HAPPY BIRTHDAY GABRIELLE

Another rainy day here, so I took the opportunity to get Inky and actually get around to making something - I've no idea where time goes, and there always seems to be something else to do!

Today also happens to be my lovely twitter friend Gabrielle`s `mumble something` birthday!, so Gabrielle, this is especially for you - I really enjoyed making it and  hope you like it too!

Anyone who knows me well will know that if given pinks & purples I really have no idea what to do with them! - so I thought I would set myself a challenge, and to my great surprise I really like it! 

So when i`d managed to clear my desk enough to see it, I sat down, and thought what DO you make for a super talented crafter! Out came some card blanks and some of the wonderful Thorndon Hall papers from the lovely people at PaperArtsy. As these papers can be painted, inked, sanded etc etc etc - I did all of that! - using Fresco Finish paint and Distress Inks & Stains. Then I sanded the edges and applied more Vintage Photo distress Ink.  The flowers and grass where then stamped with PaperArtsy Hot Picks HP1009 in black archival ink.  This was then edged again with Distress ink.

Then I used fabric (Moda Rouenneries Deux), fibres & papers (Oliver Twist), ribbon and tissue tape (Tim Holtz) and sewed them together with gold thread.  The fabric was distressed on the edges, with Distress Inks.

The bird cage is stamped in Black Archival ink with PaperArtsy Hot Picks HP1004 onto Kraft Paper and Distressed around the edges with Vintage Photo Distress Ink.  The Ribbon at the bottom of the cage was sprayed with Glimmer Mist.

I stamped `Song bird fly` with black archival ink onto Kraft paper using words from PaperArtsy Hot Picks HP1005 set, cut them up, and distressed the edges.  The flowers (PaperArtsy Hot Picks HP1009) are stamped in black archival ink onto Claudine Hellmuth`s  Sticky Back canvas which has been spritzed with Glimmer Mist, and then mounted onto some Ten Second Studio Metal.  This allows the flowers to be bent and formed. It is then all stuck together using red line tape, foam tape, and Glossy ascents.

Hope you have had a fab birthday Gabrielle, and this will be waiting patiently for you when we work out the logistics for the Kraft Card! (As you will see - I DO have Kraft PAPER but had to mount it onto card!)

Thank you for looking, and please leave a comment if you wish, as I would love to know what you think, and all comments are gratefully received.

Carol 

XX

SONG BIRD FLY

If you have seen my last post you will have seen what I did with those random purchased from Hobbycraft!!! This is what I did with the other `book`.....

Same sort of thing - this was actually the first one that I did - I just loved the colours on this.

Same sort of idea as the other one, no owl - a bird I found in my little tub of `things made earlier`!

Inside.......  oh forgot to say on the other one- the flower stems are copper wire which I sort of found in hubby`s `toy train track` bits box!.....sssshhhhh don't tell him!!

Close up - think this one was my favorite - colour wise anyway!

Thanks for looking!

SECRET GARDEN

Its really all about mothers day - and all will be revealed!  After my trip to my local craft retailer , you know the one that seems to be catching on - I came home with these.....

It wasn't as random as it looks..... I sort of had plans... they didn't have what I really wanted so this was the compromise. the idea was for Mothers Day cards - one for my Mum and one for my Mother-in-law, who is blind and I always try to think of something a bit tactile so she is able to feel around it!

after some very inky and painty fingers, and a desk that looked like a bomb had hit it, this is what I came up with....

A SECRET GARDEN

I covered the `book` with Paperartsy Fressco finish paint and then `aged` it a little with distressed ink pads.  The printed papers where just some I had around, that I coloured with distressed ink and stamps with various images - mainly Paperartsy ones! - I just love those! Then add some flowers cut out of the same papers with Tim Holtz tattered florals die - I just need the mini tattered florals now...., coloured a tag with distressed ink, added a few more bits - and it was getting there! The owl is a Paperartsy stamp, stamped onto metal with stazon.  There also hessian, ribbon, and the buttons are `real` vintage ones that come from a very large tin i have that were my Grandma`s (she was a seamstress), and she died in 1960!

The spine of the book has sentiments again printed from my PC, and self
adhesive gems on the raised bits.

Not a great photo, but this is the inside!

These flowers are made using another Papersrtsy stamp and die, one on sticky back canvas, all inked up and stamped with distressed ink, the other on metal.  

There are two mini canvases in the back, painted with fressco finish paint.

Then there is tissue tape, ideology, seed beeds, mini trowel & fork - and those little flower pots I bought - one covered in tissue tape!

This one went to my Mother-in-law, and she loved it - and I really enjoyed making it - I hope you like it as well!!