Paper Boat on a Caribbean Sea

I have made things with paper and card since I was a little girl but origami still defeats me. I have tried it often but it really is not my forte - that is probably why I enjoy making paper boats it is the only folded form I can make with any success. When I noticed the May theme for A Vintage Journey was Words and Music I thought I would try a boat and use the song Caribbean Blue by Enya. This song was very much part of my early romance with my husband and I love music and the lyrics's imagery of sailing away to a blue sea.

I used a sheet of vintage music coloured with distress ink and perfect pearls.I also used lots of stencils to produce seaweed, bubbles and wave patterns. Once the boat was folded I stamped with archival and edged the boat with lots of my favorite Emerald Creek/Seth Apter embossing powder - in "Deep Sea" of course!

I decided to use the clean up wipe for making the sail as it was such lovely colours and had a great windswept shape to it.
Hope everyone is enjoying the balmy weather we have had here in Ireland, long may it last.

Simon Says Stamp  is also challenging everyone to make something Inspired by a Song link
A Vintage Journey Words and Music link
Also joining Creative Artiste Challenge #38

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New General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) came into action on May 25th 2018. There is some confusion about the obligations of individual bloggers but to be safe I have created a privacy policy which is viewable as a separate page by clicking above.

I do hope you continue to visit and enjoy my blog you are always welcome.

Playing with blue paint and ink

I have had a difficult week settling into any project. I have an album to finish which I am procrastinating about and I have been avoiding it all week. With the internet its so easy. I often turn to the computer when I am stuck, but an hour on Pinterest usually leaves me so overloaded with possibilities I become totally indecisive and I walk away from my desk. I have read a few articles on how social media sites can actually dull your own ability to be creative. Ironically I did read them on a blog. I imagine you are reading this on my blog!  I am not saying that all the inspiration and imagery out there is not helpful, the problem is that it can become an end in itself. I can use up the whole day looking rather than making. Don’t get me wrong I love the way the internet opens up the world to us. I love to blog, look at and connect with what everyone out there is up to, to see and share other people’s creativity. It’s great to get some inspiration but with Pinterest, Instagram, 'blogland' and Google images it is easy to overwhelm yourself and get creative brain frieze.

If we don’t trust and explore our own visions, draw on our unique life, tastes and influences from the world around us then everything starts to look the same - an endless recycling of the ideas out there. We need to look inside ourselves and trust our own creative vision.
Today I settled in and just played  and have pinned (I mean physically!) up some blue strips on my sloping studio roof. They might have become little books or cards but I am happy for them just to be. I suppose journal pages are a bit like that - space to play. I often find tiny pages and individual sheets work better for me.

Hope your weekend has been creative and fun. Thanks for visiting, even if it is on the computer!

Stencil It Card

Just a quick post after the marathon yesterday. I got this crafty individuals stamp yesterday and of course I wanted to use him immediately. I made a quick card. I was also reminded to include stencils by the latest SSS challenge theme "Stencil it."  I always admire the way others use them but once I get out my blending tools and ink I forget and have my paper covered in stamps before I remember my stencils. This time I got them out first and even managed to use a couple of other stamps I have never used as well as my latest Tim Holtz set - Laboratorie in the background.

This is for the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge Stencil it 

Rusty Tag Book

The Mixed Media Monthly for May is Rust. Rust often comes up as a challenge topic but it is something I have never used but is that not one of the meanings of the word challenge?  One of the benefits of blogging is that I look at what others are up to more often. If you have read previous posts you know I have tried the new Seth Apter and Emerald Creek's new embossing powders but so far I have only managed to get the deep sea and vintage beeswax. I decided to try and mix some of my existing powders up and create some rust effect. I thought tags would be a good way to test it out. I started with a couple of colours of distress ink.

I did a bit of spritz and flicking and darkened the edges with more distress.

I stamped lots of images in Versamark and clear embossed them. I also did some stamping in Seinna Archival ink. I darkened the tags down with several brown distress inks. The clear embossing acts as a resist so the golden, green and orange tones popped through.

