Zodiac Samples for Crafters Companion - Gemini and Cancer - altered notebook and some foiling

Morning readers, hope you're all glad its the weekend.  Sharing two more Zodiac projects for Crafters companion using the Zodiac dies.

Ruling Planet is the moon, and element is water and since Cancerians like heartfelt gifts like memory books etc I altered a notebook

For this card I used the following supplies:
Gemini Elements Zodiac Die - Cancer
Moon made with a circle die, which i cut twice and using glitter card
'Waves' shape made with Sara Signature Graceful Swirls Metal Die
Burlap / Hessian from Stash
Various memento inks used to colour the crab
Papers from Crafters Companion Download inspiration
July 2015 - Sea Breeze

Next is a foiled card - first time using the cerise foil and this definitely a feminine card for a Gemini girly birthday!

for this card, I used the following supplies:

Gemini Elements Zodiac Die - Gemini

Gemini Foil Press, Happy Birthday Foil Stamp Die

Royal Damask Foil Stamp Die Plate (the positive and negative foiling is done here) Cerise Papercraft Foil

Glitter Card and Dotty Ribbon

Picked raspberry Distress Ink

It still amazes me how crisp and clean the foiling is with the Gemini FoilPress, and I hope I have taken enough photos to show you just HOW gorgeous it is..

Right that's it for today, I will be back with more before the end of January, and some luscious embossing folders are up next....

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

Long time, I know!

Hi Everyone, yes its way too long since I've posted and have neglected my blog I know!

A lot has happened over the last couple of years, most significant of which is a return to the UK to be closer to family and for a variety of other reasons. Selling and moving away from a home in the countryside we loved so much was indeed hard (and maybe I'm still on the way to accepting that!)

A sad day I never want to experience again :(. I miss a lot of special people I met in Ireland, you know who you are, and I will be back to visit.

I am happy to say that a little earlier than expected, we purchased our new home here in December 2017 and have now both secured permanent employment (back 9 - 5 monday to friday so routine is back and I'm loving that!!). I'm grateful for a room to have my craft stuff and it even overlooks a small field and is next to the local country park so we've heard geese over the last few days on account of the reservoir in the country park.  We're on the edge of a small town so not in a very busy place. It helps that my better half has a golf course next door too, that was a bonus :)

Nevertheless, I promised myself to continue to craft and take advantage of the increased number of craft suppliers over here (did you hear my bank account just groan!?).

I've hit a little hitch though, probably down to the last very manual job I did before my return to UK, my slight carpal symptoms have moved onto severe symptoms :(. So, the pre-surgery specialist appointment is due in around a month's time and  in around 2 - 3 months I will be in a lot better position without a dead hand!  Anti inflammatories, splints and anything else including frozen heat wraps, I'll try it all as the current sleep deprivation from tingling and numbness is not nice.

So sadly crafting is very limited, but for one who cant sit still, I took to knitting and crochet again and hauled out my old supplies.  Helped along by a work friend who I've hooked up with from years ago, Cheryl thanks for all your encouragement, I've missed you these last few years.

One of the things I was hoping to do on my return, was to visit TOFT which is around 20 mins from where I live, appreciate being that lucky!

I had a ball!  We even took a day off on a Thursday and went on the free farm tour to meet the alpacas, they are skittish animals and about the size of large sheep. I understand that some people keep them as pets too!  I am totally hooked by amigurumi, having only made granny row and granny square blankets in the past. Mom taught me to crochet and I could never read a pattern, it looked like greek when I attempted to decipher crochet instructions but now I'm on my way to understanding them finally. It's like the old lightlbulb cliche.....👀👀

Anyway here are some photos from the farm tour and the amigurumi basics workshop.

Cutie alpacas...

and this dark one was the shyest and my favourite 💗💗💗

Basics workshop was all about learning the stitches and to increase / basic shape. This would enable a beginner to finish the piglet.. here is the demo animal

ooh nice hand dyed yarn in the background.

So I have decided to make a beanie type animal in the form of Emma the bunny from the Edwards Menagerie book, and this is the start. from one who has knitted bears and other animals, these are so quick and gratifying to make..

I purchased plastic pellets from ebay as the beanie material and sewed a pyramid shape with polycotton fabric sourced from the works (mental note - they have some fab label dies i must go and review LOL!)

So after adding some polyester stuffing in the bottom and sides of the bunny body, I've now added my pyramid weight and the rest is WIP (work in progress).

I hope to bring an update after the current baby blanket project has been completed (deadline looming!)

So that's it for now. For those frequent blog readers in the past, I will be back with papercraft and some new things, and it would be great to hear what you've all been up to, so feel free to add a comment or two!

Here's hoping the cold weather departs soon and we see some more spring days. 🌷