July DT Project for A Inky Mess

Hi guys and gals.
I hope you are all dealing with your weather ok and not letting heat stroke take a hold. There are advantages to living in Scotland - among many other things - we seem to be getting 10deg C cooler than even England, so I would hate to live further south at this time. It's just comfortable here as far as I'm concerned.
My AInkyMess DT project this month comes in the form of a 14cm (across the parallel lines) by 9cm deep, hexagonal box.

The whole box was first covered with a dry exbossed card stock. Then painted silver after which I painted black Decoart antiquing cream. Wiped back slightly with damp kitchen towel. Then protected with satin varnish.
The "retaining bands" are more card, some small flat backed beads form the rivets, then all painted with burnt umber and quin. gold after some texture sand paste on some places before more black antiquing cream and wiped back before adding to the box.
The top was were the real fun lay.  Lots of TH cogs and a key - rusted up, some dry wall tape painted to look rusty, some rusty wire coils -  of which one is as a "barbed wire" (as inspired by my gorgeous friend Fiona Randall) and the other just a twisted wire. There are a couple of wooden laser cuts from my local craft shop (McOyster papercrafts in Cupar) that were given a rusty finish to match on there as well. A larger rusted home made coil of wire then that cute little light bulb from Artful Days.

Of course, I always finish off my boxes inside as well.
The paper I chose to use here is from the Prima "Timeless Memories" paper pad. Just the right kind of "worn" look for me.

I hope to see you all over at the AInkyMess challenge this month with your mixed media project.
Thanks for looking

I'd like to enter my box into the challenge
A Vintage Journey - Precious Metal

Anthing Mixed Media for A Inky Mess in June

A day when I had to go to my place of paid employment so this post going up a bit late. Sorry guys and gals.

My DT piece for A Inky Mess challenge blog this month.
Yet another little Tando Creative kit. OK I'm biased. I just love the little kits they bring out. They are so versatile. So many ways they can be decorated. Lending themselves to covering with papers or loads of different mediums.

This is one of their little trinket boxes.

The top

The bottom

When opened out

There are little books inside but could easily be some trinkets

The top was decorated first with some crackle paste through a stencil (France Papillon) then given a few layers of Decoart paints. then some stamped and heat embossed elements Some metal embellishments and 3 little flowers. The swing clasp takes the place of a tied closure.

The inside and bottom were covered with Stamperia rice paper before securing the little box sides that had been painted and inked prior to fitting.

The little mini books are from another Tando kit - I cut these mini books to size so they would fit in.
Covered with a handmade paper (purchased, not made by me) that had been stamped with an Andy Skinner stamp (one of his new range in collaboration with Creative Expressions.) In each of the books I made 6 little signatures and glued in - as per the last photo.

I hope you like my project this month.
Please go look at my teamies' beautiful projects - out of this world, as usual. Then we would love to see what you make - just link into the challenge and we'll come visit your blog.

See you next time

More makes from deleted posts

My make for A Inky Mess Challenge blog for May

A tag

Using a few "scrap bits" from various Tando Creative kits 

Some plaster cast wings from a mould from Artyco Crafts 

Some lace from stash. Crackle paste, paints and various other mediums from Decoart

 Stamps are from Andy Skinner

Some gilding wax on the wings and lace to highlight the texture

That's my A Inky Mess DT work posted again

Now to work out the other projects that "went missing".  Facebook will be consulted as I post there as well.

Some posts appear to have disappeared

Here I am about to post my make for A Inky Mess Challenge Blog for this month and I see that a load of posts appear to have disappeared. How did that happen?
Just so that I can keep track I am going to post a few things at a time before my DT work for A Inky Mess goes live.

February I was out of action totally after a nasty fall. Broke my humerus and femur and needed a hip replacement. Anyone that knows me on facebook would have seen some of the photos of my bruises. Not a pretty sight I must say as well as being extremely painful. I still suffer the aftereffects but soldier on we do.

First that I remember was the March post for A Inky Mess.

A little trinket box with modelling paste through a stencil, painted and various embellishments as seen. The "book pages" were covered in gilding flakes.

April's make - I needed more storage for my embossing powders. This 25x20x10 cm box was sitting there waiting for a makeover and just the right size.

Stenciling again with modelling paste. Some cogs and clock face from Tando Creative on the top with a bit of chain from stash. The corner embellishments are also Tando. The stencil round the sides is one of Andy Skinner's and the two stencils on the top are from Andy Skinner and France Papillon.

Acrylic paint (decoart) is my colouring medium of choice in mixed media hence the many layers of it here. Finished off with some patina antiquing cream before sealing with matt varnish.

Top of the box

 No project of mine is finished unless the inside is finished

This is paper from Prima in my stash

That's 2 month's briefly caught up with.

Stay tuned for the rest

Happy New Year

Oh my goodness! Where has January gone? Already we're near the end and Christmas is a far distant memory. The 25th and AInkyMess challenge blog has a new challenge started after the break. Anything goes as usual - as long as it's mixed media. My teamies have, as always, come up with some gorgeous pieces for inspiration. It's always worth your while to go visit and swoon over them.

