ALBOTAT: Testing testing 1 2 3 ....

... these 2 pieces started out as a couple of 'tester/ lets try this and see what happens' pieces... but I liked them so much I thought I'd show them to you...

The board canvas (5x7inches) was painted with Fresco Finish paints (Blood Orange, Orchid, Tango (loving Tango at the moment!), Claret, Chalk, Tinned Peas) , the tile effect on the background is the 'blocks' stencil  by Georgina (available from The Artistic Stamper).

Stamps are all JOFY - JOFY13, 14, 26,  JM40

This little block of wood (5x4cm) is an offcut from recent work on our house (I 'rescued' it from a pile of 'stuff', receiving strange looks from our builders lol) .. enjoyed painting this ... it felt as if I was proving a point - it was not rubbish - too good to throw away!  (I have another block in this February's Craft Stamper magazine)
I added strips of lazer cut greyboard flowers on each side (from buzzandbloom.com) - cute little strips out of the 'lasercut elements' box on the shelf...

Don't throw away offcuts - upcycle them!

Countdown to Christmas: Day 24

Christmas is here!
(well, almost - 1 more sleep!)

This wreath is a new addition to the decorations this year - it's a (unlit) 18" BH Fraser wreath by Balsam Hill (www.balsamhill.co.uk).  

It is really lovely/easy to decorate:  its a nice full construction (bushy) (I was tempted to leave it bare as it is so nice). The realistic 'branches' spread out from a 5in metal 'frame', easy to position and sturdy enough to hang items onto with out dropping with their weight.  I created it to match this year's decorations by wiring the decorations onto the branches - this will make it easy to remove them and create a new design next year...(this wreath will definitely last more than one christmas) (if you head on over to the Balsam Hill website they are having a sale and you can stock up for next year)

I decorated the wreath using paper rosettes (Sizzix/Tim Holtz die) (I'm still working my way through the massive batch I created aaages ago), my stamp designs from JOFY08 (love these stamps - great for lots of cards, projects, occasions - not just christmas), wood stars, silver twigs and berries and a Martha Stewart snowflake punch - fun to create - I might alter it and create a 'happy 2015' or an 'easter' version....  but lets get christmas out of the way first. lol

(NB:  This wreath was sent to me to by Balsam Hill, the views are my own)

  I wish a Merry Christmas & Happy New Year to you & yours...

ho ho ho

Countdown to Christmas: Day 4

When I'm making cards I find that one card design can lead to another, and another and then another always accompanied by 'ooh what happens if I add/do this or that'.... and an hour later I've made a batch of cards!

These cards are all quite simple and I started by using a 3x4in pocket scrapbooking panel on each one... I limited the colours used to a kraft, red, green, black and white...

Here are the (all measuring 10x15cms) cards in order of creation (in the photo above reading clockwise starting top left):

Card 1:  This card started with the black music script panel face down which meant that the small circle pattern on card 4 was face up (lots of these pocket scrapbooking cards come with detail on both sides) but I turned it music side up to see how it looked and preferred it so kept it... The snowflakes were all on my desk, left over from recent projects - the top one is wax paper excess from die cutting for classes, the spot in the centre of the bottom snow flake is a mini puddle of Metallic Glaze which had dried over night on my desk craft sheet - lovely accidental cabuchon.

Card 2 is similar - made up from left over snowflakes apart from the middle one which is punched out of the kraft panel... I like to add sewing to cards so on this card I added a simple line across the top in red, toning it in with buttons and gems.. the greeting is from JOFY20

Card 3: The snowflake punched out of card 2 wasn't going to waste!  I painted it with Fresco Finish Metallic Glaze, layered it with a punched out circle (cut a tag that was on the desk) onto a patterned panel and strip of red card.  Greeting as before.

Card 4:  When I punched the snowflake out of the kraft panel I wondered how it would look if it was mounted back in its space but on 3d foam to give depth and so thats what I did on card 4.  The snowflakes along the bottom of the card are JM07..

