Football Card

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Card for my brother in law - football fan and Brighton Seagull's supporter - hopefully in team colours!

Rubber Band Bracelets

First Bracelet

So having played with my granddaughter's loom yesterday, mine arrived just before lunch yesterday, and this is what I made in the afternoon.

2nd bracelet - two tone lilac

black, white and pink triangular shape

Wouldn't the last one look great in peppermint and pink!

Reflecting on one of those special days

Yesterday turned out to be one of those "special" days.  I had to look after my eldest granddaughter, whilst her mother ran an exam revision class for her students during half term.   As I knew Sarah Millsop was going to be on Create and Craft demonstrating rubber band looms and bracelets, I suggest she brought hers over.   This is what we got up to during and after the show.

Five of the bracelets are hers - mine is top right.  The one on the bottom left she made for her mum, and the other two on the bottom row, were new patterns to her following instructions on Crafter's Companion website.

As it was too cold and damp to go up and play in the Den, we took up an invitation to go and see her young cousins in the afternoon.   It's not often they all get together, and not often I get to play with with all at the same time either.    We spent the afternoon Zentangling.  Me helping the 5 year old and the 8 year old being aided and abetted by her cousin.   They had great fun "tangling" an Inky Owl.  (this is an owl shaped pillow that you draw on with special pens, and then it can be washed and you can start over again.)

They also learned how to do the bracelets as E took her loom over with her.  (Just as well I have ordered one for them!)   They were so well behaved, and had so much fun.  It was lovely to hear them laughing. Even the 2 year old, although unable to partake in the "tangling" was singing to us and joining in the laughter. Yes, definitely one of those "special" days to be treasured.

I just wish the battery hadn't died on my phone - I would have loved to have captured the moment of them all playing together.

I had also intended to try and make a tree of life pendant with E, after we had finished the rubber band bracelets, but of course we never got around to it.  So last night I attempted one.

Here is my first attempt.

I had followed written instructions on the net, and worked from the bottom up, but having made it I then found a U-tube video which started from top down (which is how I will tackle the next one).  However, there were a couple of good tips on the video, so I tweaked the "roots a little.  OK so it distorted the original nice round circle, but as the video said you can make them any shape -I am not worried, and definitely prefer the tweaked version.

tweaked pendant

a couple of birthday cards

This first card was for my granddaughter.  Created using the butterlfy garden kit, to reflect the elements in her door hanger and pencil holder that I made for her, with her name created using the digitangle kit as she had asked for Zentangle books and pens for her birthday

I used one of my large dies for the card shape and as I had a happy accident positioning it on the card, it created a couple of holes on the side - just right for ribbon!

This is the image I created for a pal's birthday card.  (Forgot to take a picture of the finished card - oops!)

The other side of the second door hanger

As mentioned in an earlier post, had a little problem originally on this side, so repainted it

Tangling

work in progress

I should have been ironing the other night, whilst watching tv, but felt in the mood for some zentangling instead.  (Much more relaxing !)

I got a free template for making felt flowers with one of my craft magazines, so decided to have a play with it for some tangling - so work in progress.   Just found some more templates in my stash whilst looking for something else - so think I may use those and "go with the flow"

continuing the theme ....

Following on from the pencil holder, I painted this door hanger for No. 2 granddaughter today.  I painted another scabious, and then added letters from The Works, which have little flowers embellishing them using my new foils.  The  centre of the flower is also foiled.

I wasn't sure what to put on the back, but as her wall art stickers has some butterflies on them, I used one of Sheena's butterfly stamps and sentiment.  Stamped in stazon, and the butterfly was painted with Luminarte H2Os.  She is a bit of a dreamer, so thought the sentiment was apt.

reverse side

I then did one for the youngest two (who share a bedroom at the moment) - using some freebie Lavinia stamps that came with a craft magazine (oh ok, I'll fess up -  I purchased the magazine so I could get the stamps !).  I originally stamped the fairy in acrylic paint mixed with gesso, using a brayer to apply the paint. However I wasn't really happy with the effect, so I stamped it again with stazon to create a shadow effect - love the way the wings are pink.   The letters were from The Works, painted with acrylic and gesso and then decorated with liquid pearls.

