Sunday, 24 March 2013

Sam Scraps and Oh Dear Dina what did you do?

Well, I almost fell off my chair when my friend Sam proclaimed that for our next crafty meet up we were going to all do a 12x12 scrapbook layout a la Anna Dabrowska style.  In all the years we've been meeting up Bibi and I have tried several times to get her to have a go at scapbooking but no way would she do!

We're each going to take turns to make up a kit and decide on a project that we all must do - no excuses - the person who's turn it is is boss!  Sam put together a wonderful kit with lace, flowers, leaves, stencils, paper, masking tape, stamps and drippy ink and a photo of the three of us together at Ally Pally.

Layout and kit

Bag of goodies from Sam
I think all our layouts turned out wonderfully, but Sam wasn't too sure about hers, but Bibi and I love it, she was so out of her comfort-zone, never mind that it was a scrapbook layout but she also used colours that are a bit more girly - not her usual greens and browns!
Bibi's LO

Sam's LO

My LO
Last week I spent an amazing 2 days at Art from the Heart in Harrogate taking classes with Dina Wakley.
Dina is so funny, inspirational and just a joy to learn from.  The first day was all about textures and layering, we worked on plaster tiles and book covers using rigid wrap. The rigid wrap is like plaster impregnated bandage, as it's quite messy we all went out onto the fire escape to wet the rigid wrap and apply it to our covers.  What we didn't factor in to this was that it was blowing a gale at the time - just picture plaster dust, drips from watery plaster and bookcovers being whipped out of peoples hands and ending up in the carpark!  I blame Dina, she had done a snow dance earlier and although it didn't snow then I do think she's responsible for the weather - they don't have winter where she lives :)
plaster splattered boots

Dina's fab book

Rigid Wrapped covers

always the sign of a good day!
Incised, sketched,stamped, stenciled, wax on wax off tiles
 We worked on several tiles, incising designs into them, adding paint, adding a layer of beeswax, removing the wax, more incising, more paint.  It's hard to see the lovely sheen of the beeswax on the tiles





Shelob?

Spider on the Tower building in Harrogate

Inspire
 Day 2 was a class based on Silhouettes.  We learned about composition, white space, repetition, layering.
I loved this class too, playing with stencils, sprays and paint. I also bought Dina's book, which I would recommend to anyone interested in Art Journaling.




 I wish I could have attended the faces and 2 day art journaling classes but they were fully booked. At least I know that AFTH isn't too hard to get to from London so I'll definitely be back.





Sunday, 24 February 2013

Stencils, molding paste, and sprays, Oh my!

Well hello, it's been a while :)  I haven't blogged since November 2012, I just don't know where the time goes!

I've been slightly obsessed with stencils/mask, molding paste, and dylusion sprays recently - oh and gelli plate printing but more on that in another post at some point!

Today was the second crafty Sunday meet up of 2013 with my friends Sam & Bibi.  At our last meet up we played in our Art Journals( probably another post needed for that too) and Bibi bought us a large canvas bag each, so this time we decided to alter these.

I was inspired by Anna Dabrowska's(Finnabair) layouts on her blog and her CHA  Ranger Designer Challenge.  I stamped the graphic 45 Steampunk debutante ladies head on a bit of sticky back canvas, and coloured with Tim Holtz Distress markers.  I used various prima and crafters workshop stencils with molding paste to create the texture. I then decided where to place the head, and stuck it down.  I drew a rough body shape onto ohp film and cut out, I used this to mask off the area to stencil through to create the dress/body using a crafters workshop stencil and molding paste.  Once this had dried I sprayed with dylusions inks, and also added a bit of distress paint.  Added some metal embellishments and fabric flower and lace trims.

Altered bag - Yvonne

Sam's altered bag
Bibi's bag


Sunday, 18 November 2012

Autumn craft day

It's November already and only one more sleep til New York!  Big Sis Pauline and Pauline S arrived yesterday afternoon all ready for flying out tomorrow - can't wait!

A few weeks ago had our monthly crafty meetup, and we worked on some candle holders I'd picked up at Ally Pally.

