Try It On Tuesday - Let's get Stitchy!!

Or perhaps this post should be titled 'The art of knowing when to stop'.

So to get to my DT piece for this week. It is a fully loaded 8 x 8 canvas. It started from the big blowsy flower which came in an embellishment kit - gorgeous but a bit big for a card - which gave me the creamy/peachy colour tones and well, it kind of grew from there!!







OK we asked for stitching on this week's project's at TioT and there is stitching on my project although it may be hard to see as the layers have obliterated most of the stamped and faux stitching. However I can assure you the lace ruffle is handstitched, as are the swirls on the piece of fabric (I even did a bit of beading). The idea for that being that the stitched work would marry up with the stamped swirl behind - kinda worked!!

There are a lot of layers and also texture in this piece though mainly abstract as my spackle was a bit lumpy and hard to manage through non-use (until I remembered you could add water - doh) so I couldn't use my masks. I've done a few other pieces in tandem with this one that were more successful in that regard but I'll post them later as this is a TioT Challenge post. The rolled roses and shabby flowers are handmade and spritzed with micas and the leaves have been DI'd and embossed with Distress embossing powder to give them a rough and multicoloured texture.

 I always find it hard to know when this kind of canvas is finished - to be honest the first layers of paper were so pretty I couldn't cover them up for a day. Anyhow it gave me a chance to use some new stamps (had them since September!!) and have a rummage in my stash and I think it will look nice on my wall.

So now you've seen what I've done it's your turn - but don't worry you don't have to go crazy you can do any kind of project to any theme with real or faux stitching.

Crafty-emblies is our sponsor for January, with a £10 store voucher for our lucky winner this month.
Just remember that to be considered for Top 5 and the Prize Draw you must only link to 5 challenges in total including ours. Don't forget to visit the other DT members at Try It On Tuesday and check out their projects as well!

Because this turned out kinda pretty and feminine I am entering it into the current 'Our Creative Corner' Challenge for which the theme is Shabby Chic.

Happy Crafting!!

A bit of canvas work.....

After making all those flippin' cards for MacMillan I was desperate to get a bit inky. I also wanted to make a couple of pressies for friends whose birthdays I had missed. So I decided to get a bit inky and painty.

This one is a really mini canvas with an octopode image. I love the way the background turned out on this one  and as I am sure you know by now this is one of my very favouritest Octopode images.  

For the second one I decided to try out a bit of 'she art'. I love Christy Tomlinson's style (do check out her etsy store if you are looking for something lush for a crafty friend - she has lots of funky new merchandise using her art).

I don't have any idea what I'm doing really, I just watch a lot of u tube demos and then wade in using any old paper, paints and inks I've got in my stash. Actually used some really old inks I bought when an art shop was closing down several years ago - I think they are designed to go in an artist pen, probably some kind of early promarker as they stink so much they must be alcohol based. So glad to find a use for them at last!!

The added attraction of this style of course is no faces, although it's then hard to give your image some character without. I like the angle of the face on this one although (and this is so typical) imo the original sketch was even better.

Autumn Colours at Try it On Tuesday

 

This time of year, between when the kids go back to school and the clocks go back,more than any other reminds me of the years when my children were younger and life seemed somehow simpler. I remember the leisurely walks home from school, playing in the park and making the most of the last of the sun, collecting conkers (boy, did we collect a lot of conkers!!) and watching the trees change colour as the days passed. It's quite  a few years since we've done that, and in fact I don't have anyone going back to school or even college this year as they are officially all growed up, but the autumn days still fill me with a certain nostalgia and a longing for that time. So when I saw the theme for this fortnight's challenge was Autumn Colours I thought I'd make a sort of journal/canvas to commemorate that feeling.

 

I actually think this project looks better IRL, it's basically a canvas with some gorgeously blended autumn colours overstamped with leaf images in brown memento ink. The leaves are printed from a digikit and covered with printmagic - they do actually look quite leaflike! - and the figures are from an inkadinkadoo stamp. I couldn't find a sentiment that expressed what I wanted to say so I wrote my own (so don't laugh).

Everyone loves Autumn colours they are so rich and warm so why not create your own project and join us at Try it on Tuesday? Just remember to enter only five challenges in total if you want to be considered for Top 5. Can't wait to see what you get up to!!

I'm putting this up really early as I have yet to master the scheduled post (well, I think I understand it, it just never seems to actually happen) and I am off to Paris in the morning - Yay!!

a bientot,

Cindy

Just a quicky..

Couple of projects to share that were birthday gifts I now know have been received.

First a little hanger made with digital images fomr my polkadoodles Studio12 Picknix CD. Kind of obvious who that was for!!

And another little hanger made from an inverted canvas and using one of my clearly for art faux metal flowers. and a Tim Holtz inspired mosaic butterfly.

That's all!! Must get on. Cindyx

 

July Art Draw - Altered Canvas

or just a plain old canvas lol never sure about the altered bit.


Here is the finished item.







Isn't that little snail boy just gorgeous? He is a digital stamp from the Octopode Factory. I started the background to the canvas a la Christie Tomlinson but ended up going my own way. I added (yet more) scruffy flowers as 3D elements and various bits of rub ons etc for texture. The trouble with these layered backgrounds is deciding when they are finished or when they need just a little bit more - hope I have got it right.

