Floral Canvas

Hello Friends

I created a round canvas this week for AALL & Create using one my favourite embossing techniques, along with Tracy Evans beautiful Wild and Free stamp set #238.  I also used Stencil #87 Totally Dotty by Autour de Mwa and the Code cutting die #12 by Bipasha BK.

These are the stamps and die that I used.

I used an 8" round canvas and stamped the flower image in Versafine Clair and stamped a few numbers from the same set around the edges of the canvas.

Once the ink was dry I applied Distress Oxides to my craft mat (Aged Mahogany, Scattered Straw and Antique Linen) using them individually, smooshing my canvas through the colours and drying each time until I had the background that I liked.

I used the Totally Dotty stencil to add some accents around the edges, again using Aged Mahogany Distress Oxide.  Once dry I finished the edges of the canvas with Distress Oxide.

I did not take photographs of the next step because it requires working quickly (something I am not too good at!).  I took two of Seth Apter's Baked Textures, Vintage Beeswax and and touch of Ancient Amber at a ratio of approx 5:1 directly onto my craft sheet and carefully melted these with my low heat craft tool.  I had already inked up the part of the stamp that I wanted to show and when the Baked Textures were completely molten (and extremely hot!) I stamped the flower image into it, pressed it down and left it for a moment or two.  Once cooled I added it to the canvas with 3D glue.  I love the clear image that it gives and also the texture the stamp creates.

I stamped and cut out the word 'Wildflower' and raised it up to add a little dimension.  Finally I die cut the 'Code' from white card and them heat embossed it with Seth's Ancient Amber Baked Texture before adding it to the canvas.  I felt it lacked a little something and so I added three nail head screws to finish off.

Here is a final look at the completed canvas.

You can find a list of worldwide stockists for the AALL & Create products I used this week, HERE.

Thanks so much for your visit, I hope to see you again soon.

Hugs, Anne xx

Vintage Dress Form

Hello Friends

I am not scheduled to make a project for AALL & Create this week but I couldn't resist 

using a couple of stamp sets by Tracy Evans - All Measured Up #235 and Style It #245 to

create a quick vintage style card for a friend, so I thought I would share it!

I started by creating my background.  I used Vintage Photo and Spun Sugar Distress Oxide, smooshing them onto my craft mat and dragging the card through, drying after each drag, until I was happy with the result.  I also created some others to use as mat and layers.

I stamped the dress form using Archival Ink and then smooshed the same two colours of Distress Oxide in the background.  I stamped and fussy cut part of the form onto a separate piece of card.

All that remained was to put the card together! I added some stitching to the corners and then some thread, very much in the style of Tracy Evans herself, and a scissor charm.  Here are a few close ups.

If you like the stamps I used, there is a list of worldwide stockists HERE.

I would like to join in the Craft Stamper Take it Make it challenge for January.

Thanks so much for your visit, I hope to see you again soon.

Hugs, Anne xx

Journal for AALL & Create

Hello Friends

My first project of the year as Guest Designer for AALL & Create is a journal, one of my favourite things to create!  AALL & Create has a new release of dies and stencils and I used

a beautiful new stencil - Abundance by Olga Heldwein.

The beauty of these new stencils is that they are large enough to cover nearly the whole of Eileen Hull's Notebook die (Sizzix  663635).

I was a little short on time so I literally cut the base from black mount board, took the stencil, some white paste and applied it to the journal cover.

I felt that the paste needed to look more blended to the background so I used crackle paste over the whole of the cover to tie the two together.  It is a very fine crackle (see below) and gives a lovely sheen to the journal.

To create a closure I applied some more paste to the central part of the stencil and when dry I cut out a circle, crackled it, punched two holes in and threaded my elastic through.

  I thought it looked like a fancy button so I made a few more for future use.

Here is a view of the back of the journal.

I did create a pocket and some inserts for the inside but I have shown the construction of those many times before, so I have not repeated them here.

You can find a list of worldwide stockists for AALL & Create products HERE.

Thanks so much for your visit, I hope to see you again soon.

Hugs, Anne xxx

Focus for Mini Album Makers

Hello Friends

First of all, HAPPY NEW YEAR!  I hope your year is filled with all good things!

It is time for a new challenge at Mini Album Makers, where as always, the challenge is to create any handmade book.

Each new year I am full of enthusiasm for making resolutions, some of which I do keep, but others fall by the wayside.  This year I am going to try and focus on what I want from the year, noting down any bright ideas I might have in this simple notebook holder.

I started by die cutting my cover using Eileen Hull's Scoreboard Notebook by Sizzix 663635 from black mountboard.

I wanted two pockets for the inside, pockets that would hold a notepad on one side and a little storage pocket on the other side.  I used the pattern below to create each of the two pockets from kraft card (shown in white card below so that the measurements show up more clearly).

This is how the pockets fit inside the journal cover.

To decorate the outside I die cut a frame using Tim Holtz's Bigz die Trinket Frame by Sizzix 664186 and used Tim's stamp set, Eclectic Adverts CMS372 to stamp onto the frame.  I used Tim's stamp set, The Professor CMS373 to stamp out the light bulb.

