Steampunk Canvas

Nothing for ages, then two blogs in a day!

As promised here is my finished creation from the stash of goodies I pictured this morning.  I've had such a fun time creating this canvas, one of those projects I've had in my head for a while and so glad to get something created!... and I've done the background of an 8x8 steampunk canvas too, ready to be embellished - but that can wait for another day's blog!

If you fancy having a go at these canvas pieces, we now stock 12x12" and 8x8" canvas blanks.  Don't know where to start?  Join us on our all day mixed media workshop and create your own canvas on whatever theme you like!  It is on Sunday 7th July 10-3 held at our shop in Attleborough.  It costs £40 per person and includes a goody bag worth £10.  Call 01953 454976 or email me to book.

I've included a product list with links to the website if you want to add any of these goodies to your stash!

Products used:
12x12 Blank Canvas
White and Black Acrylic Paint (Eco-Green/Art Proff)
Chicken Wire Stamp from Creative Expressions
Steampunk Dreams Stamp set from Creative Expressions
Teal Wash and Silver Cosmic Shimmer Spray
Patina and Pewter Gilding Wax from Creative Expressions
Cogs Border and Clockface mask from That Special Touch
Dreamweaver Embossing Paste - White
Watch Cog Steampunk charms
Sprightly Sprockets Spellbinder Dies
Elegant Posts Spellbinder Dies
Large silver butterfly charm
Ranger Crackle Accents
Black Jump rings and chain


enjoy!

Jane
www.aldridgecrafts.co.uk

Playday!

oops sorry guys... I've been a lapsed blogger this month!  it's been busy busy busy sorting out new deliveries, planning new workshops and planning lots of samples, so I've not had time to share them!

Today is a playday.  I'm busy preparing another canvas sample for our All day workshop on 7th July which is a mixed media workshop - where you'll be creating a canvas using paints, inks, papers, embellishments, texture pastes and much more! (it's 10-3, £40 per person and you can book by calling 01953 454976).

Here is my picture of goodies I've gathered to play with.... so excited to have new stuff to get creative with... and yes.. you might just detect a bit of a steampunk theme there!

Will share my creation later on!

hope you get some crafting time today too!
Jane
www.aldridgecrafts.co.uk

PS... if you want to follow the creation of my canvas... visit our facebook page to see regular pictures of the stages appearing over the course of the day!

An Abundance of Love....

I am sticking with the elephant theme this week...  you know what it is like when you get a new set of stamps.. you just want to play!

I started with a Cosmic Shimmer Spritzed background...  this one had been done some time ago in my book ready to be decorated.. I tend to prepare a few pages so they are dry to speed up my creations.  I used the Chocolate Baroque Indian Elephant stamps for this page.  The paisley flower stamp was stamped at the top using Versafine Olympia Green.  I then stamped the elephant and the flourish design underneath him in the same ink.  I stamped the wording from Chocolate Baroque Artistic Affirmations set.

I then started to paint in details on the elephant using Eco-green paint Aged Gold.  I then added highlights through all the stamped designs using White gel and Gold gel pens.  I just loved the detail in the paisley pattern stamp - particularly once it had the white highlights.  As a final touch I drew in a few white gel pen stars in the background and added a few stick on gems here and there to add some sparkle.

This was a really chilled out piece to create .. it was lovely to sit and just pick out the detail with the white pen.

happy crafting!
Jane
Shop for your supplies at www.aldridgecrafts.co.uk

Elegant Elephant

This week's project is using Distress Inks and a fabulous set of Chocolate Baroque stamps - Indian Elephant.  I've worked this project to fit an 8x8" card... here's your step-by-step...

1.  Ink up your white card square using cut n dry foam and blend together Distress Ink colours - Mustard Seed, Fired Brick and Spiced Marmalade.
2.  Spray some water into your hand and splat the droplets over your card stock, count to ten then dab off using an old tea-towel or cloth.
3. Ink up the silhouette of buildings using Plum Archival Ink and stamp along one edge as a border.
4. Ink up the floral motif using the Spiced Marmalade and stamp randomly over the background, making sure that some images go off the edge of the cardstock.
5.  Ink up the right facing elephant with Archival Jet Black ink and boldly stamp in the middle of your cardstock.
6.  Ink up the small leaf in the Black and stamp a layer of leaves so your elephant has something to stand on.  Turn them at different angles and overlap them.
7.  Ink up the pretty flower with Archival Jet Black and stamp a few in the top right corner.
8.  Use a waterbrush to brush over the elephant and lift some of the colour off using your cloth.  This will lighten the colour of the elephant to help him stand out from your background.
9.  Add accents in Gold, Silver and White gel pen around your designs - on the elephant, leaves and the corner flower.
10.  Mount onto dark brown cardstock
11.  Cut two lengths of cream lace.  Fix one across the corner of your panel and mount.  Spritz the other with Cosmic Shimmer Bronze Blush and thoroughly dry.  Then stick this under the panel so it will line up with the one already mounted across the corner.
12.  Finally add a few amber colour gems in each corner and you are done!

