A fabulous Day Out

Something a bit different from me today.  On my bucket list was a trip to the Harry Potter Experience.  My daughter took me last Thursday, along with my eldest granddaughter and her friend.

Well what can I say - it was fabulous.  I think as a crafter, I appreciated all the work that goes into making all the realistic props.  I always thought a lot of it was just painted backgrounds etc.  but how wrong can one be.   The attention to detail was fantastic.  You also got to see how certain things were done with remote controls etc - fascinating!   I took about 280 photos and my daughter took even more!

A dining table with realistic looking food

just a small selection of props

Before they make the stage sets, plans are drawn out, and then made up in cardboard to scale; not only helping the set builders but also they can work out camera angles.

Cardboard model

The beautiful Hogwarts Castle

When you are first introduced to the "exhibition" they do say as you walk around ask questions.  I wished I had asked more questions.  However, on a couple of occasions I did, and I got shown a close up of resin goblins hands, and the face mask that Pam Ferris wore for her costume, which were not out on display ........  But, the highlight was being shown Tom Riddles book  (one of many made in case of retakes, but only one remains).  I was shown the workings, and had my photo taken with it !!!!!!   (As I make faux leather you can imagine that this book really interested me).

the highlight of my day!

So I will just say if you get the opportunity to go, do so.  Yes, it is not a cheap day out, but worth every penny.  They say to allow 3 hours for your trip around the studios - well we were there for over 5 hours, and intend to go back again,  as I am sure there were bits we missed.   

If you go - don't forget to ask questions - you never know what extra things you might learn!

Anniversary Card

Where has the week gone, not only have I not had a chance to blog, I haven't had a chance to do much crafting either.   The weather has been too awful to get up in the Den.  The week seems to have been taken up with appointments.  I did however manage a day out with my duaghter, eldest granddaughter and her best friend to visit the Harry Potter Experience on Thursday.  All I can say is WOW!  If you get a chance do go, even if you aren't an HP fan, it is fascinating.  (I will try and blog a bit about our trip tomorrow.)

Anyway back to today's offering:

I made this card for my son and daughter-in-laws Anniversary.  Using CAP as always and one of my new kits.

La Fleur Box

A little "fusioning" from the Den tonight.   It was lovely there today in the sunshine.  The paint was drying as soon as it was applied.   It took longer to remove the latch and hinges and put them back on than it did to paint the box!

This is a little box from The Works, painted with black gesso and the Blue/Black Pebeo DYNA iridescent paint.

I lightly stamped the outline in light grey paint, and then applied the relevant colours.  This is the first time I have used this stamp.  It seemed a bit daunting at first, but with the practise sheet to hand, it was quite simple.  (Stamp is La Fleur from Sheena Douglass's paint fusion range).

another view

I could not capture the colour of the background, which in real life is a lot darker.  As I took the photo outside I think it was picking up that beautiful blue sky we had today.

Zellie - the Zentangled Elephant

Well here she is in all her glory - finished at last.  I decided to paint her headdress and "saddle" rahter than fusion them.

and a few more views:

18th Card

A happier post today - one for my great nephew's 18th next week.

A Very Difficult Card ...

.. for me to make.

On Monday, I learned of the sudden death in her sleep of a daughter of long standing friends.  I was in shock as I was only joking on FB with her last week.  Her parents must be distraught, this is the third child they have lost at a young age (a daughter suddenly, and a son in an unexplained car crash).

It has taken me until now to be able to make a card.   She will be a great loss, she was a lovely person, a young care worker and a Scout Leader.  There was always a smile on her face and her laughter was infectious.  If I saw her up at the local shop, I always got a big hug from her.

A little Fusion

Had a little play in the Den yesterday - the slate plaquss and the tag were too small for the fusion stamps - so plucked up courage and went free-hand!   Quite brave I think as I was using the Pebeo Gloss Deco paints!

HOME letters - the other side

As HOME is reversible I have painted the other side of the letters in a slightly different colourway.  It is quite amazing using much the same colours how different you can make it look.  I used more ceramic paint on this side.

First side - for reference

Paint Fusion - Miniature Chest of Drawers

My new Sheena Douglass Paint Fusion stamps and the new Pebeo paints arrived yesterday, and I managed to get to play today.  I had already painted this little box of drawers whilst waiting for them to arrive.  (Box of drawers was from The Works)

I am a little out of practise using the round brush, so it is not as good as I would have liked, but not bad for a first try. (Onwards and upwards as they say)

More progress with the Elephant

Slowly, slowly, catchee monkey - or in this case tangle elephant.

My biggest decision next is whether to tangle his saddle and headdress or to paint it.  Alternatively  tangle them and then colour the tangles.  Decisions, decisions!

Tangled Elephant - W.I.P.

Work in progress

gessoed

a herd of painted elephants (1 for me, 2 for granddaughter)

HOME Again

I managed to get some more HOME letters from The Works (for info £1 a packet), and my daughter requested a set in her favourite colour - blue.

