A new style for me!

I'm not one for doing cutesy characters...  not generally the sort of style I would pick - but I borrowed this stamp from Sarah to challenge myself to do something a bit different.  I raided my box of Ink Mister backgrounds and found this particularly vibrant busy one and thought - right double the challenge to put this stamp onto such a vibrant piece.  I was determined not to paper piece - but to stamp directly onto the background.  I started by stamping and embossing my little girl (she's a Wild Rose Studio stamp).  I then set about experimenting with colouring mediums.  Because the background was so saturated with mica, I was finding the paints and promarkers I was trying was just sinking below the mica and getting lost.  So I decided to paint in the stamp design with some gesso.  I did this slowly and gradually and after painting each time I wiped over with a jay cloth to make sure the heat embossed areas didn't get paint dried on the top.  After a few coats it was enough to start trying some different colours.  I tried some distress paints, but I couldn't get a strong enough colour, so I went back to my Promarkers - and after building up a couple of layers of colour I got the effect I wanted.  I found the colour went on a lot easier using the chisel end rather than the point - that seemed to move the colour about.

I added the words (Chocolate Baroque stamp) and added some lines with a black promarker and drew through a mask with a black fineliner.  I also added some white gel pen highlights around the wording and around my little girl to make her stand out from the background even more.  Finally I mounted the piece onto black card and onto a 5x7 card blank.

It's nice to challenge yourself... always a bit daunting but satisfying when you complete your project!

Started to get excited.. only one more day before I travel up for the trade show woohoo!

happy crafting
Jane
www.aldridgecrafts.co.uk

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Phew.... just in time!

Ooh a bit late with my blogging today.. but it has been a bit of a busy day!  I had good intentions of writing my blog post this afternoon... but then four boxes of gorgeous beads, findings and charms arrived that I had been waiting for about 3 weeks from China... so blogging went out of the window to be replaced with me and Sarah oohing and aaahing over all the new lovely goodies!

Then of course I had my workshop this evening - which was colouring techniques - two hours packed with us all trying lots of different colouring mediums - mica powders as paints, mica paints, watercolour pencils, Promarkers, drawing inks - great fun!  That's the ideal thing with a workshop - they give you a chance to have a play and try out products to help you decide which ones are the best for you to buy to suit your own style of crafting!

Anyway.. back to today's project.  This is just lovely - it looks even better in real-life - so if you are local do pop into the shop to have a look!

The topper is a Woodware peel-off sticker that I have coloured with Promarkers and then die cut with a circle die.  I then die cut a slightly larger circle and coloured with the same promarker I had used for the flower.  I tried various backgrounds with this topper, some die cut swirls, backing papers... but they didn't look quite right.  I then wondered whether my Indigoblu Tree-mendous stamp would work well... yes - and how about with gilding flakes... oh yes - even better!..  So I then had that dilemma every crafter had.  I had a square of white card with beautifully gilded trees on it.. now to be brave and add some ink or not...?  will it ruin it?  will it make it even better?  I decided in the end it just had to have some colour, so I hesitantly applied some Seedless Preserves Distress Ink and Wow!.. did that make the gilding flakes pop!

So here it is...  my finished card looks fab!  I think I will be having a few more sessions playing with the gilding flakes again soon!

happy crafting

Jane

www.aldridgecrafts.co.uk

Shop for Indigoblu stamps and gilding flakes
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Lovely Bears

Something nice and simple today.  I had a day where I didn't have time to get inky and painty, so I raided my selection of Hunkydory and Kanban Toppers for some inspiration and found I had some of this cute little bear that I've had for ages!  I thought they were ideal as a few Valentines cards for the shop, so I kept the layout very simple, either using the backing cards that came in the kit, or some backing papers from my Wild Rose Studio Always and Forever pad.

