Doorway to Narnia

If you've seen the January issue of Craft Stamper magazine, you may have spotted an appearance from me, with a make for the challenge featuring Art Room chipboard kits from Tando Creative (p32). Sadly. the photo in the magazine didn't really show all the details of my piece and seeing as it took me nearly two days to make (!), Trish agreed that I could share it here on my blog too.

As a child, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe was one of my favourite books - so much so that I read my copy so many times it literally fell apart. My Craft Stamper project is a homage to the magical place behind the wardrobe doors. complete with iconic lamppost and Mr Tumnus sheltering under his umbrella.

I added lots and lot of layers inside the Art Room using a variety of die cuts by Tim Holtz for Sizzix, all covered with 'snow' created with modelling paste and Glamour Dust glitter. The exterior and doors are simply stamped with a big Tim Holtz woodgrain background.

I loved making this and hope you've enjoyed having a closer look :).

Katy xxx

Sardine Shrine

I've been at the upcycling again today - inspired by a project I saw years ago by Gail Milburn (Efemera) which was made from a sardine tin. Advice suggests we feed our new doggie oily fish from time-to-time to make his coat shiny, so recently we've had sardine tins in the house - something we don't normally have because I think they are disgusting!!!

My make is a shrine to an inspirational woman and artist - the amazing Frida Kahlo. The stamp of Frida is by Stampotique - isn't she lovely? While conceiving this project I noticed that the current challenge at Our Creative Corner is Mexico Moods - so I used their moodboard, along with Frida's paintings, to inspire my colours.

I am entering lovely Frida into some challenges:

Our Creative Corner: Mexico Moods

Frilly and Funkie: Raise It Up (because the inside is layered with pieces of chipboard and it's literally raised up on a plinth!)

Simon Say Stamp Monday Challenge: Anything Goes

Here's a bit more info on how I made my piece for you.

My sardine tin is gessoed, then lightly coated with Viva Decor Terra Paste. Once dry I painted it a terracotta colour - reminiscent of Mexican pottery.

Inside the back of my shrine is a stamped skull (Tim Holtz) - linked to Frida's fascination with death. On top of this I built up a layer of stamped leaves and butterflies (Rubber Dance).

Frida Kahlo (Stampotique) is coloured with Distress Markers (her skin is darker on the piece - the light has bleached the colour a bit here). She has flowers in her hair (sprayed with Picked Raspberry Distress Spray), gemstone earrings and a butterfly and skull at her neck.

The stand is made of a cotton reel and a wood circle painted with DecoArt Metallic Paint in Gold (this paint is AMAZING - one coat and this coverage!) and aged with DecoArt Antiquing Cream in Black. The muse word is stamped onto card painted with the same Gold paint. The whole piece is finished with beads,

Finally a view of the side where you can see that I used the same method as for the base to create the golden wings and glued them to the back of the tin. I ran a length of lace all around the tin and added gold paint highlights with a dry brush. Frida is mounted inside on some layers of chipboard to bring her towards the front of the shrine.

I hope that my shrine is deserving of Frida - thanks for looking - I hope you like her.

Hope to see you soon,

Katy x

This isn't a DT make but my fave RD stamps still get a plug! I used these Rubber Dance stamps:

Twiggy Leaves

Antique Botanicals

Still wishing for the seaside!

Yes, I am back in my seaside themed comfort zone again - get used to it - I might be there until the end of summer!!! The background is basically a gesso resist with Distress Spray Stains - described in detail below if you want to know more.

Today's creation is going into a few challenges that inspired it (gotta love a challenge when you need some ideas to get you started).

- Art with Heart June Challenge - Summer with Sizzix

(I used three Sizzix dies - Cobblestones, Tattered Pinecone (foliage) and Sand & Sea)

- That Craft Place - Layers 

(Many MANY layers - check out my info below)

And last but not least...

- Simon Say Stamp Monday Challenge - Mist and Stamp

(I used Distress Spray Stains and Cosmic Shimmer Mists, plus a Prima texture stamp (Finnabair), and shell and quote stamps (Rubber Dance New Retro Beach set).

Here's a little more info about how I made it.

The background is layered up as follows:

1 Torn pieces of book page, Sizzix Cobblestones die cuts (torn into pieces) and net ribbon.

2 A loose coat of white gesso - the coverage is incomplete.

3 Distress Spray Stains in Squeezed Lemonade, Wild Honey, Salty Ocean and Evergreen Bough. I added a few layers, drying between. The gesso resists the ink and the book page is more absorbent than the background, so you get paler and darker areas of each colour.

4 Circles created with texture paste through a stencil (Tim Holtz), then painted over with a wash of Distress Paints in Salty Ocean and Evergreen Bough once dry.

5 At this stage I added a touch more spray here and there and stamped speckles around the edge in Potting Shed Archival.

The background is mounted onto torn corrugated card which has been lightly gessoed.

The decor was created as follows:

1 Seahorse: Die cut and sprayed with two colours of Cosmic Shimmer Mist - dried and then inked with Wild Honey and Walnut Stain Distress Inks. Then spritzed with a Distress Marker Spritzer and a Frayed Burlap Distress Marker to create the speckles.

2 Foliage: Cut from the Tattered Pinecone die, inked with Bundled Sage and Peeled Paint Distress Inks and stamped with the same Prima texture stamp for detail. Glued only on the central stem to allow it to to be bent upwards to simulate movement. The chipboard foliage is Tando.

3 Sea Bed: Pieces of torn sandpaper, driftwood, a real shell and stamped shells inked to match the real one.

Many of the elements are glued with Pinflair for dimension.

Took a fair old while to make this but I think it was worth the effort :).

Thanks for popping in!

Katy xxx

Little Pink Dress

This little creation started out as a version of Tim's June tag - but I went so far astray I didn't feel I could enter it! 

I am going for a few challenge instead: 

Craft Stamper challenge instead - theme texture - as there's plenty of that!

Mixed Media Monthly - choice of 13 themes as below - mine is tic tac toe (used a die, a bow, a stencil and stamps)

And Country View June Challenge - Shabby Chic

Here's how I made it :)

Paint the top and bottom of a die cut mannequin (Tim Holtz) with DecoArt Crackle Paint. Use DecoArt Antiquing Cream (Black) to age the crackles - apply the cream all over the paint then wipe back with a baby wipe so it's just left in the cracks. Cover the body part of the mannequin with a thin coat of Picket Fence Distress Paint. Ink the edges with Dusty Concord (body) and Black Soot (painted parts).

Cut some fabric flowers to fit the mannequin. Layer the skirt working from the bottom up. On the torso stick the petals flat following the contours of the body. Die cut a butterfly from vellum and heat emboss a stamped image (Rubber Dance lace) with white embossing powder.

Ink a Tim Holtz stencil with Seedless Preserves and Dusty Concord, spritz with water and 'stamp' onto a tag. Ink with matching Distress Inks, add a sprinkle of Purple Brusho and more water to add depth of colour. Fill in any 'bleached' areas with more Distress Ink then add some background stamping in black ink (Pink Paislee and Tim Holtz stamps) and white pigment ink (Rubber Dance lace).

Distress the edges of the tag and stamp a greeting (Wendy Vecchi). Layer onto a cream tag, add the mannequin - she now has a dyed seam binding bow and a pearl necklace. Finish the tag with more seam binding through the hole.

Hope you like my little tag :)

Katy x