A little bit of shiny

Opus Gluei Challenge #123. Tweet, Chirrup and Trill.

2012-01-29T10:39:00.000Z

It is my challenge this fortnight on the Opus Gluei challenge blog.

One of my favourite themes is all things Birdie so let rip with your Bird art this coming fortnight.

I drew a birdhouse template and cut it out of chipboard and covered it with Tim Holtz papers. I then paper pieced a couple of adorable birds to live in the birdhouse.
These birds are chipboard shapes from Twiddlebitz but when they arrived they were far smaller than I thought they would be so had to redraw them bigger to fit my grand plan (Ahem).
Now I drew them freehand but if my brain cell had been around the front I would have realised that I could have scanned them and printed them out bigger and it would have been much easier. Hindsight is such a wonderful thing is it not? It always puts me in such a jolly mood...

Click on the pictures to make them bigger, you will be glad to know that the second picture blows up nice and big.

Onto my baby birds, my dear little chickies...
C'mon Ladies -enjoy the new poobahs!

Happy creating!
Gini
xx

Opus Gluei Challenge #122. Take a picture it will last longer.

2012-01-15T01:30:00.003Z

The lovely Kirsten over at Opus Gluei has given the following prompt to get our creative juices flowing "Take a picture it will last longer."

Now I can't say that I use photographs much at all in my art but I often make pictures so I set out to make a picture that would fake the look of fabric in a photograph (WTF) even I can't follow the very convoluted way I have tried to meet this prompt, when I was creating it all made perfect sense to me but in the cold light of day today who knows what I was thinking...my brain cell was not round the front but MIA.

So this fake fabric background that is made of paper but looks like a picture replica of a photograph of fabric..... is a tenuous entry at best for this prompt, but hey I've felt quite poorly this last week and this was my best shot.

Oh but doesn't Gooseneck's dear little face make you smile nestled in that flower?

Then I made another similar card, but it's very boring.

I took white card, Do Craft's V & A stamp set called V & A quilts- cornfield, and stamped in versamark ink and heat embossed with clear fine detail powder. Used cut and dry to apply Evergreen Bough and Festive Berries Distress inks to make the background.

I coloured a few of the flowers with Cosmic Shimmer Watercolours for a little bit of shiny.
Made a 3D flower using red card and Marianne design die cutting set of flower shapes glued together with white PVA and 3D decoupage glue.
Gooseneck's face from Stampotique.
A spellbinders die for the tag and metallic red card candi.
The sentiment on the second card is a Personal Impressions stamp.

I'm sure anything you make for this challenge will make far more sense than mine.
If you want to see a very clever take on the challenge go see what Electra has made as her brain cell is round the front and isn't budging from pole position.

Happy creating!
Gini
xx

Opus Gluei Challenge #121. Out with the Old and In with the New.

2012-01-01T01:01:00.010Z

Firstly may I wish you all a very Happy New Year.

Deena over at Opus Gluei has been very clever with her challenge title and theme because it is basically a free for all challenge just use some old stash or some new stash or a mixture of both and create something!
How clever is that?
I love clever play on words so Deena is off to a roaring start in 2012 and I hope the same is true for you.

I thought I would make something useful for this time of year so I made 6 identical Thank you cards and then I made another 3 identical general cards using a seahorse stamp from Chocolate Baroque.
My new stuff is the yellow sequins and the 3 and 3/4 inch square shaped blank cards from Craftworkcards, the rest is from my stash.

I have used some of my favourite inks, Brilliance Pearlescent Inks, I have use the tricolour pads in Peacock, Twilight and Aurora.
I used the background stamp from Penny Black Slapstick called Paisley Swirls but I think it looks great as stylized sea.
The flourish is from Inkadinkado called Sketchy Flourishes.
The Many Thanks sentiment is from Hero Arts Sending Smiles messages.
The With Love sentiment is from Papermania Hampstead Collection, Icon and sentiments.
The Dress form is a 3inch Woodware Punch Dress 2.

I've also used standard sized sequins which I think give a better balance of size on these small cards rather than using Card Candi which is bigger.
Here is a size comparison photo. See what you think.

For the Pinafore dress card.
I drew a pinafore template to fit the card blank on white card and coloured with distress inks using Rangers cut n' dry foam.
Spritzed with silver mica mixed with water in a mini mister.
The background stamp is from Chocolate Baroque and has been coloured with distress inks, the little Teeny Weeny stamps used on the Pinafore are also Chocolate Baroque stamps called Curiosities and Teeny Weeny Meadow.

I coloured Icing Sugar Card Candi (white) with Versamagic chalk inks to get an accurate match in colour.
Did you know you can colour Card Candi with your inks?
It makes the Icing Sugar white pack endlessly versatile.
Inks I have successfully used to colour the Candi are Distress Inks (dye ink), Versamagic (chalk ink), and Brilliance (pigment ink).
I use small 3D foam pads which are 2mm thick to stick my Card Candi on with.
The brand I use is Stick It! code number STI 4100. Very cheap and work well.

Happy Creating in 2012!
Gini
xx

Merry Christmas to you Cards

2011-12-24T19:49:00.000Z

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and a happy, peaceful, prosperous and creative New Year.

If 2011 was a crapper for you too, then let's believe in the miracle of Christmas and that next year will be full of wonderful surprises, peace and prosperity with a large daily helping of joy, excellent health and happiness.

If 2011 was a fabulous year for you I hope next year is even better.

I have told Santa just how good you've been this year so make sure you hang up a really big stocking tonight, I mean really BIG, you know;

a humungous whopper of a stocking - yes, you have been that good and so have I.

Here are just a few of the Christmas cards I made this year. Each one badly photo'd and wonky, no change there then. If you want to see it wonky even bigger, click on it, if not then just tip your head to the side a little bit.

Happy creating right through 2012!

Gini

Opus Gluei Challenge #120. I'm dreaming of a white Christmas.

2011-12-18T01:00:00.010Z

The lovely Electra over at Opus Gluei has set the challenge this time and it's whatever "I'm dreaming of a white Christmas" inspires you to create.

Well I thought I would experiment.
Now as you well know, those are really dangerous words for any crafter, because it could all end up in the bin and me in a huff.
So last night at bed time I was in a huff and this project would have ended up in the bin had I had enough time to make something else but, alas, time is not on my side right now so here is my not quite white or quite right Christmas Scene.
Ooops, I was hoping to rescue it with my shiny Cosmic Shimmer watercolours and truly they did help but they cannot perform miracles.

Look through your fingers or out the corner of your eye at this and don't click on it, nobody wants to see it bigger.

If you join in I'm sure you'll make something nicer :-)
Happy Creating!
Gini
xx

Modified Easel Desk Calendars.

2011-12-06T21:17:00.000Z

I have been making these desk calendar Christmas presents over the last several months.
This is my version of the fantastic punched screen card tutorial Jane Johnson made for Whiff of Joy Inspirations here.
However I did use my easel aperture card method instead, that I describe here.

I fell in love with this Kanban stamp set Moulin Divas- Tres Chic when I saw it featured in Craft Stamper earlier in the year.
The papers are from GCD studios 8" Paris Nights collection that is just superb.
Click on any picture to make it bigger.
Oh la la.

Calendar 1

Calendar 2

Calendar 3

Calendar 4

Calendar 5

I ran out of steam after the 5th one although I had ideas for more variations, as they do take quite a while to make but some desk calendars I've made in the past are going into their 3rd year with a new set of calendar pages so they can last year after year.

Happy creating!
Gini
xx

Opus Gluei Challenge 119. Gingerbread.

2011-12-04T01:00:00.002Z

The lovely Jana over at Opus Gluei has challenged us to
Run, run as fast as you can...
and create something inspired by the word Gingerbread.

Like many others I don't like the taste of ginger in any form of sweet or pudding including gingerbread but I do love all the creative ways gingerbread is used. It is practically an art form with my favourite use being the making of gingerbread houses.

So I have made a christmas gingerbread house out of card, paper and a little bit of shiny.

Click on the pictures to make them bigger.

I got the idea from the book Mixed Mania by Debbi Crane and Cheryl Prater,
( I've linked to the USA amazon store only because it has the look inside the book feature which isn't available on the UK amazon site, but you can buy it through amazon.co.uk.)
This book is visually feastworthy and the layout using the idea of a cook book style is very slick, novel and appealing.
Another huge draw for this book is that both these ladies keep up a funny dialogue throughout the book. They are both funny and artists, a combination that is seemingly quite rare, quite why I don't know but there it is.
Do publishers think we can't cope with both together or that we wouldn't want that?
Anyway I recommend this book as a stocking or under the tree treat for yourself.

Undone this is what the house looks like.

It is quite straight forward to draw yourself a template, which is what I did.
Each house panel is a 2 inch square. So draw a 3inch by 8 inch rectangle.
The gable ends (the triangles) are 1 inch deep, so draw a horizontal line at 2 inches up the rectangle and draw your triangle points at 3 inches and 7 inches along the top line.
After you have cut it out, score vertical lines downwards at 2, 4 and 6 inches so your template looks like my photo.
The roof is an ATC size, 2 and a half by 3 and a half inches.
Aha! Have the eyes lit up of the ATC makers out there? Just think of the possibilities. You just need to remember it has to fold in half width ways to make the apex of the roof.

There is another lovely surprise in the instructions for these little houses but I'll not spoil it, you'll have to get the book.

Ingredients.
I used Co-ordinations card in Bon bon for the gingerbread.
I used polar white flowersoft on the roof to make the snow which I stuck down with permanent double sided tape that comes out of roller gadget made by Stick it! I don't have any sheets of double sided tape which would be perfect for this.
A wet glue like white PVA (which you would normally use for flowersoft) over the whole area will warp the ATC and you'll end up with a wonky roof so use a dry glue of some sort.
The card candi is held on the flowersoft using silicon dimensional glue.

Plan how you are going to decorate the sides of your house first before you cut the door and windows in case you need to leave enough room for a particular embellishment.
I needed to leave enough room under my windows for the picket fence.
I cut the windows and doors without measuring using a metal ruler and a craft knife.
I used Martha Stewart border punches in Picket fence and deep edger Garden Trellis which I glued on with white PVA and used Anita's 3D gloss to glue on the bugle beads.
The snow on the sides of the house is Stickles in frosted lace (yes another one Electra!).
Make two holes using a pokey tool, one for the brad and the other for the embroidery floss, see the photo above for placement. Wind the floss around the brad to hold the house together.

My prototype house was this one.

I didn't like it being held together by 2 pieces of embroidery floss tied in a bow, it looks a bit messy so I change it to a brad and embroidery floss on the gingerbread house.

So are you tempted to join in?
Happy creating!
Gini
xx

Tando Creative challenge for November. Blue and brown.

2011-11-27T16:26:00.000Z

This month's challenge over at Tando Creative is the colour scheme blue and brown.
This is a colour scheme that I would never normally do but that is the whole idea of a challenge isn't it, to get out of your comfort zone and expand a little bit.

Click on it to make it bigger.

It is a large fridge magnet.
So for this I thought I could probably manage turquoise and beige, and then good old Basic Grey papers came to the rescue with this lovely brown background paper.
I used Tando Creative mini birds and branches chipboard painted in turquoise and beige acrylic paint overstamped with a section of a Christmas bauble stamp in Brilliance Ink in Mediterranean Blue.
The wings have been stickled with True Blue (Oh be still my heart, if you haven't got this colour of Stickles yet, get it on your Christmas list because it is just GORGEOUS and I'll tell Santa how good you've been.)
I painted white card that I had cut out using nestibles in the same turquoise. I also Overstamped the frame with a text stamp in Brilliance Ink in moonlight white.

I hope you are all getting revved up for the Christmas Fandango coming to a chimney near you.

Happy creating!
Gini
xx

Opus Gluei Challenge #118 Thanks for being You

2011-11-20T01:00:00.008Z

The lovely Rosemary over at Opus Gluei has set the challenge this time, anything that the quote "Thanks for being you" inspires.

Flowers are so often given as a thank you gift so I made a card using the fabulous Paper Artsy stamps Hot Picks 1004 and their set of steampunk moth stamps.
I used the wrinkle free technique using Inkadinks from the bright range and oversprayed with a silver shimmer spray for the flower, stem and leaves, and Cosmic Shimmer watercolour paints for the moth.

It is amazing just how many pieces of paper can be filled when you spend the time writing down everything you are thankful for.
If your spirit is flagging a bit right now consider giving it a try, it gives you such a boost when you see those pages filling up and gets you in a much better frame of mind.
After the usual suspects of family and friends, my next thankful for thing is electricity.

Happy creating under your electric lights ;-)
Gini
xx

The Craft Barn's £200 Blog Candy!

2011-11-15T22:27:00.000Z

Have you seen this yet?

The Craft Barn

are having a giveaway of

over £200 of crafting goodies !!

What are you waiting for, get yourself over there -

click on either the link or the photo above.

You have until November 25th to enter.

The lucky winner will be announced on their blog by the end of the month.

GOOD LUCK!!

Opus Gluei Challenge #117. What's on your head? Spanky does Clover.

2011-11-06T01:22:00.050Z

Helloooooo this fortnight's challenge over at Opus Gluei is mine, all mine mwha-ha-ha.
Or rather Spanky's.
Where have you been girl ???
Your adoring fans have missed you.
So tell us then, what's on your head?

It can be any kind of project you like as long as it's got someone or an animal with something on it's head, or even a shelf or a display of hats, something along those lines.
You might fancy going the traditional route and use a hat of some kind, a head dress, a crown, or exotic feathers on a glamorous lady.
You might feel inclined to go a bit wackier and put a fried egg on a dog's head, or a Santa's hat on a chicken, your imagination is your only limitation, anything goes.
Marie Antoinette had a galleon sailing in her wig once I believe.
If you feel like writing a little story to go with your creation I would love that too.
Just a few lines of nonsense, I am easily pleased (no don't listen to Himself laughing at that, he knows nothing).

Spanky has a bit of a passion for making headresses.

So this is Stampotique's Clover ready for an evening out.
She is planning on dazzling her beau, her hope is that the candle light glinting off her head dress will hypnotise him and make him amenable to her every wish and whim.
Now if you click on her to make her bigger and look at her dear little face, you will see a lady who is prepared to suffer for her ART and her cutting edge fashionability.
Bless her.
Where would we be without style icons like Spanky eh?

C'mon get yer thinking cap on!

Happy creating
Gini
xx

Tando Creative Challenge No 3, Spooktastic October.

2011-10-30T17:28:00.000Z

This month's Challenge over at Tando Creative is SPOOKTASTIC and I'm entering just in time.

I've used just 1 of the 3 parts of the printers tray from the Mini Printer Tray Round (152mm diameter with stand) pack.
I have split the pack so I can make 3 printer's trays just like I did with this Printer Tray pack.

Click on it to make it bigger, although I must say that the bat's background setting is hopeless, they are never good but this one is particularly pathetic. I couldn't easily find a white area big enough and I didn't exactly go the whole mile in trying to set the scene in ambiance, I think I went roughly 1 and 3/4 inches instead.

I used Distress Inks and Andirondack dye Inks and sponged the backgrounds and used stamp sets:-
Chocolate Baroque - Howling moon
Inkadinkado - All Hallow's Eve

I drew the bat wings and used small black sequins glued on with Anita's 3D gloss to form the wing ribs.

I won't have got it anatomically correct so this bat won't fly, just saying in case you were looking out your window for it.
Although I could always stand outside your window with it dangling on a string and shake it suitably in the style of a bat in flight and for added authenticity I could emit a sonic whistle or audible squeak, what do you think?
(I've got until tomorrow night to get to your house...)

Happy Halloween creating!
Gini
xx

Opus Gluei Challenge #116. Something wicked this way comes.

2011-10-23T01:00:00.008+01:00

The lovely Kirsten at Opus Gluei has challenged us this time to make a project to celebrate Halloween so I have followed the Split Coast Stampers Shadow Box card instructions here for this 3D card. But I made the card centre a lot bigger and I punched a Martha Stewart border using Layered Arches and sandwiched that between the side panels for a bit of additional interest.

Mwah-ha-ha.............. Your carriage awaits you and it's ready to whisk you away; past the howling wolf and up, up, up to the creepy castle where your destiny awaits you...

OR if that doesn't tickle your fancy then a huge bar of your favourite chocolate, a foot massage, a large glass of wine, a roaring open fire and the person(s) of your choice :-)
(Feel free to change or tweak any of the above aspects to make your perfect evening entertainment - 'cos I'm helpful like that.)
Click on it to make it bigger.

The stamps are from Chocolate Baroque and are the new Halloween stamp set called Howling Moon. They are gorgeous aren't they?

The spider border and the sentiment is from the Inkadinkado set called Creepy Crawly.
The black ink is Versafine heat embossed with clear fine detail embossing powder.
I sponged Distress Inks in Stormy sky and Chipped Sapphire to colour the card.
I used a white Derwent colour soft pencil to colour the moon and I lightly shaded dark green Colour soft pencil over the foreground of the centre card to give some definition to the ground area. Derwent colour soft pencils work beautifully over distress inks.
The sentiment tag is from the Spellbinders Fancy Tags set.
The fence is Martha Stewart's Iron Fence border punch.

Happy creating!
Gini
xx

Opus Gluei Challenge #115. Back into the swing of things.

2011-10-09T01:15:00.006+01:00

Firstly I apologize for not visiting everyone the last few weeks, things appear to be going to hell in a handbasket around my neck of the woods but this too will pass.

The lovely Deena over at Opus Gluei has challenged us to be inspired by the word SWING whether it be literally or getting back into a routine after the school holidays or even a swing in your step.

For me getting back into my crafting swing/routine is making comedy art, or things that make me laugh anyway. So here is a very topical card.
Click on it to make it bigger.

We have Jeepers from Stampotique Originals and the cobweb,spider border and bat from this Inkadinkado set called creepy crawly.

I think Jeepers now looks very like an anamatronic fortune teller in one of the machines you used to find in amusement arcades on seaside piers in England.
They always seemed quite creepy to me, but it didn't stop me putting my 10p in for my fortune to be told.

Happy creating!
Gini
xx

Tando Creative September Challenge, Rustic Charm. Crafty Individuals September Challenge Hanging about.

