A Christmas Album

I started this album a while ago using a very delicate Christmas paper pad I got from Create and Craft.
When I'd finished the cover I wasn't happy with it at all.
So it came apart, painted with gesso, inked with dark blue distress ink and some stencilling with medium paste.
My moon and stars came out ok but the circles I wanted at the bottom didn't really hit the mark.
I didn't want to start again so got out the gold leaf and mica to give it a lift.

Not the great start into mixed media I'd imagined but relatively happy with it and certainly better than it was.
A final touch with either a Santa and his sleigh or simply Christmas Album across the centre.

Meanwhile, here's the finished item.

I do hope you like it.
Thanks for stopping by and please call again.
Karen xx

Butterfly easel card

After watching the amazing Ann Melvin, of Positively Papercraft, make a fabulous easel card with a butterfly die, I just had to make one myself.

The die is by Alinacraft and is such a versatile die. It can be used on its own or layered like this is. Because it is layered you can chose the size of butterfly you want to use.

This easel style card uses all the dies from largest to smallest.
I've refrained from trimming it up as I've yet to decide what to use this for.
Any suggestions gratefully accepted.
I do like this and hope you do too.
Thanks for stopping by and do come again.
Karen

Shaker and stamped candle

You can tell I'm on leave with time on my hands haha. Had another crafty play today and made a shaker card a little differently to how I normally make them and very pleased with it.
Because it covers the whole card rather than a section of it, if anything it could do with a few more sprinkles inside, but overall I'm happy with it.

After this I finally bit the bullet and did something I've been wanting to do for ages but kept shying away from. My stamped candle. I am so pleased with this I keep doing a happy dance haha.
I showed it my husband and his reaction was "You've not made that." Compliment or insult I'm not sure which but I showed him the stamp to prove it!!

Now I need to decide what to do with it. Do I make a display box for it? Or do I present it on a small plate or platform decorated with fauna and paper flowers and ribbons? I'm not decided on that one yet. Still enjoying just looking it.
If you've been thinking of having a go, just do it. It's like a little bit of magic.

Thank you for stopping by and do come again.
Karen

Curvy box tree hangings

A crafty work colleague suggested demonstrating making some vellum Christmas tree hangings with battery tea light for the crafty ladies at work.
The die that was used for the MacMillan teapots was perfect.

I set about having a go myself first. I made two in patterned foiled vellum and was quite pleased with the result.






















My colleague favoured stamping plain vellum and colouring the reverse for the pastel effect, so I made this next.  The tea light I used actually changes colour and you can just make out the red light in this picture.

Very pleased with them but they do have a flaw. The ribbon for hanging fits through the closure and makes access to turn on or switch off the tea light very difficult. So this is now a work in progress while I try to work out how best to fix the problem.
I also made one in foiled card. No tea light in this one, just a chocolate or two (or three or four).

Hope you like them. And if you can think of how to do the closure do please let me know. Save my poor brain from a headache 😌
Thanks for stopping by
Karen

Autumn

Responded to a craft challenge on Craft World with a theme of Autumn.
I recently got a Papercraft magazine with a free gift of a falling leaves embossing folder and a beautiful large die with separate veins die and been waiting for an opportunity to do something with these. Along with another lovely oak leaf in my stash with an acorn die and individual smaller leaves.
I embossed first and then inked with Distress Oxide in antique linen and ground espresso.
I then decided to highlight the embossed leaves with some glossy accents, which really makes them stand out.

I chose to die cut some different coloured leaves and inked around them for definition.
The larger die I cut in white and inked up in various shades until I got the look I wanted. The veins I also inked and after gluing them in place I defined them further with some Tonic crystal drops and love the effect.
Finally I opted for a 'Thinking of you' stamped sentiment and scattered some smaller leaves and acorns around.

I'm quite pleased with how it turned out. I love the purple leaf in the mix as Autumn is my favourite month and I love the different array of colours it brings.

I do hope you like it and thanks for stopping by.
Karen xx

8 x 8 gift bag and matching card

I recently purchased an 8 x 8 Hunkydory pad with beautiful traditional Father Christmas scenes.
With four of each image I immediately wanted to make a bag with a matching card.

Because the papers were 8 x 8 it meant adding in sides and base separately, something I've not done before with a gift bag but it turned out pretty cool. I attached ribbon handles to the bag with some brads. I picked these star brads up in my local pound shop last year. I must see if I can get some more.

For the card I chose to go 5 x 7 and matted with gold mirror card. I then simply die cut three Hs and three O's and HO, HO, HO what have we here then? 😄

I chose a different image of a smiling Santa for the insert and whilst I've not taken a photo of the envelope I decorated the reverse with another image.

I do hope you like them. I have another idea for this gorgeous pad next. Thanks for stopping by and do come again.
Karen

Golden oldies album

A few weeks ago my daughter brought me a couple of Hobbycraft albums she had found in charity shop, still wrapped in their plastic covering. I could see good times ahead decorating these.

Firstly as they are ring bound there is a limit to the number of pages you can decorate and still be able to close the book. That meant many of the pages could be taken out and used to help create the pockets, tabs and cards throughout the album.

Even when I had finished it was still too bulky and I removed three pages. 

These are being kept to one side and used towards a separate album. Not decided how yet, may just add rings or may create an album to add them to. Either way, they won't go to waste. 

The final album I am well pleased with.

 

The golden oldies used throughout this album to create little pockets, and the picture on the front, are from the golden oldies pad by Hunkydory.

The papers I have used are from a Crafter's Companion 12 x 12 Romance album I have had for a couple of years. Lovely paper and sometimes paper is toooooo nice to cut into isn't it?

I do hope you like it.

Thanks for stopping by and do come again.

Karen xx