Take time to smell the Roses!

I've been mostly out and about this week taking photo's in my local area. I forgot just how gorgeous the countryside is here in the North of England. It's been threatening to rain a few times and the storm clouds make great pictures. 

For Creative Expressions this week I've made this lovely heart wall hanging. 

I've used the roses stamp and the flourish stamp from the Floral Silhouette stamp set.

It's difficult to see very well in this pic but I've also used some Cosmic Shimmer Cast Bronze gilding wax too around the edge. Gilding wax is all the rage at the minute and I love the finish it gives.

I've not been blogging much lately, so sorry about that. I think I did more blog posts when I was working! Now that I am not working I seem to be busier than ever. Job hunting is very time consuming you know.

I've still been crafting a lot though, but my projects are for teaching.

I'll share them on the blog soon though :)

Have a wonderful sunny week, I'll be watching a bit of tennis, tending to my veggie patch and my greenhouse tomatoes and doing lots of craftyness xx 

Just a note to say you made my day! for Creative Expressions

My make for Creative Expressions this week is a a card. I made it to say thank you to 

a friend of a friend, who let me take pictures of Friesian cows on her farm.

Why you might ask?? Well I wanted to paint a farmyard scene with cows in it, so watch this space.

I love the carnation stamp on the Floral Silhouette stamp set from Creative Expressions, it's one of the many great flower stamps on the set. Here I've used Tim Holtz Distress Markers on the stamp and misted water over the top to rehydrate it. 

Then stamped it onto my watercolour card. I really love this quick and easy watercolour effect.

Here is a close up of the finished flowers along with the flourish stamp which is also on the same stamp set.

I really enjoyed making this card this week.

The sentiment is from the Special Sentiments stamp set also from Creative Expressions. 

Even though the weather is supposed to be taking a turn for the worst from today, the sun is out and I'm happy. Here's a cheeky little cow picture which I took yesterday, they have so much character.

Have a great weekend xx

Life is a tiptoe through the tulips!

I've made a journal page for Creative Expression this week.

I've used the flourish and the tulips from the Floral Silhouette stamp set.

I painted a background of salmon and cream acrylic paint and stamped the lovely flourish stamp around the edge of the page. I added some more layering using a Tim Holtz text stamp, some dots and some black circles.  I stamped the tulips onto white card using Antique Linen Distress ink, so it would not be too dark, when I coloured it in with Promarkers.

I painted the blades of grass on the bottom of the page,and painted the leaves of the tulips too with the same green paint. I really love the way the tulips stand out.

I have my fingers crossed that we're going to get sunshine this weekend..

Here's hoping.

Michelle x

Demo day at Stamp Magic for PaperArtsy

Its been all go this week at The Hobby Room, I was locked away in there making tags with PaperArtsy's Grunge Paste, and I got my hands all filthy I can tell you. There was paint, ink and Grunge Paste stuck to my fingers and it just kept building up and up. I realised it was so bad when there was a knock at the door and I had to sign for a parcel! I was a tad embarrassed about my inability to even hold the stylus to sign!

Below are the 5 tags I made for the Stamp Magic Craft Show at the Dome in Doncaster

Here I am below with Leandra demoing.

The Crackle Glaze technique was definitely the most popular that people wanted to see.

We sold out.

Don't get excited #PATWITS I had to hand back the apron after the show :(

Below are the tags with a little description.

This tag was covered in a thin layer of Grunge Paste using an old store card, then I put a piece of lace/net curtain over the top and put a heavy book on top. Dried it with a heat gun, which only takes a couple of minutes and rubbed over some Peacock Feathers and Vintage Photo Distress ink with an applicator tool.

This brings out the detail so well, and gives it a lovely texture.

This tag was painted with Chocolate Pudding Fresco Finish acrylic paint in a vertical direction only then dried. Then using an artist spatula apply a coat of Crackle Glaze (not to thin and not too thick either) also in a vertical direction, then dry it with a heat gun, Then I mixed Nougat with Haystack FF paint and painted a generous coat over the top, also in a vertical direction. By painting all coats in a vertical direction you get the vertical crackle. I used JOFY's stamps and Promarkers for the flowers and the words.

For the tag below I used an old store card to apply a flat coat of Grunge paste, then I stamped into the paste. I dried it with a heat gun then used my finger to rub Beach Hut and Butternut FF paint into the stamped areas. I used a kitchen towel to rub off the excess.

I also did the same to some Grunge Letters and put them on the tag too.

In the tag below I painted a background, then stamped it up randomly with PaperArtsy stamps. Then I used some Grunge Paste on the top left and bottom right corners. I stamped the Oriental writing stamp into the Grunge Paste then dried it. Once dry I used a short bristle brush to rub in a dark coloured Treasure gold. I used Sapphire here. Then used White Fire TG on my finger to rub over the top. This made the writing jump out. I stamped the Lynne Perrella LP022 oriental head and coloured it with Promarkers.

On the tag below, I made a background using Distress inks and stencils, then used some Grunge Paste through a stencil for the flowers. I edged the flowers with some White Fire Treasure Gold. I also used my black Aquarellable pencil in the centre of the flowers, then used a water brush to blend the black pencil, to give some shading.

I had so much fun demoing, thank you Leandra, I can't wait to do it again soon :)

When we were there (Doncaster Dome) we saw these beautiful little baby birds at the edge of the pond.

They're Coots, they're cute Coots!

Hope you have a fab weekend, I'm off visiting family in Burnley. 

Take care

Michelle xx

Fly, Embrace, Believe for Creative Expressions.

I've made a grungy tag this week for the Creative Expressions DT. We've been given a new set of stamps and they're really lovely. They are the Floral Silhouette stamp set, and they have 6 great flower stamps on, two butterflies and a wonderful flourish to boot! A really versatile stamp set I'd say.

I've used lots of products on this one.

First distressed the edges using Iced Spruce Distress Ink, then embossed the tag with the Adagio Couture Creations embossing folder. I then used Broken China Distress Ink to darken the raised musical notes and rubbed Gold Gilding Wax over the top. I've used the flourish stamp too here and there.

I used a Big n Juicy stamp pad on the butterflies stamp, I love those blended colours.

Then I used some Chit Chat words on the butterflies.

I sprayed some Calyso Teal Dylusions ink just for that hit of blue.

I tore up a few pieces book text and distressed the edges and put them on the tag too, along with some white embossing paste.

I attached some straw ribbon with staples and found some lovely blue flower ribbon to put on the bottom. 

 

I'm off to Stamp Magic on Sunday, is anyone else going?

I'll be demo-ing on the PaperArtsy stand.

Have a great weekend.

Michelle xx

Teaching the Blizzard Book at Art from the Heart

What a lovely day I've had teaching at Art from the Heart with a wonderful group of ladies.

Thank you for making the day so enjoyable girls. 

Everyone was chatty, having fun and completely finished their book too. 

Two girls ducked out of this pic, but I snapped them earlier.

All enjoying making wire flowers and dipping them into the melt pot.

I love this pic, as the girls really look engrossed.

Gemma and Donna concentrating, but no tongues out!

Rosie even made another blizzard fold book from kitchen roll to keep as a reference. 

What a fab day, I have a big smile on my face. I can't wait for the next one.

:) Thank you

Michelle x