Polyfilla.

I was filling a few holes in the craftroom wall with Polyfilla and decided to use some on a canvas.  I used a Stewart Gill butterfly stencil which I've had for many years and the edge of a stencil along the bottom of the canvas.  The canvas measures 5"x7".  The paints are watered down Daler Rowney, with mica powders over the top. The parts of a page is a butterfly description from a dictionary.

This other canvas measures just under 8" square and is a box canvas.  I used gel medium on this one, not Polyfilla ;-)  The inspiration for this was taken from Creative JumpStart run by Nathalie.  It's not complete but I thought I'd show what I'd done so far.  I'm thinking of printing off a bird tuse; do I need a dark; possibly black; image or light?  What do you think?


Also getting a 'jumpstart' from Nathalie's blog I did an image transfer.  I didn't have the transfer medium shown in the video so used gel medium.  My intention is to use the image on something such as a purse, phone case or such.   The dragonfly measures 3.5" x 2" Quite often I'll try out a technique, for paper or fabric, or just have a play if it's something I've done before but not actually make something out of the end result.  I want to try to make more things in future when I've had a little play.  I decided not to trim the dragonfly before transferring it to the fabric, but if I'd wanted a neater finish I would have done.

If you sign up to the Creative JumpStart 2013 you get regular 'JumpStarts' from such people as Julie Fei-Fan Balzer, Claudine Hellmuth, Dina Wakly, Nathalie herself and many more.

Simon Says...................

I've never entered this challenge before, but I'd been watching a Christy Tomlinson tutorial where she'd used texture paste; which is something I love to use; so when I saw that the SimonSays challenge this week was to 'stamp and show texture' I was inspired to have a go.  I've added texture with the use of texture paste and also by using corrugated card.  I don't know how much stamping you have to do but I've just added a little using a 'zigzag stitch' stamp on all four edges and stamped over the flower and torn corrugated card at the bottom with a 'bubbles' stamp.  I didn't want the stamping to show too much so used a blue Distress Ink.  I've used Basic Grey paper on the background and daubed a little peach and blue paint in.
I've not been able to crop it properly as I was using MS Officed Starter 2010 to do that but it's stopped working.
(Canvas, but it's a flat one)

366 Journal, other stuff and £100 refund ;-)

Firstly apologies to those who left comments on my last post.  I haven't tried to leave comments in the last couple of weeks but you may remember I couldn't on most blogs.  I'm hoping I can now if not I'm going to try installing Firefox to see if it makes a difference.
Onto the 366 Journal.  I wasn't really happy with the borders I did on January's but didn't get round to trying to take them off and do something different.  February's pages were ready on time but I only photograped them  couple of days ago.  To see more pop over to Kate's.

For the doll group - now the craftydollybirds - we had a challenge to do a Bridal Panel use any theme we liked.  I chose Gothic.  If you want to see the rest pop over to our blog

I made myself a Kindle cover, thought I'd show the inside as well.  I did consider just doing a kind of bag to just slip it in.  If you want to see how this fabric started out look here :-0 May 2009!!!

Lastly; I purchased a laptop from Dell before Christmas.  I'd phoned up as I was having problems with the DVD drive onmy Dell PC and ended up buying a new laptop.  I had been considering it as my PC was about 5 years old and getting very slow plus the problem with the DVD drive.  I was told I was getting a good deal as Dell were doing an offer for Christmas.  I was happy with the price but wondered what price it was on the website.  I couldn't find the same one but found one I thought had a better spec and was cheaper.  Anyway to cut a long story short I wanted Dell to compare the 2 and explain to me the difference.  I emailed them 3 times in all starting 6th January each time receiving an email to say someone would contact me.  I also phoned but think I was talking to someone in India and he didn't have access to the emails I asked if he couldn't get access somehow.  He got frustrated when I insisted that he should be able to as it was all customer services and I didn't want to be put through to someone else as I was paying for the phone call and he put the phone down on me!  Disgraceful behaviour from Customer Services.  After the last email someone did phone and when I explained the situation but said I didn't now have the detailsof the laptop I compared mine to but that I'd put it in the first email.  The outcome was he offered me £100 refund, yahoo!  I think that was mainly 'cos I'd sent 3 emails and phoned without any success.  Anyway good for me in the end :-)
Edited as I'd left the 2nd pick of the Kindle cover out and didn't do the link to the fabric correctly

