Q&L - Knowledge - Two Roads by Chris Rea

This fortnight's challenge from the Craft Barn was Knowledge and/or Hurt.  Took me a bit of a while to find a song from someone I have seen live, that I wanted to do... then I came across Two Roads by Chris Rea, and I have no idea why I didn't think of it straight away!  This was on the 'On the Beach' album (yes vinyl...) and I saw Chris live probably 5 times during 86/87.  I even got his signature on one of my programmes... Oh yes, I started my stalking career many years ago!

So, Two Roads, and the lyric goes like this:

Ain't it funny how you never can tell? 

It always seems to hit you when it's going so well

A little knowledge is a dangerous thing

Now it's lawyers at midnight and the learning begins

 

I put my old favourite Centura Pearl through the big shot in an embossing folder, then used Distress ink across it, to highlight the texture. There are several layers of stamping across the top of the texture, to add a bit more depth. 

 

I took a couple of book pages (knowledge, after all, comes in books!), and used some watered down acrylic, before I stamped the lyric on the pages.

 

I gave the page an 'edge' with my Pitt pens, just to finish it off.

 

Hope you like!

 

Resources

Substrate: Centura Pearl
 

Paint and Ink

Distress ink: Worn Lipstick, Stormy Sky, Evergreen Bough, Iced Spruce
Archival Ink: Cornflower Blue, Cobalt, Venetian Orange, Tree Branch
PaperArtsy: South Pacific, Snowflake

Stamps
Katzelkraft: Woodgrain
Hero Arts: Music Background CG479, Printer's type lower case LL762
Artemio: Roman capital peg stamps


Bling and Other Stuff
Sue Wilson A4 embossing folder
Faber Castell Pitt Pens: various
 

Random Birthday Card

These days, I hardly ever make cards, there's always other things to do.  However, when it is a special birthday, for a special person, I do want to make the effort.  A certain someone is 60 this week - which just feels wrong on so many levels - I am clearly closing in on the same age too (a few years to go, but even so...).




I knew it couldn't be uber-blingy, and I knew it had to go through the post.  I wanted to make reference to the passing of the years...and all this led to a Kraft base card, with a little dry embossing and some mega flake.









I am a great believer that the birthday starts with the envelope, so that has a little stamping too, on the back, an aide memoire for how to open an envelope, and on the front, just a little advertisement that there's a birthday coming up.

Hope you like!  (Actually, hope he likes too!)


Resources

Substrate
American Crafts Kraft Card

Paint and ink
Distress Ink: Stormy sky, Tumbled glass, Walnut stain, Tea dye
Archival Ink: Potting soil, Manganese blue

Stamps
Stampers Anonymous Tim Holtz Collection: Mini Blueprints CMS 154
IndigoBlu: Wild Meadow WM1, Happy Birthday HB
VildaStamps: Time Flies V474

Bling and other stuff
Mega flake: Gin and Tonic
Flitter Glue
Triboss embossing folder: watches
Sakura Gelly roll pen: clear star

Q is for....Craft Barn Challenge

I was hoping that the dictionary would have the land of my birth in, but no, so I opted for something that sounds vaguely Harry Potter, and reverted to trigonometry!  Q is for QUINCUNX and QUADRANGLE this Craft Barn Challenge.

I started with the same Centura Pearl square as usual, and painted it up with Stewart Gill paints. 













I used a watermark pen and some detail black embossing powder to create the quincunx, and also to highlight the edges, being the quad.  I quite like the effect where the powder stuck to the still damp paint in places.




















I stamped the flowers on the offcuts, and painted them up. I added a pearl when I stuck them down on the quad.

As usual the tag has the two definitions on, with the wooden letter and a ribbon, to match all my other pages.

Hope you like!



Resources

Ink and paint
Stewart Gill Byzantium: Cardinale
Stewart Gill Alchemy: White Hot
Archival ink: Jet Black

Stamps
Sheena Douglas A Little Bit Sketchy - Always Floral SS-SD-FLOR

Bling and other stuff
Stampin' up: Adhesive pearls
Stampendous Embossing Powder: Detail black
Versamark: watermark pen

N is for... Craft Barn Challenge

 

This week's letter in the Craft Barn Challenge is N.  Today being an auspicious day, that is, Newcastle beat Chelsea 2-0, my mind went immediately to Newcastle.  However, it isn't in my dictionary.  But... Northeast is, and, of course, Newcastle is in the Northeast.  Hence my photo of the Angel of the North, being a good representation of the land of my junior school days.  Even tho she wasn't there when I was at school; she came many years after I left, but I still love her!

