Altered Book Cover for SaWo

The challenge at Saturday Workout this week is "Altered Book Covers" so here's the cover of the first altered book I ever did.
It measures four and a half by three and a half inches and was an old diary....so it became "My secret Diary" and holds lots of my "secrets" !
The wired beading on the spine was threaded through small eyelets.
Not much more to add except it was done with a combination of inks, stamps, brads and some little charms and swirls.

" Print" for ABAA

Heres my 4x4 for the challenge at Awfully Big Art Adventure which is "Print"
I tore up strips of newspaper and junk mail and painted and stamped them.
Then I took the quote from one of the discarded pages of an altered book I'm making and edged it with ink.
I then glued the pieces at random onto cardstock.
When it was all dry I chose a square I liked and cut it out.
I covered everything with a thin coat of gesso, to even out the tones and finally I added the image.
I hope you like this bit of re-cycling...and thanks for dropping in !

"Flowers" for "Theme Thursday"

Theme Thursday have chosen "Flowers" as the theme for this week so here is my entry.
I've turned a gothic arch upside down to make my piece.
The embellishments are strips of florist's ribbon rolled into "beads" and wrapped and tied with cord.
I hope you like it !

"Woman" for M.T.T.C and "Simplicity" for Crazy Amigo

M.T.T.C. have "Woman" as it's theme this week and Crazy Amigo have "Simplicity" so here is my ATC for both challenges.
Just tearing and chalks for this one !
I hope you like it !

Bookmark for ABAA and Colour Create

Awfully Big Art Adventure have a bookmark as their challenge this week so here is mine....showing both sides.....it's based on the Holy Grail tapestries designed by William Morris and Edward Burne-Jones.
I thought it would be amusing to put some words on the bookmark...just in case the book was boring !
The background is done with a copper dabber and the images are from a magazine.
I'd also like to enter this in the Colour Create challenge which this week has picked the colours "Orange,Yellow and Green"
Thanks for popping by !

Smile for Arty Girlz !

The theme this week at Arty Girlz is "Smile" and has been chosen by our host Anna
Here is my 4x4 for the challenge. The frame is covered with an Anna Griffin fabric swatch and the image is from Gypsy Purse.
I've tried to make the frame so that the flower on the material looks like it's part of the lady's hat.
The frame was made from mountboard, which I cut a square out of, and I then covered it with the fabric. Then I lined up the image behind the opening and covered the back of the whole piece with card.
Its a simple piece but it turned out to be harder to make than I expected !!!

"The Written Word" for Mixed Media Monday

Here is one of the pages of a mini book I've made using Laura Ashley papers.
The words are from one of Anna Griffin's books of quotes...laid on vellum.
This is my entry for this weeks theme (The Written Word" at Mixed media Monday
I hope you like it !

Fantasy... for Gothic Arches

Here's my arch for this weeks challenge at Gothic Arches...the theme is "Fantasy" which was chosen by our talented host this week who is Lynn Anderson
It's been nice to do some crafting today as I haven't been able to do much this week as one of our staff was off sick and another was on holiday so it's been early mornings and late nights for me at our market stall to try to help out. I'm happy we are back to normal this week...whatever normal is...so craft room... here I come....!
I backed my arch with serrated black card tipped with gold...I'm afraid it doesnt show up much in the photo but if you click on it you may see it a bit better.
The background is gold acrylic dabber paint with pearlescent glue swirled onto it.

"Animal Magic" for CCT...and "Animals" for CC

Here's my card for the Cute Card Thursday challenge "Animal Magic"....
and also for the Charisma Cardz challenge which is "Animals"
I've made a "New Baby" card which is for a lovely couple (Sophie and Jae) who are celebrating the safe arrival of their dear son "Leeland"
I coloured the stamping with watercolours.
Imagine if babies were really delivered "parcel post" by hedgies !
I hope you like it and thanks for looking x

"Silhouettes" for Wednesday Stamper

Here's my ATC for this weeeks challenge at Wednesday Stamper which is "Silhouettes".
The stamps are "Fantasy Fairies" from Dovecraft.
When I'd finished I realised I'd put "Flowers and Fairies"...but theres only one fairy (duh!)...so you will have to pretend the rest are hiding!
Thanks for Looking x

2 Butterflies for Arty Girlz !

This weeks challenge from Arty Girlz is "Butterflies".....and as I love butterflies I've made 2 pieces for the challenge....first a small altered tin ...and secondly an ATC.
The lid of the tin was covered with the gold foil that had originally been inside. I put the foil through a CB folder before I glued it onto the lid...the rest of the tin is covered with ribbons, flowers and butterflies.
To make the ATC I laid down blocks of colour then stamped daisies over them. I edged the flowers with gold pen and put black dots along the daisies and stamped "bliss" on one of the colour blocks.
And finally I added the ribbon and butterfly.
I hope you like them both... and thanks for popping in !

Sketch for Papertake Weekly Challenge

Papertake Weekly Challenge have a brilliant sketch by Dawny P for us to follow.
Here is my card made using a Joanna Sheen CD.
The photo is taken at an odd angle again, I'm afraid, so that I could cut out the flare from the mirri board
.....I hope you like it !

"Elegant" for Think Monday Think ATC

The theme at T.M.T.A. this week is the letter E...so here is my "Elegant" lady ATC for my entry.
The jewels are nail art ones and the rest is pretty much my usual inky thing !
I tried to make something that looked sepia....hope you like her !

Tea Time for Gothic Arches

Our theme at Gothic Arches this week is "Tea Time".
It set me thinking about all the traditions surrounding the humble cup of tea...one of which, in our house, is " one spoonful for each person ....and one for the pot"
.....and woe betide anyone who forgets and makes tea like "dishwater"!
Of course, now we think "teabags" instead of "spoonfuls" so even traditions get updated !
Thanks to The Graphics Fairy for the image of the woman....
.....and thanks for dropping in !

