Faux Metal Trinket Box

This was one of the presents I made for my friend, Pauline. I will blog the other item tomorrow probably. It is a sort of sampler in that I used a range of different embossing folders for each of the panels, inside and out. I also used a range of different StazOn colours but the pink seems to predominate. I finished it off with black sequin trim.

Accordion Christmas Card

I thought that now everyone has received their cards and homemade items from me for Christmas, I would blog a few things, starting with this accordion card. I did this type of accordion card for Crafts Beautiful a couple of issues back and it can be adapted for all sorts of occasions when you want the Wow factor on the mantelpiece. My students liked it so when we start classes again in January I thought we could do some different designs and colourschemes for Valentine and Mother's Day and special birthdays. It's a good design to have up your sleeve for special people.

I was making it for someone who is not overly fond of Christmas so I chose the bird stamps from Crafty Individuals  rather than more traditional imagery. They do a set with four small ones, and also a single larger bird, and I had intended to use the bigger one on the front, but in the end I used a small one on the front and left the last section free for a pocket with a tag in it for the greeting.

I used Papermania papers to go with my blue theme, and a white embossed flourish (Crafty Individuals) on the front to match the scrolls on some of the bird images.

I used the StazOn technique for the bird images, with faux metal frames, and finished it off with teal organza ribbon and teal adhesive gems.

Tim Tags Blog Candy

Just a note to say that it is the last day for Jennie's Tim Tags Blog Candy entries on her Artistic Stamper blog here http://www.theartisticstamper.blogspot.com/

Happy Christmas!

I hope everyone is ok and happy and coping in the difficult conditions caused by the snow. I just wanted to say, I know Christmas can sometimes be a bitter-sweet time, missing lost loved ones, and reflecting on the past year, with both good and bad memories. I would like to send my blessings to anyone out there going through a difficult time, and to wish you a safe, healthy, and peaceful Christmas, surrounded by family and friends.

2009 has been a year when I have made some wonderful new friends, who along with my dear 'old' friends have enriched my life. I hope you know how precious you are, and how much I value you.

Happy Christmas!

And the Final One!

This is my final Tim Tag, and was a shameless vehicle for Grungepaper roses, which I love. They were stamped with the large plain flower from the Artistic Stamper Flower Power set, which is such a useful plate, and the blue one was then stamped with the Dots Background, and finally I added some leaves. The roses dictated the colourscheme, which was Worn Lipstick, Broken China and Faded Jeans, and I liked the pink and blue with the bright white of the metal garland. I used Artistic Stamper Holly and Snowflakes and a bit of water flicking as before. The music script in both corners was stamped on greaseproof paper, which came about as Alison turned up at my house and said, 'do you have any plain vellum', and I said 'no, only greaseproof paper', which was meant as a joke but actually it works ok.

I then added the Fragment Bauble and Wish sentiment used on previous tags, quite simply because they were left overs and were sat on my workdesk, and I would only otherwise have put them in the Christmas box in the attic until next year, so they needed to be stuck down on something! I think as a result I have overdone things a bit but I'm not going to be too hard on myself because I learnt such a lot by having a go at these tags. Tim packed such a lot of techniques and design features into each one, and it took me out of the confines of my normal style to try them, and I found it so rewarding to feel more comfortable with the projects than I thought I would. As a result, it has given me some ideas for the coming year.

And another one!

This little boy is wishing for a shiny green car from Santa this year, hence the Thought Bubble. It's the Mabel Lucie Attwell 'Jolly Day Out' stamp from the Artistic Stamper, on shrink plastic, and I was surprised how well it combined with their traditional Christmas stamps. I used grungeboard and an oval fragment for the bubble, again from the Artistic Stamper, along with the Christmas definition stamp, snowflakes, and holly, from their Christmas Greetings 2 set. I used slightly different distress colours this time, more bluey greens to go with the car, and just a blush of Fired Brick to give a suggestion of a red Santa's cloak. The Santa is again from Christmas Plate 3. I don't have the Tim Holtz flourish and I felt this Crafty Individuals one was quite similar, so I used it with Brilliance Moonlight White as I like a touch of bright white against Distress Ink backgrounds.

I used a smear of neutral glitter glue over the holly, which seems to really bring out the colour, and another piece of DIY 'German Gold Scrap' at the top. The whole tag is much paler than the previous ones I have made. I am so frustrated with myself that I started on the tags so late, as I am enjoying them so much now, but maybe next year .......

Various Tim-Style Christmas Tags on a Snowy Day

It is still a very snowy world out there, but a perfect backdrop for Christmas tags. These are no longer replicas of Tim's Tags but most definitely 'inspired by' as I got to the party so late, as usual. It always takes me a while to latch onto a trend - I am still wondering if mobile 'phones are going to catch on! So I went through all the tags he made and jotted down the components and techniques I fancied and made a few more, to upload over the next few days. Jennie at the Artistic Stamper is still kindly giving away blog candy for Taggers.

