It's a Creative World

An Art Journal Journey...

Hi everyone - Happy Wednesday!

For those of you who haven't seen my blog yet, I'm hosting a 6month 'course' of techniques and ideas on art journal, over on UKS.

Today I thought I would share the first page I had created following my own instructions - eek!

It's based on colour theory and preconceptions, just my interpretation, and was finished inside an hour; I promise anyone can do this - why not give it a go?  I used acrylic paint, gold promarker, and a black fineliner because my posca hasn't arrived yet, on acrylic paper.  The lovely lady is from the Sunday Times magazine :)

Pick a colour scheme, base your page on it, and link to it in the comments so I can pop over and thank you for joining in :D

Have fun expressing yourself!

Leanne x

Bling it up!

Today I decided to share with you something I have been playing with. 

I am sure you've all seen these fabby new Tim Holtz Idea-ology District Market.  Very yummy indeed. There are four different styles available so I decided to "bling" mine up a bit so I instantly know it is mine especially when out with crafting buddy's. 

So first I found these fabulous Blooms in the sale at Dotty P's (Dorothy Perkins).  It is not normally a shop I pop in, but at this time of year during the sales I like to check out the jewelry/hair items to see if there are any bargains that I can either break down or use in crafting.  I wasn't disappointed this year picking up these beauties for next to nothing, my only disappointment was that I couldn't buy more, LOL.

I then set to work with some chain and charms to create a handbag charm to go with my lovely huge flower.  You can hopefully see it better below;

I have attached a homemade angel, sissors (how could we live without them?) and a singer sewing machine.  Then I made some little circle charms adding craft paper with numbers on in the centre, sealing with Glossy accents to go with the number theme of the bag. 

Bag tweaking complete....although having said that I love the numbers so much I think I might add some more slow time.  I hope you can get an idea with this photo unfortunately at this time of year the lighting is not great.

Finally before I go I thought I'd share a card I made last year for my eldest boy.  I saw this digi image at Funky kits called "Nathan" which is also his name....how spooky is that?  Even spookier is that it looks just like him when he was small.

I have used papers by Basic Grey craft 6" pad.  Martha Stewart punch Scalloped dots and SU tag punch and matching stamp set.  Twine, pearls and charms from stash plus I've distressed using Tea dye Distress ink pad.

I love this image and it is so him at three except the teddy would have been a dog or a dinosaur.

That is all from me again today.  I hope you have all had a good start to 2012.

May your year be full of crafting fun! 

On a final note I have some candy up for grabs this week.

Erika.  x

Leftover Mincemeat

Hi there Kerry here

I stumbled across a fantastic recipe site recently and couldn't resist this recipe for using mincemeat in buns (we are no frills here in this house - no cupcakes or other such fancy names lol).

I had half a jar of mincement in my fridge, which needed to be used up soon, left over from a rushed attempt at mince pies on christmas eve.

Before I show you the picture I will admit that I am definitely no culinary goddess and things often end up with the 'rustic factor' rather than looking pretty and there might have been a bit of a blizzard rather than a sprinkling of icing sugar.

They are really yummy and I can see myself making these again with maybe lemon curd or jam instead of mincemeat throughout the year. I'll definitely be doing them next christmas.

The recipe came from The Goddess's Kitchen.  Definitely a website I will visit frequently in the future.

Paper Beads Tutorial

I wanted to show you a quick and easy tutorial that can use up loads of scraps to make these paper beads, I'm not sure where the idea originated but I first saw Suze Wineberg making them and dunking them in UTEE to give a hard glaze to them.  As well as being easy to make you can use them on cards and scrapbook pages, necklaces and broaches and all sorts of items. 

The things you need to make your beads are :

A pencil, ruler, piece of paper, glue and a guillotene

This piece of paper is 6" by 4" (though you can use 12" paper to make a thicker bead too - they also look great out of old magazines so you would just use the lenght of the page for that).  I divided up the top of the paper into 1" sections, because you are making a triangular shape on the bottom of your paper the 1st measurement needs to be 1/2" in from the side and then 1" marks from that.  To show the triangular shapes I have drawn them onto the paper, you don't need to draw the triangles on as you can just line up the marks on your guillotene to cut them.