Altered CD for SaWo

Oooo I loved the challenge at Saturday Workout this week because we have to alter a CD.
I put an old CD on the top of a small heatproof (pyrex) bowl, silver side up, and blasted it with my heat gun pushing the softened CD down into the shape of the bowl with the end of a wooden spoon...its NOT a good idea to poke it with your fingers as you wont believe how hot this gets!
...then when I was happy with the shape I let it cool down.
I put a circle of card in the bottom to cover up the hole...and then heated up the dish again and embellished the inside with glue,embossing powders and beads.
When it had cooled down again I covered the outside with silver paint.
I hope you like my little dish!

Circles and Swirls forTag You're It !

Heres my tag for this weeks challenge at Tag You're It which is to put some circles and swirls on your tag.
The flower is from a Shabby Princess free download.
I hope you like it !

"Labels" for "Theme Thursday"

Well I was going to make a more conventional piece for the challenge at Theme Thursday ...especially with the beautiful labels download they have given us.. but a bit of news this morning sent me off on a different track. Apparently we have to stop throwing away so many clothes and I am of an age where NOTHING was thrown away...everything was rehashed and re-cycled to death !
With that in mind and remembering my mums sewing box, filled with every scrap she'd saved, I set about making a collage of my own bits and pieces. My pink and silver label is a clothes ones and is folded behind the threads (which I've put on the material I've used)
I put the padlock and chain on to remember the fun of punk fashion and I left loads of "threads" seeing as that is a slang term for clothes.
So.... "clothes are what you make them"....using all your bits and pieces.... a touch of ingenuity...and a dash of style !
(... One thing no one can accuse me of is having style Lol lol lol....!)

I hope you like this bit of fun....and please click on pic if you want to see a bit closer

Lovely Award from Pascale

I am so chuffed to get this award from Pascale...thanks mate !
I would like to pass this on to Dawn, Rosie, Annette, Faye and Cynthia...yes I know some of you already have this award but I wanted to say a big thank you for all your help and support.....xxx

Card for "Truly Scrumptious"

Welcome to a new challenge blog... Truly Scrumptious
Their first challenge is a sketch so here is my card.
Sorry aboout the strange angle but it wasn't until I finished it that I thought..gold? pearlescent? glitter?...uh..oh...what about taking a photo?...so this is the best I could manage !
Thanks for looking...!

"Wire" for "Arty Girlz"

Here is my piece for this weeks challenge at Arty Girlz
The small pic shows the shapes used to make the necklace. (The silver spiral in the small pic is wire, wound round a pencil...if you cut in a straight line through the top of the spiral it makes jump rings.)
This piece is totally impractical...but fun to make !

"Mardi Gras" for "Gothic Arches"

Here is my arch for this weeks challenge at "Gothic Arches" which is "Mardi Gras"
I made the background with a mixture of pigment and alcohol inks, and metallic paint.
The image (which I've altered with metallic paint) is courtesy of The Graphics Fairy
The "gems" are tiny nail-art ones.
I hope she has a good time at the carnival !

Tomato Puree (Paste) Tube Makes!

A couple of people asked how I made my malagro heart so I hope this explains.
1 First pic shows what tools you need and a clean tomato puree (paste) tube(cut off the top and bottom and split up one side to open) stamped with a simple shape stamp
2 Use a 2.5mm tool to emboss (from the stamped side) in the middle of the stamped flower using strokes like you would when doing parchment craft...the metal will stretch and start to bulge
3 Make a groove with the smaller ball tool beside the stamping then turn over to the front and emboss in the grooves to make them deeper...this gives a ridge
4 Cut out your piece and fill the back with silicone glue to stop it from collapsing when you apply colour...or whatever you want to do.
5 I've also shown some strips of freehand work and pricking...the silver strip was gold but has been coloured with a silver pen.
6 Finally here is my milagro heart before it was cut out and coloured with permanent marker.
(All work was done on a mat similar to a mousemat)
Well thats about it then...I hope you enjoy having a go !
FOOTNOTE....I cut out using large scissors as I found small ones leave a jagged edge...but its up to you... whatever you prefer.
If your metal is crinkled when you open the tube out run a brayer over it and the soft metal flattens down nicely.

"Love and Romance" for "Tag You're It"

Tag You're It have chosen "Love and Romance" for this weeks challenge so here is my "Love" tag.
The heart and background are stamped with "Layers of Colour" "Heart" stamps.
I hope everyone has a wonderful Valentines Day tomorrow x

"Fan" for "Rainbow Lady"

Well I'm a great fan of Rainbow Lady...but I don't think Cynthia meant that sort of fan when she set this week's challenge....so here's my (birthday card) fan... made for a very special someone who has a birthday soon.
I made the flowers from some printouts.....which were courtesy of Shabby Princess
I used a sheet of glitter and a sheet of gold card, plus a few white peel offs,some pearl hearts, a sentiment and a tassle....the hardest part of doing this was taking a photo....!
....I'm off to make a box for it now !
Thanks for dropping by !
...Forgot to say this will stand up because I've made a stand for it...out of gold card and then run through a CB folder.

Gold ! .........2 Challenges

Created By Hand and My Time To Craft both have Gold in their themes this week so here is a piece for both challenges.
Every time I hear the news it's all about money...so I thought I'd do a piece with that in mind !
The background is scrunched tissue covered with pearlescent glue.... then alchohol ink was drizzled on it and buffed when dry. The words are written on the computer.
The charm is a mix of bits from my "wotsit" box.
Thanks for looking !