2011-09-27T16:16:00.000+01:00

Second Post today.
The Tando Creative challenge this month is a project based on the theme Rustic Charm.

And the Crafty Individuals challenge this month is Hanging about. A project made for hanging up.

I was the lucky winner of last month's challenge and I am now able to make things with Tando Creative chipboard hooray!
Thank you so much to the lovely Di at Tando Creative.
Just as I received my winning goody pack I saw on the Crafty Individuals website that they are now stocking Tando Creative Printer's Tray's - swoon - I have been wanting to alter a printer's tray for ages so I ordered some of the different styles they have in stock at the Crafty Individuals webshop here.

First I'll show you what I made for each challenge then I'll tell you how I used the printer's trays if you are still reading by then.

For the Tando Creative challenge I made two printer tray wall hangings because I just couldn't decide on which style of Rustic I wanted to make.

Firstly I made one up as what I would describe as an Old English Rustic Charm Hen House.
Click on any image to make it bigger.

I used K & Co designer papers (sorry I don't know which range but it is an old one), Artemio hens stamps and a little chipboard house covered in designer papers from the Tando Creative Mini Houses and Fences pack. The frame was first given a coat of white gesso then a coat of Juniper Adirondack acrylic paint dabber.

My second is a Dainty Floral English Rose Rustic Charm Hen House.

This hen house includes step 2 of the 12 step programme for finding your inner grunge.
Step 2: Splodge different colours of acrylics RANDOMLY on your project.
I don't know if I will ever be able to do Step 12 which is colouring outside of the lines, (are you shuddering too?) but baby steps, just baby steps.

Do you have a favourite? Mine is which ever one I am looking at...
But they are both up on my kitchen walls so thankfully I don't have to choose.

My Crafty Individuals Challenge make is another project based on the seashore.
I used the C.I. seaside background papers book 6 (which I have mooned over enough in previous posts) and their seahorse stamp from one of their plates beginning with a C (hmm) and then some numbers *cough*.
The other stamps used are made by Inkylicious, Hero Arts and Chocolate Baroque.

Are you wondering how it hangs up?
Well I'm not going to tell you.

Just kidding Mrs.
When I first starting making hanging things I used to make a beaded wire hanger for my projects but they need a nail or a hook in the wall to hold them up.
If you are anything like me, you make lots of new things to hang up and frankly some of my early stuff has needed retiring to the attic but I don't want a wall full of holes as projects come and go, so my cunning plan which has worked well for over 2 years now is to use Scotch Magic Tape.
Do I hear you cry "oooooh do tell!" or was that just wind.

WARNING this only works with Scotch Magic Tape and on emulsion painted plaster walls, there is no substitute tape out there.
You tear off a piece about 2 inches long and then use your fingers to curl it around to make a circle of it with the sticky side facing outwards like this, make sure you stick the two ends together by overlapping them. Thereby making double sided tape.

You then stick this to the back of your project or card, use as many evenly spaced circles as you think you need to hold it on the wall.
For my printer's tray I used 5 circles of tape. One on each corner and one in the point at the top. I usually use 4 to hold a card unless it is particularly heavy for a card.
I have had projects stuck on my emulsion painted walls for nearly 3 years without any bother and when you take them off they do not pull off the paint.

Do NOT use this method to stick onto wallpaper or emulsion painted lining wallpaper, that will only end in tears (in your wallpaper) and tears (in your eyes).

Now onto the Printers tray itself.
It looks like this when it is out of the packaging. I have used the universal size guide dew drop ink to give you an idea of size.

Now the wonderful part of this product is that the tray part comes in 3 pieces that you can either glue all together and make a 6mm deep printers tray OR you can make 3 separate printers trays that has 2mm deep printers trays.
Seeing as I have no deep items I wanted to display in it I was able to make all 3 trays out of one pack. The pack cost £7.25 so with the help of my trusty calculator each tray cost me only £2.42 to make plus I have a display holder left over that I can use to hold projects for photographing or another project. Happy dancing here.
All I had to do was cut an extra 2 back panels out of thick card for each additional tray.

Happy creating!
Gini
xx

Opus Gluei Challenge #114. Owl always love you. 3D floating front card.

2011-09-27T13:53:00.000+01:00

The lovely Electra over at Opus Gluei has challenged us this time to create something using Owls as the theme.
I'm late this week as I've only just got my computer back from the menders with it having been gone a whole week!
Fortunately the sky did not fall down nor did I suffer separation anxiety, both of which comes as a bit of a surprise to me. Who knew you could live without a computer...

I am going through a phase of making projects out of my 3 years worth of Craft Stamper magazines.
I love 3 dimensional cards and this triangle style is just fabulous.
It is a Joanne Wardle designed template from page 53 of the April 2011 edition of Craft Stamper.

I have used Owl with Wings from Stampotique Originals coloured with Derwent Inktense pencils. The background is sponged with Tumbled Glass and Shabby Shutters Distress Inks. The trees are Creative Expressions stamps, create a scene - trees. The seagulls are Chocolate Baroque stamp set Seaside Ted. All stamped with Versafine black and smokey grey inks and the trees are glittered.

Happy Creating!
Gini
xx

Opus Gluei Challenge #113. Dancing with the Poobahs.

2011-09-11T01:00:00.002+01:00

Jana has set this fortnight's Opus Gluei challenge as any project inspired by dancing.
Loads of possibilities in this one aren't there?
Good, go get yer gear out and create something then, I am looking forward to coming and looking at what you make.

After I'd done multiple pirouettes in the very tight space that is my craft room (that didn't end too well), I settled down with Twinkie and David Bowie and danced the night away...
Click on it to make it bigger.

In the spirit of finding my inner grunge, did you notice the torn paper?
That was me, I TORE IT.
It's a twelve step plan; Finding your Inner Grunge.
In baby steps, just baby steps.
Although from observation, it seems to be a natural state of being in teenage boys. Alas I am not a teenage boy so I'm having to work very hard at it.

Stamps used Crafty Secrets Twinkle stars which a great little set of clear stamps with lots of different stars including shooting stars, perfect for creating a night scene.
Stampotique Originals; Twinkie; Wee Owl; Small Moon; and Puss Puss.
David Bowie is not a stamp but a singer songwriter. Just saying...in case you are a youngster.

Happy creating!
Gini
xx

Stampotique Designer's Challenge #37 Bookmark and #36 Altering a book page.

2011-09-08T19:01:00.001+01:00

This fortnight's Stampotique Designer's Challenge is to make a bookmark.
Not easy if you like dimension, as you can't use it on bookmarks which is what generally puts me off making them.

Hands up who has got the Tim Holtz Filmstrip Frames Sizzix die?
Keep your hand up if you've found a good layout for using it on a card.
No, me neither.
I haven't even seen one out in my travels around blogsville.
The best I can think of is making two, filling them with pictures and putting them mostly vertically but crossing over one another and having some designer paper somewhere.
Or stamping some sort of scene or collage arrangement on a card base and laying an empty filmstrip over it or making snapshots from the scene to go in the filmstrip.
But none of these ideas has inspired me to actually want to make them.

Oooh but I don't need to care about sticking it on a card anymore because I can make bookmarks with it instead and so can you- yay - no more guilt about a white elephant purchase.

Stampotique characters from the top are; Sheer, Heart Throb, Three in a round, Mort has a Pin Curl, and Clover.

I didn't use the whole filmstrip because it is too long for paperbacks and I backed it onto textured red card and coloured with Derwent coloursoft pencils for a change.
I didn't put any ribbon or fibres on it because I don't like using bookmarks that have them, they might look nice and dangly but they are annoying to read with them. I find it's always better to use my eyes.

I did the SDC#36 Alter a page too but forgot to blog it (I'm still not fit and well and I think my brain is somewhere south of Spain. My body has never been to South of Spain or even Spain for that matter.)

I can't remember where I read the quote that "Real men have duct tape in their trucks". I didn't know what Duct Tape was and had to google it.
(It's that wide grey, cloth backed tape that I know as Electrical Tape, you might know it as John.)
Anyhoo it gave me the idea for this picture in my watercolour book.
Click on it to make it bigger.

It reads: Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus.
Heart throb is saying "Real men always have duct tape in their vans."
Girl with heart Purse is saying "What is duct tape?"
Ha!

Happy Creating!
Gini
xx

Opus Gluei Challenge #112. Everything's coming up Roses (and Rosettes).

2011-08-28T01:05:00.063+01:00

The lovely Rosemary over at Opus Gluei has challenged us to make something with roses and rosettes as our inspiration for this coming fortnight.
For a change I wanted to try a different style and make something that Rosemary would make for herself.
Well I crafted myself right into a pickle with this one as I was so out of my crafting comfort zone, but I finally did make something I thought was blogable and that Rosemary would actually like to display on her desk.
This little card is only 3 1/2 inches square.
I thought a yellow rose would be nice and summery.
Click on the pictures to make them bigger.

This side shot is to try and show the sticky up bits.

Materials used:
Spellbinders lacy circles and classic circles small and large.
Papermania Signature, Rose stamp set (polymer clear stamps). Stuck on with white PVA.
I used silicone glue to raise the inner lacy circle as it was too small for foam pads.
Roses coloured with Derwent coloursoft pencils.

I had a few nice bits of left overs from the nestible die cutting that I thought I would try and make another card from them as I admire so much all the crafter's who can make something wonderful out of a pile of crafting detritus.
Ladies like Godelieve from Stamping Matilda blog who on a Sunday comes up with fabulous cards from her scraps.
So far with my attempts I can only make a similar card of detritus from my scraps as it sure never looks good but I keep practicing.
Whilst making this card I just had to cut out a few more die cuts which of course has given me some more scraps - I can see this as being a never ending project and probably one without a happy ending.

This card is even more tiny, get your magnifying glass out.
Floating in at 3 1/4 inches.

Ooh a shiny shot, click on it to make it bigger.

Isn't that embossing powder just a fabulous colour!!!
It not only looks wonderful but it has an exotic name to match.
It's Persian Sea Aurora by Cosmic Shimmer.
The trees are from a lovely set of clear stamps called Flight of Dreams by Inkylicious Expressions.

What crafting goodies would you like to marry at the moment?
I would like to marry my spellbinders nestibles and have the Sizzix range as bridesmaids.
The vicar's togs would have to be covered in that lovely Persian Sea Aurora Embossing powder.
The best man would be Chocolate Baroque's new Steampunk Christmas stamps just have a gawk at these beauties.

Weddings or not to go to happy creating!
Gini
xx

Seaside Box Card

2011-08-24T16:14:00.000+01:00

I am still in a sea themed crafting mood.
I have made a box card following Debbie Dolphin's wonderful tutorial on page 46 of the August 2011 edition of Craft Stamper.

I am entering this card into the Crafty Individuals Challenge - Bright and beautiful.
I think I've made by the skin of my teeth timewise and I've used papers from the Seaside book of Background papers Book 6, which is my favourite by far of the 6 books of background papers they've brought out. They are so pretty I really couldn't bare to add to them on most of the panels of the card, I'll be braver with them next time.

Also the new monthly challenge by Tando Creative Go wild.
They have a wonderful prize and you have until the end of the month to enter.
I'm just starting to use chipboard shapes in projects so it's a perfect challenge for me.
I think sea creatures are wild enough and they certainly are weird enough, who would ever dream up seahorses, such weird, sad and lost looking little creatures whenever I've seen them in Aquariums.
My gorgeous sea stamps are from Chocolate Baroque that you can find here.
They are inside the box.

I'm also entering the Sir Stampalot Challenge which is Whatever You Fancy this month. They also have a prize and you have until the end of the month to join in.

Happy creating!
Gini
xx

Opus Gluei Challenge #111. Oh I do like to be beside the seaside and all things fishy.

2011-08-14T00:01:00.105+01:00

It's my turn this time to set the challenge over at the Opus Gluei Challenge blog.

So are you ready to roll your trousers up, tie a knot in each corner of a man's hanky to wear on your head, get sand in your hair and sandwiches?
Then finally in the early evening, to sit on the beach with your red peeling nose eating fish and chips covered with lashings of salt, malt vinegar and red sauce (Ketchup) out of a newspaper wrapping with a useless wooden fork provided by the Fish and Chip shop and to have the setting sun in your eyes.
Yes?
Well, it's time to put all your seaside memories or fantasies into a piece of art.
It can be based on the beach, sandcastles, donkeys, shells, beach huts etc. It could be something set on the sea, maybe a watersport such as sailing or surfing or just a seagull floating on the sea contemplating his next fish and whether or not he could ever become a pirate.
Perhaps you would rather go under the waves and use fish, mammals and other marine seascapes. Sunken vessels and treasure or mythical mermaids or even Kraken's. I don't know what a Kraken looks like but maybe you could show me.

I decided to represent through the medium of art; The birth of the Stampotique Mermaids.
Now as we all know, mermaids are born out of mermaids purses, which is presumably why groups of young women in the 1980's used to dance around their handbags down the disco often drunkenly and with their singing skills enhanced by the drink in an attempt to lure mortal men to their sides. (Mine's a Barcardi and diet coke please. Why yes, these white stiletto court shoes are very attractive.) They were of course mimicking the mysterious and beautiful mermaids singing to sailors and luring them to some fishy lovin' or to their doom depending on your point of view.
This is a 10 x 12 inch canvas that is shiny shiny shiny.
Click on any picture to make it bigger.

What I used.

10 x 12 inch canvas coloured with acrylics.

The sea foam is Stickles frosted lace.

The background was covered completely with DecoArt glamour dust glitter paint in Ice Crystal.

The Derwent inktense pencil coloured mermaids were overpainted with the other colours of DecoArt glamour dust glitter paint.

The text is Tim Holtz Sizzix Alterations die cutter called Typeset (which is already falling apart after about 8 uses, so it has not been a good purchase for me.)

Other Stickles colours used were Waterfall and True blue.

Fushia glitter glue by Glitz-it.

The seaweed is one of the Spellbinders shapeabilities from the foliage set.

The various swirls are from two different Sizzlits Medium sets; Butterfly, Flower and Swirl set, and the Decorative flourishes set.

The fushia border diecut is from the Papermania chipboard set called Floral.

Hope you are inspired to join in.

Plus I am entering my Mermaids Purses canvas in the Alter It monthly challenge Sirens, Mermaids and the deep blue sea.

Happy Creating!

Gini

Dress Form Canvas using Tim Holtz Die Sewing Room

2011-08-06T18:04:00.001+01:00

I'm entering this canvas in the Crafts and Me Challenge 46 which is the theme, Anything goes.

I'm also putting it forward for My Mojo Monthly and the August theme of Muse it and Use it.
This splendid project is the brain child of a lady called Sarah (Sasa) whom I've not come across before but is very talented (makes amazing Clean and Simple cards amongst many other styles) and she gives lots of creative ideas and interviews a well known artist each month and she also asks you to talk about your project and your creativity.
She interviews colourer extraordinaire and fabulously diverse paper crafter Kim Dellow this month, Craft Stamper published amongst many others and member of many Design Teams past and present.
Now Kim says she's just starting her creative journey so that would make me a single celled egg still waiting to split ;-)
Kim also says the best way to improve your paper crafting is practice practice practice. Which is so true and so obvious, but like many obvious things unless some one points it out to me I don't necessarily realise these obvious things.
I think this is a good example of how beneficial pointing out the obvious can be!
It's a great post, interview and blog do check it out if you have the time.

My contribution to this topic is not to underestimate the usefulness of designer papers to get a stalled project completed.
How many projects do you have hanging around unfinished because you've made a mess of the background or other part that you created yourself?
Which ink, stamped or paint background didn't go right for you and so your project remains unfinished because you got disheartened by your efforts?
When this happen to me which is often, I go look through my designer paper stash and see if there is one I can use to rescue my project or I buy one especially for it.

This 5 by 7 inch canvas is an example of how a Designer Paper got this project finished.
Underneath the Tim Holtz designer paper background (from the Vintage Shabby pack) is a really boring acrylic painted background I made that I thought was too mheh, on top of that is the ugliest mess I've seen in a long time which was my first attempt at collaging torn book pages and torn designer papers and tying them together (I use this term very loosely) with more acrylics.
I'd already made the embelishments, the die cut sewing room and tattered florals by Tim Holtz and was pleased with them but was disheartened at this point with my canvas and ready to give up.
So I found a designer paper that complemented the embelishments and got this project finished and me smiling again.

One of the questions Sarah asks her interviewees is "You are going back-packing in the Himalayas for a year and may only take 3 crafting items. Which - and why?"
My answer would be a mirror, tweezers and a back up pair of tweezers 'cos I ain't making nothing with whiskers on my chinagin.

Click on it to make it bigger. Said the bishop to the actress. (That one's especially for you Linda, I bet that afterwards they drank chicken soup.)

I made you all wait for the picture, sorry.

Happy creating!
Gini
xx

Stampotique Designers Challenges 34 Flower Power and 35 Red, yellow and orange and 35.

2011-08-04T13:16:00.000+01:00

The lovely Kaz has set the Stampotique Designers Challenge 35 as the colours red, orange and yellow.
So I've made this one especially for you Kaz :-)
Must have been distracted by shiny things.

When I was playing Dress Up 2010 I met Halle who told me that my blog made her think of her neighbour's boys saying "must have been distracted by shiny things" when someone misses a play in a ballgame. So this is where the quote comes from, thank you Halle.

Click on to make it bigger and let it be a lesson for all of us shiny lovers.
Quite what the lesson might be escapes me because fish out of water or not, shiny is good.
Very very good.

It's an 10 x 10 inch picture. I used acrylics on 300gsm watercolour paper for the background desert, yes I know it's not lifelike but I'm using artistic license because I'm an Artiste *cough*.
The cactus is the same watercolour paper cut into a cactus shape, painted a dark green and when dry I added heaps and heaps of green and gold glitter glues mixed together and piled on top.
Sorry about the cactus being green Kaz, but it's a cactus and it has to be green otherwise it would be just a strange coat rack.
I've used the three Daniel Torrente's mermaids from Stampotique Originals.

The lovely Gez set the previous SDC 34 as Flower Power.