Only one part decided to give me a challenge.  Could I get my little purple flowers to stick to the ribbon..??. Oh no... didn't want to know... tried various different adhesives without any joy and finally reached for my Glossy Accents.  I put some onto the back of each flower and put aside... patience required for this one.  When I came back the next day - yes - success!  So if in trouble.. always reach for the glossy accents - its amazing stuff!!

I've had a creative session this morning as I've had to get myself organised.  In the shop the next two days, doing a workshop Thursday evening, Saturday I'm off to Birmingham for the annual Craft Trade show where I'll be til late Monday - so I had to get ahead with my blog projects - and I had a fab session this morning and created some great pieces for the next few days.

I love going to the trade show - I get to surround myself in the crafting world for two days and spend time with fellow crafting addicts!  I also get to go shopping!  Finding fab new goodies to bring to the shop.  Of course the big excitement this time too - is I find out on Sunday night how we have got on with our nomination for the Best Local Craft Store in East Anglia - woohoo... how exciting!

happy crafting

Jane

www.aldridgecrafts.co.uk
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Pretty Pink Tag

Today's tag card is still sticking to the love heart theme (are you are pinked out yet???).  I started with the top tag for this card - a stamp I have had for years - its from Rubber Stampede called Rose Tag.  I stamped it onto one of my distress paint backgrounds and then used a Marvy Le Plum Fuschia shade pen to colour the roses to make them pop.  I cut it out and stuck onto white, cut it out and stuck onto a nice maroon/burgundy shade of card and then ripped a piece of the same card to be the tag at the top. 

I then set about making a background for it to go onto.  I cut myself a tag shape and covered it with Spun Sugar Distress Paint and a few light streaks of the Picked Raspberry paint and left aside to dry. My script stamp is a stamp I've had for years - the shopping link below takes you to the Indigoblu script stamp which would work well!  I inked it using Memento (probably Rose Bud - I forgot to make a note!) and then stamped my Clarity patchwork heart stamp in Plum Archival.

I embossed a piece of the burgundy card with the heart embossing folder (hasn't that come in handy these last few days!) and ripped the edges.  I then cut out the two little hearts, embossed one and added a little ink to highlight it and left the burgundy one plain.  It was then a matter of assembling my tag, matting and layering the large tag the same to match the small one and mounting it onto a 5x7" card blank.

I enjoyed making this tag... it was one of those projects that grew over a few days - I actually made the top tag a couple of weeks ago but didn't get round to using it - but it's fun to rummage through your made up bits and then incorporate it into a project.

happy crafting

Jane
www.aldridgecrafts.co.uk
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More Flower Hearts

I so enjoyed making the flower wreaths that I thought I would adapt the idea using items from my craft box.

I've started with the Wild Rose Studio Always and Forever Paper pack.  I stuck a sheet to a piece of good weight cardstock and then use my scalloped heart die to cut it out.  I then repeated the same step - but this time cut out my heart from the blank card side - so I knew it would be a perfect fit for the other heart to go back-to-back.  I chose my ribbons and tied a knot at each end and then stuck the ends to the back of my heart using tape.  I then used a base of double sided tape (I always recommend Stix2) and also Cosmic Shimmer PVA Glue around the edges to ensure I would get a proper secure stick encasing the ribbon in the middle.  I then pinned around the outside using clothes pegs to ensure everything was all properly stuck down. 

Whilst that was bonding I selected a range of papers from the same pad and used my Memory Box Pinwheel Flower die to cut out lots of different colour flowers.  Once cut out I curved them all round my pricking tool handle to give some curl and then put in a generous blob of dries clear glue in the centre.  You can then turn then into little flowers.  This step definitely requires a little patience (not something I have lots of when I'm crafting!) as if you let go too quick, your curl doesn't stick... I found about the time it took me to eat a chocolate button was about long enough ...  so make sure you have plenty of chocolate buttons to hand for this project!! :-)

Leave your flowers aside a little while to properly dry, and don't worry if they vary slightly - I quite like having them slightly different sizes and shapes.  You can then start laying them out on your heart shape.  Start from the middle and work outwards, and move them around a lot to try different sizes, different colours in different positions until you are happy, then lift the flowers one by one to apply your PVA and stick them down firmly.