If this inspires you to create something..  feel free to link in the comments or post it up on our facebook page - we love to see your creations!

If you need some help with how to blend Distress Inks - we are holding a workshop in Attleborough on 26th July. Email me for info!

happy crafting
Jane
Supplies can be purchased from www.aldridgecrafts.co.uk

Playtime!.....

oooh new goodies!  Always fab when you get a new collection of supplies to play with!  I'm spending today (and tomorrow if I can get away with it!).. playing and creating the project for our forthcoming All day mixed media workshop which is on Sunday 7th July.  I have the ideas in my head... now to work out if they will transfer to card/canvas and whether we will have enough time to complete the project in the time planned!  It will be interesting as I'm sure my end result will be different as with everything creative things grow as you create.

Here is my new stash....

It contains some fab new wood die cut shapes (new in store and appearing on the website very shortly!).  Some Chocolate Baroque stamps - Indian Elephant.  The Tim holtz Melange tissue paper and a selection of paints and gesso.  I've also put in a couple of spellbinders dies in my craft bag... just in case I need them of course!!


... and if you fancy joining us on our all day workshop - it runs from 10am-3pm on 7th July and costs £40.  Limited spaces available, we will provide refreshments & cake but you bring your own lunch.  Call/email to book in for a fun filled inky, painty creative day!.... can't wait!!!!

..... let the playing commence... my project will be revealed hopefully later this week (if all goes to plan!!)
hope you get a chance to get creative this weekend
Jane :-)

What to do with those die cut letters....

I have a bit of a thing about lettering and fonts.  I think it goes back to my calligraphy days.  I studied calligraphy for four years whilst I was at school as I was lucky enough that my art teacher was the most amazingly talented calligrapher.  So when I got my hands on the Classic alphabet Upper case dies from Memory Box... I just had to have a play. 

I used my journal book as a base and started by spritzing the page with water and placing the 'that special touch' cogs mask on the right hand side.  I then spritzed with Cosmic Shimmer Bronze Blush mister and allow to dry.  I then took a sheet from my dictionary and stuck a few pieces on.  I then placed my cogs stencil back in place and added some more colour using gathered twigs distress ink so some of the cogs design was also over the dictionary wording.  I then cut out the die out of white card and used the waste piece as a stencil.  I used a combination of spritzing the ink through the stencil and also using it with my cut n dry foam with the distress ink to have a few random letters in the background.  I used all my white letters to create a random tumbling letters pattern... being careful not to spell out any unfortunate words!!  I cut out the words 'create' and 'art' from the lower case alphabet.  I kept the 'create' in white and stuck at the bottom of the page.  The 'art' wording i used Indigoblu's flitterglu and then applied gilding flakes before sticking to the top.

This piece is a perfect example that you can create art out of anything!  Just a few letters and some spritzer sprays and look what appears.  It's great fun - I definitely recommend giving it a try!

happy crafting
Jane

Memory Box Border Dies & Misters

This week's project features Memory Box Dies and Cosmic Shimmer Misters.  I started with plain white card and misted it with a heavy layer of Ocean Sunlight and Golden Mint Cosmic Shimmer Misters.  I wanted the colour to have great impact so I really flooded the card with the ink and then left aside to thoroughly dry.

Next I cut out two pieces out of the coloured cardstock using the Memory Box Die - Big Splash Border.  I then cut out my middle panel and mounted it onto black card and stuck the two border pieces either side and then mounted onto my card blank.  Finally I cut out Memory Box Die Fairytale Flower Border out of white card and mounted it as my focal point.

You could create lots of variations on this design using different colour misters and different border dies... endless possibilities!

Happy Crafting!

Jane