Pages

Wednesday 25 February 2015

PaperArtsy Blog Challenge No. 4 - Miniature Art


The current challenge on the
is 'Miniature Art'.
Leandra has so many ideas on her blog
and an accompaning YouTube video that you
cannot possibly be stuck for ideas as to what to make.

I thought I'd alter a domino or make a domino book
but when looking for my domino blanks found these
which I bought a few years back in a Charity Shop.


They are 'inkable cultured stone', very smooth
and measuring less than an inch square.

I gave them a couple of coats of some Fresco Finish Paint.


I decided to go with a sewing theme
(for a change!!) and used PaperArtsy Mini MN66.
I stamped the image with a Dew Drop Brilliance 
ink pad and once dry finished off with a
Spray & Shine from Crafter's Companion. 


To join the tiles and pretty it up a bit,
I used some beads and wire.


Here's the finished result.


This is the back.
I think I should have used a different ink really as
the image has lost some of it's definition.

I made a pretty envelope for the mini hanger to go into.

 
..... and the back

I machine stitched some fabric to the back
and stitched an altered button on too.

Quite a simple project - I may still try something
a bit more adventurous yet.

Thanks for looking :)

 

Tuesday 17 February 2015

Half Term Jewellery Making


This is me with my niece Chloe earlier today
after having a lot of fun making some jewellery together.

We both made bracelets using a simple technique
called the ladder (or quadrant) weave.

Chloe's first one was made from 
Amazonite nuggets.


... and her next one was a mixture of
Rose Quartz and Amethyst nuggets


Both are really lovely and the heart clasp on the
second one is a gorgeous finishing touch.

My first one was made from multi-coloured
Crackled Quartz nuggets - rather fun and funky
but I'm not sure it's something I'll actually wear.


... and the second one was a mixture of
Beryl and Clear Crackled Quartz


(not forgetting the matching earrings - or
'ear-rocks' as we called them!)
Much more wearable than the other one I think.

Thanks for looking :)
 

Thursday 12 February 2015

PaperArtsy Blog Challenge No.3 Paint


The challenge this time around is to use paint
... in Leandra's words -
"It doesn't matter what paint you use, 
just have some fun and try some ideas out!!"

Being completely devoid of any ideas of my own (!!)
I remembered recently watching some of Leandra's
YouTube videos about painting backgrounds and took
inspiration from this one in particular entitled

These are the paints I used

 
I did also use a few others (of different brands)
 although they were mainly dried up so didn't really work.
Here's the background I ended up with.


It's not as pretty as the one in the video, but I'm
pleased with it as a first attempt - and it's only
done on copy paper, so not bad really (for me!).

I covered two old coasters with some of it.


Stamped out a few images from the new set of 
wonderful stamps
by Clare Lloyd (ECL04 PaperArtsy).


I was ambitious at first and stamped a couple on
Aida fabric but didn't like how I coloured them (with paint),
so eventually settled for an image stamped on
card and coloured with watercolour pencils.

I stuck the chosen one onto one of the coasters
and that become the front cover of a post-it-note holder.

 There's even some of the background left over
for another project!

There are loads of wonderful examples
and another video all about this challenge
 on the PaperArtsy Blog.

Thanks for looking :)
 

Monday 9 February 2015

12 Tags of 2015 - February

12 Tags of 2015 - February | www.timholtz.com 

A click on the photo above (copied from Tim Holtz blog)
should take you to the post describing how he made it.
He said
"the month of february is all about about the things we love, so what better theme for the tag than my simple love of making things. check out this easy way to layer your favorite ephemera to create this patchwork inspired collage – have fun…t!m"

 I decided to make my tag based on my love of
vintage sewing stuff.

 
 My ephemera includes pieces from old 
dressmaking patterns, a button card and
an embroidery skein label.


  I didn't have the 'glue n seal' so instead
used Liquitex Matte Medium and Paper Mod Podge.

 
Instead of a felt heart and metal heart and arrow,
I used an old leather tag and a metal scissors charm. 
Instead of metal corners at the bottom, I used
some staples from my Tiny Attacher to
look like stitches.

 
 I don't think my black lines edging each piece of
ephemera work very well even though I did use a
Distress Marker.  This may have been due to not
using the 'Glue n Seal' product?

I still like the finished tag anyway :)

Thank you for looking.