FREAKY DEAKY CRAFTY CHICK

Crafting for Ickle Pickle

2011-03-21T14:04:00.002Z

Been crafting for ickle pickle!

It's cheating really, because I used a K & Co kit. But Ickle Pickle doesn't mind!

Bitten By The Bug!

2011-03-08T17:46:00.006Z

After the card making class I can't stop thinking about crafty stuff! So to break myself back in slowly I bought a couple of kits (wwwarrrrghhhh! kiiiiiits!) to get me going again. This one will be for my OH birthday - he's a fishing freak!

Kanban Card Making Kit - Fishing Shed

This one will be for general friendship cards and a wedding card for a close friend.

Basic Grey Blush Card Kit

With ickle pickle around it's hard to get time to craft so I'm off to Mums on Friday - she'll watch ickle pickle for me whilst I get crafting. I cannot wait!

Crafty Chick Is Back!!!

2011-03-08T17:28:00.005Z

After a looooooong time off (had a baby, moved house etc. etc.) my FDF suggested we go to a card making class at http://www.sirstampalot.co.uk/ so off we went! Here are the 3 cards we made during the 2 hour class:

Woodware Clear Magic Stamps - Birdsong

Woodware Clear Magic Stamps - Elegant Cameos

We used gilding flakes on the back of stamped images to create the main elements of each card. Then we did simple matting and layering along with punched out flowers, brads and ribbon to finish of these scalloped cards. What a great couple of hours!!!

Bootiful Backgrounds! Eye Candy!

2008-09-01T10:12:00.011+01:00

With one background done for the Beautiful Background swap on UKATC (see webbing spray post!) and the option of doing another, well, how could I resist the urge to get arty farty, messy, gluey, painty... again!

Playing with Gouache Paints

My base card was cream (not that you would know that looking at it now!) I brushed stripes of yellow gouache paint in a random fashion, then dry brushed over the stripes in the opposite direction to pull the paint out. Repeated this with green paint too, leaving space for my third colour - purple! This I blobbed on and then used a round noodle brush (thanks FDF!) to take the colour across the entire background. Then I doodled over with pearly stuff, but didn't like the effect. So I took me trusty expired credit card and smooshed the liquidy-pearly stuff over the entire page.

Thought - aha! Still wet, sprinkle in embossing powders and see what happens! So I chose a couple of different colours of B-Muse embossing powders and sprinkled them over random parts of the card. Turned on my heat gun, and not only did the emobssing powders melt into the pearly stuff, but where there were no embossing powders, it bubbled up slightly - ooooh!

Close Up!

Anyway, both this background page and my webbing spray background sheet have been chopped into 9 pieces, 8 of which went to UKATC for the swap, 1 of which was mine to keep. This was an anything goes swap, so just look at what eye candy I got in return!!!

WOW!!!

Flower Power Canvas!

2008-08-28T09:06:00.001+01:00

And Now For Something A Little Bit Different...

Webbing Spray!

2008-08-20T18:40:00.004+01:00

Been playing with my webbing spray! Black lightweight cardstock, a spritz of webbing spray, and shoot gold embossing powder over, tip off excess and heat. Repeated this with raspberry dazzle embossing powder, then spritzed entire sheet lightly with a mica pigment based spray. Voila!

First Time Webbing Spray

Could be a potential background for a swap running on UKATC...

Prezzies Galore from FDF and Melt Pot Experiments!

2008-08-19T09:37:00.006+01:00

I couldn't see my Freaky Deaky Friendie until today (mwah!) but we had a Melt Pot Party! Yeah! First though, wow, I got prezzies galore (I told her off for getting so much but she never listens - talk to the hand lol!)

Lookie at the piccie! A Mimi mini mini mini tote (sooooooooo cute), which was just the bestest surprise ever! I also got some rubber stamps that I have been dying to own! Hero Arts Create collage stamp, 2 Crafty Individuals Stamps (little girl in Paris and an Oriental lady - yes I am bonding with Oriental and my FDF is being very supportive of this lol!).

Also in my pile of prezzies there are packets of jute and co-ordinating paper covered wire, metal embellishments, metal distressed word charms, glitzy heart beads, Queen&Co. mini brads (funky-wunky ones) and my fave kind of eyelets, adonised ones! As if that wasn't enough (naughty FDF spending so much money) I also got a pack of Diddl pens which are the best Diddl pens you can get 'cos they write in different colours.

It took a fair while to open all those gifties!

My FDF bought her melt pot along for our melt pot party, and we played! FDF melted was in hers, I farted round with UTEE etc. This shows my melt pot which has clear UTEE, a sprinkle of the flex, the green and yellow UTEE Brightz and a sprinkling of white UTEE... lusherly colours, all marbling and melting into each other, with a little help from the spatula that came in my toolz set (don't rate the tweezers/spoon tool do we FDF?!)

Melting Moments...

Here's a piccie of all the bits and bobs we created between us. We tried dipping and then stamping into corrugated cardboard, which had some fab effects! We also used some molds that I had - a face, butterflies, and a flower button - we were dead chuffered at how these came out - the finished effect of poured UTEE that has set is soooooooooo smooth... like a boiled sweetie!

All Our Bits and Bobs!

We also tried dipping punched circles from an egg carton and stamping into them and that effect was molto magic. Because the stamp we used was quite intricate, the pieces look like a real sea sponge texture. Top notch! One piece we left plain 'cos it looked too pretty to stamp into!

Dipped Egg Carton Circles

A most successful Melt Pot Party! Watch this space for more from me and my Melt Pot lol! I need to give him a name... suggestions on a postcard lol! Melvin? Michael? Mickey?

Ooh, and I got another New Home ATC (from Kathleen, my crafts blog - check it out, it's on my blog list)

New Home ATC

Melt Pot In Da House (and the big 30)

2008-08-17T12:08:00.016+01:00

Could you get a bigger 30 on a birthday card?!

Thank you sis for reminding me just how old I am now! (That said, I am still 29 if anyone asks me. Besides, I have been asked for ID *twice* in 3 weeks to buy cigarettes!!!)

It was one of the strangest birthdays I have ever had, being in new surroundings, not waking up to the aged parents singing "Happy Birthday To You" (they text me it instead lol!)

I felt "reet spoilt" with all my prezzies and cards! Mumsy bought me some flowers too!

The Window Sill of Birthday Cards (and flowers!)

Got some stonkingly stunning gifties! Some crafty people have craftily looked at my wish list here on my blog and fulfilled two of my wishes! I got the Tim Holtz DVD (his first one) *and* some Chapel Road Art Stamps...

Craft wise, I also got my much hankered after Melt Pot, UTEE, To Dye For Inks and other accessories to go with it. But most stonkingly of all, I got a cake stand! (OK, you may be thinking what on earth does she want with a cake stand and how does that fit in with being crafty - let me explain...)

A Baa-Me Chick bought one to use as decorative storage for her crafty bits and bobs, and my Freaky Deaky Friendie followed the trend. I have fancied one myself for ages, but no room for it in my previous craft space. Who bought it for me? Mumsy of course! I am using it to store all my Melt Pot stuff, and I think cake stands rock! (as long as they don't have cake in them lol!) Other crafty bits I got included an additional bead storage box that I had been dying for :)

My Prezzies (and Birthday ATCs in the background!)

Other prezzies I got included money (some of which will go on crafty stuff no doubt!), Diddl writing pad, Diddl letterset, Lush Gift set "Happy", Lush Happy Hippy shower gel, Heavenly Bodies buttercream, Care Bear top, a superbly special mouse mat, grow your own Birthday Gerbara, Mamma Mia soundtrack, lovely smellie candles and a lusherly turquoise/brown/pewter coin purse...

Mumsy pulled out all the stops with her handmade card! Laura Ashley papers/epoxy stickers and pretty prima flowers and a peridot (my birthstone) brad.

Super Duper Card from Mumsy (and Freaky Deaky Dad)

I also got some fab RAKs off crafty peeps, both cards and ATCs, check 'em out! You can't really see them properly in the piccie of my gifties, so here they are in full view! These are all made by members of the various Yahoo groups I belong to...

Hugs and the Beginnings of Delight

2008-08-14T20:24:00.008+01:00

My folks just got back from a few days away in Dorset, and bought me back a present! A hugging salt and pepper pot - how cool?! Perfect for my new flat (and so much more attractive than my old ones - don't ask!)

Salt and Pepper Pots - Hugs

Have also finally decided on my theme for Diane's Delight, an ATC booky wooky round robin running on Goody Bag Girls. My theme is...

*drum roll* ...

"Quotes or Characters from Shakespeare"

I have this lovely scrapperdashery paper that I have been hoarding for almost a year... I have finally come to terms with the fact that it must be cut up and used for a project. I have used Twelfth Night, The Merchant of Venice and Othello. As my book travels round each of the Goody Bag Girlies, they will make an ATC to go in one of the pockets. But I am getting ahead of myself because all I have to show right now is the front cover (not finished!) but it will eventually be an accordian style book with pockets on each page.

Front of Shakespeare ATC Book (needs finishing!)

I have covered a frame in one of the papers, and inset an ATC I created which has a quote from Shakespeare around the edge (look closely!)

