'tis the season.........

Not sure about being jolly !! Considering I was not going to make any this year, I felt guilty so have decided to make them only for my stamping friends - family will be receiving bought ones - this might stir them up! I think I have a bead fettish at the moment - thanks to Adrienne for hosting a bead swap on CCSwaps!

NGS Book Study - Nancy Curry

The latest technique is Bargello - This was alot of fun and so easy to make. I found a piece of card that I had coloured awhile back (I think with alcohol inks?) stamped over the top and then cut it into strips with various widths. I used white stazon in and glued on a metal butterfly - this was really simple and quick to make - good way to use up some of that pre-coloured card I have made and have lots of!

Tim's Masks - CBA Technique Challenge

Mel's challenge is using the new Tim Holtz masks - I bought these recently and couldn't wait to have a play. On this one I used the memories mists, because my bottles are nearly empty I had to hold my piece up while I sprayed and I noticed that the colour ran under the mask - but it adds to the effect. The only thing I found with these masks was that they were too sticky for cardstock when they are new they rip off some of the card when you removed the mask, also because of the delicate pattern you really can't clean the staz-on ink off them, but other than that I think I will get alot of use out of them.

Believe

With mask in place I used chalk inks DTP technique - the inks bled slightly under the masks, but I still really like the look of it. Using one of my fav stamps with stazon then wrapped metallic thread around the lower section. Added german scraps and a metal corner embellishment and glued down the 'believe' in the corner.

Cuttlebug Card

For CBA I whipped up this little sample - using a frosted binding sheet, scrap paper, prima flower and foil from a coffee can. I put all these thru the cuttlebug using different embossing folders. Punched out flower and corner with my whale of a punch and attached flowers with a matching brad. The challenge was to use something different other than card or paper with the folders.

Christmas Card Swap

CBA is having a 1-4-1 swap and this is what I am sending to Nola in the ACT. I had my beads out for another project and thought I would like to use them on this. I wasn't going to make Christmas cards this year but I am thinking I might make these. Now I just have to remember where I got those spirals from!

Bead Swap

CCSwaps is hosting a beadazzled swap. I made a phone charm using these cute wire cages, I was able to open them slightly and place a bead inside, I really like this one. On the card I used silver micro-beads on the heart and 22 gauge silver wire with an assortment of beads. Using pliers I twisted the wire to create interest. Hope my swap partner likes both of these.

Something Textured

On Chunkybooks we are doing different challenges and the 1st one is anything with texture. I made this box a while back and really loved how it turned out. I used crushed tissue paper, coral paper, mesh, crushed paper, heavy textured paper, gauze, mulberry paper and hot glue - basically anything with lots of texture. I glued everything down really well with gel medium and when it was dry gave the whole box two coats of black gesso. The good thing about this technique you can use any scraps laying around and it doesn't matter if it turns out oddly coloured because you paint over it. You can't tell on the photos but I covered the sides in the heavy texture paper too. When that was dry I highlighted the lid with gold, crimson and grape lumieres. Left that to dry and gave two coats of 'Gloss Crystal Kote' It is quite glossy to look at but I don't think the photos do it justice.

Bracelet

I bought these beautiful glass hearts at the local markets and wanted to make a charm bracelet with them - I really like this piece and thinking of putting it in a swap that I am in - not sure if I want to part with it though!

Shrink Plastic - CCSwaps

It's been awhile since I have played with Shrink Plastic - with this piece I used almond shrink that I had sanded and rubbed brown chalk all over, then stamped with black Staz-On ink. Cut out the image and heated it with my heat gun. I used an ATC size photo mattboard that I sprayed with suede paint added a skeleton leaf and some cool mesh ribbon bought at Canterbury Paper Arts Festival - wrapped the whole piece with gold thread and glued on the shrink and wording with 'Pritt' glue - hope my partner likes it!

Thank you for Jessie

This is the thank you page I made Jessie who is moving to NZ. Jessie started up the group Chunky Book Artist and is now run by Rob Keogh. Here's hoping she liked my contribution.

Faux Washi Paper

This is the paper I made for the NGS board book challenge - I really like how it turned out. I used dye-based inks on tissue paper with lots of water. When it was dry I stamped it with black staz-on and silver encore metallic ink. Instructions can be found here

Kimono's made with friendly plastic

On NGS we had to make an embellishment for our board book for our Asian page, but we could not use any Asian stamps. This Kimono was shown to me by a lady in Canberra and I thought it was perfect for what we were doing. Not sure which one I will use, depending what the next step will be.

CBA - Angels Skinny Swap finished book

Have finally finished my covers for my 'Angel' swap and just waiting for one more page to arrive so I can add it to my collection - down further is a slide show with everyone's page

House of Time

This is my set for the 'House of Time' swap on chunky - I did not realise how many stamps I had that related to time or clocks! I even got to use my squashed bottle caps on this one - knew I would one day! I also used perfect pearls which still needed to be sprayed with sealer and finally I used my 'wave' blade on my carl trimmer - the clock hands on the front are a punch and window plastic was used in the cut out panels - hope the girls like this one!

CBA - My House of Time

The front I decided to make as a pendulum clock and got to use my coredinations cardstock which I have had for a while but not used - I made all different coloured clocks so it was pot luck which colour everyone got - I kept the B&W for myself. I got to use my colozzle too which I have had since forever

Chunky Book Artists - In This House

The latest swap is a 'House Swap' and our collection of neighbourhood homes will all have different themes. I have signed up for 2 books this time - House of Music and House of Time. With my House of Music I used my Memories Mists onto photo matt board, which I purchased from the local art shop in an A2 size very cheap. I used a variety of stamps, german scraps, cuttlebug border die and vellum. Now all I have to do is design my House of Time - the things we do!