I spritzed with water and used lots of Rusty Car and a little Golden Sands Paperartsy Infusions.

They were already looking a bit rusty.

Next I selected some embossing powders to try and mix up my own rust. I used lots of Vintage Photo, a pinch of Black Soot, a tiny bit of WOW Copper, a pinch of Chinese Red and a couple of pinches of Terra cotta. It was meant to be a fun experiment so no exact measurements here!

I  decided I wanted to make a tag book with them as they were looking interesting. So I worked some Versamark over the edges at the ring end which would be the open end of the book "pages." After covering in the rusty powder mix and heating I think they did look rusty. Might use more Terra cotta next time though.

I decided to use some illustrations from an old technical book I have been keeping for years. Finally realized there is never a perfect time to use it just DO IT.

Having got over this procrastination I think they work OK on these grungy little pages. Dont you think makes them each seem more precious and significant than the original book?

I made a spine hidden hinge as there is no need for expansion I used a simple accordion fold and no space between each hing.

I glued each of the pages onto one hinge and held them tight with a bulldog clip to let the glue set.

While the glue set I cut two board covers shaped like tags. I used Prima Craftsman paper to decorate the front and inside covers. I used distress ink to darken the edges inside and out

I wanted to make the covers more like the pages of the book so I used the Rusty Car Infusions again Then I had to make more rust powder as I had used my concoction all up. I added rust to the cover mainly round the edges.

I used the keyhole plate from Tim Holtz's Hardwear Findings Sizzix die to make hinges for fastening the covers to the book on the inside.

Of course they were 'rusted' too. This is definitelymy favorite illustration - Fig 420. the text makes me smile. Perhaps I am mistaken, I cant imagine ever soldering with a potato, who even knew it was possible!

I glued the covers on and left it to dry. While I waited I made more rusty fixings for the outside cover and spine binding.Once these were glued on I punched holes in the spine so they were tags too.

 

If you have made it this far thanks for your paitence. If you explain the process it does make a long post.
I am entering this little book in  Mixed Media Monthly #48 challenge which is "Rust"

Also entering the Emerald Creek Challenge which is Rust  #ECMAY2018
Im joining in with Mini Album Makers Monthly Challenge

Fairy Birthday Box

This box is for my daughters birthday. It is empty so I can use it for her gift and the lid is plain as I will put her birthday message onto it. I have a few weeks until her birthday but I wanted to join in with the latest Paperartsy Challenge which is "Boxes" I did manage a few pictures of the process although sometimes I was working at night which shows up the limits of my photo set up, sorry if the pics. are a bit dark. It stretched over three days so Its a long post.
I started with the Sizzix 3-D Block/Cube/Bank die by Eileen Hull. I used heavy watercolor paper. First I coloured it with regular distress ink in Victorian Velvet, Abandoned Coral, Twisted Citron, Forest Moss and Mowed Lawn.

Next I stamped text and an old Prima stamp with Versafine Spanish moss ink. Then I mixed up Paperartsy Grunge paste with a few drops of distress reinker in Forest Moss, Twisted Citron and Mowed Lawn. I used a Dreamweaver Maidenhead fern stencil to add some foliage in areas around the box.

While that dried I made a lot of butterflies and flowers. For the butterflies I made three distress oxide wrinkle free background. I used Worn Lipstick and Seedless Preserves, twisted citron and Broken China, and Worn Lipstick and Broken China. 

 I die cut lots of butterflies with the Tim Holtz Movers and Shapers butterflies and a Memory Box Willoughby Butterfly Wings die. I also used a Martha Stewart punch to cut tiny butterflies.

I stamped detail onto them all using lots of tiny Graphic 45 stamps and Leaf Green, Rose Madder and Aquamarine Archival ink. I then edged them with distress ink. I made flowers using another old Prima stamp and a Scrapcosy stamp from her ESC03 set. I stamped them out in watering Can Archival ink and then coloured them in distress ink using a water brush pen.

I made sure to go over the edges where I would be cutting so there would be no white paper showing after I fussycut them out. The fairy was one I made earlier on the computer. I had to put this picture in as the camera caught her sparkle.

