MrsBeez

A hearty comeback, take 2

Posted on February 27, 2014 by MrsBeez

So I as I suspected I’m back with the 2^nd version of my heart canvas. If you were here on Tuesday you will know that I prepared a background for my heart that I then, for various reasons, ended up painting over. However, I really wanted to have a go at recreating that background and this time make sure it could be seen!

Making this was not without incident. Having layered on torn book pages, manuscript and the strips of tissue tape I still faced the dilemma of just adding a coat of gesso or no gesso and colouring with inks. You will see I decided on the former. I couldn’t help but feel I was setting myself up to fail if I coloured the background with inks.

I used the tissue technique to stamp and apply the script to the canvas, placing it so that it would provide a backdrop for the heart.

Once the gesso was applied, I stamped the border using my favourite Dylusions stamp.

I also used tissue to apply the Darkroom Door String Inspiration sentiment.

Once again I drew a heart onto heavy cardstock and then painted it with two shades of red plus smidges of black, purple and white. There was also a bit of yellow, but that’s another story.

The shadow around the heart was made using a black Stabilo All pencil.

I will be linking up this up with this week’s Sunday Stampers challenge which has a heart theme.

Thanks for buzzing by.

Little blue house

Posted on February 26, 2014 by MrsBeez

Today I am, once again, setting off for Hull to repeat the training course that I delivered last week. Given that I haven’t quite recovered from last week I’m slightly concerned that I won’t have the energy to get myself home again afterwards – it won’t just be emergency doughnuts required but emergency cake too!

The new challenge at Craft Hoarders Anonymous Challenge blog has a colour theme this fortnight. Pick the things that you hoard and create a project using the palette to inspire you.

Given that I hoard EVERYTHING, choosing what to use was tricky. As I have recently reorganised all my craft supplies I am much more aware, not to mention embarrassed, about the amount of stash I have hoarded away. That’s on top of all the papers, including all the little scraps that are left over from projects, that I can’t bear to use. So I have settled on using one of my little wooden bird houses and some pieces of card that have been half used and kept for another day.

Oh yes, I also used crochet lace (from one of my many unopened Really Reasonable Ribbon Club packs) and a button that I have been hanging on to for ages.

I gave the birdhouse a coat of white paint and then covered the roof with piece of paper from the Tim Coffey paper pack that I haven’t used in awhile. Then I stamped the sides and back of the house with inks in two different shades of blue.

I added lace to the eaves and then the little heart button on top of some blueberry baker’s twine. That button has been on and off more projects that I’d care to mention. I apply it, then get an attack of the vapours so have to take it off again! Just looking at it all used up on this project is making me feel a little shaky!

The flowers were made by using white ink on blue card and the cutting out and layering them up in different combinations.

I stamped the butterflies on to paler card, using blue ink, to add contrast.

To complete the look I added two more stamped butterflies to the back of the house, attaching them to wire to give the illusion of flying.

This reminds me of a piece of Delft pottery.

So I have now used up a total of two little birdhouses from my hoard (you can see the other one here) which means I only have about another 22 to go (they were cheaper by the dozen!).

Thanks for buzzing by.

A hearty comeback

Posted on February 25, 2014 by MrsBeez

Valentine’s Day may have been and gone, but there’s always room for heart themed projects and, happily, the new challenge over at Sunday Stampers this week is hearts. Now any rational person who had a stash of MDF hearts AND had recently enjoyed altering a heart and crown would have probably thought about doing an altered heart. Not so this crafter, who likes to take the road less travelled. I decided to use up one of my old canvases ( a failed project from the Christmas before last) instead:

This was one of those projects that started off as one thing and ended up with another. I love how it eventually ended up but could have probably messed with it for a little longer had I had the time.

Because I was using an old canvas that was covered in papers and paint I overlaid book pages, music manuscript and tissue tape to create the background. I loved how it looked but then made fatal mistake. I added a very light wash of gesso. Now this in itself looked great but what I had forgotten was that when you come to add inks, which was my grand plan, the colours don’t quite come out as planned.

Instead I had to do a bit more with paint to get a look that I liked. I used white, turquoise and yellow acrylic paints and just smudged and rubbed them on and removed some with tissue. No brushes were involved! Once properly dry, I stamped on some dots and crackles, then used my favourite Dylusions border stamp around the edge.

The heart was cut from cardboard and painted red with a smidge of black and white. Once dry I used white ink and a script stamp over the top. Don’t look too closely at the detail or you will see it’s upside down! Of course because of my error the stamping was immaculate, I’m just hoping the text is so small that no one will spot my error! I went around the edge of the heart with a Stabilo All pencil to add depth and also the swirl.

