Steam Punk Father's Day card 2015

ANOTHER Steam Punk card !!! Well I found a digi stamp on Pintrest and decided to do my interpretation of it. It didn't quite turn out as I intended, but I'm sure my Dad will like it :)  ...

The digi stamp I took inspiration from.

 The backing paper for both front and inside the card were made by me. I used the conceptual sketches from a computer game I played a few years ago - Syberia. The art work for that game is beautiful. I also used a German text I sourced from the internet, along with a antique page image (all can be found on my Pintrest page). To add a more aged look I used...
1. Tim Holtz distress ink pads - Antique linen and Frayed burlap
2. Tim Holtz Air spritzer with Antique linen and frayed burlap distress markers.
3. Basic Grey Flourish edge stamp with Crimson red Versafine ink pad.
4. The die cut corners on the front were achieved using Tim Holtz Alterations mixed media dies.
 The Penny Farthing was made using ...
1. The digi stamp as a template for the bicycle frame.
2. Tim Holtz Weathered Clock die. Coloured with Tim Holtz Brushed Pewter Distress paint and then using his spritzer air brush used different marker pens to get an aged metal patina effect.
3. The tire was die cut from Grand Nestabilities classic circles dies and coloured wih a black marker pen.
4. The cogs are Memory Box Gear Works die coloured with Tim Holtz metalic Distress paints
5. All pieces were cut from thick grey card.

The Dad label was made with Spellbinders Victorian tags and metal alphabet brads.
The metal tassel was hand made by me.

Inside the card the sentiments were computer generated and framed with Memory box Medium Steampunk pipes and connected using Memory Box small Steampunk pipes.

Thank you for popping by. Take care and Keep smiling :)

Steampunk Card

Bought lots and lots of crafty supplies from a craft fair back in March, one of them being this lovely stamp and though I'd give it the Steampunk treatment :)

Stamp - House of Zandra - "Safari Girl"
Backing Paper  - Creative Imaginations, Marah Johnson - "True"
Dies - Memory Box  - Steampunk Corner
           Cheery Lynn Designs  - Chicken wire
Flowers  - Mirri Satin card
                 EK Success Reto Flower punch
                 Nellie Snellen Floral punch - Stamen 1
                 Cuttlebug embossing folder - Diamond Plate
Sentiment - computer generated and gone over with Atyou Spica glitter pens

Take Care & Keep Smiling :)

Card Box for Tilda and Edwin Frienship card

Well here's the box I made for the Tilda and Edwin card. Had to keep it simple as it's travelling from England to the USA ...

Gingham paper made by me on the computer. The Butterfly is Marianne Designs Creatables Butterfly 3. Coloured with Tim Holtz distress inks - Mustard Seed and Wild Honey.
Take care & keep smiling

Tilda and Edwin friendship card

I made this card for a friend who has been ill and is currantly living in a nursing home. I wanted to make something cheery and bright. I was going to upcycle the Chasing butterflies card I made, but decided the colours weren't bright enough ...

Front image -
Magnolia Chasing Butterflies background and Summer background.
Helloooo - computer generated hand cut and then glazed with Sakura clear glaze pen.
Lace and cross stitch sewn by hand.
Flowers from Wild Orchid Crafts

Inside image -
Magnolia Chasing Butterflies Chasing Tilda, Chasing Edwin and Summer background
Butterfly - Cheery Lynn Designs small exotic butterflies dies coloured with Tim Holtz Mustard Seed and Wild Honey inkpads and sprayed with Glimmer mist Dazzling Diamonds
Flowers - punches from EK Success and Tonic Studios
Foliage - Cheery Lynn mini fanciful flourish die.
Cross stitch - hand sewn

Sentiment page -
Sentiment is computer generated.
Clouds - Memory Box mini clouds die
Cross stitch - hand sewn

All ovals are Spellbinders Grand caliber ovals and scalloped ovals. All images coloured with Derwents coloursoft pencils and Sansodor.
Gingham backing paper made by me on my extremely old graphics program and printed on hessian paper.

