Butterflies and cogs

Today's project has been created over many different stages!   I'll try my best to remember them all!  It started life as a white sheet of card which I stamped the butterfly stamp from Crafty Individuals using Flitterglu and then added flakes.   It then remained in my craft box for ages (when I flitterglu I tend to do a few to make the most of the glue!).  When I rediscovered my butterflies I thought I would play around with contrasting with a dark ink - so out come the favourite Distress Inks and I started to apply colours...  browns, a bit of yellow, a touch of mahogany - all warm tones to compliment the gold.  I then stamped the script and postmark background using a Creative Expressions stamp and Distress Ink.  I then got artists block... just couldn't decide what to do to finish the piece off... so once again it sat in my craft box for a couple of weeks.

I was given a lovely Tim Holtz stamp which I wanted to play with and when rummaging in my backgrounds box, I found this and thought it would be perfect.  A little detail was needed on the right hand side, so I picked out my cogs border mask and run it through as an embossed detail with my Cuttlebug.  A little Gilding wax to highlight the detail gave me a good base. 

I stamped my words onto a separate card and drew boxes round each word.  I added a little distress ink - mainly yellow tones so it took away the starkness of the white card and then cut out each word and mounted it onto my card.

It took a while.. but got there in the end!  So if you get stumped with a project - don't bin it... put it in your stash and come back to it.. sometimes you rediscover it when you have a new stamp or topper in your collection - or sometimes another day just brings a fresh idea!

happy crafting

Jane

PS... and finally... we may not have won..this time!.....  but I'm displaying our runners up badge with pride!

www.aldridgecrafts.co.uk

Santa Tag

Isn't it lovely when you get to borrow a stamp from a friend?  Well my friend Sarah lent me this Tim Holtz Santa stamp and I just had to get started getting creative with it! 

I cut myself a tag from a white piece of card and started building up the colours using Distress Inks - Ice Spruce, Fired Brick, Peacock Feathers adding some detail using That Special Touch Music border mask.  I then spritzed with water and lifted the droplets with a towl to add some texture.  Finally I added some dots using sequin waste as a mask.  I then stamped by Santa using Archival Black.  I used a water brush to wet the face area and a towel to lift off some colour so he stood out from the background. 

Finally I dabbed some Fired Brick and Peeled Paint ink to my worksheet and used my waterbrush to paint in some detail on santa's suit and the holly and berries.  I added some gold Cosmic Shimmer Gilding wax around the edge of the tag (this really glistens in the light) and coloured some white card with the gold wax.  I then cut some strips to add to the top and the bottom of the tag.  Finally I stuck on two snowflake charms.

One more sleep til Christmas... yahaaaay

Happy crafting!

Jane

www.aldridgecrafts.co.uk
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Poinsettia Tag

Today's creation featured the newly in stock Poppy Stamps Blooming Poinsettia Die - it creates such a beautiful poinsettia - and I look forward to using this in summery colours as a flower later in the year too!

I started with a white tag shape and added Iced Spruce, Pumice Stone and Fired Brick Distress Inks with Cut n Dry foam.  I also used That Special Touch Music note border mask (peeking out behind the poinsettia).  I then embossed the whole tag using Couture Creations Turkish Delight folder and then added more distress ink shading.  I next added highlights using Cosmic Shimmer Gilding Waxes - Gold and Patina and applied some patterns through sequin waste with Fired Brick.  Splash with water and remove the droplets with a towel to give that distressed look. 

I cut out all the pieces of the poinsettia die and coloured the three layers of petals with Fired Brick, Aged Mahogany and a little touch of Gathered Twigs Distress Inks.  It was then spritzed with water and the droplets lifted with a towel to give that mottled look.  The top piece was coloured with Mustard Seed and Spiced Marmalade Distress Ink and the leaf with Gathered Twigs and Peeled Paint with a hint of gold wax.  I curled the petals to give it some dimension and assembled onto my tag using Cosmic Shimmer Dries Clear Glue.

the picture doesn't do the shading justice - particularly the wax highlights that really glisten in real life!

happy crafting

Jane
www.aldridgecrafts.co.uk
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Woodware Rosehip Wreath stamp

Yes... I got a new stamp... can you tell!   One of those stamps that you see and straight away have loads of card ideas.  I had a fab crafting session at the weekend and managed to create these 7 cards.... and I still have more ideas I haven't had a chance to create yet!

We'll be creating a Rosehip Wreath card at this week's Attleborough Craft Club (this Friday 6.15-8.30) as part of the make and take - so if you fancy a dabble, come and join us (call 01953 454976 for info).

If you would like this stamp - click here to find it on our website! - it's a bargain at just £4.05!

Now ... onto the cards...

Silver sparkle embossing powder, watercoloured Stardust in the background, Berries coloured with ProMarkers

Background created with Distress Paints, Embossed in Black, Liquid Pearls for berries

Embossed in Black, Colour added with Promarkers, Accented with Crystal Stickles.  Memory Box Dies used - Precious Snowflakes, Tessatina Border and a little card candi to finish

Embossed in White.  Edged with Brilliance Moonlight White.  Die used is the tessatina Border from Memory Box cut into little squares

Stamped in Plum Archival ink onto an old dictionery page. Accented with gold liquid pearls

Embossed in Silver, Patina Gilding Wax added to the background, Gold liquid pearls on the berries

Stamped in Archival Library Green, Berries coloured with Sakura Glaze Hunters Green

One stamp - so many possibilities!

Did you know we have been nominated for the Best Local Craft Store in East Anglia?  If you would like to vote for us, please visit www.britishcraftawards.com.  Thank you!

happy crafting

Jane
www.aldridgecrafts.co.uk