Across the bottom I added some organza rose trim and some seam binding. The latter was coloured with Broken China and Brushed Corduroy distress stains. A bow wasn’t right on this piece, but it needed something else just to finish it off.

Of course I couldn’t resist using my favourite stamps of the moment, String Inspiration by Darkroom Door, to add the word love.

My only disappointment with this project is the fact that I had created a background I loved and now you can’t see it. I may have to try and recreate it.

Thanks for buzzing by.

Inchies by night

Posted on February 24, 2014 by MrsBeez

The new word over at Every Inchie Monday this week is dark. I decided to go with the dark of night time but having my celestial stamp last week I thought I better come up with something slightly different for my interpretation this week:

The first three were all made using the same inked background – Antique Linen, Shaded Lilac and Chipped Sapphire. I hand drew the little crescent moons, trying to make them look a little whimsical and quirky. I used a little white pen to add the effect of the moon’s glow. I used the same pen to create the borders, background stars…

…and a little hanging star.

The other is a full moon, which I did in the same way as the crescents, but I added some stamping over the top.

I don’t know why I decided to make the final inchie black, but I did. I wanted to create a reflection so used a torn piece of card across the centre of the inchie and first applied Picket Fence distress stain. Then I applied Black Soot distress stain all over – the portion that had Picket Fence on stayed lighter. I punched a moon from white card for this one and then used the hole it left behind to create a softer moon, using Picket Fence distress stain, for the reflection.

Thanks for buzzing by.

Pink Perfume

Posted on February 23, 2014 by MrsBeez

I have a little altered perfume bottle to share with you today and I shall be linking this up for this week’s City Crafter Challenge Blog challenge which is flowers and lace.

This started life as a (Marks & Spencer’s) perfume bottle. I covered it with muslin/cheesecloth and lace, leaving the centre panel, which was where the original label is, plain. I added a cluster of paper roses in one corner and a large rose in the neck of the bottle.

Once the glue was (almost) dry, I am impatient, I gave it a couple of coats of white acrylic paint. Again, a little wait whilst that dried and then I randomly applied some pink pearl paint.

I’ve added a little chunky glitter here and there and some pearl strands for a subtle bling effect.

Centre stage is a Hero Arts butterfly that I stamped onto a scrap of pale pink paper and added pearls to its body.

I dithered about whether to have charms and beads hanging from the neck of the bottle but decided against it and instead made a little label. This was a small white tag label and I stamped the word in Iced Spruce distress stain and then added just a tiny smidge of Worn Lipstick around the edge. I wish I had a teeny-weeny butterfly stamp to add to the tag just to finish it off.

Thanks for buzzing by.

Mermaid, poppies and emergency doughnuts

Posted on February 22, 2014 by MrsBeez

After three days of being on my feet delivering a training course, plus loading and unloading the van either side and some early starts and late finishes I’m feeling pretty tired this morning. One of the advantages of finishing a an event on a Friday is not having to get up for work the next day however, the disadvantage is that you end up spending the whole weekend recovering. I think emergency doughnuts are called for!

So, on to today’s project I am sharing a couple of my Gecko Galz DT projects that use two of the digital stamps from Arora Wings digital stamps that are part of this month’s cross promotion.

P1070204 This card uses the beautiful Aurora Wings mermaid digital stamp and one of the papers from the Gecko Galz It’s Not Easy Being Green pack.

I changed the colour of the image, from black to green, in Microsoft Word and then inked the card using Shabby Shutters, Mowed Lawn and Peacock Feathers distress inks. I spritzed it with water and then applied some more ink through a swirly stencil. I left the face and body uninked so I could colour them with Promarkers and then gave everything a spritz of Perfect Pearls.

I’ve added little clusters of green sweetheart blossoms.

Then used some white crochet lace and green ribbon across the bottom.

My second card uses another Aurora Wings image, this time with fabulous poppies, and more It’s Not Easy Being Green papers.

P1070191 I printed the image out on ivory cardstock and coloured with a combinations of Promarkers and watercolour pencils.

I’ve used some poppy red seam binding and a little sweetheart blossom in one corner.

Then I’ve framed the image with some pearls.

Now I have to tell you that my fellow Gecko Galz Design Team members Diane and Lynne have produced two fabulous samples using this poppy image. Diane has made a stunning card, with a great tutorial, using paper piecing and Lynne has done a stunning canvas. Do buzz over and take a look, you won’t be disappointed.

