C is for ...............Christmas

Hi everyone am back with some photos of the card I promised, and it's no secret I love Christmas! I was given these gorgeous Anna Marie Designs papers last year and I love them, great for inking, embossing, glittering etc as very good quality.

This is a scheduled post, so hope it works okay, as I completed the card before I have carpal tunnel surgery..

So onto the products I used (forgive me for not adding the box photo yet as I need to finish decorating that with ribbon when I regain sufficient strength).

Anna Marie Designs:

12x6 inch box

12x6 inch card blank

Christmas jingle 8'' paper pad (6x6 would work as well)

stamens

ceramic effect white adhesive paint

From stash

Brown card

ivory satin ribbon

bakers twine

red paper

spellbinders poinsettia dies

Marianne D ivy dies

no name poinsettia embossing folder (magazine freebie?)

glitter

distress inks

memento inks

Firstly, I used the wood effect paper and brown card and cut to size to fit card blank (paper pad only 8x8 but design is clever so you can cut and add to make longer piece.

then embossed corners and distressed using scissors or distress tool

then inked using brushed corduroy distress ink

Next I added the ceramic effect, and whilst still wet added some glitter. 

Next time I will use a different ink or paint since the distress ink being water based, mixed and tinted the ceramic effect a little, which resulted in a slightly aged look and not the white I really wanted but still nice..  the difference you can see where the ink wasn't applied further into the centre of the paper..

next step is to make flowers.. yay!!

die cut, ink and crumple leaves and petals...

for green bits i used green pages from pad and for red I used backing paper from stash.

inks for green - memento bamboo leaves + cottage ivy

inks for red - memento rhubarb stalk

notice the difference below between inked and uninked..

  

adhere your flowers layer by layer, shaping and then insert stamens through centre

Note - i inked white stamen threads with bamboo green memento ink.

die cut a couple of ivy sprays and ink the veins with memento cocoa brown while die cuts are still in the die

Dip a few berries in ceramic effect and then glitter pot - this stuff is a two way wonder, adhesive and white stiff in one tub!!

now the fun after the preparation...

apologies for photo below but it was getting late and I was too excited to stop!!

 I was playing around with layout and chose a simple scroll / flag combination..

to assemble:

adhere the embossed inked glittered paper pad pieces to brown card,

wrap satin ribbon around                                                                

adhere the scrumpled (that's my new word BTW!) scroll / flag

adhere green raffia, then satin ribbon bow, then bakers twine

adhere the ivy leaves                                                        

adhere the flowers                                                     

 and finally the berries                                         

some more photos for you..

added some more white to tips of leaves too..

the paper sheet with let it snow text was a good sentiment rather than a stamped one, and the whole pad mixes well so decided to use that..

finished card..

That's all for today, will be another couple of weeks before I'm back as i have another couple of weeks until stitches are out.  

sneaky peek - the C word

Here's a sneek peek of a card in progress. and yes its a Christmas card!

Altered Wine Box, Coasters and Place Mats

OK as promised, here are the photos and information for my latest finished project. I have loved making this over the last week or so, even if it meant waiting between coats of paint, serviette glue and Clear Coat, as I am so impatient to see the end result, but as they say all good things come to those who wait!!

Here's the box in stages

 

assembled with the use of a PVA / wood glue to secure

painted with off white chalky paint

a little Steel Blue Viva Decor creme metallic paint introduced 

... and what did I learn?? A tall box like this may have been easier to assemble if the main flat panels were painted before assembly (leaving the assembly corner notches unpainted as they slot in tightly with a little glue).

 I made my own rustic twisted cord using thin garden twine.

Next to decoupage on the napkins, note the butterflies were from another random napkin set..
I used the Serviette glue for this and a good quality fine brush.
First apply a thin layer of glue, covering fully then tear the napkin to approximate size and then use another thin layer of glue to brush down in light stokes.
the napkins will stretch a little, but be careful and this practise it becomes easier, a loaded brush will soak, break excess pieces away.

See photos below for all the angles of the box. using parts of an image or wrapping it around the box makes it more interesting and look better placed.