"To me, fair friend, you never can be old,
For as you were when first your eye I eyed,

Such seems your beauty still. "

What's Black and White and...

2008-08-13T00:32:00.007+01:00

Q: What is black and white, white and black, black and white?
A: A zebra caught in a revolving door!!!

OK, apologies for the really poor attempt at humour there, but it was the only black and white joke I could think of right now!

Swiftly moving on, Black and White is a theme for ATC Addicts R Us this month, so I took the bull by the horns and got creating! I already had some stamped acetate images ready with this swap in mind (Crafty Individuals and some other company I cannot remember right now!)

First ATC, Flower Girl, I cut along the shaped side of the image and attached a strip of lace paper (see the texture peeking out the right hand side?) I then used diamond glaze to glue the image onto a piece of DCWV backing paper (black and white stack - sunflowers) hoping that the petals of the sunflowers look like layers of her dress... does that work?

Kind of... anyways, I inked the edges and matted and layered onto white and then black card. To embellish, I used versamark and black and white embossing powders to colorise 2 die cut flowers, and layered them up on the bottom right hand corner, attaching a pearl flower in the centre and a mini micro brad. I added a teeny weeny pearl flower to the image in her hair, and a teeny weeny fabric flower to her dress - onto this one I popped a black gem, and then to finish I attached a few more gems in the centre of the flowers on the stamped image.

Flower Girl

This next ATC, Girls Night Out, was such fun to make! I placed the image over some handmade paper and some lace - I think it looks really cool, like the lace is the top of the girls' dresses! All this needed was matting and layering and a few finishing touches. I added wire and beads down the left hand side, and a tiny star button up the top. Melikes! (I don't say that often!!!)

Girls' Night Out

Actually, melikes this next ATC too (what happened to self doubt?! Maybe it decreases the nearer you get to 30?!) I love this Pierrot image, it seemed to fit perfectly within the black and white theme. I layered it onto handmade paper, then onto black card, adding 3 brads over buttons on the image to help hold the acetate in place. I attached the word "Pierrot" using diamond glaze, and embellished with a pinwheel sequin, pearl flower and mini micro brad. The harlequin style lace down the left hand side adds a bit of texture and interest!

Pierrot

More Than Inky Layers and Flutterbies to Go

2008-08-12T18:58:00.007+01:00

Seemed to be on a bit of a crafty roll today - rather unexpectedly I must say! :p

I had some backgrounds I had made a few weeks ago whilst dabbling with a few Bernie Berlin techniques - these particular ones are "inky layers" but now I have added to them!

I stamped images from Tanda Stamps retro plate onto acetate and attached them to the backgrounds using a few spots of diamond glaze. I also stamped out some phrases onto mountboard to add to each ATC.

"So Stylish" - added 3 eyelets and wove some fibers through, and glued on a teeny weeny metal rose embellishment.

So Stylish

"You Got Style" - added a strip of fibers down one side and a string of pearls. Glued on some tiny pearls to make a necklace, and also added a teeny weeny metal rose embellishment in her hair.

You Got Style

"Lips, Cheeks, Eyes" - wound some lilac fibers round the left hand side a couple of times to add a bit of texture. Glued on another of those fab teeny weeny rose embellishments (into her hair again!) and made a necklace on her by gluing on teeny weeny flat-backed pearls. I think this one is my fave!

Lips, Cheeks, Eyes

With my Gothic Arches all complete and good to go, I decided to turn by my lickle beaded butterfly into a pin/brooch and enclose him as an RAK for the Guest Hostess Kathleen. Hope she likes it!

I feel it is time that butterflies flew away though, I have had them on the brain, which will slip into the drain if I do any more butterfly related crafting in the not too distant future!

Oooh... a Gold Card!!! Thanks Kathleen!

2008-08-10T11:23:00.006+01:00

I have just been given this by Kathleen (my crafts) - Thank You!!! I need to put my thinking cap on, who do I nominate? (Being Freaky Deaky and fairly new to Blogger, I don't have many blog mates yet... This could be tough!

The Rules of this award are:

1. Only 5 people allowed.
2. 4 have to be dedicated followers of your blog
3. 1 has to be someone new or recently new to your blog and live in another part of the world.
4. You must link back to whoever gave you the award.

So I nominate...

Creative Lilac Lina http://creativelilaclina.blogspot.com/

Twiggy http://theworldoftwiggypeasticks.blogspot.com/

Dawne http://dawne-abitofthisabitofthat.blogspot.com/

Hayls http://hayls76.blogspot.com/

I still need to find someone new and from overseas so hail forth peeps!

New Addition to the Penthouse!

2008-08-09T18:54:00.002+01:00

Finally got around to bringing over a little super something special to my new flat (it has been staying back at my parents' temporarily until I was more organised this end!)

It is, well, a kind of wire/dressmaker's dummy/dress stand thingy - I have temporarily popped my Diddl plush in there, but the plan is to alter it in some way... how I am not quite sure yet, but I saw it and couldn't resist and immediately saw an altered art project in it! All those little loops/hooks at the bottom... perfect for danglies, beaded thingys, altered tags... the body looks like it wants something weaved through, hmm...

Any ideas on how to alter this?

New Treats!

2008-08-09T08:42:00.006+01:00

Wow, went halves with my FDF on some "Wafugami" speciality papers at a bargainous price! $19.99 (that's around a tenner!) and we got 16 packs of different colour combo/designs of these gorgeous delicate papers. Each pack contained at least 12 sheets... just look at my half of the stash... all laid out... they are all double sided, and some have the most gorgeous metallic or pearlescent sheen to them... mwah!

"Beautiful exotic paper in handy 6"x6" size pieces. Great for collage, rubber stamping, scrapbooking, iris folding, cardmaking, altered arts and more! "

To top it all off, the packs each had the most fantasticly sumptuous names!

Lime Gingham Combo
Light Pink Gingham Combo
Red Gingham Combo
Light Blue Gingham combo
Bubblegum
Gold Metallic/Solid Combo
Metallic Shades of Greens
Metallic Shades of Red/Pink
Horizon Wave Art Combo
Summer Daze

Yummy! These papers are, for want of a better word, lusherly! But will they get used, or become part of my "look don't touch" craft stash museum? Will have to wait and see!

On a roll!

2008-08-07T20:00:00.013+01:00

My second and final gothic arch is completed for the swap on ATC Addicts R Us.

So what did I add to this Crafty Individuals based background that I created last week with Mumsy? Well, I stamped some teeny weeny swirls in gold, attached a wire coil/ribbon to the bottom left hand corner, then, using wire, attached beads all the way around the arch (quite time consuming but defo worth it).

I used diamond glaze to accent the white butterflies on the background paper, then added 2 glittery flutterby stickers (will never forget how these came to be in my possession - they were a bonus item with one of my first orders from 3D Jean way back when). I gave both of these butterflies antennae (could resist!) Finally I added my alcohol inked metal butterfly, then, some wire coils and a sequin butterfly to take the design off the arch... I think this is my fave of the 2 Gothic Arches I have made. But I keep changing my mind (a girls' perogative!)

To Those That Dream There is no Such Place as Faraway

Ahhhhhh! There was no stopping me then. I grabbed the 4 jumbo playing cards (an extra swap currently running on UKATC) sent to me by Paula, and started creating backgrounds and generally getting all painty!

I used one of Bernie Berlin's techniques on the 2 on the left hand side, "resin fresco" - used Adirondack dabbers over randomly sprinkled and heated UTEE and a couple of brush strokes of gesso. Interesting effect, think it has to be seen in the flesh, or at least very close up, to see the real texture created using that technique.

Backgrounds for Jumbo ATC Swap

On the other 2 backgrounds (on the right hand side of the piccie above) I used watered down acrylic paints brushed on over a layer of gesso (just to prime) and then I scrunched up clingfilm and placed it over the top. When I lifted off the clingfilm, I wanted a bit more of a sheen, so a added a few drops of luna lights and repeated scrunched clingfilm part. Looks kinda marbled, pretty cool! It's amazing what you can do with Morisson's mucho cheap clingfilm!

Rather liked doing that kind of background, so whilst I was all messy, thought I would do a couple on regular sized ATCs too, for future creations!

Acrylic Paint, Luna Lights and Clingfilm

When all is said and done, a very productive day indeedy!

The Holiday is Over; 1 down 1 to go!

2008-08-07T11:10:00.004+01:00

Hooray, hooray, it's a holi-holi-day! Done and dusted, 4 Holiday/Vacation Themed ATCs, 3 of which will go in for the ATC Addicts R Us themed swap for August. The other one... aha!

Anyways, to each ATC I chose an image from either the "funnies" or "travel" ATC paper pads, adding colour using direct to paper technique, to lift them up off the background. Also added 4 fancy corners to make each image look like a snapshot from a holiday photo album.

Got Tuna?

Attached the phrase "Got Tuna?" with mini micro brads, adding a fish charm (thank you FDF!) which I had alcohol inked. Final touch, a wavy peel off (yup, you read that right, a *peel off*!!!)...

Memories

Added an alcohol inked metal plaque - memories - and some rustic looking gold glass chips, to create the effect of a pebble beach...

