anther sneaky peak - work in progress

This is the flap of a little portable "notepad" that has pockets for pens/paints and paper, and a clip for the paper should one be out and about and want to do some drawing etc.

(That does sound a pretty vague description, but hopefully more will be revealed as I progress with the project.)

Having applied black gesso to the "notepad" I decided I wanted to try out some freebie stamps that came with a magazine - so decided to go down the white an black themed route.   I stamped with Nuvo clear and then applied Cosmic Shimmer White detail embossing powder.    I also added a few squiggles and words with a Versamark pen.   I felt it needed a littl extra colour to define some of the images, so I used some glitter Posca pens and coloured in a few bits

More sneaky peaks

Gosh is it a week since I did any crafting?  Where does the time go.  In my defence, as I am not allowed to dig the garden at the mo, I have made a start on the spring cleaning, with the view that once that is over and done with I can have some "me crafting" time.   The last couple of weeks have also involved various appointments, dentist, hospital etc.   I have now had my post op check up on my eyes and today had an opticians appointment .... unfortunately it will be another two weeks before I get my new specs, as they need special coatings!  hey ho.

Anyway yesterday as it was nice I did manage to gesso the typewriter, so the next stage is done, and I was able to put it out in the sun to dry.  (I also managed to give the lawns their first haircut this year - that doesn't count as no gardening does it?).

I also manged to start another couple of projects - more of those tomorrow.   In the meantime you will find me up the ladder washing walls and ceilings! .... though I play hooky tomorrow if it is still as warm as today and sit up in the Den painting!

Blue Green Birthday card

I used one of Joanna's paint pouring pads again for this and cut the square frame from it using a Clarity picot edge square die..  I also cut the feather from a piece of the same card.

The central die was from my stash, and I confess I don't know the make, and this was cut out using a drk blue pearlised card, as was the Happy birthday, which was a Clarity die..  I highlighted the centre of the flowers on the die with Nuvo drops.

Sympathy Card

A sympathy card today for a friend.   I used the lily stencil from Clarity Stamp, and used a sheet of Joanna Sheen's paint pouring pad behind it.  I cut the thinking of you from a darker section of the pad, and then stamped the leaves on the corners using a Julie Hickey stamp.

I love the paint pouring technique, and the pads Joanna has printed from her paint pouts are lovely, and a lot quicker and less messy than making your own.   (Although I may well try and scan/photograph any I do later this year when I get back up in my Den where I can do really messy stuff! )

Unicorn Plaque

Babysitting for me again today with poorly 9 year old off school ..... So Nanny's stash was raided!

The Hearty Soft clay came out again with a Katy Sue Unicorn mould.  I also found my plunge letter cutter, and the plunge flower and leaf cutters for her.

She cut out the letters and made the unicorn and whilst the unicorn was drying off slightly we worked out how the letters would fit .... (not in a straight line - so she compromised with offset letters).  The letters were stuck on and they and the background were coated coated with red Amsterdam acrylic paint.   Whilst that was drying she set too to paint the unicorn with Luscious powder - absolutely perfect for unicorns, particularly with some unicorn sparkles added to the "face".  Some Nuvo drops were added to the centre of the flowers.

Whilst waiting for paint to dry she made some flowers and leaves, and then dusted them with cake decorating petal dusts, deciding paint would be too "heavy" for them.

She was then able to stick rub some silver Pebeo gilding wax over the letters and run a black Posca pen around the outside as she wanted them to stand out.  (She beat me to it with this suggestion - getting the hang of this arty lark - lol!).  She then stuck the flowers and unicorn on, and added a few random drops of  Flitter Glue and some silver metal flakes.

When she was finished I sprayed the whole thing with Spray and Shine, which really brought out the red of the background.  I also added some ribbon for her.   (I love the way that she had a flower left over and stuck it on the ribbon.)

another view taken inside

We could't decide how to take a photograph - so we took one outside, and then one inside.

She was really pleased with her effort, and got the message with colouring that less is more, and you can add colour more easily than taking it away.  I think this is one of the best pieces she has produced.  (one on one obviously pays off).   She did make me smile though - she said "I can't believe that a few hours ago this was just a plain piece of brown MDF"!   (RESULT ! - we'll make a craft ot her yet!)

I had my youngest granddaughter (6) to stay overnight the other day, and having seen my new moulds she wanted to play!