 

 

As well as N being for Northeast, it is also for Numbers, and because that had a fantastically long definition (too long for the space I wanted to fill) I chose Numeric, which gave me a chance to use this lovely embossing folder.

 

So what did I do?  First, the bingo card:  I coated one side of the embossing folder with Peacock Feathers Distress Ink, and pushed it through the Big Shot Pro with my usual Centura Pearl cardstock.  When it had dried, I tapped 3 different colours of Brilliance lightly over the top.

On the other leaf, I half embossed the circles (which looked a bit compass-y to me), and painted a layer of South Pacific over it.  When that was dry, I dry brushed some gold lightly, in a north-easterly direction, milud.     I painted up the compass in the same colour gold, and added a rhinestone at the 'wrong end', and glued it to point to the north east of course.   My photo of the angel was distressed around the edge, and some more of the gold paint dry brushed along the scuffed edge.

There you go!  Hope you like!

 

Resources

 

Paint and Ink

Distress Ink:  Peacock Feathers

Brilliance: Lightening Black, Starlite Black, Coffee Bean

PaperArtsy Fresco Finish: South Pacific

Stewart Gill MetaMica: Bright Gold

 

Bling and Other stuff

Sizzix Embossing Folders: Bingo and Grungy Circles

Stampin' Up: Self adhesive gem

Tando Creative: small compass

Glitter for little girls!

I made this for one of my colleagues at work, well, more specifically for her little girl.  We were talking about how girls do gravitate to pink after a while, and I felt the need to do something in pink!

So here is the door hanger I made for Rosie.

Back (or front?)





















Front (or back)?

The background colours are mainly Distress Inks, and I used a stencil or two. 












I stamped and embossed the fairies and the word, and distressed the edges.  I added the foam letters, and then over painted with some lovely Galactica paint.  Have I mentioned I love this paint?  So much, I had to buy some other colours...  mmmmm.














On the other side of the hanger, I added loads and loads of flowers, which I had sprayed with cosmic shimmers, and some diamanté sparkles.  And another coat of the Galactica. Just in case there wasn't enough glittery stuff on it...

Hope you like, and more to the point, I hope Rosie likes...





Resources

Substrate: Stamps Away: Door hanger
IndigoBlu: Perfect Stamping card

Paint and Ink:
Distress Ink: Victorian Velvet, Worn Lipstick, Iced Spruce
Archival: Jet black
Stewart Gill: Galactica: Flamenco

Stamps and Masks
Lavinia: Fairies and words
Tim Holtz: stars
Dylusions: leaf flourish

Bling and other stuff
Stewart Gill Embossing power: Interference Red
Cosmic Shimmers: Pearl mist
Perfect Pearls spray: Interference Red
Prima Flowers: Essentials no 9
Stampin' Up: stick on gems
Papermania: Alphaminis

J is for...Craft Barn Challenge

In my world, J is for the green-eyed god: Jealousy, Jade and Jewels. 

I got out my melt pot, and made some jewels with various colours of UTEE.  I think I made a fairly muddy fire opal, a piece of dark jade and maybe a ruby or a garnet...  I did discover that a tiny pot of Cosmic Shimmer embossing powder with glitter in it is GORGEOUS, and I wish I had a bigger pot!

I reverted to my standard card, Centura Pearl and stamped two eyes, not a pair!  They have been coloured with watercolour pencils, making the eyes really green. 

The background was done with wax watercolour crayons, and a waterbrush.

When the Jewels were cool, I glued them to the background, and created my tag in the usual way, and glued on the definitions.  The ribbon or yarn is a fantastic yarn I bought back along, and is not yet calling to me with any particular pattern!

Hope you like!

Resources

Ink and Paint
Archival Ink: Watering Can
Pentel Arts Aquash wax crayons
Faber Castell Colour Grip watercolour pencils

Stamps
Stampers Anonymous: Classics #5 SCF005

Bling and other stuff
UTEE - Mixture of Cosmic Shimmer and Ranger Clear
Crafty Notions Jewel Tones: Ruby Red
Cosmic Shimmers: Lapis Black Aurora, Bright Gold, Silver Shine, Tropic Pearl, Steel Blue Aurora
Best Flexible Molds: Caboshapes1 (PJ038)
Karantha mold: Square Pyramid, Cabochon

In the garden - Tando Creative

Hi all.  This week's challenge is 'In the garden'.  In my head, I saw my Mum out in the garden cutting dahlias for the chapel flowers, with an old fashioned, and indeed OLD trug.  So I started off with the 3d basket, and set to, to make it look old!