Card 5:.. uses the tag that I cut the circle from to use on card 3.  I used the circle aperture to mount another wax paper snowflake (really glad I didn't throw those away after die cutting) covered by a button and sewn down both sides.

I enjoyed making these cards - relatively quick and simple to make and are a good way to use up scraps, bits and pieces, and create batches of cards.

xx

ALBOTAT: Edit....

... so the cushion in my last post (posted, it seems, aaaaaages ago!) looked a bit bare - in need of... something...

if in doubt.. sew buttons on!

I sifted through the vintage button jar for all sorts of buttons - big, small, shaped.. a lovely way to spend an hour (nicer than the hour it took me to sew on the buttons)!

I love the tones of vintage buttons - it seems age makes them slightly muted and I love how they look on the cushion... which is now DEFINITELY finished.

x

ALBOTAT... a sewing kind of Sunday...

... I used the extra hour created today by the clocks going back for Autumn to sew 8 lovely new buttons onto cushions (a little job which has been on the 'to do' list for a while..)

 .. and as that little job put me in the mood for a more sewing I made this patchwork cushion.  It was a created from a batch of fabrics (and accompanying guidelines) that I bought at The Handmade Fair... spending the morning making this reminded me how much I enjoy sewing..

I bought the kit from The Vintage Twist Company who had a lovely stand at the fair, and had great ways of using the vintage fabrics they supply in their online shop (www.thevintagetwistcompany.co.uk):

.. and this is my pincushion - love this!! It was upcycled by one of my colleagues at the college... its such a cute little thing!

I'm off to find something else to sew...

x

Masterboard, masterboard & ....

.... a bit more masterboard!

I found the last of the masterboard - & I mean it this time this is the last of the materboard.... no, really it is!

At the last count up I'd made:
2 12x12 scrapbook/journal pages
5 cards
1 canvas panel

... and now I can add 1 more card - 13.5x13.5cm - a really simple card. ('you are bloomin' marvellous' is from JOFY10)

and 6 mini tags (5x8cm) & 1 standard size tag (6x11.5cm) (Papermania)..
The tags used up all the fiddly twiddly bits that are left over when you cut up bigger pieces.. & I had previously cut a piece of masterboard into 1inch squares with intention to create a 'tiled' piece but changed my mind and used them on these tags instead.  I like having little tags on big tags - these ones images are from JOFY23.

The purple resin flower on the top left tag was painted in JOFY Amethyst Fresco Finish- this paint is great for changing the colour of resin embellishments to match projects because it is suitable for all surfaces.
On other tags I stamped simple images on masterboard pieces and carrying the designs onto the tag - hilighting with Chalk paint and white gel pen (love white pens!)

All the masterboard has been used... nothing left.. zilch! - & I mean it this time!

xx

When paving becomes pretty...

... our garden patio has paving slabs - they came with the house & I quite like them - its like ordered crazy paving... I like the straight lines and the simple design - & I often look at them, see patterns and how it could be translated into a art/craft idea...

(that's Bertie by the way, doing that 'pay me attention' thing that cats do!)

... inspiration from the paving slabs gave me the idea for this:

.. another project created using the masterboard I created for this and this post over on the PaperArtsy blog.   It is a canvas panel (PaperArtsy has a nice range of these that can be found here) which I rough painted with Chalk, Snowflake & French Roast Fresco Finish paints (go here to see the range).
I wanted this project to be less 'pristine' and so I coloured the edges of the board (with Frescos) and all the edges of the cut out patterned paper/card squares/rectangles (with Distress Inks).
I played around with the layout and combination of papers, flowers and shapes.... I moved them about A LOT!! but there comes a time when you have to walk away, have a cuppa, come back, STOP FAFFING with the project and stick the pieces in place!! lol

Tomorrow I'll have another project for you using the masterboard - oh yes I still have some pieces left to play with!