Nest I coated the whole box in clear coat to protect it.

Then onto the decoration.  I made flowers using dies, water sprtizer and the viva blue paint / matching blue card and stamens / glue gun.

Cut two smallest flower shapes for each of the small flowers
cut three smallest flower shapes for the largest flower
spritz with water to soften

crumple

paint to preference

shape with embossing ball tools of different sizes and using a piece of high density foam or fine sponge

make holes in centre

twist and threat stamens through, gluing each layer from smallest to largest

I then proceeded to add a base of distressed twine (pull the threads loose), loose stamens, and die cut leaves which have been crumpled and to which distress inks applied, after which I glued the assembled flowers..

Some more photos of the box

Next up are the coasters and place mats, the place mats also just have parts of the image, place slightly off centre so they look just right.  Its a good idea to check your placing before going ahead and gluing with excitement!

Here are my essential products for this little set of altered items, all available from Anna Marie Designs' shop

Tackling the place mats took a lot longer, I underestimated how much my minimal approach would take but several hares and then only using part of images on all the mats just wouldn't look to good, so here's how they turned out:

Ive enclosed a closeup on one so you can see the texture after adhering the napkins and two coats of clear coat - i like the slightly textured shabby look :)

.. and last but not least the whole set - hope the recipient loves this gift as I certainly enjoyed making it!

Materials used (sorry not added links but are easily found in shops listed)

From Anna Marie Designs:

MDF Place Mats and Coasters set

Wine Bottle Box

Viva Colour Creme Paint

Klarlak Clear Coat (Matt)

Serviette Glue

Chalky Paint

Flower Stamens

From stash:

Magnolia Doo Hickey Leaf Dies

Spellbinders Floral Dies

Garden Twine

Brushed Corduroy Distress Ink

Evergreen Bough Distress Ink

embossing ball tip tools

Water Sprizter

PVA Glue

brushes

sponges

Wrendale Hare Brain Bunny serviettes / napkins (Note copyright on these and this project is for a gift)

I'm tired from all the warm weather so if there are any typo's I apologise LOL!

Be back soon with another make, but this time it will be a card.

Altered project and Fantabulous weather!

Well I've been absent and with good reason, what an amazing summer we're having and its only July!  This weather has to be a once in a few years event, surely?

The garden needs watering though and I cant remember when we last had rain, so we do need some soon, I think perhaps it'll happen next week and end up in a storm?? I've posted a few photos of my modest bedding plants in an array of home made wooden troughs (thanks to OH) and pots at the end of this post..just so you can nose if you're reading this post...

I was given a present of an mdf wine bottle box by a treasured friend who introduced me to Anna Marie Designs brand when I was back in Ireland, so I couldn't wait to visit the showroom and meet Anna Marie last year on my return to the UK. And being that I was only an hours drive away I visited and saw all the showroom samples and products and fell in love with it all.

I visiting the Create IT Events show in Leicestershire in June too, and had a good browse at all the stands, including Anna Marie's.

I started making altered items while on the Crafty Cutting Design team and loved that as it further challenged me beyond cards and I couldn't wait to finish the projects to see the end result, here's a link to the ones I had done before for those new to my blog.

Anyway when I saw the Anna Marie stuff I bought some additional items, and in here's a sneaky preview of the coasters and place mats I am altering, in addition to the wine bottle box.

I decided to use Wrendale Designs napkins (note these are copyrighted, so for personal use only and not to be used in items for sale).

Here are the products I'm using as well as an off white chalk paint - click on the photo for link to AMD's shop.

and here are the previews I'm sure you'll like

The wine bottle box comes flat ready for painting and assembly.

Painted with chalky paint and using a brush, introduce some of the Inka Gold steel blue shade

and the coasters in progress.. (sorry for the poor lighting but I have been doing some of these in the evening and got so carried away I forgot to take photos..

I will be back in a couple of days with the finished items, just finishing off and adding the Viva Decor KLARLACK Clear Coat (matt version), so they're drying and need a second coat tomorrow.

Some sunny flower pots as promised:

that's all for today, hugs!

Jess xx