Perfectly Paintable

My post for this week over on Bubbly Scrumptious is all about using the Paintables range of stamps from Prima, plus their craftable flowers. Check out all the details HERE.

Week 4, Fabric ATCs

It' s week 4 over on "Fun with Fabric" with Donna Downey and this week it's supposed to be ATCs (Artist Trading Cards). As usual I haven't done what I'm told and I've created a scrapbook page with a divided page protector. I used the techniques Donna showed us and made my ATCs 4 x 6 instead to fit into the pockets. I've been meaning to use these pictures to make a photo quilt wallhanging and so this is a smaller version that I've actualy been able to complete.

I wanted to photograph the pieces in the page protector, but I haven't quite perfected this technique. I've included some close-ups to show the details.

The front...

The back...


Lessons learned from this project -

• I wet the canvas before I cut out my 6 x 4 s to pre-shrink it, but I scrunched it up in a sink instead of spraying it. Those creases are never coming out.
• I printed the photos on linen printable fabric. The image isn't as clear as the printable cotton for small images. Fabrics from Crafty Computer Paper
• I enjoyed finding appropriate words to tear out from a book to add details.
• The canvas shapes I cut out and painted worked really well.
  

I'm really looking forward to this week's lesson. I'm loving this class :)

Starting something big

Last week I embarked on a new project - another big quilt. As the evenings are getting darker I love to have a sewing project on the go. Last winter is was knitting, but I got a bit knitted out and the girls' jumpers are still too big for them so I've started a long overdue quilt for some lovely friends of mine. It has a green theme and it's a pattern called "St Marks" from Kaffe Fassett's new book "Simple Shapes, Spectacular Quilts". I going to be making green diamonds for quite a while.

A couple of years ago we went to see an exhibition called "Blue and White" in Bath which principally featured the work of Kaffe Fassett and Candace Bahouth. I walked in and said "This is what I want to do!" I'm still a LONG way off.

Kaffe is a huge inspiration for me . I love how he works with knitting, patchwork, painting, tapestry and mosaic. I went to hear him talk a few years ago and I remember what he said about colours "If you are in doubt about the colours you're using, add five more". Here's someone I can relate to!

I can't work in only one medium - scrapbooking OR patchwork OR knitting OR Fimo OR stained glass OR mosaic. I'm only happy when those ORs become ANDs.

Check back in a couple of years and I'll have a finished quilt to show you - don't worry I will be working and posting on other things before then :)

Thinking about photography

I've been browsing Big Picture Scrapbooking at the other classes available as I am loving Donna's class. There's a class coming up called "Picture the Holidays" by Tracey Clark which is a 30 day photography class about recording Christmas. I'm very tempted to sign up as I love Christmas, but my photos look the same every year, and they aren't very exciting either.

Tracey runs a photo blog and "thriving community of female photo enthusiasts" called Shutter Sisters. Check out the great photos. I'm particularly inspired by this post here where she wrote a word using a torch and a long exposure. At this time of year I'm wondering if I can get experimenting with a sparkler!

Summer Swirls

Here's my layout for Donna Downey's "Fun with Fabric" class this week. I've doubled up as it's also my Saturday post for Bubbly Scrumptious. To see more of the details click here.

I've had lots of lovely comments over on the class gallery, particularly about my swirls as I made them using a Paper Pen from Viva Decor, rather than using a large (expensive) stud swirl sticker.

Clear card

This week's post from me over on Bubbly Scrumptious is an acetate card. To see more about it, click here.

Sleepy Girl

It's Week two at "Fun with Fabric" with Donna Downey and we've been working on 12 x 12 pages using Donna's screen printed canvas. This is my version of it, with the addition of a chipboard bird instead of a canvas one and an improvised crystal swirl made up from individual gems, rather than an (expensive) ready-made one.

I added some acrylic paint behind the photo to help it work with the background. I also sanded the edge of the photo, which is something I haven't done for a few years! I altered the original photo using the Picnik website as the colours weren't very exciting. I used the sepia tone and added a vignette.

The poem down the right hand side of the page was something I found online here. I don't usually go for a vintage style, but I really like this page. Maybe I should try it out more.

