Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving!

I started by stamping the leaves on to a sheet of copper and heating it with a heat tool until the copper started to change colour.  The copper turned first deep orange, red, purple and then blue so by lingering over different parts a multi-coloured effect was obtained.  The leaves were cut out and the main patterns traced with a fine embossing tool on the front of the copper.  A larger embossing tool was used on the back to create even more dimension.

A leaf pattern was stamped in Distress Ink on to a card blank and shading added with a waterbrush.  A little more colour and shading was added with an orange pencil and a digitally cut sentiment adhered to the bottom.

 Finally the copper leaves and a cord bow were fixed on with Glossy Accents.

Whether this is a festival you celebrate or not it's always good to take time to celebrate and appreciate the good things in life, many of which are intangible and easily forgotten.

Thanks for taking a look x

Materials used:

Magic Metal: copper sheet

Ranger Archival Ink: jet black

Ranger Distress Ink: wild honey

Spectrum Noir Colored Pencils: 021

Woodware Clear Stamps: leaves and swirls, leaf quartet

Silhouette Studio: Be Thankful phrase

Ranger: glossy accents

Orange cord

Hello
Just a quickie. Not much time for crafting or blogging this weekend.  Just a few minutes to make a birthday card for my favourite 7 year old!  Cut with the Original Silhouette out of white card and coloured with Promarkers. 

A bit fuzzy as I struggled to get the stars and springs in focus.

Thanks for taking a look xxx

Countdown to Christmas

Hi there
Time to start facing up to the fact that Christmas is fast approaching.  Here's something I've made to help keep track of the days using Tando Creative's Christmas Countdown Frame.

Grunge paste was added to the front panel using Tando's Grid Moroccan mask.  When dry all of the pieces were painted with gesso and then Fresco Finish paints.  The raised paste was highlighted with Treasure Gold.  The edges were thickly embossed with Frantage embossing enamel and more was sprinkled over the frame to add extra sparkle. For a little extra shimmer the stockings were speckled with Prima Color Bloom Spray Mist.  The pieces glued together easily with Cosmic Shimmer glue.

As my sister is crazy about Christmas and this is a gift for her, the stockings are all double sided enabling her to start her countdown on 16th September with 99 days to go!

I'm entering this in to Tando's Creative Challenge for November 'Something with a Use'...a very specific use! 

Thank you for looking xx

Materials used:

Tando Creative: Christmas Countdown Frame

PaperArtsy Fresco Finish Acrylic Paint: snowflake, eggplant, lilac, claret, space cadet, inky pool

PaperArtsy: grunge paste 

White gesso

Cosmic Shimmer: glue

Treasure Gold: white fire

Stampendous Frantage: shabby white embossing enamel

Prima Color Bloom: tea stain spray mist

Hi there
I'm just home from a completely fabulous day at The Craft Barn with Helen Chilton.  We were making mixed media canvases with various Pebeo products, PaperArtsy Lynne Perrella stamps, foiling and acetate flowers. 

Now to decide where to display it!  Thanks for taking time to have a look. x

Owl Clock

Hello again.  This weekend I thought it was time to assemble my Tando Owl Clock and inspired by all of the Halloween colours around I decided on bold purple and orange.

First the front got a layer of PaperArtsy Grunge Paste and while still wet, a bark pattern was drawn in to it.  The rest of the pieces were painted with a layer of gesso.

The inside faces and clock dial were painted with a layer of PaperArtsy Fresco Finish yellow submarine and the remaining outer faces with eggplant.  The textured front was painted first in a layer of chocolate pudding, right down in to the grooves.  The ridges were then highlighted with lilac and when dry, a layer of eggplant was added.  Eggplant is a translucent colour so the lilac could show through giving highlights and some of the brown was left showing in the grooves.

Using autumn fire with a fairly dry brush, the edges of the yellow faces were given a distressed look.

Having decided to paint first and then assemble to make it easier to get to the insides, I realised that once the pieces were glued together there would be bare patches where the pieces slotted in.  More paste and more paint were needed to fill the gaps.  It still seemed a little flat so a touch of treasure gold was used to bring out the bark texture.  The kit comes with one owl but I added pieces from Tando Bird Set 1 Small.

 Great fun to make and very easy to assemble.

Materials used:

Tando MDF Owl Clock

PaperArtsy Fresco Finish Acrylic Paint: snowflake, little black dress, yellow submarine, autumn fire, limelight, eggplant, chocolate pudding, lilac

Paper Artsy: grunge paste

Treasure Gold: white fire

Cosmic Shimmer: glue

I'm entering this in  Tando Creative's Challenge for November. Thank you for taking the time to look.