Tags of 2013 - April

Tim's tag is here.
I looked at this early in the month and thought - oh crumbs, don't have distress paints, can't be doing with this. I kinda thought it might be an excuse to try some out but never got round to buying any so now I'm going to improvise. 

Took two tags and painted with a darkish brown colour (eco paints - Clay). (Two as always because I am going to inflict one of these masterpieces on some poor soul in due course hee hee). I've taken photosand added lots of description  because I am really not sure where this one is going and I'd like to rmember what I did (or what not to do!!). While those are drying I dug out some metal embellishments and plopped some colours on a craft mat. I'm just going with what I have!!






Well I wouldn't swear to it bit I think this is the kind of effect we are aiming for. Some of them still look like they need 'knocking back' or lifting with a bit of black or rub-ons, but I'll see what I feel about that later. While I was at it I 'patina'd' some card cogs and chipboard numbers - you have to work quicker with these because of the way the paint dries. The chipboard numbers came out surprisingly well - they came glittered so there are interesting bumps on them as well. Much better than the original!!




Now, to work on the background. Although I haven't got Distress Paints I am going to follow Tim's add water and swipe through  paints technique. Fingers crossed.

Ai Carumba that was messy!!

I am not a great 'smoosher'. It sounds and looks so simple when any one else does it, for me it usually means a very patchy, muddy tag while I am every color of the rainbow. And so it transpired. But after letting them dry and trying a second smoosh with a little sponging type help they are done. I will be the first to admit these don't really look like Tim's but as patina style backgrounds go they aren't bad. You will note there are now more than 2. Well there was a lot of paint to use up. I also don't know which ones had the base coat so that was probably unnecessary. The bottom row has had some extra inking and spritzing. 


Final touches, here are the CASED tags all finished and I like them more than I thought I would. Roll on next month!!

Clean and Simple....

Not something I usually manage as I am such a messy klutz it's often easier to go grungy. But I wanted to do a an entry for the current Artful Times Challenge which is to use masks or stencils. I certainly have quite a few, including this special touch  'Poppy' one that has never seen ink. So this was a real quick make just running it  through the GC to emboss and then stencillinng through with DI's. I have resisted putting sparkles on it as I quite like it as it is but might try another one.

Crafty time is at a premium this week as the weather has been so glorious hubby and I are working in the garden (well quite a lot of the time we are sitting there chatting with a glass of wine). He's still on sabbatical so I want to make the most of this time together as it will be work, work, work soon enough. So sorry if I don't get round commenting, I just don't have time this week. But I really do appreciate all the lovely comments I've had, especially on my Cinderella Shoe. Anyhow, now off to the garden again!!
 

Try It On Tuesday - Inventions. Inventors, possibly a little steampunk.......

is what we are looking for this fortnight at Try It On Tuesday.

Here is my DT piece which is a little canvas. There are several layers and  I have added the stamping using tissue paper. Even more texture added with stencilled paint and crackle paint. I have used frantage on the cogs (these are really cool because if you line them up and fix with brads - I haven't on this project - they will actually turn each other).

 

 

Anyhow we'd love for you to join in this fortnight's challenge and to pop over to Try it on Tuesday to see what the DT have been up to - great work to inspire you I promise!!

Exciting bits - Our sponsor this month is Genuinely Jane Studios

Boring bits - please follow the rules!! Our challenges cover any kind of project but we do ask that you stick to the theme and link only to 5 challenges in total. Unfortunately to be fair to those that do, we can't include you for selection for Top 5/Prize Draw if you don't follow the rules.

Challenges:

The Artistic Stamper (April)  -  TEXTURE

 

 

Steampunk Cinderella??

This month's Challenge at SanDee and Amelie's Steampunk Challenge Blog is Steampunk Fairytales.

At first I thought I would do Cinderella's carriage, but then I thought her glass slipper would be simpler and I wasn't sure how much time I would have this month with hubby at home as we are trying to get some long overdue 'stuff' done. So I went for the glass slipper.










I have several shoe templates (they appeal to me, what can I say. Probably because I can't wear real heels anymore) but for this shoe I used one from the House of Zandra. I cut the heel and sole from silver card and the top from acetate and was really pleased when it went together just fine (I thought I might have trouble attaching the acetate top to the sole because it doesn't 'grab' glue the same way paper does - fiddly but doable).