Isn't it pretty!

happy crafting

Jane
www.aldridgecrafts.co.uk
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Flower Heart Wreath - Part Two!

Well here we are with wreath part two!  You'll see from yesterday's blog I have used a Craftwork Cards Create-a-Wreath Kit.  These fabulous kits contain everything to make two wreaths.  Yesterday's was pretty much as it was on the picture on the box, but today's I decided to add some colour!

I started with exactly the same components as yesterday.  A chipboard base, paper die cut sheet to cover the base, lots of die cut flowers in different sizes and shapes.  The only thing I didn't have was the ribbon as I chose to use the ribbon supplied in the kit all on the first wreath as I knew I wanted to add different ribbons to my second.

So the difference between them.... Distress Ink - Fired Brick.  That's it..  Just the addition of one ink pad to change the look completely!  Start by using your cut n dry foam to ink around all your flowers.  You can change the depth of colour to get some variations.  Once happy with your colours, then follow the instructions again and simply create your flowers and mount onto your heart chipboard base! 

I could also have added sticky gems to the centre of the flowers - or what about some glitter, liquid pearls or mica to add some sparkle and shimmer.  I could also have sprayed my flowers with Cosmic Shimmer Ink Misters... can you imagine a wreath in the colours I used for my peacock card the other day... mmmmm.. an idea there I think I might have to do!!

Go on.. have a play... you know you want to!!

Jane

www.aldridgecrafts.co.uk
Shop for Create a Wreath Kits
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Flower Heart Wreath... Part One

Today's project is from a kit!  Very unusual for me to use a kit, but these caught my eye ages ago and I've only just had a chance to have one and get playing!  They are Craftwork Cards kits called - Create a Wreath.  They come in all sorts of colour ways, subtle, bohemian, bright and some are hearts and some are round wreaths.  These sell for £6.50/£7.50 a kit - but each kit contains enough to make two wreaths. 

When you open the kit, you get two chipboard cut bases, some die cut backing papers to match and lots of die cut flowers in all sorts of shapes, sizes and designs plus some ribbon.

 I thought I would start by following the instructions and following the picture on the box for guidance for the first wreath... before getting experimental with my second (you'll have to wait until tomorrow for that one!). 

I used the handle of my pricking tool and a fine paintbrush handle to curve all my flowers to give them all all little curve and shape.  They advise you to make up 7 flowers but it's also good to make 1 extra smaller one to put at the point of your heart at the top.

You start by sticking on the backing sheet - I just stuck mine to one side, I would be inclined to just paint the back of the heart if I didn't want it the greyboard rather than waste my papers!  Next you cut your ribbons and then tie them through your holes.  You then start to assemble your flowers.  I used my ever favourite Cosmic Shimmer Dries Clear glue to layer them up - the pinwheel flowers always take a little bit of sticking - but just roll them up and then hold them in place a few moments to let the glue get tacky enough to grip it - then you can put aside to dry.  Once you have assembled all your flowers, its just a matter of placing them around the heart and sticking them down - again with your PVA glue.    I ended up using all my ribbon for my first kit - so that was all I had to add to do my 2nd wreath - but I wanted to use different ribbon for that one - hence why I was generous with the ribbon on this one!

Aren't these pretty - really great fun to make!  If you want to have a go you can go to our website here to see the wreaths available!... go on - have a go - they are so pretty!

One final tip.... us crafters are always looking to make the most of our purchases... well before you use both of the chipboard wreath bases, make sure you use it to create a template - then you can use it time and time again with your own flowers, or flower dies to make different variations!

Have fun crafting.... don't forget to come back tomorrow to see wreath number two!

And if you fancy doing this one as a 1-2-1 workshop - just give me a call!

Jane
www.aldridgecrafts.co.uk

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