So the question I was pondering - Can the power of flowers get the boys to the promised land?
Well, I would have to say that depends totally on the mood of the lady and has nothing to do with the flowers.
There are certain times of the month when even flowers sporting enormous diamonds aren't gone to get the boys to first base.
Nope, not a hope in hell.
But Weasel is ever hopeful and with a line like this how can he possibly fail?
Click on it to make it bigger (which is possibly a better line for Weasel to use).

It's a very red card isn't it?

Now this phrase is new to me but you may have heard it before. My son was watching Fred on youtube.com and it was a line on one of the videos. I like Fred's Annoying Orange videos. But I think it's the marmite effect though, love it or hate it.

I love romance and chickens.

Happy creating!

Gini

Opus Gluei Challenge #110. A picture is worth a thousand words.

2011-07-31T01:19:00.228+01:00

This fortnight's challenge is a tricky one if like me, you like to add words to your creations, and I nearly always do so.
The Opus Gluei challenge is to create something without words and let the image speak for itself.
I have created a 5 x 7 inch canvas which hopefully makes you think of summer.
Click on it to make it bigger.

Now you know how it is when you are desperate (oh so desperate) to get hold of a crafty item and then when you finally get it, you sit and sit and can't quite come up with something to make that you know you will actually love and want to put it up on your wall and not just making something for the sake of it, which is quite different.

Well this is what happened to me with the Woodware pack of 12 blank jigsaw puzzles which size at 4 x 51/2 inches, which are great and need NO surface preparation.

But thank goodness a trip around my favourite blogs in blogland took me to the super talented stamper Willy Anderson and her jigsaw creation in this post which has inspired my canvas. Thank you Willy!

How I made it.

If you like working with acrylics you may have come across a series of special property gold acrylics that you can either:-

use on their own,
over the top of coloured acrylics to add a translucent shimmer (similar effect as watercolour H20's give),
or mixed into a colour to produce a unique lustrous shimmer to the colour.

I use Golden's Interference Gold (Fine) #4040-4 from series 7
and
Golden's Iridescent Gold (Fine) #4010-4 from Series 6.
(Golden is the company name.)
They give the most amazing shiny effect, I mean really majestic shiny as oppose to glitter glue shiny.
Don't get me wrong I love my Ranger stickles but these are in a whole 'nother league of shiny.
I'm talking 'bout POSH shiny.
For this project I used Golden Interference Gold (Fine) #4040-4 from series 7 neat (I'm talking hardcore shiny) on a white canvas.
It gives a shimmer so good you could rub your cheek on it and give it a lick, yes truly, it really is that good.
This paint is truelove shiny.

The Woodware jigsaws come in plain white.
I used Chocolate Baroque (formerly Elusive Images) Doodle Birds and Doodle Butterflies collection stamps.
I stamped straight onto the jigsaw firstly the peacock feather with versamark and clear heat embossed it and then stamped the bird (and the butterflies on white card) with Brilliance Ink in Mediterranean Blue and clear heat embossed them.
I used tumbled glass and mustard seed Distress Inks and the applicator tool to apply them.
I liberally used Arctic Frost Glitz Gel (Imagination Crafts) over the stamped images. I spread this gel with a small wet paintbrush which I keep re-wetting, because squeezed neat out of the tube this gel is very thick and looks like kiddy snot combined with rabies froth, sorry but it does and it isn't a good look.
I used white PVA to glue the jigsaw onto the canvas and glue dots for the butterflies.

So do you feel like making a shiny something or a picture that is worth a thousand words?
You have until the 13 August to join in using Mr Linky over here!

Happy creating!
Gini
xx

Opus Gluei Challenge #109 Beat the Heat.

2011-07-17T00:12:00.002+01:00

This fortnight's Opus Gluei Challenge is to Beat the Heat.
You have until 30 July 2011 to dazzle us with your scorching project.

I'd also like to enter this card in the Sir Stampalot Anything goes Challenge.

I was so lucky because Spanky knew the answer to this straight away.
Her advice is to stay in the fridge during the day and come out to play at night when you can comfortably rush about with the wind in your fur being all windswept and dangerous.

So that's what I did, I created a night scene.
I've provided the scene but you've got to provide the windswept and dangerousness 'cos I'm too shy. *cough*

This is an aperture easel card that I came up with.
Now whilst I love aperture cards, I don't like the way you can't control the position of the card flaps on a standard card to display the scene through the aperture correctly.

Click on any picture to make it bigger.

The stamps are all Stampotique Originals. I've used Daniel Torrente's Tree and some of Jo Capper-Sandon's wonderful stamps, Wee Owl (he's sitting on the tree), Owl with wings (he's peeping out around the aperture, and he has separate wings so he can be coy like this or in full flight etc whatever takes your fancy) and Small moon.
This is a tribute to Jo as she did a similar layout on her triptych card here.
I used basic grey papers and lots of Nesties; Circles, Lacy circles, Fancy Tags and Fancy Tags 2 and a Martha Stewart butterfly punch.
I coloured with Derwent Inktense pencils.

How to make this card so it'll fold down properly to fit in the envelop.
Take two square card blanks.
Stick one flap of each card blank to each other so you have a 3 flap card.
In the picture I have used a white card blank and a red card blank to make it clearer. Click on the pictures to make them bigger.

If needed cut 1 to 2 millimeters off the front edge of the aperture panel so that the card will fold down on itself to fit in it's envelop.

Stick dimensional embelishments on the horizontal card flap to hold the easel in place. Now the aperture sits exactly where you want it so your view through the aperture is in the correct place.

To fold the card up, allow the aperture flap to fold down inside the card like this.

I was so pleased with how well this card works.

But if you know of any other way of creating this type of card I'd love to hear about it so please leave me a link in the comments.

Happy creating!
Gini
xx

Stampotique Designers Challenge #33 Use your scraps. Also #32, #30 and #29

2011-07-04T08:15:00.002+01:00

The Stampotique Designers Challenge #33 is hard this time.
A lot of my scraps are basically rejects, things I made that are UGLY but I don't have the heart to throw them away completely so they sit there in my scrap drawer. It also contains very small scraps of designer paper and a few stamped images that never got used.
I managed to make a card and a tag out of this sad little drawer and used only a white card blank that was new.
This is the pitiful drawer.

Now the only saving grace in this drawer is all the spare Daniel Torrente heads I had left over from a tunnel card I made earlier this year.
I often alter these characters, give them different outfits or move their arms about, they really lend themselves well to this sort of mucking about.
If you are squeamish you might not want to look at this card.

I had 2 Mort has a Pin Curl heads I had coloured in red.
I used Derwent Inktense Pencils, possibly the best pencils in the world, certainly the most fun to use and as I'm sure you are aware some pencils can be downright frumpy.
I mean just look at this one.

WTF?
A Frumpy Pencil trying to look hot?
NO WAY.

Aha, now we are talking, and as the late great Elvis would say
"A little less conversation a little more action please"
As I understand it, he was thinking about Derwent Inktense Pencils when he wrote that song.

Anyway where were we?
Oh yes.
I thought I would make Mort a twin brother.
Sort of Mortledee and Mortledoo.

Now all I did was turn Mort's head upside down, cut off his chin so his teeth became his hair and added a mouth drawn with a 0.1 Staedtler black pigment liner (which would be the Mercedes of the fineliners as it is a German pen).
That's all it took to create his twin.
But he kind of creeps me out so I didn't try too hard with the background for the card 'cos I can only look at him out the corner of Spanky's eye when she is giving a carrot a really hard stare.

May I just repeat myself here now.
If you are squeamish you might not want to look at this card.
OKAY be it on your own head then.

The background is Ranger paint dabbers, a real ugly colour called Willow (oh the joys of internet shopping) and Cloudy Blue. A couple of bits of scrap DP's and a bit of string.
I made a real effort with this photo and went outside in the sunshine and did a patio shoot.
"Photos from the patio", will it catch on do you think?

Onto the sorry sorry tale of this tag's ignominious beginning.
Do you remember the first year that Tim Holtz did his 12 tags of Christmas?
Well I thought I would join in.
I remember it took me ages to find the correct dimensions to cut out this tag "properly".
3 hours later the base tag was made.
I then sat there and thought
"OK how are you going to wangle this one then foolgirl?"
Because I didn't actually have any Tim Holtz products.
Not a single one.
Nope, none.

Well the tag was snuggled down at the bottom of my scrap drawer.
Lost and lonely no more.
Recently I diecut a load of nestie tags and inked them with stormy sky distress ink that I didn't like at all, plus it didn't go with the project I was making.
I still think they are ugly so I dragged them roughly through chipped sapphire Distress Ink and they look better now.
I bent them into a deep curve, used white PVA to glue them on the tag. The heads are stuck on with foam pads. The hearts are left over Daniel's Hearts from the same tunnel card project. The boys from the top are Smile, Rocky, Heart Throb, Smile (again) and Rocky (again).
Now I used gold liquid pearls instead of gold brads in the holes on the Nestie double ended tags which looks OK I think and makes a cheaper option than brads.

Ready to do some of the SDC challenges I missed the deadlines for when I was ill?

SDC challenge #32 - Clean and Simple

Describes me really.

How AMATEUR is this then? I love it!
A priceless gem I think.
My nine year old likes it too, worms are bad (the new word for cool apparently).
Hey, that worm is all my own work I'll have you know.

SDC #30 - Recycle.

I have altered a lot of matchboxes and have the matches left over to prove it.
What do you mean, show you?
Looky here then

We probably use one small matchbox worth of matches every 5 years lighting birthday cake candles, so I have a LOT of left over matches.
Strangely no, I don't have any desire to transform them into an accurate scale model of the Cutty Sark or Westminster Abbey.

Instead I came up with some little birdhouse homes for the Three in a round Stampotique stamp that managed to use up about 10 matches.
Now my maths is a bit dodgy but I think about another 9999 bird houses to go to use all of them pesky matches up, unless you know any old men?
Steady.

I thought I would try a different style to my normal and use a muted palette of colours.
This first birdhouse uses a piece of recycled parcel paper, as it was runkled (creased) I ran it through my Xcut paper crimper which is adorable, sometimes it wears a bow; actually it IS a hot tool.
Then I used my finger (another hot tool) to apply some silver acrylic paint to the parcel paper along the top of the ridges.
The base is made of foam board.
I cut up some matches for the gable and used white PVA to glue everything including the beads around the stamp.
It was so plain I just couldn't leave it like that so added some tiny red beads and crystal glitter glue to the match sticks to try and perk it up.
It's still a bit dull to look at...

Then as an antidote I did another one in my normal style.

Now for this one I was planning on putting 3 match sticks together as the little step into the birdhole but got carried away with the other decorations and didn't leave enough room so had to put them on separately, doh.

SDC#29 - Sketch

Now I have never liked the Pied Piper's general nastiness.
Stealing children for heaven's sake, and I wondered what other story he could have had to make him nicer, and possibly just another misunderstood soul doing his best to survive.

What if the Pied Piper was a girl who was living in the shadows; living only a half life mostly drab and ghostlike, having neither emotions nor physical sensations and only a wavering form.
Perhaps to be corporeal and complete she needed to be taught how to live.
Maybe she needed the animals in all their glorious, noisy, colourful variations, being busy living life at full throttle in the present moment to really teach her how to live.
Maybe it was the animals she was calling with her flute playing and maybe just maybe they all lived happily ever after.

Of course she could have just been the victim of a careless misspelling by a lackadaisical Scribe who was spending too much time thinking about cheese and she was really the Plaid Pipper which is a whole 'nother story.

Happy creating!
Gini
xx

Opus Gluei challenge #108. Red, white and ???

2011-07-03T00:01:00.001+01:00

You are not alone if you think this fortnight's challenge is a colour challenge, 'cos I did too and got it wrong - aargh fiddlesticks!

What the Opus Gluei challenge #108 really is, is to make a project to celebrate your country's National Day. Independence Day in the USA, Canada Day in Canada etc.

So why did I get it wrong, do I hear you cry?
Do I actually need to explain it or do you nod with understanding if I just say, Well I'm Gini aren't I?
For anybody new reading who was really meaning to do their online food shopping but somehow ended up here by mistake, I'll try and explain.

You see I only had the title of the challenge to work on for starters which was "Red, white and ???"
And I'm English and a challenge going out on the 3 July has no significance to me apart from wondering on the day if the sun might shine and what shall I do for tea, that nobody I endeavour to feed a balanced diet to, will moan about not liking; same menu as last week then!

So with the prompt being "Red white and ???" I assumed it was a colour challenge so accordingly made a card using Red, white and yellow, a colour combination I love when using yellow as the accent colour.
England's national day would be St George's Day but I have never met an English person who celebrates it other than noticing it as a typed annotation in their diary. Which is a bit of a shame now I come to think of it.

So my apologies go to Electra (who set the challenge, and a very good one it is too) for my getting it wrong!

However I have made "the perfect card".
You know the one we all strive to make every time we sit down to craft a card.
The card that is perfectly our style in cardiness.
This is it.
This is the one.
This is mine.
I don't need to ever make up another design now, just keep on making this one over and over again. - Um not likely really, but it does look good written down doesn't it?!

It isn't quite a clean and simple style (CAS), at least I don't think it is from my understanding of the style, because it has too much stuff going on.
But it does have lots of breathing space or white space or blank space, which is usually very visually pleasing to me in the cards I like to make.

Click on it to make it bigger.

I've used a PaperArtsy stamp set, Hot Picks HP1004.
The bottom panel is using the flower stamps and masking to create the panel.
The bird cage is coloured with Derwent Inktense pencils.

So try and get the Challenge right will you!
I hope you decide to join in but even if you don't, Happy creating!
Gini
xx

Catching up on Opus Gluei Challenges #106, #105, #103 and #100

2011-07-02T06:42:00.001+01:00

Some of the Opus Gluei Challenges I missed the deadlines for whilst poorly.

Challenge #106 - It's a jungle out there.

These are the 2 Father's Day cards I made, for my sons to give to their dear old Dad (Ha!)

Ooops, I forgot to set the close up button on my camera so they are a bit blurry or it might be that I'm not wearing my glasses as I type this...rank Amateur eh.

The Panda is another Jo Kill design for Papercraft Inspirations magazine made using circle and oval punches and a bit of hand drawing that took me ages and then when I couldn't find a button to match the ribbon at the very end I happened to flick through the magazine and there at the back was a Template for the Panda, just marvellous.

Why is the pig carrying a piece of fence?

A very good question and one I have no good answer for.

It was another little oversight on my part.

The original pig card in Papercraft Inspirations magazine (which of course I can't find now to refer to) had a stile (type of step over gate) under his arm and a good joke sentiment with the other word style (fashion) in it (if my memory serves me correctly) or it was something like that anyway, but of course I wanted a Father's Day sentiment and used a Tim Holtz fence die cut instead which ruined the joke, which I didn't exactly notice at the time because I was no doubt concentrating on cheese and not keeping my eye on the ball.

Moving swiftly on.

Challenge #105 It's a girl thing.

Using my favourite craft toy at the moment which is a 3 inch Woodware dress punch, that isn't even mine, but I want one of my very own sometime soon.

Challenge #103 Mail Art

I would say that I like to decorate my parcels of craftiness but I wouldn't call it mail art, as it has got to be quick, look very AMATEUR and is usually relevant to the contents or some sort of joke, I do it partly for the recipient and partly for the lovely lady who works in my local Post Office because it makes her smile.

This is a reproduction on an envelope of the last 2 parcels I sent that never arrived at their destinations in America.

I've never had that happen before and I am left wondering if there are judgemental postal workers who illegally "vet" mail art and bin those that they don't perceive as suitable. Could my greenhorns have been misread as devils and therefore ditched? I don't know, I would hope that is not the case and I am just being a grumpy old cynic and that they are now floating somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean by mistake.

Challenge #100 Matchbox

This is the storage container I made out of the smallest matchbox size you can buy to store my Distress Ink applicators that velcro onto the Distress Ink tool.

I am planning on making another similar box with larger matchboxes to hold my pieces of cut and dry foam that I use with other ink pads.

This idea is floating about on the internet, I've no idea who to attribute it to as I saw it years ago, long before I had any Distress Inks and thought what a good idea I'll try and remember that.

Will be back tomorrow with a new Opus Gluei challenge.

Happy Creating!

Gini

Opus Gluei Challenges #107 Let's tag along with the Jingle Belles!

2011-06-26T22:10:00.000+01:00

Long time no see, my apologies as I have continued to be unwell but am finally starting to slowly get better, thank goodness for that and I hope to get back into challenge participation and blogging from now on.

Lots of changes this week over at the Opus Gluei Challenge blog.

Firstly, it is changing to a fortnightly challenge so we all get more time to create our projects.
It's staying with Sunday as the day the challenge is set, the first of the new fortnightly schedule challenges will start 3 July.

Secondly, those lovely funny ladies Grand Poobahs Rosemary and Jana have set up a design team and promoted some Greenhorns into Poobahs of which I am one!
I'm very excited about it I can tell you.
Full details over on the Opus Gluei blog.
So now there will be 6 Poobahs kicking off each challenge :-)

This week's challenge #107 is a combined Challenge with the Jingle Belles who are making a Christmas card each week of the year to avoid the last minute December panic of making cards when there is already to much to do and a nervous breakdown is looming large.

There are prizes on both blogs so all you have to do to be in for two chances to win is make a Christmas card and a tag(s) inspired by that card and post a link to your card and tag on both blogs.

I thought I would try something a bit different, and oh criminy was it UGLY, so I did what every self respecting crafter does when faced with a hopeless crafting failure, I got my Basic Grey paper pads out, and as we all know, "you can't go wrong with Basic Grey papers", so I made a centre stepper card from a standard white A6 card and made a matching tag.
I used the loverly 6 inch Eskimo Kisses papers and a 12inch paper from the same range for the background.
I used the Stampotique Originals Quails cube and dressed them up in Eskimo Kisses papers.
The tree die cutter is a Marianne Design Creatables LR0174, which cuts beautifully. You may need some extra card shims in your Big Shot. I used Tab 1 and 7 shims to get a perfect cut.
(I need a similar sandwich when cutting Nestibles but each machine is calibrated slightly differently.)

Click any picture to make them bigger.

