Craft Barn Challenge - Ferro and Terra

There is a challenger over at The Craft Barn and how could I know join in when we are playing with terra paste. One of my favourite products. I used it on this canvas panel and stamped into it. It's great fun, a bit messy but fun! I tend to spend way to much time on painting these kinda things, make sure I get it just right and to make sure the stamped image "pops" out enough. The roses and the butterfly have been dipped in clear UTEE, another fun and messy technique to try. Gives them a nice shiny porcelain-like finish.

Christmas Star - "Celestial" for The Altered Element

Welcome to what is going to be my last project for The Altered Element Design Team.

I used the smaller of the 2 wooden stars, these come flatpacked and you can just slide them together. I glued the pieces into place with glossy accents.

Then I painted the whole star with a gold acrylic paint as a base and when that was dry I simply melted a layer of gold UTEE onto each section. I used PVA glue to adhere the UTEE, works very well for large sections like this. The UTEE came out smooth in some parts and more textured in others but that just adds to the character.

I had this thin gold wire lying around for ages and thought this be the prefect opportunity to use it. So I wrapped it round the star randomly. It's not glued (only the ends), it just holds itself in place around the shape of the star.

The charms are all from Vintaj brass. I used the gold wire again and some golden jumprings to attach these to the bottom. I just drilled some small holes in the star to attach them.

And there you got it, a shiny, shimmery, twinkly christmas star ready to hang.

Another great idea for using these wooden stars would be to make a star topper for your christmas tree.

Mirror, Mirror on the wall......

Back from my holiday I would like to share with you my first ever Design Team project. I'm really excited to have been picked for the Altered Element Design Team and this month's theme is "Enchanted". My first project is a Fantasy Mirror......

I used the Twiddleybitz - Fantasy Shadow Frame for this and covered the whole frame in Terra texture paste by Viva Decor. Around a 2-3mm thick layer does the trick. I then used a script stamp and spritzed it with water using a Mini Mister and then pressed the stamp into the texture. I smoothed over some stamped bits to break up the text a bit.

When this had dried completely I painted the whole frame in a dark mulberry colour using Cut n Dry Foam. Any acrylic paint will do for this, just make sure the paint goes onto the script. When it had dried I worked over it using a light pink colour, picking up the higher points of the texture. And then I worked over with a white acrylic paint. To give it that pinky shimmer I sprayed the frame with Cosmic Shimmer Mists. A mix of plum twist and Lava red works really well. If you try this technique the best advice I can give you is to just play around. Try taking off some of the spray with kitchen roll or leave little puddles to dry. Just try it and have fun.

When the shimmer is all dry I picked up the highlights with white acrylic paint once more.

The roses have been created by stamping flowers onto pink paper, then cut out and made into cones. Each cone is then dipped into melted clear UTEE (with some added Flex) and sat inside the bigger cone until you have the finished rose. Just pop a bead into the centre whilst the UTEE is still hot.

I then added some curled memory wire to add a little playful touch. Any kind of coloured copper wire would work nicely here, just curl it round a pokey tool.

The butterflies are simply punched out, stamped onto with a random background stamp and also dipped into UTEE.

I hope you've enjoyed this little project and remember if you want to join in with this month's theme there is a £10 voucher for The Altered Element up for grabs. Check out the blog for details and I can't wait to see what everyone comes up with!!!

Maya Road Flower Clock

I can finally share with you a project I made weeks ago, and it took me weeks too. It was one of the things I made for the Stamper of the year competition but I then didn't feel like sending for some reason or the other. I used a Maya Road chipboard book in sape of a flower. I couldn't get this in the UK so I had to order it in from the US. In fact many things on this project I especially ordered for this. But now I have a rather large collection of Maya Road mini chipboards to play with in future projects.
I really like the little tree, I covered the top in green utee and then pressed the trunk in, it works so well.
There is lots to discover in these little pictures and as I like making useful objects i thought a cock be perfect.

