Sew Special at A Vintage Journey

Wow, it's the first Friday in May and we are gathering at A Vintage Journey for Jenny's 'Sew Special' challenge. I so enjoyed designing and making for this theme, it's one that's been off my radar for a very long time yet used to be one of my favourites and as I had a canvas with tissue wrap on it ready to be used, I went for it. Gathering all my sewing elements and stamps together I began to get ideas in my head and had to start making choices and decide what would go together.

Background

This started it's life whilst teaching my 'Collection of 3' workshop recently and is made from a piece of canvas from a canvas pad. I began by dipping it into broken china and dried marigold distress inks and spritzing it with water to move the paints around and then heat dried it.

 Later I used a stencil and white crackle paste to create a textured design and when it was dry I sprayed on some broken china and tea dye distress stains, spritzed a little with water, let them drip and merge a bit and dried it, then used the stencil and ground espresso distress crayon to create some darker patches of the pattern.

Dress Form

Although the Hot Picks sewing/haberdashery stamps have been out a long time they remain my most favourite images for this theme. I used HP1215EZ for the dress form and cut it out after stamping on card. I took Wendy Vecchi's cornflower blue EP and covered the whole shape, the a layer of thick, clear EP before using Wendy's tea Rose EP but localising it to the body form only. Next I stamped over it with ground espresso DI and covered it with walnut stain distress powder and heated it so that the powder created a mottled outline, then I edged with coffee archival ink, heated it, covered with versamark and the clear EP again before stamping into it with the coffee archival ink. It created somewhat smudged look but it's grungy and distressed which was what I was aiming for.

    

Sewing Machine

This was a chipboard piece I found in my 'sewing' box, I covered it with versamark and walnut stain distress EP and when cool I blended hickory smoke Di all over, then sanded the edges and blended them with ground espresso. Next I used the clear, thick EP, flicking a lot of it off before heat drying and then blended over black soot when it was cool. To finish off I stamped a design in versamark and used gold EP and did the edges the same.

Thread winder and coat hanger

More chipboard pieces covered in picket fence DI, stamped text with black soot then covered with fine, clear EP. Edges sanded and blended with ground espresso before winding thread onto the card.

Ruler border
For this embellishment I used a piece of off white card (Marianne Designs stamping card) and followed Sheena's faux leather technique but mixed it up to make it fit my project. Once I got to the stage where the softened and flexible card had been put through Tim's embossing folder I then carried on in my way.

When it was fully dry I dipped and spritzed (with water) using dried marigold DI, dried it, repeated with just a little vintage photo and again when dry I rubbed over both broken china and ground espresso ink pads to get my aged look.

Spools
These were simply scratched with a prima distressing tool, blended with vintage photo and ground espresso DIs and thread, hessian and lace added to them.

I put the smallest, which was cut in half to provide a flat back, on the canvas frame, you can also see the finished thread card with needle embellishment given a rusted look.

The Butterfly
This was also a demo/teaching left over  and made using Tim's layered butterfly die and embossing folder, distress embossing powder, distress inks and gloss varnish. You will see on the finished canvas that I added lots more ground espresso DI round the edges.

Here's the body when it was finished with a small dress form shaped stamped with cotton reel tops and a rusty scissors embellishment added.

The canvas
This was given a layer of music score tissue wrap before being dipped in watery dried marigold and picket fence distress paints and edged with vintage photo and ground espresso.

So there we are - my contribution towards the 'sew special' challenge. I hope you will be able to join us where there is a prize this month from Calico Craft parts. Have fun.

With much warmer this week here in the UK we have been attacking the back garden and getting it sorted out for the summer - new turf has been laid, fence painted and shrubs and tubs to be finished. We're getting there.

Enjoy your weekend with whatever you have planned.

hugs Brenda xxx

A Collection of 3 and CVC Workshop

Good morning from a bright and sunny Surrey - what a beautiful few days we have had - such a lovely change to the grey skies and rain.

Today I am sharing my reverse canvas here and doing a 'show and tell' at Country View Crafts project Blog of all the wonderful canvases made at my workshop on Saturday.

 This was a rework of a canvas I made last year but transposed to a different size and with some modifications.

 I still love making these flowers that Tim Holtz produced back in the Compendium of Curiosities Book 1. It's great to revisit some of these oldies which are still very effective.

And I love new discoveries too. Whilst playing with ways to create these butterflies I re-discovered another oldie but goody, the TH distress embossing powders. They are not made any more so if you want to grab some before they have all gone then pop over to the CVC shop where Susan is doing 10 for £20 - that's less than half of the original price.

If you would like to see the wonderful interpretations of my canvas then please pop over to the project blog post today they really are all beautiful.

I would also like to share this at Frilly and Funkie's latest challenge which is called 'Let's make it a Trio', where hopefully my collection of three butterflies will fit in well.

Have a great week.

hugs Brenda xxx

Find your style

I am still loving a return to some Wendy Vecchi style tags using die-cuts and wooden pieces in a similar way to Wendy's art parts.



I began with Wendy Vecchi's archival reinkers background using surgical spirit to help blend the colours on the tag adding a top stenciled border using dried marigold DI and I drew lines in using a fine pitt artist pen. For the bottom border I used wild honey and the central stenciling is a light layer of ground espresso. I also stamped an old wooden stamp to create more depth with the text.



I painted a wooden frame, stamped on it and blended ground espresso round the edges, the dress form was die cut from greyboard and Tim's papers and the sentiment is one of Wendy's.

