Poppies

I don't have any photos of the first stages, but basically what I did was to cut out rough circles in red fabric and covered them with Americana Fabric Stiffener which is transparent. I then draped each one over a little pot and scrunched the edges. This is them after they have dried. I also coated some string too.

I painted some tiny polystyrene balls with black shimmer dazzling metallic paint.

I wanted a canvas but didn't have one the right shape, but I did manage to find a box that one of Martins ski tops came in. I painted it with deep turquoise and apple green multi surface paint.

Once the balls were dry I glued them into clumps.

And finally my finished piece. I'm hoping you can see poppies.

All products are from the DecoArt range. Stamps are PA mini script and SN stamp set.

PaperArtsy have a theme of liquid sculpting medium.

Beer Mat Mini Book

I was in need of a messy play so I added all sorts of textures to these beer mats. Texture sand paste mixed with ultra matte medium (this just helps the sand paste stick better), fibre paste, modelling paste with micro beads mixed in and modelling paste using a pallet knife to make peaks.

I painted them with various DecoArt products from the media range until I achieved the look I wanted for each piece. I stamped in everlasting chalky paint to lighten them up a bit and give a bit of contrast, added a few die cut pieces and people images. Once finished I added the idea-olog words and then randomly added gold interference paint and wow, this stuff is fab, you can't see it until it dries.

Close up of the interference gold over the rust effect.

I mounted each mat onto a piece of white paper that I'd painted with a mix of espresso and black dazzling metallics and scrunched to make into a mini book.

Front cover and inside.

Front and back covers.

Close up of three of the pages.

Close up of the texture and gold interference.

All products are from the DecoArt range.

Crayons

This piece of card has had everything thrown at it. I started off trying out my new to me Target water soluble crayons and Crayola Twist Stix and I was going to throw it away. Instead I gave the whole page a thin coat of neon orange acrylic paint. Next I watered down a purple and painted that on. Once dry I added black media mist, followed by magenta and finally white. This made it quite pale, so to bring it back to life I stuck a couple of fingers in the pot of turquoise Dylusions, smeared it around a bit and then did exactly the same with the lime. I also wanted to try some of the new wooden stamps I brought back, so I inked them up in black stazon and randomly stamped. Lastly I added stencilling with white chalky paint. I told you I'd thrown everything at it.

I cut the A4 card into 6, decided which way up I wanted them and mounted them onto a small card. Next I went in with black and white sharpie pens and added lines and doodles.

I added a happy birthday sentiment to half of them, the other half I've left blank to add to when I need to.

The finished cards measure 4" x 4".

Holiday Pages - 2016

I always make pages of the photos from our ski holiday, so here is a small selection of my favourites. As you can see, we went to Utah and stayed in Utah this time.

Due to the lack of new snow, we did more sightseeing this year, this is the Parown Gap and its petroglyphs near Cedar City.

This was the long windy road up to Cedar Breaks, there wasn't any new snow, the snow plough was just chipping the edges away and blowing it out its blower!

History behind Antelope Island, a place no-one wanted, so the mormons claimed it.

We saw wild bisons and a couple of antelopes on the island.

Stunning views of the red rock whilst driving through Kolob Canyons, southern Utah.

More stunning red rock, we just touched the tip of Zion National Park.

Martin saw this guy, Jim, carving animals with a chainsaw, and I fell in love with the bear top left but it was far too big for us to get home, so he made a smaller one especially for us. We sat him on our balcony and gave him some sunglasses! We got him home in one piece eventually, after being stopped, searched and swabbed at the airport, he is now sat in our fireplace!

Altered Dominos

I'm in a mini marvels swap and this month the theme is altered dominos. It's been a bit of a rush job as I went back to work on Thursday and the deadline is next weekend, but I got there in the end.

They are foam dominos and were initially painted in everlasting chalk decoart paint, next I randomly added silver shimmer dazzling metallics, then I stamped the PA mini script in black stazon to create the background. I stamped the images onto text print paper, cut them out and stuck them on with decoupage glue and then sealed the whole of the domino with it. Once dry I pierced a couple of holes, added wire and embellishments to finish.

Holiday Photos - And finally the shopping

These were purchased from I-Stencils thanks to Jean, Kerri and The Best Western for helping me to get them. I had them delivered direct to the hotel and they held them for me until I got there - great service all round.

I bought these quite early on in the trip from Barnes and Noble.

These are from JoAnns and Hobby Lobby. You know how I love my wooden stamps.

I got three triple X 100% cotton t-shirts in white for $3 each, some pieces of patterned cotton fabric, other natural fibres, lace, ribbon and some craft tee yarn. These were from JoAnns, Michaels and Hobby Lobby.

Sharpie water based paint pens, Pitt pen, crayons and compressed charcoal. From Target, Hobby Lobby and Michaels.

Pads of paper, notebooks and oriental papers. Hobby Lobby and Michaels.

Embellishments from Michaels, Hobby Lobby, JoAnns and Heartfelt Hobby & Craft.

12 x 12 Scrapbook bargain price from Michaels. Most of the rest was from a local scrapbook shop called Heartfelt Hobby & Craft. It was huge and amazing. You might spy some Canadian bits in there, I got them in prep for next years trip!

Holiday Photos - Antelope Island and the Salt Lake

We took a trip across the causeway through the national park to Antelope Island. Fab reflection of the mountains into the Salt Lake.

Speaks for itself.

And we actually saw some wild bison. I've always wanted to see a bison, not to be confused with a buffalo.

I don't know if you can make it out on this photo, but this one has a row of birds perched on its back!

The Salt Lake was really still and we were able to get some great photos of the reflections in the lake.

The beach leading down to the lake.

And of course, an antelope on the island!

There were also some interesting rock patterns too.

Holiday Photos - Northern Utah

And from here on in, it was blue skies all the way.

We did manage to find a little fresh powder.

This is the bus we always pay a visit to at this resort.

Just look at the colour of that sky - gorgeous x

One day, we decided to have a picnic.

Then we moved location and ate our sandwich.

We call this area big rock park and usually all the rocks and trees are covered in snow, but not this year.

There was a fat tyre bike race on on the last day we were there.

So we stopped skiing and watched for a bit.

This was the finish line and if you look closely you can see me on the bridge in green on the right near the tree.