Many Many Thanks! A small Tutorial and giveaway.

I can't believe that over fifty very kind bloggers have elected to follow my funny offerings. I want to say a very big THANK YOU to everyone of you and for all the kind comments that you have left me since I started. I thought that I would try and post a small tutorial and offer a small giveaway as a sign of my appreciation to you all. So here goes:

 

Some years ago I tried a technique from Somerset Studio magazine, but I can't find the  article so I must have thrown it out. It was how to make a piece of mosaic paper using a paper shredder. As far as I remember it went like this:

First take an asssortment of papers up to about five different ones about the same weight. Put them through a paper shredder.



I had to bring it downstairs to the conservatory to get the right light, so here are a few of the strips. then you glue them in alternate layers on another piece of paper. I used glossy accents glue to make sure they were stuck down well.

I trimmed the edges and then when it was thoroughly dry I put it through the shredder again and stuck down the new strips onto another thin piece of paper.

When this is dry you can do what you want with it, die cut, trim etc. Here is a little note book I covered with wallpaper sample strips.

 

On this one I managed to alternate the strips to make a chevron pattern, then I used a monogram stamp onto some heated craft  foam that I coloured with pearlised gold powder. I added a wine glass charm of a Bottle, no no, because it starts with a B - honest! Well ok, I do enjoy an occasional glass of Boly darling! So as a thank you card for all of you out there I die cut my little sample into a heart and used it to decorate a small cover of a journal.

 So my small giveaway is a blank journal you can cover for yourself, perhaps using this shredding technique.

I will add some blank sketch book pages for the middle and will  random thingy number any one who leaves a comment by next Monday.

So, first tutorial out of the way, hope it was useful, if there are any tips out there for improvement I'd love to hear from you. Many thanks dear followers and commentors! Have a happy week. x

Sunday Stampers: Simply Irresistable.

Hi everyone. I have been a very busy bee this morning and will now put on two posts! The first has to be Hels weekly Sunday stampers challenge, which is to use some form of resist. I've made a card which has turned out a tadge Autumnal, but that is because of the branches as much as the colour!

I used a set of Wendy Vecchi stamps and stamped the background with resist ink before sloshing it all over with Squeezed Lemonade, Rusty Hinge and Spiced Marmalade distress stains, then mopping some up with a damp towel before drying. The flower was from the same  set and  I used embossing ink to stamp it before colouring it in again withWalnut Stain and  Ripe Persimmon stains. The branch side die was cut out of stiff brown card and then I layered up the card, stained ribbon and tied on a piece of junk jewellery that had leaves on it  that I dabbed over with Peeled Paint distress paint. I love the way you can use that over metal and it tones in. I'm now going to try and post a tutorial so watch this space!

Sunday Stampers: Diamonds and Pearls.

I am in a very pink and happy mood this week as I have had a birthday and got spoilt through and through. So to celebrate I have made a happy pink tag for Hels Sunday Stamper challenge this week.
 



 

The base was a mop up of pink and pewter distress paints from a previous project. I stamped a diamond background with plum archival ink and then I embossed the frame through it and stamped the little girl from a Paper Artsy set. Then I die cut a butterfly from pearlised silver paper, sorry it doesn't show up too well, then cut it in two for her wings. I had a practice on an enamelled tag before I try Tims May tag, but it is fiddly and the 'in' is wonky! Then I punched a lace border from a Martha Stewart  punch and added a piece of old junk shop necklace that had 'Diamonds and Pearls' on it. I found a lovely pearl button and a fabric covered wooden bird in my stash and added a word band attached with pink twine. The ribbon was stained to match.
I am off now to play with my brand new Overlocker! Told you I was spoilt rotten! Hope to be back soon, who knows perhaps I'll veer away from paper and try and show you a new top with posh overlocked seems! Have a happy crafting time everyone - xx

Sunday Stamper: Blue Jay Way.