Thanks for buzzing by.

Repeating Patterns #2

Posted on February 21, 2014 by MrsBeez

I did say I would be back with another repeating pattern, to link up with the Take It Make It challenge over at Craft Stamper Magazine, and this is completely different from the tag I did earlier in the week:

For this I used the Inkadinkado stamping gear but the small butterfly is the other half of the Darkroom Door String Inspiration stamp set. I used the round cog and stamped the butterfly using Vintage Photo distress ink.

I stamped the larger butterfly, from Hero Arts, in the centre and then again onto card. It has been coloured with more Vintage Photo, I added some highlights with a white gel pen and a body of pearls.

I added the sentiment and used an Inkduster to lightly dust the edges and corners of the card.

The finishing touch was to add little pearl centres to each of the small butterflies.

Thanks for buzzing by.

Egg blue

Posted on February 20, 2014 by MrsBeez

Although I have a long, long day delivering training today I do have a bit of a spring in my step as I got the good news that all my candidates passed their nutrition exam. Not only am I very proud and pleased for them, I am also highly relieved!!

If last week was all about romance and Valentine’s cards, this week seems to have been about altered MDF and tags. Today combines both, with an egg shaped MDF tag!

I’m linking this up with this week’s Sunday Stampers challenge that has the theme of birds.

During one of my recent tidy ups I found I had rather more of these MDF eggs than I remembered. The only trouble was that in my head the eggs were ostrich sized whereas in reality they are smaller. (Note that my knowledge of egg sizes is limited!) So my plan to embellish the egg with flowers and bunting went out the window. However, I’m very happy with the way this turned out.

I coloured the base of the tag with Distress Stains, layering Broken China over Picket Fence to create a duck egg colour. Then I splattered on some Walnut stain for a speckled effect.

Then, holding my breath, I stamped directly on to the wood. First the Darkroom Door sentiment and then the random blossoms. I chose this particular word as it was the only one that would fit properly and still leave room for the bird to perch.

I will admit that I practised the stamping on paper first and when I did, I got the bird perfectly on the wire. However, I knew that if I attempted to do that on the actual egg, it wouldn’t end well, so instead opted to stamp on card and cut him out.

To finish I crinkled up some seam binding and threaded it through the hole.

Thanks for buzzing by.

Repeating patterns 1

Posted on February 19, 2014 by MrsBeez

Today I am sharing a tag that I will be linking up with the Creative Stamper Take it, Make it Challenge #7. For this challenge you have to use a small stamp to create a repeating pattern.

I’ve used one of the small flower stamps from Sheena Douglass’ Flower Power stamp sets and combined shadow stamping with regular stamping, using Barn Door and Festive Berries distress inks, to create the flower pattern.

The background was created by layering up distress inks – Wild Honey, Mustard Seed, Spiced Marmalade, Shabby Shutters and Mowed Lawn – and then spritzing with water,

The sentiment is one of the String Inspiration stamps by Darkroom Door and I’ve added a frame around the edge using a branchy stamp. For both I used Walnut Stain distress ink.

I’ve added little bits of honeycomb, using Rusty Hinge and, of course, it wouldn’t be complete (no pun intended) without some little bees buzzing about!

I stamped some more flowers, cut them out and added them to the corner and top of the tag and finished off by adding some black ribbon.

You will see I have numbered this post and you would be right to guess that I may have another go at this challenge.

Thanks for buzzing by.

Dual

Posted on February 18, 2014 by MrsBeez

This week’s theme at Every Inchie Monday is dual. I had lots of thoughts – dual carriageway, dual controls, dual personality, dual function, dual tessellation… but, in the end I decided to play with dual colour options.

To make these I was able to indulge in one of my favourite pastimes – lining up coloured pens!

I used the broad nib to draw strips of colour.

I cut out my inch squares and then stamped and punched out the celestial face.

To finish I arranged the face on the square so that the colours were reversed.

Remarkably, I stopped at just four colourways. Once I’d done, I kind of wished I’d gone with my original plan and used distress inks. So, because these were very quick to do, that’s what I did.

Did I ever mention that I love maths? I especially love playing with number and mathematical patterns and I even love algebra? So just in case you were wondering about dual tessellation, which is to do with drawing lines through the mid points of tessellating patterns, I’ve made some computer generated versions below.

As ever, the entries by my fellow players at Every Inchie Monday are unbelievably imaginative and creative and beautifully done so be sure to check them out.

Thanks for buzzing by.