Something to celebrate in these uncertain times!!

Hello all.  Wow - so much has changed in the world since my last post. As a primary school teacher. the last week or so has been incredibly stressful and busy as we anticipated the shutdown and scrambled to sort physical resources and on-line access. On Friday at 3.15pm, I waved goodbye to my class (albeit only 2/3 were in) and I don't know if I will see them as a group in my classroom again. My colleagues are now prepping for the work that will still continue for those children who will still be coming into the building. Although it is no longer teaching per se, they will still be ensuring, as ever, the all-round well being of those children through the remote learning activities set by their individual teachers, through PE sessions and creative arts and DT. It makes me really sad that I won't be there, as I am classed in the vulnerable group. I held out until Friday, but finally admitted that it was time to socially distance. 

It makes me sad that I cannot be there physically, and I have shed a few tears at the prospect of being at home. It doesn't mean I am now on holiday, as I will be in daily contact with my class, setting and checking on-line work, trying to answer any questions, and remotely encouraging all the other creative and physically-active activities - and generally just encouraging them to be their best selves. This is an unprecedented time. 

We have encouraged parents to set a timetable where possible, to help the children keep in a routine. And I have had to heed that too. I have set aside time in the day for work, for exercise (running, cycling and dog walking while I can), gardening (my poor neglected garden will not know what has hit it) and of course for crafting. Hopefully I will be as disciplined as the children!!

Amongst all that chaos, it was my brother-in-law and sister-in-law's wedding anniversary - something positive and definitely worth celebrating. And thankfully the card was already made. So, here it is:

The topper and background card is Hunkydory - A Purrfect Anniversary, with silver mirror card and cream linen card. I used twill ribbon - not my usual as I'd say 95% of my ribbon stash is satin - and some little pearl hearts.

I am sure, now that I will have more time, I will be back sooner rather than later.

Take care of yourselves.

Cxxx

Not a football in sight!!

After my last post about football card, I thought I should do something different for my stepson's birthday - even though he's partial to a bit of football.

It's not the best of photos as I was in a bit of a hurry when I took it, but I wanted to show that the topper extends off the top of the card. The topper is from Create and Craft's Birthday Celebrations - a really old "Get the Nation Crafting" set, with silver mirror card, and orange, black and a textured cream card from my stash.  I used some little black pearls to emphasise the corners. It was all mounted onto a plain white 6x6 card blank. 

Take care,

Cxxx

How to spend your day off!

I've not been at work today, so after a lot of doing nothing this morning, I got down to starting a project that I've been planning for a while. We've just had our bedroom decorated after nearly 2 years with bare plaster, and seemingly centuries old carpet, and I wanted to make a couple of new quilted throws.

When I purchased my Crafter's Companion Build a Block Curves set, I was sent a free strip roll from their Country Yard fabric collection. In fact, there was one with each of the sets. As they are the perfect colours for what I wanted, I have decided to use them to make some simple, large blocks for the quilts. The pinks that were included have been put aside for another project at a later date.

This afternoon has been spent planning the layout of the quilts, how to sew the strips together for best effect, and of course sewing the strips together.  Watch this space for the next instalment!! 

Take care,

Cxxx

Another Football Card!

Today's make is a birthday card for my brother-in-law. Football seems to be my "go-to" with a few of the male members of the family. Trouble is, there's only so many football cards you can make - and surely they must be bored of them too! So, note to self, try to find something different next year!! 😀

Anyway, this one is made using Hunkydory's Deco Large Man of the Match, with co-ordinating backing card. Not really much else to say, except "Happy Birthday Fred!!"

Take Care,
Cxxxx

The start of something ......

A new decade is upon us, and the last year of the previous one saw lots of change for me with my crafting. I stepped down from my Design Team and Demo work with Crafter's Companion, and took on more in the realms of the teaching day job. It all became very busy and I lost track of crafting just for me (and this blog), and I was just keeping on top of cards for family and friends. 

That said, I thoroughly enjoyed making my Christmas Cards with my absolute favourite product from the past couple of years - my Foilpress. But that is all past and it's time to get back to where I was before DT's and Demonstrations made crafting feel harder and more pressurised that it needed to be. 

