Yin and Yang

I came to do these two cards as a full project because I don't like waste!  My original plan was to press clear embossing ink through part of a Dylusions stencil to make a background that was clear embossed to create a resist.  I then realised my stencil was coated in the ink and so laid it inky side down on a second sheet of card and brayered all over it to transfer the ink onto the card.  As there was some yin and yang already going on I decided to take it further and create cards for both male and female.

After clear heat embossing both sheets I used shaded lilac, dusty concorde, peacock feathers and salty ocean distress inks for the backgrounds and for stamping.  I clear embossed the blue cupcake, Birthday Blueprint stamp by Tim Holtz and used some WOW white pearl on the purple one.  I had planned all sorts of embellishments for these cards but I just loved how the simplicity of this layout showed off the stamped image.  I'd like to enter this project into the Ranger Seasonal ink pallete and the WOW Embossing powder March anything goes challenges.

Altered paper mache suitcase.

This little case is made from paper mache and an ideal size to store bits of haberdashery, because I plan on using it everything had to be well glued down and durable.  I'd like to enter this into the WOW embossing powder march Anything Goes challenge.

Before covering I distressed all of the edges and corners with iced spruce distress ink.  I then covered the entire box with co ordinating Graphic 45 papers from the Ladies Diary collection using cosmic shimmer glue which has a good grip. I then distressed all of the edges again with iced spruce.  I cut out the decorative panels  backing the 'post card' with a piece of kraft card which I had distressed and then embossed with wow embossing powders, I used pepper, gold pear, burgundy red and metallic gold.  I distressed the edges of the case, the front panel and the strip with iced spruce and metallic gold.

 

The chipboard tag is backed with a scap of co ordinating paper and distressed around the edges.

Seasonal card

I made this card with the Ranger Seasonal Palette challenge in mind but was also playing with some new spellbinder dies and of course those lovely Sheena Douglas floral stamps.  I'd like to enter it into the new Country View Crafts Challenge over on their blog.

 

 

Image transfer with G45 papers

I guess my number one craft has always been working with textiles.  I wanted to combine it with my love of some amazing scrapbooking papers by turning them into something more durable and that can be used every day.  I was recently introduced to image transfer both through various groups here on the internet and also at my experimental textiles class at school.  The idea is probably as old as the hills.  How many times have I put a magazine or some paper down onto a sticky ring on the table only to find later that an image from that paper has transferred itself to the surface?

After a successful initial experiment transferring just one image onto calico using gesso as a medium

I decided to go for it big time using a full 12" x 12" sheet of paper. 

here's how I did it.

 

I Used

piece of calico/quilters muslin, pre washed and ironed.
A sheet of 12" x 12" G45 Ladies Diary 'Fashion Plates'
A large paintbrush, the larger the better when working big scale
Some acrylic paint or gesso.  I think ordinary household silk emulsion paint would work for this too, anything that dries to a plasticky finish.  Note whatever colour you use will tint the background of your piece.

 

I put a good amount of paint directly onto the image I wanted to transfer!  The trick then is to brush it over the paper fast, I made a mistake and used quick drying paint, to counteract this you could lightly spritz the paper with water first or even thin the paint.  You need to spread the paint so it is thick like peanut butter as you want it to soak right through your fabric.

 

Place the painted side of your paper onto the fabric and press evenly all over the backing to remove any air pockets and ensure good adhesion, I used a brayer.

wait for this to dry, preferably overnight.  I used a trouser hanger to hang mine in front of a radiator and it dried in a couple of hours BUT the longer it takes to dry I think the better the transfered image.

for the next bit you need water, a cloth and elbow grease.

 Wet the backing well and rub it away to reveal the image below.  I found the cloth worked well to get the process started although rubbing with a fingertip works well too.  When transfering  into a journal or onto any paper project you need to be a bit more delicate or you risk tearing the page, here you can be quite rough, at least until the image appears.

keep going until you have made lots of crumbs and your image looks fairly clean.  Allow to dry and then feel it, if it is smooth and parts of the image are rubbing away you have gone far enough but if like my piccy on the right you have rough bobbles of paper you need to re wet and polish with the cloth until smooth.

 

 

 

 

I applied my finished piece of textile onto the front of a hand made bag and made a tatty floral decoration using a selection of co ordinating paper scraps turned into textiles in the same way

 

transfering images from scraps onto calico

 

 I die cut the finished pieces using an assortment of Sizzix bigz dies, added some of the lining fabric backed with sticky backed canvas and some trimming I had in my box and added a matching G45 tag.

 

 

 

 

Scrapbook pages

I have decided 2012 was about far more than holidays and am going to save the entire years of memories into one scrap book.  Our pictorial year did indeed begin with a trip north to the arctic circle and the land of the midnight sun.  When we returned home the sun had finally decided to shine on the UK and we had a glorious Olympic frenzy with a huge amount of excitement for me when one of my all time heroes, concert pianist Lang Lang came to town to hand over the olypic torch.  The year came to a close with another trip north, this time as far as Scotland for a family wedding.  We took the opportunity to visit a few of the places we have so far never seen.

 I will put up the pages here as I create them, here are the first two of our journey as we head north.




 

There were so many pictures but I didn't want the pages to look like an old fashioned photo album.  Putting them together in blocks and treating them as one picture is one way of dealing with multiples.  The paper used above is Cosmo Cricket, Dutch girl.  I think the colours and patterns are so like the textles we saw in the Norwegian shops.

 

 

 

I have blocked the smaller pictures a little differently here in the style of a film strip.  Already it is getting cooler as we travel further nothwards and the colour and pattern in the paper was chosen to reflect this.  I have written some of my memories around the edge of the photograph on the left.

 

Paper Blocking with G45

Inspired by Hels Sheridan and Sue Tucker I decided to have another go at paper blocking. 

I've used G45 papers for the blocking on a 6" x 8 1/4" canvas painted all round the edges with Adirondack acrylic dabber in copper.

For the raised Lady I used dreamweaver paste through a brass stencil which I have lost the packaging for so have no idea who made it.  Once partially dry I brushed the lady with mica powders. 

The background to the postcard is torn paper edged with a variety of embossing powders and then brushed with black pearl mica powder and reheated to set it. 

The postcard and stamp are coated with crackle accents which don't show up too well on camera but it gives them a lovely aged effect.

I added some lace and an ideaology flower to the hat.