JFF - Anything Goes

This is the last of this years challenges over at JFF I am always amazed at the ideas the DT ladies come up with every week, they manage to keep the site fresh and interesting. Go check it out (*they don't do cute). This being the last of a 5 week month it is "Anything Goes" (but no cute). I made this door/draw knob hanging for my friend as a Christmas gift so I am entering this into the challenge. It is a solid wooden heart which I painted duck egg blue (to match her dressing room) dabbed with silver then stamped with a CI swirl and a text. I sealed it with sparkle modge podge. Made the silver butterfly and wrapped around the trim. Thanks for looking and Happy New Year to you. Hugs Sandra XX

JFF Autumn Challenge

Phew! well that's Christmas done and dusted for another year,hope you all survived, fun as it is I can't say I am sorry. Bring on the Spring. After all the gatherings It was so nice to have time to go into my craft space and get messy. Over at JFF the month of December has had a seasons challenge and this the last week it is Autumn. I used a scrapling for this 2,1/2 by 5,1/2. I dabbed the card with a sponge and autumn shade inks. Over stamped with leaves, text and a twig looking background stamp. Inked the corrugated and then stamped my main focus birds. To me Autumn is not just the fantastic colours but looking out for the gathering of the birds to fly south. I think this little stamp is perfect for this. I shall keep this for use as a card topper. Thanks for stopping by my blog. Hugs All. Sandra XX

Thoughts of Spring

Phew what a day done all my Christmas shopping in a one-er, I now need to lay down with a cold cloth on my head or open the pinot grigio LOL. I am sure you know that feeling :).
Over at JFF the challenge for the month is "Seasons" and this week it is "Spring". I think after the excesses of Christmas and those long winter nights we all look forward to the first signs of spring. Although my daffs have already poked their little green shoots up due to the mild weather. Well I did an ATC size collage (I read about using this style for ATCs somewhere recently, doh can't remember where) using colours that evoke spring. I have used hessian for the main backing and then dry brushed corrugated card with green, lilac and orange (The photo does not show the colour to well). I stitched the flower stems to the card and added the paper punched flowers with a little butterfly. the paper was stamped with a flower using the same colour scheme. A couple of embellishments and done. Happy weekend everyone and try and get through that Xmas shopping. Hugs Sandra XX
PS I went for the pinot :).
 

Craft Room Challenge "Made Flowers"

I made this for the craft room challenge the challenge being "make your own flowers" I chose grunge flowers (I love making these) and went for a frosty look. The frame is painted with sky blue and dabbed with pearl and a darker blue through sequin waste before being stamped on. Grunge flowers inked blue stamped on and finished with stickles. Finished off with a TH die cut swirl in silver card. Thanks for stopping by and for the lovely comments. Hugs All Sandra XX

JFF "Winter" Challenge

Over at JFF (check out the DT entires) team a new month of challenges has begun, and to kick off the theme is "Winter" I chose a winter scene on a tag. It has been painted with morning mist acrylic and masked to create the bright frosty moon. The stamps are kanban and the bottom of the tag is glue with cosmic shimmer icicles mixed in which give the pink sparkle tinge. I enjoyed making this scene it has put me in the mood for Christmas.Thanks for dropping by and all the lovely comments made. Hugs All.Sandra XX

JFF Favorite Shape

JFF are continuing the favorite theme and this week it is "Shape" wow excellent choice, I  had no problem with choice as my favorite is a "Heart shape"  I am making gift boxes for Christmas so I decorated a small chip board heart shape box. Panted it pink, rubbed in metallic rubs, embossed a flourish and stamped it added a heart and butterfly. All my favorite techniques and things. Thanks for stopping by my Blog. Hugs XX
Such Fun.

Craft Room Challenge

This is my Travel Postcard for the Craft Room Challenge I have gone for a vintage romantic feel in this little postcard sized hanging. I used a crafty individuals travel background paper and inked it followed by a couple of CI stamps. Added vintage lace and made a flower and used an old postage stamp.This is a short post as in the middle of Strictly Dancing :)  and now Merlin. Hugs all enjoy the rest of the weekend. XX

