The Final Mirrored Compact!

This was the one I made as a gift and I know it's been received safely so ok to blog. There won't be any more for a while until I can go to Hobbycraft and get more mirrors - maybe for Christmas gifts! It is Crafty Individual papers as before, but a melt-pot clear UTEE piece in the middle - image transfer in as much as I peeled the white layer of paper off the Colisseum image so the piece is quite transparent.

Little Book with Fabric Pages

This was going to be another mirror compact as it has been made in the same way, but I thought I was getting a bit repetitive, so I made some fabric pages and turned it into a little book. I used Crafty Individuals stamps, including the new background on the covers, which is such a fantastic stamp and will, I'm sure, become a favourite. I used some gorgeous Basic Grey Porcelain paper, which was painful to cut into, and then I coloured the fabric with Glimmer Mists and Distress Inks to match it. I then coloured the dominoes to match with Brilliance inks, and pressed them into the portion of the CI background stamp that I wanted, and glazed them with Crackle Glaze (didn't get much crackle, though). I haven't photographed all the pages as you get the general idea, but I then stitched them together and sewed them into the book spine. I was going to go round the edge of the dominoes with the Viva Precious Metal Gold Paint but then I thought, no Lucy, put your hands on your head and walk away from the paint ........!

Coaster Swap

My friend, Ann, asked a little while ago if I fancied doing a swap with her. For the first one we did, I made a carousel, with horses dancing around gold poles, which I called Fairground Attraction. She made me a beautiful Diorama, which was what got me started on making them myself. This time she suggested coasters, and when I said I had been collecting them in pubs she said, 'oh, I could have sent you some blank ones if I'd known'. So she has now kindly done that so I will be able to ink them up and be more creative than with the beery ones. She made me a coaster book Post It holder, which is hanging above my craft desk to use for masking. She's now confirmed she's received my coaster wall hanging so it's ok to upload it now. I kept it quite plain, partly because of trying to become more minimalist, but mainly because I loved the Crafty Individuals Travels in Italy papers so much that I didn't want to cover them up too much. I used some Venetian glass beads I have been hanging onto for the right project. (one photo is the front, and the other is the plainer back view).

Canvas Using Image Transfer of Background Papers

I was playing around with different image transfer techniques and my friend, Hazel, said that you could transfer backing papers onto canvas. I love the Spring papers by Crafty Individuals, so I have used these, and a selection of their stamps. I left the sides fairly plain because I liked the pretty paper showing through.

Venice Stampbord Block

This is an 8 x 8 Stampbord Block from the Artistic Stamper, and has been stamped with the Oxford Impressions Venezia set. The word 'Venezia' has been stamped on a Stampbord domino and then Crackle Glazed. I stamped the Santa Maria della Salute (I hope that is right, I have never been to Venice, although I would love to!) in a darker ink and did some scratching back of the detail, as I wanted this to be my focal image.

Mucha Stampbord Block

This is a 6 x 6 Stampbord Block (the kind with wooden sides) from the Artistic Stamper. The Mucha is from Clarity Stamps and the background stamps are the Royal and Langnickel Paris set. This piece came about because I have loads left on the sheets of Chipboard from Craft Obsessions, and I just thought this particular bit of chipboard looked very Art Nouveau and would follow the lines of the halo of stained glass behind the Mucha lady's head. The glorious gold paint is Viva Precious Metal from Paper Artsy - did I say how much I love this paint! I scratched back to the clay to highlight her candle as it didn't stand out enough. I thought the Paris wording also looked Art Nouveau and it made me think of a Metro station, somehow.

Thank You for Supporting Me

It's been a week since I started my blog, and I would just like to say Thank You to those of you who have visited, left comments, and become Followers. I thought I might find myself the one 'in the kitchen at parties' so I'm glad you have been taking a look. I really appreciate it.

Handbag Mirrored Compact

I made this mirrored handbag compact on Wednesday to give to my friend I have been with today to say thank you for all her kindnesses to me. I have made another design as another thank you present but I posted it yesterday so I will wait until it is received before I upload it. I bought the mirrors and the lace tape from Hobbycraft a couple of weeks ago, the 'Love' is a brad painted in Viva Precious Metal Gold from Paper Artsy (how did I ever live without this paint!), and the papers and stamps are all from Crafty Individuals. I used Crackle Accents on the Stampbord, and I spent the whole afternoon wondering if it was crackling, and arguing with my friend about it!

I will blog again this evening as I am just waiting for some glue to dry at the mo, and for some crackle to crack!

Stitchels Fabric Covered Memo Pad

I have made a little memo block holder to have by the 'phone, using Stitchels flowers and dragonfly, and some twill, from the Artistic Stamper.

Alison's Paris Fimo Canvas

Alison has now blogged her canvas from yesterday and it is glorious! You can see it here. It's amazing how two people can sit opposite each other with the same materials all day, but do something completely different, even though we were offering advice to each other! I learnt a lot from doing this yesterday and it wasn't really that easy, but it has given me tips for next time.

It must be tough for Colin having me upload dreadful photos when he is a professional photographer, but I must be independent. I only got my little camera a few months ago and had never held one in my life before. I'm not very technical, and artwork is so difficult to photograph. He just said on the 'phone to switch the flash off and use natural light where possible, and use a consistent backdrop colour, not half carpet showing! He's also said to me in the past to tilt the item if there is a lot of shimmer or any kind of reflective surface. Well, the second lot of photos were an improvement, anyway!

Better Photos

Just a note to say that Colin has given me a couple of tips on the 'phone to improve my dreadful photos so I have re-uploaded the Venice Mirror and Canvas, and also added a Melt Pot bracelet photo which he took for me.

Have a friend coming tomorrow to make canvases, and maybe a slide mailer if there is time.