So for prizes do you fancy a bit of Christmas crafting?
You have until 2 July to participate on the Opus Gluei blog and until Weds 29 June on the Jingle Belles blog (their's is a weekly challenge.)

Happy creating!
Gini
xx

Alter It monthly: April - spring into Easter. Spanky does The National Portrait Gallery

2011-04-27T19:21:00.000+01:00

Over at Alter It Monthly we can either use cogs and sprockets (I have no idea what these are) for a Steampunk make or use spring colours.
So I went for the spring colours - yay sunshiny!

The curators of the National Portrait Gallery thought the decor was looking a bit tired so they asked Spanky if she could perk it up a bit.
I was able to get some photo's of the most famous faces there after Spanky's devine facelift.
Click on any image to make it bigger.

This started out as one half of a chocolate box.

I'll leave you with a lovely lovely thought.
Can you imagine what Spanky could do with our green and pleasant land if she was given free artistic reign for a little bit of shiny revamping of all our National Treasures?
(Actually I think Spanky is a national treasure.)
It's a wonder that she wasn't asked to dress the bride for Friday (Kate and William).

Happy creating!
Gini
xx

Opus Gluei Challenge #98 - It's in the bag. Tarzan and Jane were swinging on a vine.

2011-04-22T17:20:00.000+01:00

The funny ladies over at Opus Gluei this week have challenged us all to get inspiration from the contents of our handbag and make something gorgeous.

My handbag is very small and boring (more of that later) but Spanky's is not.
It is outrageously shiny and beautiful.
So I asked if I could have a look inside.
Well; it's like the tardis in there, I had to do a double take but I think I could see a good part of the Brazilian Rainforest.
Now who did I spot but Tarzan and Jane.
Click on any picture to make it bigger.

I tried to get a shinier shot, but you know how they don't work out very well for me...

Now I showed real restraint in what they were saying because I originally thought Tarzan might be saying "Mind the goolies pet" but thought I'd better behave myself seeing as I'm not Spanky.

The actors are Toby and Minky Girl, Stampotique Originals and the art work of Daniel Torrente.
I've also used a Magnolia Doohicky die cutter for the leaves of the vine coloured with metallic acrylics and stickles in the wonderful shade of lime green. The netting was glued on with Golden gel medium in regular matt finish with some parts painted with metallic green. I put loads of pale green jewels in between the netting but they don't show up very well in the photo. Tarzan and Jane were coloured with Derwent Inktense pencils.

On to my handbag, which is very boring and hardly used because my back has been too bad to carry one on the rare occasion I was able to get out over the last month, no don't feel sorry for me, it is loads better now.
Well, I focused on the word "inside" because I was struggling, and seeing as you find Russian dolls inside each other and there was a card template for them in a recent edition of Quick Cards, I made some Russian doll cards, only I used inks instead of designer papers. They were fiddle faffy and involved copious maths sums and I don't plan on making them again any time soon.

I used Andirondack dye inks in Citrus, Clover, Red Pepper, Sailboat blue and Wild Plum. Lovely bright shades that I brayered onto white card to get the solid colours and I used a pretty but small background stamp by Penny Black called Paisley swirls.
The girls themselves are on pale pink card and from biggest doll to smallest doll are Two Barrettes, Girl with Lunchbox, Minky Girl, Stitch and Gooseneck. Again more Daniel Torrente stamps by Stampotique Originals.

Happy creating!
Gini
xx

Stampotique Designers Challenge 28:Newsprint/Old Book Pages

2011-04-19T17:07:00.003+01:00

So, long time no see - I have unintentionally done something as yet unknown but horrible to my back on top of everything else... just call me limpalong or maybe just limpy but I am not laid up in bed anymore.
Gotta love pain meds.
So if I haven't visited you or replied to your comments here or your emails I apologise profusely. I am trying to catch up :-)

The lovely Jo Capper Sandon has set the challenge this fortnight to use newsprint or old book pages in our projects. (So many amazing Triptych cards were made for the last challenge did you see them all?)

These two are 12" by 12'' and use Tim Holtz paper pads; Lost and found; Crowded Attic and Retro Grunge.
The die cut Tim Holtz tree is a book page from Peter Pan. The bunting string is made of black bugle beads.
All stamps are Stampotique Originals.
I thought I'd do a little Easter love with the new Stampotique, Daniel Torrente stamp called Hare as the Easter Bunny.
Happy Easter to you all!
Click on any picture to make it bigger.

In case "up the duff" means nothing to you, it means pregnant.
The speakers are Muffin on the left and Clover on the right.
Did you notice the black sheep hare? He is sooo gothic, bless him.

I coloured him with a Sakura stardust gellyroll pen in black and then blended with water. The black is based on a purple dye which looks great.
Do you think he'll catch on as the new Easter Bunny? I do hope so.

Then I was on a roll, an egg roll, and made another.

Come on let's open the eggs and see what's inside!

Are you hoping for a Daniel Torrente Easter Egg now?
The boys from the left; Mort has a Pin Curl, Heart Throb and Smile are standing on a base of chocolate so you don't have to choose between the two, here in the land of Shiny you get everything your heart desires...even if everything blows chunks in real life.

Then I thought of this one, so I made a card.
The old ones are often the best.
(I keep telling myself this.)

This is Stampotique's Hunk and Hare.

Additional stamps are Punk Plaid background by Artistic Stamper and the lettering is a set of individual letter stamps by Studio G, 'cos I love to do it wonky.

A very Happy Creative Easter to you all!

Gini

Opus Gluei Challenge # 95. Springtime in Paris.

2011-03-24T22:11:00.000Z

The lovely ladies over at OG have asked for Springtime in Paris.
(Love the new banner ladies , can I be a penguin please?)

I don't have anything even remotely Parisian in my stash, but it has been too long since I joined in and when has something as trivial as not having the right stash ever stopped me?
Exactly.
And besides which, I have some new french chickens to show you.

So this is the best I can come up with given my lack of French stash.

This is the dancing Lady from the Silhouette plate by Art Journey stamps.
Also the freebie butterfly from Craft Stamper magazine this month.
I wanted the butterfly flying towards the pretty lady, but maybe it would look better facing the other way? Not sure.
I've used my new favourite shiny which is a water activated layer of Neocolour II crayons that I've over painted with Cosmic Shimmer Watercolour paints, thereby creating lovely shiny shiny magic.
The card look mheh photographed unfortunately. IRL I love it, as a photo it looks kind of crappy and flat and unshiny, which it isn't. Oh dear.

Now for a little french chicken or two or even three.
I thought I could add these because they are nice and they have just bought their Eurotunnel tickets to go to Disney World Paris just in time for Easter where they will be laying Easter Eggs for the Seven Dwarfs.

This is another card based on a Jo Kill topper that she designed for Papercraft Inspirations Magazine.

Happy creating!
Gini
xx

Less is more Challenge, Week 7 Masculine. Twinkie loves to juggle.

2011-03-24T14:30:00.000Z

The Less is more challenge this week is a masculine card.

Now I don't know about you, but I find it is really easy to make a "less is more" type of card that is MHEH and that it's really quite hard to make one that actually makes you think WOW.
Mandi and Chrissie who run this challenge certainly do Wow cards.
But I do love a challenge.
This one's not quite a wow but I like it.
Now I bought some of this dotty Card Candy 'cos I can't resist polka dots and thought Twinkie 6103 could practice his juggling.

Click on him to make him bigger.

Twinkie is rather good at juggling isn't he?

Juggling 4 balls is quite a feat.

Can you juggle?

I can.

Oh yes, I can juggle with 2 balls rather slowly.

I only said I could juggle, not that I was any good at it...I think I am marginally better at jiggling.

What's one little vowel between friends.

I don't have the patience to practice, not when there is paper and glue and shiny in the world just sitting there; waiting.

Happy creating!
Gini
xx

Stampotique Triptych Card challenge. Spanky does The Birth of Venus.

2011-03-23T00:01:00.005Z

The Stampotique Challenge for the next fortnight is to make a Triptych card using Stampotique only stamps.
There is a random draw to win $30 to spend in the Stampotique store, which you need to win because have you seen the new stamps released this month? Jo Capper Sanderson has some new stamps including two wonderful owls and Daniel Torrente has done 3 mermaids and other fabulous animals. There goes my crafting budget for this month. Life is always sunny in the Land of Shiny.
But this is my last project for Stampotique as guest designer, aaaw.

So what did Spanky make huh?

She had a ball with this one and whizzed back in time to 1484 and is the Official Queen of Ginger this fine spring morning.

Click on any image to make it bigger.

Mirror, Mirror on the tree,
Who's as pretty as can be?

Large Lace Background 5177

Now just in case you don't immediately recognise (as if!) Sandro Botticelli's The Birth of Venus, here is the centre of the painting.

Now everything that could possibly go wrong whilst making this; did go wrong and a few more previously undiscovered errors to boot.

It's just as well that the "Spanky does.." are my favourite makes.

The triptych template I used is this free one from Mirkwood Designs.

They also have a paypal button for donations to support their endeavours.

The background paper is by Basic Grey from the Urban Prairie range.

If I had to choose a Basic Grey range I had to marry it would be this one.

I used Versamark and Cosmic Shimmer embossing powder in Copper Bronze Lustre for the Large Lace background stamp. Isn't it gorgeous like this?

The one and only Stitch has embroidery floss hair glued onto card using Golden Gel medium. Anything is possible using gel medium as a glue.

If I had to choose a glue I had to marry it would be this one.

I had to go a bit lower with her hair than is esthetically pleasing but I needed to cover up her claws and then rearrange her arms.

The colouring is with Derwent coloursoft pencils. You really can't go wrong with any Derwent pencils.

If I had to choose a pencil I had to marry it would be a Derwent one.

Now the tiny gold stars are new (to me) and I didn't do a test glue with them, so I ran a line of Glossy accents around the edge and wow did a lot more of them stick than I had planned.

The beads at the bottom are Suze Weinberg's Beadazzles in Electric slide (also new to me) and oh my, don't they go everywhere, they just followed the little stars...absolutely everywhere.

The mirror is made out of mirror card with silver stickles around it.

Whichever Daniel Torrente lady character stamp I am working with becomes my favourite stamp.

If I had to choose a stamp company I had to marry it would be Stampotique :-)

Happy creating everyone!

Gini

Stampotique Guest Designer March, The Chicks Round House Home

2011-03-16T00:01:00.002Z

This is my second project as Guest Designer in March for Stampotique.
In The Land of Shiny live the circus performing Chicks, and they have built for themselves a cheerful, shiny Round House.
They roost by perching on a chair at night.
Triangular chick doesn't like to sleep on her own so she doubles up with either of the round chicks. Unfortunately square chick makes for an angular and therefore uncomfortable bedfellow.
This started out life as a Pringles tube container.
Click on any picture to make it bigger.

The chicks are Chick shapes (4 sided cube) 9111 and I have paper pieced their bodies.

The bling on the roof is glued on with Golden Gel Medium in the Heavy gel (matte).

The flowers are Heart Flowers 9107.
I used versafine black ink heat embossed with clear powder. Coloured the flowers with Cosmic Shimmer watercolour paint and used foam pads as the adhesive.
The stems are bugle beads glued onto the house with Anita's 3D clear gloss finish (substitute with Glossy Accents if you don't have this.) Anita's is thinner and therefore easier to use as this kind of glue. It also gives a stronger bond than Glossy Accents.

The chairs are 3 chairs 9179

The walls and roof of the house are watercolours on very thick finest quality white card. Whether you use card or thick watercolour paper it mustn't stretch and buckle (go wavy and unflat) because you can't wallpaper with buckled card as it looks dreadful.
Or you could stamp onto designer paper like Basic Grey plain coloured 12" card if you can't get an unbuckled finish. Alternatively you could try brayering using ink which isn't so wet.
All wallpaper glued on with extra strong doubled sided tape (red backed).
The background stamp is the brilliant Large Lace Background 5177 and I used worn lipstick distress ink. Loads of things you can do with this versatile stamp.

If you would like to have a go at a round house I give more instructions here.
Be warned though, in case you don't like fiddly things, as they are fiddly to do especially if you wallpaper them.
It is easier to do if you cover the round container with lots of tissue paper (glue with gel medium or mod podge or my least favourite for this job - white PVA) and then paint it.

Happy creating!
Gini
xx

Stampotique Challenge, Animals, Birds and Insects

2011-03-09T00:01:00.001Z

The Stampotique Challenge for the next two weeks can be found here.
A fabulous challenge with oodles and oodles of possibilities and you can use any stamps in your project.

Last week we saw the chick shapes in their paying job as circus performers. They are energetic joyful characters and this week we get to see them playing musical chairs.
I have tried to show just how good these chicks look no matter what style of creating you like; whether grungy and shiny (gotta have a bit of Shiny) or paper piecing with pretty designer papers.
Click on any image to make it bigger.

The 4 chick shapes (4 sided cube) 9111 and 3 chairs 9179 in this one are stamped with Versafine black and heat embossed with fine detail clear powder.
If you heat emboss your stamped image it makes it really easy to colour in with Cosmic Shimmer Watercolours or Twinkling H2O's because the embossing resists the watercolour paint so it easily stays inside the image.

In this one I've used pretty summer garden designer papers and paper pieced the stamped images. As you know if you're a regular here, I'm a bit of a duffer with flat card layouts (I need a lot more practice, about 2256 more cards worth I think) but you get the general idea and I'm sure you'll be able to put them in a much better layout yourself if you fancy having a go at musical chairs.

I did wonder what these two completely different styles would like if they were combined together; probably quite horrid, but I thought I'd try it out in an ATC and surprisingly this style turned out to be my favourite of the lot.

So my advice would be:
No matter how mad an idea seems to be; give it a try as an ATC.

Next week I'll show you where the chicks live.

Happy creating!
Gini
xx

Stampotique Mayan Circus

2011-03-01T22:56:00.000Z

I'm so pleased to be given the opportunity to design some projects for Stampotique Stamps this month as their guest designer for March - woohoo!

If you've yet to visit their challenge blog Stampotique Designers Challenge, you're missing a treat as their quality wooden stamp range is very diverse and I love all the marvelous inspiration and ideas that come from their very talented design team.

For my first project I've created a Mayan Circus.
Now who knows whether or not the ancient Mayan's ever had circus events and truly, we in the land of Shiny don't actually care because you're very unlikely to find any historical accuracy here.

But this was great fun to dream up.
It's 12 inches square and you can click on any picture to make it bigger.

It's all made of cardboard and white card.

One of Stampotique's stamp designers is Amy Wilson Wellenstein and she has drawn some Mayan Images and the one that caught my eye was the
7124 Mayan Background #2
that has so much versatility not only as a background stamp but for each element of the design on it's own. It even has 4 crown's of 3 different sizes, Uri Gellar's bent forks (all the better for scooping out your heart my dear) and all sorts of fashion design accessories that Spanky coveted immediately and some interesting potential building blocks that I had my beady eye on.

Now Spanky went to town on dressing all the Torrente characters up in their finest Mayan fancy dress gear.
If you are lucky enough to get to attend a Mayan Circus you really must dress up to the nine's Mayan Style.
In the following close up's of the audience, anything yellow/gold is part of the Mayan background stamp. I stamped the background stamp multiple times onto white card and cut out all the individual elements of the design and Spanky stuck them onto the people artistically - ahem.
I used Versafine black ink for all the stamping.
White PVA craft glue for all the glueing and Derwent pencils from their Inktense range, watercolour range and Coloursoft range.

Working from Left to Right. First we have my favourite Torrente character

6057 Heart Throb Bless him - he thought he would manage just fine on his own without Spanky's help styling his costume... although there is something to be said for the appeal of a man with a tattoo on his forehead and forks through his ears. Quite what that appeal might be, I'm not sure but for every old sock there is an old shoe.

6022 Sheer Gotta admire a gal who isn't afraid of her own cleavage. (Spanky has a ginger cleavage - nuff said.)

6047 Glimmering Hope When you dress with style who needs legs?

6048 Moth Fab The more I work with these characters the more I realise that clashing colours work really well in their outfits.

6104 Eric How about those Dennis Healy eyebrows and deeley boppers?

6011 Girl with Lunchbox The poor girl doesn't have a name! How did this happen??? She looks like a Davina to me...

6051 Prom Queen

6059 Bowtie Now I think the Mayan's missed out on a real fashion statement by not utilizing the accessory power of The Sporran. Perfect for your small change, lipstick or as the indomitable posing pouch.

6080 Topknot Is this a dagger which I see before me? Topknot is a Sporran wearing Mayan Norman Bates tonight. We all go a little mad sometimes.

6052 Stitch Now Stitch was the last character I coloured and I choose colours that I thought couldn't possibly look nice together but it turned out to be my favourite colour scheme by far. Edward scissor hands? Pah! He's been usurped by Stitch the Knife Slayer.

6102 Dweeze Looking mighty fine in his kipper tie.

6104 Eric again, you can't keep a good man down.

6045 Newt with lunchbox

6071 Perl This is the first time I've given Perl brown hair and it just doesn't look right, she's a blonde through and through, but I thought blonde hair would detract from the gold forks or even (heaven for fend) clash with them.

6059 Bowtie again. Oh my, oh my what a splendid costume. I just hope your not behind him because you'll never see a thing with that huge headdress in front of you.

6025 Gooseneck. Not quite playing spoons on a wash board but very close.

6115 Weasel Aha, Weasel looks like he has nefarious plans for poor old Two Barrettes.

6024 Two Barrettes Who proves that Yes, bobby pins work well with crowns but they provide absolutely no protection from knife wielding Weasels.

6021 Girl with heart purse Another girl with no name! Poor Tink.

So onto the floor acts.

First we have 6026 Heart Boy the lion tamer holding one of the 9179 three chairs (designed by Janet Klein) controlling a very fierce 6105 Puss Puss.
He's holding a whip made out of embroidery floss and I used a section of his arm for the handle.

Then we have the amazing Chick riding cat jumping fences. The chick is one of the 4 chicks on the cube 9111 Chick shapes riding 6096 Kitty and the fence is made up of the elements of the Mayan background stamp. More embroidery floss for the reins and another element from the Mayan background to form the chick's wing (so she can hold the reins).

Followed by the wondrous chick riding cat balancing act. We have another chick from the cube 9111 Chick shapes riding another 6096 Kitty balancing on further elements from the Mayan background stamp.

