Shabby Chic House.... and winding down for Christmas

This little house of goodies was made with the Simon says Stamp and Show Challenge in mind, where the theme is "Projects with depth".
I used some leftover configurations boxes and put a roof on top using foamboard. The insides are cut from card and inked with distress inks, then stamped with background stamps. Some tissue tape around the edges to make it neat and you have a shell of a house to fill with goodies.
I used all sorts of things, little miniature bottles with real (evaporated) alcohol inside, game pieces, ideaology, springs, tape measure, an old earring etc etc.

This will be the last larger projects I'm showing on my blog for the year as I'm winding down for Christmas. I have a busy 2 weeks ahead with work, as I only get 2 days off over Christmas and have people over to cook for I have an awful lot of cooking, baking, planning, shopping to do. So I will concentrate on that and wind down my blog until the new year. I will be back with the odd card or post though I'm sure.

Some last minute Christmas cards.....

Just a couple more Christmas cards to share, I had already finished my card making for the season but a friend asked for a card for her boyfriend so I made these two.

I am entering the top one into the Happy Daze Challenge and the bottom one into The Artistic Stamper Challenge.

Tim's 12 tags of Christmas - another one.....

I have been seriously lacking inspiration to do anything yesterday. Imagine a whole day off in a room of stamps and no inspiration to create anything. Well, I thought I may as well make another Tim tag and see if it inspires me and I did end up making a few more Christmas cards and that so I guess it worked.
I don't actually have the holly die for this tag but instead I used 2 cut offs off the tree die as branches and one of the leaves from the tattered leaves die. It did the trick.

I am entering this into the Artistic Stamper Challenge - Christmas as well as the Pan Pastel Challenge - Tags.

Tim's 12 tags of Christmas inspired Christmas card

If you have been following Tim's tags you will know how fab they all are in their own unique way, and so many fun techniques to learn along the way.
There was one tag in particular that caught my eye and I thought it would make a great christmas card so I ordered in the supplies cause I didn't have the reflections stamps or the die but I see it as an investment. So once they arrived I got started. I made a bunch of these cards, the alcohol ink on acetate combined with the reflections stamps is genius. I think the tag/card design can be adapted for so many occassions as the acetate back makes the main feature you could just change the colours and theme. I now also want the other set of reflections stamps. Hope santa might get them for me.

I will of course add this to the endless list of inspiring creations on Tim's blog, it's great what everyone has created inspired by the tags. So many different ideas. Just WOW.
I am entering this into the Happy Daze Challenge where the theme is Christmas. Same theme over at The Artistic Stamper and their monthly challenge.

What's the point - Mixed Media Canvas using Tattered Angels

This canvas was created a few weeks back when I was playing with my spray inks and I set myself the challenge to only use spray inks to create this. It's difficult layering spray inks when they are water soluble cause anything you spray on top will just "melt" the layer underneath but you can still create nice effects with stencils and by lightly varnishing one layer then spraying over the top.
I also used some Tattered Angels Glimmer Glaze for the splatters, gives a nice shiny splatters effect, I'm not sure what else to use the stuff for to be honest. It's just one of those products I haven't found great use for yet.

Hello - Page 3 of my Board Book Journal

Here is another page from my board book journal. I did say I wanted to try and do one a week but I kinda did 2 in 2 week and none since cause I've been away on my days off and not had any time to craft. Shocking! Will have to catch up on Tim's 12 tags, my christmas cards and the journal on my next day off. Lots to do.
And lots of christmas shopping and wrapping to do and organizing........ not enough time in the day!

Dream Notebook - Tattered Angels

I have recently been playing with my glimmer mists a lot more and this gorgeous clear embossed strong and sturdy card is just perfect for some misting. It comes in all sorts of amazing embossed patterns, I used this one to create a notebook cover and back, simply wrapped around some chipboard.

Here is a detailed view of the Tattered Angels ornate embossed frame with a book page back and the word DREAM stamped inside it.

