MrsBeez

Crowning Glory

Posted on February 17, 2014 by MrsBeez

Monday, Monday and time to start a new week and a new challenge over at Crafty Boots Challenge Blog. The theme for the next fortnight, chosen by the lovely Gabrielle, is crowns.

I know I keep going on about the fantastic shows, featuring Hels Sheridan, that were on Create and Craft recently but if you were lucky enough to catch them then you will know exactly where my inspiration came from. This is an MDF crown that I’ve altered following the demo that was done by Hels. You may still be able to catch it over on the Create and Craft website.

First I coloured the crown with Black Soot distress ink. Once dry, I used some Creative Expression glitter and flake glue to stamp randomly. Once it had turned tacky I added some gilding flakes, burnishing them well.

The flowers were made using Heartfelt Creations stamps stamped on to pink designer papers. After cutting out the blossoms, I inked them with Picked Raspberry and Worn Lipstick distress inks. Once they were applied to the crown I added some clear gems to the centres and then tucked in some punched green leafy branches.

The butterflies were stamped on to orange paper and punched out.

To finish, I stamped the sentiment on to pink card, coloured it with more Picked Raspberry and Worn Lipstick, edged it with black ink and applied to the crown with a foam pad.

Make sure you buzz over to Crafty Boots and check out what the rest of the Design Team have been up to. I hope you’ll have time to share your project too – you have a whole fortnight to come and join us.

Thanks for buzzing by.

Le Printemps

Posted on February 16, 2014 by MrsBeez

Today I have a spring tag/hanging to share with you and this is a second project to link up with new challenge blog Craft Hoarders Anonymous where the theme is “What’s Your Style?”.

Typically, the time consuming part of this project – painting the base of the tag and then applying crackle varnish, is the bit that you can’t see. I used a scrap of corrugated card, white acrylic paint and then crackle medium. You’ll just have to trust me that it turned out really well! You can just see it peeking through on the photo’ below.

I left it to dry overnight and then added all the layers an embellishments whilst the chaos of the male Beez’ decanting boxes from the attic for me to sort through later. I used two layers of book pages and then some lovely paper from The Gecko Galz for the base, distressing and inking the edges.

This adorable little girl image is from this month’s Gecko Galz Darling Girls ephemera set. I’ve added crochet lace along the bottom and a touch of crystal Stickles over the blooms.

The button card image is a freebie from Love Paper Crafts.

The base of the tag is fully loaded with ivory crochet lace, pink organza rose trim, and paper roses.

There’s a little bunch of mini roses tied up with a tiny white bow.

Tiny stamped and punched butterflies are fluttering all over.

The hanger was made from white seam binding topped off with pretty pink bows.

Thanks for buzzing by.

Jaded heart

Posted on February 15, 2014 by MrsBeez

Today I’m sneaking in very close to the wire with my project to link up with this week’s Sunday Stampers where the theme is diamonds.

I’m also sharing this over at a new challenge blog, Craft Hoarders Anonymous, for their very first challenge – What’s Your Style? The idea is to use up your hoarded stash, perfect to help me keep my new year’s resolution of not buying anything other than essentials. I’ve used supplies I’ve been reluctant to use and many that I had completely forgotten about.

Now, if you were lucky enough to catch Hels Sheridan’s shows Sunday you will realise that I have been inspired by her amazing samples. If you didn’t see the shows, you can probably still catch them over at Create and Craft and Hels has many of the samples posted on her blog, as well as fab tutorials. Buzz over to both, I promise you will not be disappointed.

I’ve used a papier mache heart that I bought last year and never used. I gave it a coat of white acrylic paint, including the twine hanger. Then I covered one side with some of the fabulous paper from Teresa Collins that I have been hanging on to for months. I sanded the edges and then applied a little white paint – just at the edges and then spreading some of it on to the front of the heart. Once dry, I inked the edges with black archival. I used a spotted background stamp and Peacock Feathers distress ink to add patches of spottiness.