Dip Your Toe In

Added a windsurfer charm which had been alcohol inked, attaching it with a brad. Another wavy line peel off (am I feeling alright?!) and this one was done!

The Gene Pool

My favourite I think - attached an alcohol inked sea conch charm using a mini micro brad, and added the phrase "The problem with the gene pool is that there is no lifeguard" - the final touch was a few of those rustic gold glass chips.

And, hip hip hooray, 1 down 1 to go - I have completed one of my gothic arches. I was drawn to them as soon as I woke up, so took advantage and got cracking with finishing one off.

So what have I added to what was once a mere background? 2 stamped images of teeny weeny flutterbies in spring pansy, coating the images with diamond glaze. I also stamped teeny weeny swirls in gold, attached a wire coil/ribbon to the bottom left hand corner, then, using wire, attached tiny lilac sequin flowers all the way round the arch so they kinda hang off - added a bit of ribbon to one of them. I bedazzled up the dark butterfly images on the backround paper using, those things I can never remember the name of... accent beads!!! I also gave both of these butterflies antennae (could resist!) Finally I added my alcohol inked metal butterfly and voila!

The Master Calls a Butterfly

We're All Going On a... Summer Holiday (Vacation!) - Uh oh... emergency glue supply required!

2008-08-06T22:02:00.008+01:00

Last night I made a start on some backgrounds for a themed swap on ATC Addicts this month - Holidays/Vacations. I already had an idea to collage all the foreign postage stamps I had been saving up, so grabbed my glue stick and was off!

Holiday/Vacations Backgrounds (stage 1)

When I woke up this morning, I realised I couldn't really continue with these ATCs as I really, really needed a glue stick and mine had completely run out the night before. Doh! So I quickly went online to order a Tombow (best glue stick in the world... ever!) but needed something ASAP so in the interim, I popped to WHSmith and got a pink (yup, that's right, pink!) pritt stick. Turned out not to be the hottest glue in town, but hopefully my Tombow will arrive in a day or two, and besides, managed to grab the latest copy of Craft Stamper whilst Pritt Stick Shopping :)

A Pink Pritt Stick - Whatever Next?!

For those of you interested in the pritt stick, it goes on clear, dries clear etc. Anyhoo, moving on...

Over stamped postage stamp backgrounds using teal stazon and a mini postcard stamp (prima) and a gold inkpad and an ink pen stamp (argh, manufacturer of that stamp?! Elusive Images?) Then with my pinker than pink pritt stick I could glue on ripped blue mulberry paper, and then attached green netting (not sure where that came from - perhaps some fruit that was bought by Mumsy and has now been recycled into craft supplies!)

Holiday/Vacations Backgrounds (stage 2)

That was it from my crafting brain for today, I hope to get more out of it tomorrow!

An Unexpected Critique... and a Friend What is Famous!

2008-08-04T09:35:00.006+01:00

I had an unexpected letter following an altered canvas I created for someone several months ago. I am not one to blow my own trumpet; I have added this comment to my blog so I can read it on the days when I feel like my creativity has been sucked out of me, and in the hope the one day, I will read it and believe it.

"On a personal note, I would like to thank you once again for the wonderful art work that you created for me. I have shown it to a number of people who have given very positive feedback about your work, and I wanted to feed that back to you. One person in particular referred to the collage as "fantastic art" and raved about how talented you are. I, as you know, agree, and really do encourage you to continue developing your style."

Moving swiftly on, my Bandy Wandy Friendie (the one who got me the loverly pussycat frame for housewarming giftie) has been telling me the ad she was involved in filming for Tesco (as a member of the Royal British Legion Band and Corps of Drums Romford - starring Paul Daniels!) has been showing on TV! I *still* haven't seen it, but she sent me a link to watch it online, as someone has recorded it and uploaded it!

http://www.visit4info.com/advert/TescoComparecom-Paul-Daniels-Magic-Tesco-Compare-Car-Insurance/62073

Check out the band's website here for more info:

http://www.royalbritishlegionbandromford.co.uk/index.html

Not much happening on the arty farty crafty wafty front today. Hmph. Hopefully a more productive day tomorrow - I have swaps to do!

Shower Power, Scrappy Wappy Friendie, Shopping!

2008-08-02T20:28:00.009+01:00

Lush, I love you! I think they knew I was moving somewhere with just a shower and no bath... I swear! They have just bought out a new range of products called Emotibombs (they must know I am an emotional wee lass who desperately wants a Lusherly smelling bathroom!)

"Just when you thought that Lush had come up with every possible variation, we managed to invent yet another fascinating way to have fun in the bathroom. Mo, who invented the Bath Bomb and the Shampoo Bar, felt rather sorry for people who were missing out on the delights of a Bath Ballistic’s fragrant fizziness. People who only have showers, for example. One of the joys of a Ballistic bath is the way that they fill the bathroom with scent and if you leave the door open they’ll fill up the whole house. The beautiful, natural perfumes which are released when the water hits the bomb, change your mood as you inhale them so Mo decided that shower owners really ought to experience the same delights. Bring on the Emotibomb. Here’s what you do. Put it on the floor of your shower and as the warm water hits your Emotibomb, it fizzes up into the atmosphere, surrounding you in a cloud of fragrant steam. Everyone’s first question has been this, “But doesn’t it just go straight down the plughole?” Of course it does go down the plughole eventually, but doesn’t everything in life? While you’re in the shower, it lasts long enough to transform your daily cleaning into a magical mist."

And they do that! My Scrappy Wappy Friendie (also a self confessed shopaholic) came to see me today and took me to Lush to buy me shower gels for a flat warming gift... anyhoo... we're browsing shower gels when a Lush Lady comes up and tells us about Emotibombs, and I was sold, and I ended up with a lovely selection of bits and bobs for my shower, and a handmade new home card to boot!

Emotibombs: Up The Wooden Hill, Sex in the Shower (steady on!!!)

Shower Gel: Flying Fox

I am now not quite so miffed by the fact that I do not have a bath. And we copped some free samples of soaps, Rock Star and Extra Virgin Olive. Lusherly! Thank you Scrappy Wappy Friendie for the gifties and card.

Her shopaholic side influenced me and I ended up purchasing 2 new hooded tops (best tops to have IMHO) but they were quite a bargain at 2 for £30 in Republic. I couldn't resist... and she egged me on... besides, you can never have too many hoodies, right?

Cupcake Hoodie

Close Up of Cupcake!

Touchy Feely Hoodie

Lovely Buttons!

This hoodie had a spare button... a diamante heart... now I am faced with the dilemma - do I...

a) keep the button in my jewellery box in case I happen to lose one?

b) put the button straight in my craft stash?

Answers on a postcard!

My Scrappy Wappy Friendie asked me to show her how to make an embellishment using wire/beads, so I helped her to do a beaded heart, our efforts are shown below...

She can use it on a scrapbook page... once I send it to her! Cos she left it behind - doh!

You've Been Framed, Flutterbies and Domestication!

2008-08-02T18:30:00.007+01:00

Gone all domesticated! Have done my washing and tumble dried it today. Never used a tumble drier before, it's all new to me! Thankfully both the washing machine and tumble drier survived my usage! :p

Found a lovely piccie of dear old Oscar (kitty left behind and Mumsy's and Freaky Deaky Dad's) to put in a frame sent to me from my bandy wandy friendie, along with a new home card. BTW, she gonna be famous soon! On a Tesco advert with Paul Daniels!!!

Card and Pussy Cat Framey Wamey from Bandy Wandy Friendie

Also got my beads and wire out tonight, got butterflies on the brain, so had a crack at making one from wire and beads - melikes!

Fly Away Home

Coasting!!!

2008-08-01T23:08:00.004+01:00

Finally my finished Altered Coaster for a swap on Advanced Artist Trading Cards have been completed and sent off in the post! Backgrounds were all done using Bernie Berlin's background technique "emboss resist", then, the theme being numbers, I had to pick my fave no... 2! (no rude jokes please!)

The harlequin background on this coaster gave me a great starting point, and it was easy to choose an image for it - this one is stamped onto acetate, and I had layered 3 strips of mulberry paper underneath, to add a bit of depth to the image. I cracked open a packed of "diamond" Ranger pop outs that I have been hoarding for some time, and used B-Muse embossing powders on them, and then swiped round the edge of the coaster with versamark and used the same colour embossing powder as I had done on the pop outs. Beaded chain around my no.2 and around the diamonds, plus a few diamante stars, and this one was completed!

2 Little Angels

The next coaster was a bit tricky-wicky, as it was the first time I had used my crop-a-dile to attach organza ribbon onto a surface with eyelets. I didn't want to spoil ye olde coaster, and fortunately, after a bit of faffing, I got the effect I was after. Added some velvet ribbon too, for a bit of touchy feely-ness. The no.2 and edge of the coaster have B-Muse embossing powders on them, and the no. is attached with 4 teeny tiny "screw head" brads. I alcohol inked a round frame from The Fruit Pixie, and attached it over my chosen image with brads. A touch of bling was needed to finish off, so I applied gems, beads and wire to complete the coaster.

