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:

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

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.

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

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

Book of Secrets volumes 2 to 4

Book of Secrets 2, 3 and 4!

 A few weeks ago we had our monthly crafty get-together, and the girls decided that they wanted to have a go at the Book of Secrets. My niece Lorna wanted me to make her one as she thought it looked quite Harry Potter-ish so I was quite happy to do another one.

Volume 2 - mine(for Lorna)

 It was a bit difficult trying to explain dry-brush techniques - what do you mean load up the paintbrush with paint then take most of it off???  Bibi and Sam did pick up the technique really well - although Sam wasn't happy with hers but I thought they both turned out really fantastic.

Volume 3 - Bibi's (No pink!)

Volume 4 -  Sam's

Spine - gesso texture

 I also had a go at one of Linda's CCC2 at Studio L3, but of course didn't get it done in time to upload :)

Studio L3 challenge - creative core'dinations

This one was the creative core'dinations technique found on page 61 of Tim's Compendium of Curiosities volume 2.  Love the texture fades with the core'dinations paper.

Creative Expressions Design Team Call Challenge - Texture

Note to self - enter Creative Expressions DT Challenge

I found the Design team call via a link in Facebook and thought I'd enter. I would so love to be part of a design team and feel this would be a great challenge for me try different styles and techniques.

The Design Team Call Challenge is to create a project which features texture in some form.

I decided to create an altered canvas, using a box canvas as a shadow box frame.

Lots of different techniques in this, embossed cardstock, dry brush paint techniques, handmade honeycomb balloons, packing tape image transfer, stamping,

Dirigibles

Below are some in progress pictures of the steps I took to create my textured canvas shadow box, and some close-up details.  Hope you like it - wish me luck!

The Tarabotti receptacle(steampunked bin!)

Inspired by Andy Skinner Book of Secrets workshop

 Ok, so who stole Summer?? Seem to be having some strange  weather here in London, sun one minute, real sudden downpours, cold winds - no wonder I've been suffering with flu for the past week :(

Emma & Lorna

Had  visit from my sister Pauline, niece Lorna and her friend Emma at the beginning of the month, so we did some touristy stuff(between dodging downpours) 

Cake shop China Town

Phonebox Covent Garden

Not your normal type of butterfly!

oo-lala

V&A

How to tie a cravat(not!)

just dandy

Lorna's home from home :)

Emma introduced me to a new author, Gail Carriger, who writes steampunk books with werewolves, vampires and preternatuarls, I've just finished the first book of the Parasol Protectorate and started on the second - thanks Emma!  I was inspired by the book and the Andy Skinner Book of Secrets workshop
to steampunk an MDF bin I'd bought at Ally Pally.

Book of Secrets

Step 1 - base embossed card

I tried to take photo's of each stage, starts off with embossed card, die cut cogs, gears, watch parts and embellishments.

Step 2 - black gesso

 Second step is to paint everything in black gesso

Step 3 - burnt umber

 Step 3 - add some burnt umber for metal look

Step 4 - faux metal paint finish 

Step 4 - layer various colours to give an antiqued metal finish.  I'd highly recommend doing Andy Skinner's workshop, his website is http://www.andyskinnercrafts.com/

It was Lorna's birthday and as she's interested in photography too thought it was the ideal opportunity to use my new Tim Holtz vintage camera die - lucky girl got a new camera for her birthday from her mum & dad - but she does need it for school.