Getting Inky

Earlier this week I decided to make a master board using gesso, distress inks and a selection of stencils and stamps. There are several tutorials on YouTube if you're not sure how to go about this technique.  I've definitely come to the conclusion that if you want to know anything about a particular method or technique there is more often than not a choice of videos on You Tube for guidance.

 I've often done inky backgrounds but always worked on smallish pieces of card but this time I went for the whole A4 sheet which would give me a good amount to incorporate into several cards.  This is the first one which has only used three narrow strips so there is plenty remaining.  I thought the background needed to feature so just added a sentiment on some die cut shapes.

Rectangular dies - Tonic Studios
Stamp - Stampendous
Central motif - Sue Wilson dies

Upcycling

A bit of upcycling today using a well read paperback book from the charity shop and yes I know there are people who throw up their hands in horror at 'defacing' books.  I am a lover of books to read but when you can produce something decorative using one which has probably been read many, many times and  has done the rounds of the charity shops I feel it is OK.  There are lots of tutorials on YouTube giving ideas of things to make by folding book pages and I chose to make a Christmas candle which incorporates a battery tea light.  It must be stressed that you MUST NOT in any circumstances use a normal candle tea light otherwise the whole thing could go up in flames with potentially disastrous consequences.

After all the folding I simply added a strip of card around the 'candle' and added a die cut fancy label with gold leaves and a die cut poinsettia.

Leaves - Sizzix dies
Poinsettia - Sue Wilson die set

Small Card

Last Saturday I attended a lovely Stampin' Up extravaganza day where we made some great seasonal projects - you can see some pictures HERE.  As part of the day we received a stamp set as well as all the card etc to make the projects.  I've used one of the stamps from the set and the matching punch to make this tiny card (4 inches square), layering up a couple of the punched holly leaves and berries on top of the sprig of holly which was cut out with scissors.

Stamps - Holly Berry Happiness Stampin' Up with matching punch for bow, leaves and berries
Square - Sue Wilson Noble Pierced squares die
Greeting - Britannia Die

Pixie Snippets Week 250

I have another of the cards made from the freebie dies which is ideal for the Pixie Snippets challenge this week.  As usual Di has made a lovely card to inspire us and to showcase the prize which could be yours in the luck of the draw.  I've been very lucky that my name popped out of the 'hat' for a prize last week so I will soon have something exciting and new to use.

Anyway on to my card where I used the dies to cut out various snippets of card and made a little gingerbread person.  The circles, border and banner were all cut from snippets found in my 'bits' boxes and the Christmassy backing paper is from my stash.

Circle Dies - Tattered Lace, white one embossed (Stampin' Up folder)
Gingerbread Figure - using magazine freebie dies
Border - EK Success punch
Banner - Sue Wilson die
Greeting - from a Stampin' Up Christmas set

...further Progress

Yesterday I downloaded the next instalment of the carousel blanket - a series of sixteen multi-coloured pentagons to surround the work done so far.  These are joined as you go along (with the final round of each pentagon) - a method with which I could be quite adept by the end of this project even though at the moment it is completely new to me.  There are actually sixteen colours in all in this project and I've chosen to go along with the ones chosen by the designer but there are so many variations appearing from bright to vintage to pastel and everything in between - brilliant.

Progress on the Carousel Blanket

The second section of this blanket is now completed, all sixteen sections crocheted and joined together with the section one motif in the centre.  I'm very much looking forward to the third set of instructions which are available today to continue extending this blanket outwards.  As far as I know it will be around 60 inches across when completed and obviously each section is larger than the last so will probably take longer to make than the ones already done.  That said, the red and cream section seemed to be taking me forever but I was determined to get it done before starting the next part.

Butterfly Challenge

An interlude in the Christmas card making today with something for the current Butterfly Challenge
where the theme is WHITE ON WHITE with the added extra of wire (for the letter 'W').  I've just gone for the white on white this time and have used mostly die cuts with some embossing.  I was reminded that I had this die set by seeing a beautiful card made by a friend HERE - thanks Anne, it is so easy to forget what die sets are in the drawer!!  I've not added any words on the front at this point and probably won't because I can always put a message on the insert.

White on White isn't the easiest to reproduce in a good picture as I'm sure you know

Embossing Folder in Background - Sue Wilson Pin Point design
White Square - Noble Pierced Squares dies, Sue Wilson
Smaller Squares - Plain and fancy from Sue Wilson New York die set
Butterfly - Sizzix dies