I added two buttons on the dress form and there is a wooden star that was rubbed in ground espresso distress ink.

 
In true Wendy style my tag is shorter than normal at 5 1/2 inches long. It's a great size to create on.



I finished off with a few remnant rubs and a piece of distressed ribbon.

Thanks for stopping by today and a huge thank you to those of you who leave me a comment. I read and value each and every one of them.

Take care, have a great weekend and let your creativity fly.

hugs Brenda xxx

Farewell to Summer

The evenings are drawing in and the mornings are damp and chillier which is a sure sign that summer is fading and autumn is upon us.



My tag today is called Farewell to Summer and whilst we are thinking of the changing colours from fresh greens to dusky oranges and browns I don't want to loose the lovely warmth of the sun.

I started with some of Wendy's re-inkers to make the background and added some stencilling and stamping



The cone flower is one of Wendy Vecchi's art parts painted with distress paints, some gold embossing paste rubbed on randomly and then distress inks to build up the layers.



The arts part border at the bottom was painted with mustard seed distress paint, dried and sunset orange, butterscotch and sandal alcohol ink dripped on and left to dry.



I finished off with some remnant rubs and a stamped and punched number that fitted over the tag hole perfectly.



Although we will miss the summer colours and long summer days I love to see the autumn hues appearing and already I have some of the gold and red leaves appearing on my flowering cherry tree. They are beautiful.

Have a fun filled week.


hugs Brenda xxx

Dare to Dream – Wallflower card for CVC

I have a selection of cards coming up for you over the next few weeks at Country View Crafts updates blog using the fabulous Wallflower paper stash from Tim Holtz. I just love the designs and can’t stop using them (unusual for me as normally I want to stroke them and put them away – but I think I am learning to use things NOW because there is always something new coming along  lol).

This is card with more details and photos can be seen over at Country View Crafts Updates blog.

This card uses one of the Wallflower 12 x 12 pages which has four designs on it.

Other products include -

movers and shapers ticket die

movers and shapers mini rabbit and ribbon die

Stamps – simple sayings

Sizzix weathered clock die with peeled paint distress embossing powder

Sizzix  Alterations tapered fringe strip die

Distress inks – mowed lawn, scattered straw, walnut stain

Silver corner given patina effect with mowed lawn, broken china and forest moss distress paint then aquamarine treasure gold over the top.

Flowers from my supplies

Maybe you might find time to take a quick look over at Country View Crafts, but if not don’t worry I really appreciate your time stopping by here.

Have a great weekend.

hugs brenda xx

Funkie Junkie 12 Tags of Christmas #5

My next Christmas card for Linda’s fabulous challenge at The Funkie Junkie came about by taking these things as inspiration from her tag – a script stamp and Santa image (TH Listen to Santa), a frame (TH Ornate Frame) and a crinoline tattered poinsettia with snowflake.

The background is distress paint resist.

The frame was cut in silver but then covered with vintage photo distress embossing powder.

I used Barn Door DI to colour the crinoline poinsettia petals..

A remnant rubs sentiment, bow and charm finish the look.

Linda has the full details of this challenge on her tag 1 post but in essence make a tag or card etc. and take something as inspiration from Linda’s tag for your own make, link this up to her post and enter all 12 challenges by December 22nd to be eligible for the draw. Linda is very generous with her prizes so you could win a $50 or $25 voucher to her on-line store ‘The Funkie Junkie Boutique’ and even get 10% discount over January 2014.

I hope you have been having a good week. I have been out in the garden getting the autumn tidy up underway, but there is still alot of colour from the summer bedding as you can see.

But the autumnal colours are beginning to show.

And this was the last pear off the tree.

And what an incredible sky the other night.

Have a great end to the week and a fabulous weekend. We are going to see friends in Birmingham who became grandparents a few months ago and we are going to the Christening on Sunday. I have made a card and hope to show you that next week.

Take care and thanks for stopping by.

hugs {brenda} x0x

On Safari with Crafty Individuals

Just love this grungy tag using one of the two stamps in a new set from Crafty Individuals. Yes CI – 390 has this gorgeous giraffe on it as well as the most endearing elephant and calf, so if you are in summer mode, if you are going on safari this year then this could be the set for you.

I started by cutting a tag from a corrugated box using the Tim Holtz tag and bookplates die, then tearing some of the paper down one side to reveal the corrugations. (It is a real word, I looked it up lol – it means the state of being corrugated so I think it fits ok). Next I smooshed antique linen, walnut stain and broken china onto my craft mat and used the wrinkle free technique to cover my tag.

Next I rubbed the same three colours and a tiny bit of Decoart transparent yellow iron oxide on a piece of craft card, spritzed with water and used my finger a bit to move the paints around to get this amazing effect.

When it was perfectly dry I stamped the giraffe using coffee archival and heat set it. To finish off I again used the translucent yellow iron oxide to paint in the giraffe and a tiny bit of Fresco Finish translucent inky pool for the stamps, mixing the two paints together in places.

I used the CI crackle stamp to create some texture on the tag and maybe it looks a bit like animal skin?

I then mixed more paint to stamp the sentiment.

Use covered flower wire for the embellishment

I gathered up my other bits and altered everything including the pin, the journey tag, the string and even the staples for the tiny attacher.

I hope you are having a good week. Anyone off to the Isle if Wight Festival this weekend. We are and hoping for a return if that lovely sunshine we had last week. Fingers crossed.

hugs {brenda} x0x