Once I had all my pieces I assembled the box adding a snippet of paper from an old copy of the secret garden.

I tried to make break the sharp edges of the box with the foliage and butterflies.

I finished just in time and the sun is shining so it is great for the photographs.

I am off into my garden now to enjoy the flowers and sunshine, and who knows maybe a fairy too! Thanks for visiting and hope you have lots of sunshine and flowers wherever you are.

Im entering this in:
 Paperartsy  Challenge 2018 topic 8 BOXES
Also Craft Stamper May Challenge

Bird tag with Vintage Beeswax Embossing

New stamps and Seth Apter Emerald Creek embossing powders arrived yesterday just as I was unloading all my old stamps to sort out. I could not wait to try the Vintage beeswax powder out and I had to use these little plaques from B Line Designs.

B Line Designs Enameled Plate cube ZTP129E

SSS Monday prompt this week is Ombre so I grabbed a tag and got messy. I used some MT tape of birds eggs and stamped an old prima bird image which I coloured with distress markers. I embossed the edges with a couple of Tim Holts folders and then distress inked the tag in four colours of blue distress, (Chipped Sapphire, Mermaid Lagoon, Salty Ocean and Tumbled Glass). I'm not sure how well the ombre effect worked with so many elements. I photographed it before I used the Vintage beeswax embossing powder.

Tag before embossing

I embossed the whole tag with three coats of Vintage beeswax powder and then added some Deep Sea powder around the bottom edges to darken the blue tones.  You can see the rich dark blue and speckles it created. The whole tag is shiny and vibrant - I love the effect.

Tag after embossing

 The beeswax does give a yellow tinge to the surface changing my blues to a more green tint. This is made more extreme by the artificial light I used as its such a dull day here. The finished surface is stiff and I was able to crack it which ages it especially on the plaques. I finished off with dyed seambinding and gold highlights with Liquid Leaf, Classic.

I think I might become addicted to this embossing powder - watch this space!

I am entering this in the Monday Challenge at Simon Says Stamp:"Ombre" SSS link:
info on Seth Apter's Embossing powders

Whats on my desk this Wednesday

We are having a dreary wet day here. I was sorting out stamp storage today. I made the mistake of putting a cushion on the desk while I rummaged about my stamp boxes... the cat  decided that my studio, on a feather 'bed' is the best place to be and is providing me with an interesting "Whats on your Desk" for this Wednesday.

 I have two work spaces but I got new stamps yesterday and had to try them out so last night's mess is on one desk and the cat on the other so I will have to tidy up and get on with something more creative than organizing stamps.

 Hope you are having better luck with weather and pet control today wherever you are.

Green Shadowbox with tintype

Here is another assemblage using my old studio portraits. This photograph is a tintype. The image is made by coating little tin metal plates with a light sensitive coating. They are like daguerreotypes, each one is unique and cannot be reprinted. I have put the photograph into a shadowbox frame, still intact, nothing glued or attached to it. The lady in this portrait is sterner than my imaginary seashell collector. I imagine her as a Victorian 'bluestocking,'  seriously engaged in studying botany and ornithology.

The box is lined with old dictionary paper from 7 gypsies. I used a fragment of paper from an old botany book. It is crumpled and coloured with distress ink to age it and add more green. A little K&Co bird sits in a real branch. In one corner there is a small piece of coral. This assemblage has a very spring feel to it and is now sitting on our fireplace.
Thanks for looking enjoy your weekend. x

Whats on my workdesk this wed

I was talking earlier about the way blogging and craft challenges can connect us. Julia Dunnit's blog Stamping Ground link has a regular Wednesday call out to share what you are up to. I have always intended to join in but never got round to it so today I photographed my desk as I begin a new album. 

I will try and show how it progresses and connect up for a few Wednesdays at WOYWW. I am hoping this will make me remember to photograph as I go along. I am always so engrossed in making I forget to document the process so this will be good discipline. Check this space! Enjoy your work desk and thanks for looking in.

WOYWW Stamping Ground link:
For the WOYWW ATC swap: go here to join in: