Saturday 31 December 2016

Wishing Well

Wishing Well


Hi everyone!

How're you doing today?

Pretty much a mixed feeling
time isn't it?  Sad that another
year is very nearly over but
looking forward to the New Year

Some of you may recall that a
while ago we used to have a
Wishing Well and I would like
to get it going again.

For those of you for whom the
previous paragraph is a complete
mystery, allow me to explain:

Have you ever bought a product
in all excitement having seen it
demonstrated but once home,
unable to recall why it was so 
appealing in the first place, or
what on earth to do with it?

Of course you have, indeed, we
have all experienced this dilemma
(some of us more than once!).

Well, worry not, help is at hand.
Let me know what it is that has you
flummoxed and I will run an
occasional Wishing Well
 post with the answer 

My email is mickiecraftbarn@gmail.com
and I'm looking forward to hearing from
you


Just time to wish you a safe and
enjoyable Old Year's Night however you
spend it

'till tomorrow

Mickie xx 


Friday 30 December 2016

Dimensional

Dimensional


Today we have Dawn Heald  to 
show us a beautiful bowl she has created:


I've made a shaped button bowl and I'll be honest it was meant to be a flower bowl. However, with a slip of my scissors and a couple plasters later, it changed. I'm overall pleased as these make handy little bowls easy to get at the contents.

You can make papier mache shapes using a variety of different sturdy objects. Just wrap in plastic wrap/cling film first to prevent the paper sticking to your objectives.



To make this project.

Choose object shape to use as a Mold. Cover with cling film first to prevent the paper sticking to your object. Tear small pieces of book pages and glue them all over your object. Build up as many layers as you like depending on how thick you want it. Leave to dry naturally.
Then remove object from the papier mache. You may need to cut down it to prise is off. If so simply use small pieces of book pages and glue back together. Dry and then trim and neaten edges to get shape you want. Neaten further by sanding and applying glue on very edge.
Paint all over with watered down white gesso






When dry apply colour all over using Alchemy Wax using sponge and or paintbrush.







Now make some embellishments with Shell Mold and paper clay, painted with Starlight Paint and Pink Alchemy Wax. Make some little fishes by Stamping Fish stamps onto Frosted shrink plastic, die cut, colour with clear sparkle pen and shrink with heat tool.







Back to the bowl, sponge edges and stamp the little asterisks all over the outside with Black Stazon Ink. Then add dots of White PVA glue all around outside. Dry.

Stick embellishments around outside of bowl. Add further decoration with buttons and Peacock Stickles.




The finished bowl from all angles:






Products used: 
Imagination Crafts Alchemy Wax: Peridot, Japanese Jade, Cobalt, Pink Tulip 
Imagination Crafts Starlights Metallic Paint: Pearl, Orange Oxidized 
Heartfelt Creations Under The Sea Stamps, 
Heartfelt Creations Under The Sea Die set 
PaperArtsy Lin Brown stamps ELB15
Woodware Seashells Mold 
Paper Clay 
Polyshrink Shrink Plastic: Sampler Pack 
Cosmic Shimmer White PVA Glue 
Stickles Glitter Glue: Peacock 
Stazon Ink Pad: Jet Black 
White Gesso
Multi matte medium
Wink of Stella clear pen



Thank you Dawn for showing us how to go about
making these beautiful bowls.


That's all for today folks!!

Mickie xx

Thursday 29 December 2016

Collage


Collage


Here we are betwixt and between
the two main events - I have heard
it called "Twixtmas".  Oh dear........!

Hazel Harler has brought us a
journal page to give us some
quality crafting time away from
it all:


For my collage piece I did a mixed media journal spread.


I collected lots of bits and pieces together


I glued my chosen bits into my journal.



Then I gave the pages a thin coat of gesso.




The pages were painted with Fresco Finish paints



I added some Infusions and sprayed with water - I didn't like the result



I used a yellow Inktense pencil and brush to change the result of the Infusions.
 I have no photos of the next couple of steps as it was getting quite dark.

I use an Impression Obsession background stamp 
with a green distress ink on the pages, 

I then spread sherbert Alchemy Wax over the raised areas then decided
 to spread it lightly over the whole project - it toned down the colours


A close up showing the Alchemy Wax.


I stamped the Impression Obsession background stamp 
onto white card with Leaf Green Archival Ink 
and then stamped the Paperartsy images with black Archival Ink. 