So, here is my first card of the year - and indeed the decade - a birthday card for my Mother-In-Law made using Hunkydory's Square Little Book of Florabunda. There's nothing quite like a bit of fussy cutting to create your own decoupage!!

I love the colours of this topper - and reflected that in the mats and layers - and the sentiment (Crafter's Companion Essentials Sentiment Dies).

Will hopefully not leave it a whole year this time, before posting again.

Take care,

Cxxxx

A Little Blue

More playing with Imagination Crafts products - and an outing for my Gel Press - to create this blue card. 

The list of the things I've used is:

Sheena White Stamping Card

Core'dinations Card - Blue

6x6 Gel Press

7x7 Mega Mount (Clarity Stamp)

Imagination Crafts:

Starlight Paints - Heather, Mint, Clotted Cream, Mediterranean Sky

Starlight Wax - Dark Orchid

Stencil - 6x6 - Grungy Ledger

Rice Paper 198

Art Stamps - Distress Set 1

Magi Bond Decoupage Glue

I started by painting Heather, Mint and Clotted Cream Starlight paints onto Sheena White Stamping Card.

I spritzed over with water and smoothed the paint out.  

This was then run through my Gemini with the Grungy Ledger stencil, 

 And Dark Orchid Starlight Wax applied over the top with a bit of cut and dry.

The next step was to apply the paint to the gel plate. This time I used Mediterranean Sky instead of the Mint. 

I got a bit carried away with the paint and put too much down, so had to work in off onto some paper. 

Once I had it at a reasonable level, I then used the script stamp to remove the paint from the plate. 

I then pressed this onto another piece of Stamping Card, and used it to cut a frame (as ever I managed to miss out a few steps!!

 I edged the stencilled piece with more Dark Orchid wax, and mounted it onto the card (made from more stamping card.

I cut more frames out of stamping card and blue Core'dinations card, and mounted them over the stencilled piece.

 The image is a cut from the Rice Paper, and attached to the card using Magi Bond decoupage glue. It was then mounted on blue and white card. The whole things was finished with a bow.

Back with more later.

Cxxx

Mixing it up!!

Have been working on a few bits and pieces - really messy, mixed media type stuff. This is the first of my pieces. A canvas with the focal point being a gorgeous rose image. 

What I used

8x8 Canvas                      

White Gesso                           

Crafter's Companion Textures Elements Stamps- Words to Inspire 2

Brilliance Ink - Galaxy Gold

Memento - Espresso Truffle

Prima Finnabair Art Ingredients - Melange Art Pebbles

Metal Butterfly

Imagination Crafts: 

Starlight Paints - Clotted Cream, Topaz, Mint; 

Mix Media Ink Sprays - Light Blue, Sunshine, Dark Brown;

Structure Paste;

Starlight Wax - Diamond, White Gold;

A4 Stencil - Past Times;

Art Stamps - Distress Set 1;

Just Pearls - Antique Brown;

Magi Bond Decoupage Glue.

I started by wetting the rice paper to take out the piece I wanted for the canvas.

 I mixed Clotted Cream with white gesso, and covered the background.

I also mixed Topaz with white gesso and dry brushed this on, creating a vertical and horizontal texture.

I did the same with the Mix Media Sprays, to create a green paint for dry brushing on the canvas.  

I cleaned up the mess by spritzing my mat with water, and then smooshing a piece of card over the top.

 I'm sure it'll come in useful for something!! 

The border part of the stencil was all I wanted to use so I taped it off, and spread structure paste through the stencil onto the canvas.

As ever with me, I then got carried away and forgot to photograph the next couple of steps. So, once the Structure Paste was dry, I added the Rice Paper in the middle with Decoupage Glue. I then put the stencil back over and sponged Dark Brown Mix Media Ink Spray through, and over the Structure Paste.

I also used Topaz over the stencil to add depth. More Clotted Cream and Gesso were mixed, and used to stamp texture over the structure paste and other areas.

 With the script stamp, I used Diamond Starlight Wax to stamp onto the canvas.

The word "sentiment" was stamped once with Brilliance Galaxy Gold, and then re-stamped with Memento Espresso Truffle. I used the washi tape to help stamp in the correct place the second time.  

