Designer Spotlight - Simon Says Stamp Week 2

Hello Friends!

I am very excited to share my second project in the

for Simon Says Stamp!!  I am still pinching myself at this amazing opportunity!  

The challenge for this week is 'Touchy Feely' and I took challenge quite literally and created a wonderfully soft to the touch Journal, using the Taylored Expressions Felt Bundle, Eileen Hull's Journal die along with Eileen's Stitchy Flowers and Leaf Thinlits dies.

I wish you could touch this, to see just how wonderful it feels!  I have a few step out photos to show you how this came together.

The gorgeous Taylored Expressions Felt Bundle is made from wool and comes in several colours, I chose the red bundle which incorporates three different reds - each sheet is the perfect size to cover one set of Eileen Hull's Journal die cuts.  

I adhered the felt to the die I used Dina Wakley Gel Medium, ensuring I spread the medium well around all of the edges and especially where the join is on the spine.  I left it to dry flat overnight and then I simply poked through the spine holes with a pokey tool.

I took the darker shade of red and die cut six flowers (the largest one) and a stamen from Eileen's Stitchy Flowers and Leaf Thinlits die and also a plain cream ball that I had in my stash.

To create each petal I folded one flower in half, then folded one third over (as shown above) and then folded the last third under.  As the felt is quite thick, I stitched each petal at the base to hold the shape.

I cut one more flower for the base and used hot glue to glue each of the six petals to the base.

I stitched the stamen into the centre of the flower.

I added a felt ball which I top stitched with Tim Holtz Eclectic Elements black thread and created a french knot in the middle before stitching the ball to the flower.

To finish off I added a piece of lace from my stash, the closure is cut from the same shade of red as the flower.  The closure was created using some red yarn and a felt ball from my stash. I also added some Tim Holtz Quote Chips.

I had so much fun creating my Journal that I just had to make another one!

The blanket stitch edging was created using the Tim Holtz thread and I wanted to see if I could use die cuts to decorate the front. I used a Tim Holtz Elastic Loop for the closure.  The 'journal' lettering is made up from Tim Holtz Idea-ology Alpha Parts.

I put a piece of Stick-It onto a square of Taylored Expressions Black Felt and die cut using Tim Holtz Wildflowers #2 die.  It was a bit fiddly removing the backing but once released I applied the flowers to my Journal.  I love the black against the beautiful red!

I am not really into junk journals as such and I tend to keep the insides fairly plain as you can see above.  I added three Kraft card covered signatures to each Journal.

Here's a final look at the journals side by side...

I hope you enjoyed seeing my touchy feely journals and that you feel inspired to join in the
 'Touchy Feely' Challenge at
  

There is always a fabulous prize of

I have listed below, the items I used, from Simon Says Stamp...

As always, thank you for stopping by, I look forward to seeing you again soon!

Hugs, Anne xx

Products from Simon Says Stamp:

Eileen Hull Journal die

Eileen Hull Stitchy Flower die set

Tim Holtz Wildflowers #2

Tim Holtz Idea-ology Quote Chips

Tim Holtz Idea-ology Alpha Parts

Taylored Expressions Felt Bundle - Red

Taylored Expressions Felt Bundle - Black

Tim Holtz Eclectic Elements thread

Dina Wakley Gel Medium

Stick It

Tim Holtz Elastic Loops

Ranger Kraft card for signatures

Designer Spotlight for June at Simon Says Stamp!

Hello Friends

I have been quite giddy with excitement since I was asked to be in the Designer Spotlight for the month of June at Simon Says Stamp!!  I feel so honoured to be crafting along with such a talented group of designers!  A huge thank you to Simon Says Stamp!

And so, over at Simon Says Monday Challenge -

and the theme this week is Masculine!  The Design Team are showcasing Darkroom Door products this week.  You don't have to use them to join in, but if you do have them, the DT would love to see how you use them!

Mr first project uses one of the Tim Holtz Etcetera tags, along with Darkroom Door stamps.  You can see a list of the products I used at the end of this post.

I have a few step by steps to share with you.

I started with two different stamps from Darkroom Door, these were stamped onto plain manila card stock with Black Archival Ink.

Using the Etcetera tag I gave the tag a coat of gesso to give a nice base to start with.  The Oxide Inks were applied to my craft sheet and I smooshed the tag through, drying between each colour.

I wanted to add a little texture so I mixed some Vintage Photo Distress Oxide with Ranger Texture Paste, it coloured the paste beautifully.

I wanted to highlight the texture paste even more so I went over it all with Distress Crayon in Vintage Photo and rubbed it gently over the stencilled words.

To create the 'frame' around the sentiment, I stamped and cut up the Filmstrip border and added this to the edges of the sentiment.