Favorite Technique

Oh NEET how could you LOL, choosing my favorite technique was soooooo difficult I enjoy so many. JFF is having a month of favorites. Well in the end I decided to use a favorite technique I learnt from my Tim Holtz compendium (a present from the Diamond a couple of years ago when I first became obsessed with Altered Art, little did he know just how obsessed I would become LOL)  I used a tag and painted it black then stamped and embossed in clear, re-painted with sky blue and when tacky rubbed it back the clear creates a resist. Stamped text in white paint, the frame is TH faux rust created with with heat embossing  and DI inks. The vintage image is covered in rock candy crackle and rubbed in sepia. I love heat embossing it is versatile and can be used in to enhance so many different projects. Who would think choosing favorite would prove to be so tricky but huge fun. Hugs All. XX

Lots of lovely VintageLace

Hi All, For those amongst us who simply love lace especially vintage. I have lots of lovely vintage lace for sale some of which you can view on my Folksy store. Excellent for vintage pieces and fabric collage etc. I have added little taster photo below and I will be regularly refreshing whats available.

Hugs Sandra XOXO

My Favorite Colour Challenge

Hi All, Now I love all sorts of colours depending on my mood it can vary. So this week the challenge from JFF is to use your favorite colour as the main point of your piece. I have a great love of Lilacs, purples, pinks, heathers, you see where I am headed with my colour :-) So of course my choice is a heather shade of paint for my canvas and then I gave it a sparkle glaze, stamped a swirl. Made my flowers, leaves and butterflies out of wallpaper scraps (it was the perfect colour match) and varnished with clear nail varnish.  (I did explain this recycle technique on a previous post) this is going to be given to my SIL Brenda as she introduced me to recycling wallpaper scraps. Its pretty but not cute (I hope). Love the JFFhttp://jffchallenge.blogspot.com/ DT pieces in their favorite colours.

A month of Favorites

Over at JFF a new monthly theme chosen by Neet and she is focusing on Favorites. Whoop Whoop love this theme. This week it is using a favourite stamp great I thought but as Neet said there so many favorites LOL. Anyway the stamp I used is my all time favorite. I used a tag which I cut out of water colour paper as I wanted to paint the background and this paper does not curl like painted card. For the background it is a combination of painted card (lilac)and painted fusible (bondaweb) which I painted in 2 different colours (black and pink). It is then ironed onto the tag along with pieces of sequin waste,organza and paper. I gave it a blast with the heat gun to create a few holes and a distressed look. I stamped my favorite stamp onto the card masked her and stamped musical notes over the whole thing. I re stamped my little fairy girl and gave her a wash in pink and a sparkle glaze. She is then glued over the original image to create a shadow effect (sort off) with the addition of a red heart (well it is my favorite stamp) and pieces of winged background paper she was done. I did enjoy making that tag. Enjoy the weekend even if it is wet and be careful with the fireworks. Thanks for stopping by. Hugs Sandra XX

Black & White

2 posts in one day blimey, well I have been meaning to post my Black and White challenge piece for the Craft Room Challenge since last Sunday. Anyway better late than never. I chose to do a tando jigsaw piece, painted it black and used my lovely new paperartsy crackle (it is fab stuff) and painted over the top in white. Stamped a swirls and made the flowers to match. Quite simple but effective. Thanks for stopping by Hugs All Sandra XX

Something Found

Over at JFF this is the last week of the recycle challenge and boy has it been a tuf month, but then it is called a challenge :-) Any way the Diamond has been decorating again and we have been clearing out stuff. I found some old wall paper (might not technically be an object but I did find it)I also found some old nail varnish. I have made some butterflies for a hanging frame I had. This idea is not mine but I learnt it from my sister in law (Brenda).
Punch out from the wallpaper (you do need to fussy punch) then punch out from plain copy paper, glue the two together, whilst still wet shape the wings when happy with the shape dab pva on the underside and leave to dry this will give it some body to keep the shape. Once completely dry cover with clear nailvarnish it will dry rock hard. Now how is that for a money saving tip and it really works.

