Oooow Yummy, Scrummy Hearts!

Over on the PaperArtsy Blog their challenge at the moment is 'Hearts' ------  and if you have read any of my previous blogs you will realise I'm partial to the odd heart so I had to make something to enter.

To see the wonderful collection of different hearts Leandra has put together and all the inspiration of the DT click here.

On Friday the postman delivered an order I'd placed with a firm called Artcuts who sell wooden cut shapes, words etc. The timing was perfect as in my order there was a box of 'Not Quite Perfect' items which consisted of may beautiful shapes including lots of hearts!

I was thrilled with my order and if you too use wooden shapes you might like to look on their site

http://www.artcuts.co.uk/section.php/116/1/special-packs-kits

So equipped with my base I was off.

The 12cm base needed a slight sanding on one side then it was given a coat of White gesso. Dry wall tape was added to the lefthand side and the definition of Home was torn from an old dictionary and struck on the righthand side.

Next I brayered some Fresco Chalk Acrylic in Haystack, Hint of Mint and Nougat. Grunge paste was added through a Clarity stencil, and once dry these were dry brushed with London Bus. The ivy was stamped to the edges using DI in Peeled Paint and then using clear EP heat embossed.

Then using stamp sets Crowns and Castles 2 & 9 and Archival Watering Can ink stamped images onto tissue paper and coloured in with water colour pencils.

The hinges were stamped onto shrink plastic with black archival ink and when dry coloured from the back with a gold Pro-marker pen. One hinge shrunk a little on the wonky side( probably my uneven cutting out) but I like the quirkiness it adds.

Using kraft card and Jofy 42 'Home is where the Heart is' was stamped and white embossed, then cut out and each of the 3 pieces edged with a black pen.

Treasure Gold was added to the hearts in ruby and olive bronze on the ivy leaves.

A length of rusty floristry wire was attached to the top and a carved wooden bead wooden.

Then all the elements were attached with either matt medium or Pinflair glue.

The material heart was simply made by cutting a paper shape for a pattern, embroidering 'Love' onto a piece of 16count Aida and sewing this onto the front of the heart along with the ribbon before sewing the back and front together leaving a small gap for the stuffing. Once stuffed the gap was sewn up.

If there was more time in the day and more space on my walls in my craft room I would make many more hearts of all shapes,sizes and materials but alas there's not !

Thanks for taking the time to read this blog, I hope you have a relaxing Sunday afternoon---- perhaps making something 'Heart Shaped' Have a good week,  Jane X

!st for 2016 --- Lace, Buttons, Bits and Bobs.

Hi and welcome, gosh it's already 24th January and I've only just got round to doing my 1st blog entry for 2016 !!! and what could be a better way to start than an entry for Crafty Individuals bi-monthly challenge. To view the DTs samples and the other wonderful entries click on the link here.

For this I started by stamping C.I. 386 onto various different card stock, vellum and calico. The vellum was coloured from the back using watercolored pencils.

The different elements were cut out and then gradually rearranged to reform the stamped image. A piece of crochet cotton and ribbons were used for the kite's tail, and a little Treasure pewter was added to the material of the balloon.

Then using C.I.182 the corners of the blank card were stamped in Versa-mark and clear embossed. The card was then inked with DI in Antique Linen using a large brush.

A small MDF heart was given 2 coats of Fresco paint in Mermaid and then stamped and embossed using pewter EP.

'For You' was stamped from C.I.438 set onto a tiny tag, a flower die was used to cut soft leather and crunchy wax kraft paper for the top and a single swirl was cut using the Elegant Swirl die and then cut in 2 so as to connect the top through to the bottom of the card.

Buttons, lace and a pearl bead were all added as the card was assembled. Although this wasn't the quickest card in the world to make as there was quite a large amount of cutting out, it was fun and very relaxing. I am pleased with how it has turned out and I feel it full fills the brief of 'Butons, Lace, Bits and Bobs'.

Thank you for stopping by and I hope this might get you looking in your button box and having a go.Take care and I hope you all have a good week, Jane X

Thank-you to all that left such lovely comments in 2015, they were all very much appreciated X