I ran all the pieces through the big shot with the Harlequin mask.  Several layers of paint later, I used the harlequin mask again and some distress ink, to really knock it back.  I forgot to take a final photo of the replacing of the mask, and the reinking - but you will see it at the end.

Then I die cut a few flowers.  More than a few actually!  I layered them up and created stems out of florist's wire, and glued some card candy over the middle, to hide where the wire went in.








All the flowers were planted into oasis, which I covered with tissue paper sprayed green. Doesn't oasis feel odd? Not sure I like it...  I had also Crop-o-dile'd a few holes through the side walls, and pressed some prima flowers through.

I stamped and embossed in gold a massive butterfly, and then painted it in Twinkling H2Os on the front.  On the back, it got a coating of Alchemy paint, to give that shimmer you see when a butterfly closes its wings.  The finishing touch was a small piece of board painted up, and then stencilled with the leaf mask, and then stamped with 'Time to Garden'.  I had two spare clock hands from somewhere, painted up in the same sort of colours as the trug and the plaque.

And now I have a reminder of my Mum's green fingers!  Wish I had inherited them!!

 








Now you can see the reinking, where I replaced the mask.  This shot is from the side...

...and here's the butterfly in all his glory, from above.









I've really enjoyed my month as Guest Designer for Tando.  Such a great variety of blanks, and they take paint so well.  Hope you've liked what I have done with their stuff!

Resources

Substrate: Tando Creative 3D Basket (3DBASKHAND)

Dies and Stamps
Sizzix Big Shot Pro
Sizzix: Flower, Build a flower#3 655969
Sizzix Tim Holtz Alterations:  Tattered Florals 656640, Mini Tattered Florals (Movers and Shapers) 657488, Base Tray 657007
Artemio Alpha stamps ARTA61
Stampin' Up!: Swallowtail

Paint and Ink
PaperArtsy: Nougat (my absolute favourite colour!)
IndigoBlu: Hot Cocoa, Peppermint Tea
Stewart Gill Alchemy: White Hot
Dylusions: Fresh Lime, Black Marble
Distress Ink: Evergreen Bough, Walnut Stain
Distress Stain: Evergreen Bough, Black soot
Archival Ink: Watering Can

Bling and other stuff
Twinkling H2Os: Plum Crazy, Red Pearl, Poppy Red, Persimmon
Stampendous Embossing Powder: Detail gold
Card Candy
Tando Creative Masks: Leaves set of 2 (MSKLEAVES2), Harlequin (MSKHRLQUIN)
Prima flowers, eyelets, brads, beads, oasis, florists wires, all from stash

Free for all - Tando Creative

Hi all!  This week's topic was 'Free for all'. This made me think of 'free time' and I do love doing a clock!  The first time I 'noticed' Tando was on an Andy Skinner workshop, where we did a box, with cogs and things, then the next time was a clock.  I now have 3 Tando clocks around the house!


I started this time with a 12 x 12 sheet of board from Tando, and I pinched a mechanism out of one of my other clock kits, sat in the cupboard.  I had a bag of Tando cogs, and several cog dies.  I also used the large circular clock face.  I had in mind Andy's rust technique, but more blingy.

I sealed both sides of the board with matte medium, and punched a hole in the centre of the board with my crop-o-dile.  I cut several cogs and glued them down on the board, and some webby stuff from my stash, and used a clock face mask with modelling paste.  I then painted the lot with lamp black, three coats, to give it a good base.  When it was dry, I gave it two washes (allowing it to dry in between coats). 






 Then I got my new Stewart Gill paints out!  These are billed as jewel tones, and oh yes!  They are. The colours mix really well, and there are also some amazing iridescent mixers too.  I completely forgot to take a picture while I was painting, so this one is from when it was assembled (whoops).

I painted the clock face in shades of green and gold; I was thinking verdigris, but heavy on the gold.

The Tando cogs I painted separately, that is, straight in with the jewel paints.  The photographs really don't do it justice - the shimmer is amazing!

I wanted to add 'weights', so broke out the beads!  I cut some chain down, and created some embellishments using beads, and some more of the cogs, glued together.  I also had some nice time themed metal embellishments, which got rubbed with alcohol ink, to tie them in to the colour scheme.