Anyhow, if you would like to be in the draw for this canvas then the rules are simple, just add a comment on this post and I'll pop you in the draw. Add a link from your own blog and I'll put you in twice. International players welcome.

I'll close the draw on Saturday 28th July at 9.00 pm.

I'm uploading a little later than anticipated because my OH and I went to DD's 'graduation' from the Fashion Retail Academy today (passed with Distinction!!) and rather than brave the rush hour traffic home we went out for a meal. The college put on a lovely afternoon and the students' work on display was just jawdropping. There are some really talented young folk out there. and I am very, very proud of my darling Chelsey.

So hope you will join in this month, see you around, Cindy x

February Art Draw - it's Luvverly!!

If I do say so myself. Not often I'm tempted to keep my giveaways and fob you off with something else but am quite pleased with the way this turned out ...... but I'll stick to the original plan, especially as I already gave you a sneak preview before I went away.

My original inspiration came from two projects in February's Craft Stamper Magazine - 'Their Hearts Connected' by Louise Crosbie (AKA Zuzu) and 'A Splash of Paint' by Trish Latimer. The minute I saw them I knew I wanted to make something similar and get very painty and inky!! I had already decided to do something romantic with hearts using my canvases - it is February after all - and originally tried a red, and then a red and purple colourway (you may remember the red canvases from waaaaaay back).


Somehow it ended up too harsh looking so I softened it with gesso, some pink and added a touch of turquoise and I like it much better.

I really like using canvases 'backwards' for the possibilities they give as a kind of shadow box and I had two hanging about waiting for a project. The only trouble was they are quite small - about 7 x 10 cms - so finding teeny tiny things to go inside was a bit of a challenge. For the main message on the front which I wanted to be clear I stamped on to tissue first and then adhered with gel medium - I always find this works really well.

I did wonder at one point if I
had over mixed my metaphors so to speak as I seemed to have some funky paint effects going on and then went all vintage with a cherub and some tiny paper roses - but I decided  the colours held it all together.






And at last a use for one of those little corked bottles!! Bought them a year ago and they have been languishing in my stash ever since. Filled it with tiny silver stars as I couldn't find any tiny hearts in my stash.





Anyhow, enough of my waffling. If you would like to enter the Art Draw then leave a comment on this post before 9.00 pm on Saturday 25th February.

International players are very welcome. It always seems a bit cheeky to say this as I am not very good at any of this technical linking stuff but I would be very happy for you to link from your own blogs  - the more the merrier.

Finally, as I have been catching up in Blogland I have noticed there are a lot of challenges out there to do with Valentine's, hearts, romance..... there's definitely something in the air. So I'm linking this project to Snazzy's Design Team Blog Challenge # 1, Love/Romance. There are prizes!!! I've also linked in to the Link Party at Cindy Adkins' blog if you would like to join in as well. It also fits the theme for a new9ish) challenge blog  that I have come across - 'art with no boundaries'

What's on Your Workdesk, Wednesday #138

Another week has whizzed by. Hardly needs saying does it? Had a great day today (it's Tuesday as I am writing this, well technically Wednesday as it is well after midnight, but I digress..) did HW, shopping, mum visiting, made two cards for men (just the hardest!!) ordered some prints using machine in store (a first) and bought and set up a digital photoframe. Feeling very productive, especially as I have had a really fun splodgy messy session at my desk as well.

I offered to send a RAK to a 'newbie' ATC trader but it's hardly worth just making one is it so there are four WIP here in various stages of completion. This is what I call messy, arty farty, faffing about crafting, using layers, stamps, gels and paints. It's real fun. I'm really loving the way the fairy one in the middle is coming along. Need to let them all dry off properly before I do any more to them though.

While I've been waiting for these to dry (and vice versa) I have been busy getting NEXT month's giveaway prepared. I am determined to get ahead of myself. Here's a sneaky preview. The little hearts are covered in crackle glaze that is drying. They were also covered in stamped words but they seem, ahem, to have come a bit adrift. It's probably a lesson in using the right inks or setting it but as I can't remember which ink pad I used and I thought I did blast them with the heat gun, it's obviously not a lesson I am going to get top marks in. Hopefully it will all come out in the wash, one of those 'happy accidents'.

OK you must know by now why I'm rambling on about what's on my desk this Wednesday. No? Well, it's all down to Julia of Stamping Ground who hosts this weekly blog hop known as WOYWW. Hop over first to Julia's to read what's what and find out how to join in. It's easy, so go forth, nose about, leave a comment, make a friend. But I should get yourself a beverage and use the facilities. It may take you a while.

More 'stuff' - quick show n tell

Here's my completed canvas. Did the drawing about 6 months ago and finally incorporated it into a canvas. Made this one for myself. It's upside down. Why I don't know. I've never had a picture upload the wrong way round before. Ooops! Well, just lean to  the left. Sigh. Life's too short to worry about these things. (Addendum: discovered that  if I save it on my pc skeewif it uploads the right way round - the things you have to do)

Despite the demise of my melt pot, did manage to do a bit of beeswax work. A few ATCs and a tag. Which I also can't get the right way up lol. But you get the idea.

Also found time to make this little hanging. Just a few ods and ends I had stamped/coloured made - seemed to go together. Couldn't find my nice 'believe' stamp though. Another thing that's gone down a black hole. (Keep losing my 'word' stamps. Think I forget to put them away because they are small.)

See ya soon.

Cindyx