And finally we have the balancing quails from the 9211 Quails cube

with 6105 Puss Puss balanced precariously on the top.

A brief look at how I made it. 'Cos you're ready for a cup of tea now aren't you?

I cut a very strong box like this. Remember you can click on any photo to make it bigger.

You can cut your supports for your freestanding characters one of two ways.
The one on the left (Heartboy) is a single layer of card with the support cut and divided up the centre and the sides folded back opposite each other.
The one on the right is made of a double layer of cardboard, glue only the stamped section together and fold back the supports opposite each other.

To decorate the floor I stamped the Mayan Background stamp in it's entirety using Antique Linen Distress ink.

My Top Tip:- Now Distress Inks are great but if your paper or card is at all porous or loosely woven then the ink will bleed and fuzz when stamped. To avoid excess bleeding, ink your stamp using a brayer to apply the ink. (If you ink the stamp directly with the distress pad you will get unwanted bleeding.)

I cut incisions in the floor where I want the images to stand. Feed the image support through the incision to the back and open up the folds. See the chair and cat in the photo.

Happy creating!
Gini
xx

Spanky does Welcome and Float On Stampotique!

2011-01-28T09:48:00.001Z

The Stampotique Designer Challenge is to make a welcome card for the new Stampotique Designers.

So we're wishing all the new Stampotique designers a warm welcome.
You can find them here.

If you are unfamiliar with Spanky, she is a time traveling stylist, she is bold, daring, windswept and dangerous and she knows everything about Romance, she lives here in The Land of Shiny with me, I'm her sidekick and gofer.
Well, I'm just her pale shadow really.

Firstly I must apologise to Alberto who is the only male stampotique designer, unfortunately we are catering for the majority in this post and that is the Wimen.
Fortunately for you, this is The Land of Shiny and regardless of what job title you may hold now or in the future, we shall never expect you to pour the coffee or distribute the biscuits...unless it is actually your turn :-)

Now then.
Come in and welcome.
Come in and share a little LOVE with the Torrente Boys.

Sometimes they like to pretend they are The Floaters.
Oh yes they do.

Aquarius and my name is Heart Throb,
I love a woman who can hold her own,
a woman who can grab hold of my ears and hold on tight.
Take my hand, come with me baby, to Love Land.

Libra and my name is Hunk,
Now I like a woman who carries herself like Miss Universe,
a woman who can balance a crown on her enormous head,
a woman who will take me to Love Land.

Leo and my name is Weasel,
I love all the women of the world,
I paint a new name on my sign every night,
because I love everybody and everything,
and you know what, ladies, if you feel this is you,
Then this is what you do -
Take my hand,
come with me baby, to Love Land.
Float, float on.

Spanky says welcome and float on...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hvAmTkJmT5c

Come on you know you want to watch the video, I still can't believe that song was taken seriously or that it was even written and performed, I can imagine it was written whilst they were very very drunk but it didn't get laughed at and thrown in the bin the next day did it, we are soooo doomed.
Private Frazer was right.

I am practicing that shaking finger step in the mirror.
I think Himself might like it.

Happy creating!
Gini
xx

Challenges for Stampotique, Masks, Scenes and Mona Lisa

2011-01-22T18:20:00.004Z

I hope you'll forgive me for combining my 4 pieces together in one post, as they are interlinked and were created together with all three challenges in mind.

Stampotique Challenge - Use the stamping technique masks.

Order of the Opus Gluei - Make a scene.

Sunday Postcard Art - Alter the Mona Lisa.

Firstly the Stampotique Challenge.
You know how sometimes you mishear something and go off at a tangent and then somebody corrects your misunderstanding and you go off again and still get it wrapped around your ears wrong???

Well this happens to me ... a lot, so I thought I'd make some joke art out of it, because really when you get it so wrong over and over the only way to deal with it is to make a joke out of it.
Where would be without humour?
While I was ruminating on this idea, Kolossal was bouncing up and down in my stamp draw, shouting "Pick me, oh PICK ME!"
So how could I refuse...

Click on any picture to make it bigger.

So Kolossal rushed back to the drawing board and tried again...

Now then, the first picture was my first try at masking a scene and I made a right hash of it by getting in a muddle order wise and picking some see through stamps, which um, don't benefit from being masked. In fact masking them makes them look wrong. Hey ho.
So I tried again and got it right with the second picture.
I turned hanging hearts upside down and I think they make a nice lumpy, humpy, bumpy meadow with little mushrooms and toadstools growing in it or maybe quirky flowers.
The lovely lady is made up of Prom Queen's body with Clover's head.
Clover is a head only stamp.
I made her by masking out Prom Queen's head with a post it note stuck on the stamp itself.
Inked up the stamp.
Peeled away the post it note and stamped just the body.
Now all Stampotique stamps stamp beautifully but they are on wood blocks which makes positioning them awkward.
I expect if I spent about 100 years puzzling, I could have worked out how to plan Clover's head placement using a stamp positioner, and incidentally I do have one.
But I am an old bird and don't have 100 years left, and also I like to try and live as dangerously and windsweptedly as I can without the cover of Spanky.
So I positioned my nose on my work table so I could look underneath my stamp and at the paper all at the same time (as it were) as I stamped Clover.
It worked!
I then felt I had had quite enough excitement for one day.
Phew.
These scenes are also for the Opus Gluei Challenge
If you have never visited this challenge site, please do so, you'll love them, they are funny, lovely ladies and they set really good challenges.
(Is the cheque in the post yet Rosemary?)

Onto the Sunday Postcard Art challenge to alter Mona.

Have you noticed that tempting open space in Hunk's head where his brain box would be?
It's a wonderful open space complete with tumble weeds blowing around, just like my brain box.
So I thought I would do some more masking and put Mona in Hunk's brain.

I thought anything other than white space around him would detract from the goings on in his head. So I put only a boarder around the postcard. Mona is stamped in the deliciously lovely and shiny multi colour Brilliance inkpad called Twilight. I used the Brilliance colour combination called Peacock in the next version and it gets even shinier if you heat emboss it with clear powder.

To give a bit more definition to hunk's shape as his outline is quite pale, I cut him out and mounted him on foam pads so he'll cast himself a shadow.
This is the shiny shot.

I painted Iridescent blue twinkling H2O's on navy blue card. The mount makes the postcard 6" by 4".

Happy creating!
Gini
xx

P.S. I still have some wish bookmarks left if you want one, just ask in the comments of that Happy New Year post and it is yours :-)

Happy New Year and GIVEAWAY!

2011-01-22T00:59:00.000Z

This post will stay at the top of my blog until 22 January.
Please scroll down for later posts.

Happy New Year to us all!
I predict this year will be wonderfully creative for all of us.
So let's get started.

Most years start with resolutions and grand plans that last all of 3 days don't they? ...Hmmm.
So I thought if we start the year by making wishes instead of resolutions we would be onto a sure thing; because wishes are just visualizations (happy brainfarts) of all the amazing possibilities open to us which are only limited by the size of our imaginations.
You just make your wish and keep your thoughts focused on the wish you made. Easy peasy lemon squeezy.

So I thought I'd start the new year by being a wish enabler to my blog visitors.
What could be more pleasureful for me eh?
Truly this makes me full to the brim with pleasure, which is a delightful start to my year.
I have made loads of Make a Wish bookmarks for you.
They look all lovely and shiny and just like this.

The black stamping is embossed and the background is all shiny.
(As always they look better in real life.)

I have tried to find quotes in keeping with making wishes to go on the back.
Here are the ones I found.

Ask and it is given.

We create our opportunities by asking for them.

I accept miracles, healing and wholeness for myself.

(And also this one which is not about asking but it is one of my favourite quotes.)

Angels know no philosophy only love.

Basically you can have whatever quote you like on the back.

Just tell me what you would like and I will put it on your bookmark for you.
If it is a short sentence it will look similar to the ones I've made in my photo above. Longer quotes will need a smaller font and different layout.
It's your bookmark so you have whatever quote you want :-)

So do you fancy a little bit of shiny for yourself?

What do you have to do to get it?

Well....... just ask and it is given!

Leave me a comment and what quote you would like on the back of your bookmark and a way to contact you, so I can ask you for your postal address, so I can send it to you.
If you don't want to put in the comments (which are visible to anyone) the quote you want for your bookmark then just email it to me.
gini.owenATgmail.com

All I would ask of you is not to publicize this giveaway, as it is for you, the folk who read my blog, regular lurkers are of course included ;-)
(A lurker is someone who reads a blog regularly but is too shy to normally leave a comment.)

Let's wish ourselves into the wonderful lives we have imagined.
This year, let's hit the ground running.
Gini
xx

Dress Up 2010. October and November Dresses.

2010-11-12T21:23:00.000Z

I'm late with October's Halloween dress because I couldn't make a background I liked and I have the full waste bin to prove it.
In the end I caved in and bought some Inkadinkado Halloween stamps, when I realized I was bat drawing challenged or more probably just fed up with and being driven batty by my consistently hopeless backgrounds I was making.
Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't.
So for this dress I brayered Adirondack dye ink in Citrus on watercolour paper added a panel of purple metallic paint at the bottom.
I used a paper doily as a stencil and sponged orange acrylic paint through the doily.
Sprayed with gold mica mixed with water. Stamped with Versafine black and added glossy accents and bugle beads.

Click on it to make it bigger.

November's Dress is Fireworks in the Sky.
This one thankfully turned out just how I wanted it without any messing about.

Click on it to make it bigger.

This dress is metallic blue paint on watercolour paper, the background stars are gold and silver Sakura pens and some silver stickles. The fireworks are various stickles glitter glues.

Next month is the big reveal for December and our last month of Margaret's Dress Up challenge.
Margaret is such a STAR for running the challenge all year :-)

Sorry - No story this time. Sometimes I have lots of free time and sometimes I don't :-)

Gini
xx

Christmas Cards for copics!

2010-11-05T12:44:00.003Z

Have you found out yet about this great giveaway by Charmed Cards and Crafts who have put up 72 Copic pens series A for grabs?

You've got until 14 November to enter here.
I've bought things from them and they are a good store to use.
I don't have any alcohol pens and would like to try them so I've made a total of 3 Christmas cards which is my grand total to date, so I'll probably (you think?) have to buy some this year!
I've coloured the Santa, Fairy and the stars with Derwent Coloursoft pencils mixed with Derwent inktense pencils.

I used a coloursoft pencil in Soft Pink (C170) to colour her wings then used Sakura quickie glue pen with Glamour Dust in Crystal which has come out really well as pretty shiny wings.
You can also get Glamour Dust in Gold which is also excellent.
All the lovely background papers for these cards are Dovecraft Let it Snow 8"x8" pad.

These two were inspired by Peet a fabulous card maker with a very distinctive style of layering with die cuts and chipboard shapes. I'm guessing she also has a Cricut machine as well as Nesties to get all the shapes she does.

Get yer Christmas stamps out and have a go, it's a random draw.
I like random draws, they take the pressure off.
No performance anxiety required.

Gini
xx

Stampotique Designers Challenge 18, Spooky, Creepy, Crawly. When opposites attract.

2010-11-02T21:44:00.001Z

Well, seeing as I creeped myself out with the blood splattered treat container last time, I thought would be on the look out for the funny side of all the shenanigans going on at the Stampotique Halloween Party.
I didn't have to wait long in the cobwebs in the deep dark woods with my trusty camera for a good shot to use.
Which is just as well as I do not like spiders, at all.

I could practically see the heart signs floating out of Bowtie when he first set eyes on Glimmering Hope all dolled up in her party gear. She is wearing bone glitter moisturiser because she has no skin to rub on the body glitter that she found half price in Boots.
Plus she is also wearing her family heirloom "the death diamond" in her hair.
Even though I say it myself (ahem), she is looking mighty fine for a corpse rustler.

I think Bowtie's opening line to the dame is pretty lame, but what do I know seeing as I was always rubbish at dating.

So my entry for the Stampotique Designers Challenge #18 is

"When opposites attract."

Click on it to make it bigger if you like.

Just in case the words aren't legible, and lets face it my eyes aren't what they used to be, why, once upon a time they were blue (no, actually that is a lie they never were blue).

Bowtie's opening line is "I tap dance. What do you do?"
and Glimmering Hope replies "I raise the dead."

Normally her reply would have been "On yer bike." but she is interested in his shoes, as they are very sparkly and she gets easily distracted by shiny things.
Also she thinks he looks rather like Elton John in his outfit and one of her very favourite songs is I'm Still Standing.
Now I can tell you very quietly why she likes that song but I have to whisper it,
so come very close to the screen,
no, come closer than that,
that's better,
now press your ear on the monitor because she is very touchy about this subject and I don't want to upset her.

I don't know if you've noticed yet but she has no legs. Sssh!
Anyway she is very proud of the fact that she is still standing despite her leglessness.
But she doesn't like it if anyone asks her where her legs have gone. Well obviously.

Happy creating whether you have legs or are in fact legless the next time you pick up your favourite glue!
Gini
xx

Gizza sweet. Girl's from the Black Stuff?

2010-10-26T23:56:00.002+01:00

This piece is for two challenges.

Alter It monthly for October. Which is "To spook or not to spook". I've altered a box that held my wrinkle cream into a Halloween treat container. So it's almost turns your wrinkles into sweets doesn't it? What could be nicer.

and

Stampotique Designers Challenge. SDC#17. Treat Container.
I was really hoping that whatever challenge #17 was going to be I would be able to enter Moth Fab in layers.
But it was not to be.
Although Moth Fab could possibly be considered as being a treat container herself in her underwear, I thought you might throw things at me for my audacity, so I made something else instead.
Although if I was sure it would be Cathedral City Cheese that you threw I would have entered her. Mmm cheese.

This time last year I would not have anything to do with Halloween Art and I am really a bit amazed that I made this.
I was made bold by Kaz's journal page called Naughty Weasel, as she has made this rather sick but completely brilliantly funny piece over on the Stampotique Designer's blog do go have a look if you dare!
I did and I'm a real scare-dee cat when it comes to spooky things but this is more funny psychotic than spooky.
I say that as if funny psychotic is better somehow, which means I need to review my medication ;-)

So I came up with a rather gory Treat Container all splattered in fake blood courtesy of Dylusions Post Box red spray ink.
I did add lots of gold mica for shininess, so that makes it alright doesn't it?
( The gold mica doesn't show up in the photo's because if I added any shiny shots this post would stretch all the way to China.)

Gizza sweet. Girl's from the Black Stuff?

Click on any picture to make it bigger.

Seeing as there is the expression "Get your craft on" I thought that maybe we could
"Get yer creep on" for Halloween?
Maybe not, seeing as I'm no trendsetter and I'm ever so grateful I am not responsible for such heinous expressions as "pushing the envelop" or "thinking out of the box" that do the nauseating rounds through large corporations until some other bright spark comes up with another even better heinous expression that everyone can run around spouting or sprouting even.

Top of the box.
Which actually means the top of the box, and not some wank.
(Sorry Mum but I really feel it was merited on this occasion.)

Open box.

One Side of the box

The other side of the box

Front of the box

Back of the box

Inside of the Box is Heart Throb who has a most unfortunate dribble of red ink on his brainbox that looks like a pickaxe was recently removed.
Notice the lovely blue tissue paper lining for all those lovely Halloween treats such as Eye of Newt and Chunks of Spleen, which are selling like hot cakes in Asda this week.

This is the box before altering.

Stamps used were Stampotique.
The Ladies: Clover, Muffin, Jeepers and Miss Snottie.
The Boys: Heart Throb, Smile and Mort has a pin curl.

Now I have been tardy in the last few posts and not said how I made it.
This is going to be an awfully long post if I do one now so briefly with the main points only.

I used Reeves Black acrylic which is a soft sheen acrylic which has a very dense coverage and an ability to stick to a fairly shiny surface without the need for Gesso, so is perfect for a bit of altered art but not very good for writing on if you were to use it on a journal page. You would do better with a matt acrylic that pens can write on easily for journaling. (My opinion only.)
I used black stazon ink for the stamping because of the gold mica sprayed on the card and I thought it was guaranteed to adhere because it's Stazon. Mmm almonds.
The tissue paper was glued on with Golden Gel Medium around the top of the box only.
Gel medium is your fall back glue for Altered art.
If it wasn't so expensive to buy in the UK I would use it much more often as it will stick most things together and dries within seconds and thereby defies gravity.
These two properties make it an absolute must for a place in your glue arsenal if you like altering things.
Just to clarify, you don't need Golden Gel Medium if you want to alter your hair colour, you need a hair dye for that which is something else entirely.

So get yer happy creative creep on (or not) this week folks!
Gini
xx

The Artistic Stamper Challenge Layers. Spanky does Moth Fab in layers.

2010-10-22T15:11:00.001+01:00

Spanky has done Moth Fab as you've never seen her before.

The challenge this month over at The Artistic Stamper is layers.
Spanky thought she would do layers of clothes and chose a very pretty lady who is no doubt Spanky's match in every way on the Diva front.
But Spanky thinks Moth Fab needs a natty new wardrobe.

It's gatefold card that starts with Moth Fab dressed up as The Queen of Narnia, and WOW does she make a scary Queen.
I can't imagine her saying "Squeeze me 'til I squeak".
Maybe "Touch me and I'll rip your head off."
Poor Edmund.
(Click on any of the images to make them bigger.)

Then Spanky gave her day dress a little bit of dazzle and bling.
Is it just me or is Moth Fab looking hard to please?

Not heaping praise on Diva Spanky for any favours she may deign to bestow is SUCH a bad idea Moth Fab... can't you at least...Uh Oh - too late was the cry as she waved her wooden leg.

Rock and Roll Moth Fab! Who knew you had a stitched up belly to match the rest of you!!!

Oh look a lovely shiny shot.

Well, will you look at that, Moth Fab is a cross between Marie Antoinette and Dame Edna Everage underneath all the glowering and Fru Fru.

Moth Fab is the fabulous invention of Daniel Torrente for Stampotique stamps and I hope I am not in the dog house for the modifications. Spanky made me do it!

The quote is the title of the book by Louise Rennison's teenage drama and further confessions of Georgia Nicolson. Louise has the funniest way of saying things.
I could make a lot of art using her quotes.