The flowers were made using some vintage flower stamps by Heartfelt Creations. I stamped them on to some more of the papers, mixing and matching designs. Once they were cut out I inked them with Tumbled Glass and Black Soot distress ink.

I made a butterfly in the same way.

Before gluing everything down I added some swirly pearl embellishments. I’ve also added pearls and glitter centres to the flowers and tucked in some brads.

Finally, I painted and inked a chipboard bookplate then stuck the stamped sentiment behind it before applying to the heart.

Very happy with how this turned out and thank you Hels for the inspiration and fabulous demos.

Thanks for buzzing by.

Bee mine canvas

Posted on February 14, 2014 by MrsBeez

Happy Valentine’s Day and I hope you have been spoiled in some way. I have to show you the card that Mr Beez bought for me:

How clever of him was that? Having several cards to choose from, I ended up giving him this one that I shared earlier in the week:

I also made him a little gift and am sharing this with you today:

Would you believe me if I said this started out as little altered vial? I’m not sure how or why I changed course but I am pleased with how this ended up!

It is one of my tiny little canvases upon which I stamped a bee and then paper pieced it. There is a tiny smidge of glitter on the wings.

I’ve used some gold jewellery wire (and you’d be right if you are thinking that I hadn’t put it away after my previous project!), coiled a small portion of it and then wrapped it down one side of the canvas. Wrapping it meant I didn’t have to use glue on the front.

I cut a heart out of some red mulberry paper and then stuck this so it overhangs the top of the canvas.

The sentiment was printed out on my computer. The finishing touches were to add some faux stitching and a little touch of gilding wax.

This may be the last of my Valentine’s Day projects, but it’s certainly not the last you will see of hearts. Here’s hoping your day is filled with love.

Thanks for buzzing by.

Simple love heart

Posted on February 13, 2014 by MrsBeez

I hope anyone visiting from the UK survived last night’s storms. My work colleague is now without electricity and I’m very pleased not to be travelling anywhere my train today as I think that would have been a nightmare. The bright sunshine this morning is a total contrast to yesterday evening.

Now I know I said I would give my Darkroom Door String Inspiration stamps a break but I have to tell you they are back again today, sorry. And there is a butterfly too, :)

I started making this at the weekend but never got it finished until now. I used some gold jewellery wire and covered it with strips of book page. You can’t really see that it’s book page but it does give a vintage type look. Once dry, I shaped it into the heart and added the ribbon.

I punched out leaves and blossoms from more book pages and then inked them a little with Vintage Photo distress ink. Once they were stuck on I added pearls to the centres. (Is it me, or is it quite some time since I used pearls?!)

I stamped and punched out a little butterfly in the same way.

The finishing touch was to add a little gold glitter.

This would just about fit on a standard sized card but I prefer it as a little decoration. I shall be sharing it over at City Crafter Challenge blog for their current challenge – use the word love.

Aside from the weather, the last three days have been a bit of a whirlwind for me workwise. I delivered my first training course where participants had an exam at the end. I thought the days of exam stress and worry were long gone, but no, here I am worrying on behalf of the twenty delegates who attended the course. Somehow that’s worse!

CAS – butterflies

Posted on February 12, 2014 by MrsBeez

As I mentioned yesterday, I am having a bit of “a thing” with my Darkroom Door stamps at the moment and I’m sorry to feature two similar projects on consecutive days. I normally like to mix things up a bit, but this week has been a bit tough workwise so I hope you’ll forgive me.

I saw something similar on Pinterest which was attributed to Docrafts and thought the Darkroom Door String Inspiration stamps would lend themselves very well to something similar. Once the word was stamped I simply stamped the butterfly.

For reasons best known to myself, I then stamped the butterflies on to paper, cut them out, coloured them in and then glued them over the top of the stamped image. No, I’m not sure why either except, it meant the colour didn’t bleed over the edges!

As you can see, once I started with colour, I couldn’t stop at just making one.

I did think of varying the sentiment – they would make a nice set done that way, but in the end thought that they make a nice tribute to Amy and Friends, the charity that does so much to support the families and sufferers of Cockayne Syndrome.

