the stencil is from TCW, Mini Grow Page) to add even more texture but still fit with the look of the paper...


The pink embossing is quite subtle but shows up better in the final photos. 
Now I was ready to die cut!  I used the Romantique dies to cut the main floral focal point then stamped and die cut the pieces to build up the flowers.  I also wanted even more texture so used a Tim Holtz die  (I recently discovered these and had to purchase them) called Mixed Media...
When these had been cut I coloured the floral elements using distress inks (picked raspberry and seedless preserves) and coloured the mixed media die cut using distress paints before adding some of the same shabby pink embossing powder.  I also stamped an appropriate sentiment (one from a retired Stampin'Up! set) which was die cut using Sue Wilson's Italian Circles die.  Finally they were all sprayed with some iridescent glitter varnish to give them a finishing touch...
It was then a case of putting all the elements together.  I used Pinflair glue gel to add extra dimension and make sure that it was stuck thoroughly.  I prefer to use this rather than silicon glue as I can not stand the smell that has!!  For hanging purposes I attached a piece of organza ribbon, and chose a darker colour as felt it looked better than a pink piece...


So there it is, my pretty romantic creation!
 
I hope you like it and thank you for looking.  I will be back on Friday and as it is a Funtastic Friday I will see what long lost goodies I have in my cupboard...friendly plastic? melt pot? paper clay? hmmm will have to have a good look and a play!
 
Enjoy the final part of your week,
 
Jane x

Monday 18 January 2016

Mixed Media Monday - Altered Steampunk Bottle

Good morning to you!

After my detour on Friday I am back with some more messy, texturedness (I know not a real word) today!
Whilst looking for challenges to take part in I found one over at Country view Crafts that had the theme of 'Be Inspired by Bottles'.  Now in the past I have decorated jars as fairy lanterns but thought that a bottle could be something new and different for me to try, so I have!  I used this as the starting point for my project but have combined it with some other themes/challenges as well.

This project is being entered into:

* Country View Crafts Challenge - Be Inspired by Bottles
* SanDee and amelie's Steampunk Challenge - Anything Goes Steampunk/Industrial
* Rhedd's Creative Spirit - An Altered Art Challenge
* Altered Eclectics - An Altered Art/Mixed Media Challenge
* More Mixed Media Challenge - Colour Blue
* Our Creative Corner - Make Time, Mood board Challenge
There were a lot of stages to making this project and I have to admit that at some points I got carried away and forgot to take photos, so if the pictures seem to jump a few stages that is why! 
To start here is a picture of what I intended to use, although as always this may have altered as I went along...
The first thing I did was to paint the bottle with white gesso to provide a base coat that other things could stick to.  Once this had dried I added clear crackle texture paste (Prima), thick at the bottom and thinner towards the top.  I left it to dry over night (very patient for me!!), however in the morning the thick layers hadn't dried out completely and I ended up using a heat tool! Using 2 different stencils from IndigoBlu and Bee Crafty I applied some glass bead gel (Golden Mediums) and also spread some in random places.  My aim was to create as many different textures as I could at this stage...
Once this had all dried I added a selection of metal and chipboard embellishments.  I wanted the heaviest area to be at the bottom (flowers, cogs and leaves) with the main focal points being the clock faces nearer the top.  These were stuck on using 3D matte gel medium (Prima), but I have to admit that due to my rushing on with other stages I also ended up reinforcing some of the pieces with Pinflair glue gel...
Next I needed to cover everything added so far with another layer of gesso to provide a key for the inks and paints.  I was originally going to do this white but in the end decided to use black as I thought it would suit the style better (I honestly don't know if it made any difference!)...
This is where my next photo will leap ahead a bit!!  I had gathered together inks and paints that went with the mood board colours of one of the challenges.  I painted the bottom 2 thirds using Goldfinger paint from IndigoBlu and used Peacock Feathers distress paint for the top third.  Prima Bloom spray inks were then used to create the colour scheme I wanted (Tea Stain, Antique Gold, Gold Foil, Worn Leather, Glistening Waves) and later I added a bit of Lindys Stamp Gang spray as well.  Between layers I used my heat tool and afterwards added gilding wax (Pebeo Gold and Creative Expressions Patina).  To add extra interest I stamped cogs etc. onto tissue paper using brown Staz On ink and applied it with IndigoBlu slap it on medium. At this stage I decided that I wanted to add some words and applied some Tim Holtz Big Chat stickers...

Using more 3D Matte Medium I mixed up some Prima micro beads (copper, bronze and splash) and added them to the matching areas on the bottle.  Glass beads (turquoise and butter) were also added to some areas for a different texture. 
The main part of the project was now finished, but I like to add an even more 3D element as well as a sentiment (I love words and quotes).  I die cut a butterfly from Sue Wilson's Magical Butterflies (both the complete and decorative layer) from Prima Timeless Memories paper which I had spritzed with matching inks to the bottle.  I also stamped and embossed a sentiment (from the Time Flies stamp set that I used earlier) onto the same paper.  The butterfly then had some texture heat embossed onto it using a Bo Bunny stamp, and I used the same stamp to add some distress ink around the sentiment.  The sentiment was finished off with an edging of gilding wax...

To make the butterfly a bit more steampunk I added a screw type embellishment (I think it was from a Tim Holtz set).  Quite a long project but lots of fun.  Oh I must add that I find the Prima Bloom inks leave your projects quite sticky so I always add a layer of matt spray varnish (from a well known DIY store!) and that way it doesn't add shine but seals everything in. 
So here is the finished piece with an extra couple of close ups...



Thank you for taking the time to come and have a look! 
I have been getting quite quick at creating these posts now so have decided to add another day to the mix!  From this week I will be posting new projects on Monday's, Wednesday's and Friday's.  Hopefully this won't become too much for me, but if I need to cut back again I will let you know.

This Wednesday is going to be a bit more romantic and 'pretty' to suit the upcoming celebrations in February...

Enjoy your week,

Jane x