And a wow match box recieved!

Hello people!

This is a follow up post to my previous match box shrine post.

So please find the pictures of the match box I received from the swap. My requested theme was; Steampunk/gothic/grunge/Tim Holtz style.

I think you’ll will think it’s as great as I do.

 It was created by the lovely lady at this blog http://thecraftistakingover.blogspot.com/ so check it out.

Keep your eyes peeled as I will probably be up dating this shortly with some more lovely creativeness.

Happy crafting!

Match box Shrine challenge

Hello again bloggers. Hope you are all well!

So please find below the pictures of my contribution to the match box shrine swap.
My theme from my swappie was "Halloween but NO SPIDERS please"

The paper inside is a free printable. ( http://freubels-freebies.blogspot.com/ )
The skull is a ice cube mould with melted embossing power poured in. The wing is cut with a sizzix die from an old drinks can. The webbed material is a old scrap of sinamay from my millinery ( hat making).

I covered the match box in old copy paper which was inked and embossed with Tim Holtz embossing folder, I can't remember which one, Halloween themed. The front of the box I cut out to look like a coffin (spooky!) Then I put perspex underneth.
Hope you'll like, comments are welcome.
I'll have a you tube video up, as soon as I can figure out how to edit a video with no softwear!
Happy crafting!

More ATC's and monthly challenge

Well bloggers here are some more ATC’s, including those made for the UKS anything goes monthly swap.

The monthly swap works by making 5 ATC’s and then you get 5 different ATC’s back.

So here are two other ATC’s I made.

This is a old piece of packing material with Tim Holts stamps and tags, then coloured in with Pro markers.

This was an attempt of using a mask as well.

Below are pictures of how I did my 5 ATC's for the swap.

Most of my ATC's are recycled materials. This is the packing box from my ATG gun.

I first inked my cards with distress inks by inking my none stick mat with the inks and spraying with water and then placing each of the cards into the ink and also used glimmer mist. Between layers of inking I dryed them with my heat gun. If you catch the ink right on the card you can catch the droplets.

These are the end product. Stamped with black swirls in background. Then stamping with versa ink I stamped the three words and embossed with white embossing powder.

 The ATCs I recieved back are below;

Aren't they lovely. Thank you to the ladies who swapped.

Happy Crafting!

First ATC's

Hi People,
Well as promised, better late than never!
My first ever ATC's. For those not in the know, ATC's are Artist Trading Cards (although I am no artist, just a crafter).

Here's my first ATC (too nice to swap). Inspired by Beyonce's song, thought I'd make it a little modern.

I used the resist technique, by stamping with one of Tim Holtz's stamps with pink ink and embossing with clear embossing powder. I then took the green ink and distressed over the top. The words are stamped on bits of clear perspex packing material. The pink textured material is a scrap of sinamay from my hat making. The butterfly is simply a piece of plain white copy paper distressed in blue ink and then punched with the Martha Stewart butterfly large punch. I didn't realise at first that ATC's are one sided, so I stamped the back with the Martha Stewart stamp around the page stamp. I also used stickles and a pink tag with girls stamped on and then distressed.

After I took this photo I attached a ticket cut out with Tim Holtz's Sizzix die and added the details normally added to an ATC, which I didn't know at first.

You can copy, paste and print your own from below;

ATC title:

By:

Date:

No:

Email:

The next ATC's I created;

 

This was using some packing material from a 'me to you' present my best friend gave me for Christmas. I simply used one of my fiskar's boarder punches on the bottom, distressed with pink ink, added ribbon and some more sinamay for a little pocket for a tag with a Tim Holtz stamp.

Quick Product Review - Fiskar's Vs Martha Stewart punches

I cannot rate fiskar boarder punches highly enough! They punch through even card, like a dream. They give a clean crisp edge, unlike other punches I've used.

Now here comes my controversial comment . . . I'm not a fan of Martha Stewart punches.

I have used other peoples and have the large butterfly which I used above and I have two punch anywhere punches.

Don't get me wrong I love her designs and concepts, however the punches are sticky and don't leave clean crisp lines. They only cut through thin paper and they also jam.

I was at a crop borrowing someone's beautiful punch, and I though I had broken it, I was absolutely horrified, luckily it wasn't broken. Also the lady was so lovely about the whole thing.

So rounding up - Fiskar's rule quality, Martha's designs are beautiful.

The next ATC was again using recycled materials.

You do not need to spend lots when making ATC's.

This was one of the ATCs I have swapped. I used the technique of crumpling the paper and then inking it. I stuck the perspex packing material to the card after die cutting the skull shape, using the movers and shapers dies by Tim Holtz and Sizzix. I also stamped the perspex using a scrap piece of paper as a mask. I then attached the scrap sinamay over the top with eyelets, cutting the holes and setting the eyelets with the big bite crop-a-dile (awesome tool!).

I'll have to put my 5 ATCs for the monthly crop in the next post.

Happy Crafting!

 

Learning to blog is a challenge!

Hi People,
Learning to blog is more challenging than I thought, but I'm sure I'll get there in the end!

At the moment I'm attempting to research and teach myself to improve my blog with banners, links and flashing icons. Something I did a bit of years ago when I was in high school, but unfortunately my brain has decided to dump this information.

I would welcome any suggestions :)


The first projects I will be uploading will be, my very first ATCs, including a new challenge I will be completing tomorrow. Its a swap through UKS (UK scrappers) make 5 ATCs and swap, so you receive 5 different back. I will also be completing a matchbox shrine, which is another swap on UKS.

Lastly I will be completing a You tube video regarding alerted ATG guns (scotch's tape dispenser). Which I am really looking forward to as I have actually finished the project ready. Although this may be completed more towards the end of the week depending on how much time I have left.

Happy crafting!

A new day, a new blog

Well I've been reading blogs for a while now, enjoying what others have put out there into the world. I thought it was about time I started to record what I am creating and to challenge myself to learn something new.

I have lots of projects lined up, some finished, some to do, and some actually complete, ready to add to this new blog shortly . . . hopefully.
I will also complete tutorials on different techniques and projects, as I do them, or learn them myself.
I will also do product reviews as I'm using the products on projects, and not just haul reviews.

I welcome comments, suggestions,questions, but please make them clean and kind.

(First recommendation - check out new products and demos showing techniques, by searching on You tube for CHA 2012)

 As on Amy Tan's T-shirt at CHA 2012 -

"Be Kind. Be crafty."