Parisian Themed Album for Scrap FX

Excited today becaue I can finally share with you a project that I've been working on for a little while now.  Jill Wheeler from Scrap FX asked me to do a Guest Designer spot on her blog so I decided to create a Parisian Themed Album using the Scrap FX Gate Book as the basis.  Here is a quick pic..

To see the whole album with a guide as to how I created it click here to go to the Scrap FX blog.  While you're there spend some time looking at the magnificent work by the other DT members.

Thanks for stopping by!

NZ Paperchase Video Tutorial

I thought I'd share with you a video tutorial I did recently for NZ Paperchase magazine.  The template for the project can be found on their blog at http://paperchase.typepad.com/.

Hope you all enjoy it!

Artful Evidence Workshop

On 19th May I am co-hosting a scrap day in my local area.  We will be kicking off with a Second Hand Stamp and Punch sale (a good opportunity for everyone to sell or swap their preloved stamps and punches while they crop).  And an optional workshop in the afternoon where we will create a single page layout, incorporating texture paste and Stencil1 Layered Stencils.

Contact us on artfulevidence@hotmail.co.nz

Details below in the video!  Hope you can make it!

NZ Paper Chase Magazine Cover

Woohoo!  My first magazine cover...so thrilled!

Just Because...For No Reason At All!

Just felt like creating a card today, no particular reason or occasion - just because!

The French Pastry Doillie die from Cheery Lynn Designs came in handy (again!) for this card.  I wanted to keep the card relatively simple - not everything has to be chock full of detail to be attractive.  Simplicity is also rather beautiful.  So here is the result...

Battling a very annoying head cold today - change of season and all!  That said - I'm off to make a cup of tea and enjoy a little sunshine!

Take care.

NZ Paperchase March Challenge

This month over at NZ Paper Chase the challenge is to create a layout based on a sketch.  This is my take on it.

This is one of the polymer clay flowers I made from a mold - painted and patina waxed.  Love how it came out - and I love that it's lightweight enough to use on a layout.

In my previous post, I wrote about the amazing layered stencils from Stencil1.  Here is the butterfly I made, starting with Distress Ink on plain old card stock, then texture paste detail, painted and waxed.  IRL it has a very velvety look.  I adorned it with a soft brown feather (from a Christmas decoration!)

So pop along to the NZ Paper Chase blog to see the sketch - I challenge you to come up with your own take on it!  Great prize for the winnner!

Mixed Bag

Today I have a bit of this and a bit of that to share with you.

First up, is my entry for the Cheery Lynn Designs Lots of Layers challenge.  I created  a little Easter Pillowbox, to fill with mini Easter eggs for a friend.  I used the Cheery Lynn Designs French Pastry Doillie to create the fans on the left side, and the French Flair die for the artisan frame.

Earlier this week I received some stencils from a company called Stencil1 - based in the USA.  What struck me about their stencils was the very cool and different designs.  I bought a couple of Layered Stencils - birds and butterflies 3pack stencils.  What a fabulous idea these are. 

Basically, you use the 'solid' stencil to create the base of your image.  Then you layer the detail stencil over the top and apply whatever medium you choose to create the detail. I experimented with Texture Paste and was pretty please with the result.

Here is a card I made with a cutout of the Hummingbird I created...

And a close up of the bird...

I'm hoping that I get some more time to play with these stencils this weekend, we are expecting a weather bomb apparently!  We had plans to go to the ODI Cricket NZ vs South Africa but I can't see us going now!  Instead, it'll be hunkering down for another wet weekend.  Not a good start to Autumn really!

Take care and thanks for visiting.

Liebster Blog Award

Thank you so much Lisa.  I am delighted and very honoured that you picked me for this.

I came across Lisa's blog Adventures in Paperland through Moxiefab World.  I love Lisa's style of work, part vintage, part shabby, with links to some great challenge sites.  Pop by Lisa 's blog and say hi!

It's a great feeling to know that there are people who regularly read your blog! And more so, to know that they take inspiration from your work. There are so many talented art and crafters out there. And so many wonderful blogs to visit.