What I've been up to

I've hardly blogged in the last couple of months, just don't seem to have time - it's not the blogging itself as such, it's just that once you enter Blogland and start visiting you get caught up with so many interesting blogs and get sidetracked following links.
I have painted the spare bedroom and am going to move my craft stuff back upstairs from the kitchen, that will probably take a year to complete haha.  I've also painted the bathroom. So I've not been idle.  I hate painting ceilings and hate the cutting in!  But on to more interesting stuff, I've made canvas postcards (the grain of the canvas seems to have affected the clarity of the picture here) and a mug rug at the doll group in recent months; decorated a torso with the 'Ladies Who Lunch' we've have also made a hanging thing but I have yet to attach the means by which it will hang; made myself a car seatbelt thing too (just so you know, the white strip is one side of Velcro for fastening).  I dont know if it's just short people who suffer with the seatbelt chafing the side of the neck.  The mug rug is rectangular rather that square to allow you to put your biccies on too - due to the name 'mug rug' I'm assuming these originated in America.  The chicken hangy thing was a project in Craft Stamper by Helen (sorry can't remember her surname)



Sunday Stampers -_Love

Finished my Sunday Stampers quite early for me - I did do last weeks but didn't get round to photographing it till the Saturday and then had spent long enough on the PC that day so didn't post it.  The theme this week is 'Love' and as it's Hels' 1000th blog post she's offering some candy for one lucky person.  For this special edition of Sunday Stampers Hels wants us to use our favourite technique and our favourite designer.  Well I really don't have a favourite designer, but as I do love Tim's stuff I've included a couple of his stamps.  ONe of my favourite techniques just now is using texture paste or gel medium with stencils to add texture which I've done at the bottom of the canvas.    I printed off a dictionary definition of 'love' and transferred it using gel medium.  The heart is made from Fimo airdry clay and stamped into, then coloured with Viva Gold Silver (I know! I didn't name it!) and some mica powder.

Sunday Stampers -Numbers, oh, and another sneak peek ;-)

Last Sundays theme for the Sunday Stampers challenge was 'Numbers' pop over to Hels for more info about this challenge.  I've used texture paste with my new 'Argyle' style stencil.  The metal bird and cage I die-cut using TH's 'caged Bird' die.  I coloured the bird with alcohol inks but wanted to leave the cage as it was 'cos I thought the colour went well with purple.  The flourish is an Anna Griffin stamp, and the music (stamped onto tissue paper) is Artemio.

And another sneak peek for you.  This is another PIF/swap.
It's lovely and sunny here now after teeming with rain earlier
 :-)

Sunday Stampers - Buttons

Over at Hels the theme for the Sunday Stampers challenge this week is 'Buttons'.  I've done another canvas board, but am not too happy with it, I think it's the colours I'm not sure about.  The strips at the top lefthand corner are Tyvek.  This is good material if you like texture as it can be heated with an iron (and baking parchment or greasproof paper) or a heatgun to distort it.  I painted it with a mix of acrylic paints as I kept going over it when I wasn't happy with the colour.  The bird stamp and grungy looking dots are Tim Holtz stamps.

Sunday Stampers Week 137 - How Does it Feel

This is my entry for the Sunday Stampers - pop over to Hels place for more info.  This week's theme is 'Texture' or 'Feelings' or both.  As is my wont I have used gel medium again with stencils for texture.  The central image was made using a brass stencil.  I tried stamping the sentiment 3 times on the canvas without success so stamped onto tissue paper.  After painting with acrylic paints I felt the paints looked dull so added 2 coats of Mod Podge gloss and a little mica powder over the stencilled areas to add a sheen :-)

Canvas board, awards and clarinet

This is another one of those small canvas boards I got from The Works.  A different look for this one.  I've used the Tim H cage and bird die with Claudine Hellmuths' sticky back canvas but for this particualr project I think I would've preferred a thicker canvas or thick card. Again I've used a Crafters' Workshop stencil with gel medium to create some texture.

Now onto awards.  I've been very remiss as the delightful Lyn, aka Spyder, gave me an award - One Lovely Blog - quite some time ago (November actually) but I'm only now just acknowledging it - publicly anyway 'cos I have already thanked Lyn for this; however I don't feel toooo bad as Lyn herself confessed to being rubbish when it comes to awards.  With this particular award I'm supposed to pass it on to "15x2" according to Lyn which seems a bit strange but who am I to question that!  Not sure I'll have 30 people to pass it on to :-/  But I'll come back to that.






The other one is from the equally delightful Donna, aka Doings of Doone - Stylish Blogger Award.  This one is to be passed onto 4 others and I have to list 8 things about myself that you do not know.  Not sure I have 8 interesting things you may like to hear but I'll try