2 Hearts Beating as 1

This is my secone fave coaster out of the four I made. Image is crafty Individuals, a little ric rac down one side (thank you FDF for your advice!) and interlocked the image into a die cut swirl that I had embossed with, yup, you got it, B-Muse embossing powders (and the edge of the coaster too!) Alcohol inked a washer and a button, using the washer to frame my no. and the button as an embellishment. Completed my chosen phrase "2gether" (not good English I know - but I think it looks good on arty farty stuff) The finishing touch was a flower from a sheet of prima flowers sent to me as an RAK by a member of the group ATC Addicts R Us (thank you!)

2-gether

My most favourite coaster of all... really hard to part with this one, yet I didn't like it at first! How odd... Anyway, attached some vintage lace using some large eyelets, tucking my image (Crafty Individuals) underneath on one side. Added my phrase "IT TAKES" and my no. 2, and used gold trim under both the no. and the image. Used some pink gems to create a corner on the top right, attach these with wire (unusual gems these, they have 2 holes on the top). Finishing touch, attaching some musical note charms with wire, twisted this way and that.

It Takes 2 (to Tango)

If no one wants this one in the swap... I wonder if I could have my own back?!

Starting Gothic Arches (and Invasion of the Midges - Eurgh!)

2008-08-01T18:36:00.007+01:00

Today I have been invaded by midges - eeeeewwwwwwwww! Horrible little black dots, not content with covering my windowsills, there decided to venture further onto my lounge walls *shudder* After an initial panic, I gritted my teeth, sprayed them with fly spray, then took a hot damp cloth and wiped all the walls and windowsill. Mumsy was coming over for a craft afternoon, and I hadn't prepared anything cos of the darned Invasion of the Midges.

But didn't matter, we still got crafting, both of us wanting to start on the Guest Hostess swap for ATC Addicts July/August which is Gothic Arches - Butterflies :) Both of us need to add finishing touches, but here are are works in progress...

Mumsy

She did her best to utilise all resources available here lol! Left background paper is HOTP, right background paper is DCWV. Mumsy added some paper lace, and a trim to both arches along the bottom edges. On the left one, she used some quilled butterflies (Lakeland I think) as well as some sequin flowers, butterfly, and gems. On the right one, she used a couple of K&Co. grand adhesions, more sequin flowers, butterflies and gems. I think she plans to finish them off with a bit of colour around the edge and some ribbon. I wonder if she will see I have put these up on here for all to see...?!

Freaky Deaky Crafty Chick (me!)

I, meanwhile, did my best to utilise the HOTP stamps Mumsy owns that I had asked her to bring with her! Left background paper is Crafty Individuals, right background paper is... hand on, gotta find the pad ad its not one I have used often because the papers are so lush... OK it's Tapestry by C.R. Gibson. Hmm... there is a website on the back... http://www.tapestrybycrgibson.com/

I over stamped the papers using Mumsy's stamps and gold embossing powder. Added lace trim to both arches along the bottom edges. On the left one, I have added a phrase that was printed off onto vellum, and on the right one, I have added a phrase that was printed onto paper. Inked both phrases and chopped them up into individual words so I could place them around the arches to create a frame. Alcohol inked a couple of metal butterflies (recent purchase from ebay!) but haven't stuck them down yet... not sure how mine will be finished off, but... I never let a butterfly rest on my work if I haven't made antennae from wire and beads!!!

Butterfly away from me
Seek happiness while you can
Before you’re trapped in this golden cage
Of pain and loneliness, like I am.

Tristan K. Jones

I didn't use this particular poem, but it is one I like, so I thought I would add it in here just because...

Oh, and by the way, butterflies are better than midges any day of the week!

Go Girl!!! Tummy Rub!!!

2008-07-30T19:02:00.014+01:00

Wow, today I received a very special ATC - my Freaky Deaky Friendie's top notch niece wanted to make me summat for my new flat, and bearing in mind she is just 11, what an awesome ATC she has created for me! Not only that, but it is the first one she has ever made too :D

Go Girl In Your New Home

I feel privileged to be the recipient of her first artist trading card, and not only that, I know the time and thought that went into making (corners!!!) I had a sneaky feeling I was going to get a lickle summat, so I had made an ATC to give to my FDF's niece to say thanks muchly! Couldn't resist adding some beads and wire!

My FDF had made me the bestest new home card too! Getting quite a collection now :)

Ooh, crafty individuals backing paper and flutterbies :)

Oh... and the other day my pinky winky friendie shared with me the most gorgeous piccies of her doggy woggy, I just have to put one up on my blog to show the world how cute Matilda is! Her latest trick is "tummy rub" - all you have to do is call out those two words and she rolls on her back ready to have her tummy tickled! I want a doggy woggy!

Hands off my bag!!!

On the Scrapheap, Tea Time (and a card for a poorly girl)

2008-07-29T21:51:00.006+01:00

Been crafting like crazy today - finished off Scrapheap Challenge ATCs for ATC Addicts R Us (just in the nick of time too!) Used my "border" Paper Artsy stamp for the first time, as well as some epoxy postage stamp stickers my FDF got me for Crimbo. Been waiting for ages for an ATC that they would work with, and finally got my chance - yay!

Exploring

How Much Longer

The Great Escape

Got my first new home ATC from a member of ATC Addicts R Us, Tea Time at Jo's... very clever idea, and a totally unexpected piece of mail :)

Anyone for a cuppa?

I had a card to finish off today as well, to send to Mumsy's work colleague's daughter who is very poorly in hospital at the moment. I hope she likes the card and that it will brighten her day, even if just for a few moments, when she opens it and reads our messages.

I used the bird stamp, as I hope over the coming weeks she will be able to fly away from the hospital and feel free again.

Last Minute Waterfalls!

2008-07-27T23:09:00.016+01:00

"Don't go chasing waterfalls, please stick to the rivers and the lakes that you're used to..."

Anyone remember that song? God, that takes me back... TLC, circa 199?

Anyways, I wanted so badly to do the waterfall ATCs for ATC Addicts, and having already cut out all the bits and pieces, it would have been nuts not to have done them, so, with the deadline tomorrow, I finished these ATCs in the nick of time, at 11pm!!!

Just to stress myself up even more, I thought I would have a bash at putting a slide show into this post, so you can see the full effect of a waterfall ATC. Why do I do these things to myself?!

Dreaming and Dancing...

What's New Pussycat...

My Flutterby Butterfly...

Girly Wirly

2008-07-27T10:38:00.014+01:00

I did something very brave today... I used... wait for it...

s-t-i-c-k-e-r-s !!!

Anyone who knows me, will understand how traumatic this was for me - I am not a sticker person - but with the theme of "Girly Stuff" I didn't have an awful lot of scope in my ever expanding craft stash to use.

And, this is perhaps wierd, (but then I am a Freaky Deaky Crafty Chick after all!) but I find stickers really difficult to use on my work. Give me a few stamps and I am off, but stickers... my head retreats into its shed!

Anyhoo, I managed to locate some rather flash stickers that I think were part of a QVC TSV that me and Mumsy shared, and they tied in perfectly with a set of 3 charms that my Freakie Deaky Friendie had given me to help me get started on this themed swap. Phewie! It took me a while, but they finally came together...

You can never have too many bags, hats or shoes!

Flirty Dress!

Posh Frock

These ATCs are fairly simple: wide piece of pink ribbon, mulberry paper over one corner (you know me and my corners!), the words fun and sassy (DCWV paper methinks), a length of tape measure (all us girlies know about measuring up!) and for the focal point... stickers *shudder*

Had to jazz them up with gems, fibers, flowers, and the final touch, thanks to my FDF, the charms! Which I faffed with of course, and alcohol inked them, attaching a ribbon through the loops before using brads to hold them in place on the ATCs.

Phew, that was pretty stressful. Especially as the deadline is Monday, and they are for ATC Addicts which I co-own with my FDF, and I still have waterfall ATCs to do! What with moving, somehow time for crafting got shoved aside for a while, then wham bam, I've got deadlines looming! Thank goodness my creative muse was by my side today :D

I Got New Home Cards! (and... a new TV!!!)

2008-07-25T22:26:00.008+01:00

Blimy, I hit the jackpot today! I had 2 cards delivered by Mr Postie, and 3 by hand!

L to R - J, M&J, Mumsy, Tams and Auntie C & Uncle M.

My fave card is from Mumsy, she is crafty wafty, and made me a stonkingly stylish card :)

Also today, Freaky Deaky Dad had a day off work so he popped in to check out my shower (only seems to have one setting currently - bloody freezing!!!) then we went off to get some bits I needed, including Lush shower gel, the new one, called Yummy Yummy Yummy (wonder if that is a take off from the Abba song Money Money Money..? I saw Mamma Mia the movie the other week, it was ace!)

Well, *I* thought we were going to look at freeview boxes and check out TVs that I cannot afford to see what would be a fair price for me to get something second hand. You see, ye olde Samsung TV has decided it will be pink, very pink, on all channels, and all videos and DVDs I watch, and this means it's broken (waaaaaah!) Yes, pink is one of my favourite colours, but it doesn't mean I want to watch pink TV!

