Mixing it up

 

This is my first mixed media canvas. It’s quite big at 16″ x 16″. I used a photo I found in the bargain bin at an arts and crafts shop. The photo is of an Edwardian Shakespearean  actress so I used a couple of Shakespeare’s quotes on the canvas. I used muslin to provide a soft texture in the corners and added crochet and pearl pieces around the canvas. I used papers and floral images that are available for to Create and Craft members and used chalks to add colour to the black and white images. I used Hobby House flowers and a few metal bits and bobs. I turned doilies into fans to add into the corners. The white textured strips at the side were made using Tonic’s Paper Clay and a lace-like mould. I enjoyed being able to play with fabric and  paper and although I can’t ‘pictures’ I love working with the canvas and paints. I found the whole process very calming. X

 

Crafty Update

Recently I have been made acutely aware that Lupus hates crafting but anxiety loves it. My Lupus has been having a bit of a party at the moment which leaves me with exhaustion and a metaphorical hangover that gets in the way of any fun craftiness. However, my anxiety has now come out shouting and the nicest way to quieter it down is to craft so, after some weeks of frustration due to not making anything, here are some things I made.

Experimenting with making a blackboard easel card. I used a folded 5 x 5 black card and cut out strips of chipboard to make the easel (legs and frames) which I put on the front and back of the folded black card. I used Craftwork Cards chalkboard toppers and embellished with die cut flowers from my stash, the one with the buds is a Spellbinders die.

A bit of a mix, including my first play of my new Altenew stamps.

Some more WI Rising Roses pompoms:

Poundland Chic

I was ecstatic when Mum bought me two MDF plaques to decorate, I was even more excited when I found out that they only cost a pound each from Poundland. I can’t get enough of anything MDF recently. I have this manic urge to cover everything paint and paper but MDF can sometimes be expensive especially if your not going to make it for any specific purpose or person, so MDF for a pound is to me amazing especially as the MDF plaques my Mum got were really thick and had metal loops on the back so it can be hung up. I sent Mum back to the shop to get me some more and she also got some for the WI. Apparently the MDF words the shop does are ‘Home’, ‘Love’ and ‘Happy’ but we couldn’t get a ‘Happy’ at our local shop. The ‘Love’ sign above was made using papers from the Rustic Romance collection by Craftwork Cards, the paper flowers were a mixture from my Craftwork Cards stash and two die cut ones. I made an envelope from one of the papers and placed a heart inside it which can be found at the bottom of the ‘E’.

When things don’t cost too much it can sometimes ease the pressure to make it perfect and can allow you to experiment more so I tried using Polyfiller (also from Poundland) as a texture paste. I added the paint into the polyfiller on a palette and mixed it together. I spread the paste on the MDF and played with it swirling it and slapping and lifting it to see what texture it makes, so by playing with the paste in no particular manner it began looking like waves. I added another layer to the lower half of the amount I spread on before to create a little bit of depth. Once dry I dipped my finger in me white paint and lightly dabbed the white on some of the raised areas of the waves to make it look like foam. I used decoupage glue (Mod Podge Matte) to fix the paper embellishments but I left the ‘Home’ sign unvarnished so it retains it’s chalky character. I had so much fun playing with the paste.

Craftwork Cards Cards

I have an ever-growing collection of Craftwork Cards as I love their contemporary designs and versatility (it also helps that they are great value for money!). I have also joined the Facebook Craftwork Cards Fan Page which has spurred me on to indulge my Craftwork Cards appreciation further. This is the first Facebook group that I have joined as making a cold request to join a group always filled me with dread and fear of rejection; however, I need not have worried as the fan page is a warm, friendly and engaging group. The quality of the work the fans produce on that page is amazing which makes it a very inspirational space. Inspired by the group these are some of the cards I have made.

 

Insomnicrafting

My sleep has been particularly bad as I’ve hit a bit of health bump so in order to distract myself I’ve been doing a bit more crafting during the long sleepless nights.

Probably spurred on by some wishful thinking I made a dreamcatcher from an embroidery hoop, linen-like Ribbon from Craftwork  Cards  (adore this ribbon!) and cut feathers from Craftwork  Cards  papers. To make the feathers I cut out a rough leaf-like shape and folded it down the middle. I then snipped towards the fold line along the sides taking care not to snip across the fold. When both sides have been thinly snipped I carefully twisted the feather by pinching the top and bottom of the feather and gently twisting the ends in opposite directions.. To do the top part I randomly weaved and looped the ribbon across the inner part of the embroidery hoop having glued one end of the ribbon to the side of the inner ring. To hold everything in place I pushed the outer ring of the hoop over the inner ring and tightened the outer hoop. I used bakers twine to hang the feathers from the hoop and decorated the hoop with some Craftwork Card flowers.

Graphic 45 Love

Like many other crafters I love Graphic 45 papers. Everything about Graphic 45 is special, the variety and depth of designs, the feel and smell of the papers. Because the papers seem so special there is a reluctance to actually use, cut into, the papers, so I tend to save them for best, for those special occasions or people.

I brought myself to break into my Graphic 45 stash for my Nan and Great Aunt’s birthday cards. I decoupaged the main images on the card and on the green card I edged the card with pink ink and blended the pink into the green paper. I used Graphic 45 Artisan Style and Time to Celebrate collections.

 

Insomnia = Craft Time

Due to my current insomnia I have been overindulging in night-time crafting. These have been my latest sleepless efforts.

Happy Flower Cards

Simple, but big and bright cards. Made using a We R Memory Keepers Die. X

Diorama Drama

I made my first diorama using Graphic 45 papers from their Gilded Lily collection that I bought from Create and Craft. I really enjoyed fussy-cutting  the characters out of the papers using a craft knife. I made pillars using corrugated card that I had made on my scoreboard, however I didn’t think this through as I built the diorama so it could be layer flat but as I added the pillars it won’t  lay completely flat now. I used metallic markers for the gold detailing and used gilding wax on the pillars. The curtains were made from fabric and the banner across the bottom reads ‘Have a Ball’.

 

Needle Felting

I’ve been resurrecting some of my old needle felting tools and creations. I haven’t done any needle felting for a while but Mum always liked the look of it so she wanted to take some in for her WI event. Just before I became really ill again, due to multiple large flares that I am still trying to recover from (about 2 years ago), I had taken up needle felting and loved it, so much so that it gave me the confidence to book my first craft stall. I had always wanted to have my own stall but unfortunately two weeks before I was to lay out my first stall the big initial flare hit and I was too ill to do it. I was so gutted that I think I unconsciously  let the needle felting slide as it sort of represented yet another thing my illness curtailed but that was silly so I am going to start doing some more as it’s a lovely craft. Some of the models that needle filters’ create are amazing – I can’t do that, but I do like to play at making needle felted flowers.