Wood & glass candle holders - before

 We used lots of different mediums - fresco finish paints, terra paste and stencils, gilding flakes, alcohol inks.
Finished projects
 I love the look that the gilding flakes give, but they do get everywhere, we ended up with gilded fingers and Bibi even gilded her hair :)
Bibi's

Mine

Sam's



Side view

Stamped candle
I decided that I needed a new home for my Bigshot Pro, and bought a new desk. So now I have a great area for all my die-cutting and embossing.

Another couple of quick crafty bits - repurposed coffee jar, tried to do a faux mercury glass technique but can't find the krylon looking glass spray here, closest thing is humbrol metallic spray.  Didn't turn out too bad I think.

And some customised boots:


Wednesday, 31 October 2012

Happy Halloween

I love Halloween, and have a little corner with my Halloween projects on display





altered envelope gift bag


The end of October marks the end of my month as Guest Designer for the Artistic Stamper Creative Team Blog.  I really enjoyed my time and the challenge to come up with new projects.  Thanks again to Jennie and Emma for the opportunity.

Halloween project
 Click on the links to go to the blog post : Halloween project, London Arches, Infernal Devices
London Arches

Infernal Devices

Sunday, 14 October 2012

NYC Planning and 2nd Guest Designer Project Peek

Just back from a lovely trip home to a surprisingly sunny(but cold) Scotland. Was great to be there for my birthday last friday and had a great evening with my sister Pauline, and Pauline S at Rennies in Johnstone.  This was a combined birthday celebration and a NYC planning meeting son we could decide who's bringing what and what we want to do while we're there - has to be a trip to Tinsel Trading in the Garment District since it's not far from our hotel and I visited it before going on my first Tim Holtz cruise.  We just had to have some cocktails to get us in the holiday spirit - love the enormous cocktail glasses!  We had a scorpion punch and the of course we had to have a cosmopolitan a la Sex and the City.  I'm not much of a drinker but these were so good :)

Scorpion Punch 


Cosmo


My sister made the most amazing malteser birthday cake for me - so good, yum.  Continuing with the NYC theme, i forgot to share the birthday card I made for my sister in August - this is the ran't waiteason we're off to New York, she's always wanted to go and see the rockettes christmas show at the Radio City Music Hall - tickets are already booked, can't wait.

NYC telescoping card



2nd Guest Designer Project for The Artistic Stamper Creative Team Blog
I've posted my 2nd Guest Designer project over at The Artistic Stamper Creative Team Blog please go and have a look, and post a comment if you have time, it would be much appreciated.
One last halloweeny pic, someone had thrown away an old wire lampshade and when I saw it i just thought "Pumpkin" so i had to rescue it and turn it into a pumpkin lantern with tissue paper, tattered leaves cut from packaging and heated to mould into shape.


Tuesday, 2 October 2012

Sneaky Peek - 1st Guest Designer post for the Artistic Stamper

Ooh, I'm so excited!  This is my first project as Guest Designer for October over at The Artistic Stampers Creative team blog.  I've had so much fun creating my first project and using some wonderful artistic stamper stamps.
Here's a wee sneaky peak - please go and take a look at the full project here Artistic Stamper Guest Designer - October
Sneaky peeky



Thursday, 13 September 2012

12 tags of 2012 - September

This months tag from Tim Holtz uses industrial faux riveted metal look.   Details can be found here http://timholtz.com/12-tags-of-2012-september/ 
I love the industrial/steampunky look and was also inspired by Shelly Hickox blog to use the sizzix pop'n'cuts die and create a halloween tag.
metal tag - front
 I embossed the frame stamp from the artful silhouettes on to metal tape covered card then cut out. I thought it looked an old mirror frame.  I stamped one of gentlemen from the steampunk set on to mica and layered onto the frame.

inside - pop-up, haunted mirror
 For the pop-up inside, I stencilled bricks using gelatos then sprayed with glimmer mist.
Batty about Halloween :)
 I stamped the skeleton on acetate in black, then in white on to mica and layered onto another mirror frame.It makes me think of the haunted mirrors you find in the London Dungeons