Anyway, Freaky Deaky Dad marched me to John Lewis and low and behold out came the credit card (it rarely sees the light of day lol!) and there he was buying me a fab TV, 19" widescreen, Electronic Programming Guide, and... wait for it... Freeview! :D

Perfect timing... I am all tuned in ready for Crafting for Christmas tomorrow on QVC!!!

New Address Cards and My Bunny Wabbit

2008-07-24T13:45:00.006+01:00

I felt uber creative this evening (and I couldn't sleep) so I made a set of new address cards to send to various relatives. Kept them simple - stamped backgrounds (on the left hand side ones I have used Prima stamps, on the right hand side ones Crafty Individuals) Matted and layered onto 2 further pieces of card picking out colours from the skeleton leaves used on the front. I have had those kicking around for a good couple of years, not really knowing what to do with them, so took this opportunity to break open the packet and use them! Stamped "new address" onto vellum and attached over with lickle flower brads. Very therapeutic!

New Address Cards

I may have had to leave (not so) little Oscar behind with my parents, but I have a new pet (well, ish!) A bunny wabbit - I have named him Robbie) keeps coming out early morning and early evening to chomp at the grass outside my lounge window. Today, however, he actually was out during the day (maybe because it was so hot?) and he lounged around on the grass for a few hours under some little bushes...

Robbie the Rabbit

He's not dead, just sleepy... aaaahhhhhhh!

Bernie Berlin... again!

2008-07-23T23:59:00.007+01:00

Had to take on the challenge and take part in the Bernie Berlin ATC swap on UKATC. I was able to use 3 different background techniques from her book for this swap :)

I used one of the backgrounds I created on 14th July

http://freakydeakycrafter.blogspot.com/2008/07/bernie-berlin.html

I found a suitable image, and once I had that, the rest just came together! A layer of mesh, some mulberry paper, star eyelets and star gems. Made my own little chipboard letters to spell out "lovers".

"Lovers" (emboss-resist)

My second ATC uses a background created waaaaaay back... maybe early 2007? This uses the technique "fun foam". I had glued foam hearts onto an ATC base, layering some up double, then covered with foil tape and alcohol inked over the top. Yet again, finding an image that fitted in with my background gave me a good starting point and just by adding wire/bead embellishments and a word (again, I created my own chipboard letters) this ATC was done and dusted.

"Possession" (fun foam)

My last ATC used the technique "inky layers" though with a little improvisation on my part - I didn't have a coloured glazing medium as suggested, substituting it with diamond glaze... I don't think it made a huuuuuge difference..? This one was fun to make up, using a bottle cap image from Digital Collage Downloads, creating a framey with flowers to lift the image off the background. Added my trademark mesh, and yet more handmade chipboard letters... I think this one is my fave... or maybe "Lovers"... or maybe "Possession"... or maybe... I am just too darned indecisive!!!

"Innocence" (inky layers)

You see, the thing with the techniques in Bernie Berlin's book is, that you don't need to add much to complete an ATC, mainly because you don't want to cover up your lush backgrounds! Anyone fancying a challenge or a change, I highly recommend her book, available on Amazon and all the other usual places!

Artist Trading Card Workshop by Bernie Berlin.

Nail Varnish Backgrounds Fluttering By!

2008-07-23T14:30:00.007+01:00

Finally turned those nail varnish backgrounds from 4th July...

http://freakydeakycrafter.blogspot.com/2008/07/nail-varnish-high-and-somewhere-to-be.html

... into completed ATCs!

I added gorge flutterby sequins which I had embellished myself with beads...

... and a swirly wirly die cut (courtesy of my craft penpal from the U S of A) ...

... then I stuck gems onto the die cuts to lift them off the backgrounds ...

... and used my new mini alphabet stamps from The Fruit Pixie to stamp either "soar" or "fly fly away" ...

I am liking flutterbies at the mo! Really excited as there is a butterfly themed Gothic Arch swap coming up on ATC Addicts in July/Aug... yay! :D

I'm here!

2008-07-20T21:41:00.011+01:00

Yesterday I moved into my new place - gulp! At the risk of sounding like I am giving an "Oscar winning thank you performance" I must say ta very muchly to Mumsy and Freaky Deaky Dad, who helped me move most of my stuff, not to mention helping me to spring clean from top to bottom and shift furniture around - rewarded them with a Chinese takeaway!

Now, here's a question for you...

Q: What is the most important part of Freaky Deaky Crafty Chick's home?
A: Craft Space!!!

Here is the "before picture" - taken first thing this morning... oh the jumble!

Then along came my fairy godmother in the shape of my Freaky Deaky Crafty Friendie, and with her magic wand and my fairy dust (plus rather a lot of shuffling things around and re-jigging me bits and bobs) we turned an area of my lounge into this...

Ta da!!!

And do you know what? My FDCF bought me a giftie, well she bought it over here, but she actually created it herself - wow! I was sooooooo chuffered; not only had she taken the time to make me an stonking altered canvas, but she even wrote the words herself - I think I shall start calling her my Uber Talented Freaky Deaky Crafty Friendie!

"A time to craft, a time to play, A time to art your heart away,

A time to get messy, and time to have fun, a time to art until you are done,

New techniques, new tools to use, experiment with them, use your creative muse..."

After receiving such a wonderful gift, and a craft space ready to rumble, how could I resist having a play?! So I made a start on an altered coaster swap for Advanced Artist Trading. Using a technique from Bernie Berlin's book, I created resist backgrounds using acrylic paints, paint dabbers, clear heat embossing with rubber stamps, more paint (dry brushed on) and then applied a hot iron...

For some reason, I didn't get quite the right effect on the top R coaster, and the bottom R one was naughty and some of the actual chipboard of the coaster came off after ironing (iron too hot?). That said, the ones on the left hand side I am well chuffed with :)

Theme for the swap is numbers, so to include my favourite or a significant no. on each coaster. So what's the magic no.? That'd be telling!

Bernie Berlin!

2008-07-14T22:51:00.009+01:00

Tried a technique out of the Bernie Berlin book today (kindly given to me by my Freaky Deaky Friendie as a flat warming prezzie :) ) Not that I am in the flat yet... but I am getting there bit by bit!

The technique I tried is called "emboss resist" and I deviated from the instructions slightly (got carried away with adding colour!) but had fun cos I got to play with some of my new toys that arrived from Frantic Stamper - a set of Adirondack dabbers (blues!) and unmounted stamps too!

This pic shows the stage where I have painted ATC sized pieces of mountboard in various colours, stamped and embossed over the top using a clear ink pad and clear embossing powder, then dry brushed another acrylic paint over the top. They look slightly grungy...

And this pic shows the best of the final results after ironing over the ATCs to get that "resist" effect...

I was rather chuffed with what I made! Now... need to finish them off! I have rather a lot of unfinished symphonies at the moment (it's a habit of mine) but these I want to finish in particular, for the swap on UKATC, so watch this space!

Dreaming of Midsummer

2008-07-13T20:38:00.002+01:00

Our first Guest Hostess swap was held on ATC Addicts R Us, the theme was Shakespeare, and I couldn't resist joining in. I decided, after much deliberation, to go with an interpretation of A Midsummer Night's Dream...

Backgrounds use the handmade papers I created the other day with my fantasy fibers and my trusty iron! Then I took my fave fairy stamp (by Clarity Stamp) to be "Titania" (queen of the fairies) and inked it up with Stazon, placed a couple of pieces of fantasy film over the top, a piece of paper to protect it, and ironed carefully...

Titania, Queen of the Fairies

Attached the images using wire and a couple of brads, then embellished my ATCs with the word "dream" and sparkly gems and sequins. Fun to make!

Finshed!

2008-07-11T19:48:00.004+01:00

Added "Paris" word charm and ribbon to the lid...

Added pearly buttons to the bottom half...

Attached my Eiffel Tower tag with ribbon...

Ta da!!!

Treasure Box Here!!! Wow!!!

2008-07-10T11:13:00.007+01:00

Wow, look what the postman bought me! I hadn't seen the message on Advanced Artist Trading Cards posted by my partner saying my swap was on its way, so it was a lovely surprise when it arrived. There were lots of "ooohs"and "aaaahs" as I opened up the tissue paper to reveal a beautifully altered box - what you cannot see from my photograph is that it says "serenity" around the bottom half of the box.

The creator, Heather Fenn-Edwards, told me "I used the word "Serenity" on the box to reflect the qualities of the amethyst stone, which is said to promote well-being, calmness and protection". Well, I could certainly use some of that :) Heather has her own website http://www.google.com/url?sa=D&q=http://www.mooncatcherdesigns.co.uk/&usg=AFQjCNHj0xJFsJEObwhm7tStb7_dIAbPfg - check it out :)

There was a pretty tag attached, and Heather had signed the bottom of the box too. So... what was inside..? A stunningly beautiful piece of jewellery, which just blew me away! (It has totally inspired me to try and push myself further wth my own jewellery making). Also inside, some hand-stamped tags, and even the pretty lace in which the contents were wrapped took my breath away! You gotta click on the images and look at a huuuuuuge piccie to really appreciate this awesome piece of art!

I feel a very lucky girly wirly to be part of Advanced Artist Trading Cards and to receive a swap created by such a talented lady, thank you :)

Treasure Box Stage 2 (and My Booky Wook!)