Then I came to assemble to the clock - and realised (again - I did exactly the same thing last time!) that the mechanism needs two layers of board, not just one!  So, one of the spare circles I had over in my stash went through the big shot, to create another cog.

It got a similar treatment to the clock face, but with some embossing powder to give it a pitted look. 

The hands got alcohol inked, so they would stand out against the face - if I had left them black, I'd have never been able to read the time!

This has definitely been the most involved piece I have done to date.  Plenty of layers of paint, and then making all the bead drops for the weights! 















I finished the back off , swooshing around the edges with black paint, and then with a sheet of black card - using the big shot pro (ooh, new toy!) to cut a cog out of the centre, so I could put the mechanism through the central hole.

Now FOUR Tando clocks around the house....

Hope you like - I really do!

Resources

Substrate
Tando Creative:    12x12board, 12" round clock face, Cogs grab bag,

Paint and Ink
Stewart Gill Byzantia: Laurelius, Constantine, Seraphym
Stewart Gill Galactica: Holo Silver
Stewart Gill Alchemy: White Opal, White Mist,
Stewart Gill Meta Mica: Bright Gold
DecoArt Americana: Lamp Black
DecoArt Traditions: Transparent Red Iron Oxide, Quinacridone Gold

Dies
Spellbinders: Sprightly Sprockets S5-048
Sizzix Tim Holtz Alterations: Mini gears set 657211, Gadget Gears 656636

Bling and glitz
Chain, beads, wire from stash
Embellishments from stash
Web ribbon stuff (!) from stash
DecoArt Modelling paste
Tando Creative Clock face mask
Claudine Helmuth Matte medium

We are Family - Tando Creative

Well, it's week two of my month as Guest Designer for Tando Creative!  This challenge got me trying to recall origami, that my dad taught me!  I saw the Hexagonal Laminate and Board pack, and knew I wanted to use it, but not as a mini book.  Most people would use photos of their family, but a) my family doesn't do photos, and b) they aren't very photogenic (!), and c) would I want to carry around a bunch of photos of those reprobates anyway!  However, I do like a drink (or two), so...

Starting with the board pack.  I wanted to create a hinged cover, so painting it wouldn't work.  I drew out a pattern in rough paper to check it would work, then when I was happy, I used the pattern to cut out some fancy paper for the outside cover. I glued the board hexagons inside, and waited for the glue to dry.

When it was dry, I swooshed a little acrylic paint in the centre of the outside back and front, so I would be able to create a halo effect.  I supplemented this with some nice dark ink around the edges.

This time I remembered to use my anti-static bag!  I stamped and heat embossed the front.  I used my crop-o-dile to attach the fasteners and trap the ribbons, so I would be able to tie it shut.  I taped over the back rough edges of the eyelet, and then glued down the inside covers - slightly smaller than the boards, and used red line tape to create a small gusset - just enough give to take some inserts.  I added the Wicked Witch on the inside...

So the cold laminating pouches.  If not photos going inside, then what?  I used some more paper from the set which had conveniently sized playing cards!  Perfect!  But boring...  so I cut rectangles from double side glue sheets, and covered one side in gilding flakes.  I placed the 'playing card' on the other side, and dived into the gilding flakes again, so that both sides were completely covered.  This  became my insert for the laminating pouch.  I used a brayer to make sure of no air bubbles.  Did this for each of the pouches, using a different image, which do sort of represent my family - ish.  Not sure how my nephews will take being likened to the Flying Monkeys!!





















I gilded one more 'playing card' for the back cover, and hey presto, a holder for 6 matching coasters, themed for The Wizard of Oz!











Hope you like!

Resources

Substrate:  Tando Creative Board/Laminate Mini Book
Graphic 45: The Magic of Oz papers, 6x6 and 12x12

Paint and Ink
Paper Artsy: Nougat
Distress Ink: Evergreen Bough
Versafine: Satin Red

Stamps
Hampton Art (Graphic 45): The Magic of Oz (2) IC0121

Bling and other stuff
WRMK: Designer Eyelets and snaps: Family
Stix2 - Magic Sheets
IndigoBlu Mega flake: Gin and Tonic, Lancashire Rose, Royal Peacock
Crafty Notions gilding flakes: Copper Thunder
Gold ribbon from stash
Stampendous embossing powder: Detail clear
Funstamps: Holographic embossing powder