Not just for Christmas!

This is a card I made using the Spellbinders Poinsettia dies and the matching stamp set by Heartfelt Creations. I thought it would make an elegant sympathy card, showing that these flowers and leaves can be used for any occasion by changing the colour scheme.

The trellis background was made using the Spellbinders Fancy Lattice die. I pierced the edges of the card using the Creative Expressions Piercing Ruler and a needle tool and sponge mat. I then threaded gold thread through all of the stitches. 

The sentiment was cut out using a die from the Spellbinders Fancy Framed Tags One die set.

You could make this card using nice bright colours to make a cheery Birthday card.

Happy crafting!

Cheers! A.T.C.

This is the last project in my ATC designs.

This time I used the ATC Art Part which has the corners cut away. I used Cosmic Shimmer Flake & Glitter Glue and Cosmic Shimmer Gilding Flakes to make the background. 

The little shelf has been made using a scallop trim from the Scallops Art Parts set and the Star comes from the Hearts, Love & Stars Art Parts set (used for the Wings of Love ATC). 

The cute champagne bottle and flutes are from the Embellish Your Art range by Wendy Vecchi.

Hope you have enjoyed seeing something a bit different.

Happy crafting!

Feeling Under The Weather? A.T.C.

Here is the 2nd of my ATC projects to show you, made using some of the fabulous products designed by Wendy Vecchi.

The Art Parts set that I used has six ATC sized pieces in it, three designs, two of each. This design has the rounded corners. 

I coloured the background with a green Distress Ink Pad and then stamped randomly using the main background stamp from the Artfully Said Stamp Set by Studio 490. 

The pocket watch comes in two pieces and is from the Art Parts set called Pocket Watches. You get three backs and three fronts in the pack. I painted the outside edges of the pocket watch using silver paint and the background a pale blue/grey. I stamped the Thinking of You message on the background a few times, as shown, before gluing the two pieces together. 

The umbrella comes from the Art Parts set called Outdoor Art and the hood of the umbrella has been coloured with Distress Ink and then stamped with black Archival ink. The handle has been painted with silver paint. The little crow and the flower embellishments come from the Embellish Your Art range.

I finished the piece by rubbing some Creative Expressions Golden Light Gilding Wax around the edges of the ATC and to highlight the bird's wing.

One more ATC still to come.

Happy crafting!

Wings of Love A.T.C.

A while ago, I did a set of Artist Trading Card projects, so I thought I would show you these.

The base comes from the Studio 490 Art Parts set called ATC Art, which contains six ATC sized Art Parts for you to decorate.

Here is the first project . . .

I inked up the Art Part with a Red Distress Ink Pad and, once this was dry, randomly stamped with Black Archival Ink and a floral stamp. You could also use a flourish or swirl stamp for this. The letters for the word LOVE came from another Art Parts kit, called Hearts, Love & Stars. I painted the letters with black acrylic paint and then added Cosmic Shimmer Dries Clear Glue to the letter O so that I could attach some of the Cosmic Shimmer Luna Silver Vintage Mica Flakes to it.

The wings are also Art Parts, and come from the Simply Wings set. I used acrylic paint for the base coat and then stamped with black Archival ink.

The two flower buttons come from the Wendy Vecchi Embellish Your Art embellishments range. 

More ATCs to follow soon!

Happy crafting!

A quick make

This was made some time ago, to wish a lovely lady good luck in her new career.

The floral images came from the Heartfelt Creations Tattered Blossom Swirl set, which I then coloured in using Cosmic Shimmer Watercolour Paints. I chose colours to match a piece of decorative paper that I had in my stash. 

The white crochet ribbon and the white card base were both inked using Worn Lipstick Distress Ink.

The sentiment was cut out using the Spellbinders Labels Twenty Eight die set.

The card was finished off with a few self-adhesive pearls in two of the corners.

Happy crafting!

Still painting with wax!

I love this stamp set (Tim Holtz Sewing Blueprint from Stampers Anonymous) so I made a second card, this time using the dressform with Amethyst and Pewter Gilding Waxes from Creative Expressions, mixed with their Solvent Blending Solution.

For the button background on the base of the easel card, I inked through the Button mask from That Special Touch with Distress Ink.

Other items used were the Spellbinders Timeless Rectangles die set, Sue Wilson's Heart Lattice Embossing Folder, Lavender Dazzlers, Black Crystal Stick Pins and Sheer Wrinkled Edge Ribbon in Plum.

Happy crafting!

Painting with wax!

Today's blog post is using the Creative Expressions Gilding Waxes and the Creative Expressions Solvent Blending Solution, to make a paint medium.

The parts of the card which I have used the gilding waxes on are the two large cotton reels (using Amethyst and Ultramarine) and the mini half-spools (which used a variety of colours of the Gilding Waxes). I also painted the sewing needles using the Pewter Gilding Wax.

I found it hard to show the metallic sheen in my photos but it really is a pretty effect.

Using the wrong end of a small paintbrush, I scooped around the edge of the pot of Gilding Wax, to scoop out a small amount of wax into a paint pallette. I then added a few drops of the Solvent Blending Solution and, using the brush end of the paint brush, stirred the solution into the wax, adding a few more drops if needed, until the desired consistency was achieved.  You can leave the "paint" to dry on the pallete and then, when required at a later date, you can re-activate it by adding a few drops of the Blending Solution and stirring the wax.

I used Vintage Photo Distress Ink through the Spellbinders Square Swatches die. I also used this ink pad to paint the wooden part of the spool images. The spool image comes from the Tim Holtz Sewing Blueprint stamp set by Stampers Anonymous and was stamped using Clear Perfect Medium and then heat setting with Cosmic Shimmer Black Fine Detail Embossing Powder.

As you can see, I went with the sewing theme by getting my sewing machine out and adding some decorative stitches to one of the card mats.

Today is my first day back at the office since the Christmas break so I wonder what the day will hold? 

Happy crafting!