The idea behind this award is to spread the love from one small blog (under 200 followers) to other small blogs. This helps to spread knowledge and readership. To accept the award, you must:

1. Link back to the person who gave it and thank them for thinking of you.
2. Post the award to your blog.
3. Give the award to 5 bloggers (with less than 200 followers) that you appreciate and value.
4. Leave a comment on the blogs of the five people you have chosen to let them know.
So with this is mind, here is my list of 5 blogs that inspire me on a regular basis, and are well worth visiting.

http://delightfullycrazytoo.blogspot.com/  Sandie - for the most stunning array of cards.  Sandie has an enviable style about her work, and the photos she takes of her projects are beautiful.  Sandie has some fabulous tutorials on her blog, so make a cuppa and sit down to watch.  Check out her hand dyed lace!  All these 'how to' details, IMHO, make for a exceptional blog.

http://www.paperscissorschocolate.com/ - Louise, a multi-talented artist.  Check out her latest mixed media work. Wow!  She has 2 cute little boys too!

http://blissandgesso.blogspot.com  Gayle -for her imaginative approach to art and craft!  Love all the details in her descriptions.

http://illbeblessed.blogspot.com.au/  Rae does amazing projects - and I will have the pleasure of meeting her in April at the Autumn Escape Rettreat in Taupo.  Rae also  takes the time to add 'how to'  and 'what I used'  details into her blog, which is a real bonus!

http://www.trinamcclune.typepad.com/  Trina - for her yummy recipes and wonderful chicken stories thrown in amongst her gorgeous crafting!  If you want to know how to use anything 'Prima' - or you're after a good cake recipe -  go see Trina!

Thanks ladies, for taking the time to share your work with us.  Congratulations, I hope you will accept the award...

Bathing Beauties

This months challenge at the Paper Chase was to interpret a layout and create your own based on the rough sketch.  Check it out here on faceboook https://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/362066385406/ or here on the blog http://paperchase.typepad.com/nzpaperchasemy_weblog/2012/02/three-days-left.html.

Another requirement was to use some sort of medium to create texture, so I modpodged tissue paper to the background, added some texture gel then paint. I've also used Liquid Pearls to give extra texture. So here's my interpretation.

You have until 29th to get your entry in....check the NZ Paperchase Magazine blog to see the goodies up for grabs for the lucky winner.

Mini Break

Back from a short break at Ruakaka Beach.  Love it there - only 1.5 hours from Auckland and an easy drive. Beautiful, unspoilt beach with 'squeaky clean sand' as my children call it!  Wonderful summer days.

'Frame It' Challenge at Cheery Lynn Designs

I've been enjoying playing with my Cheery Lynn Designs dies (again) and I have to say that their frame dies offer so much potential.  I created a card today for the 'Frame It' challenge, using my favourite Daisy Lace Frame.  Reminds me so much of a beautifully ornate wrought iron fence - the sort you'd likely see in Florence or somewhere equally as romantic!

I first created the Daisy Lace die cut from cardstock then adhered it to scrunched up Tim Holtz printed tissue paper to get a bit of texture going on behind it.  Then I gave it a paint with watered down white acrylic paint to give it a base from which to work from. This also enabled the diecut to 'sink' into the tissue. Using gold patina wax and Distress Stain in Victorian Velvet, I built up the layers to give it a pale pink/gold vignette.  Once dry I rubbed a conservative amount of black ink over the raised areas with my fingertips.  To finish, I applied Liquid Pearls to the perimeter to give it a studded look.

The cameo is my own creation using a mold, which I inked up to give it the pink/gilt effect.  I mounted the cameo on another Cheery Lynn Designs die from the Coved Rectangle Classic stack.  The seam binding I hand dyed with Victorian Velvet Distress Stain to ensure the colours throughout were uniform.  And the clock hand and watch part are courtesy of my local manufacturing jeweller.  Thanks Mr Honeybun (yes - that is his name!).  The centre of the watch hand is filled with a few pink seed beads.

Thanks for visiting.  I'd love you to leave a comment, especially those visitors from far away!

Cheery Lynn does it again!

I'm fascinated by the endless possibilities that Cheery Lynn dies can offer the average crafter.

In my previous posts, I told you I have been experimenting with making molds and clay embellishments.  Who would have thought that Cheery Lynn dies are actually perfect to make molds with?  So with that in mind, I would like to enter this project into the Weekly Challenge over at Cheery Lynn - "Frame It".  I have used the dies as 'frames' for the molds.

This is a clay butterfly I made, using the Cheery Lynn die to first make a mold.

Here is a video I have put together for you to show you the process involved.  It's so easy, and the results are fabulous.  The background music comes and goes - slight technical hitch!!

And here is yet another use for the good old French Pastry doillie die...

I placed the die on a circle of ironed and starched calico, then sprayed it with Shimmerz.  In other words, the die acts as a mask.  The result is this fabulous batik like effect.  I love it.  The piece begged to be made into a pin cushion to house my own handmade stick pins.  They look so pretty in there.  I think this would make a lovely gift for a fellow crafter.  And it only took me half and hour tops to make.  Would have been faster had I not opted to hand stitch the sequin trim in place!

I hope this post inspires you to look at using your Cheery Lynn dies in other ways.

Thanks for visiting.

And my exciting news is.....

Click the link to find out...

http://paperchase.typepad.com/nzpaperchasemy_weblog/2012/02/2012-elite-design-team.html

Introducing...

