Creative chemistry day 3

Another amazing day learning some great techniques. Loved the smudge printing and photo tinting techniques best. 

I think that the smudge printing makes amazing backgrounds and think it is something I will use quite a lot. 

I used the photo tinting technique on an image of my brother when he was small and loved how it turned out. I also used the distress glitter on the stars for this tag and like the chunkiness of the coloured distress in comparison to the rock candy version. 

Had a go at brayered stains which makes another interesting background, and my faux glass is still drying. Found that one a little fiddly but that's because the bottles are so small lol. Well that's another day done, hoping to do day 2 later. I have been naughty and not done them in order as I was dying to try the smudge stamping. Another great day of techniques ahead. Can't wait :-) 

Creative Chemistry 102

I have been so busy with work and college and had not had time to do any craftwork :-( Today was my day off though so sent the children off to school and started on day ones creative chemistry lesson. It was great to learn some new techniques. Here are my first attempts at the new things I have learnt. 

 Marbled distress paints. I prefer the second tag to my first one. The paints seemed to marble easier with more water. 

Crackle distress paints. Loved the technique but need to use a different colour palette as I used pinks and purples and they all merged together. 

Altered surfaces. Wow I love this one. I have got a patina finish with the distress paints. Hoping my evergreen bough comes today to add even more of a patina effect. 

Eroded metallics. This technique is my favourite of the day. I need to practice it as I have a couple of picture frames I want to alter this way. I love this finish it looks great. 

Resist stamping and Industrial technique. I love the industrial technique, it would make a great steampunk background. 

I have had a busy morning and learnt so many new things. Can't wait to get started on day 2 but the kitchen sink is full of pots and pans so it will have to wait til this evening! Maybe time for just one more tag lol .....

Tim Holtz workshop

Wow the kids have finally gone back to school today!It has been lovely to have them home but I am glad they have gone back today. Routine has gone out of the window and the house is in total disarray lol. It has also finally given me chance to write a post on my amazing time at the Tim Holtz workshop in Coventry. Here's a picture of what I made.

It's an amazing Tag book made using a ruler binder!I love how its turned out. I have still got some work to do on the inner pages but I have got plenty of time this week to get it finished now!

I had such an amazing afternoon at the workshop and learnt some really great tips and techniques. We got to use the new layering stencils which I so want but had sold out by the time we got there :-(

Here are some images of my afternoon, I had took some more but my phones camera just isn't playing ball at the moment :-/

Tim and Mario were great and really helpful. We had so many different things to play with and they kindly let us bring lots of goodies home including all the stuff we used in class, including stamps, markers, ink, stain, loads of ideaology goodies, and tissue tape. They then even gave us a signed copy of a compendium of curiosities 2 and a cool bag. It's the best workshop I have done so far and I cannot wait for them to come back for the next one!

 Tim signing the cool aprons they gave us

The start of class and time to get inky :-)

Some of the goodies we got to use in class

Our tags once we had distressed and stencilled them

Seriously inky fingers lol

My finished and assembled book ready for me to add images and journaling when I got home.

Here are some of the samples that they had on display of the new CHA

There were so many other things I took pictures of that came out really blurry I was so cross when I got home. I think that the tag book that we made would make such a lovely gift so I am going to make them for friends for Christmas. I loved the fact that you weren't panicking if you were doing everything the same as everyone else and could add a bit of your own style to the books, and the fact. That you don't need a million and one things to make them.

Well that's it for today, am looking forward to lots more creative time in the next couple of weeks before I get back to college.

Art journaling

I had a go at art journaling today and am really pleased with the outcome. I used tissue paper and paper artsy fresco paints over gesso to make my background. I then layered stencils using pumice stone and frayed burlap ink and stamped butterflies on the background. I forgot distress ink changes when wet and sprayed perfect pearls over my background and everything smudged a little but I quite like it. I then used grunge paste and sequin waste to add some more texture before adding my stamped image and wording. Really happy with my first page :-) 

Really love Indigoblu mega flakes and used them to edge everything, including my hands lol. I looked like I had gold nail varnish on by the time I had finished!

Distress paint play

I bought distress paints a while ago and hadn't got round to using them much do decided I would have a play with them this weekend. I love blues and purples together so decided to use those for this tag

I put the paints onto my craft mat, spritzed with water then dried with my heat tool. I then added seedless preserve and tumbled glass distress inks on top to blend some bits in that hadn't caught on the mat then edged with black soot and then stamped randomly on my background using a couple of background stamps. I added some washi and card candi and stamped butterflies from tim holtz and indigo blu. I stamped my saying from indigo blu onto manilla then blended tumbled glass onto it and edged with seedless preserves and black soot. I cut my butterfly out and coloured using distress markers then added it to my tag. 