NGS September Art Lottery

I had to choose the next theme for the Art Lottery because I had won it last time - so my theme is 'Flourishes & Swirls' I used another part of my bandanalabels and made an ATC - The embellishment has 3 layers of black UTEE on it - found these at a show, thought it finished off the piece nicely.

Bandanalabel Swap

Out of all the labels below I have quite a few now ready to make some cards - this is for my CCSwaps group - at the moment there is only one other person signed up - so I hope she likes it!

Bandanalabels

Trish is hosting a swap on CCSwap using this technique - I really enjoyed using the white gel pens - here are my pieces before the finished card was made. I will also use one of them for the 'Swirls and Flourish' Art Lottery for September

Get Wired - CCSwaps

This swap was to make anything using wire. I used a mini canvas with easel that I bought in the local discount store. The heart is made with UTEE. The spring coil I made using a 'Coiling Gismo' bought from the craft show. I threaded it onto a large spiral so that the end of the spiral was tucked into the coil. I used wire to hold everything in place. Hope my swap partner, Mieke Bronckers in the Netherlands likes it.

Stampboard

I am in a swap for CCSwaps using Stampbord - I had purchased it a while ago and had a play but didn't really like what I made, then I read an article and they used alcohol inks - so I thought I would give it a go - I really like the pieces I made. This one is already hanging on my wall at home

Stampboard Swap

One of the Swaps in CCSwaps is for Stampboard. I had purchased some awhile ago and when I used it, was not really happy with the result. I then read an artical using alcohol inks - I really liked the way the inks reacted with the board - here are two pieces (not sure which one is going to my swap partner) the first piece I clear utee'd and put the background into a clear acrylic photo frame with the stampboard glued onto the outside and embellishments added. The second piece I added clear dimensional glaze and hinged them together so I could stand it up

CCSwaps - Bandana Technique

These are some of my favourites - now I just have to decide which one I will send in the swap!

Doodling with a difference!

Zentangles - 'creating images from repetitive patterns' how much fun are these - once you start you are an addict!

NGS - August Art Lottery

Woohoo! I actually won the August Art lottery - now I just wait patiently while everyone sends me their entries! The theme I picked for next month is 'Flourishes & Swirls' even though I cannot enter I will still send one to the person who wins next month

Embossing with no stamps!

I picked up this idea from my yahoo group NGS by a lovely lady named Lorraine who saw it demonstrated at a show. Each piece turns out so differently. It is a real 'touchie feelie' piece! I just love the technique - thanks Lorraine for showing me something different with products I already own!

Stamped into EP

Another sample made with Lorraine's technique - I am really happy how this one turned out!

aRtbUzz - Bandana Technique

How Cool is this ! and so easy, that is if you like to doodle! Just go to the aRt bUzz link to find out more - thanks Trish for sharing

Angelic - Chunky Book Artists - group 5

This was one of the 'Angelic' swaps that I was in - there are 12 people to each book and there were 6 books all up - I signed up for 3 books - 36 pages were more than enough for me! I bought some beautiful unmounted butterflies from a local craft shop - these were actually designed by one of the girls in the 'Angelic' swap - well done Linda, I just love them! I stamped my lady onto acetate and coloured her with a tombow pen and then attached it to white card. I then cut a slit into her back (she was very brave!) I stamped and embossed the wing onto vellum with white embossing powder and cut it out - I also coloured it with the same pen and placed the wing into the slit so it looked right. I used some fantasy film on the background - see if you can find it - I think it is camera shy! I white embossed images onto the corners of the green paper, added a flourish that I cut from purple shimmer paper and added the flower in the corner with a silver button brad. I used tiny little diamontes that mum gave me next to the words which were a purply/green colour and matched really well. The back of each page had to be decorated as well - so I used the same stamp but did a simplified version on the back with my details - There was quite a bit of embossing on this one and normally I don't emboss at all - so it was nice getting back to what enticed me to start stamping all those years ago!

Angelic - Chunky Book Artists - group 3

For this swap I used my gorgeous cherub - I love the way he sits just dreaming the day away! I got out the sewing machine attaching the stamped vellum and strips of crushed paper with zigzag stitch. Stamping the cherub onto white gloss paper I put double-sided Jak paper to the back before cutting him out (I had 36 all up to cut out! ) this way there was adhesive on the back and I didn't have to stick lots of little bits of tape or glue him down. The background was made using 'Luna Lights' paints and I describe this method further down in my blog under 'backgrounds' - I liked the outcome of this one - it took a while for it to come together (I think the creative juices were on holidays!) - hope the girls like this one too!

Angelic - Chunky Book Artists - group 2

One of the swaps I participated in for the 'Angelic' theme. I had this gorgeous orange/pink cardstock that I purchased from a craft shop and embossed on it with silver pearl embossing powder. The angel image was stamped onto cold laminate 3 times, adhering 2 directly to the stamped cardstock and the 3rd I put onto a piece of silver shimmer cardstock. On this piece I added clear micro beads to the wing - you cannot see it very well - it is more of a touch & feel element. The word 'Angelic' was printed off my labelling machine and attached to a torn piece of black cardstock with square brads. I ran a piece of pink cardstock thru the cuttlebug using 'diamonds in the rough' and highlighted it with 'pinecone' inkpad. I then added a black corner sticker to finish it off. I really liked how the embossing showed thru clear laminate and added highlights to the image - here's hoping the other girls in this group like my contribution to this swap

Some of my art