She wanted to make a fairy door (and wanted it to be partially open so she could put notes behind the door (no pressure then!).     This was all her own work (with a little help from me in cutting the shape of the door).   Using Hearty Soft Air dry clay, she put bark effect on the circular mdf plaque and painted it with various shades of brown and cream acrylics, and I taught her how to dry brush. She then painted the door which was created using the dragons skin mould, using Amethyst Starlight paint and dry brushed with gold - she got the hang of dry brushing very quickly.  She then made some hinges from another Katy Sue mould and created a door knob - these had Pebeo gilding wax applied, and she soon learned the technique of applying the wax with her ring finger.

We couldn't find my Katy Sue moulds for the leaves, so we found some cutters for to create the rose and ivy leaves, which she dusted with cake decorating dusts.

Finally she discovered y stash of feathers and created a flower with them and a piece of clay, painting the centre yellow and adding a crystal gem to the middle as well a adding a gem to the door for a "peep hole".

We had a little trouble adding string to the plaque, so we compromised and she chose some matching embroidery thread for the hanger.

I know I am biased, but I think this was excellent.    She was thrilled with it, and she is certainly a quick learner and a promising little crafter - she knows what she wants and as an "artistic eye".

Dragon's Eye

I had to play with the new Katy Sue Fantasy design moulds.    I just love the dragon's eye, dragon's skin and claw moulds.   I also used the belt and buckle moulds, and elements from the hinges mould.

I used an MDF cheese board blank for the background, which I painted with black gesso and then my favourite Pebeo Blue/black paint.  All the elements were created using Hearty Air Dry clay.

The dragon's skin, eye and claws were painted with Starlight paints.  The belt and buckle elements were painted with Amsterdam and Pebeo acrylics and then a touch of Pebeo gilding wax was applied.   The little screw heads were painted with gold Starlight paints and then gilding wax applied.

The leaves were painted with a mixture of Amsterdam, Pebeo and Starlight paints and then a few bits of IndigoBlu copper kettle mega flakes adhered to them and a smidgen of gilding wax again.

Finally a strip of card was stamped with the word Imagination and a touch of gilding wax applied around the edge, and gilding wax applied to the edge of the board, and the whole thing sprayed with Spray and Shine to seal it.

Another storage unit

Another of the shelf/storage trays today.   I covered this one with tissue applied with heavy duty gel. I then painted it with gesso mixed with a pink IndigoBlu paint.  I then dry brushed IndigoBlu Fuchsia overt the inside whole thing,  as well as some crimson starlight paint over the outside.

I stamped various sentiments over the box in black Nuvo Ink.  The top edge was painted with the Fuchsia too.  Finally a little Starlight pearl was added with a finger to create some lighter areas around the outside.

Teneriffe Lace

Well I was taking things easy last week I decided to try some Teneriffe Lace.   Erm ....  not brilliant and this was my second attempt.

A case of don't give up the day job!   It was quite relaxing, but I think I need a little more practise.  The idea was to get the granddaughters interested in doing it, but I thought I had better give it a go first.

It's quite difficult to get the tension right, and rally it needs stiffening before you take it off the loom - that might have made a difference,   I also want to try and get some thicker crochet cotton, as I think I would get a better result with that - as the cotton that comes with the kit is very fine.

However, I am happy to share my failures as well as my successes  - lol!   Hopefully in the not too distant future I will have a success to share!

MDF Box/Shelves

I haven't felt like crafting for a while I seemed to have lost my mojo since I had my eye op - no reason as I can see so much better, but I was supposed to take it easy and not do anything strenuous for at least four weeks - so no gardening etc so I seem to have gone into hibernation mode.for the past week and a half.  However I did apply this paper to this little box the other day, and yesterday I actually felt like doing something to it.

This little box could be stood on its end to make shelves, but I wanted it as a container.

Now pink is not a colour I craft with often, albeit I have a lot of pink in my house!  However, this was the first piece of paper in my stash of freebie papers that I cam across and decided to use that.  As you can see I "grunged it up a bit with inks - mainly Nuvo for the distressing and some gesso mixed with IndigoBlu Luscious powders (particularly for the inside) and then a bit applied at the end on the sides.  I also used a black Nuvo ink pad for the stamping, which was mainly done with IndigoBlu "stitched" stamps, but I also used some Imagination Crafts stencils too.

The flowers were coloured with Ecoline brush pens, and a some of the words enhanced with the same as well as the edge of the box

Here are some more views, and a close up of the inside, which was also stamped with more of the IndigoBlu stitched stamps.  I also created a "wood panel" effect using an old membership card and grey Nuvo ink which I then blended out with water.

Finally I have a little tray to keep some of the bottles on my desk tidy!

Watch this space for other versions of the trays as the kit contained two large trays and two small ones