Mixed-media journal and catch up

I bet you thought I had disappeared never to return again? 

I've got this crafty thing running through my veins, I'll never leave! 

I live in Teesside but I've been working down in Cambridge lately, and it looks set to stay that way until Christmas at least. I come home on the weekend though so I can stroke my crafty stash at least once a week. :)

I've done a few crafty classes over the past year which I'd like to share on the blog at some point.

But here is a project that was a class I taught in Cambridge at It's Crafting Time. 

If you live near Cambridge you gotta get yourself down to Nina's shop because its amazing, I wandered round for hours just filling up my basket. I like a good mooch. There is so much great stock there, all of Tim's range, lots of mixed-media paints, mediums and canvases, card making products and scrapbooking papers galore! I can't wait to go again, I need to take photo's! Nina has amazing bargain bins too, I was rooting for ages and came home with tons!

You can find Its Crafting Time here at:-

Unit 8, Dunsbridge Buisess Park, Royston Road (A10), Shepreth SG8 6RA

However the post code on the sat nav takes you to the garage on the opposite side of the road! 

Drive into the business park, through some big open gates and Nina's shop is on your right as you go in. You won't be disappointed. :)

Here is the class project I taught, a mixed-media 7 gypsies journal.

It started life as a black cardboard folder.

But then I covered it in torn up bits of paper and book pages

I painted over it with gesso and paint then did some stamping, stencilling and some transfer rub-ons too. I distressed the edges with vintage photo. I used my own family photo on the front and added some die cuts from my favourite Tim's honeycomb die too. 

I glued a button on with hot glue for an anchor for the ribbon to tie round.

I made an insert for the inside to attach all my ephemera and photo's to.

Then I started to fill my pages up. This was the best part playing with Tim's ephemera packs and adding scrapbook page elements. Loved just playing and adding things. I want to make another one!

I used acetate here with Stazon ink

The ladies at the class were so lovely, and creative I love seeing what other people make. 

Thank you Nina for being so wonderful, well organised and the perfect host and thank you for putting me up for 2 days, you are a wonderful person, and a fab cook! Love the lasagne!

Hopefully I might be able to squeeze another class in at Cambridge if I'm not too shattered.

Take care everyone, be back soon

Michelle xxxxx 

Dyan's a STAR!

Two blog posts in one day! 

In November I went to Dyan's Star book class at Art from the Heart.

 I saw this star book on the table on preview day way back in October, and I just knew I wanted to do the class!

 It was nice and heavy, well made and full of really great ideas and techniques. 

I'm so pleased I did the class because now I have this fabulous book to look at all the time.

 I had a few more bits to do to finish it off, but with working and Christmas I didn't get chance to complete it.

However last night I finished it, I just love picking it up, its wonderful.This is staying in the front room this one!

Love this star!

Dyan has this class on again on the 1st of March 2014, I totally recommend going to the class, its well worth it, you get a whole Tim Holtz paper pad and load of Idea-ology too. And of course Dyan's stella company!

I enjoyed it immensely.

Michelle xx

Hels comes up north weekend!

What a terrific weekend we've just had with Hels Sheridan. We made two outstanding projects, I love them both. There was 17 of us and we all did our own individual take on Hels instructions. The results were amazing, so many wonderful FINISHED projects. Yes we all finished our projects, which is very satisfying when you arrive home with something finished to look at. 

We really were very productive considering all the belly laughs and the off-crafty-topic conversations we had! A huge thank you to Sue Tucker who organised the whole thing like clockwork. :)

Here we're all are engrossed in painting our canvases.

Here's Gemma, Tracy (me), and Helen.

There's Lou in the middle, probably looking for the Bora Bora PaperArtsy Fresco Paint! We kept stealing it sharing it with each other all day.

 Naughty Sam holding up her probably someone elses canvas background! You gotta keep your eye on this one or she'll be licking, sniffing and stroking your make if she likes it better than hers!  

Tracy working on her gorgeous canvas.

Helen rubbing treasure gold on the edges of her lovely bright canvas.

From front to back: Sue, Jane and Joan all with goldfinger's!

From front to back: Debbie, Jane, Gemma, Helen and Lou (still on the cadge!).

From front to back: Donna, Susie, Janet, Sam, Joan and Jane. They were a noisy lot on that side, sheesh!

Can't take em anywhere! Joanne was on the end, but she's not in the shot. 

Sue Tucker got all adventurous with my camera and did lots of tilted pics. This is one of them, but I straightened it in Photoshop. Love the way some people are leaning over to the right, as if that would make a difference! I just love everyone's expression on this pic, it summed the weekend up really.

Full of fun.

Hels looks ashamed though :), we were all like naughty kids!

Hels made each of us a little bag with a name badge in and some die cuts. It was such a nice touch, I loved it.

I'll use the name badge forever now, Thank you x

Here are the two projects I made :)

I've used PaperArtsy Grunge Paste, paints and JOFY stamps. 

The edge got in on the action too!

This project uses TH burlap panels. Love these panels.

It's very Tim tastic with lots of die cut elements, Distress paints and Idea-ology.

Well if you've got this far then you deserve a well earned cup of tea and a biscuit to keep your sugar levels up! Thank you for popping along and reading my blog post.We had such a great time on the workshop, and I think we're all pushing for a repeat performance very soon.

Poor Hels!

Have fun in your crafty space, Michelle  xxx

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