A different take on a wedding card

Spring Equinox  tomorrow and snow forecast!!

Looking back over my blog posts I noticed I haven't posted the card I made for my brother's wedding.  He and Zoe were married in Ecuador a few weeks ago (where they live).

I used some TH papers and made a patchwork out of them, toning them down with a wash of gesso.  I then added an ATC I made (with the TH die I won when I was lucky enough to go to the TH paperarsty event a couple of years ago) and added a moth paperartsy die and stamp, some torn corrugated cardboard and a pen nib for the moths body

I added the word 'journey' to represent the journey they are starting with their new life.

I wish them every happiness in their new life together

Happy crafting

Kyla

 

 

Rusting, Resin and friendly plastic...how much CAN I fit on a card!

Hello peeps, how are you keeping?  After over 4 weeks I am finally starting to feel better!  This winters bugs are nasty and so many people have or are suffering.  If you are, I hope you are on the mend.

Have you been watching all the fun of the CHA unfold on the blogs?  I must admit, I have loved every sneak peak and behind the scenes that are being posted (especially Dyan's, Hels and of course the Duke of Distress') and more than once I have almost pressed the "buy now" button on the 24/7 craft shop that is the internet!!  But I am so proud as I didn't (though, not sure how long my restraint will last!).

So, back to crafts....this is the card I made for my Mum's birthday (which was last week so its safe to post it on here now!).

The tag is cut out of patterened paper and put through a script embossing folder and the edges touched with some DI.  I added the picture of the sailboat (its actually a price tag off clothes that my dad saves me 'cos he knows "I like bits and bobs that can be reused!!!")  and added the word "Journey" (as its very pertinent for my mum).  I die cut a bird (also from an upcycled clothes tag) and stamped it with the script outline (from paperartsy).....ooh, it almost looks like I have a plan using 2 lots of script to bring it all together (must admit, more of a happy accident at this stage!).  I added some flower ribbon, a flower and some beads on a wire.

At the top of the card I added a buddha that I made from a mould and some friendly plastic, as my mum is interested in buddhism, some TH film strip (as she is always taking photos) and attached it with my tiny attacher (I am still loving this tool).

In the middle of the flower I added a pink heart that I made from resin and some bells that I rusted.

I stamped a card base with my TH script (ooh..this is really looking like a plan!) to bring it all together and added some buttons and a bit of fern to balance the card.

Right, I am off to scan the virtual world for more CHA fun!!

Happy crafting
Kyla


 

Vellum tag

Now, this isn't my usual style, but in an effort to continue using up (UIU) products I have and reduce those that I buy (and boy do I have a LOT of stash!!) I have decided to use my vellum and angelina fibres.

 This tag is made by colouring with distress inks, adding a paperartsy stamp and some vellum punched foliage behind the flower.  The bee is die cut from vellum also and coloured using markers.  The wings are made from ironing some fibres to make a sheet then die cutting these also.


To finish I splatted some butterscotch dye across the tag and distressed the edges to add depth.


I would like to enter this into the Stamp Man Vellum challenge which can be found  here

Happy crafting

Li'l Pidge
 

Busy weekend

So, busy weekend down at the nest...in a vain attempt to reduce the amount of fabric stash I have (no matter how I try to hide it, my OH still manages to find it!!) I thought I'd better make something (especially since I have the NEC stitch show coming up!).

So I thought I'd make some stitched cupcake cards...

Aren't they sweet?

In a vain attempt to use up stuff (my scrap box on my desk is becoming unmanageable and looks like it may be sprouting off spring!!) I decided to use my new paperartsy stamps and dies (thanks Becks for letting me use your cutting machine) and some of the scraps...


I was surprised how easy they were to make, some distress ink, a nice flower and a Martha Stewart punch to add a bit of 'zing' to the scrap box and voila!

Happy days as my mojo is back...talking of which I need to pull my finger out and make some Mothering Sunday cards (for those in the UK, for my nan in New Zealand thankfully its later in the year).

Happy crafting

Li'l pidge x

Back, happy but knackered!

I cannot believe it's over! After all these months of waiting I am back from my first PaperArtsy session with Tim Holtz! Boy, it went fast...it was like speed crafting!

Tim was gracious as we all queued to have our photo taken with him!

I met some lovely ladies (hello!), went for a Chinese (£4 for a boiled rice!! became my mantra!) and got very inky and had an absolute blast.

Lin and Leandra's class was such fun, playing with metal, paint, inks and sprays (boy did it go everywhere!) and this is what I made:


I love the Ten Second Studio metal working tools as they are so easy and natural to use and the grunge paper hinges were so easy to colour with bronze goop (is that the technical term!?!)

A quick break (and maybe just a little shopping in the on site craft shop) then it was on to the Tim Holtz class. After such a great morning there was much anticipation.

When we took our seats...look what greeted us!

A configuration box, papers, feet and a zipper bag filled to the brim with goodies!

Tim showed us the configuration box he made, so we had plenty of inspiration

When we went to tea break (one of the ladies had her leap year birthday celebrations at the event and brought homemade cupcakes for the entire group, how lovely was that) we returned to find a fabric sack on each of our places, filled with bits and bobs, some vintage, some Tim's products (and I added a few of mine I brought from home)

I have nowhere near finished it yet, I included a 40 from grunge painted black (to celebrate my birthday (again!) in the middle is one of my MOO cards I got Tim to sign then placed it inside one of the glass bottles....I just need to finish it now.