Stampotique Designers Challenge - Non traditional Christmas Cards

A non-traditional Christmas card is the theme at Stampotique. No red or green allowed. Well, there is definitely no red or green in my card and I think Uncle Buck is as non-traditional as you can get. Doesn't he look handsome with his crown?

I'm not sure who I will be sending this card to, maybe someone who isn't too keen on Christmas, hehe.






Now as for this card it started off as a card to enter into the challenge but it turned out too red, even though I used my orange distress inks and for the writing I used stamps other than Stampotique, one of the challenge requirements. But nevertheless I absolutely adore this card, I just love the little goblin stamp, probably my best purchase this year. And I just wanted to share the card so there you go.

Another year, another 12 tags of Christmas....

It's that time of year again where everyone in the crafting world creates their own little interpretations of Tim's 12 Tags of Christmas. I like the fact that we can now link them all on Tim's page and you can see everyone else's tags. So many different ones, amazing!!! Unfortunately I won't be able to make every one due to a lack of time. I have even given up my forthcoming monday (day off = craft day) as I'm visiting a friend. But I'll try to make some tags in my spare moments before and after work.
So here is today's tag, love the canvas reindeer, fab idea!

I am entering this into The Artistic Stamper Challenge where the theme is Christmas.
And also The Happy Daze Challenge - Christmas gifts, cards and tags.

Alter it monthly - December Theme - CELESTIAL

So this is it, the last ever Alter it Monthly challenge. It's very sad to see the blog go, I used to enjoy taking part in the challenges myself until I then became a DT member to create monthly inspiration for all our readers. This month the theme is CELESTIAL.

I remembered these German paper stars we used to make when I was little. You start with 4 strips of paper and then it's a bit like origami, just fold til it looks like a star. It was fun getting back into it, so I made these 3 which are all made from 1cm wide strips, just in case you wanna have a go yourself (google FROEBELSTERN or GERMAN PAPER STAR). I dipped them in wax and decorated the frame with wax and stamped images too. The writing at the top is made from wire. It kinda just happened, I was sitting at the dining table with some wire and was wondering f I'd be able to "write" a word from wire. I asked my housemate to read it when it was done and it did pass the reading test. Phew.

Here is a closeup of the little bottles, one is filled with sand the other with glitter. In their own right they are both stardust. In fact I think everything is made from stardust.

Handmade wrapping paper

In one of my recent posts (Christmas tags) I was talking about how I'm wrapping and tagging all my Christmas pressies this year and I mentioned some wrapping paper I made. Well here it finally is, wrapped around a present for my mum. All I did was to print photos of my mum in 2 different sizes, cut them leaving a white edge around some of them so when it comes to sewing them they overlap slightly. And then I've jut sewn them with 3 different coloured threads. Sew them together randomly until you have a piece large enough to wrap your present. Takes a bit of time but it's very easy and looks pretty I think.

Here is a detailed view of the paper ribbons I used, I added a heart for some interest and that's it really.

Life's balance - Page 2 of my Board Book Journal

I'm a bit of a scaredy cat when it comes to journaling in a book. I much prefer being able to start again if I dont like something, but that's a bit tricky in a book. Nevertheless I like a challenge. When I created this page I made a cock up, some paint bits I really did not like, but I simply covered it with a iof card, which I think rescued it and I'm happy with the page. Well, as happy as can be. I think journaling is more about the journey than the result. I like to use quotes that I have come across and would like to keep a note of so what better way to put them in a journal. A nice way of keeping thoughts and quotes in one place I think.