I decided that although I would decorate it in a steampunk style with cogs/wings/roses/clocks I'd like to keep the colours more feminine - cinderella always seems like a girlie girl to me!! So I chose to cover all my embellishments with 'aged rose' frantage which gives a sparkly but vintagey textural finish. The rose and wings are made from clearly for art treated the same way so I could shape them a little.

So, what can you do with a glass slipper? Use it as a gift box that's what!! Perhaps I am stretching the boundaries here but I have made other shoes in the past and tucked little goodies in them as gifts. Truth is, I saw a challenge this morning at Crafty Cardmakers to make a card or tag with with matching gift box, so thought I'd whip one up with the bits I had left.
So voila a tag, and finally my shoe stuffed with a little pressie wrapped of course in cog stamped tissue paper!! Don't worry CCers I won't argue if you say it doesn't meet the brief, it'sjust a bit of fun!!If I'd had time I would have made a piece of steampunk jewellery to go with it - you never know, it might end up being a giveaway at a later date!!

Challenges:
SanDee and Amelie's Steampunk Challenge Blog - Steampunk Fairy tales
Crafty Emblies (Apr - May)  - Anything Goes
Crafty Card Makers - Tag and Matching gift bag

WOYWW # 202 - A little tableau....

It's Wednesday again (some would say, already) and time to go on our travels though the crafty desks of blogland. If you really don't know what's going on then can I urge you to visit Julia at Stamping Ground where you can click for all the info.

My desk is uncharacteristically tidy this Wednesday as I have just finished one DT project and have nearly done another 3d project - that shoe you can see was the prototype - which I will probably finish at some stage .  I now have to make a big leaving card for someone at work, I really can't put it off any longer, ideally I need to have it finished by Friday but have no inspiration at the moment. Oh the horror of the blank white page. This is the oh so helpful brief - music, cats (gizmo and sticky), chocolate and Glee  -  I'm hoping someone has found me a photo to work in to it but I haven't seen it yet. If not, butterflies and flowers it is then.

But over here, (this is the little tableau!!) all ready to play, are a few of the bestest things I got at Ally Pally on Sunday.

Stamps from Jofy, Sam Poole, and Clarity. A 'cog' die from Robert Addams (what a nice man!!). Frantage. Far too much UTEE. Masks. A few interesting things to alter. And, so excited about this, a Gelli plate!! Boy, am I gonna be busy.

I'd love it if you said hi, in which case I will return the favour. I will attempt to visit all those with the same nos as me, whatever they might be, but can't guarantee anything after close of play Thursday, this has to stop somewhere. I may be an evening visitor because today is a work day and can't always get online at lunch time. And also hubby is home from Ghana today after 4 1/2 weeks volunteering and will probably have lots to talk about.
(I might of course need an excuse to get away.........)

Happy WOYWW!!

This week I have been mainly........

decoupaging. Or that's what I call it. Not the 3D stuff, the lots of layers of varnish (or in this case, decopatch glue) and lots of sanding stuff.

This is the Christmas tissue box that has been languishing on my desk.

We saw some of these at a Christmas Craft Fair last year and one of my friends (her house is a grotto at Christmas, she even has a santa toilet seat cover) was uhmming and aahing over the price of the ones on the stand. So I rashly said, oh I'll make you one for Christmas.... Fortunately I didn't specify which Christmas. 

At that point the other friend I was with pulled a face and raised an eyebrow.... so I said alright I'll make you one as well, what do you want on it . She said roses, shabby chic.

It's her birthday in a couple of weeks which prompted me to get a wriggle on. I made a little tag to go with it as well.

Well I hope they like them. Must learn to keep quiet!!

Waxing Lyrical....

have I used that as a post title before? Anyhow here are 3 collage ATCs I made when playing with beeswax in my melt pot.

In my 500th post yesterday I said  would give these away to celebrate.

The 'Lucky Winners' are: 

                           Claire

                           Laura art

                           Lunch Lady Jan

If you could email me with your addies girls I will get them in the post.

See you soon!!