Visiting the Playground

I'm afraid I've been unable to do much blog visiting recently due to the fact that since having had cataract surgery a couple of weeks ago I'm having some 'issues' one of which is difficulty seeing the computer screen.  The upside of having the procedure means that I can now read without wearing glasses - something I've not been able to do for many years.  Unfortunately the downside is that anything further away than I would hold a book is pretty blurred which is all a bit trying to say the least.  I guess that this is something I will have to live with until the other eye is operated on which hopefully won't be too long to wait.  I did as instructed and removed the lens from my specs, leaving the one for the non-operated eye.  Well that certainly didn't work - hopeless - I'm better off without glasses at the moment. 

I decided to have a go at making a card this morning to take along to the Playground challenge and it seems to have taken me forever to get it done.  My intention was to make a few cards to fill some gaps in my box of cards - one down, several to go - good job they aren't urgently needed.  This one is a wedding card so I've used up several snippets of white and pale grey pearlised card for the hearts, lace border and sentiment banner.  I die cut  three sizes of the hearts, a strip of lace, a banner and some flowers and leaves.  The wording was stamped in grey as I thought black would be too stark against the delicate tones.

Hearts - from Tonic Hello Beautiful Layering Hearts die set
Flower and Leaves - Finishing Touches - Cornflower die set by Sue Wilson
Banner - Stitched banners die set Sue Wilson
Lace - Sizzix Crochet Lace die set Tim Holtz
Sentiment - from free sentiment stamp set given with magazine a while ago

Floating Frame

After my first dabble with the idea of a floating frame I had a closer look at the You Tube video HERE and also some other images online  and realised that my original frame wasn't actually 'floating'.  I thought I should have another go so I stamped some flowers and leaves, cut them out with scissors (no matching die sadly) and because I don't have any of the sticky film mentioned I tried using a piece of paper from a roll of masking paper which I've had for years and which has a non permanent tacky side to it.  The gems have filled in some of the gaps to help the illusion.  I still have the floating circular piece to make into a second card at some point,

Stamps used - Penned and Painted from Stampin' Up (discontinued I'm sure)
Sentiment - from a free set given away with a magazine

Two Cards for One

There seem to be quite a few 'floating frame' ideas floating around at the moment - pun intended!!  I just had to give it a try although I was unable to follow the method used HERE by my friend Anne because I don't have any of the sticky cling film and didn't particularly want to order a large roll and pay postage on top.  I had a bit of a think and decided it would probably work to a degree if I just added the stamped/die cut images to a previously cut square of card and once the glue was dry just die cut the circle through the double layers..  Of course in the original idea I imagine the die cuts were popped up with foam pads but too much of that does make cards more expensive to post.  Anyway I've made two cards from the one set of flower images and the square of white card and also used up a circular frame which has been hanging around on my desk for ages. The flower and leaves were stamped and coloured with watercolour markers before being die cut.

For the second card I simply used the circle cut out to form the frame on the first, a circle frame in blue and a banner with the word which was also in the die set with the flowers and leaves.

These cards actually look better for real than they appear on the screen but I'm not too sure it is a method I will be using very much.  In the picture of the 'get well' card it looks as if the centre sentiment and blue circle are raised up but in actual fact the piece of blue card is the base layer, the floating frame is on top on foam pads and the sentiment circle is stick in the middle, also on foam pads.

Flowers and Leaves - Stamp and die set given free with a current Papercraft magazine
Square and Circle Dies - Creative Expressions

Butterfly Challenge #121

I'm fluttering in at the last minute with a card for the latest Butterfly Challenge - quite by chance really because after I'd made the card I decided to take a look to see if it would fit any of the challenge colours or items this time.  How lucky that I'd chosen a dark purple for my main colour.  I started by colouring a piece of watercolour paper with inks and Pixie powders and printing a suitable background paper.  A circle was cut from the inked paper and the sentiment stamped into the centre; then the floral ring was cut from some pearl card before adding individual violas die cut from the inked scraps.  Finally I die cut a flourish and three butterflies to finish off this card, adding a few 'diamonds' for a bit of sparkle.

Floral circle - Joy Crafts die
Scalloped Circles - Tattered Lace dies
Butterflies - Marianne dies
Leafy Swirl - Sue Wilson die
Background Paper - printed from Artylicious Peacock Summer Party CD

Snippets Time Again

It is time for the fortnightly Snippets challenge, #351 can be found HERE where Di has made us a pretty floral card for inspiration and of course the stamps she used are offered as a prize for whoever is lucky in the draw.

I've chosen to make a 'get well soon' card starting with an image made by using Mod Podge to adhere part of a paper serviette to a snippet of white card.  This was then die cut and layered up with various other snippets including an embossed panel left from a previous project, a pretty lace border cut from a snippet of pearl card.  There is even a tiny punched flower on the sentiment.  Some glitter was added to the seed heads but it doesn't show up well here.

Image - made from part of paper serviette
Lace border - Sizzix die
Scalloped Circles - Tattered Lace dies
Stitched Circle - Sizzix die

Sewing Holdall

Well it really is beautiful weather and far too nice to be indoors but my excuse is that having mowed the lawns this morning I need a little rest!  I hope you are all having such lovely warm sunshine for the Easter weekend.

I've been sewing again during the week and this time it was to make a very useful carry-around holdall for my hand sewing bits and pieces.  I'd spotted something very similar being used some time ago and thought I'd like to make one so I did the usual search online and was lucky enough to find the pattern available to purchase from Craftsy.com.  The design is called The Sew Together Bag by Sew Demented and the pattern is very well presented and despite being a bit fiddly to make it has worked out well I think.  I used a selection of fat quarters from my Batik collection and for the three pocket zips and the longer top zip I've used continuous zip on a roll which is really handy for this kind of thing because you can just work with the tape part of the zip, leaving the slider well out of the way when stitching - as long as you remember to slide it into place before trimming off the ends of course!!!!  As well as having the three zipped compartments there is ample space either side and between them to store all sorts of items.  The bag is approximately 10 inches from end to end and of course the long top zip allows it to open fully to sit on the table.

Pixie Snippets Challenge #349

I've used up some snippets of fabric today to take along to the latest Playground challenge - the three fabrics were all left over from separate projects and some of them were in odd bits and pieces but luckily they toned together nicely to make this bag.   I bought the pattern last week at the quilt show and decided to try making the plainer version to give the pattern a try out before going for the more complicated version which has applique houses on the front pocket and a pieced panel for the zipped pocket on the back.  Both versions are quite heavily quilted although I've actually not done quite as much as was suggested in the instructions.  I found the instructions to be quite clear to understand but the construction method seemed a bit more complicated than I was expecting but I got there in the end although it did take me much longer to make than usual.  All the while that I was stitching my mind was working out how it could be made using a much simpler method of assembly and I will probably play around a bit and then try adding the applique.

The pink panel on the front is a quilted and bound pocket and on the back there is another picket which incorporates a zip, the flap is fastened with a 'lucky find' button of the right colour after a little root through my box of odd buttons.

Bag Pattern - from Monkey Buttons - lots of lovely patterns and fabrics available from them