I tore the images out and glued them to the pages. 
I added some cotton and green gems, 

the words were stamped onto white card and cut out, 
I went round them with black pen after I'd glued them to the pages. 

I sprayed some brimstone wings Color Bloom 
onto card and punched out some butterflies


Another close up:





Thank you Hazel 
a fabulous page


Haven't touched my journal in a while so think
this project has me reaching for it............
Yes, I do type one handed when I have to!!

See you all again tomorrow

Mickie xx



Wednesday 28 December 2016

Wax, Paper & Acetate

Wax, Paper & Acetate



Hi there!

Fancy a little break from the
festivities?  A moment for yourself?

Here's a project from Craftyfield:



Acetate is a sure way of introducing something different
 in your card making and there are plenty of ways to play
 with the transparent aspect of it but 
today I chose to use it as my card base.

 To cut the base card I folded my A4 sheet of acetate 
in 2 and placed the fold within the cutting line of the square die. 
To hold it in place I use Removable tape.

I wanted to emboss the sides of the card and used 
a narrow embossing mat with a wall texture embossing folder 

I cut this one from a large size embossing mat 
and I have found useful to have small mats in 
different shapes to do partial embossing such as this



Another fun technique with embossing folders 
is using them with Wax paper.
 I embossed a wood texture in the wax paper. 
The photo is showing that I am 
wrapping the paper inside a folded A4 sheet of standard paper. 
This is because wax paper is very thin and will tear if embossed on its own. 
If you wish, you can use a single piece of cardstock instead 
and save it for another project

Next I created a sandwich with from bottom up:
The card for the project
The wax paper
A spare piece of cardstock

I wrapped the sandwich in greaseproof paper 
(or baking sheets) to protect my iron. 

Since I only wanted the design on the edges, 
I used a scrap piece of paper as a mask,
 identifiable in the photo by the green blob. 

I then ironed the sandwich using a cotton setting but NO STEAM. 
It only takes 30 seconds for the wax to melt onto the paper

With the mask still in place I applied 
Distress inks over the melted wax design.
I used a piece of plastic packaging as additional 
protection chosen because it is see-through.



With the borders inked, I proceeded to the stamping 
of the Dandelions, not with ink but with Judikins Micro Glaze 
which is a paraffin wax (i.e petroleum jelly). 

This will resist any waterbased mediums applied later.

I used my finger to apply the wax, be sure to go lightly to catch only the top of the stamp for a reasonably defined design

 I sprayed water on my cardstock and started sprinkling 
Brushos in black and blue around the Dandelions heads. 
I kept adding powder and water until I was happy the 
Dandelions were “revealed”


Next I assembled the card. For a perfect finish I needed 
3 additional pieces of cardstock, 
all the same size as the decorated panel. 
This way there is no glue showing and 
of course there is somewhere to write the message!


Clockwise I glued the decorated panel with 
double sided tape to avoid any glue 
spoiling the front of the card.

The second piece is easy to place by gluing it 
on the back of the decorated panel (not shown).

For the third piece (the message panel), I
 used removable tape to temporarily 
adhere on top of my second piece. 
I applied the glue 
(I used liquid just to give myself a bit more working time), 
closed the card on top of the panel. 
When the glue has dried open the card and 
remove the temporary adhesive by 
rubbing with your fingers or an eraser

Finally the fourth and last panel is glued to the back. 
It can be left bare for additional writing space or decorated as well.

A closer look at the Dandelions


Materials:

Hmmm.......... I had wondered what an iron was for! Haha!
Thank you Craftyfield that is a super card
with just the right amount of crispness for a
cold winter's day

See you all tomorrow folks...

Mickie xx



Tuesday 27 December 2016

Alpha/Dictionary Challenge Winner 2016

Alpha/Dictionary challenge Winner 2016


Happy Winner's Day!!

Another beautiful sunshiney day
here - hope the sun is shining for
you too....

I guess it is for someone; the lucky
winner of our challenge 

There were twenty three entries,
all of which were handed to the
Random Generator who chose:





No 11



Congratulations to Arty Beginnings!

Please email me at
mickiecraftbarn@gmail.com
so that I can send you your prize

Thank you to all who took part
as always, I enjoyed visiting
your blogs and seeing all your
lovely work

'Till tomorrow

Mickie xx