Now you might not think Moth Fab's knickers are very big but Spanky does not believe in knickers at all. She thinks you should let the breeze blow freely down below and only wears a thong for warmth so they are really big as far as Spanky is concerned.

This is the middle of the card. The Standing Up Shot just to prove it can.

This is the back of the card.

Happy creating everyone with or without knickers!
Gini
xx

Easel Card. Autumn colours Art Journey's Dancing Lady

2010-10-21T21:12:00.000+01:00

The last couple of projects I've made have included autumn leaves so I've had enough of leaf making for the moment but I adore the autumn colour scheme of reds, browns, golds and greens.

So I've used one of my prize loot stamps, the gorgeous Art Journey stamp plate Silhouette.

I am very disappointed in my photography of this card, I completely forgot to put my flash on to get a shiny shot of the gold mica that covers the inked paper I made for it.
But in real life it is lovely shimmery shiny golden-ness on the reds, oranges and yellows which tones them right down so they are not quite as bright in real life as in the photo.

(It was late, I was rushing, and I nearly forgot to photograph it at all blah blah blah.)

Unsurprisingly it was going to Alison the next day, for her Birthday.

It would have been surprising if it had been for John's Birthday though wouldn't it?

Unless of course he was in love with Alison, in which case it might have been quite sweet,
unless his love was a secret unrequited love in which case I WOULD BE REACHING FOR MY COAT.

Thankfully whomever John is in love with is a complete mystery to me, or if he is a John Doe with a toe tag that would be who he was in love with.
What is a mystery though, is why I started this train of thought because now I'm thinking, Spade. Hole. Digging. Stop.

Moving swiftly on.
I'm entering this card in:-

Sir Stampalot Challenge for October. Autumn breezes, buttons and a bow(s)
and
Daring Cardmakers Challenge. Welcome to the dance.

Here it is. Click on it to make it bigger.

I always think that if a project comes together really easily it's because the idea of it has been wafting around in your brain for a long time.
I've just realised from where my inspiration for this card came.
This is the silhouette of the dancing woman in the flames of the opening credits for Tales of the Unexpected isn't it?
If you're not old enough to remember Roald Dahl's televised series of stories then you won't know what I'm talking about. Never mind, you have fewer wronkles than me.

"Some say wrinkles and some say wronkles.
Let's call the whole thing off."

Wait! I've lost my place in the conversation, what were we talking about anyway?
Oh yes, John Doe and his magic toe...

Happy creating everyone with or without wronkles!
Gini
xx

I'm an ecstatic winner!

2010-10-21T20:34:00.000+01:00

I was very lucky to be one of the 10 winners of the Craft Stamper magazine's 10th Birthday Competition with this card. (Blogged about here.)

I did a huge squeally happy dance on finding out, I don't think Himself has recovered yet from the spectacle of it, I would imagine it is burnt onto his retinas good and proper. Ha!

I'm published on page 67 of the November 2010 Edition of the magazine along with all the other fabulous winners.

My personal favourite from the winners is Andrea Neville's Graffiti Card, a brilliantly clever card using the wonderful Daniel Torrente characters from Stampotique.

A HUGE ENORMOUS thank you to the Craft Stamper crew and all the wonderful sponsors who provided these fabtastic prizes.

Here are links to their websites:

Art journey
Blade Rubber Stamps
Crafty Notions
Crafty Individuals
De Stempelwinkel
Elusive Images
PaperArtsy
The Artistic Stamper
The Stamp Man
Stampattack Art Stamps

It'll take me ages to try out all my winning loot.
I encourage you, yes YOU to enter some competitions if you've never done so before, especially if you've made something a little different from normal.
You gotta be in it to win it and I wish you lots of good luck :-)

Happy creating for competitions!
Gini
xx

Dress Up 2010 September.

2010-10-14T14:51:00.000+01:00

After a great deal of computer woes, I'm finally back.
I have a shiny new Apple Mac and it's like going from a Lada to a chauffeur driven Rolls Royce.
R.I.P. to my microsoft tower of shite.

I am however in a learning curve with the iphoto program and resizing for blogger.
What is the matter with uploading photo's with blogger at the moment?
"If it works fine lets mess it up" is that google's mantra today/this week?

Anyway enough of that.

I made this dress so long ago I can hardly remember how I made it but I do remember this is my second attempt. My first go could best be described as Confused Christmas Crap.
The autumn theme got blurified by xmas looking trees AND even adding glitter glue didn't fix it.
I would include a picture of it but you might be about to eat your tea and I don't want to put you off your nosh.
Click on it to make it hopefully bigger.

This photo shows some of the layers including the ones on the bottom of the skirt.
I do like sticky up bits.

Stamp set is Habico - Autumn leaves 2.
Stamped on white card using Versafine vintage sepia.
They are clear stamps that work brilliantly and cost £2.85 full price.
Hmm, that's food for thought isn't it?
I used Derwent Inktense pencils to colour in.
If I did anything else I can't remember now but it is backed onto thick watercolour paper to give it good rigidity and I have forgotten to stick my hanger on- doh!

Margaret is still going strong with the challenge and her dresses get better and better.
I will try and get my Wardrobe finished this month or definitely maybe for November.

Sorry to everyone for not doing the blogging rounds lately, I shall try and remedy that very soon.

Happy creating!
Gini
xx

The Artistic Stamper Challenge September 2010. Sing a rainbow. The many moods of Heart Boy.

2010-09-26T14:18:00.002+01:00

This is my first time with The Artistic Stamper Challenge
I had a lot of ideas for this rainbow challenge but settled on Stampotique's Heart Boy by Daniel Torrente.

We so often describe our moods in terms of colours so I made "The many moods of Heart Boy" whose heart is much bigger than he thinks and he is going through the often painful process of growing up.
The thing that hopefully eclipses the pain is the sense of wonder in everyday things that comes so naturally to children and is so sadly lost by many in adulthood.
I have been recultivating a sense of wonder in everyday things for some time now.
It is easy to find a sense of wonder in crafting blogland, (wowser to the imaginative talent that is out there...) however, I think we are all resoundingly trumped by nature in her everyday glory.

Click on it to make it bigger.

I wasn't sure how to sit the Cowboy hat on Heart Boy's head, a jaunty little angle didn't look right, and neither being a Cowgirl nor knowing any Cowboys (unfortunately there are none to be found in the wilds of Shropshire) I plumped for plonking it straight on and very low on his brow.
Would mirror sunglasses be a bit much do you think? Because I was tempted until I realised that I don't have any mirror card and seeing as it is pretty much essential for mirror sunglasses, I had to give that idea up.

Oh look, bless Evangaline she has made my Cowboy wishes come true and my old heart go pitter pat.
It's good to share Hauwt Hottie Guy.

(I can't remember where he came from, I get easily muddled, sorry.
He's two unknown google images, but the mystery makes him all the more delicious doesn't it?
If you wondering why I don't feature Himself in this spot, it's because the world just isn't ready for his perfection. Mwah.
In fact I can't remember where I found Himself either.)

If you have forgotten who Evangeline is or you are new here (where have you been?), she is the recipient of all the Dress Up 2010 dresses and she got transformed in my very first post.

Edging Paper Tip

If I want to edge a fiddly small shaped paper with an ink pad I use a coloured pencil instead.
It saves ink getting everywhere you don't want it and nowhere that you do and the joy of having an upside down ink pad in your lap. Yes! That joy.
Any coloured pencil will do although a soft one like Derwent coloursoft or Derwent Inktense are a bit easier to use.
The crafty trick is to get the angle of your pencil near horizonal to the paper. The more horizontal to the paper you hold your pencil the wider the line of shading will be.
Here I'll show you.

And this photo shows the angle of my pencil but NOT how to hold it properly.

How I made it.

I coloured Heart Boy with Derwent Inktense pencils and glued him on with white PVA.
The edge punch is EK Success - bubbles. As there isn't a corner punch for this I disguise the corners with brads. Brads have saved the day many times in this way for me.
I used double sided tape on the card layers.
I edged the words with coloured pencils.
This is the rest of the equipment I used. Click on it to make it bigger.

And finally I owe a huge apology to Perl whom I called Pearl.
Tut tut to me.
I have gone back and edited that post but the card can't be changed without being made a dog's dinner.
So, I hope I haven't spoilt what is the start of a great friendship as I have so many plans for cheering Perl up :-)

Whatever you are doing today I hope you can find a little wonder in it.
Happy creating!
Gini
xx

Opus Gluei challenge #72 Ease(l) into fall. Autumn Leaves scalloped circle Easel Card.

2010-09-19T13:46:00.001+01:00

Well talk about serendipity at work here.
Love the pun on the title ladies at Opus Gluei.
I have recently finished this card for my MIL who asked for something in Autumn colours.
Nothing too wacky although bless her she wouldn't have minded if it was, 'cos miracle of miracles in the wonderful world of families, she thinks I'm good enough for her son so she puts up with good grace the strange things I make!
She was lucky my Stampotique stamps hadn't arrived yet otherwise she would have got Poor Pearl.
Click on it to make it bigger.

How I made it.
Background paper made using inkadinks in Cherry Pie, Mango and yummy Yellow from the brights range. Oversprayed with gold mica powder. Instructions here

Largest scallop nestie used from the classic scalloped circle large set.
All stamping using Versafine in Vintage Sepia.
The leaves are from Habico, Autumn Leaves 2 set. I stamped them onto thin card. Coloured with watercolour pencils.
Silhouette birds on bottom of easel card are Crafty Individuals.
Heat embossed using Versamark and Stampendous in Detail Gold.
Quickie glue pen and Decor Art Glamour Dust in gold used on veins of the leaves.
Happy Birthday sentiment free with Papercraft Inspirations magazine.

I'm rushing now because OMG I think I might actually be first on the linky thingy on Opus Gluei.
See; miracles do happen everyday.

Happy creating everyone!

Gini xx

Stampotique Designers Challenge 15 - Birthday. Blondes really do have more fun.

2010-09-18T23:16:00.001+01:00

I have finally got some Daniel Torrente Stampotique stamps, so I can now join in with the Stampotique Designers Challenges. They have some fabulous dimensional ideas (in the archives) over there and on the Stampotique Originals blog.

So this is Perl and the Heartboy Twins, let's call them Beat and Thump, enjoying a sophisticated Birthday Party Bash.

I hope to goodness that The Bumps have gone the way of the Dodo and are now well and truly extinct.
Was there really anything more hideous about birthday parties in the olden days than the scourge of The Bumps?
Even if everyone held on tight you ran the risk of going face first into the ceiling, getting Chinese burns on your extremities and having your arms and legs pulled out of their sockets. If you were lucky that was all that happened to you.
If you were unlucky some damn fool who was too busy thinking about Birthday Cake let go on the up toss...

Poor Perl and she had even gone to the trouble of borrowing her Mum's super cool eye shadow in the subtle shade of Disco Blue.
Click on it to make it bigger.

Have you noticed Perl's décolletage?
It looks like she is wearing three necklaces doesn't it?
But with a bit of judicious doctoring it could easily be chest hair.
In fact she could have mantitty. Poor Perl.

If you are of a nervous disposition look away now.
I coloured this card with my watercolours and a small paintbrush, you can see the brush strokes.
Yes, lots and lots of brush strokes folks and I DIDN'T get struck by lightning.
Yep, still here smiling and alive.
Neither Copics nor Distress Inks were harmed in the creation of this card :-)

The designer paper is Corn Husk from the Basic Grey Urban Prairie range.
I had to draw two larger Nestie Label 8's because the largest label die only just fits The Bumps.
Poor Perl is rather long.

With or without brush strokes happy creating!
Gini
xx

Opus Gluei Challenge #69 Not so Ordinary.

2010-08-27T21:38:00.002+01:00

The challenge this week over at the Opus Gluei is to make something different and outside your comfort zone.

Well different for me and outside my comfort zone would be a standard card using designer paper, a rubber stamp, embellishment and shaped border.
I make all sorts of strange ~~crap~~ things so a traditional card where I haven't drawn anything myself (or made a picture and stuck it on a card blank which would be cheating for the purpose of this challenge) is outside my comfort zone and I have only recently been dipping my toes in this crafting style of water as it were.
So that's what you're getting from me for this challenge, a layout card, in fact your getting a series of 8 layout cards, in for a penny in for a pound.

I admit I chickened out of inches which was my first thought as I haven't been able to make them at all and am still nursing my bruised ego from a whole evening of inchy making, all of which went straight in the bin.
Quite a feat really for 4 hours work; from craft table to bin in one swift motion.
Maybe I'd have more success if I stayed up way past my bedtime?
Nah, I 'd probably end up with foot long inches.
Nothing quite like the logic that crafting at 3am gives you.

I really like the black border style.
I'm always drawn to the cards that use black as an accent colour.
(It's must be the lure of the dark side.)
I'm not terribly impressed with any of them, but you have to start somewhere and they aren't so bad that I threw them all in the bin either.

What I used.

A basic grey paper not sure from which range sorry.
Tim Holtz stamps heat embossed in detail black.
Glue stick to stick down DP and black card.
White PVA to stick down the ribbons all of which came from www.alteredelement.co.uk/

Talking about glue, what a mess a glue stick makes and doubled sided tape only gives you one chance at getting it accurately stuck down so I prefer white PVA and a fine nozzle and the wiggle room it gives you.
What type of glue do you like to use on layout cards where accurate positioning is so important?

Whether you are in your creative comfort zone or not this week- happy creating!

Do I get money for this many posts in one week do you think?

Gini
xx

Opus Gluei Challenge #65 Ephemera. Just making some adjustments.

2010-08-26T14:26:00.001+01:00

The lovely ladies over at Opus Gluei challenged us all to make something using Ephemera.
Now I am aware of the word's existence but I couldn't have given you a definition apart from some rubbish I'd have made up on the fly if my "dunno" was unacceptable. But thankfully the poobah's gave this definition:-

"Ephemera is defined by Merriam-Webster's online dictionary as "...something of no lasting significance...paper items that were originally meant to be discarded (as posters, broadsides, tickets) after use but have since become collectibles."

I don't have a lot of this kind of stash but I have a few things I've kept because I instantly had an picture idea for using it.
Click on it to make it bigger.

This is the advertising leaflet that the little mouse comes from.

As soon as I saw her I could see her cleaning out Julia's flip top head and "making some adjustments".
I don't know where these ideas come from sometimes, it's just the mystery of creativity for you.

The way I see it is that at a very basic level our lives are nothing more than a series of adjustments, of changes.
We make adjustments to accommodate people entering and leaving our lives, adjustments to accommodate earning money, adjustments to accommodate new ways of living depending on our life experiences. On and on the adjustments go, and it is continuous.
Sometimes huge adjustments and sometimes tiny ones but everyday we are making adjustments.
The great side to these adjustments is that we get to choose how we react to these inevitable daily changes.
We can choose whether we view them fearfully or humorously or as chance to improve our lives.

I like the idea of the little mouse and her dustpan and brush helping the process along.

I have recently got some border punches and they have so much more potential than just as an outwards facing border. I really like them facing inwards for a start.

I have a couple of colours I don't like; grey and peach. But for this challenge I thought I'd try to do a colour scheme I would never normally choose.
Grey, black, white and peach.
I couldn't stomach adding peach into the mix as well but I'm pleased with the result anyway.

Happy creating!
Gini
xx

Opus Gluei Challenge #62 Far Out. Spanky does outer space.

2010-08-25T13:50:00.000+01:00

If you have been wondering where Spanky has been and why you haven't being seeing many of her projects lately it's because she's been to outer space.
Well no, I didn't realise she could go there either.
I had just assumed she'd gone time travelling again but now I can understand why she's been gone so long.
Click on her to make her bigger.

As soon as I saw this challenge I knew I wanted to make this picture.
Why?
Well I have been listening to Imogen Heap's album Ellipse and one of the lines from the song Earth is
"swanning about the solar winds" and I thought Spanky would do that, the little daredevil.

I bought a small pack of handmade paper because this background paper was the sheet showing and I thought it would be great for a sea scene not realising it would also make an outer space scene, the swirls could be the Milky Way and solar wind ripples couldn't they?
I just added some stars in gold stickles and gold liquid pearls to make it solar. Put a biggish blob on the paper and use a cocktail stick to pull the points of the star out. Easy peasy.

The surfboard idea is from the film "Dark Star". It was made in 1974 and directed by John Carpenter.
I watched it at a very impressionable age (early teens) and thought it was great, it was also one of my uncles favourite films so I watched it more than once. It's an offbeat Sci fi film. A full description of the plot is here.
Do you remember it by any chance?
At the end of the film the astronauts realise that they can't get the bomb on board to stop it's countdown to detonate itself and they all die. But as I remember it some of them get to choose how they die (I may be remembering it wrong about them being able to choose though).
One of them drifts off caught on the Phoenix Asteroids to die and circle the universe eternally and one of the others surfs down (he loved surfing) to an unstable planet on a piece of debris to burn up in the atmosphere.
I remember realising at the time that it doesn't matter how many people you surround yourself with in life, death is a journey you have to make on your own.
But it doesn't all have to be doom and gloom you can turn the telescope around on every situation and view it differently, and you can always rewrite the ending so it's a happily ever after ending if you need to.
(Whatever it takes to get you through life is really OK you know, regardless of however silly or strange it may appear to others.)
Spanky proves it by Surfing the Solar Winds and coming back to tell us about it.

Happy creating!
Gini
xx

Opus Gluei Challenge #63 Sending smiles. The one where I stay up far too late.

2010-08-24T21:43:00.000+01:00

The challenge over at Opus Gluei in the third century B.C. (or at least it feels like it was that long ago).

It was to make something to make someone smile, what a wonderful challenge, I can't think of a nicer one really can you?

Although this challenge has turned into a cautionary tale of what can happen when you stay up way past your bedtime crafting.

It all started off well, I had seen a card style in a crafting magazine that was of a wrapped bouquet of flowers, that I thought had loads of potential for variations on the theme. I made this first card for my Mum's Birthday which needed to be "normal" not like my usual stuff anyway. I used one of the Elusive Images flowers from their Big Flowers plate of stamps that I watercoloured and put glossy accents over the flower centers.