I hope you're having fun with the masterboards you've created.

x

Happy Birthday...

.... to my Mum - here's the card I made for her... I cardcan't tell you how long it took (looooong time) or how many variations it went through (many, many - brown card base, white card base, with/without the chipboard ring, square & rectangular!) lol

aaaanyhoo - she liked it - & that's what matters.

:o)

All buttoned up....

... JOFY-stylee!   I may have mentioned once or twice how much I love buttons.. & an idea/plan has been bouncing around in my head for a while:  make my own buttons...

I bought a bag of inexpensive wooden buttons that seemed ideal for what I had in mind - nice size, the colours of the printed design was quite pale & they were smooth - no ridges around the edge -  ideal for sanding off/painting over.. so I chose several & lightly sanded them to give the wood a key ready to be painted.

Then I had a look through my JOFY stamps... JM34!! Perfect!

I painted the buttons with JOFY Limited Edition Dusty Teal Fresco Finish Paint in various tones. Next I stamped (using JM34) and painted the detail... 

...and here they are...happy little flower buttons..

 now I need to find/make a project to add them to..

xx

I'd like to introduce you to a new friend...

... in my first blog post for PaperArtsy over on the blog which I'm very excited about. .. please pop over and take a look  - not just at my project but at all the other great and inspiring projects that are on there.

This is the little friend in question - please pop over and say 'hello' - I think she's going to be a fun addition to the PaperArtsy family!

x

Here come Santa Claus...

... and this year he's taking his boots off at the door (or should that be at the chimney???)..

('hohoho' is from Dovecraft, papers are EchoPark/CartaBella(?), buttons are from my never-decreasing-stash! lol)

I think my new craft 'addiction' may be spotted paper! big, small, varied - love them all! lol
its a happy little pattern and on the card above its suitably festive.

Oh dear!.....

... while I was trawling through many many photos looking for projects I had a niggling thought that I was missing/forgetting something... and this morning it came to me:

PAMM (PaperArtsyMiniMascot).. sits on a shelf at PAHQ keeping an eye on the elfs, and sometimes he's let out to go to the craft shows where he sits on the PA racks.

Smart little chap - I should really make him a litte JOFY friend soon....

Father's Day was a happy day...

... it was also a busy day.. 2 Dads to visit...

First was a visit to Matt's parents....Matt's Dad - here's his card:

(I love paper piecing to decorate the boat - can alter the sail's patters to suit the person.)
Toddles the tortoise (oldest member of the family) put in an appearance - basking on the warm patio... wierd but wonderful creature lol

They have a peony bush in their front garden:

How beautiful and 'juicy' is that flower! Love it - I'm going to try and grow some of those! A garden full of those would make me VERY happy!

Then it was off to my parents.. here's my dads card:

 ... an easel card - I like how a normal single fold card can be adapted so simply into something dimensional... I love this PaperArtsy image.. and of course a button or two..
... I 'attacked' the stash for these letters (basic grey)

... and as we were leaving the youngest members of the family couldn't resist posing in our car....  COOL DUDES!!  lol
Not sure about the 4year olds driving abilities though - his legs barely reach the end of the seat let alone the pedals!

I hope you all enjoyed Father's Day...

Loves me... loves me not...

... loves me!!
(also - do not adjust your sets - this is a minimal colour sepia toned sort of blog post!)

I made these three flowers while experimenting with the stamp (flower from JOFY13) - stamping and layering up the images to see how they looked... and then they needed to be put somewhere so that I didn't lose them or to save them from being squashed etc etc etc.... and what better place than a tag!

They look so different when stamped onto vintage letter paper....a little bit shabby and distressed.

Another 'what-happens-if...' sort of tag:

I love it!  But its not quite as I'd intended - the flower heads (JOFY14) were coloured with Walnut Stain Distress Ink - which as most of you know is quite dark and quite brown...... but the ink wasn't strong enough to stay on the surface that had been painted with Fresco Finish paint and so it got sort of sucked into the paint leaving the stain that you can see - the leaves were coloured with a Distress Ink too (but sorry, I can't remember which) - so not quite as dark & sepia as I intended but I still like it a lot. :o)

I'll be back with more colourful posts later in the week.... 

say it with flowers...