Once cut out this is how the triangles look.

 Next is the rolling part, at the point of the triangle add some glue, then take a pencil (or skewer - any cylindrical shape) and roll from the base of the triangle to the point, try and keep your roll straight to keep the bead even.

Once you are up to the top of the triangle, hold the tip down so the glue can set a bit and then slide the bead off the pencil.

 

 This is what the beads will look like, I made one with a Kebab skewer and the other one is from a pencil.

Alongside making necklaces you can use the beads in lots of different ways, here are some ideas

 On this card I made a flower shape with the beads and stuck a button in the centre.

 On this page I used the beads as a border to my photo and threaded them with string, and also as a button on my journal envelope at the bottom of the page.

 

I hope that has inspired you to have a go.

 

Katherine

what if less was more..?

Hello again Creative Worlders!  Its Alix here with a little radical thinking for the New Year's crafting...!!

Those of you that know me will be well aware that i've always been a more is more is more kind of crafter...my best crafty buddy always describes my projects as being "finished at least an hour ago...", which is her code for "STOP NOW!!!".  Now,while i'm generally quite happy with my crafty style...it is always a good idea to challenge yourself from time to time...it helps new ideas to pop out of the woodwork of my mind...and can reinvigorate a sad or tired mojo.  

The challenge therefore for me this year is to incorportate more streamlined crafting into my routine and what could be more streamlined than limiting my crafty choices right down to paper and a biro!!  This is extreme...but for someone who immediately rushes for colour and texture it forces me to look for other ways to add interest.  I'm going to challenge myself each week to create using only one media and see where that takes me!  This first journalling page as you'll see, is very simple...but there is something i find quite pleasing about it...it is reminiscent of Delftware and doilies and vintage china...and really i've only done a border! 

Now, i challenge you to have a go...pick a supply...one inkpad maybe or just promarkers...or you could have a go with a biro like i did!  Enjoy :0)

A Sandy Hybrid idea

Hi Dolly here

January is so cold that I figured we might like a bit of warming up. A bit of thinking about sun and sea and sand and a bit of hybrid creativity.

 I have been working on a California album for some time and wanted the title page to be an over-view of the state, which is really varied and diverse.

I used lots of printed elements and made a true hybrid page which may give you hints for some of those summer pages.

The map was just googled and printed off onto card. I tore the edges after moistening them so they ripped where I wanted them to rip with a nice soft edge. I then inked them.

The palm trees were from a digital kit by Dawn Inskip which were also printed on card and then cut out.

However, it was the title I was pleased with as, to me, it really evoked the sandy beaches of the state.

I used a lettering delight font which was printed on card and then mounted on thicker card. It gives them a really chunky chipboard feel but one which is easy to make at home.

I then tore pieces of natural mulberry paper, again moistening where you want the tears to be. I use a soft paintbrush and clear water and it does take the ‘risk’ out of paper tearing.

By tucking the letters in between the different layers of the paper is helped to convey the idea they were buried in the sand.

I also added some real sand and some tiny shells at the bottom of the page.

It’s not a page for purists as the mulberry paper, sand and shells are not acid free, but actually as there was not even a photo on the page I wasn’t worried about the acidity.

I hope you have some hybrid fun and maybe explore the sand idea to bring a bit of summer sparkle to these cold January days.

 

Paper Clay Stamping

Hi there!I have a little tutorial for you- paper clay embellishments! You will need some air drying clay and a leaf stamp for this.My stamp is by Autumn Leaves but any one with a simple design is perfect.

. Roll out your clay on some newspaper.

Stamp into the clay without ink.

You want to apply enough pressure to leave a decent imprint but not go though to the paper.

Then cut it out!   

Then shape it! You can let it dry flat or as I've done here, bend it to look more natural in shape. ( If you do shape it then it is more fragile on the page- but I've yet to have one break.

After you've let it dry hard you can decorate it. I tend to ink mine so it has a shabb look to it. I've also previously coloured in the  veins of the leaves wth black pen, left it blank, painted them and also used 3d gloss on them.

