A second workshop with Hels

Today I'm popping by to share a project that I created during my second workshop with Hels Sheridan at Birds in the Barn at the beginning of the month.  The class was entitled 'Treasure Box' and contained everything we needed to turn a plain wooden frame into the stunning piece of art work below.  I attend the workshops with friends and it's always a pleasure to be taught by Hels.  It was a full day learning lots of new techniques and using some new products and I had a thoroughly enjoyable day.  Starting with the same items it always amazes me how no two projects come out the same.

Thanks for looking!
Tracey x

An Altered Matchbox

I do believe this is my 100th blog post and I think I am well and truly addicted to blogging about my crafty makes.  So on to today's post which is for challenge 48 at Out of a hat Creations with the theme 'Alter a Matchbox'.  Now I have been thinking about this project since the challenge was posted last Thursday and then last night my idea just flashed up like a light bulb and it includes the new Docrafts Papermania Chronology range.  I had to think small for this project as I have used a small matchbox.

For the outside of the matchbox I started by running a piece of Ranger foil tape sheet through my big shot inside the Papermania cogs Tri-boss embossing folder before sticking it to the matchbox.  I coloured with Ranger alcohol inks before sanding to reveal some of the silver again.  I added more of a grunge look by using the Ranger adirondack black acrylic paint dabber on all of the edges.  I cut out a saying and an image from the one of the Chronology background papers and adhered with double sided foam before adding 3 Tim Holtz mini gears.  I covered the word with Ranger glossy accents and the image with Tim Holtz rock candy crackle paint.  For the inside I started by painting the match tray with the black paint dabber and then cut a piece of the background paper to fit the base plus an image and sentiment.  I attached the pieces with double sided foam again for depth and covered the words with the rock candy and the hand with glossy accents.  Finally I added one brad as the handle and 3 more inside for decoration.

Thanks for looking!
Tracey x

'H' is for Homeland

The forth letter in the The Craft Barn alpha challenge is 'H' and I have chosen to use the word 'Homeland'.  I am also entering this into the challenge over at Simon Says Stamp and Show which is 'the stamp you love (but don't use)'.  This is one of my favourite stamp sets so I couldn't use just one!!

As with the previous challenges, I started with the 6x7 inch white card stock base but forgot to punch the 2 holes until after I'd taken the photo, these have now been added this page will be added to my alpha dictionary book along with the 3 so far.  I glued down my torn out dictionary page and covered the definition before spritzing the page using Dylusions London blue, post box red and white linen ink sprays. I edged with Tim Holtz barn door and faded jeans distress inks.  Next I stamped all of the stamps from the Artistic Outpost London underground set in black ink.  Finally and to to be consistent I doodled around the dictionary word and definition and covered with Ranger glossy accents before adding my Tim Holtz alphabet letter and stamping my chosen word onto black card stock.

Thanks for looking!
Tracey x

Metal-ology

This piece started during an evening crafting with a couple of friends last Tuesday where Lynda set us a challenge to create a hanging using an mdf cupcake bought by Jacqui for us to alter.  I am entering this piece into the challenge over at Simon Says Stamp and Show which is 'Metal-ology'.

I started by drawing the cupcake onto a piece of thick cardboard/mount board and then cut out along with 2 squares to create my hanging.  Next I covered each piece with coordinating background papers from the Docrafts Papermania Chronology range which I absolutely love.  I inked the edges of the papers with brown ink and painted the edges and back of each piece using the black Ranger adirondack acrylic paint dabber.

I decided to use the cupcake as the top piece of the hanger and attached a piece of Tim Holtz film strip ribbon (with a tiny attacher staple at each end, a piece of twine, a Tim Holtz adage ticket which I inked with Tim Holtz brushed corduroy distress ink and 2 cogs and 1 brad from the chronology range.  I punched a hole in the top of the shape and added an eyelet through which I threaded a piece of twine to act as the hanger.

The middle piece was constructed in the same ways as the first but with the addition of the man which I stamped from one of the Chronology stamps, cut out, inked and attached with double sided foam.  I covered the lenses of the binoculars with Ranger glossy accents.

Again I used the same items to embellish the final section to which I added a Chronology key and Chronology clock face which I stamped, inked and covered with Tim Holtz rock candy distress paint.  I punched holes in all three pieces and attached them together using the Tim Holtz jump rings.

Thanks for looking!
Tracey x

A colour challenge - Red and Gold

Miss February's challenge on the Bombshell Stamps forum and blog is a colour challenge of 'Red and Gold'.  Now I've created a few red items recently with it being Valentine's Day this month and wanted to move away from the love theme for this one.  Luckily I've just received my latest set of Bombshell Stamps called 'Lotus Garden' so I've decided to use these for this challenge.  For those of you looking for a challenge, they also have a Guest Design Team call at the moment so please do go and take a look, I have to say that I'm tempted to apply.