Hope this is ok for this weeks theme. Enjoy the weekend. Hugs Sandra XX

From the Sewing room

I am refreshed and happy after my holiday where we spend the week walking the beaches of North Norfolk and crafting (you can see some of the project pics in the previous post). So I was ready if a little late to take part in this week JFF  challenge. The recycle theme is from the bedroom or sewing room and I was blown away by the DT pieces the GDT Hazels piece was just fabulous.  I went for "from the sewing room". I have a fabulous stash to choose from so I made sure I kept to the spirt of the challenge and only allow myself to use small scrap pieces that I had previously discarded from other projects. I used a piece of  calico that I had previously inked but didn't like added somes vintage lace and netting. Had a rummage through my bits box and found a silk heart, a couple of tiny pre cut tags which I covered in bits of scrap book paper and inked. I did cut  the image into a circle to fit the frame and then machine sewed the lot together added the little button and flower. The whole thing is only 4x4 and is is now destined for a frame. Thanks for stopping by hugs all Sandra XX

Craft and Holidays

Every year a group of us (all family members) rent a barn in North Norfolk (my most favorite place on earth)we walk the beaches in the morning and craft the rest of the time. The Diamond comes along and is our chef for the week (he truly is a Diamond XX) this year we had various projects we wanted to do and here are a few pictures of our achievements.
Altered clock is mine, the altered mini printer tray my Mum she also made most of the little bits inside it, and the wreath my Auntie. 2 others also made the star wreath. All gorgeous makes.

Dragon's Dream TIO # 100 - Ticket to Ride

A simple tag for Dragon's Dream TIO # 100 - Ticket to Ride, I choose a travel to Paris theme, used DIs tea dye and dried Marigold. A torn piece of book text and a TH Paris stamp bottom corner crackle accents and to finish a journey ticket. Thanks for looking Hugs Sandra XX

Recycle Month at JFF

Well the recycle theme continues at JFF this week it is use anything from the kitchen, Again I am amazed at the DT pieces so innovative. I chose to do a tag cut from a cereal box that was on its way to the recycle bin (note to self -Use cereal box made tags more often will save using card stock)  I inked the tag with worn lipstick and bundled sage, I then stamped text and a crackle effect background in sepia. I embossed a swirl top and bottom. I passed a piece of the cereal card through a pleating gadget (it looks corrugated) dabbed dolly mixture acrylic paint over it. My wings are the rest of the cereal package. The hearts are made out of spent beer can (the Diamond thinks I have a vendetta going on, first his Sunday supplement then attacking his beer cans, what next? :-)) I passed the metal through my cuttlebug text emboss folder and then a heart die cut, dripped alcohol ink onto them, the flower is also from the beer can the colour is from the beer can. Hugs All and thanks for stopping by my blog. Sandra XX

JFF Recycling Challenge

Over at JFF the latest challenge is to use books or magazines as the main feature of the creation. So with this tricky challenge my mojo decided to go walk about and is not back yet. I did manage to produce a little tag made out of the Sunday supplement. This caused a stir as the Diamond had not got round to reading the papers LOL. Anyway it has a swoosh of gesso and DI inks to take away the starkness of the print and I stamped onto it. I chose pretty colours from the adverts to make the flowers. I am not happy with my submission but I like to support the JFF girls. The DT pieces are a fantastic use of books, mags and those that have made a submission have been really innovative. Thanks for looking Hugs Sandra XX
PS If you come across my mojo please send it back ASAP.

Crafty Individuals October Challenge

Winged things is the October theme for the challenge at Crafty Individuals I have made an altered frame called ButterBird. The frame is painted and crackled then rubbed with DIs and metallic rubs. The stamps used are CI182 Swirl and the bugs also CI but I can't recall the number. The stamps are used on the frame and the background, the background is swiped with DIs. The Bird and cage is good old Tim Holtz die and I have painted splattered in ink and clear embossed. To finish added the delightful vintage butterfly wings and some beading. Thanks for looking. Hugs Sandra XX

JFF "Anything but a card" Challenge

Is it me or does everyone just LOVE an Indian summer, everything seems so beautiful warm sunshine tinged with autumn colours, good for the soul. Over at JFF this week and a 5 week month so we have "Anything except a card". Well this week I have been working on a little box so I thought I would enter this into the JFF. I painted and distressed the box by crackle medium and rubbing in DIs. I stamped on tissue and blended into the box on top and sides covered the whole lot with matt medium. Inside the box I distressed and lined with mulberry paper onto which I stamped "Roses are red etc, I made a small heart cushion which I had stamped a butterfly and beaded, tiny button and key finally a small grunge flower. The picture is a crafty individuals and it has been crackled. The story of the box, it was given to a WW1 solider by his love and he kept it with him in the trenches until he came home again. The funny thing is I am not at all romantic LOL just ask the diamond, he thinks the sun has gone to my head. Thanks for stopping by blog. Enjoy the sun. Hugs Sandra XX