These are work in progress at the moment as I have only painted the top side.   I am hoping to eventually do a more silver and blue on the other side

The MDF letters were first painted with black gesso.  When dry the side you can see had Black Pebeo Ceramic paint applied and whilst it was still wet I applied in the following order the Pebeo products, using a kebab stick:

Turquoise Fantasy Moon

Onyz Fantasy Prisme

Eggshell White Fantasy Prisme

Turquoise Vitrail

Eggshell White Fantasy Priseme (again)

When it this side is dry, I will paint the other side of the letters in a different colour (the advantage of the word HOME is it is reversible).  I will then paint the rest of edges of the letters with black ceramic paint.

I have another four sets of letters to paint for Christmas presents - I think knowing my friends and rellies - this particular colourway (or variations on it) are going to be most popular.

Quite pleased with how they turned out as you never quite know how the paints are going to react together - my granddaughter who was painting with me in the Den yesterday, was fascinated by the way they paints reacted considering they were only dropped on from a kebab stick!

Owl Heart

I spent the afternoon in my Den with my eldest grandaughter today.  Her mum is "owl mad", and her favourite colour is turquoise, so I made this little plaque for her.

Both parts had black gesso applied, and the heart then had black Pebeo acrylic applied, and the edge painted with silver leaf paint.

The Owl had some texture applied by sponging on Pebeo modelling paste.  Then it was painted with iridescent DYNA blue/green acrylic and highlighted with silver and gold DYNA, and the branch painted with bronze DYNA.

It was then glued to the heart, carefully lining up the hole in the heart with the hole on the owl  (a kebab stick came in very handy).  Finally a coat of spray and shine was applied.

.... and best of all - my daughter loved it!

Birthday card

Another card using CAP2 - Mainly went with a ready made layout and added a few bits and bobs

How Romantic!

My great niece got engaged over the weekend, and I have made this card for her and her fiancé.

I gather it was quite a romantic proposal.  They are currently on holiday and on Saturday evening they went out for a beach side meal and a walk along the sand, when suddenly they came across loads of candles spelling out "Marry Me" and she turned round to see George on one knee!  Needless to say she said "Yes".

I couldn't resist using these two little mice - albeit he is not down on one knee!  Hope they like it!

the proposal !

Three Quick Little Card Toppers

My granddaughters were off on 

holiday and I made these little 

toppers for some cards with some

spending money in.

Mad with my new sugar buttons cd, and then transferred to CAP for the wording.

21st Card for a Boy

Made this topper for my step-grandson who is very much into bowling.

Oops - I forgot

I suddenly realised on Sunday that I had forgotten my brother-in-law's birthday.   Fortunately he is on FB so I was able to post this on his wall.  (That will teach me to look at the next month on the calendar before actually turning it over on the first of the month!

I used the Sugar Buttons cd for the Giraffe and the oops, and then took that into CAP and did the rest of the "card"

Silver Wedding Card

Made this topper for my niece's Silver Wedding Anniversary today.  

I mounted it on silver grey pearlescent card.

Gosh where have the years gone - I remember the day so clearly it was a really hot day, and remember the look on her face when she got to the reception and her pony was waiting for her, complete with rosettes in her wedding colours  In the evening we danced on the lawns of the reception venuel, as it was too hot to dance indoors!

Owl & Heart and Owlerflies/Owlieflies!

Blue, purple and pink

It started some months ago - my son's daughter's were raiding my stash in the Den, and discovered the owl in my stash.  Needless to say they all wanted the Owl!  I only had one cut out owl, but I offered them some other owls, and the second eldest decided that she wanted her owl on a butterfly background - and decided to call it an Owlerfly!  I eventually managed to get some more of the owls, but needless to say they then didn't want them!  So eldest granddaughter having had first "bagsy" on the owl and heart originally got to keep her choice.   The second eldest stuck with her larger owl, and the three-year old also decided she wanted the plain owl and butterfly as well!

However, I was given instructions as to the colours they wanted!

Purple and pink (the original Owlerfly!

Youngest's Owlerfly - Blue and Pink

Everything had white Gesso applied to them.  The Owls then had some Pebeo Texture paste added to them, and then sponged and textured with one of my rubber modelling tools to give the effect of wings and some markings on the front.  

They were then painted with the requested colours, using a mixture of metallic acrylics and Pebeo iridescent paints,  The cut-out Owl also had a pink- red vitrail mixed with lightening medium and and a lilac fantasy paint for its breast. When dry I applied some Pebeo gilding wax - gold for the cut-out Owl and Silver for the other two.  Liquid gold leaf was applied to the insides of the eyes of the two Owlerflies. 

I then sponged the butterflies and heart with various metallic and iridescent paints to compliment the owls in the colours the girls chose.

I am nor sure whether the girls want these to hang by ribbon etc in their room, or whether they would like them mounted on a canvas to create a piece of artwork for the walls of their bedrooms.

This is what they look mounted on a canvas:

Hope you like the Owlerflies/Owlieflies (chose your own version of the name)  as designed by a six-year old  Thanks for popping by.