I'm passing this award onto
Pat
Hels
Maddy
Kate
8 things about me.
1. I've just taken up the clarinet (had a few lessons about 10 years ago but for less than a year)
2. I taught line dancing for 4 years
3. I also taught keep fit for a short time
4. This http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4GuqnXIn60 is one of my all time fave songs I absolutely love it. (this version as opposed to The Cranberries version) If you listen it may tell you a bit more about the real me; do you think?  I especially love the instrumental bit after the first few bars of  lyrics.
5. I'm leaving my body to medical science - to the University of Liverpool to be exact (apparently there's a shortage of cadavres for doctors to practice on)
6. I used to have a little kind of 'pendant' on the end of my uvula (the dangly bit at the back of the throat) but it disappeared after a visit to the dentist some years ago - must have had an extremely strong suction thingy.  It was only attached by a very thin piece of 'membrane'? so didn't bleed or anything.  THIS IT TRUE!
7. My first crush was Pernell Roberts from Bonanza http://ponderosascenery.homestead.com/files/castbios/adam.html
8. I've never been first in anything in my life (though I was nearly the first person to get 100% in a first aid course when I was a Civil Servant, but nearly is not good enough! Think I got about 97% or summat like that)

My clarinet

Sunday Stampers 136 - Diamonds

Finally have an entry for the Sunday Stampers challenge over at Hels This is a belated Christmas present for someone.  I've used a 5x7" canvas board - 6 for £1.99 at The Works.  Firstly used gel medium with a Crafters Workshop stencil at the top of the board and also used the gel with some plastic mesh in a couple of places.  I then painted using Eco-Friendly (by EcoGreen Crafts) Peony with a little bit of Eco-Friendly Waterfall.  I love the colour of these paints :-)  The heart is made from Grungepaper, embossed with thick embossing powders and stamped into. Then stamped the background with a variety of stamps added a little strip of Sinamay wrapped some linen thread round and added the buttons. the 'diamonds' for the SS theme this week are at the top of the board; part of the stencil. I made the hanger out of wire that's a bit thinner than wire coat-hangers.
(Sinamay is the stiff fabric used in hat making.  It's very stiff but can be moulded into shape when wet. You can also get it in a variety of colours)

Sunday Stampers and a Playday

Check out Hels' blog for more info on the Sunday Stampers challenge.  This week the theme is 'green'.  I've done a canvas and am rather pleased with the way it's turned out.  After doing the background, including the hearts I couldn't decide at first on a focal point, then hit on the idea of doing a felt tree - this was the 2nd attempt!  I sewed a piece of fabric on the back of the tree, stuffed it then added beads and buttons.  I've used some micro beads and puff paint for texture and painted over both as I didn't have any suitably coloured micro beads.  For the stamping (the clue is in the title - Sunday Stampers) I've used an Anna Griffin flourish and a text stamp.

On Wednesday we had a playday at a friends - Ann at Flutterby Crafter (you can Ann's on her blog)  We had a wonderful time crafting, chatting, laughing and eating.  We made a canvas with metal pieces which we embossed - we cheated with most of the embossing by using embossing folders run through the Big Shot ;-)  These were mounted onto mountboard.  We painted the the canvas board then added the metal pieces.  I made the curly hanger today which I coloured with a Marvy Metallic pen then went over with a Krylon Red Shimmer leafing pen 'cos the Marvy one was too pink.

Sunday Stampers and Christmas Club

I haven't done a 2 in 1 just posting 2 together.  Firstly Hels' Sunday Stampers challenge.  The theme this week is Pearls.  I've used the canvas that I won in the SS challenge some weeks ago.  I painted the background with white paint, coloured with a liitle Stream Adirondak colour wash - not painted all over, just patchy.  I used Dyan's Lime colour wash with 2 stencils in the corners and colouredsome Golden gel medium which I've used again with stencils in the opposite corners, (in some places it's not so thick so the colour underneath shows through)  The image is called FaeAway but I can't remember where it's from.  I've used some hessian and threaded it through a 'thing' cut on the Robo, which has been triple embossed with Key Lime Pie and a bit of Ebony (from Once Upon A Stamp); I've threaded a painted cocktail stick through.  I've stamped with some of Tim's stamps - butterly and floral in pink on left side - not showing up too well; and a flourish stamp in green.  I've stitched some pearl beads onto the canvas and finally edged it with gold leaf pen.

I've used an image of my grandson on the Christmas card, and though it's not exactly 'arctic'; which is the theme for dcdchristmasclub this week, the conditions are arctic to me hehe.  The 'snow' and greeting are computer generated.

;-)

Sunday Stampers - Red and SS candy I won

The theme for this week's Sunday Stampers challenge is 'Red'.  I've made a card which I stamped using my dots stamp and Barn Door DI.  I cut the flower on the Robo.  The fancy edge on the red card was cut with a MS punch; I sewed the ribbon on a pleated it as I went along then glued some bugle beads on :)

I won the candy Hels had on offer last week for the SS - yahoo! - and this is the fab stuff I got.