2008-07-09T20:42:00.004+01:00

Treasure Box... nearly there!

Feeling a lot better about my box, much better! I added some buttons (attached with wire) to cover up a little blip, and some pearl beaded chain too. The lid pretty well completed, I took a small metal tag and melted a few layers of pearl UTEE on top, and dropped in an Eiffel Tower charm. Not quite sure how this will be attached as yet...

I simple added some lace around the bottom of the box, although I think perhaps it needs something more... that will have to wait until another day because...

... I picked up a copy of My Booky Wook by Russell Brand from the library today - cannot wait to get my nose stuck into it!

Ironing is Fun!

2008-07-09T20:41:00.005+01:00

Backtracking 8th July 2008

It's amazing what you can do with an iron - they aren't just for laundry don't you know! I hadn't used my fantasy fibers/films since I took part in a workshop (like, 2 years ago!) and when I was watching QVC the other day there was Leonie demonstrating them, which gave me an itch I had to scratch and so I got out my fantasy fibers and fantasy films to have a play!

Knowing I had some ATCs to get done, I started with my fantasy fibers and created some backing papers using the fantasy fibers, a few different colours, and sandwiched some sequins in between the layers.

I used star and fairy wand sequins, as I want to use these backgrounds for a themed swap of "Shakespeare" being run by our guest hostess at ATC Addicts R Us (my take on it being fairies/Midsummer Nights Dream)

I had some scraps left over so of course could not resist playing around to see what happens when you iron all your scraps!

This is fantasty film, fantasy fibers, round sequins, and a sprinkling of teeny tiny prima flowers sandwiched in-between.

This is fantasy film with a tiny sprinkling of fantasy fibers, a few prima flowers and a piece of a pink heather embellishment that has been hanging around a while, waiting to be put to good use.

Well, who wants to iron bed sheets and trousers and tops when you can iron for craft purposes!!!

Mona Lisa Smile - Hey Mona!

2008-07-09T20:39:00.002+01:00

Backtracking - 7th July 2008

Hey Mona! Ooooh Mona! Anyone remember that song? Craig McLachlan, circa 1990 (?) Anyhoo, it was my turn to assemble a bag of goodies for each members of Goody Bag Girls, and see what we all created! Inside each bag was...

blank ATC
4 pieces coloured wrinkle papers
1 piece cream/gold marbled paper
pair of cream diecut wings
2 tiny star washers
letters to spell the word "smile"
selection of flower sequins
florist's wire
brad
length of ribbon

What would you make?! Well here is what I did!

I think Mona has borrowed Elton John's glasses!

Nail Varnish High and Somewhere to Be :)

2008-07-09T20:37:00.004+01:00

Backtracking - 4th July 2008

OMG! I am high because of the nail varnish backgrounds I have been making today, or because of the news I received?! I have been offered a flat!!! Totally unexpected, completely out of the blue, but after the initial shock, I had a feeling of comfort in the knowledge that soon, I will have "somewhere to be"...

Enough about that though, onto important stuff like getting crafty! Purely experimentally, I dropped a few blobs of 2 or 3 different colours of nail varnish onto card, placed another piece of card on top, squished and smooshed them together (very technical terms lol!), the result being a kind of marbled effect!

But my goodness did it reek of nail varnish - bleurgh! Rather too much so I had to consign these backgrounds to another room in the house whilst they dried and the smell eased off!!!

Oooh... I got a flat I got a flat I got a flat!!!

*bump back down to earth*

Yikes, I don't have hardly anything to furnish a flat... I shall have to perhaps camp out on the living room floor with my craft stuff and that's it! Anyone who wishes to make a donation to the "Furnish Jo's Flat" fund, please get in touch!!! :p

Something for the Box!

2008-07-09T20:36:00.002+01:00

Backtracking - 3rd July 2008

Felt like a change today, so I made a bracelet to go in the treasure box I am making for a swap on Advanced Artist Trading Cards. I was nice to do something different from ATCs/papercrafting and I really enjoyed quietly beading away in front of the tv tonight!

Treasure Box Commences!

2008-07-09T20:31:00.004+01:00

Backtracking - 2nd July 2008

Finally got started on my Treasure Box swap for Advanced Artist Trading Cards. Off to Paris again (can't I think of anything new and innovative?!) but I do love using my Crafty Individuals stamps, and know I have lots of embellishments that tie in with the theme of Paris, so as this was my first swap for Advanced ATCs, I wanted to be in my comfort zone and feel confident (well, as confident as Freaky Deaky Crafty Chick ever can!) in my ability to create something half decent!

After priming with gesso, I used 3 shades of Adirondack paint dabbers to colourise the box all over, in a random fashion, til I had something which I was satisfied with. Then I stamped using Stazon and my favourite Crafty Individuals rubber stamps (text, friends in Paris, Paris postmark) onto tissue paper, and used modge podge to apply them onto the lid of the box, layering and overlapping.

Not actually very happy with the way the word "friends" cannot be seen easily at all. Will figure that out another day, in fact, I will probs end up covering it up with something. But what..?

Inspired by Primark?!

2008-07-09T20:30:00.007+01:00

Backtracking - 30th June 2008

I had a mega hectic day yesterday (I made it to London to see my mate, thanks to Freaky Deaky Dad's support) and was introduced to the world of Primark. Totally bargainous store, but mega busy and really too much, so we soon retreated to Starbucks!

Today, I made use of the labels that came of the pair of cargo trousers I bought (was well surprised they had trousers long enough for my legs in such a cheap shop!) and I made a card :)

Been ages since I actually made a card, as for months all I have really done is ATCs and altered art bits and bobs. It wasn't too painful though to make my brain think on a bigger scale.

The bits from the clothing tags are the ripped rough brown paper, and the length of twill that I have attached with an eyelet over the top. I stitched down the left and right side of it using wire. Used backing papers that have been kicking around for a while, ripped it, and embossed the torn edge with one of my de-lovely B-Muse embossing powders. Got inky and used direct to paper in various colours over the rest of the card to co-ordinate, then finally used a wooden heart and wrapped wire round, adding some coils top and bottom, and 3 stitched crosses onto the right hand corner of the card, as finishing touches. It was fun!

Note to self: make cards more often!

But... I couldn't resist making an ATC too!!!

Swap Time, a Stonking Pin and Vaseline!!!

2008-07-09T20:22:00.005+01:00

Backtracking - 28th June 2008

It's that time of the month once again, when swapping commences for ATC Addicts R Us. Each month, I try not to have a nervous breakdown when doing the swaps, but I guess it is an occupational hazard! This time though, I had help from the co-owner aka my Freaky Deaky Friendie, which was muchly appreciated! It was soooooooooo much quicker having someone to help me out! And she gave me an RAK ATC which I love! I have had my eye on that stamp for quite some time and am jealous that she owns it!

A last minute envelope of ATCs arrived from bonnie Scotland, and inside, a most stunning pin she had made for me, as an RAK - check it out! She used polymer clay and perfect pearls...

My Freaky Deaky Friendie stayed the whole day, so we had time for crafting once the swaps were done and dusted! My friendie made a start on creating her treasure box (a swap on Advanced Artist Trading Cards) and what she made was stonking!

It inspired me, and I started playing around with colours and themes... it really helps to have a crafty friend when you need inspiration (and honest, trustworthy critique too!) On making our way to the craft room, we walked past the vaseline I had been putting on my sore nose (see crafting with a cold!) and I thought - aha! Resist!

Splodged and smeared some on a couple of ATC blanks, and waited... it refused to dry... waited some more... got impatient and blasted them with my heat gun - whoo! Dried it! (Was slightly concerned it might just make it all smooshy again) Then I brayered over with a rainbow dye ink pad, and voila:

The jury is out on whether these are much cop, guess it depends what I add to these backgrounds... ooooh... I wonder if I could rubber stamp with vaseline...?! Watch this space...

UTEE or not UTEE?!

2008-07-09T20:09:00.005+01:00

Backtracking - 27th June 2008

I spent the day playing with UTEE, using playing cards as my base (ones sent to me as an RAK by a member of ATC Addicts R Us) - a couple of layers of UTEE, then quickly sprinkled over some of my new B-Muse embossing powders in....

aged copper
metallic marmalade
raspberry dazzle
creamy mauve metallic

(don't they have fab names?!)

I stamped into the molten UTEE using some new corner stamps I have been dying to try out (a gift from Crafty Chick to Crafty Chick from That's Crafty Online when I was stocking up on adhesives!)

Then I took some teeny ballerina images and stuck them into a couple of frame charms I have been saving for a special occasion - I used UTEE to glaze over, and sprinkled in some accent beads (this whole process will be so much easier when I get my melt pot - roll on 16th August!)

Used wire and beads to create a dangly to attach the ballerina pendant charms I had made, and added a bead drop just because you can never have too many beads on a project! Then I glitzed up even more by adding teeny weeny gems in various parts of the impressions that had been made by stamping into the UTEE.

This one I gave to my Freaky Deaky Friendie...

...and this one is for *me*

More With UTEE...