For my part, I made a little desk calendar/photo frame. I used some 4"x4" pieces of MDF and perspex that I have in my stash and joined them all up with my zutter binder.

This has a picture of my gorgeous 3year old granddaughter but this can be removed and changed at will.

 the MDF pieces have stencilling and paint for the decoration 

 The inside has room for little notes/ pieces of memorabilia in the paper bag inserts

and, of course, it all folds into a neat little booklet for my handbag, should I wish to carry it around.

The other little book I made as part of a swap in a facebook group I am in. The challenge was - "Alter a paper bag"
Here's what my swap partner received from me

The cover

and the inside pages

Again - more of those 4"x4" MDF book covers with more paper bags.

I suppose one project inspired the other and so much fun to create.

Thank you for looking

Don't forget to join us over at A Inky Mess with you mixed media project

I'd like to enter my projects into the challenge at
Bleeding Art  January Challenge - Anything Goes

A Inky Mess - November

Sorry for being tardy on this - I was away from home and forgot to schedule - my bad

It's my piece made for the November challenge for "A Inky Mess" Challenge blog.

A small canvas using stamps and stencils from France Papillon. The Horses are from the "1800" stamp set, coloured with Caran D'Ache pencils.  The stencils are a mixture of her newest ones.

The words also are from France - "How Shall I Put It"

There are various paints and mediums used - all Decoart mostly from the media range including some interference paints.
The wooden stand is from stash

Please come along and show us your mixed media makes over at the Challenge blog and don't forget to leave my gorgeous teamies some love

I'd like to enter this into the challenge over at
Bleeding Art - Anything mixed media

October "A Inky Mess"

Good morning everyone
It's the 25th and that means a new challenge over at "A Inky Mess" challenge blog.
This month we have the wonderful Gecko Galz sponsoring us so you know their prize is going to be fabulous.
For my DT inspiration I have used another substrate from Tando Creative. Not as mini as last month to be sure but this file holder is still only 13cm square.
I started of by using modelling paste through a stencil then painting it. (Decoart paints/mediums)

This is the file holder when closed

and open to show that the decoration carries on to the end

if you look very closely under the rice paper, to the left of that daisy, you might see the magnet that forms the closure on this. 

and the spine

I have used lots of bits and pieces from stash, ranging from some TH ephemera (inked round everything), some glass flat backs, some pearls from a cheap piece of costume jewellery and some micro beads. The gaudy green stone has some twine wrapped round to act as a means of opening the book without damaging the whole thing.

The stamped saying is from Sheena Douglass' butterfly collection, stamped on more rice paper.

It was so much fun making this, even though it's outside that zone of comfort which we all have. I think it does everyone good to explore other areas once in a while and I know it helps my mojo return after it has a little holiday.

Looking forward to seeing everyone's makes in this new challenge 

A Mini Mini Book

Good Morning everyone.
No, I haven't mistyped my heading. This truly is a Mini, mini book, measuring just 6cm square with a 2cm spine. It is my project this month for A Inky Mess as part of their design team that I have been lucky to be chosen to join.

This month we are being sponsored by Luna Girl, a treasure trove of digital vintage ephemera.
I have used "Bring your Wings" and vintage postcards 2 to make this little project.

The substrate is part of the mini book kit from Tando Creative together with a couple of small butterflies and Textures 1 from their thins range. Some decoart modelling paste on the diamond shapes, some small pieces of builders mesh between the butterflies then some decoart paints to colourise the front.  Some art stones adhered with heavy gel medium for a bit more texture. 

The Luna Girl images were adhered back and inside

with the book pages being a mixture of DP and the postcard images, attached with book binding glue to the ribbon covered spine.

A couple of brass charms completed the look. 

Please don't forget to take a look at the gorgeous projects my teamies have made using the gorgeous imagery from Luna Girl then come back to the A Inky Mess blog to enter your project so that we may come visit you.

"A Inky Mess" Tag

Good Morning everyone

I have had a few weeks away and locked myself out of my blog, after all these years, now I can get this post up that I thought was prescheduled, I feel such a dafty.

I am here today with my first project, a tag, as a member of the "A Inky Mess" Design Team.

A fairly simple tag but with lots of layers.
The bottom part was started with some modelling paste through a France Papillon stencil (Rock Formation). When dry, a coat of paint to colour then a wash to bring out the texture. Then a piece of old book paper, again colourised with a wash of paint. Texture paste on the next layer with more paint both neat and as a wash before stamping with archival ink.  The picture frame was given a simple rusty effect with yet more paint then adhered to the picture base that was stamped onto a crackled substrate. A little word over a cambric layer under this. Some rusted wire shaped to form the means of "hanging" the picture with a tiny heart to hang from.

All stamps are from a range designed by France Papillon and made by Chocolate Baroque.
All paints and medium are by Decoart.