I just love the Picture Wheel die by Tim Holtz.  I die cut it and coloured it with Distress Oxide and then spritzed it with water to give a mottled effect.  The pictures were cut from some Tim Holtz paper from my stash (apologies, I cannot remember which paper stack this came from).

I gathered all of the elements I wanted to add to my tag, including the glass dome which I placed over the lens of the camera to give it a more realistic look.  I decided to add some of Tim's Idea-ology filmstrip to the finished tag.

Another look at the finished tag.  I thought it still needed a little 'something' so I added a couple of little camera charms from my stash.

I hope you will join in Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge this week, the team has some fabulous inspiration for you - and we all know how difficult it is to do Masculine!

There is always an amazing prize on offer....

The products I used for my project are available from Simon Says Stamp, I have listed the products below that I used.

Thanks again for looking and sharing in my wonderful opportunity to work alongside the fabulous designers from Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge!

I hope you will pop back next week to see my second project!

Hugs, Anne xxx

Products Used - Available from Simon Says Stamp

Darkroom Door Capture Life

Darkroom Door Filmstrip 

Tim Holtz Ecetera Small Tag - Thickboard

Tim Holtz Idea-ology Clear Filmstrip

Tim Holtz Sizzix die Picture Wheel 

Tim Holtz Stencil - Traveler

Tim Holtz Paper Dolls - Paperie

Ranger Texture Paste

Ranger Distress Oxide Ink

Ranger Distress Ink

Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Crayon - Vintage Photo

Tim Holtz Idea-ology Hinge clip

Stampendous Spoonful of Rust Embossing Powder

Kunin Felt and Eileen Hull Part 3

Hello Friends!

I am sharing my third project using the fabulous Kunin Felt and Eileen Hull's amazing new Journal die.  I have already shared a book box card, and a  mini journal so thought I would try making something a little different this time.... a photo holder...

Thinking outside the box is not normally my forte, but as I sat looking at my camera one day, this idea just popped into my head....

 

1. I butted the two edges of Eileen's Journal die cuts together and glued a strip of card on the inside to give a larger 'floor' area.
2. The felt was quite a large piece so I glued it in one piece to the journal cover, clamping it overnight to allow the glue to dry.  I did use a glue that is designed for felt - Beacon Felt Glue. 
3. I cut and scored two 'accordion' pieces to two pieces of grey card which I had cut to the size of  the journal covers.    
4. I removed the clips and glued the sides of the journal to the grey card and clamped it again until the whole piece was dry.  It is not shown but I added two 'tabs' of felt to the front of the holder, to act as a closure, before I glued the sides together.

You can see above, that I stitched two buttons to the back of the holder for the tabs.  I cut a simple button hole in each of the tabs and hand stitched them.

Above is a view from the inside.

Now for the fun part!  I started by gluing circles and rectangles from pieces of left over felt, but I thought at this point there was something missing.....

I added the red buttons, the stitched square around the lens and a large resin cabochon for the lens.  The word 'photos' and the word strip are part of Tim Holtz's range.

To finish off I added a grey clip and a camera charm.

It has been such a pleasure to use the Kunin felt, the quality is exceptional AND it is manufactured in the USA in a 100% Polyester fibre made from post-consumer recycled plastic bottles!

If you would like to see more projects using the Kunin felt, please visit Eileen's blog HERE where you can see some fantastic projects by my team mates and members of the Kunin DT.

Thanks, as always, for your visit, I hope to see you again soon!

Hugs, Anne  xxx

Kunin Felt and Eileen Hull

All of this month, Eileen Hull's Inspiration Team are using the beautiful Kunin felt with Eileen's HeARTfelt dies.  Since Eileen's new Journal die has completely sold out in America and has yet to reach the shores of the UK, I have improvised and used another of my favourite Eileen's dies - the Passport die (Sizzix 660331).  I created a holiday booklet.

I started by cutting the booklet from card and again with the beautiful Kunin felt.

I glued the felt to the card with some Decoupage glue (DecoArt) and left this to dry.  I concentrated on the spine piece, using red cotton string to create a blanket stitch edging.  I then glued the front, back and spine together and left them to dry.

Next I die cut the three 'signature' pages for the inside - using the Passport die.  The pages had been coloured using Distress Ink in Blueprint Sketch.  I simply smooshed the ink on my craft mat, spritzed it with water and dragged the signatures through until I was happy with the colour.

The butterfly was cut using Eileen's HeARTful die (Sizzix 661901).  The little hearts at the top are from the butterfly, I didn't want to waste them!  The stickers are Tim Holtz.

The signatures were attached using the same red string that I did the blanket stitching with.  The beads and felt heart are from my stash.