The next morning, instead of heading back on the train, I met a fellow crafter (hello Edwina) who came from Barry and gave me a lift home (how nice is that), even nicer, it was via LB Crafts in Olney (can you overdose on craft?)

So now it looks like a bombs hit the house as all my goodies are all over the place...I'll take a photo to share all my goodies.

If you ever get the chance to go to a PaperArtsy event, I recommend it, its fast (NO chance to get bored), you learn new techniques and get to meet some great new people.

And a big hello and welcome to my new follower, Kaz, who I met at the event, HELLO (grin)

Happy Crafting

Li'l Pidge x

Playing with fibres

Well, after having bought 5 different packs of Angelina Fibres at the Exeter Craft show and some new stamps, I thought I should justify buying them (well, apart from they were sooo pretty, and called to me...so I really needed to buy them!)-so decided to try something new.

I stamped the bird, sentiment and dill weed from my new Paper Artsy stamp set and layered over some pale angelina fibres to make the background, I then free machine embroidered over the words, filling them all in, outlining some of the seed heads and then switched to an invisible thread to stitch down the angelina fibres.

I then stitched around the edges to include it as a page in the sample book I am making.

Then I went a bit colour crazy and covered 2 pages made from black felt with bondaweb and used random pieces of foil I also bought at the show, adding lots of fibres. I free machine embroidered all over to attach the pieces, adding the wording.

I edged the pages the same as before and added these to my sample book also.

Machine embroidery is new to me, but I think it will be a great outlet to add to my altered art...and I am having so much fun experimenting.

So, go on....have ago, I thoroughly recommend it.

Happy Crafting

Li'l Pidge x

As promised, these are a couple of pictures of my new craft haul from the Exeter show yesterday.

I couldnt resist-2 Martha Stewart punches, the vine and bird corner-I love using my other punch, they are so beautifully made that I couldn't stop myself!

I bought 2 great new sets of PaperArtsy stamps (lovely distressed stamps) a great sheet of phrases and some amazing bird and plant stamps. Now I need to spend an evening mounting and cutting them out.....what to cut them out with?

Ah, now I could cut them out with my new Tim Holtz non stick scissors!! I also bought some bobbins and foil to try out on some stitched fabric altering I am planning, some great brads that are black ants! Yes, ants! As well as lots of angelina fibres, tape, chip board shapes, wooden buttons and a new craft mat that I will TRY not to get glue over this time (place your bets as to how long it takes me to wreck this one!!).

So as you can see, a great day out. Now I need to find a home for it all....

Happy crafting (and tidying!!)

Li'l pidge x

The M5, more cash than I should and some cake

So, what do you reckon I have been up to this weekend? I have just arrived back home from our crafting coven outing.

We piled into one car and headed off down the M5 to the Exeter craft fair-purses heavy, with long shopping lists and empty bags (or a trolly in my case!!)-boy did we spend.

I watched some great demo's, and a brilliant talk by textile artist Isobel Hall (what that lady can do with homemade fabric and crackle paint is brilliant) and bought some amazing products.

I'll take a photo tomorrow, but I managed to get a couple of great Martha Stewart border punches, Tim Holtz scissors (which I need for the workshop with him next year) and some great Paper Artsy stamps-I'm going to enjoy testing the new products....

Anyway, a glass of red and a curl up on the sofa is well and truely earned (and looking through my hubbies photos from Saturdays Killing Joke gig) so, until later....

Happy crafting

li'l pidge x

A cruddy time...

Boo-having a bit of a cruddy time at work, but hey, I still have a job when loads of people don't. The bigger cruddy news is on the health front, not life threatening, but I am on lots of tablets (so not liking the steroids, don't feel like I can fly much at the moment) and in pain and not sleeping-thank god for crafting!

And when I hit a crafting block, a quick scout around the web for some inspiration is always great (and clearing through my old magazine and creating an inspirations book with ideas and techniques-though I do wonder how I can spend quite as much on magazine!! Think of all the crafting stash I could buy!).

So, whilst clearing out my bits and pieces I came across a Fentimans beer mat that I have been keeping-classic!

I haven't taken a photo with my finger curled round (see the furtling picture) but you can guess what it looks like!! and Fentimens make the best ginger beer around-totally natural and very strong.

I have been trying to use up some of my stash as I am going to a craft show soon (need to make some space for more stash!!) so I made a coaster for my desk at work, from an MDF blank coaster, which I applied a layer of gesso, I stamped some of the ornate ironwork stamps from PaperArtsy around the edges, over stamping at the corners with a floral flourish, adding a touch of stickles glitter for a subtle bit of office bling I then edged the coaster with a variety of distressed inks, adding a vintage page and a bee stamp. I then gave it 2 coats of yatch varnish
to protect it from the hot mugs.

Now I have a lovely coaster at work to remind me of the creative of my life (I just hope the smell of yatch varnish disappears soon!!!)

Li'l Pidge x