Golden Oldie

Good morning all.

Finally made it to join Erika with a golden oldie...it's been a whole year since I last joined in 😟

I've gone really golden oldie this time, so old it could probably be classed as an antique! 

Voila, I give you my first ever piece of craft work (or the first to survive)!

Okay ladies don't all laugh at once 😣

My Nana taught me to knit before I started school but we didn't do any in school until 2nd year in infants where we had a real tartar of a teacher! If she hadn't liked an older sibling you were automatically tarred with the same stick...safe to say her and my brother had never seen eye to eye :( 

Under her watchful eye I couldn't knit to save myself, so Friday afternoon saw me sent home with a ball of wool and needles and told to bring it back knitted. My Aunt had the dubious task that evening of babysitting the five of us (as if that wasn't enough for her), she also got to oversee the knitting. After several attempts I think the ball of wool gave up the ghost and these scraps came from Mum's knitting bag. We finally had a piece long enough to fold over when I discovered a mistake at the beginning...Aunty Agnes had that cast off and sewn up before you could say "Jack Robinson"...no one will notice that with the flap over! I think the crocheted strap was a later addition as I didn't learn to crochet until I was 7 or 8.

My knitting skills did improve after this and I always had the best dressed dolls, this was the first outfit I ever knitted under the watchful eye of my Great Aunt who also taught me to crochet.

I still have the pattern..if memory serves me right it was from The Peoples Friend!

I found lots of old treasures when moving stuff from one loft to the other earlier this year. Sadly my daughter was never into dolls so my box of girly stuff never got to see the light of day...maybe I'll get a granddaughter someday!

Stencil Sunday #72

Good evening all.

It's my turn again to offer some inspiration on the Stencil Sunday post today over at STAMPlorations. Today I have a 12"x12" canvas to share with you.

I have had three of these planned in my mind for ages...one for each of my niece and nephew's weddings and finally managed the first of my niece's special day. Sadly there were no photos of hubby and I together that day so I've used one of me and my beautiful niece.

I added multi colours of acrylic paint to the canvas randomly with a small brayer, then added some stamping using both Archival Inks and Silver EP.

I added texture paste through the dots all over stencil, then added a bit more paint and some Distress Crackle Paint.

Finally I sprayed some DecoArt Media Mister through the Hearts all Over stencil to add some corner detail.

My main focal point was layered up and stuck with a hot glue gun....cheesecloth, lace, hessian, a Prima photo frame and button. The labels were cut and stamped using words from Trendy Butterflies onto kraft card. All other words were stamped onto tissue and attached with medium gel. Butterflies and Memories word from my stash.

I hope you like what you see here today and we'd love you to join in our Mixed Media Challenge which runs until the end of the month...non card projects only and remember to use a stencil.

STAMPlorations products used:

Dots all Over, Hearts all Over stencils

Trendy Butterflies, Noteworthy, Mini Mixed Media Backgrounds and Mixed Media Elements stamps

Stencil Sunday #71 + November Mixed Media Challenge

Good evening all.

The seasons have definitely changed this last week....so cold and dark so quick, time to hibernate me thinks!

First Sunday of the month so it's time to put my stencils to good use for the Mixed Media challenge over at STAMPlorations. A little upcycling this time.

I used a translucent acrylic paint to coat inside the jar. Once dry I added the stencilling to each side using the Bloom Silhouettes stencil with some Sparkle Medium and Radiant Gels.

Some lace and a bow, along with a tealight et voila! Not the best photos unfortunately as the camera wouldn't play ball.

We'd love you to come along and join us but please remember it's anything but a card and you must use a stencil.

{Mixed Media Tutorial} Stencilled Mood Board

Good evening all.

It's my turn to inspire you to use your stencils with my monthly tutorial at STAMPlorations. Pop over to see how I made this mood board.

Stencil Sunday #62 + September Mixed Media Challenge

Good afternoon all.

Gosh September already...where has this year gone to? Time once more to inspire you to use your stencils and come over to join in our Mixed Media challenge at STAMPlorations, please remember we accept non-card projects only though.

Today I'm sharing a canvas. I started by downloading the free Color Bloom sampler onto thin card and adhered this to my canvas with gel medium...this caused the ink to run but the effect was quite nice. I used the Flutterby stencil with Radiant Gels then once dry coloured the canvas with various Distress Inks. I then used the Bold Florals stencil with crackle paste to make my flower, once dry I inked this with DI. I then stamped and heat embossed some flowers from the Big Bloom Factory set then stamped around the edges of the canvas using my favourite stamp from Mixed Media Elements. The words came from the Art Marks set.

Do pop over to the blog to see what the other girls have made, you won't be disappointed!

Stencil Sunday #61

Good afternoon all.

It's my turn to add some inspiration to the Stencil Sunday post at STAMPlorations today, I hope you like what I've made.

To make the background I used DecoArt Media Misters over first the Big Bloom Factory (large) stencil then, once dry I used the Leaf Bliss (large) stencil with a different colour. I love the fact you can layer these misters without any colours mixing and muddying. I then used Big Bloom Factory stamps to overstamp some of the background design then heat embossed with various colours of EP. Tags were cut using the new CUTplorations Luggage Tags Nesting. I stamped and embossed two of the flowers from Big Bloom Factory on waste card and fussy cut them to adhere to the top tag. Smile Word die was cut from white card for the larger tag. Ribbons and pearls are from my stash.

I hope you can pop over to the blog to see my teamies projects this month, you won't be disappointed.

You still have a few days to enter our Mixed Media challenge this month...remember non-card projects only!