Thanks for buzzing by.

CAS Valentines

Posted on February 11, 2014 by MrsBeez

If you’ve been buzzing by here of late you will know that I have a bit of a think about my new(ish) Darkroom Door String Inspiration stamps. I love them and I especially love how they make clean and simple cards, which I find quite hard to do, as easy as pie. Hence the reason that I have two, for the price of one, to share with you today.

The stamps do all the hard work and I have to tell you that, being a lazy crafter, I don’t even mount mine on to a block but simply use it as it is.

I stamped the sentiment first and then used a fine-tipped blacked marker to draw the string. The heart is die cut from red mulberry paper.

I used cream card for this and then used my Ink Duster to add a little colour around the edges. P1070299

I’m sharing this card over at City Crafter Challenge Blog where the theme is to use the word love. The DT, as ever, have some beautiful projects to share if you are looking for some inspiration for your Valentine cards, that’s the place to buzz off to.

The second card was stamped on white and this time the heart was a stamp by Stampotique. I also stamped two little bees and coloured them and the heart with Promarkers. I added a little Crackle Accents over the top of the heart.

I love these and I now have a choice of three Valentine cards for Mr Beez.

Thanks for buzzing by.

Chocolate squares

Posted on February 10, 2014 by MrsBeez

Last week, the theme at Every Inchie Monday was Cathedrals and, if you buzzed by, you’ll know that this had special significance for me and consequently I did a bumper batch of inchie squares. So, if I tell you that the inspiration word this week is chocolate, you’d be right to guess that I didn’t stop at just one. Well, with chocolate you never do, do you?

So, for the first batch I used some sweet wrappers from a box of well known chocolates that we have been finishing up.

I kept both the foil and cellophane wrappers and prepared the bases by gluing them to cardboard. The foil under the cellophane gives a lovely sparkly finish.

Then I glued some pieces of foil to card, punched out the butterfly shapes and stuck them to the squares. I love the way the words provide a pattern.

Liking this bunch I wanted to pursue it further and so did a bad thing. I went and bought a batch of Cadbury’s Crème Eggs just so I could have the wrappers! Well obviously I ate the eggs too and that is why my purchase doesn’t qualify as crafting supplies.

This was just a bit of the wrapper and then an egg punched out of brown card and topped with Crackle Accents.

My last two squares are fondant fancy confections!

These were pink squares, topped with punched shapes and “iced” with a white gel pen.

I could have gone on forever with this one and eaten my own body weight in chocolate as I did so!

Thanks for buzzing by.

Valentine Spool

Posted on February 9, 2014 by MrsBeez

This month’s challenge at Anything But A Card has a tic-tac-toe board for you to choose from.

You can find all the details over on the Anything But A Card challenge blog and see all the fabulous projects that my fellow Design Team members have made. For my DT piece I’ve gone for the right to left diagonal – glitter, heart and ribbons/trims. However, I also make the top line of red, recyle and glitter!

My spool was originally black, painted in preparation for a Halloween project and then never completed. I gave it a makeover for one of my Gecko Galz DT projects, tweaking it again before sharing with you here. I painted over the black with a couple of coats of red acrylic paint. I’ve used an image from the Basic Grey True Love collection and edged it with silver glitter. In the centre is a circle of one of the papers from the Gecko Galz Kitschy Kool papers, also edged with silver glitter.

The main image is from the Gecko Galz Valentine Wishes.

I’ve added a little cluster of pink bows made from ribbon and baker’s twine, lots of red glittery hearts and sweetheart blossoms.

The sentiment banner is also from Basic Grey.

I am also sharing my spool over at Really Reasonable Ribbon for their anything but a card an ribbon challenge.

Thanks for buzzing by.

Splash two

Posted on February 8, 2014 by MrsBeez

Having said yesterday that at some point in the future I would be playing with the black/grey/white and a splash of colour that is the theme for this week’s City Crafter Challenge blog, you’ll gather from the title of today’s post that this has happened rather sooner than I anticipated!