It doesn't matter what card size you use. Just have a play with some scrap paper to find the right size of square to use as the wrapping paper of the bouquet. It'll depend on the size of your blooms as well, so choose your flowers and card blank first.

Then once that one was finished I thought I would have a go at a grungy flower bouquet so I could use my new Tim Holtz distressing tool. The centres are Inkadinkado button stamps.
I used the brayer technique I mentioned in my last post to ink up a background stamp with two colours and stamped the bouquet wrapping paper with a Chapel Road Artstamp called Celtic page (A) after I had brayed the white card with antique linen distress ink to make it look older than me.
At this point I was concentrating more on being really chuffed with my newly acquired brayer techniques than considering whether or not I was making anything that looked like a bouquet of flowers. I think this card still resembles a bunch of flowers sort of.
Can you see where this is leading?

By now it was getting late but I was on a roll. So my next thought was OK do it again but with musical flowers this time and so I got out some more white card and more stamps and made the flowers and wrapping paper using stamps.
Now if I hadn't already got you thinking about cards showing bunches of flowers would you even know what this was?
No I wouldn't have a clue either, but this insight didn't come to me until I looked at what I had made the next morning.
So as far as I was concerned I was making smokin' bouquets of flowers.....hmmm.

By now it was really really really late (I am not a fast crafter) and did I have the sense to go to bed?
I did not.
I can only imagine I was in a state similar to being punch drunk because my next thought was
"I know, make a bouquet of owls and trees!"
Owls and trees. WTF?
What can I say, but it seemed like a good idea at the time.
(Spanky made me do it.)

So now you know what'll happen if you craft way past your bedtime.

OWLS AND TREES

Happy Creating!

Gini

Dress Up 2010 August.

2010-08-22T22:54:00.001+01:00

Just in case you have forgotten, the lovely Margaret at Alice and Camilla's blog hosts this challenge.
Go visit her and leave a comment please, it'll help take her mind off all the building work noise.

This month I planned to do a summer green dress.
I picked green because none of my dresses have been green yet despite the fact that I use green a lot in my projects and I wondered why that was.
Looking in my wardrobe gave the answer because I don't buy green clothes.
Weird that I'd unconsciously reflected that in my Dress Up wardrobe.

This is my second dress I made this month because the first one I made wasn't um green.
Good to see I can keep to a theme then.
Click on it to make it bigger but you can't see the shiny gold mica on it, sorry I forgot to take a shiny shot for posterity, my bad.

How I made it.

For the background I splodged Inkadinks in Gooseberry Fool and Yummy Yellow from the bright range onto my waterproof craft sheet. You can use acetate, glass or anything else that is flat and waterproof instead of the waterproof craft sheet, I only bought mine as it is heat proof and I heat emboss on my oak table, which has the potential to be a hideously expensive mistake.

I spritzed water onto the inks and then dabbed my thin white card (160g/m2) onto the inks sitting on the craft sheet.
When that was fully dry I sprayed gold mica powder mixed with water over the top using a Tim Holtz mini mixer.
Inkadinks and mica powders from www.imaginationcrafts.co.uk
A great store, excellent products and customer service and very very good value too (no, I don't get a commission, remember there is only you, me and Spanky reading this blog.)

I used a Image Tree calligraphy stamp and the fabulous free Craft Stamper flower stamp from a the August 2010 edition and the teeny distant birds from the Crafty Individuals stamp; the one with the birdcage, birdhouse and birds in branches, yes - that one!
All stamped in Adirondack dye ink in clover.

A bit of lace and light green ric rac ribbon from www.alteredelement.co.uk
I first tried to glue the white lace on with Matte Accents but it absorbed the green Adirondack dye ink and made a right mess of the lace so don't try that at home! Then I tried white PVA with a new bit of lace and that worked fine.

Can you guess what the sleeve cuffs are made from?
Go on, I'll wait...

No, not that, try again.

Do you give up then??
The waste card from the top of..... Martha Stewart's Gothic Arches border punch.
No really, it is and do you know what?
If I painted it gold, it would look very like German Scrap wouldn't it?
It could be used on Inches and ATC's or any other project where just a short strip of German Scrap was required.

I've remember to take some photos of how I finish my dresses.
After I have finished the front of the dress I cut a very slightly smaller template using 300g/m2 watercolour paper which will give the dress it's rigidity. I colour around the edges with a colour that will blend in with the dress.

Then I glue it using white PVA to the back of the dress.
Then I use Scotch Magic tape to stick the coat hanger onto the watercolour paper.

Then I use white PVA to glue the back of the dress onto the watercolour paper.
The dress is then 3 layers thick and you can't see the coat hanger. Of course I forgot to photograph the back of the dress so just scrunch up your face and imagine it please.
It is a unembellished piece of the green and yellow background inkadinks paper I made.

When I first sat down to make a summer GREEN dress this is what I made.
Click on it to make it bigger.

I have to wonder at what part of GREEN I didn't understand.
It's probably due to the brain fartage that occurs outrageously regularly.

Fartage = to fart collectively.

Oh well, Evangeline can use this one for moments when she gets the urge to be a domestic goddess (bog cleaner) .

However I think I have redeemed myself somewhat by remembering to take a photo of all 8 dresses together, yey go me!

Click on it to make it even bigger.

Do you have a favourite?

Mine is January's The Shiny Eye of Sauron, not because it is the prettiest but because it makes me laugh.

You have to understand the reverence with which The Lord of the Rings trilogy is held by some of our household.

Himself reads the books at the beginning of every year and has the 3,452 hour versions of Peter Whosit's film trilogy.

But Spanky made it so I'm safe.

If in trouble just say "Spanky did it" or

"Spanky made me do it".

It's OK, Spanky's shameless and I'll vouch for you.

Happy creating!

Gini

Opus Gluei Challenge #68 You've got to move it move it!

2010-08-20T10:51:00.005+01:00

The poobahs over at Opus Gluei have challenged us to make something using old/existing stash stuff.

This is an A4 picture I have just finished and framed for my Mum's 81st Birthday.
It is using some more of the very first pack of designer paper that I bought and I still love it AND I have a big pile of it so I will still be using it when I am 192. I will shinify my zimmer with it.
DCWV Pocket full of Posies 12" size.
It is inspired by Zetti style but mainly artist Allison Strine's work.

I bought the digital bird images from www.magicpug.com
They are copies of old paintings of parrots and other exotic birds.
I resized the birds to suit the A4 size and just printed off their heads to use.
There are some great images for sale there.

I now have two ways of altering designer paper to fit a project.

1. Use white gesso to tone it down or scruffyfy it.
The green patterned paper was a bit too bright for the grass so I painted white gesso over it and immediately wiped some of it off again using a baby wipe.

2. Brayer an ink all over it and then spritz some mica powder mixed with water in a Tim Holtz mini mister.
I needed some jazzy shiny brown cardstock for the tree trunks so I transformed a piece of the purple and orange card in the pack. First I brayered over all of it using Adirondack dye ink in currant. Then I mixed up some dark greeny bronze mica powder with water and spritzed it all over. Lovely shiny.

I can't say enough good things about a Speedball brayer used with inks.

Apart from using the brayer to make background ink patterns you can

Ink up large stamps really evenly if you apply the ink to the stamp using a brayer.

Ink up stamps with more than one colour of ink. I don't know how many times Craft Stamper instructions have said ink up your stamp with these colours without saying how to do it without contaminating your ink pads with the other colours. So I realised that if you ink one half of your brayer with one colour then turn it round and ink the other half with another colour and leave a little gap in between the colours you don't mix colours on your ink pads. Then use your brayer to ink your stamp in the different colours and any contamination of colours won't matter because it'll be on the brayer and not the ink pads. Sorted at last.

Happy creating!
Gini
xx

Opus Gluei Challenge #67 Dog days of Summer

2010-08-14T21:12:00.000+01:00

I know its more birds BUT I don't care.
Aren't these stamps just the most fun you've seen in ages???
This is a tri fold card and I got the instructions for making one here Thank you Jayni.
I know it is the rose tinted spectacles view of Summer that I've represented in this card.

I can't see that even if I did a shiny version of mossie bites on a leg that it would be greeted with much joy nor would a shiny sweaty armpit, but the truth of keeping hens is that unless they have a VERY large grassy area to strut their stuff in, it will end up a brown patch of dirt very quickly and no flowers would survive either.
So this is the shiny version of keeping hens.
I used pencil crayons to colour it and edged it with cut and dry foam using Adirondack dye ink in clover. The black ink used is my favouriteVersafine black.
Click on it to make it bigger.

Shiny shot that shows the glitter.

These are the fabulous stamps.

Did you know that hens from Belgium make a different noise? Kot kot kot.
Is that a silent "t" then? And do you pronounce the "ko" bock?
Because that's the noise they make?
It's a shame I can't do you a sound bite of my hen impersonation.
Maybe as a special Christmas treat I could do one, because I am lead to believe by my loved ones, to hear it is life changing.

Hmm, thinking about it they don't go cluck either, they really do go BOCK.

Happy creating this weekend!
Gini
xx

Opus Gluei Challenge #66 The shirt off your back

2010-08-03T20:15:00.000+01:00

This week the lovely ladies on Opus Gluei have challenged you, me and everybody else to be inspired by the clothes we are wearing.
My initial reaction was oh no! I'll never be able to do this one, my clothes are completely uninspiring as I have practically no interest in clothes for me to wear and well, let's just say it shows...
But I looked down at this anyway.

A boring T shirt but in a colour combination that I really like, fuchsia, lime green and white.
(Just in case you have got it into your mind that I am very very small - I'm not actually wearing it in this shot. Hey, it's just show biz baby.)

I had some scraps of K and Co stripy paper that I had just used on a card and it was just enough to make a background for an ATC.
I haven't made an ATC in months but I thought I would try but wasn't overly confident that I would make anything other than some bin material.

But miracle of miracles happened and I think all the weeks of studying and studying card layouts and trying to make layout cards is starting to pay off .
I sat down without a clue and within a few hours I had made this without any trouble at all and I actually like it!
I feel I've had a breakthrough moment in creating.
Click on it to make it bigger if you like.

It didn't stay ATC size though, it's 6" by 8".

How I made it.

For these light weight wall hangings I make the piece using layers of card and paper, then once I know what size it is going to be I mount it onto the same size of mount board.
Mount board won't warp or curl, is inexpensive and easy to cut if you use a steel ruler, cutting mat and a heavy duty craft knife. Make the cut in two goes. The first cut will go through most of the mount board and the second cut goes through the rest. If you try and cut it in one cut then you have to press so hard that you may get a wobble in your straight line and it hurts your wrist!
I usually use white PVA glue to do this sort of project and you don't need all that much to give a good bond. I run a reasonably thick line of glue around the edge and then draw squiggly lines of glue over the space left in the middle.
I try and remember to get it on mount board before I make the front too dimensional.
I used white PVA to glue down everything including the ric rac which I ran a line of glue along the ric rac and then stuck it down. I find this works better on ric rac than double sided tape does.

The stamp is an Elusive Image stamp and I stamped with stormy sky distress ink.
I glue on the sequin ribbon last and I use Anita's 3D clear gloss as a glue for this. My opinion is that Anita's used as a glue is stronger than Glossy Accents and as Anita's is a thinner liquid, it is often easier to use as a glue. However if you want to get a raised glossy finish, Glossy Accent wins hands down.
I run a line of glue down one side and put the sequin ribbon on.
Then I leave it for about 15 mins or longer in the winter to dry. Then I repeat this for the next side and leave that side to dry. I do this because it is very difficult to make the sequin ribbon go round the corner neatly if the first side isn't dry.

I use 20 gauge beading wire for the hanger. I thread the beads on the wire first then measure two points of equal distance from either side across the top of the back of the hanging. If it looks about the right amount of loop height I cut off the wire leaving about 2 inches extra on either side of the beads, then using a pair of jewellery pliers I twist over the wire just below where I want the beads to sit on the top of the frame.
I can't work wire for toffee but this way works even though it's neither posh nor proper wire working.

Then I use Scotch magic tape to tape down each end of the wire using my measured marks as a guide for where to stick them.
I am all for saving money when possible but the cheaper brands mimicking Scotch magic tape are in my opinion no good. You need to buy the real thing.

I wonder what Spanky would make if she looked down?

Happy creating!
Gini
xx

Three 3D cards.

2010-08-01T23:47:00.002+01:00

I made a side step card to celebrate Craft Stamper magazine's 10 Birthday.
As always, click on the images to make them bigger.

This is a story that reads left to right and front to back.

We start with all the eager Craft Stamper readers waiting in a tree patiently or not so patiently for their local newsagents to open on the morning of the issue of the latest magazine.
Can you spot me?
I'm the one too fidgety with excitement to sit still.

Up goes the shout by the scout. The lights are on, come on!

An orderly line all the way to the door. I think they've done this before.

Whoohoo we've got it, let's make a celebratory tottering tower of beautiful birdiness.
Can we run away to the circus?

A good trick is to make a "W" shape piece of card to glue to both inside edges to help the card stay upright and in place. Nobody likes to do the splits that they didn't intend.

One last shot, the centerfold shiny shot.

What I used.
I used distress inks for the background and versa fine black stamp ink.
I coloured in using Cosmic shimmer watercolour paints.
The birds are Elusive images. The house stamp is by October Afternoon.
I cut out the bottom window of the newsagents and replaced it with acetate and put the teeniest tiniest copy of craft Stamper in the window.
Did you spot it?

I also made an Easel card and I hope to make a lot more of as they are so easy yet glamorous to make.

I used Elusive Images stamps. My minds Eye designer paper. Papermania butterflies with the holographic silver cut off. Some brads. The image is coloured with water colour pencils.
It's never too late for a desk calender!

Then I made a pop up card.
The card mechanism is disappointing because it has no means of supporting itself, so you have to prop it up against something and you have to decorate the front that won't be seen.
It would have made a much better Easel Card. So a big raspberry to pop up cards.
This is a Jo Kill design.
She designs for PaperCraft Inspirations magazine (among others) and all of her cards in this style are made as much as possible from punches. I adore all the animals that she makes, she's so clever!
You don't get templates, but this squirrel is just circles and ovals with a little bit of drawing needed for the tail and the ears. I used my nesties for the cutting.

Happy creating!
Gini
xx

Alter It Monthly Challenge. July 2010, Home Sweet Home - Flora's Round House

2010-07-23T18:01:00.000+01:00

I recently found a new altered art challenge site that is monthly - whoohoo!
You can find it here. They also have a prize up for grabs, which always helps as an incentive.

I made another round house for a very special friend's birthday, the fantabulous card making Sylvia.
Happy birthday to you!

This is Flora by Evelyn De Morgan which is Sylvia's favourite Pre Raphaelite painting.

Now by my reckoning Flora has been standing barefoot in the garden for 116 years so I thought it was about time someone let her in a house to warm up her toes and maybe take a bath.

Click on the picture to make it bigger so you can see some of the glamour dust sparkle.

The interior and shutters are a gentle antique red not the raging RED that appears in the above photo.
I have got the colour better in this next photo. (I couldn't improve it in photo shop any further not with my limited skills anyway, oh dear.)

The house started out life as a 500 gram container of coffeemate.
Dimensions are:
Diameter 4".
Height of container 5.5", roof is extra on top.

I got the idea for the shutters from an article by Gail Milburn on page 72 of February 2009 Edition of Craft Stamper.

How to make it.

The first thing to consider is that it is much easier to gesso and then decorate by painting one of these.
If you want to wallpaper one, then you must be prepared to measure accurately in order to get a nice finish and expect a fair amount of cursing whilst you're doing it.
Once you've made your first one and made all your mistakes with that one it'll be plain sailing on all future ones! I'll show you my first one in a minute so you can laugh at it.

First of all decide what image (if any) is going to lean out of your window.
Size the image by measuring the height of your tin and allow for an inch or so of headroom in the container otherwise your head will get partially hidden under the overhang of the roof.
Once you have printed out your image, then you can decide on the width and the height of the window and how far up the tin the windowsill needs to start to suit your image.
(Next time I make one I'll take photos as I go along, because it is much easier to see how this goes together that way.)
Cut out your window and divided it into two shutters.
Decide whether you want the shutters to sit concave or convex against the sides of the house.
Mine sit concave because it is easier to glue the shutters open that way .
There is another way to do this that I use and I'll explain later.
Then label each shutter Left and Right so you don't get in a muddle with them.

To attach the shutter to the house cut a rectangular piece of card that measures the height of the shutters and is about 1.5" wide.
Fold in half lengthways.
Glue one half of the rectangle to the side of the shutter that will sit flush with the house.
Then wallpaper and decorate the shutter completely before you stick it onto the house.
I used the strong double sided tape (red backed) for all my wallpapering.
Your wallpaper can be designer card or paper, either will work fine.
Alternatively you could use gel medium as a glue.
Or if you want a bit of wiggle room then use white PVA but this would be my last chioce of glues for this project.

Then wallpaper the inside of the house.
When you have a window you don't need to glue the wallpaper down, if you have cut it accurately it will stay in place all on it's own as if by shiny magic.
You then stick the shutters onto the side of the house and then wallpaper the outside of the house.
I glued the shutters back in place with strong white PVA and used pegs to hold the shutters open while the glue dried.
For instructions on how to measure everything and how to glue the beads on and make the roof see this post that gave instructions for making this shell house.

The only difference is that on Flora's roof I glued punched out flowers around the bottom of the roof and if you decide to do this you need to make a circular band of card that will sit on the lip of the tin to raise the roof up enough to allow for the roof decorations to sit correctly.

I also used Tim Holtz grungeboard flourishes that I first painted in a bright green acrylic then I used my finger to apply two different shades of metallic green in a random way. Glued them on with glossy accents.
I also added some pearls and bling, lots and lots of glamour dust to the flowers using a Sakura Quickie glue pen.

The butterflies are Anita's Fairy Wings dimensional butterflies with the awful fugly silver holographic edge cut off.
Now as you know I am partial to a bit of shiny, but these butterflies are delicate woodland shades of brown and the very last thing they need is cheap and ugly silver holographic crap on them. So I used my tiny scissors and cut it all off. Off with the shiny! Never thought I would be saying that. Ever.

