Last Post of 2012

Dina Wakley has a new book coming out soon, Art Journal Freedom, and as I was researching it I found a free download called Silhouetting with Spray Ink, so I had a play.  They are actually supposed to be journal pages, but as I don't do journalling I figured they'd be okay on pieces of card.

You are supposed to write on them, ie, add your journalling, so I used a script stamp instead.

Simon says Stamp and show are having an anything goes week, and anything definitely goes here!!!

Topaz Postcard

I decided to make a postcard using topaz colours which I've interpreted as orangey browns, as the Out of a Hat Creations challenge of birthstones is running for 2 weeks over the Christmas period.

The background is a piece of core card run through a texture fade embossing folder and then sanded to reveal more of the underneath colour.  The fabric piece was created a while ago and if you want to how check back here.  The flower from the tattered flowers decorative strip was also cut from the core card and assembled using a brad.  A piece of ric rac ribbon was added to finish.

MDF Book

Remember my wooden book that Emma gave me for Christmas, well I couldn't wait to get started with it, so I did!! Just to let you know, this post is very picture heavy.

I gave it a coat of white gesso, used the cogs stencil and spread texture paste through it.

Gave it a blast with the heat gun to dry it off.

I loosely used the Fresco Texture Background with Crackle Glaze technique which Leandra show cased here.

I added Onyxite and Renaissance treasure gold.

Over the texture paste cogs and the edges.

And some more over the crackled area.

The edges.

More on the cogs.

I also swiped over the cogs with black memento ink to give them a bit more definition.

Close up of the inked cogs.

Stamped a Paperartsy script over the crackle in black stazon.

I used black stazon to stamp the T!m image from the Steampunk set.

And this is my finished book!!!

Distress Stain Backgrounds

As I was browsing I found this YouTube video, so watched it and had a play.  I didn't have any of the glittery card, so I sprayed a white piece with some gold. This is the first print using squeezed lemonade, festive berries and spun sugar.  The Stampotique word background was stamped in vintage photo, spritzed with water and blasted with the heat gun, hence the reason it's not that clear. (It's not meant to be!!)

This is a close up of the gold glitter showing through.

And this is the second print, as you can see it's a lot lighter.  This time I inked the stamp and spritzed the stamp before stamping.

Lost Treasures Mini Book

A mini book which I made as a Christmas gift.

These are some of the inside pages.

Openings have been left at the sides and top to house tags.

These are some of the tags.

And the backs.

Behind Closed Doors

Over at Dragons Dream TIO they have the theme of 'behind closed doors' and the recipe is, a key, a lock and a door.  I used my Stamptoqie door, which has a ready made lock on it, my new on the edge fence die and some crunchy waxed kraft paper.  The background for the tag and fence are pieces from the gelli plate class.  The keys are a Hero Arts cling stamp, stamped in timber brown stazon.

And behind the door we have the Stampotique boys.  The background for them was scribbled with various shades of green distress ink markers. 

Faux Leather Handmade Books

More Christmas notebooks but this time I used the faux leather technique to create the covers.

A close up of the knotted binding.

And the final one, again using the faux leather technique.

You can really see how the tissue paper has ruckled to create the desired effect.

And a variety of handmade papers bound inside.

More Playing

Eileen tweeted a link to this site and the title is, making a tag with Dina Wakley. So I watched and played.  This is a #10 manilla tag using crafters workshop stencils, sprays, fresco paint, stazon and Dina stamps.

This is a #10 tag too, but it's on a slightly darker colour of manilla.  I used all the same ingredients as above expect I added a Dylusions stencil to the mix.

This is a #8 tag using the darker shade of manilla and a smaller Dina Wakley stamp.  I used eco-friendly paint this time.

And lastly, this one I made up from using the reverse of the stencils from the above tags.  It's a #8 on the yellowy manilla and again I used one of the smaller Dina images.

Simon Says Stamp also have an anything goes challenge this week, so they will fit nicely.

Let's Party into 2013

Stampotique are continuing through the festivities with their challenges (yay, way to go Stampotique).  The theme this week is 'out with the old, in with the new'.  I decided to send these two unlikely characters to a 2013 party!!

** Edited - this stag made the top 3 over at Stampotique **

Handmade Books

I made a few notebooks for crafty Christmas presents this year and used my Cinch to make the holes.

Close up of the holes and stringed knots.

Maz kindly lent me the T!m tattered leaf die and I used it to cut cork, corrugated and handmade papers.

Again I used the Cinch to make a series of 9 holes for the binding.

I used lots of different handmade papers for the inside including rag and fibre papers, banana, gunny, bagasse and some nepalese mountain paper.

Merry Christmas to one and all

Merry Christmas to you all.  Hope you all got some great stuff.  I certainly did.  How lucky was I today.  The new set of distress stains, the fence on the edge die, some #8 manilla tags, the decorative strip thick platform, the cutting mats and the lace die.

And three crafters workshop stencils and some idea-ology bits.

Look at the fab present I received from my mate Emma.  The mini book is made from canvas - nice.

And this is the front and back covers.  I can't wait to get started on the MDF book.

And this lovely lot is from my mate Burn, who is obviously aware of my passion for all things green!!

Hope you are all having a wonderful day.

Distress V Pan Pastels

I decided to have a play with the colours purple, yellow and green.  I used seedless preserve, mowed lawn and mustard seed distress inks for this background.  I also went top heavy with both the black and white Posca pens!!

Distress inks again using the lighter shades of the same colours for the background, squeezed lemonade, evergreen bough and shaded lilac.

Then the lighter shades of the pan pastels, hansa yellow (220.5), permanent green (640.5) and violet tint (470.8).

And lastly, the darker shades of pan pastels, violet shade (470.3), yellow ochre (270.5) and bright yellow green extra dark (680.1).

As I was just playing they are roughly A6 pieces of card as I cut an A4 into 4.

Over at Anything But a Card their challenge is either a project from 2012, and to be honest, I looked back and couldn't choose just one!!  Or anything goes (except a card - obviously!!), so I'm putting these in.

Apologies for the quality of the photos, but as seems to be the norm, it's raining, dull and gloomy!!!