curious scrapbookers field guide (1)

I'm doing another amazing online course, this time with Big Picture Classes ... 12 weeks of classes & inspiration, taught by May Flaum (I heard about it on Tim's blog)!  Based on scrapbooking (which I haven't done for quite a few years) it also includes other projects, & everything can be adapted for anything else, so I'm enjoying playing along ...!!

The first 3 weeks have been on adding colours, paints, inks, stains, misting, glitter, etc etc - I've really enjoyed getting inky & painty fingers!!

Here's the first scrapbook page I've put on the class gallery ...

I enjoyed doing the background, with various colours of distress inks direct to the textured but plain cardstock, & I then had a great time flicking watered down picket fence stain at it to mix the inks together & add watery (snowy?) splodges!

I only took the pictures a couple of weeks ago, in the snow!

My next page will be of some spring flowers in Dad's garden - in brilliant warm sunshine a couple of days ago!! - coming soon!

Kay

altered book - the first chapter!

I'm taking another Altered Book class with My Creative Classroom - it's actually the first of the two, but I did the 'next chapter' last autumn!

So, one of the first week's lessons was on 'found poetry' - using the words on the book pages to create a new sentence, saying etc.  Here it is ...


reads "You swept me into your arms - I smile - I wish 
heart - friend



finished page

The last 2 words really didn't make much sense, so I hid them with a heart, added another heart at the top of the page, and then stamped one of my favourite stamps (even if the guy does look like Nick Knowles!) onto heart mulberry paper & glued it to the page.  I finally added a strip of misted tissue tape to add another colour - it was looking a bit too pink!

I was quite pleased with how it turned out!

This week it's windows & pockets - planning them out as I type!

Back soon,

Kay



   

12 tags of 2012 - February

So, as I said my last post, Tim is  doing 12 tags of 2012 this year, starting February.  Hopefully it'll be easier to keep up with them, rather than a rush in early December! ... we shall see!

So here's Tim's February tag, Valentines theme, of course!

And here's mine ...  So, what supplies have I already got? Tag? of course!  Dies for hearts? not Tim's, but yes!  Tissue tape? yes again, and Tim's die for the trim, & ribbon! But ...

Stamp matching texture fade? no!

Honeycomb paper? no!

So once again, I've adapted & substituted, using what I've got!  A couple of red (& purple) distress inks on the tag, flicked with water; used picket fence (white) distress stain on embossing folder & embossed.

I decided not to try & make my own honeycomb paper this time (I know it can be done!), so I cut out 2 each small & mediumhearts, & added distress ink & distress stickles - then it was just a case of finishing off!

I distressed the LOVE tiles & attached them to grungeboard to give them a bit of height, & embellished with various bits - I was going to add a tiny cupid to the ribbon, but I think I must have used him on a Valentine's card a couple of years ago - oh well!!

I'm really looking forward to what Tim comes up with for the rest of the year - can't wait!

Back soon,
Kay

back, at last ...

Well, it's a long time since I've blogged ... and a long time since I've crafted, but I'm getting back in the swing of things now (hopefully!)

So, what am I doing craftwise at the moment?

Well, I'm doing 2 (!) great online courses for starters, and Tim Holtz is this year doing the 12 tags of 2012.

And I'll also be taking Tim's online class in March - really looking forward to that one!

So - wish me luck & I'll be back soon!

Kay

a white Christmas?

Here's my entry for Chocolate Baroque's white Christmas challenge...

So when I decided to enter the challenge, I searched through my stamp collection, and, lo & behold, I couldn't believe that I hadn't got any of Chocolate Baroque's beautiful Christmas stamps! How that happened I don't know!  So apologies to Glenda & Chocolate Baroque (& I will definitely have some by next Christmas!).

Anyway, so working with Tim Holtz's trees stamp, I heat embossed them in white.  I stamped the smaller card on a creamy cardstock, and the larger card on white.  I used iced spruce distress ink (from Tim's Winter Collection) for the background on both.  I was struck by the difference in colour on the two cardstocks!  But whichever cardstock it's on, I think it gives a very wintery feel (just right for a white Christmas!).

PS I love all the colours in the Winter Collection, but I think Iced Spruce is my favourite!

12 tags - day 12

So its the last of Tim's tags for 2011!  Did he save the best to last?  I love, love, love Tim's 12th tag!  I love the muted colours, I love the 'frozen Charlotte', I love the tissue wrap (wishlist!) - in fact I love everything about it!!!
Here's my version ...

I added a layer of Christmas vellum over the top of the stamped & inked tag, which took ages to stick (and bubbled alarmingly!).  This also made the tag bend up - I sort of got around this by adding a piece of rigid cardboard behind the window/dwelling shape (which I cut freehand from grungepaper).  I had some German (Dresden) scrap wings which I painted with pewter distress crackle to dull it down a bit (& I also used this on the tiny flower brad).  I made a die cut rose flower out of silver 'angel hair' - I couldn't curl the petals up so much as usual, so I left out the single petal from the middle & added a pearl bead.  I also used a strip of this for the ribbon - I coloured it & the rose a little with iced spruce - I love this colour (I wasn't too sure when I first saw it, but I soon changed my mind after using it!)

I've learnt so much in the last 12 days!  It's been fantastic being able to continue on my creative 'journey', with Tim as a guide, showing every step of the way!  I've enjoyed the challenges of finding alternatives & substitutions, I've even enjoyed the (quite a few) frustrations!!
So its back to reality now; more presents to buy & wrap, cards to write & send, house to clean & tidy, Christmas cake & pudding to make, dining room table (my craft space!!) to clear so we can eat Christmas dinner (and just 2 or 3 crafty items to complete before Christmas Day)!!!

Wishing everyone "Merry Christmas", "Season's Greetings", "Happy Holidays", and a wonderful & peaceful New Year
Back soon, Kay

12 tags day 11

Tim's tag is wonderfully retro 1950's & colourful - I knew I should have bought the stamp set!  And I can't believe I haven't got any of Tim's christmas wording stamps!!! (just another couple of things for my wishlist!!).

As I'd already used Tim's 'vintage' Santa and 'damask' reindeer on previous tags, I decided to use PaperArtsy stamps instead, hence red greeting & the green tree! I just love the effect of distress ink on glossy card, flicked with water; as Tim said in his blog, "the water droplets will create a faux-bleach effect on the gloss paper (way more than using this technique on regular cardstock)."  I love the background to my tag (in reality, its a brighter blue!)

I failed on the shrink plastic/UTEE embellishment!  I've know I've got some shrink plastic - somewhere - (no doubt I'll find it when I finally clear up after Tim's 12 day tag 'marathon'!!) and I have got a little UTEE, but no melting pot (it's been on my wish list for ages! - hint to Santa!!).  So Instead, I die cut a star & embossed it with a texture fade, coloured it with alcohol ink (mainly salmon, with a tiny touch of cranberry, a sort of 1950's colour?) & added some glossy accents (which I think I was a little heavy-handed with, as they took ages to dry - perhaps I should have just used some distress stickles!)

Well, its the last lap now, just 1 more tag to go - this year!  I'll certainly miss doing them every day!

More tomorrow,  Kay