I couldn't accept the playing cards RAK without sending something in return that I had created on the card/s to say thank you, so more UTEE was flying around the room and I played around again, this time, trying to let the diamonds on the playing cards show through, so I went easy on the coloured embossing powders when I sprinkled them over my layers of UTEE - two of the embossing powders are scented...

baby powder (light pink)
strawberry (red)

...I wonder if they still smell after travelling to their recepient? Let me know if you are reading this guys! They certainly left a nice niff in the craft room :)

This time I inked up my stamps with stazon so as to make very bold impressions - ballerina stamp and distressed harlequin stamp - so me it looked like the ballerina was dancing on diamonds so that was what I titled these ATCs...

A finishing touch was required (I mean, how can I make an ATC with no embellishments?!) so i sought out 2 sizes of square brads, used embossing powders to make them fit in with the colours I had already created, and attached them so they looked like diamonds. Voila! I loved the colours on the second ATC so much that I submitted it to ATC Addicts R Us for the "My Favourite Colour" Swap, and got this lovely one in return:

I will credit the artist, if they are OK with that :)

Feeling Better = Feeling Crafty

2008-07-01T13:02:00.005+01:00

Backtracking - 26th June 2008

Cold going, going... gone! (Well, ish!) At least I am not sneezing in quick succession anymore! I felt it safe to return to the craft room! Canvas is a theme on ATC Addicts R Us so I finished off the canvases I had been working on. They just kinda came together...

And kept one for me... cos I might soon need lots of ATCs and other crafty stuff that I have made myself to decorate something I might have in a new place I might be going to, some time soon, but not very soon, in fact, it could be months but anyhoo, I be keeping this ATC:

A Crush On Canvas (and crafting with a cold atchoo)

2008-07-01T12:56:00.002+01:00

Backtracking - 25th June 2008

Why, oh why, oh why do I feel so poorly? Cos I have caught a cold! How did I manage to catch a cold in the middle of Summer?! Cos I am just plain freaky. I should change my blog title to sneezy-wheezy-crafty-atchoo-chick cos I am sneezing like the clappers and it huuuuuuuurts! *sniffle*

But I wanted to craft, so I can't have felt *that* poorly! With my crush on canvas still as rampant as ever, I made 4 backgrounds, using acrylic paints, luna lights, gold ink, stamped tissue paper, applied with modge podge over gold mesh...

...which was great... until I got to the part where I had the idea of using gold ink and embossing powder around the edges to give some texture... and sneezed... then sneezed again, and again, and again... (my record so far these past couple of days is 11 in one go!!!)

So crafter's, if you're out there, take heed - do not craft with embossing powders (or glitters for that matter!) when you have a cold! You're only asking for a room to get covered in sparkles and powders, and you know what that means - hoovering up!

N.B. No backgrounds were sneezed upon during the making of these canvases.

Button Moon

2008-07-01T12:54:00.003+01:00

Backtracking - 22nd June 2008

I've been to button moon, I've followed Mr Spoon, button moon! (Hope some of you out there reading this remember that TV programme?!) Yup, you got it, buttons!

The challenge on ATC Addicts is "Button It" - I already had the faux washi backgrounds at hand and an idea in my head to use buttons to create frames... so all I had left to do was to find suitable images and buttons and get crafting! I wanted a variety of buttons on each card, so I could show all kinds of buttons you can not only buy but create yourself! My ATCs include ones such as:

miniature buttons
cats' eye buttons
shaped buttons
decorative buttons (ones with blue stars courtesy of Mumsy)
plain buttons I have colourised with alcohol inks
homemade buttons created using punched out shapes of shrink plastic
recycled buttons (from old clothes etc.)
buttons rec'd in an RAK from Twiggy (cheers big ears!)

The images are from one of the Crafty Individuals image books (think the one I used is called People and Places) and I matted them onto angel hair to soften the look slightly. I attached the buttons with wire (that took forever!) but I had all night... I needed words to finish off the ATCs, so searched through my stash and found these vellum words... and on a couple of the ATCs I added a lickle flower to make the images stand out more, then I was done! :D

I kept this one for me :)

Bottle Caps - Squishy-Wishy

2008-07-01T12:52:00.002+01:00

Backtracking - 20th June 2008

Bottlecaps - themed swap for UKATC this month, so I couldn't resist having a play and taking part, so I bought a bottle cap image sheet from www.digitalcollagesheets.com which of course fitted perfectly in my bottle caps, which I had squished with my Wizard aka Merlin.

All the backgrounds were done on canvas, being such a canvas freaky at the mo, what else would I use?! Kept them pretty plain and simple, only using one or two colours of acrylic paints, stamping one of my new-ish Paperartsy border stamps on the left hand side. Then I simply added a little bit of mulberry paper across the bottom, and created an embellishment using the bottle tops, images, a teeny pearl flower, diamond glaze, and some good old wire and beads!

Now, they needed a finishing touch. Something... I don't know what! I was going over to see my Freaky Deaky Friendie and after much conflab, she gave me 3 words from a sheet of doo-dads she had, in very cool colours and they matched perfectly. I have now added these to my list of must-haves!

Thank you Freaky Deaky Friendie :)

Gingham Galore

2008-07-01T12:44:00.002+01:00

Backtracking - 19th June 2008

Here we go again - another all night crafting session! This time gingham, a themed swap on UKATC for June. After recovering from the fact that Mumsy had *thrown out some scraps of material including gingham*, and a trip to John Lewis to buy some more, I was finally able to get going on these ones. Yeah!

My backgrounds were created from my scraps box - I call it Scrapheap Challenge, but I doubt I am the first person to make a background from scraps! Maybe mine are slightly different in the fact that I randomly stamped a scissor image over the top, added a layer of tulle netting, and went sew-crazy with my mini sewing machine to create random stitching over the top.

I stamped and cut out an 4 images of a dressmaker's stand, 1 for each ATC, and proceeded to dress each in a different style skirt (created more by luck than judgement (!!!) by folding and pleating circles of gingham). Used ribbon to create a kind of gingham top (very low cut!) and finished the actual outfit with a pearl buckle threaded through gingham ribbon, and some teeny weeny flower sequins.

I used Merlin (my dear old Wizard) to die-cut flowers from gingham, adding one as a finish touch, along with a teeny weeny pearl for the centres, and a smattering of beads in one corner. And as is my current trend, chose one ATC to keep for me, and here it is:

Doing The Oriental

2008-06-30T13:14:00.004+01:00

Backtracking - 16th-17th June

OK, I admit it, I am not a huge fan of Oriental, it has never appealed to me, but after doing a jiggy swap earlier this year, when I had two (*two* !!!) pieces to alter in the Oriental style, I found myself being drawn more towards Eastern images and colours and artefacts, so when a swap came up on UKATC for Oriental ATCs, I jumped right in!

First came backgrounds... and I spied with my little eye some bag ties that I have been hoarding for a while, and wondered... what would happen if I cut them down slightly, glued them onto an ATC and then stuck some faux washi paper over them? This is what happens!

Rather jolly like that effect, and with the direct to paper inking on the backing card, and on some chinese script paper that I glued at the very bottom, I was chuffed with the result. Oh, where did the spots come in?! Well, the paper was in my scraps box and the colours seemed to just match, so I went with it... bit unconventional for Oriental I must admit.

Had downloaded from http://www.digitalcollagesheets.com/ a bottle cap image sheet, so printed off a few to use the Oriental lady image, which I glued into a squished bottle cap (thank you Merlin - that is what I call my Wizard die-cutting machine by the way!)

Finishing touches? Wire and beads, a word, some german scrap and voila - I did the Oriental (and it wasn't painful at all!)

Made It! Father's Day Framey

2008-06-30T13:13:00.001+01:00

Backtracking - 15th June 2008

Time to get cracking with that frame for Father's Day, so got up early to finish my masterpiece (?!?!) Took the photo and matted it onto a background I had made that is a continuation of the colours on the frame. I also got brave and added some colour directly onto the photo (eep!) so the sand in it looks yellow. It just looked a bit odd having the photo completely black and white, and I think adding some light sandy yellow to it has made Freaky Deaky Dad and bro stand out more..?

Thanks to my Freaky Deaky Friendie introducing me to gel medium, glueing on the shells and beads was a piece of cake. I put my brain into "seaside" mode and added all and sundry I could think of that would be on the seashore...

big shells
pebbles/gravel (I smashed up a few shells and used beads to create these items!)
driftwood (I used a bit of pot-pourri snaffled from some Mumsy was chucking out!)
fishing nets (used mesh)
fish (friendly plastic fish!!! Yay!)
flotsum and jetsum (covers just about everything else I stuck on !)

I had some star washers - used embossing powders on to distress them, so they fitted in and looked rusty, and like they had been washed up onto the beach. I smashed up a few shells and did the same, used my embossing powders to make them look distressed. The finishing touches were simple - 4 doo-dads in using appropriate words "adventure" "explore" "play" "laugh", and finally, I stamped Brighton 1953 using my fave word generating rubber stamp, the provocraft wheel stamp, and attached with waxy flax, buttons and good old gel medium.

Freaky Deaky Dad was well chuffed, and the frame has pride of place, where else, but in the bathroom!