I am also entering this into the Artistic Stamper Challenge where this month's theme is Layers.

Card Patterns Challenge entry.... and I'm finally in Christmas mood

It's been a while since my last Card Patterns entry so time to get back into it. And I have finally gotten myself motivated to make christmas cards, about time. Waiting for some christmas stamps orders to come in, although unfortunately one of them has been posted to my German address and I'm now waiting for them to come back to England via my parents. Shame, I was looking forward to them stamps the most. Will have to make do without them for another week or so.

So I rustled up this little card on the left there. Always wanted to try stamping into UTEE, it works really well, but doing 3 layers of UTEE resulted in my whole living room getting covered in the stuff. Thanks god for hoovers.
It's a fun technique and I'll be playing with it a bit more on monday!

Picture frames and my folksy venture

I had this idea in my head for a while now. Saw the stamps and thought they'd perfectly fit the ikea frames. So I stocked up on frames and got the beeswax out again. Works really nicely.

I am making more things to try and sell now as I've just started putting things on folksy. Anyone got experience with all the different craft selling sites? I have been looking at folksy as you can sell in GBP, my 2nd choice is dawanda I think, but a little put off listing in Euros. And same with etsy. Let me know what your experiences are. That be much appreciated!

This frame I covered in various layers of UTEE and the coloured cosmic shimmer powder. Makes a bit of a mess on our dining table when working with UTEE but I do like the result.

Check out my Folksy Shop.

Decorated chipboard shapes - Craft Stamper Swap

So, once again I can't get the picture to upload the right way round. This is driving me nuts, anyone else have that problem? I've turned it every way and then uploaded it and then I added text so it may recognize it, but nooooo.

Ah well, you just have to turn your head sideways to get a proper look.

I wanted to enter the decorated chipboard shape swap in Craft Stamper so I used these 2 Maya Road shapes and inked them up in mauve, then added 3 layers of clear UTEE, sprinkled some blue micro beads onto the melted UTEE and stamped a Wendy Vecchi stamp into it. Then I rubbed scattered straw crackle paint into the writing.

I am sending the wings off for the competition and I am also entering them into the Simon says stamp and show challenge.

And the music note is for Hels Sunday Stampers.

Simon says stamp and show #1 - Things with wings

Things with wings is the theme at the brandnew Simon says stamp and show challenge and as I've recently stocked up on Ikea mirrors I just had to get the beeswax out again for this one.

I painted the mirror with traditional tan and then used a staz on ink pad to highlight the woodgrain, just swiped it across, gives a nice effect. I then stamped a music background stamp all over it and added another thin layer of trad tan. I then added loads of little bits with beeswax.
The birds are painted with crackle paint and spritzed with glimmer mists. And the tree branches are covered in 3 layers of UTEE and then stamped into with a script stamp. It was the first time I tried that technique and I think I'm now addicted. Gives such a cool effect. Although the script stamp may have been the wrong choice for the branches, it needs a more defined stamp for the thin branches I think, but next time I know better. And there we go, things with wings.

I am also entering this into the Alter it monthly challenge where the theme is music, hence my little singing birds and the music notes.

A week of firsts ..... meltpot & mini canvas

I finally got my meltpot the other day and already have a load of ideas in my head of how to use it. First one is these mini canvases. I used the back of them and painted them in pale umber as a base, then crackle paints and glimmer mists over the top. Pop a picture inside, these are from the tim holtz lost and found stack. I do wanna make more of these using actual family photos, I think it's a great way of displaying photos and only last year I dug out LOADS of old pic from my grandparents and stuff.

So anyway, I poured in some clear utee but it did set a bit funny and I re-melted the whole thing with a heatgun til almost all of it was liquid in the frame again and kinda swooshing around. It set a little better after that. But I was aiming for perfect anyway, it's supposed to look old and vintage.

Add some idea-ology and that's it!

I can see myself using a lot of utee doing this again. Also, I got to stock up on mini canvases whilst their on sale. Something to do in my break today I reckon!!!