Saturday, April 30, 2011

Wild Knitting

In between hot cross buns and Easter eggs, I managed to try my hand at Wild knitting. A friend and I spent a couple of hours with Jutta Faulds, an extremely well known fibre artist and she got us going 'wild'!
One needs lots of scraps - no shortage in this house - double ended needles and a cup of tea to get you started. It really is great fun. Not unlike crazy patchwork, you build on from a center piece of knitting and work a shape from there. I was not sure where I was headed with this creation, but thought a tea cozy would be nice. I learnt that you do need to work out a paper pattern so you can measure and adjust your work as you go so you end up with a decent shaped item. I was measuring against my tea pot, I might add, with much difficulty and consequently, this ended up rather shapeless.
You work in your joins as you go so there is minimal amount of cleaning up at the end. This one was mostly in garter stitch and a little crochet work thrown in for a change of scenery. I found the most amazing wools in my stash, a lot I inherited as most crafter do.
Great fun, not that quick to do, but worth it in the end.
This makes me smile every time I look at it.....




















Next on the drawing board is a shawl/gilet/waistcoat (whatever evolves) in blacks and brights.
Should be interesting.

Thanks for visiting!

Monday, April 25, 2011

Same image....



....different layout.

The blue backing was punched out using an EK Success punch. Same sentiment, different banner, different ribbon and embellishments. Distressed using Tumbled Glass distress ink.

I hope everyone has enjoyed the long weekend and has had a very blessed Easter.

Sunday, April 24, 2011

Blessings on this glorious Easter Sunday!




Two very vintage looking cards today. Loving exploring the net for vintage images. For the first card,I distressed this image and the pink card behind it with Tea Dye distress ink. Attached gathered lace to the edges of the pink card, and mounted the beautiful egg and bird image on top of this card and attached to the card base. I stamped the sentiment and cut it out using one of the Ribbon Banners ~ my new favorite die. Leaving the banner in the nestie I airbrushed with a copic pen. Added some of Paola's roses, I twirled the stems and added to the corner of the banner~ a couple of pearls onto the pink card and all finished. I just love this card, and the other that follows.


This card is basically the same format as the one above, using a different toned image and backing card.

The beautiful lace is from Paola as is the pearls.
Both cards given to special friends for Easter.

Remember the reason for the season...

Blessings to all.




















Saturday, April 23, 2011

Easter Blessings

A simple, gentle card, suited to the occasion.
I used a vintage download for this card. I distressed the edge an wiped it with a Versamark pad, dipped the edges into gold embossing powder and heated it. Using a lovely shimmery paper I cut the background out using the Labels 18 nestie. Using cream seam binding placed on top of the label and then attached the cross image. A bow using seam binding, a couple of lillies and pearls and the card was finished. I did not need to use a sentiment as the message was on the cross image.

Two made for special friends.

Friday, April 22, 2011

All things bunny.......

Just to keep my new bunny bear company, I created this little card. I used a digi from Angels Landing. He is adorable. What I love about this digi, is that you are given a list of the Copic's she used, with details as to where and how she used them on the image. How cool it that? Whilst I did not have all the colours she used, I improvised and I think this bunny turned out lovely.
I cut the image out with my Beaded Ovals nestie and airbrushed the ovals whilst in the die, with a copic, that toned in with the image colours and complimented the background. I cuttlebuged the background with my very favorite embossing folder ~ Swiss Dots. Layered the paper and oval and added the sentiment stamped onto a Fancy Tag, also gently airbrushed and a couple of pearls.

Another Bunny

Please click on the Moz Bearz link above and say hello to Bonny!

Another adorable creation, up for adoption.

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Sing and make music


I had this bird on a branch in my "pre-coloured" drawer so I cut him out. The sentiment was part of the set with this bird and I stamped it in Versafine Vintage Sepia and cut it out using a Marianne die from Joan at Country Crafts - love these dies. The background was embossed with a Tim Holts Dot Matrix folder.

CAS again????

Thanks for the visit.

Monday, April 18, 2011

Easter Inspiration


I used two beautiful crosses on these cards and mounted on the Large Labels and backed with silver and gold. The sentiments say it all.

Saturday, April 16, 2011

Embossed folders


Yes, another couple of embossed pieces of card from the 'embossed' drawer. I placed them on the top half of the card and left the bottom white. I used my Verve Plain Jane's and stamped the inspirational message in black Versafine ink and cut out with the Petite Ovals,and mounted it onto a pink scalloped oval base. I added ribbon onto the join of the two cards and placed the ovals over it. I found these flowers in my 'pre-coloured' drawer and cut them out and using mounting tape, adhered it to the embossed cards.

Thanks for visiting.

Thursday, April 14, 2011

Clean and Simple


Another CAS card.


I found this embossed piece of board in my 'embossed' draw and decided to find a way to use it on a card. I stamped the Hero Arts flowers onto white card using Versafine Vintage Sepia. I cut the smaller flower out and mounted it onto the bigger one and inserted a bling in the middle. I used brown leaf ribbon underneath, and that was that.

Another quick card (well as quick as my card making can be!)

Thanks for visiting.

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

More Butterflies


Yes, I love butterflies, real one mostly, but paper ones inspire me!

I am really into CAS with these cards.

