Gingersnap Creations - Typewriters Challenge

Gingersnap Creations have a new challenge starting today, incorporating Typewriters into your artwork, with a Work theme. I thought I would use a CD case to make a stand for a desk calendar. I used Darcies stamps from Craft Obsessions, and added a couple of pen nibs, which you can get from the Artistic Stamper or the Fruit Pixie. I then aged a calendar tab by crumpling it and using Distress Ink, and added it to the front with a bulldog clip. I added some typewriter style twill to the clip, also from the Fruit Pixie.

Mardi Gras - Laissez Les Bons Temps Rouler!

Today Gingersnap Creations are having a Mardi Gras theme as today is Fat Tuesday, or Shrove Tuesday, the day we eat up all our fatty foods before the abstinence of lent.

I would like to have made something with more of a 'N'Orlins' Mardi Gras vibe, as we had an amazing holiday in the French Quarter of New Orleans many years ago, and I have aways wanted to return, especially for the Mardi Gras processions. I didn't have any suitable stamps unfortunately, so decided to opt for a Venice Carnival style, as I had the gorgeous 'Venezia' stamps by Oxford Impressions, and the Italy background papers from Crafty Individuals. I chose the paper with the masks on, but added another stamped mask and the words and cancellation mark. I then made an art mould of a mask and painted it in the traditional Mardi Gras colours of purple, green, and gold, and added jewel eyes. I then made it into a card and added feathers behind the mask.

 

Mr Tin Man Makes the Stamp Man Top Five!

Mr Tin Man has been delighted to make it into The Stamp Man Challenge Blog Top Five and has claimed his Blinkie! He says Thank You from the bottom of his heart!

Clay Topped Box with Seam Binding Flower

I recently discovered the art of a wonderful woman called Jean Franks Beck, and I loved her projects where she dyed seam binding. I tracked some down and got some for myself and Lynne M. I cut it into lengths and put them inside a pizza box and spritzed them with mica sprays, each piece in different colours. I scrunched them up tightly whilst waiting for them to dry. They keep their 'scrunch' really well. I then ran a running stitch along one side and gathered them up into a flower shape, securing them with a stitch in places.

 I tried out various things in the middle of the flower and finally settled on one of the earrings from the Primark jewellery, which is like a little cameo but with a floral centre in peach tones. I think I am getting my money's worth from the things I bought!

I am also getting the most from the perfume bottle as this is the box it came in! (My Mum had a very poor childhood and says they used to eat every part of the pig, including the squeak, and I think I am like that with my crafting). I painted the box bronze and then tried another technique which is new to me. I rolled out a piece of Fimo oven bake clay, cut around the box lid to get the shape, then pressed an embossing folder into it. I then highlighted the pattern with mica powders and metallic rub-ons. It is by no means perfect, but definitely something I will try again, and try to improve as I like the effect

In this photo I've shown the side view because a few of the friends who have been at my house recently have said they liked this ribbon. I had bought it specially, no expense spared, for my advent calendar, and had a little bit left. I got it from Hobbycraft.

Work in Progress - A Self Portrait

Some of you don't know me very well, and haven't met me, so I thought I would let you know that I am writing my autobiography. I have only just started it, but here it is so far:-

Well, Colin dared me!

(Seriously it is a children's board book which I am decorating as a project with my student, Jean, so will let you know when I have prettied myself up a bit!

Tissue Tape Tag Six

Yes, I think this is Tag Number 6 - from the girl who doesn't 'get' tags! I think as Tim says, they are a good way to try out a new technique and as such they are very addictive. Petra was here the other day and kindly bought me some white filter papers as I only had brown. Recently Gingersnap Creations did various projects with filter papers and although I made an album, it was just filter paper shaped, and I hadn't realized how lovely the papers are to spritz. I may have mentioned a few times (!) that my lovely friend, Pauline, has bought me the Tattered Florals die for my birthday. It isn't even my birthday yet but I am using this loads, and putting it through its paces.

I went for a peach colour scheme to go with the Paris stamp on the tissue tape and spritzed the filter paper with mica sprays then dried it and put it through the die. Then I just layered them up with a bought flower in the middle and some die cut grungepaper leaves. I then added some co-ordinating fibres. I don't think Tim always puts fibres on his tags, does he? I like to add a bit of colour. I mentioned the other day that tissue tape is a good way of muting the colour of a cardstock you have and don't like too much. This was a horrible mandarin colour but just a peach blush comes through.

The colours are more 'true' in this close-up

Perfume Bottle Mould in Frame

I know you have already seen this frame, but the first time I used the original perfume bottle, but showed some I had made up, where I had taken a mould of the bottle. I have now made up another one using air dried clay, painting it with Azure Precious Metal Colour, and using Silver Acrylic Paint to highlight the filigree flower and bottle cap. I was going to fire up the meltpot so I could get more of a transparent style, like glass, with UTEE and blue To Dye For ink, but it is difficult when you have reduced your crafting space to two square inches! I am really pleased with how similar the bottle is now to the original, anyway. I want to give the frame away but as the perfume bottle was a present, I hadn't wanted to use the original one.

Tissue Tape Tag Five

Another tissue tape tag, this time using the two little boys with the tandem theme, CI 080 from Crafty Individuals. I just added a touch of colour with Pro Markers. To pick out the colour of the Paris stamp part of the tissue tape I used orange fibres, and also added a bit of chain to give a slightly steampunk look. I made up some shrink plastic cogs in white and black with the Alterations die, and used two of them on top of an orange felt flower, made from my new Tattered Florals die. Love this die!

Tissue Tape Tag Three and Four

Another couple of tissue tape tags today. The one above was made with Crafty Individuals CI 061, coloured with Pro Markers and torn around the edge. The bird and photo corner are more moulds I have made, and then made up with friendly plastic. The bird cage is another of the moulds I made using a shrink plastic Alterations bird cage, then making it up with friendly plastic, and dangling some of the pearls from the never-ending Primark jewellery stash! I am a bit worried I am becoming obsessed as I met up with a couple of friends for coffee yesterday, non-crafters, and I was eyeing up their jewellery to see if I could make moulds from it!

I finished the tag off with fibres and one of the Anita butterfly stickers I like so much.

For the tag below, I made a flower from felt and fabric, using the Alterations Tattered Flowers die (which Pauline has bought me for my birthday, how cool is that!). I layered the flower up with some fibres and a flower shaped button.