Sunday Stampers Week 122 - Paint it Black

Here's my entry for this weeks challenge over on Hels blog.

A quick and easy card to make in half an hour.  A TSS dress mould in black metal, sanded over to take off some of the black, red ribbon belt, and red metal rose, add a bit of ric rac and three buttons.  Faux stitched around the edge, but on reflection shouldn't have been lazy and should have got out my machine!

Mini Canvas

Flicking through old issues of Craft Stamper the other day, as you do, and came across a mini canvas project.  The colours are far too bright and I don't like the way the colour is across her face.  However, what I love about acrylics and gesso is that I can just paint a couple of layers of gesso over it and ta da, it's gone and I can start again.  So maybe tomorrow I'll show you the altered version.

Well, it's dark, cloudy, rainy, cold and totally miserable here in North Sheffield, so I've put the heating on, going to clean up and then get into the craft room and play.  Have a good day all.

Another day another box...

Really enjoyed making the grunge box, so thought I'd make another, but different style.

Box front

Side view

I used 7 Gypsies papers, don't you just love them all, edged with DI vintage photo, some machine stitching, paper flower made out of same paper, then stamped with script stamp, Martha Stewart leaf punch, the image is a new Crafty Individual plate, which I absolutely adore.  

I went to supermarket to buy some chocolates to fill these boxes and on offer were huge tins of Cadbury's Roses shouting out 'buy me, buy me', so no excuses now for not making more of these boxes because I've got to get rid of the chocolates somehow.......

Show Your Grunge

Over on Simon Says Stamp and Show, the theme this week is 'grunge'.

I have made a box out of card, decorated it with some 7 Gypsies paper, edged in fired brick DI, the hinges are grunge paper, flower and leaves are also grunge paper, coloured with mustard seed and spiced marmalade.  Some machine and hand stitching, added a T!m sentiment and popped on some brads which I have distressed.

Filled box with chocolates, all ready to give to a friend. The photos aren't too good, seem to have a lot of reflection, the flash must have bounced back.

Waxing Lyrical

Looking over on Suze Weinberg's blog I saw that she had covered a mirror with beeswax.  Well having a couple of those Ikea mirrors hanging about, taking up room, decided to have a play.  

My mirror was black, so put on a couple of coats of trad tan, four coats of beeswax, then pushed in different sizes of cookie cutters.  Then time to play, added loads of different colours of alcohol inks. dropped it on the wax then, gently at first, took off with paper towels, kept adding different colours and sometimes took off the colour underneath, sometimes left it on.  Really enjoyed doing it, and like the effect.

I put it on the wall to take a photo and my husband walked passed and asked what it was.  I said a mirror, and he replied that the mirror bit was far too small, he wouldn't be able to see to shave, I said, it's just a work of art, at which point he roared with laughter and said, but it's not practical......the philistine, see what I'm up against.

Crusade No. 44

I have decided to have a go at the journal technique challenge run by Michelle Ward, take a look at some of the lovely backgrounds here

You have to paint layer, upon layer of paint using a scraper, I used a Starbucks card, keep applying layers, taking a bit of here and there, etc.  Once I'd got the backgrounds to my liking, I then cut a stencil out of paper and, on the top one, used my scraper to put on paint and gesso, on the bottom one, I just used gesso.  Really enjoyed doing this, not finished, is anything ever, and will probably add to it next week.

SSC Week 120 - Ruby/Blue

Felt like doing a bit of crafting this week, so entering the SSC this week over on Hels blog, colours are ruby/blue

I cut out a greyboard piece from one of T!m's dies, covered it in white acrylic, crackle glaze, then turquoise blue acrylic, stamped with T!m's script stamp, cut out a greyboard heart, covered in TSS bard door metal which I'd put through Cuttlebug folder, sanded lightly.  Put a bit of fibre round and finished off with a gem.  Covered three silver heart brads with alcohol ink, bit of tissue tape, ticket attached with memo pin.  Really enjoyed making it and didn't take long.

Graphic 45 book

Had a brilliant day at AFTH the other day making this lovely book using some Graphic 45 papers.  Neither Dy nor myself were feeling too well, but managed to battle through and had a laugh.

Book front

Inside

I'm afraid I've not been too well for the last few weeks and this last week, really bad,  progressively getting worse, in the end had to give in and phone the consultant.  Had CT scan, chest X ray, bloods, breathing tests, etc., anyway when I saw him and we looked at the x rays, quite a shock because my COP has returned with a vengeance.  We had managed to reduce the steroids to a fairly low level, but now back up to max strength with the prospect of having to have chemo in December.  As you can imagine I feel gutted, but as my consultant said he never gave me any promises and there was always a risk that once the steroids had been reduced it would flare up again.  So we're now back to original diagnosis, it will take at least 2 years to get under control.  I was so looking forward to getting some winter sun in October, but not a chance in hell now.

I now know why my mojo has disappeared, anyway after a couple of days on my little miracle pills, I'm feeling a lot better and hopefully will start doing some crafting again. 

Hope you're having a good day, it's a beautiful sunny day here in North Sheffield.  

365 Journal page for August

Here's my page for the 365 Art Journal which is being organised by the extremely talented Kate

I haven''t even prepared the pages for September, I think a lot of us are a bit behind, but it's been such beautiful weather, too nice to craft.

Maybe I'll prep mine tonight because football is on the telly, so that means no Corrie.