I'm Still Here - but not alone!

I thought I'd better check in if only to say

I'm sorry for not visiting any blogs and leaving comments

recently.

I'm having a little crafting break at the moment

to catch up on other (long neglected) things -

you know how it is!

I'm also taking stock of my craft room and

having a bit of a clear out.

There's also been a big change in our household -

we have two new additions

...... meet the kittens .....

Leo The Lion and Tiger Lily,

well just Leo and Lily really.

They came to live with us last Saturday and are

just 9 weeks old and so incredibly cute. 

I hope all my crafting / blogging friends

are well and I will catch up with you all

soon - I promise! 

miaow, miaow xx

(that's me miaow-ing, not the kittens

as they haven't found their voices yet!)

Take care :)

Mermaid Paper Doll

This is paper doll I made few weeks ago.

Her body is card and her face moulded with air dried clay.

Her top is sari ribbon and tail is covered with silver self

adhesive foil, coloured with alcohol inks and embossed

free hand with a piercing tool.

Her hair is really soft yarn

I'm happy to say that she has safely swam to

and arrived at her destination!

Shabby Chic Mini Book Page - for May

This is my page for the challenge being hosted by Renee

over on The Artists' Nest Ning site. 

 

This month's theme is

'French Inspired'.

Like my other pages, this measures approx

3" x 5" and is largely fabric apart from the 

card base and the piece of old French text. 

I traced the Eiffel Tower onto tracing paper

and machined stitched it onto the base of the page

then ripped the paper off.

A French postage stamp and piece of old lace

finished it off. 

 

 I actually prefer the other side!

.... so it's a reversible page - well only if my swap partner

likes it too of course!!

Thanks for looking and I hope you enjoy the weekend :)

Recent makes

Here are some things I've made recently

 

 This is an Anniversary card using the

'Vintage Telephone'

Bigz die by Tim Holtz/Alterations/Sizzix.

It's cut from mountboard and coloured with Distress Inks

before that I applied Distress Crackle paint (Clear Rock Candy).

The centre dial is just coloured with a gold marker.

The tag attached to the phone is from

'Odds and Ends CMS100'

stamp by Stampers Anonymous - Tim Holtz Collection.

It shows the date and the month of the anniversary.

I used the 'Vintage Typewriter' Bigz die

(Tim Holtz/Alterations/Sizzix)

for this birthday card.

It's basically a feminine version of the card

I made the other week.

Another birthday card, this time using an 'On The Edge'

die by Tim Holtz/Alterations/Sizzix called 'Sewing Edge'

 I rubber stamped some images onto tissue paper,

then using Liquitex matte medium stuck them onto

some patterned tissue paper.

The stamps used were 'Floral Dress Form' and 'Dress Form Row'

both by B Line Designs.

I machine stitched some fabric around the edge.

I think this may be another favourite die now

(how many favourites can I have - lol)

 

Finally - a matchbox, well I haven't made one for few weeks!

 

It is entirely covered with Sari Ribbons attached using 

hot melt glue, which amazingly doesn't show through the fabric.

 The sides and bottom of the drawer were painted with

Viva Precious Metal Colour (Emerald Green).

.... and filled with a selection of beads.

Thanks for looking - and I hope the sun is shining where you are

- it's been a glorious hot and sunny day here :)

Altered Book - next lesson

This post is about my progress in the 

Altered Book course being run (free of charge) by

the very generous Elizabeth from her blog

Altered Book Lover.

 

Lesson 7 

 

This lesson was all about 

'Elements of Design'  

which Elizabeth explored in great detail.

The elements in question are

 

Line

Form

Shape

Space

Texture

Colour

 

In the double spread in my book (above) I hope I've

covered some of the elements as follows:

 

Line - in the tissue pattern paper on the first page

 

Form / Shape -  I tried to create a 3D effect on the second page

with the girls by overlapping the images and colouring the front

one darker than the others making them fade out into the background.

Texture - the crinkles in the pattern tissue paper

 which you can see in the above photo.

  I highlighted them by rubbing metallic

paste over the page.

Space - well, there's plenty of that - the eyes can

positively have a good long sleep on these pages - lol.

Colour - as this is such a 'broad category' Elizabeth has

devoted an entire lesson to it and that lesson is already

on Elizabeth's blog - I'd better get a move on!

Thanks for looking :)