So after much trial and error, I think I have this sorted!  This is the first of my video tutorials that I'd like to share with you.  Admittedly there are some 'finer points'  that I need to work on - like keeping the project in the frame, but girls - I'm on to it!

Do you have a whole pile of diecut tags in your stash that you're not quite sure what to do with?  I certainly do, so this tutorial demonstrates how to use them to make quick and simple cards.  Hope you enjoy it. 

PS Would love some feedback!

Pion Design - Times and Seasons

Auckland Anniversary Day today - annual holiday for the hoi poloi!  Started off as a beautiful summers day, everyone in the pool, Dad cleaning the BBQ ready for a roast pork lunch - then the clouds (dark ones!) appeared!  Still patches of blue however, but not the usual hot languid day we have come to expect come late January!

I did get a chance though to finish a layout I've been working on using some stunning Pion Designs paper.  Lots of ink, texture paste, gold metallic rub n buff, liquid pearls, Crafters Workshop template and the obligitory smattering of flowers!  Also a chance to use a beautiful lace border that I've had in my stash for some time.

Something different though - I made my own dressform (small one) and key.  I found some molding clay at the shops the other day and have been making my own permanent molds.  Lots of fun!  Then I used good old polymer clay to create the embellishment, bake it, paint it and it's good to go!



In other scrapworthy news ........it took me 7 hours solid to clean up my scrap room on Saturday!  As you can imagne it was well overdue!  Admittedly, I did go the whole hog and colour code  my flowers, papers, reorganised storage for various bits and bobs and had a good purge of 'stuff'  that is really never likely to make it onto a card/layout now!  Good feeling!

Happy Monday everyone - off to check the BBQ!

Cool Tools

So I shouted myself to a new punch last week - the EK Tools Large Flower Burst Edger.  Love it!  I used it to create my Scrapaholics Monthly Kit and also to fit the criteria to enter another fabulous Moxiefabworld challenge that requires you to...

"Create a paper crafted project (card, gift bag, tag, layout, home decor item, mini-book cover, etc.) that incorporates a punched element in an innovative way"

The base for this LO was  Websters Paper and Bazzill.  The journalling reads:

A young girl was walking along a beach upon which thousands of starfish had been washed up during a terrible storm. When she came to each starfish, she would pick it up, and throw it back into the ocean. People watched her with amusement.

She had been doing this for some time when a man approached her and said, “Little girl, why are you doing this? Look at this beach! You can’t save all these starfish. You can’t begin to make a difference!”

The girl seemed crushed, suddenly deflated. But after a few moments, she bent down, picked up another starfish, and hurled it as far as she could into the ocean. Then she looked up at the man and replied,

“Well, I made a difference to that one!”

The old man looked at the girl inquisitively and thought about what she had done and said. Inspired, he joined the little girl in throwing starfish back into the sea. Soon others joined, and all the starfish were saved. - adapted from the Star Thrower by Loren C. Eiseley

A lack of starfish embellishments around meant I had to get the Polymer Clay out of the cupboard and fashion my own.  Once I had baked it, I painted it with shimmery aqua and cream acryllic and adhered tiny little silver balls over it (had these in my stash for about 5-6 years!).  I also used a small piece of crumpled Tim Holtz tissue paper, again painted and inked.  The little white shells came from one of many necklaces that we received when we arrived in Fiji on holiday a couple of years ago!  And of course, there are some obligatory pieces of Paua (pron: pa-wa) shell scattered in amongst it all for a quintessentially kiwi feel!

Thanks for visiting.  I absolutely appreciate all your comments, it makes my day to hear from you!

Simple Stories

I discovered the Simple Stories range of Scrapbooking papers last year, they are suitably grungy with a vintage look so naturally a selection of their papers found their way into my stash!  I used some of the Life Documented range to complete the NZ Paperchase Monthly Challenge - where the focus of the layout had to be on the words rather than the photo.  To boot, the journalling had to represent a recipe of some kind.

I used loads of stucco texture past, Lumiere Acryllic and distress ink on this layout.  I created 2 pop-up cards (a la Karen Burniston) that when opened reveal a photo of my mother.  The journalling is a 'recipe' for the things my mother taught me.  And lots of fussy cutting of the teeny paper doillies around the edge!

I also dipped some small white roses into the Lumiere paint and let them dry.  Really cool effect - almost like a metal flower.  There's one on the top of each card.

Busy today finishing a layout for the Scrapaholics February Kit club.  All will be revealed later!

Have a great day.

Moxiefabworld Challenge

I've been a long time 'stalker' of this wonderful website.  In fact it has now become instituted as part of my daily inspiration routine.  Cath posts the most beautiful pics everyday - they truly are food for the soul!   Click here to see for yourself! 