I have enjoyed working with the Kunin felt so much, I bought some more and created something to share in a another few days time, something related to 40 days and 40 nights of rain....  Surprising enough, this usually deluged by rain part of Britain has been dry and sunning for several days!!

Thanks so much for your visit, Eileen will be sharing lots of the team's makes and also those by the Kunin Design team all this month HERE.  I hope you will check it out if you have the time.

As always, thanks for taking the time to look.  See you again soon!

Hugs, Anne xxx

Use a Quote - A Vintage Journey

At A Vintage Journey this month the talented Jenny has chosen 'Use A Quote' as her

theme.  Here is what Jenny has to say:

'Take a quote!  Any quote!  Whether it be on a stamp, a sticker, handwritten or sources from the internet and make it the focal point of your vintage; shabby; mixed media; art journalling; industrial; timeworn or steampunk project'

Each member of the team received a 'surface' to work on from 'That's Crafty', mine is a 9" x 4.1/2" piece of MDF.  MDF is an amazing surface to work on!

I gave the MDF board a coat of Gesso to give it some 'tooth'.

I brayered with four different colours of Distress Paint.

Next, I stencilled with Distress Oxide in Faded Jeans using a Tim Holtz chevron stencil.

I added some splatters with Distress Paint.

I gave the Tim Holtz frame a coat of Gesso and added colour with Distress Oxide.

The Tim Holtz butterflies were coloured with Distress Oxide and then given a coat of Clear Rock Candy Distress Crackle Paint.

I gathered together the pieces together to complete the project.

You will notice some extra stencilling, I added some Distress Oxide to Ranger Embossing Paste and then stencilled the top and bottom and then added the rest of the embellishments.  Lastly I stamped the sentiment in Cornflower Archival Ink and added clear embossing powder.

We hope you will join in our 'Use a Quote' challenge at  A Vintage Journey.  This month we are being sponsored by

who are offering a £20 voucher to one randomly selected individual to spend in their bricks and mortar or on-line shop.

Thanks so much for your visit, I hope you will have a look at what my Creative Guide team-mates have made HERE.

Keep on crafting!  Hugs, Anne xx

Book Box Card Technique for Eileen Hull

Happy May Day!

At the beginning of each month Eileen Hull's Inspiration Team share card techniques.  May is my month and I have chosen a book box card technique.  A book box card is one that is shaped like a book, with a compartment inside to put small gifts, notecards etc.

The team has also been using some wonderful Kunin felt (manufactured in the USA in a 100% Polyester fibre made from recycled plastic bottles).  I covered my book box with this felt, it makes it wonderfully tactile!

I gathered the materials I wanted to use and started by cutting my base card and 'book' elements.

1.  Cut two pieces of card 5" x 4" and score along the long side at 1/2" intervals.

2.  Cut two pieces of card 5.3/4" x 4" and score along the long side at 1/2" intervals.
3.  Cut a piece of card 11" x 6" and score at 5.1/4" and again at 5.3/4".
4.  Fold along all the score lines on the four smaller pieces, use a bone folder to crease well.
5.  Take one long side and one shorter side and weave together as shown above and glue the edges.
6.  Add the two remaining folded pieces and glue the edges, to look like the picture below.

Check that the accordion shaped piece fits inside the book box before moving to the next step.

Cover the front with felt, gluing it in place with Multi Matt Medium.  Using one of Eileen Hull's Word Stitchlit dies (Sizzix 661904), die cut the words 'Happy Birthday' and use wool and a back stitch to embroider the words.  I do this first so that when the book box is lined, the stitches will be hidden inside.

Prepare the lining by cutting a large piece of paper 11" x 6" and a smaller piece 6" x 5.1/4"
To make the frame for the inside, cut a 3/4" frame in the smaller piece.  I usually mark the inside of the smaller piece and use a sharp knife to cut the frame.

To line the book box I used Eileen Hull's new HeARTfelt paper pad (Sizzix 661946).

Before I glued the larger piece of paper to the inside of the book box I attached a piece of ribbon to act as a closure.  I glued the accordion part to the card and then attached the cut out frame to complete the inside.

Eileen's paper pad also includes some lovely little envelopes, mini note cards and sentiments.  I used one of the little envelopes to form a gift card holder.  I used some of the left over felt to create the rolled flowers.  The leaves on the inside and outside of the box were cut from Eileen Hull's Stitchy Flowers & Leaf die (Sizzix 661903).  

The flower on the front of the box was cut from the Stitchy flower die mentioned above.

Apologies for the long post, but I wanted to give as much detail as possible!  I do love making these book box cards, they really do make a statement and the Kunin felt was a dream to use.

I hope you have enjoyed my 'how to' and that it will encourage you to try making one too!

Thanks so much for your visit, I will be back later in the week!

Hugs, Anne xx