So onto my very first piece of 3 dimensional art and my first round house.
I did this one with two windows, one front and one back as it were.
I held the shutters open by tying the two shutters, one from each window, together with fancy yarn.
This is a T Rex shrine that I made for Himself as a Valentines present in 2009.
Okay you can start laughing now,
it's very heartening to me to see how I've improved in just over a year.
The photo's are abysmal quality as well which make matters worse.

Okay stop laughing now or I'll cry.

I am behind on visiting everyone and will try and remedy that shortly.

Happy creating!
Gini
xx

Dress Up 2010 July. Here comes the bride all Spankified.

2010-07-08T09:34:00.000+01:00

The deliciously delightful Margaret is hosting the Dress Up 2010 here.

Here comes the bride all Spankified.

Click on any of the pictures to make them bigger.

Ever since Evangeline set eyes on Hauwt Hottie Guy here, Spanky has been preparing her wedding dress.
Nothing like a bit of forward planning.
Just in case you can't remember what Hauwt Hottie Guy looks like, here's a reminder.

First rule of being a girl scout is never pass up the chance to ogle a Stud Muffin.
I was and still am a very diligent student of this rule.
Steadfastness is a virtue.

Spanky has let me tell you how she made this one.

Firstly using this template cut a dress out of white felt.

Now about the sewing thread I use.
If you've never heard of this thread before you are either going to love me or hate me for telling you about it, because once you've seen the finish it gives you there will be no going back; a bit like flirting with the dark side :-)

It's quilter's invisible nylon thread and it's designed for use in sewing machines to do the stitching that holds the three layers of quilt together; the backing, the padding and the quilted front panel.
You can also use it for overlocking, appliqué, bobbin work etc.
I would imagine it will make a fabulous job of invisibly machine sewing that pleated paper/ribbon technique that is so popular on cards at the moment.

The total brilliance of this thread is that it is invisible so if you hand sew ribbons, beads etc onto a fabric you cannot see any of the holding stitches at all. Also it doesn't matter how untidy your stitches are because you can't see them.
Now for someone like me who has always hand sewn with more exuberance than skill, it is simply a modern day miracle.

For hand sewing the down side of it is also it's strength; the invisibility, which means threading your needle is a pain even using a needle threader and as it is nylon it is harder to fasten on the back to start with.
Also, it is very difficult to use in artificial light and even in daylight I use the position of my thumb on my non sewing hand to let me know where the next stitch needs to go.
Top Tip: If you are feeling friendly you could always use someone else's thumb.
BUT you can't get a better finish and personally speaking that makes it totally worth it.

This is what the thread looks like.

I use the .004 thread size as it will sew through even the tiniest of seed beads.
I use a tiny 3.1cm sewing needle. (I must be doolally.)

Back to the dress.

1. Start with the ribbons. This is what we are aiming for.

Using 1cm wide pale pink ribbon.

Do the side ribbons first starting at the waistband.
Use running stitch.
Sew across the top of the ribbon at one side of the waist band.
Fold a pleat and then sew across the top of the pleat. Repeat until you get to the bottom of the skirt.
Use a ruler to measure the spaces and the pleat length if it helps you, I did.
Fold the ribbon around the back of the bottom of the skirt and sew it down and cut off the rest of the ribbon.

The front

The back

Do the other side ribbon next.

Then do the centre ribbon. Do the centre ribbon last because it is shorter than the side ribbons and you need to judge by eye where the folds need to go, measuring isn't going to help on this one and I don't know about your relationship with God and whether he will help you or not.
Need a stiff drink yet? Don't worry, you soon will.

2. Sew the white lace across the bottom hem inbetween the bottom pale pink pleats.

3. Next sew the two 4mm wide cherry purple ribbons inbetween the pale pink ribbons.
Sew using running stitch from the waistband downwards to the bottom of the skirt.

4. Then using running stitch sew the 1.5cm wide eyelet lace over the top of the cherry purple ribbon.
Sew down one side of the lace and up the other side so it is properly attached and you need not fear that a rogue elephant can rip it off the dress.Very important that. Remember safety first.

5. For the waistband, sew pink heart shiny embellishments one by one across the top of the skirt ribbons. See second picture below.
Then sew a white pearl shiny embellishment on top of each of the pink hearts and sew a tiny pink seed bead into the middle of each white pearl.

6. Sew white pearls around the neckline again including a little pink seed bead in the middle of the button.
Sew some more across the bottom of the skirt. See finished dress picture at the top of this post.
You will probably need a lot of alcohol by now, so finish the rest of it later.

7. You back then? Got a hangover? Well tough, lets finish this sucker.
Pick up the invisible thread again, go on you know you want to.
Just think of the immaculate finish you get or just think of the Queen and England instead.
You owe it to your country, you know you do.

In fact it's a bit like sewing the Emperor's new clothes and we all know what happened to him don't we?

Nehked in the streets.

8. Finish by sewing pearl torpedo/Guinea Pig Pooh shaped beads and pink seed beads to the edge of the sleeves.
Now I had had quite enough by then but you could go on and sew teeny tiny white pearl seed beads down the skirt ribbons if you feel like it or you might like to go and find more drink.
Tricky choice for you to make there.

I will leave the photo's of the dresses altogether until next month as I need to buy a bit of dowel (sp? rhymes with towel) to hang them on and this post is already very long.

The thought of going shopping makes me shudder with horror and not shiver with delight unfortunately.
I know; how weird for a girl.

Happy creating!
Gini xx

Opus Gluei Challenge # 59 I scream, you scream even Spanky screams ICE CREAM!!

2010-07-05T21:43:00.001+01:00

The lovely ladies over at Opus Gluei had this sweet challenge whilst I was under the weather.
So I'm a bit late.
Click on the picture to make it much bigger so you can see the words.

My advice to the Knight Errant in the picture is to let Spanky style his hair.
It's the mullet and pudding basin combination from hell.

You know the expression if you have to explain a joke it isn't funny?
Well, I need to explain this one.
Hang on a minute, I need to explain because it is in fact a logical process from the challenge to this picture but it's not necessarily an obvious one.
Aaw who am I trying to kid?
I'll let you draw your own conclusions...

So anyway it goes like this.

You have to know what a Mr Whippy is as it might not be called this in other countries.
It's a soft ice cream that comes out of a special ice cream machine and looks like this.

I have just finished reading Reckless by Amanda Quick (which is Jayne Ann Krentz's pen name for historicals).
In her many pseudonyms she is a prolific author and of the few of her novels I have read, most are misses but this one is a big hit.
It has some very clever and funny dialogue.
It is set at some point in the past before cars and probably in the 1800's somewhere. Hey, no flies on me.
A naive woman tries to get a man she believes to have the chivalrous principles associated with knights from mediaeval times to pursue a quest for her to find a mediaeval manuscript and thereby track down the murderer of her dead paramour.

So Mediaeval women wore ice cream cone shaped head dresses didn't they?
And if we take Mr Whippy literally he is a man and could therefore potentially have been a Knight Errant.
Something like Sir Galahad, Sir Lancelot and Mr Whippy went out riding one day to rescue the fair maiden from the evil clutches of Ben and Jerry of olde London Town....
And if you then put some of the dialogue from the book with the characters from The Accolade by Edmund Blair Leighton.
Then you have an Ice cream challenge sorted.

Making the picture.
I cut the figures out of Leighton's picture and then I made a pathetic attempt to anchor my characters in the picture.
Normally my central images float magically on air but I hoped to improve on that this time.
Unfortunately not even reading most of an art book on perspective (which apparently isn't a treatment for constipation) has helped.
My eyes kind of glazed over by the time we got to the renaissance section of the history of art perspective.
I have most in common with the ancient Egyptian artists, bless there little papyrus socks.
This post is turning into War and Peace and I'm not nearly finished yet.
Are your eyes glazing over now?
Well WAKE UP!

As I was saying I have tried to add some steps to give perspective to my characters but got the angles of my floor tiles hopelessly wrong. I knew the flat tiles needed horizontal lines but the pattern on the paper distracted me and now they slant completely the wrong way. It was at this point I decided to quit while I was ahead.
I got out my sequin ribbon to cheer myself up after the perspective disaster.
Oh shiny shiny, that's much better, so I put on double shiny to compensate.

Happy creating everyone!

Dress Up 2010 June

2010-06-29T14:46:00.013+01:00

The lovely Margaret's Dress Up challenge is going full throttle here.
You can still join in if you have the urge.

My apologies for not visiting anyone lately, I have been decidedly under the weather for 6 or so weeks now and everything has been on hold.

But the good news is I have a getting back to health plan which includes working reduced hours until the school summer holidays and then am at home with my kiddiewinks for the whole 6 weeks for some R & R!
I thank my lucky stars for having an employer who will let me take unpaid leave and keep my job.
Hopefully by September I will be back to my usual state of wellness.
Nothing but good times ahead :-)

Onto June's Dress.
I have always associated June with Summer Balls.
I don't think there is any logic to why I think that, but hey - who cares!
This dress is one I would have loved to have worn when I was younger (and had a flatter stomach.)
Click on it to make it bigger.

I did a watercolour wash on thick watercolour paper.Stamped a Personal Impressions flourish randomly with Adirondack dye ink in Clover and added some shiny!

I found these little coat hangers that fit my dress template perfectly.

They are made by Woodware and are called 20 Mini Coat Hangers code EMB024 and cost a mere £2.85 and you get them in an alterable box frame as well from www.alteredelement.co.uk
This is a great store, fast service and excellent customer service.

My dress templates are downloadable from this post if you want to use them.

I had an accident with my April dress. Yikes!
My printer is on a shelf above my crafting workspace and for some unknown reason black ink dripped out of a cartridge that I was changing and splashed all over the dress.

This is how it looked before.

I tried to rescue it by adding black doodles and some pearls and a flowery thing but it still looked fugly, so I mixed some peachy coloured mica powder with water and painted over everything, then restamped the birds and crowns in gold ink.
This is it after.

I prefer it in it's new incarnation so maybe it was serendipity, but it didn't feel like it at the time!

I mentioned to some of you I would photograph all the dresses together for June's post but I haven't got round to it yet- sorry.
I still can't decide how to decorate my wardrobe; too many choices I think.

I hope to visit all you other dress up players soon and everyone else in crafty blogland, I have been feeling the lack of you all!

Happy creating!

Opus Gluei Challenge #55 - Healthy wealthy and wise

2010-05-20T08:34:00.009+01:00

The challenge at Opus Gluei this week, really made my brain cell hurt, which is something I rather like :-)

I couldn't come up with anything that would translate into art using the three words, something like the "see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil" threesome effect, despite sleeping on the idea.

I came up with this instead.
Have you read Phillip Pullman's His Dark Materials Trilogy?
They made the first book into the film The Golden Compass.
An amazing fantasy epic that includes within the brilliant story; fascinating and thought provoking ideas on the subjects of physics, philosophy, theology and spirituality.
Personally, if I am going to learn something I would much rather be taught through a story.

In the 3rd book, The Amber Spyglass there is a land inhabited by Mulefa, a sort of elephant like creature that uses a large seed pod for locomotion.
The seedpod fits on a spur on their front and rear legs and they use their side legs to propel themselves along. They illustrate a delicate ecosystem and are non - intrusive users of the land, much like the Aborigines.
If we consider the word wealthy to mean prosperous or enriching in ways other than financial then I think that the Mulefa embody "Healthy, Wealthy and Wise" in their lifestyle.

I can't seem to stop making birds at the moment so I've used a bird to represent the Mulefa.
I know I'm really stretching artistic license here, but I just wanted to make more birds.
I was extremely luck to find some celtic stamps in the bargain bin of my local craft shop.
I love celtic designs but because they are so hard to draw they are perfect as rubber stamps.
£1 for 3 stamps. Whoohoo!!

Once I made one, I couldn't stop trying different versions.
I really want to make about 10 more versions at least, they are completely addictive to make. I'm going to run out of card blanks before ideas on this one.
What am I going to do with them all, because I just have to make some more!
Click on the pictures to make them bigger.

I was a bit impatient to take the photos and doesn't it show!

I drew the bird body and wing shape on card and then cut them out to make templates.
Luckily they just fitted on a 5" x 7" card blank.
I keep forgetting to pick my card blank first and make sure everything I draw will fit on it!

I used Versafine black ink. Some freebie papers that came with a magazine.
I used cut and dry foam and versamagic black chalk ink to edge the bird shapes.
I also used some Inkadinkado Button stamps and flower patterns stamps.
The large daisy flowers are from Graphicus, part of the Daisy and Butterfly plate.
I used foam pads to stick on the wheels, bird bodies and wings.
For the Celtic bird bodies I masked out some of the circle stamps to avoid overstamping and I drew around the bird body template first onto white card to get an idea where to place the stamps.
The inkadinkado flower stamps were clear so I could see where to stamp them without masking.
I used either jewels or Sakura stardust pens for the eyes.

Happy Creating!
Gini
xx

Opus Gluei Challenges #50, #51, #52 and #53

2010-05-14T09:55:00.010+01:00

If you fancy joining in with this weekly challenge blog you can find it here.
Run by two lovely and funny ladies Rosemary and Jana.

4 challenges in one post, nothing to brag about unfortunately, it just means I never got around to taking photo's and writing any blog posts for them. I can't even blame Spanky. Tut tut to me.

As I've said before I'm having a go at making layout cards.
Normally my idea of making a card is to make a picture and stick it onto a card blank. After the first time I did this, I started making the picture in the dimensions of the card blank which always helps matters.
I then see if I can fit a sentiment on it, if not, oh well never mind.
So this is exactly what I did for this challenge.
Click on any of the pictures to make them bigger.

#50 For the Birds

I drew all the pieces first on tracing paper and then cut them out of designer papers, K and Co and Basic Grey.
The bird ( his wing stuck on using a foam pad) and branch pieces are glued on a piece of designer paper using white PVA.
Then that was glued onto a card blank using double sided tape.
The crown is a woodware punch.
An unusual shaped googly eye for his peeper.
Sentiment is slapped on as an after thought. It's from a graphicus stamp set of Birds.

#51 Make a Set

Whilst these look quite plain, they took me ages and ages.
I was getting the hang of using nesties on my big shot and trying to decide on a layout and how to use a edge punch etc. So I worked out how much this first card would cost to buy if I based it on my day job's hourly rate.
For just time and not materials £46.30!
Well, I'd better keep the day job then.

I used a new out Dovecraft set of Birds stamps. Coloured with watercolour pencils.
An interesting thought about watercolour pencils.
20 or so years ago I bought a set of Caran d'ache Prismalo I watercolour pencils. Now they cost about £20 - 25 for 18 pencils.
I also recently bought 12 watercolour pencils from Asda for £1 to see how they compared.
I cannot tell any difference between them.
They are the same in blendability, colour density, sharpen-ability. They both give a smooth ungrained colour when blended with water. Something to think about.

For this next card I made up the quote, because really what else could it be?
Isn't he/she a brilliant little chap?
He's from the same Dovecraft set.
I used labels 1 and 8 and circles in nesties shapes all glued on a DL card blank with white PVA.
I coloured the eggs with cosmic shimmer watercolour blocks.
I used a Brilliance inkpad in Mediterranean blue.

#52 Happy Anniversary. Make something.

This is the only card I have managed to use some ribbon on. I have yet to get the hang of using ribbon on cards.
It's a Papermania sheep stamp. Stamped onto some designer papers with the head stamped again onto a purple spot paper and layer on the body with foam pads. An Inkadinkadoo Happy Birthday stamp, stamped on the same green paper as the sheep's body. Layered on to nestie cut card, all glued with white PVA to a piece of yellow card. The ribbon is stuck on with double sided tape. I put some glossy accents on his nose, the blacks of his eyes and the black of his ears and feet.

Can I just say something about Labels 10? It's one of the new Nesty releases.
It offends every single artistic sense I have.
It is ugly both set vertically and horizontally.
In fact I find it so ugly that it is FUGLY.
It is also everywhere on cards at the moment so it is obviously popular but to me it is like looking at the equivalent of a road crash on a card.

#53 Can I quote you on that?

Why, yes you can!
I think this is a quote from one of the Positively Pooh books. Although I can't quite remember.
I just love this colour scheme. Love it.
Light yellow, light grass green and cherry purple.
I have made a right hash of photographing it though. I tried all sorts of background colours and a darker green was still a poor choice.

I hand drew a flower template, which took ages to get right. I stamped one of the Julia faces from Cherry Pie stamps onto white card and used a nesty circle to cut it out. Used whispers brush pens to colour her in.
The petals are cut out from Dovecraft's Funky Vintage 6x6" paper pack.
An extraordinary collection of nice funky grunge designs and appallingly fugly '70's patterns.
I don't understand what is supposed to tie this weird collection together at all. Picky, picky today, but hey it's my blog!
I freehand edged the petals with a fine tipped felt tip in cherry purple.

I cut rough leaf shapes from an old book page, tinted them green with pale green watercolour paint, edged roughly with a green brush stroke pen. Glued onto a designer piece of paper with white PVA, Tim Coffey Daisy Pad K & Co.
I used pinking scissors to cut around the paper.
Edged using cut n dry foam, Adirondack dye ink in Wild plum to edge the pinking cut.
I used double sided tape to mount it on core'dinations vintage range of card and then onto mount board. I edged the cream mount board with a green brush pen.
I strung beads onto 20 gauge beading wire that I stuck onto the back using strong double sided tape covered over with magi tape.
I stuck the sequin ribbon on with thin strong double sided tape and used glossy accents to hold on the bling.

Happy creating!
Gini
xx

Dress Up 2010. Spanky does feeling gay in the month of May.

2010-05-13T19:48:00.004+01:00

Evangaline asked Spanky for something fresh, bright and cheerful, something she could wear anywhere.

Now I can't see Evangeline doing her weekly shop in Asda in this outfit, she'll never even make it through the fruit and veg section with all those precious jewels on display like that.

Click on it to make it bigger.

In case you want to join in or have a gawk at everybody else's dresses you can find May's dresses here and it's Mr Linky which makes it so much easier.

Hope you are all having a fabulous week.

I can feel a posting frenzy coming on which has got to be better that a rabid dog frenzy coming on.

Happy creating!
Gini
xx