So, I have finally found some time to participate in the January 'Map to your Heart' challenge.  And just in the nick of time too!

The challenge is to...

"Create a paper crafted project (card, gift bag, tag, layout, home decor item, mini-book cover, etc.) that incorporates a map/s in an innovative way"

I created a pop-up card, that is operated by pulling the tag once you open the card.  I used some cute chipboard letters that I found quite by chance at TYPO the other day, covered in old atlas pages, and some papers from October Afternoon, Pink Paislee and Simple Stories.  My Cavalini & Co stamps came in handy for this project too!

Front

Inside with pop-up maps and words

Side view of pop-up.



I am thorougly enjoying my time off - getting crafty and participating in lots of challenges.  Feels good!

Thanks for visiting.

On a Totally Different Tangent Today!

Before I get to my scrappy post, I like to introduce you to a friend of mine....Kindle.


I have to say it - I love my Amazon Kindle.  I was lucky to get one for my birthday last year (after admiring my friends one for so long!).  I have looked at other eReaders but none of them really seemed to grab me (screens too small, too fiddly to navigate etc).  So I  was wrapt to find that the Kindle does NOT disappoint!  I know that for a lot of people there is the mindset of not having the 'hard' copy of the book with the charm of having 'real' pages to turn and bookmark etc and I thought initially that I would be the same. But no - I'm OK with the whole concept - which for a traditionalist like myself is quite surprising!

For an avid reader like myself, it is just fantastic for gettting immediate access to the latest books, magazines, newspapers etc.  The prices are just so excellent too - here's an example...

The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver is about NZ $25.00 for paperback in the local shops.  Through Amazon it's US$9.68 (about NZ$12.00).  Fantastic story, and one that has inspired me to simplify my life this year.

Another example for Jodi Picoult fans, The Jodi Picoult Bundle which is 3 novels (Nineteen Minutes, Second Glance and Perfect Match) for US$7.26.  Might just have to download that one myself!

If you are thinking about a Kindle, make sure you get the leather cover and reading light as well as a screen protector.

I'm always on the lookout for reading recommendations myself, so here are some books that I have particularly enjoyed...an eccletic mix but ones that are worth the read.

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen (US$3.63)
The Heart Mender by Andey Andrews (US$8.99)
The Eighth Scroll by Dr. Laurence B Brown (US  .99c - yes, really!)
Heaven is for Real by Todd Burpo (US$4.98)

I think the Kindle holds up to 1200 books at a time (you can archive the ones you have finished and pull them out anytime you want to refer to them).  I haven't downloaded any magazines yet, mainly because I haven't had enough time to browse through the Kindle Store at length.  The store is absolutely huge!  There are also lots of freebies (I think most of the 'classics' like Oliver Twist are free since the authors are no longer around to collect royalty payments!).

I'd love to hear what you think of the Kindle if you have one, and some reading suggestions are always welcome!

So, onto scrapbooking! 

In October last year at our Crafting and Cupcakes Scrapbook Day, I ran a class inspired by the wonderfully talented Jane Tregenza and her chipboard tile method.  Here is my layout...

 And a close up of the detail of one of the tiles...

Essentially, the layout is built on a series of chipboard squares and rectangles, each one uniquely embellished or holding a photo.  So much fun to do, and seriously addictive.  The 20 ladies who participated in the class each came out with amazing layouts - some used wedding pics, others used heritage.  That's often the best part about teaching - having the chance to see other peoples photos and learn a bit about the story behind them.

So that's all from me today.  Don't forget to send me your recommend reading lists if you have any!

Lazy January Days

Card making in this less than ideal summer weather we are having, seems a strangely guilt free, acceptable thing to be doing! I'm on a roll at the moment, so here is my latest.  It's a recessed card -  a wee bit hard to see the actual recessed dimension in the photos but essentially you create something of a shadow box to sit down into the card front. I thought I was all done with the G45 Once Upon a Springtime papers - but I keep getting drawn back to them time and time again!

So, CHA in the USA is drawing near.  Starting to see lot's of sneak peeks, very exciting.  My friends Jodi and Hebie are lucky enough to be travelling to the event this year, so I'm looking forward to seeing their pics and hearing all about it!

As I mentioned, we are having a rather inclement summer so far!  For a boredom buster, I bought Meg the Season 1 DVD of Bewitched (who remembers this programme aired in the 70's with Samantha, Darren, Endora and Aunt Clara??).  Bewitched was one of my favourite TV programmes, so I was thrilled to find all the seasons available at JB HiFi.  They also have other gems like, I Dream of Jeanie, Beverly Hillbillys, ALF and heaps more.

Right, while the sun is out momentarily, I'll take the children for a quick swim to relieve their holiday boredom!

Thanks for visiting.