Sunday Stampers - Lace

Finished my entry for the SS challenge quite early this week - early for me anyway ;)  The theme this week is lace.  If you've never had a go but enjoy doing challenges why not pop over to Hel's and then give it a go.  So long as you add some stamping you can do anything you like :) I've use a mini canvas which I painted with a mixture of white acrylic paint and mica powder.  I stencilled the spots on uisng Golden heavy gel medium coloured with mica powder (Golden is the brand name).  I used a rollagraph stamp at the top and text stamp in the centre and while drying the ink the paint bubbled a bit but that's fine.  I drew the flowers myself and cut them out of the same piece of 'Whitewash core'dinations' cardstock but flipped one piece over and embossed both using a Cuttlebug folder and finally added some leaves and lace ribbon each end :)

Sunday Stampers - Bits and Pieces

Hels has a weekly challenge called Sunday Stampers with a different theme each week.  As the name suggests there has to be some stamping in whatever you do, even if it's just a little bit :)  The theme this week is 'Bits And Pieces'.  If you pop over you'll see Hels uses songs to inspire the themes - I only remember this song 'cos my older sister used to sing it - honestly ROFL.  This week anything goes really.  I've used a mini canvas - cheapo from 'The Works'.  I've used Perfect Pearls on the background and stamped a couple of flourishes, though they're mostly hidden now.  I ran a piece of metal through my SIzzix using a Cuttlebug folder and coloured it with alcohol inks then rubbed it down slightly with sandpaper, I used my MS doily punch along the edge.  I also used the metal to make a couple of leaves also coloured with alcohol inks.  I had made a Grungepaper flower but it didn't go (if I'd made a rose I think it would've), so just pleated a piece of card I'd previously punched with a MS punch and attached it with a large designer brad from We R Memory Keepers.  The studs on the left were intended for use on fabric and I've had them for years and years.  I made a little figure using wire and wrapped with wool (the arms look as though they are coming out of the midriff hehe), the face is made using air-drying clay and a mould, the wings are German Scrap from Scrapz which were red but coloured with alcoohol inks.  I ripped the saying into 3 as it didn't look right on this piece as it was.
xx

Sunday Stampers 91 - Love

Yippee I've managed to do my entry ealry for the Sunday Stampers challenge - pop over to Hels place to find out more.  I've said it before but I'll say it again, I love this challenge 'cos it's so open.  You can do anything you like so long as you include some stamping, even just a tiny bit :)  The theme this week is 'Love'.  I've used another canvas - that's 3 in 3 weeks :o) I ended up doing a lot of faffing - you know how it goes when what you first do doesn't quite work and what you do next and again a 3rd time, doesn't quite work!!!  So the finished canvas has been painted with Lumiere metallic paints by Jacquard and a little mica powder brushed over.  I've used a text stamp (and if you're wondering where the 'Love' is it does say in there 'L'amour' hehe, and a stamp by Lavinia.  I don't know who the text stamp is by as it was in a grab bag containing 5 large text stamps and 1 medium text stamp and was very good value.  I made the hearts using Opaque metallic red embossing powder (not UTE), which developed white bits the longer it was heated, but I like that effect.  I don't have a 'Melt Pot' I use a very cheap non-stick frying pan for melting embossing powder generally, but this time I used the foil cake case from a custard tart, so I didn't need to use too much powder, I put the foil case in the pan - I bought a pack of 2 custard tarts specially to get the foil cake cases - really! LOL 

Thank you for looking ;)

Sunday Stampers 90 - Roses

I've managed to get my challenge piece done early this week for the Sunday Stampers challenge over at Hels place.  Basically you can do anything you like so long as you include some stamping; so plenty of scope :)  You really should visit Hels blog though as she does make wonderful art work - it's yummy scrummy ;) I've done another box frame (made one last week also).  Again it's a cheap canvas from The Works which I've turned round.  I cut a frame ,larger than the original, out of Grungepaper and painted it with Lumiere Metallic Gold, it was too pale and uninteresting so crackelled it but there was too much white in then so used metallic rub-ons and then some Pearl Violet paint by Lumiere.  I've added some gold netting which I've painted, 3 Grungepaper roses and a Grungeboard butterfly - I've used a Grungeboard hinge for the body.  The canvas has been coloured with mica powders and stamped with a couple of Tim's stamps.

Thank you for looking :) xx

Sunday Stampers 89 - Hearts

The theme for this weeks Sunday Stampers over at Hels place is 'Hearts'.  I've used a small canvas (4 for 'very cheap' at The Works) but turned it over to make a shadow box?  I've used mica powders on the canvas then stamped using the 'Treasured Heart' set from 'The Stamp Bug'.  For the frame I used UTE then stamped into it and used a bit of Metallic Rub-Ons. The little dolly is the Small Pierrot Paper Doll by Invoke Arts stamped onto shrink plastic.

Thank you for looking :)
Have had to edit this thanks to Hels comment.  I had put UHT but meant UTE - senior moment methinks hehehe BTW dolly is hanging by invisible sewing thread.