Venice Canvas with Fimo

I made this canvas to use up the Fimo pieces left from yesterday but I think it has come out quite different to the mirror. I have used the flourish and harlequin pattern from Crafty Individuals, the Oxford Impressions Venezia set, and the large Pillar from the Architect plate from the Artistic Stamper, and some more of the pieces from the die-cut chipboard from Craft Obsessions. I've shown a side view so that you can see the chipboard, which I have also used on the top and bottom, with wording from the Venezia set,

Edited to improve photograph

Venice Fimo Mirror

My friend Alison came round to play today and we had a great time. We both did stamping into Fimo with Cosmic Shimmers/Perfect Pearls and some Art Moulds. I made a Malmo mirror with a Venetian theme. The chipboard flourishes are from Craft Obsessions.

It was difficult to photograph, I guess because of the mirror and also the shimmer. The flourish stamp is by Crafty Individuals, and the other stamps are from the Oxford Impressions Venezia set which I think you can get from LB Crafts. I made far too many pieces so tomorrow I'm going to have a go at combining them into a canvas.

Edited to improve photo

Another Day, Another Diorama!

I have made this in a similar way to the one the other day, but this time with Elusive Images Paris stamps.

Canvas Covered Book

I made this for a special friend's birthday. Her name is Lynne but you probably realized that already! I used the Collage Woman and Rose stamps, and fibres and chipboard tags from the
Artistic Stamper. I used the same technique as I used for the mini canvases I made for Craft Stamper Feb 09. Collage Woman has the Byron poem, 'She walks in beauty, like the night' which I used on the Artist Palette.

Mucha Candle

I loved the rubber stamped candle in Craft Stamper in January this year. A friend who had been making some beautiful ones, spent a day at my house and helped me whilst I made my first one, here. She is coming round on Wednesday and we are going to do canvases and slide mailers, as I had a slide mailer article in Craft Stamper last month, hence my Mucha phase. I bought some glorious gold embossed Mucha wrapping paper in Past Times the other day, so I plan on making gift boxes for the candles with it. The Mucha stamps are from Clarity Stamps.

Stitchels Candle, Wall Hanging, and Card

You are probably bored with me by now! I am not really this prolific, I just had a lot of artwork on my camera and nowhere to put it - until now! So I don't really make this many things in a couple of days.

I love Stitchels, designed by Hels for the Artistic Stamper. They are so versatile and can be used in a cute or a quirky way. I like the fact that all the images are available in different sizes to suit the scale of your project. Candles are my current 'thing' so there is another one to come, the simple card was Staz-On resist, and the wall hanging was made with beer mats, so quick and easy but quite effective, I think. People are worried about my liver with all the pubs I seem to go to, to get these, but actually it is my waistline that is the real problem!

The flowers are Stitchels stamped onto felt, and the wording on the card is on shrink plastic.

Crafts Beautiful - Harlequin Rose

I've been lucky enough to be in this month's Crafts Beautiful magazine, October issue. I made a heart shaped box available from Boxy Lady, and a Bamboo Tile necklace available from the Artistic Stamper. I used the fabulous Elusive Images Harlequin Rose A4 theme plate, which is one of the loveliest sets I've ever used, which is saying a lot. It has a good mixture of images and text which all work together well, and the long border is particularly useful. I won't show you what is in the mag, but I was on a bit of a roll when I did the article and had a bit of a production line going, so here are a couple of other items made with the set. In the article I used a pink velvet ricrac for a finishing touch, which was by American Crafts, and was from Craftopia, but the stockist info isn't given in the article.

First Diorama

This is something else I have fancied doing for ages. I love the sense of depth I have seen people achieve with their diorama. I wasn't sure whether to upload this as it's my first attempt, but my friend persuaded me to. The stamps are gorgeous, of course, and are from Crafty Individuals, but I hope I will do better next time. I will make another one soon and blog it.

Rubber Stamping on Porcelain

Recently my sister in law and my niece, Flossie, kindly took me to a porcelain painting class as a birthday present. I had a fantastic time and made this wine cooler for my husband. Now that I've given it to him, I can upload it. I wasn't sure if stamping would work, and in fact once it had been fired in the kiln, the ink disappeared, which gave a nice subtle effect, but unfortunately means the owl's eyes are less defined. But I will know next time, and would love to go again.

Pencil Box

I made this papier mache pencil box with acrylic paints, Brilliance Inks, and the Artistic Stamper Insects and Butterflies and Botanical plates.

My First Melt Pot Bead Bracelet

One of my non-crafting friends loved the Leandra-bead melt pot bracelet in Craft Stamper magazine last year, and I promised I would make one for her, if I could get the hang of it. I gave this to her for her birthday yesterday - my first batch of beads, made with Crafty Individuals Spring Background papers. If I'd made it for myself I would have used loads more beads and made it quite over the top, but I thought she would like understated, so I hope she did.

Edited to add a photo Colin took.

Artist Palette

I've wanted to make a wall hanging from a traditional wooden artist's palette for ages. This has been made with the Artist Plate from the Artistic Stamper, and their Diamond Texture Plate, Collage Woman (for the Lord Byron poem), and the Tim Holtz Mona Lisa and Pen Nib Chart (Mini Classics) which they also sell. To hang it up I have passed some blue wire through a crimper and attached it through holes in the wood punched with a Crop-o-dile.

Kicking, Screaming - and Stamping!

My name is Lucy, and I'm a Blogger - there, I've said it! I have been reluctant to have a blog for some time now but it is becoming painful to have my arm twisted behind my back. So here it is! I am hoping this will be a place for me to upload my trials, experiments, and mistakes - show you the results and gain your comments. It will also challenge me to finish projects I start, and to upload all those charity shop finds, in all their ugliness, and then show you what I have made them into.