I did paint the reverse side, and painted some pretty paint fusioned daisies but putting the finishing touches to it I mucked it up - so I can't share that as I shall have to repaint it !

Thanks for popping by.

Sunshine ....

... and a chance to play in the Den.

revisiting paint fusion -  painted pebble

 I need to redo this pebble, don't like the composition of the roses - need to bring the bottom one forward.

Pencil Holder

My daughter in law has been painting one of my granddaughters bedrooms, and she got some gorgeous scabious and butterfly wall art stickers.  I had already got this little pencil holder lined up to paint for her - so thought I would attempt to paint a scabious freehand.  (fortunately I had the photo of the stickers and some
real flowers in the garden).  I wasn't sure whilst painting it whether I had got the effect right - so am pretty pleased with the result for a first attempt.  (Maybe - just maybe I can actually say that I can paint now!)

pencil holder - another view

Do you remember the faux leather altered art tin?  Well I have had another play with it  I added some strips of terracotta Cloud Clay around the edge and then marked it to look like rope and added gilding wax.  I also added some gilding wax to the Cloud Clay stamped medalliont I made, and attached it to the top.  (I have also now lined the inside of the box)

another view - you can see the gilding wax on the medallion on this. 

and finally - I had a little practice play with my gallery glass.  I want to use it on some of the Den windows, but thought I would practise on something simple to start with.  So here is an "art deco" styled vase (aka a coffee jar!).  I have decided that I need to treat myself to some larger bottle of glass paint, ad my coloured paints are only in little tubs and they are quite difficult to use to fill in the areas, whereas the bottles seem to be more free flowing and have a nice fine nozzle.  (just hoping IMindoors understands my need to spend more money!)

practice glass vase

More Cloud Clay

I had a short play in the Den again this afternoon, although it was a tad cold with a strong southerly breeze coming in the door, and little sunshine!

Having watched yesterday's Cloud Clay show, I thought I would do my version of the frog.  I love him.

Cloud Clay Frog

Another attempt at scary trees.

I then tried to make a sweetpea, but this attempt is not that good, as I had no tools or cutters in the Den, so it was made entirely with just my fingers and a paintbrush!  and then airbrushed with purple..  At least my husband recognised what it was supposed to be!

A sweetpea?

I then found the tin I altered the other week, and tried to decide which of the clay embellishments I made yesterday would look best on it:

Cloud Clay and Air Brushing

First Attempt

I have been watch Cassie Brown's demo's all week, and my lovely husband said would I like one - well I didn't need asking twice, have wanted one for 30 years!

It arrived this morning, and having been good and read the instructions, and watched the video, I sat and played this afternoon.  I started with the "play" above, trying out all the techniques demo'ed on the CD.

I then decided to try mixing some colours and paint a scene!  bit amateurish, but not bad for second attempt at airbrushing.

First attempt with colour

I then tried using a freebie cake stencil.

stencilled train

Also this week at last my Cloud Clay order was delivered.  (someting happened to the first order and it got lost in cyberspace).   So I had a play and then used the airbrush on the items.  The items on the right was created with terracotta coloured cloud clay and the one on the right with yellow cloud clay.  Really pleased with the way they turned out

Stamping into Cloud Clay, then airbrushing with  red, blue and green, and varnished

Next it was the turn of a rose I made.

Yellow Cloud Clay rose airbrushed with orange

Finally, my daughter and eldest granddaughter called in to play as they knew the airbrush had arrived.

I showed them what to do and these two are my daughter's first two attempts - sickeningly good! (either that or I am a good teacher!)

Daughter's first attempt

I may never speak to her again - lol!

Daughter's second attempt!

Jasper Necklace

I fell in love with these beads at Sandown, and have at last got around to making a necklace.  Stones are strung on silk cord and knotted.

Still got plenty of beads so probably a lariat necklace and a bracelet will be made