... love these slightly wierd and wonderful flowers - and they're not quite 'right' - a bit like my Critters!

samples, samples, & more samples Part 4

...coming to the last of the tag samples.. more flowers which is good - if the weather report is to be believed we're in for some nice sunny days this weekend (fingers crossed! lol) (I'll still be packing my brolly though)

Left tag:
This is colour using mainly Distress ink, the flowers are stamped and cut from misc' papers (scrapbooking, book text etc)... the panel running up the left side of the tag is stamped with Mini12 - lovely to use as a backbround stamp or use the individual flowers:

The words are taken from JOFY11 - stamp them and cut them out - easy way to add a phrase - these have been 3d mounted to create dimension/layers on the card (as have some of the flowers...):

Centre Tag:

The colours on this tag are sooo juicy! the peachy pinks (created with the help of Blood Orange Fresco Finish paint) (love)... its also a version of one of my favourite colour schemes - pink&green... also a slightly different treatment used on the ball stems... are they pussywillows or are they seed heads??? I don't know - use them as you want.. that's how I designed the stamps - so you could interpret them however you want...   On the this tag I've coloured them to look like berries...

The 'summer' tag is created with MINI15... here it has been used as a stamped on to kraft card, cut out and attached to the tag..

Right tag:
This tag is in a completely different style (I think) - very simple - the images are stamped onto paper (Prima) featuring ledger paper.  The leaves have been coloured/painted with Distress Stains to create a watercolour effect.  The flower was created with leave images stamped onto a dull red paper - I painted over that with London Bus - this worked really well because it brightened up the red and because it's a translucent colour none of the stamped detail was lost.

Enjoy the weekend - fingers crossed for a sunny one! lol

Trip the Light Fantastic...

... by definition  'is to dance nimbly or lightly, or to move in a pattern to musical accompaniment'.. which is exactly what Ginger Rogers would do (as she always did) in these dancing shoes

The writing around the sole is one of my favourite quotes: 'Ginger Rogers did everything Fred Astaire did, except she did it backwards and in high heels'... seemed appropriate.
The shoe is going to the Craft Barn to be used in their new location, shoes have been handed out to be decorated - can't wait to see what everyone else has done.

The shoe is painted with Fresco Finish paints - sole is Elephant - one of the new colours - a lovely grey, flower is made with a leaf stamp from the JOFY range, buttons from my never-decreasing stash (there had to be a button or two didn't there!), and the flourishes are a Spellbinder die (floral flourishes - one of my favourites)

where did that week go??

Phew!  I worked 3 consecutive days (in 2 different jobs), had a day off that was filled working on a magazine article, then there was a lovely day out in London with hubby at the Ideal Home Show.. & now we have the Easter Weekend (again days off/on)... *and* the clocks went forward... all exciting (if slightly confusing) stuff!

So back to last Sunday when I taught a class at The Craft Barn ((who are moving this week to a great new barn at Priory Farm, Sandy Lane, South Nutfield, CH1 4EG (0844 8008551 / 01737 822961) - they'll be open for business on Tuesday 2nd April))  - a lovely group of ladies who created nice layered pieces with my stamps, some die cuts and the all important corrugated card (I love a bit of corrugated card! lol)

This piece is one of Linda's - love her colour choices.

And this one by Di - she teamed Dusty Concord with the claret cardstock - not an obvious pairing of colours (to me anyway) but it worked really nicely. 

This is one of Jane's pieces- her deep colour choices were really striking - and look at the lovely depth of layers - all adding to the dimension of the panels - but no weight - all these could be added to cards, or hung as mini panels/ triptych.

Sorry there aren't more photos from this class - my photos were not quite up to scratch.