Craft Stamper Christmas Card Inspiration featuring Stampotique

Do you read any craft magazines? Do you keep them or maybe pass them on or throw them out after a while? Well I loooove my magazines and they are taking up a fair bit of space but every so often I find myself going through them again and again. And everytime I find new inspiration. Whether it's a project using stamps that I didn't have before but own now or maybe it's just something that didn't interest me before but suddenly it does. So I found myself looking through a Craft Stamper issue from a year ago and found a christmas hanging Kate Crane made using Stampotique and Tim Holtz stamps. I took that idea and created my own little christmas card collection. I used a different character and sentiment but I re-created the same background following her steps. I love them for their vibrant colours and crazy "Uncle Buck" character, he don't look like he loves christmas too much, hehe.

I am entering this into the "Backgrounds" Challenge at The Artistic Stamper.

Spanish Leather Bracelets

A while back I mentioned some leather jewellery I saw in Spain during my summer holiday, well when I got back from my holiday it took me a while to find all the amazing clasps they had used in the creations. They are made from Zamak, an anti-allergenic zinc alloy. All these pieces are made in spain and I ended up ordering an awful lot of clasps and charms and pendants. And also this leather band in all sorts of really nice colours. It took me until now to make anything worthwhile out of all the bits.

So today I wanna share with you these 3 bracelets, which are really easy to make. Very simple but I think it's their simplicity that makes them so nice. The colours of the leather are really vibrant.

So it goes to show that things don't have to be overcomplicated to be pretty.

Stampotique Designers Challenge - Sketch Challenge

It's been a while since I've played with a sketch so yesterday I created this little Christmas card. I like the vibrant colours of it and the way it turned out. This one is for my housemate. I am yet to make the cards for my family and some friends but have finished the majority of the cards I'm sending. Very organized. In fact I started wrapping presents last night too.
So I'm off to make more Christmas cards.....

This is of course being entered into the Stampotique Designers Challenge.

Jewellery Recycling

I've had these Mikey necklaces gathering dust for ages. I bought them years ago and never wore them. Do you know Mikey style necklaces? Very long and dangly and somehow just too heavy and big and not great at all. But when I found them the other day I just loved all the individual charms and different chains used in them and I thought I can make them better than what they are. So out of two necklaces I made four and a bracelet, I did add some of my own charms too.

The "Flower Necklace"
This is entirely made from Mikey parts. Chunky chain, big green flower and some other dangly bits.



The "Dangly Necklace"
Again this is completely made out of Mikey parts. I just gathered lots of charms to make into a big feature.

The "Wrap Around Bracelet"
This is also made up from Mikey parts. There are different style chains and some ready made beaded bits. I just connected them to make one long chain, added a lobster clasp and a charm. It wraps around nicely and looks so pretty with all the different bits. Probably my favourite out of the lot!

The "Owl Necklace"

I had lots of random leftover bits of chain I made into a long chain, added lots of my own charms including the big owl and a few leftover Mikey pieces and voila another pretty necklace.

I hope you feel inspired to recycle some unloved jewellery, especially with Christmas coming up it's nice to give something handmade. And as most of us really have to watch the pennies these days it is also a cheap way of making something special.

Christmas Tags a la Lynne Perrella

You may remember me doin some crazy coloured things on tags a while ago, a technique I learned from Lynne Perrella using acrylic paints, stencils and oil pastels. Well, when I first saw her demo the technique at Artsy Crafts I fell in love with it and thought I'm gonna make all my Christmas tags like that this year. Instead of writing someone's name I just pop a picture tag of them on the pressie.

So I finally got around to doin some of those tags, here is the one for my dad (right) and my brother, here in a picture with me (I'm the little one).


The one on the left here is for my mum, I think she was 16 or so in that picture. And the other picture you probably have seen before, it's me and my sister. I was searching high and low for a suitable pic of my sis but I always come back to this one. But she's getting more than one pressie so I will have to find another picture to make another tag. Watch this space.

I have also been sewing wrapping paper from a printed out photo, I'll show that once the present is wrapped.

What are your ideas for wrapping pressies this year? Anything personalised at all? I'm always up for new ideas!

