Thursday 30 August 2012

Creative Expressions DT Call

So everyone should know by now that Creative Expressions are looking for DT members for 2012/2013. If you didn't, but fancy the chance to get a free set of stamps every month to play with, check it out "here". But you will have to be quick!

The brief includes making a paper project with texture so I am sharing my textured piece here.

I rolled a piece of black fimo out and stamped my seahorse into it. I did cut one out in a rectangle shape but then decided I like the more natural shape best, I thought it looked a bit like a fossil in a rock.
I dusted the fimo with cosmic shimmer mica powders in blues, greens and golds before baking it in the oven for the allotted time.

Once cool I painted the seahorse with a little black acrylic paint and then rubbed it off so as to accentuate the texture a bit more.  Then I built up my card. I used broken china distress ink and the dotty stamp from the butterfly girl stamps that we had the month before last around the edge. The tag was made from the cardboard wrapper from some books ordered from Amazon and a strip of vellum.

Once the card was assembled I added stickles, glossy accents,gold accent beads and copper curls. The copper curls are supposed to be like seaweed. This stage took two days to dry properly, but I think it was worth it.

As well as entering for the CE DT,
I would like to enter this into the following challenges:
"Crafty Creations - a summer scene", hopefully the seaside theme comes under summery things....
"Simon Says Stamp and Show - Anything goes"
"City Crafter Challenge - Bake Sale", not quite cakes but I have baked my fimo?....does this count?
"Crafty sentiments - Lets sparkle"
"Everybody art challenge - anything goes"
"Card Mania - on the beach or in the sea"
"Crafty Card makers - Oh I do like to be beside the seaside"
"Make it Monday - Anything goes"
"Paperplay time - polkadots plus a sentiment"

Wednesday 22 August 2012

Going away pressie

Good news!!! Em sailed through her A's and has easily got her place at Falmouth University to study Graphic Design!  If only I could have my time again I would be going with her!!  So now it's a mad rush to get everything sorted for her to go away.....a couple of trips to Ikea have meant that we have most of the utensils she will need..still collecting though! 

Still trying to get the house sorted out...sewing machine went into the shop to get fixed yesterday...don't get it back for 3 weeks at the earliest and I need to get a blind made for the study before the 16th Sept....big family get together to send her off.  Also need to make the house Molly proof...another story! and just generally clear loads of rooms.

Anyway...Em's leaving..so "Mum can you make me a card for xyz...like by tomorrow?!" is going to be a bit difficult.   I thought that it might be a good idea to send her off with a few ready made cards....so this was my inspiration for a box of cards to take away.  I used the brilliant Gala Event stamps from "Creative Expressions" .  She loves them so that's good!

I decided to use up all of the scraps of dyed seam binding that were languishing in my ribbon draw...and as you might see if you have good eyesight...my sewing machine was dying!  Tension was all over the place!

Making 6 cards and a box in a short time was a prompt for following the CAS route.  Dresses are coloured using distress markers or cosmic shimmer water colours paints and then glossy accented.  I made the box to house them and used my favourite stamp from the set to decorate the box..  Having used ancient page ink to stamp the dresses, I outlined using a grey copic marker which drew some of the black ink out to give a dramatic base for the dresses and make them pop a bit more.

I would like to enter this into the following challenges:


"Top tip Tuesday - One Layer"
"Eurekastamps - Anything goes"
"Lexis creations - back to school or college" not toddler stuff but big girl stuff here!
"Make it Monday - anything goes"
"Simon says stamp and show - No rules!"
"The crazy challenge - anything goes"
"totallystampalicious - CAS"
"Craft your days away - anything goes"
"Hiding in my craft room - limited to 2 layers" kept it down to a minimum here.

Tuesday 14 August 2012

Gala Event

I'm back from our Olympic holiday! After two weeks away from crafting my fingers are seriously itching! So I have some catching up to do! This is my second card using the fabulous Gala Event stamps from "Creative Expressions"

I painted the background (white card) with cosmic shimmer water colour paint using a broad brush and then stamped the dress and sentiment with Ancient Page over the top of the paint.

I distressed the edges with dusty concord distress ink and stamped the dotty stamp from the butterfly girl stamp set in dusty concord around the edges.

I coated the dress in glossy accents and sprinkled fine glitter over the top to add a bit of glitz.  When this was dry I mounted the white card onto a 15 x 15 cm black card, and ran a line of faux stitching around the edge using a black fineliner.

If you fancy playing with a new set of stamps every month, Creative Expressions are looking for people to join their Design Team.  You can find details "here"
I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:

Thursday 9 August 2012

Keeping it Clean and Simple

Hi there, sorry I haven't been around much in the last couple of weeks....but all should become clear over the next few weeks. There's been quite a lot of upheaval in the Law household, but there is a happy ending on the horizon! Anyway I'm just grabbing a few mins before cooking dinner to share my latest card for the "Tanda Teaser"
For my card I used my faux ribbon technique and filled the bottom of my card with grass using distress inks. The football was stamped in ancient page jet black and coated with glossy accents. The ball's flight was doodled using black fine liners.

I would like to enter this into the following challenges:-

"Alphabet Challenge - Men only"
"CAS-ual Fridays - things you would see in the sky...hopefully footballs count!"
"Inspire me Fridays - Anything goes"
"Catch the bug - Anything goes"
"Craft your days away - Olympic Dreams"
"Creative Inspirations - Inspired by CAS"
"The Squirrel and the fox - make it sporty"
"Crazy Challenge - Black white and one other"
"MIM - anything goes"