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Wednesday 28 March 2012

With Love


Continuing on with our vintage theme for the month, this week's challenge at Gingersnap Creations is a colour challenge - GC144 Copper, Rust and Ginger

I wanted to make the whole background more orangey but the photo fought against that colour so I had to keep it all a little more brown and just add touches of copper and rust.

This is my final DT piece for the Gingers as they are moving into a new Blogzine called Unruly PaperArts which should be a really exciting place to pop by and get creative. Why not check it out?

So, this is your last chance to enter a Ginger Challenge and it's a good one with loads of scope so hopefully you will find the time and inspiration to join in!

x

Wednesday 21 March 2012

To Love


I decided to make a little hanger for this week's challenge at Gingersnap Creations.  The subject is Last Century which opens up as many possibilities as you can imagine for using vintage photos and stamps so it's a lovely opportunity for us to play.

Sadly, this is my penultimate post for Gingersnaps as the site is closing in order to open up a new webzine - Unruly Crafts.  I have loved my time being a Ginger and will miss the creative space it has provided and the friendships I have made but as with life, everything moves on.

I created the background to my tag using a combination of acrylic paints which I dragged across the tag using an old credit card.  I then added some textures with stencils and then stamped my images in acrylic paint.  The stamps are all by PaperArtsy from their Hot Picks range.


The image is also by PaperArtsy and is on acetate so I backed it onto cream card.  I cut the frame from card and then covered it in Ten Second Studio Metal in Dijon.  I created my design in the metal using their moulds and freestyle drawing.



The moths are also stamped from the Hot Picks plate and attached using 3D silicone glue. The finishing touches were a length of lace, some wire and a selection of beads.



Keep happy and keep crafty ... xx

Wednesday 14 March 2012

Mother's Day



It's Mother's Day this Sunday and so I made this card to send to my Mum.

The Kingfisher is a stamp by La Blanche whose stamps I love.  They are so detailed and as they are made from a heat resistant silicone so are really easy to get a good image from.  I used  watercolour pencils and pastels to colour my bird and the flowers before lightly adding a little bundled sage distress ink around the edge.

I created the lacy border from a doily which I cut and folded and spritzed with Tattered Angels Chalkboard inks in Cornflower and Banana Pudding.

The flower picture was cut from a sheet of images by Anna Griffin which was then distressed and curled  before adding the little prima flower.  I added a little icicle stickle to highlight the flower but this hasn't come out in the photograph.

I'm entering this card into the following challenges:


Just got to find an expanding envelope to pop my card in and send it off to my Mum.

Happy Mother's Day to everyone ... enjoy!

xx

Monday 12 March 2012

Poppy Card

It was my good friend Sue's birthday this weekend and so I made her this card.  I had hoped to get time last week to make it so it would arrive in time for her birthday but that plan went a little pear-shaped so it's going to make a late entry!! 


I used Poppy Meadow stamp set by IndigoBlu to create my meadow border and lovely poppies.   I stamped everything in Ranger Archival ink and them painted my flowers with watercolours.  I used Caran D'Ache Neocolor III wax pastels which give a fantastically vibrant colour, particularly if you dip them into water and colour directly onto your design.

The butterfly is from a stamp set by Lost Coast Designs.  I coloured it with pencils and used a red stickle on the wingtips before 3D mounting it using silicone glue.

The sentiment is by Tim Holtz.

I like the simplicity of this card - and I adore IndigoBlu's stamps, particularly the silhouette borders.
Have a great week. x

Twinchies Have Arrived!



I dashed home after my run and was really short of time (20 minutes to shower, wash and dry my hair and be back out of the door!) but lying on the doormat was a small padded envelope which I knew was the twinchies coming back to me from the Gingersnaps Art Exchange. 

I had to take that couple of minutes to have a quick peek at these little lovelies which are all absolutely gorgeous.

A big thankyou to Petra, Annette, Kerry, Valerie, Suze and Laura for these beautiful miniature works of art. I shall treasure them.

Twinchies Rule! x

Wednesday 7 March 2012

Memories


I found this postcard in an old book shop some time back and she was perfect for this week's challenge at Gingershap Creations - GC141:  Granny's Photo Album.

The name of this challenge conjured up a vintage feeling for me so I decided to keep to a limited muted palette to achieve this.

I used the Tim Holtz tattered pinecone die to make my linen flowers which I must admit, was a little challenging as they kept trying to unravel - thank goodness for glue guns!  Using the die with paper is definitely easier!! 

The flower stem, bird and ribbon are all by Prima and the letter stamps are by Darkroom Door (and are one of my favourites).

Do you have any old photos or postcards in your stash you could turn into an album?  

Looking forward to seeing what everyone creates for this one!

Have a great week ... x

Friday 2 March 2012

The Pier



How cool did this turn out?  

Think I'm starting to fall in love with night-time photography! x

Mad Hatter's Tea Party


The sentiment is so true of this card ... it was due to be mailed in January as part of a Postcard Exchange!!

I've sent my apologies and it's heading across the pond today so hopefully Jacques will finally get it next week.  

I love Alice and bought The Mad Hatter's Tea Party stamp set some time back but I haven't used them until now.

The whole card has a silver pattern stamped across it which hasn't come out (despite many attempts at re-photographing it!) which really looks lovely - but you'll have to take my word for it!

I'm off to make my March card so I'm not late AGAIN! xx

Thursday 1 March 2012

Twinchies



I went on a retreat a couple of years ago where we spent time with a professional photographer in the hotel gardens playing with fairies to learn about setting the scene for your pictures.  During the weekend I re-discovered my love of fairies and other magical things that I always had as a child. 

How many things which we loved as a child do we lose as we grow up without even realising it I wonder? 

I love to be able to play with a little magic in my creativity and the Twinchie exchange being hosted by Gingersnap Creations was an ideal opportunity for this.

I ended up making 7 of these fun little minis although only 6 were needed to be sent off in the mail for the swap.  I really like how they came out and hope whoever receives on of them likes a bit of make-believe in their life too!

Just got to wait now to see what arrives in the post over the next few weeks ... exciting!

xx