Autumn Leaves

Am a bit like a bus today - don't see one for a while then two come together!Second post for today is a project done for my Flickr group 'Art n Soul'. The challenge for October (unsuprisingly) has a theme of Autumn or Fall. (How original I am when setting these challenges I hear you say!)

The difficulty was that the theme had to be interpreted onto a Beer Mat.

And no this was NOT an excuse to visit the pub - as fortunately (or UNfortunately depending on your point of view)- one of my crafting friends had sent me a stack of beer mats a while back. I shall refrain from naming her as I don't want you to think she spends all her time in licensed premises......

So here's the finished project! I covered the coaster with glossy paper. Then coloured with a combination of Sunset Orange, Caramel, Ginger and Butterscotch Alcohol Inks. I then stamped some leaf images (Elusive Images) randomly onto the background.

I used a wee bit of copper embossing powder round the edges before adding the text. The text I found some time ago whilst blog hopping and it amuses me as I think it's absolutely so true! The large leaf was another Elusive Images stamp done with Stazon onto a Ten Seconds Studio metal sheet then cut out. I embossed it to 'puff' it up a bit and filled the back with Polyfilla to make sure it didn't squash before fixing it to the coaster.

Some leaf shaped buttons and some fibres to finish.

Paperplay Challenges, Creative Inspirations and Theme Thursday all have set challenges of Autumn this week.

With a song in your heart......

After having had several days of card making, I decided today to tackle something a bit different. Needing some inspiration I discovered the challenge at S2g Twisted Thursday was to create 'anything but a card' and with a twist of 'Valentine's Day.

This project was made out of mountboard and I will eventually mount it onto a canvas (somthing else for the workroom wall!!!!). It was inspired by Sue Roddis and the template for the heart shape came from her 'Decorative Handmade Books' and it measures almost 12" long.Please click on the pic and enlarge it to see it better!

I covered the heart in K and Co paper, then used the Crafty Individuals bird stamp (one of my favourites). The words are from an Elusive Images set. The flourish and feather stamps are also from the same set.

I used 3 heart shaped brads mounted onto more of the script backing paper (which doesn't show very well in the photo) and them matted it onto dark brown card.

The tiny silver wire nest with the small blue 'eggs' I can take no credit for - isn't it just lovely? It was a present last year from a crafting friend and I have never had occasion to use it before now.

The little polka dot wooden heart I gave had in my stash for years - it came from a local craft shop and I secured it with some organza ribbon and added a few fibres, resisting the temptation to add feathers too.

This was a welcome change from the cards and I enjoyed doing it! Theme Thursdays challenge is 'Hearts' so this fits in with 2 challenges!

Vintage Tag

I made a few tags this morning to send to some fellow crafters instead of Christmas Cards and didn't think to take pictures of all of them before I put them in the envelopes! This is an extra one I made.

I think the background paper is Graphic45 and the image is printed onto cotton fabric. The vintage lace at the top of the tag was cut from a roll that was given to me recently. I thought it looked like a star! I put a gold star brad in the centre and messed about for ages with a single bead drop which I had taken from the same piece as the beaded embellishment on the bottom. It was the fiddliest thing in the world and sorely tested my patience in trying to secure it to the centre of the lace star - but I managed it in the end - it was only afterwards I thought that I could have re strung the beads and then stitched it onto the tag.............erm......!

I attached some more lace to hang from underneath the star and used some sparkly fibres for the hanging thread.

This is my entry into Theme Thursday's challenge of 'Vintage' this week.

Winter Wonderland

Another beer can! Basics are the same as the Winter Birds further down in this blog - a beer can ungrudgingly donated by the Other Half, the frame is the same Cuttlebug embossing folder. Wanting to create a 'cold' feel this time I used 'Sail Boat Blue' and 'Stream' alcohol inks with a silver mixative.

I mixed two different sets of beading along the bottom to try and represent varying shades of icicles. The snowmen image was printed onto canvas type card for texture. The greeting was in a pack of Christmas buttons and the pearly snowflake is from my stash with some fluffy snowy white fibres wrapped round it. I used the same fibres to make the hangers.

I have submitted this to Gingersnap Creation's, whose December challenge is 'Winter Wonderland' and also a very late entry into Theme Thursday's theme of 'Christmas Holiday Creations'.

Asia

The weather here has been dreadful today so I have spent my time making some Christmas cards, - all made using different embossing powders with a Papermania 'Bauble Decoration' stamp! The stamp is a popular one this year and I have to confess I really like it - will post some pics when I feel a bit more 'Christmassy'!

When I became bored (and believe me it wasn't long), I turned my attention to something else - this Asian themed card was made using Elusive Images stamps. The blossom background was done using just the edge of the stamp omitting the branches and I gold embossed both blossom and quote before mounting the quote on a black border and adding a strip of black card behind to give it some definition. The fan is a fabric one which I bought at the NEC last year and although a bit too pricey to use on a card I decided it was worth the expense - the pic doesn't show the embroidery very well as I am trying to take pics in artifical light which is never a good idea - maybe I will retake the pic over the weekend...(if I remember!)