White Gold Starlight Wax was used to add highlights to the Structure paste, and also brushed on to areas of the rose. The final touches were: Just Pearls - Antique Brown, highlighted with White Gold wax, a metal butterfly and the Melange Art Pebbles.

Phew!! Have a few more step by steps in the coming weeks. Looking forward to sharing them with you. 

Cxxx

Applique House

Here is the third in my set of sewn applique card. They are for a group of friends - seven in total - so four more will appear through the rest of the year!!

This one uses Crafter's Companion Cottage Applique die set, with lots of little scraps from my box. This was ironed onto a piece of calico, then quilted onto patterned and plain cotton. 

The frame is cut with Spellbinders Grand Scalloped Squares from a 12x12 sheet of DCWV Luxury Cardstock Stack. It's finished off with flat back pearls, paper roses, and printed and satin ribbon.

Cxxx 

50th Birthday Teacup

It was my lovely sister-in-law's 50th birthday recently, and I made her this card for the big day. The card is 8" x 8", and I used a topper and backing card from Create & Craft's - Birthday Celebrations Pack. Both were mounted onto red card for an extra "pop". The numbers are cut with Crafter's Companion 1" dies, and the name with Essentials Alphabet dies. 

I added a massive bow made of red organza and a co-ordinating pinky satin, topped with a Hobby House Sparkler. A very simple - but hopefully very effective - card.

Cxxx

Just Playing!

You may have noticed that the fabulous Imagination Crafts has joined Crafter's Companion with their amazing range of mixed media products. I've been a bit lacking in motivation recently, so it's taken me a while to have a play. 

I treated myself to a selection of goodies and for this project I used: 

Rice papers - 399 and 403

Magi-Bond Decoupage glue

Fabric decoupage glue

Starlight Paints - Heather, Clotted Cream,Topaz

Starlight Wax - Dark Orchid

Stencil - A4 - Crosshatch Elements

Magi-Cutz - Moroccan Trellis

I also used:

Crafter's Companion Watercolour card

Crafter's Companion Essentials Flowers for All Occasions 3 & 4

A mirror frame (bought loads of these years ago from Ikea)

Pebeo White Gesso

Wooden Butterflies, old buttons, ribbon, lace and pearls from my stash

Art Basics Heavy Body gel

I started by mixing Heather with white gesso and covering the complete frame. I then layed out the the rice papers to decide where they would go, and used water to help me tear them. 

 The rice paper was stuck down with Magi Bond decoupage glue.

Next, I stuck down a load of old buttons - the sort you wouldn't really want to use on anything special. Because I wanted them to stick really well, I used Heavy Body Gel - this stuff is amazing at sticking - but don't expect to ever remove it afterwards!!  

Dark Orchid Starlight wax mixed with a bit of water was sponged through the Crosshatch Elements stencil on the bottom left corner, and also over the buttons.

As I wanted quite pastel colours in the background, I mixed all three Starlight paints with with gesso.

The Clotted Cream mix was painted over the buttons. 

This was also dabbed over the other parts of the frame. The brush I was using is very old and clumpy and formed just the right kind of texture to dab on. I repeated this with some of the two colours. 

It was also used to base coat the two wooden butterflies. 

And to paint onto watercolour card to cut the flowers.  I also used Clotted Cream directly over the Topaz/gesso mix.

As ever, I managed to forget to photograph a lot of stages towards the end. So, I adhered a piece of white lace down the right hand side, and a piece of white organza ribbon across the bottom - both with the fabric decoupage glue. The gesso mix of paints was dabbed over them.

Next, pieces of the magi cut were covered with Dark Orchid Starlight Wax, and the butterflies were painted directly with the Starlights. I also dabbed the Starlights over the buttons. Dark Orchid was also used to edge the mirror. Finally the flowers were cut out, arranged and a small pearl placed in the centre.

There are a few things I would change - but overall I'm pretty happy for a first play with a big range of products.

Off to think about what to do next with all these goodies!! 

Cxxx

Happy Birthday!

This card was for my husband's birthday. I used Hunkydory's Flight of the Butterflies - Rustic Charm. 

I used Kraft card for matting and layering, and a bit of twine with a button for decoration. The lettering is cut using Crafter's Companion Essentials alphabet dies.

Cxxx