(Inked with several shades)

(And edged in black)

 

(Very light inking)

Hope you like the tutorial and suggested uses, catch you soon!

Laura x

 

Happy Beading

Hi Lynne here

Happy New Year to you all, I hope 2012 brings you everything you could wish for.

 

Many of us are given book tokens as presents and I thought I'd share with you a fabulous beading book I have. It's well worth adding to your collection if you love making beaded jewelery, as I do.

It's called Beaded Allure by Kelly Wiese and it's fabulous.

The instructions are so easy to follow, as step by step pictures are included.

I've made the necklace on the front cover, using my own colour scheme.

I have a list of other projects I want to make in this book, I think it will keep me rather busy with my beading.

I hope you'll share with us if you make anything from this book.

Lynne x

Happy Hooking!

So my crochet thing is continuing- hence the title!!

I made my own patterns for these two cookies but essentitially it was crochet two disks of dark brown for the Oreo;

With Dark Brown, ch 2.

Round 1: 6 sc in 2nd ch from hook, do not join—6 sc.

Round 2: 2 sc in each sc around—12 sc.

Round 3: *Sc in next sc, 2 sc in next sc; repeat from * around—18 sc.

Round 4: *Sc in next 2 sc, 2 sc in next sc; repeat from * around—24 sc.

Round 5: *Sc in next 3 sc, 2 sc in next sc; repeat from * around, join with sl st in next st—30 sc.

Cast off

Make a chain of 30 stitches in Cream yarn to create the filling.

Assemble and stuff lightly adding the eyes before stitching closed!

For the Choc Chip Cookie;

Crochet 2 disks in Light Brown as above.

Cast Off and use Dark Brown thread to create random stitches on the 2 Cookie disks like Choc Chips.

Add eyes to one disl and stitch the 2 disks together, stuffing lightly.

Embroider mouth and add felt circles as cheeks.

I was lucky to be given a REALLY cool crochet book by my lovely hubby Creepy Crochet and Christen Haden has a great website with additional patterns to go with those in her book  HERE

This is the Corporate Zombie:

And this is Stig the Viking;

I've had a bit of thing about Crocheting fruit this week and found some fabulous FREE patterns online. I'm really pleased with the results!

Here is the APPLE PATTERN I just added eyes and embroidered a mouth (from the awesome Palnet June

HERE is the PEAR PATTERN from Planet June!

Here is the BANANA PATTERN with a PDF to download.

And I crochet another one of these little dudes for a friend but gave him a scarf to keep him warm in this winter weather! He remionds me of the Lemmings from the computer game that was all the rage in the 90's! He's another FREE pattern from Planet June HERE!

I just love his fuzzy hair and serious expression!

So that's what I've been upto lately!

Happy Crafting!
GlitteryKatie xxXxx

Thank you...

Hello and Happy New Year! It's my turn today and much of my thoughts since the festive period have been taken up with remembering to say thank you for the lovely gifts we recieved. I always think it's really important to say thank you and so this year I have made lots of tags. Tags are so quick and easy and, much like ATCs, are an easy base to start any project. 

 

 

I started by die cutting the tags and then covering half in Shabby Shutters Distress Ink. The second half I covered in Seedless Preserves Distress Ink, blending the join in well. 

 

 

 

Then I used a mask (if you have been to craft show lately these are one of the current trends!) and spritzed Perfect Pearls Mist over the top and dried each tag with my heat gun. I then edged each one with Peeled Paint Distress Ink and added two stamped images and my sentiment.

 

 

The sentiment could be a stamped image, one you have printed from your computer or perhaps from a Dymo machine or similar (I love my Dymo!) A little coordinating ribbon finishes it off! I thought you might like to see them all together - the stamped image looks like it is behind the Perfect Pearls - but I did the stamping afterwards - it's clever isn't it?! 

My wonderful mum has kept lots of things I have made over the years and here's a couple of recent thank yous I've made - see, I told you I liked making them!!!

Thank you for popping by today! I hope you have a great day and will pop back tomorrow to see the next creative inspiration from my fabulously talented DT colleagues!

Gabrielle x