Thank you for looking. Take care and keep smiling :)

Tilda Birthday card

This was the first Tilda card I made, and I made it in 2004. Don't know why I never put it on my blog !!! Oh well better late than never :)

 Take care and keep smiling :)

Decoupage Frame

I had another heart frame and a tub of Mod Podge I bought sometime last year that I'd never tried. I'd read some reviews on the Mod Podge that said it remained sticky and yellowed with time. Well in my case it dried to a lovely satin finish and no hint of stickiness anywhere, and as for it going yellow I couldn't say as I've only just made this, but even if it does it won't matter much as it's vintage style anyway, if anything it will add to the character :) ...

 First I covered the frame with torn up bits of  K & Company - Classic Bailey, Stripes, Ivory small floral papers using Mod Podge Matte and then gave it a "varnish" with the Mod Podge.
The flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts. The little birds were white when I bought them but I sponged them with Tim Holtz Tattered Rose ink and then added some spots and stripes with Staedtler triplus fineliner pastel pen. The back panel was covered with the same papers as the frame and again given the same top coat.

Take care & keep smiling :)

Altered Wooden Heart Picture Frame

Wanted to test out Tim Holtz Distress and Rock candy crackle paint, so decided to try it out on this frame (it only cost £1.50) before I used it on a bigger project. It didn't work as I'd hoped (the crackle paint is falling off !!!) but I have another of these frames and will try a different method and see if it is any better. I did however finish the frame off, not that I have a use for it :) ...

As it was bought

After

Poem borrowed from the film "Lovely Bones"

Tim Holtz Distress Paint - Forest Moss and Bundled Sage
Tim Holtz Distress Crackle Paint - Clear Rock Candy
Renaissance Treasure Gold Wax Gilt
Flourish Stamp - Stampers Anonymous, Tim Holtz Collection
Flowers from Wild Orchid Crafts
Poem computer generated
Crackle stamp - Kaiser Crafts

Take Care & Keep Smiling

Tutorial for stitched corners

I was asked how I made the stitched corners for the steamer trunk gift box. To do a blow by blow account would be too long and too complicated (for me at least), so I've made a template that you can print out to what ever size you need, and I'll try and keep the instructions as simple as possible...

1. Print out the template to the size you require. (The picture above is 12cm x 12cm)
To find the size you need... If for example you are making a corner for a lid, measure from the corner to the bottom of the lid and then double it, eg if it measures 3cm then print out a circle for 6cm.
2. Cut out the template NOT the line that says cut, fold it into quarters. This is to find the centre of the circle and to make it easier to position on the corner of the box. Along the folded lines cut as shown above. To make sure you have the right size position the template over one of the corners, adjust if needed.
3. Place template on your chosen paper, card etc (I used Tim Holtz grunge paper for my corners) and draw around. Leaving the template in the same position use a needle or piercing tool for the stitch holes.

To do the stitching ...

1. With the card,paper etc facing right way up put the threaded needle UP (from the back) through hole 2 and then back DOWN through hole 1, then UP through hole 3 and back DOWN through hole 2, UP through hole 4, DOWN through hole 3. This will give you a continuous running stitch.
I hope this helps :)

Wooden Christmas light up scene

I bought this wooden Christmas scene two years ago with the intention of livening it up, but didn't get around to it. Well now I have, and while I haven't gone over the top, I do think it looks a lot prettier ...

Before. As it was when bought.

After

I used Imagination Crafts Detail Sparkle - White Shimmer glitter on the trees and edges of the buildings. Aleene's True Snow on the ground with ultra fine crystal glitter sprinkled on top. Bazzill green card around the base with hessian ribbon and some bits and pieces to embellish.
Take care and keep smiling :)

Gift Cards

These are a couple of quickies done to put gift cards in as the cards provided are pretty boring ...

 Take Care & Keep Smiling :)