I stamped the sentiment on white card and cut out with my Large Labels nesties. I mounted them onto a plain white a card and punched out butterflies, using paper scraps and mounted in a row across the top of the label. Added a bit of bling and on two of them a strip of ribbon under the butterflies.

They look fresh and clean, I think.

Thanks for the visit.

Sunday, April 10, 2011

One sheet of scrapping paper - 9 cards, almost......

I decided to try and make as many cards out of one sheet of scrapping paper as I could. As the sheet was 12" square, I cut the sheet into 4" lengths and then each length cut again into 4" widths, resulting in 9 x 4" square pieces of paper. Below are 7 cards as I decided to use the one piece cut again into 2" strips on two of the cards, using the reverse side as it was a double sided sheet of paper and the other missing card, I posted out before I took these blurry photographs! The best thing about this exercise is that the sheet of scrapping paper I bought from a marked down bin for R5.00! Now is that not a bargain?I wanted you to see a close up of the cards and also to tell you about another great find, on all but one card which had MS punched butterflies. My friend Debbie has a wedding to plan for her daughter, and my crafty group of 4 friends have all been involved with certain aspects of the wedding. From embroidering initials on serviettes, shopping for the fabric in Cape Town, planning and offering to do the flowers on the big day, and Moi, helping with the wedding invitations. Now you have to know Debbie to understand that she thoroughly investigates every option, and does her shopping carefully and in this instance with her daughter, who also knows exactly what she wants. Debbie is a great inspiration to us all and being the youngest in the group has the most energy.. lol... What this is leading up to, is that her daughter wants cupcakes for the tea after the wedding, whilst they go for photographs and before the reception. Clare's daughter is a chef in Cape Town who does wedding cakes, amongt other commissions and through her they found the most adorable butterfly cupcake bands, made of light weight board and with fabulous detail. I could not resist trying to make something using these butterflies. They are on all the cards from this one sheet of scrapping paper. I snipped them off in rows and then pressed them into a Brilliance pad with the same colour theme that I was using, and then snipped them up and placed them on the cards!
I can't resist the challenge to make something pretty work on my cards!

Are they not gorgeous!

Now, next time you are out and about and are served cupcakes, look at the holder and if you can 'work' it, remember my post!!

Thanks for visiting and have a great week!





Thursday, April 7, 2011

Ribbon Storage Revamp

Below is the way I used to store my ribbon. Satisfactory for a while, but did not stimulate my creativity as the ribbons were hidden in bottles. They used to stand upright, but I found I could stack more bottles on their sides - crafters always have a storage problem.The other down side was the fact that the ribbons were wound around embroidery bobbins and that necessitated ironing or steaming them before using them on the project. Whilst I don't mind the kettle being on the boil all the time (so as to steam the creases out of the ribbon and a quick cuppa) it was a hindrance and interruption. Then up popped Niki Zipp's email about this fabulous storage system using tags and rings and I was all eyes and ears. Next thing, my order was placed and on arrival I started to reorganise the ribbons. What a job! Only because I had so much ribbon - I could not believe it! Where did it all come from?? Every trip into my favorite shops, a few meters into the basket and then I remembered that I started collecting ribbon, mostly for my bears, many years ago! That made me feel better. I am now wondering if I will live long enough to use it all up....... Back to the system. There are two size tags. One wider than the other. These tags are stored in any order you fancy - I have kept to colours rather than sizes. I have each colour on a 3" ring - although 2" would have been fine, except I used all my order up resorting my nesties (that's another story!). Firstly, at a glance you can see what you have in whatever colour as well as the type of ribbon. Makes for very easy selection and hopefully leads to a faster finish of your card, unless you are like me, a procrastinator of note! Just to say, that I had to ask Niki to send me more tags, as I ran out of the first lot rather quickly!! Please contact Niki on paperchn@netactive.co.za and she will give you all the information you require. Every time I look at my ribbons, I see that have brightened up my room, they also brighten up my day and I want to stroke them..... ooo beautiful! Don't you agree!! Of course, all this would not have happened if Niki had not brought this system to us (thank you Niki) and most importantly, if my DH had not, patiently and speedily put up these rails, on my cupboard door - yes, the outside as the inside has my rolls of ribbon on rails that he also put up for me. Is he not a darling??? Thanks so much for popping in!

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Crochet

I have been busy on and off with granny squares for a small blanket. Lovely handwork for TV time! I wanted to try my hand making flowers with layers and then went further, working out how to do the flower and carry on making the square, all in one. It took a lot of fiddling, unpicking and a fair amount of frustration, but I got it right. I started learning the flowers from a pattern for a tea cosy with flowers on, (which I intend to do as well) in the Ideas magazine a while ago and help from Debbie, a very talented friend. Also joining the squares as I go. It is a great motivator, seeing the blanket grow. Below is some of the wool in the basket with Ted keeping an eye on it and then some of the centres. Decided to go with a yellow centre as it makes the flower 'pop', so have worked up a few. The flowers are in 4ply and then the squares in double knit. Also a photo of the blanket as I have been adding the squares. On going project.........


Friday, April 1, 2011

Craft Stamper E-zine - Free!!

I have a gift subscription to the Craft Stamper magazine from the UK. It is a brilliant magazine - far surpasses the Australian Stamping & Papercrafts magazine! They have made available a list of the best techniques in 2010, and is available for immediate download. The link is below. Please take a look - you will be so glad you did!