I love the way you can make a really quick background with the distress paints and was looking forward to creating another couple when my baby woke up from her nap, so that put paid to that idea :-@

Have left a seriously messy dining table to finish playing later!does anyone else's look like this lol. I always intend to be tidy but always seem to lose the battle along the way :-@ Well back to looking after my little monkeys and the table will have to wait a little while longer .....

 

No place like home!

We are finally home from our holidays. Much as I love to go away there's nothing better than getting home! I went to The Great British Craft Festival at Warwick as we got back on Saturday so spent the day there yesterday and picked up some bargains including a fabulous stash of Indigo Blu stamps :-). 

I got home and felt inspired to get on with my ATCs that have taken me forever to get done :-/

Am feeling on top of the world after a few days holiday so looking forward to lots of crafting in the next few days. Going to try and get my ATC project completed this evening and some bits and bobs for my daughters bedroom. 

Finally!!

I have  actually managed to have some quality craft time, albeit very short. Have had such a busy few days. Kids are off school house is upside down and we are going on holiday. Wanted to get another ATC done before we go so snatched an hour this evening. 

I used scattered straw, tumbled glass, pumice and shabby shutters on manilla to create my background, then edged it with walnut stain. I then added a piece of tissue wrap with remember definition on and stamped my words. I stamped my eye with coffee archival then coloured it using distress markers, and added a touch or rocky candy stickles to the frame. Added some film strip, twine and a ticket and then told myself to stop before I got carried away!quite happy with how it turned out. Three done nine to go before I can assemble my display. I was a bit disappointed to find my tray is quite a bit bigger than the ATC die I have so am going to have to mount all my ATCs so they fit the apertures. Back to the packing and ironing ....

Rusted grunge key

I made another Atc for my display this morning now the weather has finally cooled down. Was too hot to do anything except sunbathe lol. I wanted to try and create one atc that I didn't use any stamping on. I upcycled a piece of  cardboard packaging that I cut out with my atc die then put some gesso and some vintage photo distress ink on it. I then added a piece of text paper, some tissue paper and tape. I used alpha tiles to spell the word fly and used the rusting technique to embellish my key. I then added a piece of twine to the side and gave myself a pat on the back for staying away from the stamps! 

Have had some more Christmas dies delivered that I ordered so must get cracking with Christmas stuff. I am determined to be organised this year!Dont know how that will pan out though ;-)

New stash

I managed to get some new goodies in the sale including a 7 gypsies ATC display so have decided to make a series of them to go in it. Haven't done many before and found it a challenge to fit everything onto such a small space. Really enjoyed doing something I don't normally do. 

I used distress stain and ink for my background and mixed media stamp set, then added tissue to the bottom of my atc. I then stamped my face in coffee archival ink and edged it and my chit chat stickers with walnut stain distress. I LOVE walnut stain it is my favourite colour ever! I then filled a corked vial with watch parts and added my clock face. 

Time for a shower after a sweltering day and hopefully make some more craft time  x

Distressed distress!

Had a go at creating a background with distress stains which turned out a bit of a mess :-& I used colours that were too similar and ended up with a bit of a murky muddy mess. Not one to waste anything got the rub ons out and used my artful words die and created this tag

I tried to line the chit chat stickers with distress marker and discovered I didn't have a steady enough hand lol. Will use distress ink next time instead. 

Back to the drawing board for the distress stain background ....

Rusted grunge

It's so hot today!looks like British summer has finally arrived whoop whoop!I frazzled in the garden for a few hours and when I had had enough came and had a play while everyone was still outside and I could grab some me time.

Had a go at rusted grunge technique from compendium of curiosities. Love this way of making things look rusty. Made this tag to use one of the pieces I made. I love learning new techniques :-) Think this will be a useful one for lots of things.

New stamps

I got some new Stampers Anonymous Classics stamps so had a go at the May tag of 2013. Didn't have the right colours of distress stains so used ink instead. Love the enamel tags, think they could work on lots of different things. My tiny attacher keeps sticking though :-(. Thank goodness for Big Brother. Lots of craft time without hubby moaning lol.

Tim Holtz workshop

I just got a place on Tim Holtzs workshop. Spent two hours on the phone and was just about to give up when I got through. Can't wait :-)