August 2011

Still playing with first page - still 11 to go!

August Calender page for 2011

One down 11 to go !!!!!
There are days when I think I've taken on more than I can chew :-)

BAA BAA BRA SHEEP

Our BADFA Convention is in 3 weeks time, we are exhibiting and auctioning decorated bras for "Breast Cancer" this is my attempt on a bra, have another new bra waiting to be done for a swap not sure yet what to do on that one - the sheep heads are part of my own design - "Shorn Sheep" This is off to Coventry later this morning, 1st class Royal Mail.

Domino Book! Re vamped

Travelled to Exeter for the Westpoint Craft Exhibition, had a ball looking and spending, I made the decision to only buy what I knew I'd use, its too easy to buy things you like and never ever use them! I wonder how many of us have done that.
I bought a butterfly punch - lots of fat quarters absolutely gorgeous fabric - a steam punk stamp set - Distress Inks - a book on how to make books and journals - musical peel offs - archival ink - self adhesive gems - and finally a big carton of card.
Today have re vamped my domino book - am now very pleased with it, used fabric & napkins to make embellishments, distress ink in Dusky Pink & Old Paper and gold paint.
Love the distress ink on the napkins - looks like stone - will use this again and again for backgrounds.
A productive learning day.

Finished - DOMINO BOOK

At last my Domino Book is finished – the dominoes I found are small, my artist flair isn’t very good with something this small….but all good for that important learning curve of what suits you best.
I have realized that I need to start thinking smaller, when collecting or making embellishments etc.
I started by covering the dominoes with white paper serviettes, giving a slightly rough texture, then painted them with gold acrylic paint – I found a bracelet which had metal elements, suitable for a fastening, it has 2 sets of holes, I threaded gold elastic through these holes, to fasten the book keeping it closed these loops can be pulled over the ends. A small pink butterfly is part of this fastener. I attached it to the front cover domino with Jo Sonja’s texture paste, it took a while to dry and it is rock hard and securely attached.
I cut the pages from a sturdy paper, cut them the width + double the height of the dominoes, folded each in half. Found some pink ribbon, which matched the butterfly, glued the ribbon inside each folded page leaving a little bit showing between each for a hinge this worked extremely well, without too much bulk, I left spare ribbon at each end to attach to domino covers. The pages lie nice and flat.
I covered these pages with gold luster fabric and scrapbook paper of small stenciled roses, I tried unsuccessfully to stamp on the fabric, it rubbed off, a mistake not to be repeated, but as a newbie that’s the best way for me to learn! So I used patches of white paper printed with the words “LIVE “LAUGH” & “LOVE”. Finally I attached the ribbon ends to the inside of both Domino covers, using a grey paper that I have embossed a gold butterfly onto, this butterfly is a tab that lifts up, underneath are the details of this swap.
My book is a very simple and easy design. I hope my swap partner likes it. I have enjoyed the challenge of making this wee book, am happy with the outcome. My best critics – my children – both say it is very nice – high praise indeed as they are rather too honest at times!

Domino Books

At last have finished this mini book, I found it harder than I thought it would be!.
Have kept it simple, learnt a huge amount on what I can't do!!!! LOL I need to add permanent inks to my stash, have wasted several items, but I'm the gal to learn the hard way - will remember - waiting for camera battery to charge.......

THINKING CAP.......................

......... is back on .......... next projects are a domimo book & a calender page ....
me thinks I best concentrate on my calender, will need 11 copies of my mastercopy!

Card of the Month - September 2010

Theme "BLACK, BROWN & CREAM"
The idea for this card is inspired by a Kaiser papercraft design.
Materials I used :-
A cream folded card + oddments of black and dark brown card, handmade paper in cream with brown fibers, coffee brown fabric with black writing, pearly cream beads & cream & black 3D writer pens.
I layered the middle section, started with the handmade paper, then black card and a strip of fabric, glued this to the base. The branches are narrow strips of brown, leaves are black, brown, faric and handmade paper, the bird shapes - main body is black, the wing/tail is brown, and the top of wing is handmade paper, all layered and glued on. Attached pearly cream beads on the branches with glue, I outlined the leaves and bird with black 3 D writing pen, used cream 3 D writing pen to outline the fabric strip and the birds eye. The frame was roughly cut from brown and glued on over the top, used the cream 3D writer pen around the inside edge. Finally added a few words on medium brown card "LAUGH as much as you breathe and LOVE as long as you LIVE, dotted the edges with black & cream 3D writer pens.

Back of Card

OH BUMMER!!!!!!!! when I turned my card over, I had a black smudge oh dear a "BOO BOO", mmmmmmmm thinking cap on.............stripes in Black & Brown, found the masking tape, tore off the currect length, stuck it onto my clothes to get rid of the stickiness, put on the card, did 2 stripes one black, the other brown, peeled back the masking tape - OH BUMMER!!!!!!!!!! BOO BOO No 2, it pulled off part of the card surface GRRRRRRRRRRRRRR (more unprintable words really!!!!) where is that darned thinking cap? mmmmmmmmmm Ok, I'll make more rough areas - a new technique for texture!!!!!!!!!!, sponged brown all over remaining cream card, hope my swap partner likes this "TEXTURE TECHNIQUE"
Happy now - and funnily me thinks I'll use this again, rough to smooth, it will come in handy for other things. :-)