Collaged Postcard

The current theme on the Flickr Art 'n' Soul challenge group

is to make a collaged postcard from any material but it must have on it somewhere something metal.

Last week I found an unusual postcard in a charity shop,

a wooden one!



Front



Back



The background is a combination of acrylic paint and Distress crackle paint.

The word 'wish' is a rub on and the floral flourish a rubber stamp.

I added a bit of old text top and bottom

and edged with some metallic rub on paste.

I finished it off with a shabby bow with the metal flower in the centre.

Here's the back

I've never attempted one of these collaged postcards before

and am pleased with how it turned out.

It measures three and half inches by five and half so it's slightly smaller than the challenge calls for.

 Maybe I'll be keeping it after all!

What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday, Week 97 - BOOKS - anyone want them?

I've been trying to make some space on my bookcase and found these

books which I've had for years and hardly ever looked at.

I was going to put them in a charity bag, but wondered if any keen scrapbooker or card maker would like them instead.

I don't want anything for them, just pay for the postage and they're yours!

I'm linking this up to Julia's blog

 Stamping Ground

where she invites bloggers to share what's on their desk.

Julia is nearing the second anniversary of her popular WOYWW posts

and a special 'pass it forward' event will take place on

the 104th week which will be on 18th May.

All the details can be found on Julia's blog here.

In readiness for the event, I have already made a gift

to 'pass it forward' but we're not allowed to reveal it until

the day.

Sssh, dont' tell Julia, but here's a little sneak preview

of what I've made.

I know I'm in real trouble now - so am off to hide!

Happy WOYWW if you're a WOYWWer

and happy Wednesday if you're not!

Sew What?

This 'Sewing Room' Bigz die by Tim Holtz Alterations/Sizzix

is my current favourite and as you can see from the photo above

I cut a few shapes from mountboard.

Although the mountboard is quite thick anyway, I stuck three

layers together with Liquitex Matte Medium

and the forms now feel a bit like wood, nice and sturdy.

I attached old music paper and book text to the forms.

Coloured with some water soluble crayons

and made some wings with cotton fabric and dressmaking tissue.

Here's what they look liked finished

Here's some close ups

I covered this one with Distress Crackle Paint (Clear Rock Candy)

and once dry and crackled, rubbed some Distress Ink

into the cracks (Dusty Concord).

I had some of the seam binding ribbon left over

from a previous project so that became a belt.

The other one was totally different, very grungy.

I really like the wings.

They are a layer of cotton fabric, dressmaking pattern

and a few layers of Mod Podge.

I machine stitched around the edge once totally dry.

They're adhered to the back with E6000.

This shot (above) shows just how thick the three layers of mountboard are.

.... and finally here's what the backs look like.

Which do you prefer, pretty or grungy?

I think I'm leaning towards the grungy, but then again I like the pretty!

(and no, I'm not mentioning Harry Hill - lol)

Thanks for looking x

'Simply Square' Crafty Individuals Challenge

I made this birthday card for the first challenge on the

Crafty Individuals Blog

which is based around 'Simply Squares'

and there is a requirement to use at least one

Crafty Individuals product.

I used two products, the first being the beautiful background paper

from 'Book 5' (Travels in Italy), and a rubber stamp from the set CI-238.

I lightly coloured with image with water colour pencils

and matted and layered it with some mirri, vellum and sparkly cardstock.

Around the edge, I laced some green ribbon and made a shabby chic

 bow with seam binding coloured with distress ink.

(Now for a bit of self critique)

On reflection I should have left the background card plain

instead of adding the Stickles - I must remember 'less is more'! 

It wasn't until I posted the photograph here I realised my square

matts around the image were in fact not very square at all -

I must remember check before glueing down! lol

Never-the-less, I still like the card and enjoyed the challenge.

Thanks for looking x

The 'Sewing Fairy' Art Doll

She was going to be a 'sewing witch', but she looks too serene so she's a fairy instead!  She's retired from active sewing service now - you can see

her greying hair and vintage wings.  However, she still likes to

have a little dabble now and again on her sewing machine.

Her head has been moulded from air dry clay

 and coloured with water colour pencils.

Her hair is from an old woollen scarf.

Her body is a Catherine Moore 'Character Constructions' stamp.

I used wire to try to replicate the wire form of the stamp

and attached some random beads and sequins.

They (the beads and sequins) can be moved up and down as I couldn't work out how to keep them in place!

Her 'feet' is a bobbin which is made from three

die cut shapes in mountboard, stuck together and coloured with

Distress Ink.

This is the back view of it (I know, you never would have guessed!),

 It's attached to the body with E6000 adhesive.

I used Tim Holtz Alterations 'Sewing Room' Bigz die.

For her wings, I cut a rough shape out from an old

dressmaking pattern and Mod Podged it onto some cotton fabric.

I applied several layers and once completely dry,

machine stitched around the edges a few times.

(I also applied a little distress ink too)

I'm pleased with how the wings came out as they have a leathery feel to them - not that I have a thing for leather you understand (!!!), just that it makes

them a bit stronger and they are nice and tactile.

Here's what the back looks like -

you can see I used a bright orange clothes tag

for the main part of the body of the doll.

I think I'll name her Matilda, not sure why, she just looks like a

Matilda to me!

She'll be flying off to a new home soon - I hope she'll have a

sewing machine at her disposal, otherwise she may develop

bad witchy tedencies!