Dogs and Rugby

A quick card in Craft Artist for a friend who loves dogs and rugby.  As she follows the London Irish team whose colours are green, naturally that had to be incorporated too!

Embroidered Butterfly ... or is it a Moth on Wood?

Whenever you buy a Pink Ink design, you get one of these butterflies as a freebie to play with.  I decided to play with one of mine.  I painted the butterfly a couple of weeks ago, and confess I made a booboo - I put it on the radiator to dry, and of course it made the canvas that touched the ridges of the radiator dry much darker as it set the colour!   duh  I thought.

A couple of days ago I decided what the heck,  I will try some embroidery stitches on it that I had seen demonstrated.   The outline was done with a running stitch and then I wove another colour through the stitches..  I then embroidered the body, with a mixture of satin stitch and chain stitch, alternating the way the threads went in the different sections.  I then embroidered part of the head with button stitch and stuck a clear gem in the centre.  The antennae were done with back stitch and then a stretched french knot.  I added a couple more gems on the wings, and coloured all the gems with alcohol pens.

Finally what to do to get rid of the lines across the middle ?  Inspiration struck make it look like wood - phew think I have got away with it and I am now calling it a Moth on Wood rather than a butterfly!

A little bit of Chemistry

A card for a teenager who is studying chemistry and maths at college.    I created the image in Craft Artist and printed it, but I also printed the various elements separately on to Lutrador and more paper.

I cut out the elements from both and stuck the Lutrador onto the paper to create 3D elements.  I also added a bit of extra shading and colour with Posca pens.

Some elements weren't so good in the Lutrador, so instead of sticking them over the paper images, I stuck the paper images on the Lutrador (ie. the elements with pink in them, and the calculator).  I also stamped some IndogoBlu bottle images onto the Lutrador and painted them.  Finally I decoupaged all the elements onto the back ground image, and die cut the sentiment and the numbers.

Moo Cow Canvas

Finished plaque

Another Pink Ink Design.  I must admit I am enjoying doing these.   I painted the canvas and the elements (see picture below),  I used various paints - some translucent ones from IndoBlu and some from Cosmic Shimmer, with a few elements highlighted using Posca pens.

I then did some embroidery on the main canvas - outlining the circle with chain stitch and then picking out some of the grasses etc.

The elements and the canvas were ironed to set the colours and then had IndigoBlu Slap it On (Fabric) applied to seal it.

I couldn't decide how I wanted to display the canvas - pondering on whether to use another embroidery hoop, but then I decided to use a square MDF plaque.  I used some  lining material from The Mill Shop online, which was adhered to the canvas with their special bonding material.  (Confess I have forgotten its proper name).I then glued the padded canvas on to the MDF board, and created holes in the canvas with a screw punch to align with the holes on the MDF, and added some ribbon to create a hanger.

I then glued on the various elements - I found heavy gel medium excellent for this.

Da Vinci Style Birthday Card.

My daughter loves anything to do with Da Vinci, so I bought this stencil from Bee Crafty with her in mind.

I inked it with shades of blue and green versa magic, and then added some elements from a Clarity Floral die  for the corners and the sentiment.    Hope she likes it. 

Shades of Blue Birthday Card

Very similar to the card I posted yesterday, but with some blue backing paper from the Northern Lights pad, and using the die that comes with the Happy Birthday.

Shades of Red Birthday Card

I used one of the new Clarity Fresh Cut Foral Framedies for this card.  This one comes with the sentiment Thinking of You, but I used the Happy Birthday from another die set.   Cut out of the card, and then a sheet of their Northern Lights paper mounted behind it.   Simple but effective.

Looking Out to Sea

I love this Kim Moody stamp (one of a couple I treated myself too).  I thought it would be great for cards for some of the males in myh family - particularly as a few have links to sailing or the coast.

It was stamped and smooth water-colour card from Chocolate Baroque, and then painted using colour from either Versamagic or Artistry Ink pads.   The sentiment was a Claritystamp die.

Mixed Media: Decoupaged, Painted and Embroidered Panel

Really pleased with how this turned out.  I have watched the PinkImk demonstrations on Hochanda many times and have been tempted to try one.   A few weeks ago they had a bundle of various designs on sale at a silly price - so I though I would take the plunge.

The panel is about 8" x 8" with an extra little panel of embellishments.

I wet the material and then water-coloured it using Cosmic Shimmer Fabric Paints, and IndigoBlu paints for the face.  When it was dry I ironed it to set the colours.

I then painted the embellishment section and when dry I did some embroidery on it and added some beads (i.e. pearls on the bow).  Again I ironed the panel to set the colours, and  then painted a mix of pva and water to the back to strengthen and stop it fraying, so that when dry I could cut out the items.

The little elements were then added to the panel with glue.  I also did a little more accent painting, as well as adding some gems and Nuvo drops.

It doesn't show up that well in the photo, but the image is very sparkly, as I went over the whole design with Cosmic Shimmer Sparkle Star Fabric paint.  (I am in love with this - the effect is similar to a sparkle pen on cardstock).

I will eventually stiffen the whole thing with either PVA and water or IndigoBlu Fabric Slap it on.  I also want to get some matching velvet ribbon for the frame (although I may paint it) to finish it off completely.

8th Birthday Card

It was back to Craft Artist today for this card.     I created the background with various firework images in different colours, and an Eiffel Tower image in various colours and a castle image at the base in three different colours.

I then added the sentiment.  I matted and layered the image on white and blue card and went over a lot of the image with a sparkle pen.