I am entering these tags into the Happy Daze "Explosion of Colour" Challenge. The blank Manila tags are available from their shop and so is the black Staz On ink I used for rubbing over the tags at the end.

Vintage Love Notebook

I have been playing with the old glimmer mists for a bit recently and one of my creations is this A5 sized notebook/journal. I used Tim's Kraft resist paper and sprayed it with mists, then went a bit crazy with the butterfly background stamp to create a more interesting background. Add corners. Tattered Angels frame with LOVE stamped on an old book page and some crackled wings. Bind, add fibers and done. Took a bit longer to make than it sounds but I really like it. It's nice and shimmery and vintagy in real life.

Here is a little close up, this might give you a better idea of how nice it shimmers.

I'm going to put this in my Folksy Shop here.

Vintage style photo jewellery inspired by Liberty's

I walked past Liberty's in London the other day, well I work opposite but I rarely go into this shop as it is so stupidly expensive. But these necklaces in the window caught my eye. As I love working with old photos I just had to try and make my own necklaces using photobooth pictures and I think they turned out rather sweet.

I seem to be making one style of necklace, they are quite long and have lots of random dangly bits and charms. It's what I would enjoy wearing myself even though I could never wear all the necklaces I make. In fact I rarely wear any. So these will be going up for sale in my Folksy shop.

Check them out here.

My blog makeover is complete.... and a journal page

Welcome to my newly designed and improved blog. Things have changed a little around here, out with the old tired looking design and in with a new fresh design, all in white with a few splatters of colour around. I have been working hard on the new design and layout and hopefully it'll make it a bit more userfriendly and more pleasurable to read for my followers. I have also improved the presentation of my photos, been a busy bee playing with my camera and photoshop, so bear with me it's work in progress.

To get started I would like to share my first "real" journal page with you. I say real because before I have only done art journaling style things on canvases and decorated mirrors with it, but this one if actually a page in a book. But not an ordinary journal, no, this is a board book. It's chunky and durable and I won't lose interest in finishing it as it only has 10 odd pages or so. I hope to do one page every week - inspiration allowing!

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

Happy Daze - Explosion of Colour (Distress Ink and gold Paint Dabber available from the shop)
Stamp Man - Backgrounds
The Artistic Stamper - Backgrounds

So let me know what you think of the new blog. I will try to post every other day from now on, hopefully I can keep up. I still have to overhaul my website too, which is a little more work than the blog was. Laters!

The Craft Barn Calendar Challenge - Week 9

Only a few more calendars to go at The Craft Barn Calendar Challenge. I think this week's one is my favourite so far. I used some Tim Holtz paper which was already in the style of the theme - old paper and red lines.
The photo of me and my sis I used LOADS and I often have some cut out ones lying around my desk so I just grabbed them and the calendar just came together somehow. I added the wire instead of a ribbon, almost like another red line threading its way through the piece.

So there you have it, week 9 completed.

I have also decided that my newly styled blog will be revealed this weekend, I am yet to decide whether its sunday or monday, depends on how much i get done in the next few days. I am currently working on photos of new projects i have done and would like to share. set up a little "studio" in my living room today taking photos of everything, takes much longer than i thought but hopefully they'll be worth it. Until then.....

The Craft Barn Calendar Challenge..... Week 8

Dark colours and circles is the theme at The Craft Barn Calendar Challenge this week. I struggled to find inspiration but went with a dark night/moon theme. And here is the result.

Only 4 more weeks to go but still time to join in the challenge!

Love Poison Bottle for Stampotique Designer's Challenge

Just a quick challenge entry from me. My blog is supposed to be on holiday and having a makeover but there is a few challenges I just love joining. Stampotique is one of them.

So when I saw the theme - Altered Poison Bottle - it scared me a bit. I don't really alter bottles that much. But when I was making some custard tarts the other day I used vanilla pods, which come in these test tube like bottles and I thought that's perfect to alter and small enough to not put me off the challenge.
I kept this one simple and added a few things around the screw lid, I used the Stampotique heart stamp and made a shrinkie poison label using the Alphabitties (luuuurve them!). On the actual glass I stamped heart boy (see below), perfect for my love poison. Love poison in the shape of sugary hearts. Hehe.