I started by die cutting a Tim Holtz tag and a Stampin'Up top note and coloured both using the Tim Holtz barn door distress ink and spritzing with water.  Once dry I stamped the large flower in the same colour on to the tag background plus the small leaf in Ranger adirondack gold dabber.  I used embossing ink and gold embossing powder to stamp the water and fish on the top note and the flower and sentiment on a left over piece of inked card stock.  Next I edge the 4 pieces with Tim Holtz festive berries distress ink and then edged with the gold dabber.  I attached the top note to the tag with double sided foam and then added the cut out sentiment and flower using the same method.  Finally I added a few drops of Ranger gold stickles and some gold cord.

Thanks for looking!
Tracey x

Birds and Butterflies

I love trying to keep up with the weekly challenges over at Out of a hat creations and some weeks I really am last minute and other weeks I manage to find time over the weekend to play along.  Anyway this week is challenge 47 'Birds and Butterflies.  I am also entering this into the Simon Says Stamp and Show 'Something Messy' challenge.

I started with a white card stock tag cut from the Tim Holtz die and then spritzed with Dylusions inks before spritzing water through the Crafters Workshop chicken wire stencil to achieve my background, I then edged with Tim Holtz black soot distress ink.  I used stamps from PaperArtsy and Tim Holtz.  Unfortunately my Sakura white gel pen has given up the ghost instead I added Tim Holtz brushed corduroy distress ink to the larger bird and butterfly.  Finally I added a piece of black ribbon to finish.

Thanks for looking!
Tracey x

'E' is For Eye

The third letter in the The Craft Barn alpha challenge is 'E' and I have chosen to use the word 'Eye'.  After the craziness of my last page, I have decided to create something more minimalist this time.

As with the previous challenges, I started with the 6x7 inch white card stock base and punched the 2 holes so that it can eventually be added to my alpha dictionary book.  I glued down my torn out dictionary page and inked using Tim Holtz brushed corduroy and gathered twigs distress inks.  I used Tim Holtz stamps and then doodled around the dictionary word and definition and the edge of the page.  I covered the dictionary entry with Tim Holtz rock candy distress crackle paint and added my Tim Holtz alphabet letter and stamped my chosen word onto black card stock.

Thanks for looking!

Tracey x

Love, Love Me Do

Today is Valentine's Day and I'm posting an appropriate love themed tag for the following blog challenges:
Sparkle and glitter with Rick #9 'Hugs and Kisses Hearts'
Tando Creative 'Love, Love me do'

I started with the Tim Holtz tag die cut and stamped the Stampotique hanging hearts as the background.  I inked the tag with Tim Holtz barn door distress ink and highlighted the hearts with Letraset promarkers.  I spritzed the tag with Tattered Angels marshmallow glimmer mist and added 3 glass beads down the side of the tag and wrapped bakers twine around the middle before backing the tag onto black card stock cut just larger to provide an outline.  For the image I used one of the free digi stamp designs from Rick St Dennis and coloured the printed image using promarkers, I cut out and attached to the tag with double sided foam.  For the 2 sentiments I used stamps and punches from Stampin'Up.  Finally I added black ribbon to finish.

Thanks for looking!
Tracey x

Love

Well it's that time of year when we celebrate those special people who support us in all aspects of our lives (including the crafting addiction) and I have decided to create a simple hanging.  I am submitting this project in the following challenges:
Out of a hat creations Challenge 46 - '3 Textures'
Happy Daze 'Love is all around'
The Artistic Stamper 'Heart & Flowers'
Inspiration Emporium 'L.O.V.E'

I started by cutting a circle in corrugated cardboard to cover a beer mat and before attaching the two pieces I placed some twine between to act as the hanging.  Next I took a Tim Holtz journaling ticket which I ran through my big shot inside the Cuttlebug swiss dots embossing folder.  I inked the edges of the ticket and the cardboard circle with the Tim Holtz gathered twigs distress ink and then rubbed treasure gold over the top to accent in some places.  I melted Stampendous frantage embossing powder and fragments into a few of the grooves and onto the ticket and created a heart and my main word using Martha Stewart silicone moulds and air dry clay which I highlighted with Tim Holtz barn door distress ink.  Finally I tied a piece of twine and chose a Stampin'Up sentiment which I added to the hanging using the window and label punches.

Thanks for looking!
Tracey x

A set of 3 ATCs

The challenge for week 45 over at Out of a hat creations is 'A set of 3 ATCs', but read a little further and it also has to include the colours black, red, white and green.  ATCs aren't something I normally do (no idea why) but I have purchased the Docrafts Chronology range this week so my theme was set.

I started by cutting the 3 pieces of white card stock 2.5 by 3.5 and stamped 3 different Chronology backgrounds (1 was the free stamp on the latest Docrafts Creativity magazine).  Next I coloured my ATCs using Tim Holtz barn door and mowed lawn distress inks and then edged with black soot and then with the Ranger adirondack black acrylic paint dabber.  I then spritzed the pieces with water and then Tattered Angels marshmallow glimmer mist and used my black and white pens to draw lines round the edge.  I die cut the Chronology cogs and again inked with black soot and the acrylic paint, I covered some cogs with Tim Holtz rock candy crackle paint.  I covered the binoculars lenses with glossy accents and attached the cogs, 3 gems and an appropriate word from the Tim Holtz chitchat stickers to each ATC.

Thanks for looking!
Tracey x