The recipient might not realise the nuance of the card, but his mum will ...... he is having a surprise trip to Paris and Euro Disney for his birthday !

Mixed Media mdf ATC Card 3)

I started off with black gesso on this card..  I then used an Imagination Crafts feather stencil and applied Cosmic Shimmer Frosted Blossom crackle paste.  Being impatient I dried it with my heat tool - erm slight mistake - or is that happy error - it bubbled !    Undeterred when dry I went over it again with Cosmic Shimmer Crackle paste in Frosted Heather and let it dry naturally,  I also used another part of the stencil with the clear Ranger Emboss It Dabber and added some gilding flakes (albeit you can't really see those as they are under the flower.  I then added gold gilding wax to the edges of the card and over the stencilled feather.

I made another flower, leaves and gypsophila with some of John Next Door dies and The Flower Modelling foam. again colouring them slightly with ink pads and adding Nuvo drops to the centre of the flower and the end of the gyp.

Finally, as I didn't have a suitable stamp or stencil, I freehand wrote the word Fleur in White Posca pen and outlined it with a black Poscas pen.

The three ATC cards

Mixed Media mdf ATC Card 2)

Another experiment.   This time I stuck Yupo  paper to the mdf blank and added random drops of Pinata Inks.   (In hindsight, I would have dropped the inks on the Yupo paper first, and then chosen the area I wanted and cut that out to fit).   When dry I used a dragonfly stencil (I think from Imagination Crafts)and stamped and embossed this with white detail embossing powder.   (I realised I should have tried to mask it slightly when heat embossing it as the edge of the Yupo paper started to curl- but we learn as we go along)!  

I then stamped out the sentiment on black card again with detail white powder, and also did the same to the edge of the card once, I had cut it out..     (I haven't had to spray this one with spray and shine, as the inks dry like enamel).

MDF Mixed Media ATC Card 1)

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Now that Christmas is over I can focus on playing again.   I have bee playing with my mdf ATC cards that I received as random act of kindness from Lou Withers.  (you may remember that I decorated the box and one side of one card a couple of months ago).

Inspired by Lou I wanted to play with the Amsterdam Pearl Medium and my Pinata inks.  I had also prepared some egg shells, as I loved the effect they gave on the little drawer unit I made.

I spread the Pearl Medium on the card and added the egg shells, and then a little more pearl medium, and then added random drops of the inks whilst it was still wet.   When it had dried I added a little touch of pebeo gilding wax.

I also recently invested in Craft Artist Flower Modelling Foam - wow love this stuff.  I die cur some flowers  and leaves with John Next Door dies.   I coloured the m slightly with some ink pads and shaped them.  (I haven't tried heating the foam yet, but it is on my todo list to try). I added a gem and some Nuvo drops to the centre   I then used an Imagination Crafts stencil on black card with Nuvo clear and added white detail embossing powder.  Rather than cut it out with a straight edge, once embossed I cut it out around the letters

Really pleased with how the experiment turned out - really shines in real life - although I have sprayed it with Crafter Companion spray and shine since taking the photo.

Birthday Card

A little experiment with a stencil and Dreamees sparkle inks for the background and stamps from a magazine freebie (I think they were Sheena Douglass ones) for the images.   I was a tad disappointed with the sentiment, but the stamp was a bit weird and the extra bits hanging off it were meant to be there.  I also did a bit of extra overstamping on the butterflies and a couple of other bits with a clear clitter embossing powder.  

A bit of a differnt style for me, but it seems to be popluar at the moment

Birthday Card for a Friend

A simple card for a friend using John Next Door stamps.  Green Nuvo ink, Spectrum Noir Midas metallic pigment ink in Silver, and Black Nuvo  ink embossed with clear embossing powder.

3D Printing

We had a lovely family day over the weekend, with my daughter, son and eldest granddaughter designing and printing with the 3D printer I treated the family to for Christmas.

My daughter has had quite a bit of practise with it now and showed my son how to use the software.  Here are a few bits we made:

Spaceman created from a download from the Canadian Space Agency

My son's first print in colour changing filament

a Tardis bookmark in colour changing filament
(changes colour in UV light)

A dice designed by my granddaughter, also in colour changing filament. 
Dots coloured with  Posca pens. (our original dice pattern that came with the machine
had wrongs dies opposite)

Panic at the Disco key tag designed by Granddaughter

we printed a few of these two in colour changing filament,

three in white

We coloured the three white bookmarks with blue markers

Apart from the spaceman, the dice and tag designed by granddaughter - the other items were from Thingyverse.

Something a little diferent

Over the weekend, the family came over for a meal, and play card games, and play with the 3D printer (more on that tomorrow).

We were going to teach my eldest granddaughter Canasta, and we need to refresh our memories on the rules - well I had remembered them but my daughter and son-in-law weren't too sure.  Undaunted I said I will get the Hoyle's Games book from the bookcase, and we will look up the rules.    Erm not a lot of use as my edition is very old (the 1863 edition or 1883 - I couldn't quite make out the date). and apparently Canasta wasn't invented until 1939!   oops!

The book

However, what I didn't know was that there was an inscription inside the book "Kate from Grandpapa February 19th 1888"  !   Gosh I didn't know that was in there.  I have no idea where the book came from - I haven't found a Katie in my family tree yet.   I seem to think the book belonged to my parents, or might even have belonged to my husband's family - we have had it "forever" so I have no idea.   It might even have been a purchase from a jumble sale - who knows - but it won't be thrown away that's for sure.

The inscription