As mentioned (a million times) before I am having a blog makeover and I am currently playing with new display options for my makes. Can you tell? So "Woody" here has lent me a hand with my bottle. I bought him yesterday to display mainly my jewellery makes for photos. But I think he did a fab job holding the bottle too.

Also I have just learnt what a flower frog is. Do you know? You know them spiky almost brush like objects people use to display cards sometimes. You may have seen them if you browse flickr. I think it's a fab idea but I had no idea what them things are, until I asked and someone kindly explained to me they are flower frogs, used to hold stems in place when arranging flowers. You learn something new everyday. I'd love to hear of more cunning display options. So feel free to share your ideas below.

I am also entering this into the Explosion of Colour Challenge over at Happy Daze. Stampotique images are available from their shop so do check it out!

Well, so much for a quick post. Laters!

Configurations Box for Alter it Monthly November

The start of another month brings of course another Alter it monthly Challenge. As you may know the blog will be closing at the end of the year so after this I only have one more DT piece to show you. Very sad but the end of one thing is the start of a new beginning as they say.

This month the theme is Drawers, Doors and Scecret Compartments.

I used this configurations box and created some little doors using magnets and 2 of the small square boxes I put in the wrong way round to create drawers. Loads of little bits to discover here.

Now pop over to the blog to see all the other DT pieces and maybe you'll leave inspired to join in the challenge.

I'm off to keep working on my new blog, I'm currently fighting with Photoshop but it just doesn't want to do what I want it to. Mean!

The Craft Barn Calendar Challenge..... Week 7

It's week 7 of the Calendar Challenge at The Craft Barn and here is my entry for the week. I embossed the bla blas, then inked over with distress inks, coloured in the lil lady with distress inks, sewn some lines for her to stand on, calendar attached and voila it's done.

The Craft Barn Calendar Challenge - Purple and Embossing
Simon Says Stamp Challenge - Anything Goes

Text ATC's and my upcoming blog-over

Things have been a little quiet on my blog for a week or so now. I was just catching up on life, you know cleaning, cooking, washing, shopping.... xmas shopping!!! And I don't wanna stress myself too much always having to produce things to show here. I feel I put myself under a lot of pressure. So I have decided to have a little blog break, I'll still post the odd challenge as I love taking part in some challenge. But for the next 2-3 weeks it'll be real quiet here. Cause I'm having a BLOG-OVER! No that's not a hangover for blogs, it's a make over for blogs. I feel the design of my blog is a bit tired I just want to make it that much nicer to look at, a cleaner blog if you know what I mean. So I won't be resting as I'll be working on that and also a DT application.

I just want a fresh "start" for my blog as I'm getting more interest in my work, guest designer invites etc I just feel I owe people to up my game a bit. Posts may become fewer in the future but the quality will be going up. I am hoping to do more tutorials, there will definitely be another blog candy coming up before christmas, after all it's the time of year to give away goodies. Overall an improvement, I have come a long way from my card making early last year to the grungy and sometimes colourful mixed media creations I do nowadays.

In the meantime I leave you with 2 ATC's I rustled up last night using one of my favourite stamps from Art Journey, the text background. It just work so well with absolutely everything. I am entering these into the Text Challenge at The Art Journey Challenge.

Crafty Advent Calendar Swap..... come and join in the fun

Do you love Christmas? Do you love the time leading up to Christmas? Making decorations and cards and writing little lists of what to get for everyone? If you do then maybe you'd like to join in my little advent calendar?

I got the idea from my bloggy friend Milla in Finland, she just started hers and I loved the idea so much that I just have to make one of my own.