These two are quite similar and I couldn't decide which to upload, so I went for both, as one has the Ticket on a Clip idea of his, and the other one his Faux Negative Strip. The '25' is in Grungeboard, inked with Fired Brick and smeared with Distress Stickles. The Santa is from the Artistic Stamper Christmas Plate 3, and the Holly and Snowflakes from Christmas Greetings 2, which is a really useful set. The inks are Distress Inks so just about everything is from the Artistic Stamper. I didn't have any Tim Holtz Christmas stamps and I found these ones just as great, for this purpose. I used the water flicking technique again as Alison and I had fun doing that so I think I will be doing that a lot.

Sharpie's Blog Candy with Craft Stamper's Website

Just a quickie to say that over on the Craft Stamper magazine website, Sharpie's are offering a fabulous blog candy giveaway! I love my Sharpies - I use the black to patch up dodgy stamping, and the coloured ones on shrink plastic and dominoes, etc. It is well worth having a look at the Craft Stamper website anyway, as they have lots of extras to go with each month's issue.

Would be great if someone who watches my blog wins! Here's the link.

Tim's Tag Day 5 (!)

Yes, I know, I didn't do days 1-4, or days 6-12! I envy people who are that organized! Alison (Craftytrog) kicked me into touch as we spent the day together yesterday making Tags - and I managed to complete ONE! Alison is such a tonic to spend the day with - she is so kind and fun, but she is also great with new techniques and challenges, and putting her own style on them, so this spurs me on.

This tag is for someone special  - who hasn't had their card from me yet as I was pondering what would be nice for this very talented person. As it is a gift, I did both sides. I used Artistic Stamper tags but I didn't have any white ones left which made it more difficult as I did them on white card first, then stuck it on.

The colours are actually quite vibrant but the camera hasn't picked that up so I may do more photos later and switch them. I used the flourish (a Crafty Individuals one) in White Acrylic Dabber on the reverse, and the greeting and definition stamp from Artistic Stamper Christmas Greetings No 2, and the definition again, the The Twelve Days of Christmas (on Greaseproof Paper)  from the same set on the front. The baubles are Tim's Acrylic Charms also from the Artistic Stamper, with images from Baubles and Victorian Christmas sets, and gold Memory Foil Tape at the top. The 'German Scrap' at the bottom is actually Lakeland adhesive lace, with Gold Leaf. The baubles were adhered with foam pads. I added a smear of glitter glue over the fir tree bits at the corners and let it pick up the specks of gold leaf left on my craft sheet. The backgrounds are Distress Inks with water flicking. Although Jennie at the Artistic Stamper sells the Tim Holtz stamps he used, I was amazed how perfect Jennie's own Christmas ranges were for this project.

This was a little different to what I normally make. Do you ever find, though, that you start to do something in a different style and halfway through you realize it feels quite natural and the thing flows? I really enjoyed doing this and I hope the recipient likes it. Will she know who she is? There might be some clues ......


I hadn't realized when I blogged this that Jennie is giving away Blog Candy to people who participate in the 12 Tags of Christmas, so have a look at her wonderful blog and see what she is giving away!

I love my Class!

 

I feel bereft today, as yesterday was my last session with my wonderful class. These are the beautiful handmade cards and exquisite bunch of purple flowers they presented to me yesterday. The cabbage roses are stunning! I feel very honoured to have taught them. My manager popped into the lesson to get some enrolment and evaluation forms filled out and I am not sure she got much sense out of us! I am looking forward to teaching again in the New Year (I hope with the same students).

Santa and his Sleigh in the Sky Card

A while ago I said I thought I would use this new stamp from Crafty Individuals a lot this Christmas, and I certainly have! I used Kaleidacolor inks in Pastel, and used some of the scraps to stamp out Ho, Ho, Ho!. I then cut them out with a tiny circle punch and stuck them behind flower arranging nuggets to make page pebbles. The glass had the effect of magnifying the words, which was cool. In keeping with the cool colours I wanted to achieve, I added a piece of white metal Christmas garland. This will be a card for someone special this year.

Christmas Tree Decorations Box

 

This week will be the last class with my lovely students until New Year, when I hope they will re-enrol. I have asked them to bring empty cheese boxes or similar this week, so we can make gift boxes, which could also be used to house the Christmas tree ornaments we were making last time. I asked Colin to bring this one back with him from France but unfortunately it got very damaged en route, so I had to do a bit of remedial work and it is far from perfect. To mend it I used silver parcel tape from Poundland, and then covered the  top and inside base and lid with faux metal. I had a trying time getting the beaded trim to stick around the lid, but I felt it was worth it. We are also going to make coasters for the Christmas Dinner table, and decorate some notebooks to make little gifts, especially with men in mind. I hope they will enjoy what I have planned .....

Crafty Individuals Folded Christmas Card

Oh heck, haven't blogged in days! What can I blog? Oh, I know, that folded Christmas card that is sat on my craft desk, that'll fit the bill!

This card was made with Crafty Individuals papers and stamps, and the stamped images are on an alcohol inked background. Santa's beard inside the card was covered with White Opal Simply Pearls, and the image on the front is on stampbord.

At the moment I am feeling quite stressed about finishing things off before Christmas - who isn't? My main problem is starting things and not finishing them, so I will make the effort in the next few days, so that I can blog anything that isn't Secret Squirrel!