Dolly Daydreams

I received a free dolly peg a few months ago in a parcel of scrapbooking supplies and it inspired me to have a go at making one, as I used to make them with my Mum when I was little. I really enjoyed it and here is my second one, which is this week's post over on Bubbly Scrumptious. To see more about her, click here.

Fun with Fabric

It's Week 1 of a new class, "Fun with Fabric" with Donna Downey over at Big Picture Scrapbooking. Donna makes great tutorial videos , with loads of ideas and a lot of humour too. This week's project is supposed to be a camera bag, but I've used the techniques on a 12 x 12 square of uncoated artist canvas instead.

We started with applying acrylic paint and loads of water to the canvas. I really like this technique and will definitely be using it again. Donna showed us how to apply one of the Prima iron-on motifs. I had a couple of these in my stash and I'm very impressed with them. They are flocked and so add texture too. I added a little stitching around the photo and around the edge of the page.


I had a go at using Distress Ink on the text, which is another new product I haven't played with before. I've only got one colour at the moment but I think I'm going to have to get some more!

Learn Something New Every Day

I've finally finished my album for the "Learn Something New Every Day" class. I think I've learnt over the month that this sort of scrapbook isn't really my kind of project. I think I'd rather be scrapbooking my photos. But you don't know unless you give something a try. I really liked working on an album with a small amount of supplies and even though I'm not totally happy with some of the pages, I think they work together really well

Here's the finished book...

And here are the pages ... (if you click on the picture you can see them in more detail)

A Sassafras Summer

I've finally finished my "Indie Girl Class" from Lillibee Studio. I haven't used the Indie Girl papers as I couldn't find them, but I've used a range of Sassafras Lass papers and stickers instead. I've made a mini book of the kids playing in the garden this summer. Each page has a flap which folds out to reveal a pop-up.

I'm really pleased with how this turned out and really enjoyed making the pop-ups.

Pretty things

This month's challenge over on Vanilla Sugar is to make a wallhanging. I've had a design for a wall quilt in my head for a while as a friend gave me a bag of fabric swatches a little while ago and I loved the colours of one swatch in particular - a photo of the swatch is actually the image for my blog title (see above!). I was given a new quilt book by Kaffe Fassett for my birthday and I was inspired by his square quilts, so I've had a go but I kept it very free and didn't worry too much about matching up corners.

Here's my quilt, with lots of collectables that normally lurk in my jewellery box finally seeing the light of day...

Here's how I made my squares. I cut out four triangles per sqaure and sewed strips across the back of the triangle. I trimmed them and sewed four together to make the square. I then stitched them all together before tearing off all the paper and quilting the piece.

Here's a closer look at some of the treasures.

This is very special to me as I inherited a small silver button from my Granny and I've had it made into a brooch, but I don't wear it very often so I've put it on here (it really needs a clean!).

This is a polymer clay brooch I bought from an extremely talented artist called Sarah Shriver after I attended one of her workshops a few years ago. It's very inspiring to see what can be done with polymer clay (e.g. Fimo)

These are buttons from my Granny's button box that I used to play with when I was little...

Come over to Vanilla Sugar and check out all the team's wallhangings.

A little rosette

My post this weekend over on Bubbly Scrumptious is a birthday card with a rosette flower. You can see more about it here.

Still learning!

Here are some more pages for my mini album for Shimelle's online class "Learn Something New Every Day"

Day 14 - we made the biscuit in this photo - almond and chocolate - yummy!


Day 15 - I'm really pleased with the little washing line on this page. The lesson today was that if I don't put the washing away straight away, I forget it's there and it gets all crumpled in the washing basket.

Day 16 - I've just bought some vintage knitting patterns on Ebay (mostly to knit outfits for the girls' Barbies) and I couldn't resist this booklet. The language in it is so great "Here's teddy in his jolly walking-out suit"

Day 17 - Nearly all my clothes are stripes!

Day 18 - Will I never learn this one?

Day 19 - the boy features on this page.

I've nearly finished my album now and my aim is to finish it this weekend so I can get cracking on my next two classes which have just started, "Fun with Fabric" with Donna Downey on Big Picture Scrapbooking and Clearly Creative on My Creative Classroom.