I have submitted this card into two challenges this week - Wednesday Stamper's theme is Asia and Theme Thursday's challenge is 'Borders'.

Flight of Fancy

I am really quite disappointed with this photograph. The original looks so much better ( well I think so anyway! LOL)

This is a 6" x 4" greetings card. I bought these stamps ages ago -(can't for the life of me remember whose they are)- the plate is four birds with varying degrees of fancy tails and flourishes. The challenge at Tuesday Taggers this week is 'Bursts of Colour' and over at Theme Thursday, this week's offering is 'Favourite Colours'. As I love all colours I couldn't select a favourite so decided to do a rainbow of colours instead and combine the two challenges.

The bird was stamped using Brilliance Ink Pads in Peacock and Twilight colours on glossy paper. The irredescence of these inks does not show up at all on the pic - (tried using the flash on the camera too - all I got was a silver outline!) - but trust me the lovely shimmering effect of these ink pads looks really nice on the gloss paper!

I used the same ink pads for the background of the card and this time ventured a try out with a brayer. Must confess I'm not very proficient with brayering technique but am not too upset at how the background turned out really, even though I definitley do need some more practice! I then used the flourishes from another of the bird stamps and stamped over the background.

Finally I stamped the words using the purple part of the Twilight ink pad. The rainbow organza ribbon came from my stash - can't remember where I got this from either - but I definitely need some more!

The Craft Barn is one of Tuesday Taggers sponsors - click on the owl above and go and visit their fab website and treat yourself!

Tea Time!

Not much spare time again this week to craft but have made a couple of ATC's to stave off the crafting withdrawal symptoms!

'Glamour Girls' is the challenge at this week's Theme Thursday.

Here's my entry!

(I have been unable to post my link on the Theme Thursday site - don't know why!!! But I confess to feeling a little frustrated about it this morning!" Never mind, at least I got to take part in the challenge even if no one from the site can see it!)

Sew Time

My blog posts today are like buses....... you wait ages for one to come along, then two arrive together!

I kept my promise to myself to make something tonight after being 'craft less' for nearly a week and here it is!

The challenge on Theme Thursday was 'Sewing' and Margaret's theme this week was 'Time'.

I have combined the two challenges and made this mixed media ATC.

The background is a pretty fabric that was sent to me by another crafter, the image is from Seneca Pond Crafts, the embellishments, lace and ribbon were from my stash.

Oriental Bird

I am on a bit of a roll this week (or should that be last week????) as my altered tin made the Nautical Theme photo sampler at Theme Thursday - can't tell you how pleased I am, especially as it was my first attempt at making an old tin into something else!

Today at Theme Thursday the subject was 'Birds' - those of you who follow my blog will know I've made quite a few 'bird' things just recently so it seemed silly not to carry on and make another page for my bird journal!

Although for the 'journal jam' I chose the theme 'vintage floral', I thought I might try something a bit different for the challenge.

So here is my oriental bird - I have only done one side as I need to do the other as a progression from the other pages already completed. With this in mind, I thought I'd be better sticking to a more neutral theme, but once I got started I realised that birdie desperately needed an injection of colour! So - on with the pink flowers, thread and fibres! Have not quite worked out how I'm going to make this birdie fit in with the others - if I can't I can see another journal coming on!

(The other birdies I completed for the jam are on my posts from 1st March and 11th February).

The Perilous Sea

This is my first attempt at altering a tin. I have wanted to try something like this for ages and last week managed to get hold of some old small tins. After picking the brains of nearly every person I know who likes to alter stuff asking daft questions like 'how do you get the glue to stick ' and 'do I use primer or can I paint straight on it', my patient (if long suffering) fellow crafters gave me lots of encouragement and lots of useful tips!
So with tin on the desk I then sat and stared at it whilst I decided on a theme. I had bought the metal mermaid recently with no particular project in mind, but decided to use it as a base for the 'tin adventure'! I have seen lots of projects where mermaids are seen as 'cutesy' but I wanted this tin to reflect something a little darker. One of the greatest sights is surely watching huge white frothy waves crashing onto a shore and it reminds me of how powerful the sea can be. So with that in mind, on the inside of the lid I tried to portray the image of the ship sinking (by the small hand painted miniature- not painted by me I hasten to add!), and above I added the 'Sailor's Hymn' music sheet which was distressed with 'antique linen', and the cross.
The base of the tin was made by using tissue paper painted with acrylics then the gold glitter added to give a 'sand' effect. I used a heat gun on the base and mixed some 'Tropic Blue' shimmer powder onto it whilst heating.
I hand painted the little metal mermaid, sat her on some shells and positioned her above the sunken ship - this can be interpreted either be her being the bringer of bad luck to the ship and it's crew, or as the beautiful rescuer of stricken sailors.
On the outside lid I placed some string through the metal anchor running it around the wording. Finally I added some shells, sticking a small pearl in the centre of one of them.
I was really apprehensive about tackling something like this, particularly as a lot of my friends have made some tins into beautiful art objects, but it gave me great pleasure to do!
Theme Thursday have set the theme of 'Nautical' today! So have submitted this for the challenge.