BTW, they are wearing woollen bathing suits - embarassing!!! All the rage in 1953 - or so I am told! ;)

Texture Paste - cool! - and Bubbles Galore

2008-06-30T13:12:00.001+01:00

Backtracking - 14th June 2008

I got me some texture paste, with a project in mind, but had no idea how this one was going to work out... found a really old pic of Freaky Deaky Dad with his brother on a beach and thought it would make a good Father's Day prezzie if I could create a frame for this pic...

I took a boring frame that cost me a pound (bargainous!) and used a pallette knife to spread Texture Paste over it... bit like icing a cake! Then I took a plastic fork and plopped it over the paste to create a kind of spiked, wavy effect...

I was trying to re-create the seaside scene so it would eventually look like the frame was a continuation of the beach on which Freaky Deaky Dad and his bro are sitting on (those of you who are curious, it is Brighton circa 1953!) Anyways, took acyrlics in yellows and blues and mixed and blended with white to lighten and create a sand to sky effect from bottom to top...

By then I had been crafting all day, so what does a crafter deserve after a lot of hard work? A bath full of bubbles! To be precise, a Lush bath full of bubbles. I love Lush! This bath has Karma bubble bar slice in it thanks to a Freaky Deaky Friendie of mine :)

Lie back and r-e-l-a-x...! :D

Background Bonanza

2008-06-30T13:11:00.000+01:00

Backtracking - 13th June 2008

Friday 13th - not unlucky for crafty chicks! Went bonkers with backgrounds, along with Mumsy, and look what we made! Got out some canvas, acetate and textured wallpaper as bases.

To add colour we used:

Adirondack paint dabbers
luna lights
regular acrylic paints
chalk dew drop inkpads

To add texture we used:

string
plastic forks (drag through/scrape the acrylic paints - try it! Makes cool patterns)
toothbrushes (old ones!)
sponges

The paint fumes sent Mumsy quite doo-lally (either that or it was spending time with Freaky Deaky Crafty Chick that was the cause of her delirium!!!) It was a stonking afternoon, don't get many of those round here so will remember it always :)

First Attempt at a New Style

2008-06-30T13:09:00.000+01:00

Backtracking - 11th June 2008

Having recently stumbled upon Teesha Moore's work http://teeshamoore.com I have been dying to dip my toe in the water and have a go at a journal canvas page thingy wotsit, but been too afraid of trying to get it right and failing. Then an opportunity came up for which creating a piece of journal art would be the perfect thing to do... so I went into the jo-zone and created something of which I am proud of (did I just say I am proud?!) for many reasons, but let's stick to style/arty talk on here.

This pic shows it before the journalling and finishing touches and heaps more went on. That part is deeply personal, private and somewhat painful, but the blank-ish un-journalled canvas gives you an idea of what I was attempting to create...

The crop-a-dile was handy-dandy for making the holes and setting jumbo eyelets at the bottom. Couldn't live without that in my tool box. I cannot really remember much about how I created the background, except that it started by being a place to dab off my dirty paint brushes and finger daubers and sponges, and ended up being an actual piece of journal art. Enough said.

Going Under...

2008-06-29T20:37:00.000+01:00

Backtracking - 9th June 2008

...under the sea!

It's a theme for ATC_addicts_R_us this month and I have gotten rather into the jo-zone with this one. There is something about sea colours that make me go ooooh and I had loadsa fun playing with these backgrounds and creating collage-y style under sea scenes. Above you can see are the works in progress...

The backgrounds are actually wallpaper samples courtesy of Sainsburys Homebase (!!!) to which I have added colour with my ink pads and twinkling H20s - see how the spots on the wallpaper have resisted more intense colours? I love that effect!

I have decided that Friendly Plastic is now *definately* my friend - I used it to create the starfish on the ATC this ATC "The Weight of Water" using one of several molds that have been gathering dust in ye olde craft room. Had fun distressing star washers (from DIY store!) with clear inkpads and B-Muse embossing powders (love those powders, must buy more!)

There are heaps of elements used on the final ATCs from charms to crimped tigertail, from ball and chain to beads, from mesh to mulberry paper. A right mish-mash of stuff, but somehow it
works! (I think...?)

Ripped up a dictionary for the various words... some of them are rather teeny-weeny so to see them proper-like you'll have to click on them ;)

(Un) Friendly Plastic ???

2008-06-28T20:33:00.001+01:00

Backtracking - 8th June 2008

Friendly Plastic... or is it? In the past, it has been most unfriendly, but a great mate of mine has helped me to bond with it - she showed me how to work with it properly (I had been just messing round, not really knowing exactly what to do with the stuff until now) - thank you friendie! :) A couple of days later I got my Friendly Plastic out again and made some masks and some buttons using some molds I have had lurking in the room of craft since Xmas and not really used... some of the masks/faces look slightly warped... ooer!!!

A couple of days later I had a bit of a problem thought... having bonded with Friendly Plastic (with the help of a rolling pin and spatula "borrowed" from my nephew's playdoh kit) I couldn't then de-bond from it!!! Heeeeelllp!!!

Doh! The skewer lived to tell the tale, and the beads I created on it have since been used on some ATCs. As for the rolling pin... I am afraid it had to be consigned to the dustbin (sorry nephew of mine, I will get you another rolling pin for your playdoh ready for your next visit!)

So is Friendly Plastic really friendly? Well, I think only time will tell...! :p

Addicted to Canvas

2008-06-26T13:05:00.001+01:00

Backtracking - 1st June 2008

Went to Paris (only in my mind that is!) and created a canvas for a friend's birthday - she be learning French so she can speak it fluently as part of her job, so I thought what better gift?! I was chuffed with the effect of embedding the eiffel tower (the charm, not the actual towers itself lol!) into a tag containing heated pearl UTEE - and the trickery of dealing with UTEE flying round the room convinced me I *need* a Melt Pot. Let's hope the birthday fairy makes my dreams come true!

More Mini Canvases

2008-06-26T12:44:00.001+01:00

Backtracking - 30th May 2008

Made some more mini canvases - these are vindictively addictive I tell you! I felt quite bright so went for orange and purple, and created my own little people on them (am I mad I hear you asking - the answer to that question is most probably yes!) I gave one of these to my best friend, she thought it groovy-woovy so I took that as a compliment and added it to my list of -isms :p I even felt generous enough to keep one of these for me!

Entering Blog Land - Crash Landing!

2008-06-25T13:36:00.001+01:00

Backtracking - 27th May 2008

Well, here I am in the land of Blog, it seems a nice place to have found myself, hey, maybe I will find myself during my Freaky Deaky Lemon Squeaky nose dive into Blogdom - that would be super-duper - but where do I start? I guess the beginning is a very good place lol! But that would just be plain cheesy, and no doubt there is an "about me" column somewhere on this Blogger thingy, so I am going to backtrack to a veeeeery creative time for me and the day which I intended to start blogging on! I spent all night crafting, creating mini canvases - wow, that was some night! I duplicated some of the designs, but in all made around 20-25 of the blighters! Kinda addictive!

Of course, the best bit of making all those canvases, was playing around with colours and stuff to make the backgrounds :) These ones here were sponged with lilac acrylic paint, then pink, and then I sprinkled over some good old powdered eyeshadow (maybe it's Maybelline!) that was lilac, and rubbed it in slightly with my finger; such a pretty shimmery effect :)

Added a layered up die-cut flower with a gem flower for the centre, a stem created from a fine guage wire with a slight tweaky-weak to make a leaf, and guess what that texture is at the bottom? None other than a textured wallpaper sample splodged with lilac paint and edged with silver ink. (Don't tell Mr B&Q that I "borrow" wallpaper samples for crafty-ness not ever intending to cover a wall with it!)

Add a brad and a lickle folded piece of ribbon and voila!

My next mission (should I choose to accept it, and yup, I was going to as I was still wide awake come 2am!) was to get going with something different so I dug out some hardly used Twinkling H20 dabbers - yes, there is such a thing! I used a reddy colour then dabbed over with a bright blue and landed up with a smurpley-purpley effect, bit dull so added a spot of luna lights (left)

Rubbed that in with my finger and once it had all dried, over stamped using a Christine Adolphe stamp (stampington) in white and it kinda faded into the colours on the canvas and looked ghosty-whosty. Quite cool! Then used modge-podge to apply some ripped/torn/stamped mulberry paper, and the colours oozed up through which was quite an interesting effect - not planned! Added my fave kinda stuff atm - mesh - some gems, 2 lickle flowers and at the very bottom, a bugle bead with a seed bead either end, attached wire wire. Here you go!

One of the others I created a few of I used Adirondack Paint Daubers in colours I cannot recall the names of (willow, wotsit and doofer) again, I added a speck of luna lights like on the previous canvas. Then, I took the Clarity Stamps Willow Lady stamp, onto mulberry paper, and used modge-podge to see what would happen - wow! Didn't think that would work! The fibers of the mulberry paper look a bit like they are running through the branches of the willow. I liked this! I had to add the essential embellishments and so added star gems and also traced over some of the willow branches with green patina stickles (see, I can remember the names of some of the colours of stuff I use!!!)

And that was the end of my "canvas till you can't no more" night. I recommended it! :)