The idea is that you pick a day and for that day you send me a little present. In return I send you one, whether you use it as part of your own advent calendar or just have a little extra pressie to open at Christmas thats your choice. This is a good opportunity to get to know other people and their crafts, browse your swapees blog and find out what they like. Email them. Ask questions. And then send a little present they will enjoy. This could be anything from a handmade item, crafty items such as charms, ribbon etc. A stamp you may have spare. Or you could go out and buy a small something. It's not about spending lots of money, it's about sharing the love for christmas and getting to know people.

I myself love anything crafty, I love stamps and Tim Holtz grungy style stuff. Vintage. Old photos. Photobooth pictures. Rusty keys. Ribbons and fibers. I do love nice socks, even though they aren't crafty. My boyfriend collects Tic Tacs so any foreign (by foreign I mean not german or british) ones be fab. Small notebooks. Jordi Labanda illustrated things. Art Journaling. These are just a few of my likes.

So if that sounds like something you would like to be part of then leave a comment and/or email me at anikraft@hotmail.co.uk.

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7. Heni
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19. Swap Bot
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Artsy Crafts with Lynne Perrella

I'm sure I mentioned the fab Artsy Crafts workshop I went to at weekend a few times. Well today I'd like to share with you the project we created on the saturday with Lynne Perrella.

My piece is very tame and neutral in colour whereas everyone else went a bit colourcrazy with a lot of stenciling and bright colours. I kinda wish I had done something more colourful but maybe I just felt a bit scared. Nevertheless, if you have seen my recent colourful tags inspired by Lynne you know that her colourful creations have rubbed off on me in the end.

I just added some finishing touches to this today with a bit of ideaology and spray inks. It is not my favourite piece but as I said before sometimes it's about the journey not the destination.

More inspiration fom Lynne Perrella

If you have seen my recent tags in true Lynne Perrella style (one I showed was actually made by her) you will not be surprised to see this strangely colourful mirror.
I love working on these Ikea mirrors, cheap and cheerful and plenty of space to decorate on. I used a whole lot of old family photos here and went mad with paints, stencils and crayons. Loving the messy way of crafting at the moment and not caring and planning things too much, just grab some crayons and go.
Not a hundred percent on whether I like this particular piece but it's not always about the finished piece is it, it's about the fun you had creating it. And what you can learn from it.

The Craft Barn Calendar Challenge..... Week 6

It's week 6 in The Craft Barn Calendar Challenge, which means we are halfway there. Mine is a little smaller this week, I was lacking inspiration a bit with the Turquoise & Lace theme, but thought I don't have to make it overcomplicated do I? Something small and simple. Not everyone was a big and bold calendar, so here it is.

Lynne Perrella inspired Tags

It's been a bit quiet on my blog for a few days but there is a reason, I spent a weekend in Warrington at Artsy Crafts. Having taken part in Lin and Leandras workshops before I just couldnt miss this one, it had a special guest - Lynne Perrella.
I must say I had not really been familar with her work before but liked what saw on her website and I like to learn new things and venture out into different angles of crafting and so I just booked myself 2 day workshops with her. As always it was well organized and I met a lot of lovely people. The projects we did with Lynne still need some finishing touches and I will share them with you when they are ready. In the meantime check out this You Tube video to see everyone's work.
But the main inspiration I took away from this weekend was Lynne's love for oil pastels. She gave us a quick demo on a tag how she layered pastels with paints and stencils and I am totally in love.
The tag on the left is one Lynne did or me using an old photo of me and my sister. The next one is one I made using the same technique. And then the other two are ones I did at home yesterday. I also created a whole mirror in that style - I'll share that some time this week.
So overall a fab weekend, the venue was nice, the people were even nicer and I have taken away loads of inspiration. Thanks Lin and Leandra and everyone involved and especially thanks to Lynne - you are amazing!

The Disco-Tag (get it?!?!) will be entered into the Tag Challenge at The Stampotique Designers Challenge.