I love the way Hels Challenge gets my mojo going after a busy weekend entertaining and being a Gran! This week she has asked us to use Blue in our offering and being in a whimsy sort of pale Spring like mood I made this: 

 



 

I dug out some small acrylic flower stamps (maker forgotten - sorry) and some lovely blue and green flower paper. I tore a strip off for the bottom of the card and inked up Tims script from his butterfly set and using Weathered Wood distress ink stamped it along the bottom. Then using the same ink I took one of the small stamps and made a top border. The plain backing paper was blue and pewter Distress Paint on a scrap and overstamped with another wee flower in Faded Jeans DI. Then I inked up a Craft Individuals Thistle Stamp that is an old favourite with Distress Markers in toning greens and blues and edged with Weathered Wood ink to bring the image in. A scrap of hessian holds a pale blue gem brad and then the two flowers at the bottom in Faded Jeans and Weathered Wood with the small sentiment to match. Yet some more scraps of paper used up! Must keep this up - you never know, I might get to see the carpet in my craft room by the end of the year!!

Back soon I hope, love to you all. x

Sunday Stampers: Paper Sun.

Being a compulsive hoarder of all things paper related I had to try Hels challenge this week which is to use paper. My craft room so needs a clear out. I have wanted to finish a little book made up of folded long envelopes which gives you a lot of opportunities to file tags and bits and bobs. I got out my 'can't throw that out' box and covered the envelopes in an assortment of papers and made the covers by cutting mount board. Then I die cut an assortment of tags all ready for filling in. I also stamped one of the tags so that I qualified for the challenge. The cover has an ink sprayed paper rose and tattered leaves that have been inked and stickled.

 



 

 

 

 

 Punched butterflies for added dimension. 

 Even found some pieces that co-ordinated!

A Paper Artsy stamp with a 'Tim' tattered corner stamp. 

 
 I used different die shapes and tags ready for photo's and musings.

The end, I loved this paper it looks like a ghostly figure leaving! There are some more pages but I didn't want to bore you with more photo's. I have used embossing powder and different brads and some inks on the paper and intend to fill it with 'important stuff'' so it is a work in progress. Fun to do and used up some of those 'bits'. Great challenge Hels! Have fun everyone. x

Tiim's tag for April

Hi everyone, just got delivery of a few more of those divine Distress Paints and so have been able to have a go at Tim's tag for April.

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Only thing I didn't have was the number 4 so I substituted an F instead and used a smaller metal corner that I had in my stash. I love the way the metalic paints make different layers with the stains and inks once you have dried them. I played around and coloured a few tags while I was at it, so can't wait to make some more soon! The clearly for art makes great wings and I nearly layered them like I did in this project but I like to keep as near to Tims as I can for future reference.

 

 

So all I can say is thanks Tim, another great tag and tutorial, I love the dimension and the metallic sheen. I can see me running out of this paint real soon, and this stamp is one of my all time favourites, I have it on wood, so that shows how long I've had it! See you soon, thank you so much for looking. x

Sunday Stamper: Paint Box.

Hi everyone peeps! I am back from my lovely holiday with my eldest daughter who so needed a rest as she works very hard and very long hours. Did I say rest? We went on a cruise (a first for me)  to Italy and Greece and I walked my poor old arthritic legs off!. We ended up on the last day in Dubrovnik and I go weak at the knees in churches and love Icons and Shrines.  When I saw Hels challenge for the week, which is Paint, I decided I would try and make my own little shrine and that is why I have got way-layed from the washing and ironing - at least that's my story and I'm sticking to it -it doesn't take much to get me away from the dreaded H word!

 



I used Wendy Vecchi Shrine Art Parts and coated the base in gold acrylic and then used my new Walnut Stain Distress paint on the frame and ledge. I overstamped with a word stamp by Paper Artsy in brown archival ink around the edge. The Madam butterfly stamp was stamped and trimmed onto card and coloured with Distress Markers to match the Seven Dots Studio paper that I had over from a previous project and I embossed it with the rays folder by Tim for the skirt. Her Angel wings are die cut from a Marianne Butterfly die from Distress Stained paper to which I added some stickles. The Cloisonne cross bead is in a beautiful turquoise colour and I die cut the crown out of grunge board and distressed it with Pewter and Black Soot Stain. The three flowers at the bottom were sprayed with Dylusion ink and a little dabbing of Stickles in Gold. Here is a not very good photo of a shrine in a wall in Dubrovnik which caught my eye!

 

I will be back shortly as I missed crafting so much but I must do some shopping and cleaning first! x