I stamped onto pockets and coloured elements and highlighted others, using pencils.

I used Tim Holtz's die, Alphanumeric by Sizzix 660056 to cut my letters out for the words 'Focus' and 'Ideas'.

I created a notepad by cutting down a large notepad to fit one of the pockets.

To complete the notebook holder I added a Tim Holtz Idea-ology clip and attached a monocle to highlight the one of the eyes.  I also added some doodling.

Our fabulous sponsor this month is AALL & Create who are offering a bundle of

stencils to one lucky winner!

Website: https://www.aallandcreate.com

EShop: www.aallandcreate.com/boutique

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aallandcreate/

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/aallandcreate/

  We hope you will join us this month at Mini Album Makers, our rules are very simple.  Any Handmade Book Goes.  Enter any form of handmade mini albums, scrapbooks, journals and book arts.  Our focus is on completed works, so no layouts or journal spreads that are not part of a complete handmade book project.  Please ensure you read the full rules.

If you have time, please pop over to see what my lovely teamies have made over at Mini Album Makers, you will not be disappointed!

Thanks so much for your visit, I hope to see you again soon.

Hugs, Anne xxx

Merry Christmas for AALL & Create

Hello Friends

Since Christmas is just around the corner and this is my last official 2019 post as Guest Designer for AALL & Create  (I will be back next year though!), I wanted to see if I could create a Christmas card.  Since AALL & Create do not do seasonal stamps I found one, by Tracy Evans, that I thought would make a poinsettia to complete my task!

I started by creating my background, brayering paint randomly onto white heavy card.  I wasn't looking for traditional colours but I had to get red in there!

Next, I turned to the poinsettia.  I used Tracy's gorgeous Blossomed Numbers stamp set #109 and stamped onto Clearly for Art, an acetate type film that moulds with heat.  I used Stazon to stamp with.

I used alcohol ink to colour the stamped images, stamping on the reverse side of the film.  Once dry I fussy cut the flowers (and two leaves).

I heat moulded the flower and then assembled it, adding some stamens from my stash to the middle.  I just love the shape of the flower!

 I added some stenciling using Olga Heldwein's Rota Vitae stencil #49 using white texture paste which I coated with white embossing powder, left it to dry and then heat embossed it.  I finished off by stamping Merry Christmas and then added this to my card.

A full list of worldwide stockists of AALL & Create, stamps, stencils and dies is available HERE.

I wish you and your families a very Merry Christmas and very best wishes

for 2020!

Hugs, Anne xx

Address Book/Phone Book cover for AALL & Create

Hello Friends

Firstly, I apologise if I have not visited you over the last week, I have not had much internet time and had a couple of days away, I will try to catch up soon.

My Guest Designer project for AALL & Create this week uses Bipasha BK's Phonebooth Elements stamp set (#237) and the Numbers stencil (#30) by Autour de Mwa and I created a cover for a plain address/phone book.

I started by cutting a piece of cotton fabric a few inches larger than the address book (a cheap purchase from a local stationers).  I dampened the fabric well and then used good quality fabric paint to colour the whole piece.

I stamped the post box first, masked it off and then stamped the phone box over the top as I wanted the phonebox to be in the background.  I used Versacraft pigment ink for my stamping.

I painted the elements and left this overnight to dry.

I wanted to add some texture to the cover and I used the Numbers stencil by Autour de Mwa and the same colour of paint.

I wanted the cover to be removable and stitched it as shown below.  It fits beautifully over the plain book and is not too bulky. 

Here is a view of the finished back.

You can find a list of worldwide stockists HERE on the AALL & Create website.

Thanks so much for your visit, I really appreciate it, I hope to see you again soon.

Hugs, Anne xx

Brush Flower for AALL & Create

Hello Friends

It is time of the week when I share my Guest Designer project for AALL & Create.  This week I used a canvas board, two of Tracy Evans' Latest Release stamps - Brush Flower #234, All Measured Up #235 and Lotza Dotz stencil #39 by Autour de Mwa.

I used a 5" x 7" mixed media canvas board for the base to create my three dimensional project. I started by brayering two colours of acrylic paint over the canvas and then applied a layer of gesso.

I applied some crackle paste through the Lotza Dotz to opposite sides of the canvas.  I stamped the brush flower directly onto the canvas using Black Versafine Clair ink.

To give the flower dimension, I stamped the flower again onto Ranger Clearly For Art, coloured on the back with an alcohol pen and then fussy cut the flower before heating it and molding it into the shape I was happy with.

I attached the molded flower to the canvas with Glossy Accents.  I also added some further stamping here and there using the second stamp in set #234, stamping them in acrylic paint.

Finally, I stamped Tracy's All Measured Up stamp onto some white card and cut a couple of strips, which I then coloured with Distress Ink and added them to the bottom of the canvas.

You can see a full list of worldwide stockists of the stamps and stencil I used HERE, although  AALL & Create do advocate people purchasing their products from local stockists wherever possible.

Thanks so much for your visit, I really appreciate you taking the time and I hope
to see you again soon.

Hugs, Anne xxx