Stencil Sunday #58 + August Mixed Media Challenge

Good afternoon all.

Another month has passed and it's time once again to inspire you to put your stencils to good use and join us over at STAMPlorations in our mixed media challenge. Remember it's anything goes except cards and you must use a stencil, we'd love to see your creations.

I've upcycled a coaster for my project...I had a  "I could use these" moment when sorting out before we moved!

I wasn't sure whether the acrylic paint would take to the melamine surface of the coaster but gave it a try and after two or three coats I had a good coverage. I used Radiant Gels with the Dots all Over and Flutterby stencils to decorate....et voila!

This is how the coaster started life, the set was a wedding present so it's had a lot of use!

I hope you can pop over to the challenge to see my teamies projects this month, you won't be disappointed.

Stencil Sunday #53 + July Mixed Media Challenge

Good afternoon all.

Another month has passed and it's time once again to inspire you to put your stencils to good use and join us over at STAMPlorations in our mixed media challenge. Remember it's anything goes except cards and you must use a stencil, we'd love to see your creations. Today we welcome some new girls to the design team, I'm sure you'll love their work as much as we do.

Today I have a framed canvas to share with you. I made this for my daughter's bedroom. I started by painting a layer of gesso on the canvas, once dry I gave it a couple of coats of the soft ivory matt emulsion used in the room...I saved the sample pots for this purpose! Once dry I used an Archival ink pad to stamp the script and border from the Mixed Media Elements set. The Rose Duet stencil was then used with textured paste and once dry I painted it with blue emulsion (also from Lora's room) but  decided I didn't like the result! I used versamark ink through the stencil and added silver metal magic and heat embossed...do love the texture you get with metal magic! The frame was one I picked up cheaply as a sample in B&Q and it works perfectly with these canvas boards....must get some more of them soon.

I hope you can pop over to the challenge to see my teamies projects this month, you won't be disappointed.

Blossom Canvas - tutorial

Good afternoon all.

Sneaking in a little extra tutorial this month over at ARTplorations as with all the new girls I get next month off. I've got a framed canvas to show you today, I hope you like what you see. As always to see the full tutorial please pop over to the ARTplorations blog.

Stencil Sunday #51

Good afternoon all. Today I'm packing china....not my favourite task and I'm such a hoarder!!

Sadly this weekend I've experienced the seedier side of crafting...I feel so sad that a challenge blog that was started by a crafter, for all crafters and which I had nurtured for so long in memory of it's founder has disappeared in a cloud of deceit and lies! 

It's my turn to provide some inspiration on the Stencil Sunday blog today, I hope you like what you see.

I decided I needed a new bookmark, so I created this using a leftover piece of the mood board I'd made for the Big Bloom Factory blog hop earlier this month. To make my mood board I used the Big Bloom Factory large stencil and Big Bloom Factory stamps. I die cut my piece from the board and mounted it onto a larger die cut. Using the same distress inks as I'd used previously I stamped some added texture using stamps from the Mixed Media Elements set. My sentiment is from the Bold Sentiments: Explore set, I stamped onto tissue paper and used medium gel to attach.

I love losing myself in a book so this is being put to good use.

Bloghop - Big Bloom Factory

Good afternoon all.

It's stamp release day at STAMPlorations and we're having a blog hop...come on over and join in the fun for a chance to win a set of the new stamps Big Bloom Factory - now in the shop with 10% discount!

I started with a mood board...embossing the Big Bloom Factory large stencil then over stamping the corresponding stamps from the newly released Big Bloom Factory set. These were heat embossed with white EP. I then inked the whole piece using a variety of colours of DI.

After die cutting the piece I wanted for my project I fussy cut one of the flowers and added it with a foam pad. The whole piece was matted onto another die and I added some pearls.

This is the back...I used the piece on my Auntie's funeral flowers last month.

For a chance to win a set of stamps, please leave comments on the STAMPlorations blog and designers' blogs for an entry to the random drawing.

HLS Mixed Media Challenge June "Texture"

Good evening all.

We've had some beautiful sunny weather here the last few days...long may it last! 

Sadly my final post as part of this fabulous DT as the new house is taking up much of my crafting time at the moment. It's time for our new Mixed Media challenge at HLS and this month we'd like to see some texture on your projects.

This was made for the little girl next door who recently celebrated her fifth birthday. Stamps are all from Stamplorations. Dies from Lawn Fawn and Spellbinders.

The dinosaurs are stamped onto a waste piece of card which had been embossed and treated with distress paint (sadly the texture doesn't show in the photo), fussy cut and attached with foam pads to give some dimension.

Do pop by the challenge blog to see what my teamies have made...you won't be disappointed.

This challenge is sponsored by

Stencil Sunday #49 + June Mixed Media Challenge

Good afternoon all.

Time once more to inspire you with a mixed media project using stencils over at STAMPlorations. Thanks to all of you who entered last month's challenge.

I've upcycled a mirror this month. Eldest had made this many moons ago and when I found it during a bedroom clean out I decided it needed a makeover! This is how it started life (excuse the reflection!).

After masking off the mirror I coated it with several layers of gesso, then used the Honeycomb Delight Reversed stencil with Black Lava textured gel on each of the corners. The project then sat unfinished for several weeks!! To finish I painted with red acrylic paint....this was when things started to go wrong and I lost some of the black from the stenciling. To fix this I repositioned the stencil before using versamark to ink and heat embossed with black EP. I'm not happy with the finished colour but couldn't find a Liverpool red in my stash...will have to remedy that!!

I hope you can pop over to the challenge to see my teamies projects this month, you won't be disappointed.