Giraffe

Hello everyone! Today is my last day of the school holidays (sigh with sadness) and it's back to work tomorrow. I thought that I would take the chance to get a short blog post in before I get stuck into some school work today. I have been busy crocheting several baby gifts these holidays and one type of project that I wanted to make was an amigurumi giraffe. It was a bit time intensive for me as my stitch count was off at times and I had to redo rounds a few times but I finished it and I couldn't be happier! The blanket it is sitting on is also part of the gift so I can't wait to give it to my dear friend once he becomes a grandparent. I followed the tutorial on The Crochet Crowd. As I was following the video tutorial, it helped me a lot with learning to read the pattern.

Here are some close ups..

I used Marvel 8 ply wool and a 4mm crochet hook to complete my project. The safety eyes I bought from Spotlight.

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Follow Your Heart - Mixed Media Canvas

Hello everyone! I hope that you are all well. I have decided to continue practising with other mediums and decided to create a canvas, as I haven't made one for ages! I do like the She Art style and thought that this would be the direction that I would go in.

I applied white gesso and once dries I then used a stencil and some texture paste to some areas of the canvas. I then sprayed some LSG sprays.

The house image was simply some shapes that I cut out. I used some white gesso around the edges. I rubbed some gelatos around the edges of the shapes that were a complimentary colour to the papers and then used a dark gelato around the outside of the entire house. I then used various stamps to add texture.

I drew a tree onto the paper and glued it onto the canvas in the same manner as the house. I also used gesso and gelatos as before. I did outline the image with a black pen. I used a stamp to stamp hearts onto the tree and gelatos to create the leaves. I outlined them both with the pen to add definition.

I originally wanted to use a Darkroom Door sentiment stamp but it was too big for my canvas! So instead I printed the sentiment onto my compute and cut it out.

I used Prima oil pastels to colour these butterflies in. They react so beautifully with water.

Supplies:

Canvas: 8" x 8"

Paper: Grace Taylor Vintage Scrapbook Pad

Ink: Staz On Jet Black and Blazing Red

Masks: Maya Road and Tim Holtz Dot Fade

Stamps: Bobunny Stitches and It is Written, 49 Market Gabi's Square Stitch Stamps set, Gabi's  Circle Stamp set, Gabi's Butterflies are Free, Fiskars Clear Stamps Border Patrol

Other: Gelatos and Prima Water Soluble Oil pastels, Lindy's Stamp Gang Star Burst Blue Hawaiian Blue and Tiffany Blue, Maiden Hair Fern Green and Jack in the Pulpit Teal, Mister Hueys Opaque White, Liquitex White Gesso, Art Basics Soft Matt Gell and Modelling Paste

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Lifelong Friends

Hello everyone! Today I am sharing a layout with you which has some photos from my trip which I took earlier this year. I was inspired by the BAP sketch at Prima, and I thought that it was a great way to start scrapping some of my photos.

I am still a novice when it comes to mixed media, so I am trying to come out of my comfort zone and use the mediums as much as possible. I do love teals/aqua tones and wanted to use them in the layout.

I used a 2 Crafty chippie for my title and embossed it using some LSG bronze embossing powder.

I absolutely love butterflies and so I had to use this beautiful cling stamp (#580179) on my page. I also used some of the Prima dies to die cut some leaves to accompany the Prima flowers as well.

I used some of the Art Basics as well to create some texture.

Supplies:

Paper: Editorial Collection : Maestro (background) and French Riviera Collection

Stamps: Clings Stamps #580223 (rings) and #580179 (butterfly)
Clear Stamps #960641

Die: Doily 1 and leaves

Flowers: French Riviera #586188 and #586829

Ink and Sprays: Stazon Jet Black, Dark Bark, Color Bloom Worn Leather and Dragonfly Blue

Other: Art Basics Clear Gesso and Texture Paste, 2 Craft Chipboard, LSG Midnight Bronze Embossing Powder, Finnabaur Stencil Grungy Grid

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Ink and Sprays

Thank you

Hello everyone! It is the start of school holidays and now I can stuck into all of the craft projects that I have been wanting to do but haven't had the time to start. I have been wanting the Altenew Peony Bouquet Stamp set for a while and I ordered it and I had a play with it. I just love it! I think that I will need to order to the matching die as I fussy cut this one out and I think having the die would be much easier. To create my card, I actually stamped the flower twice and I have applied foam tape and to the second flower to add some dimension. I had to use my MISTI to be accurate as when I used my stamp block, I was hit and miss with the layers.

Supplies:

Paper: Maja Design Summer Crush

Stamps: Altenew Peony Bouquet and Build A Rose Stamp and Die

Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Versafine Onyx Black
Altenew  Crisp Inks Frosty Pink, Cotton Candy and Coral Berry, Frayed Leaf, Forest Glades and Evergreen

Dies: Spellbinders A2 Filigree Delight, Dienamics Fishtail Flags Stax

Other: Hemp and Bakers Twinw, Kaisercraft Pearls, MISTI

Thanks for stopping by!

Baby Blanket

Hello everyone! I hope that you are well. Thank you for your words of kindness in your comments from my last project. It certainly was greatly appreciated. Today I share a project that brings joy. I have a dear friend who will be a grandparent for the first time in a few months. I decided to do some crocheting and have been working on this blanket for a little while.

It is 66cm x 45cm (approx 18" x 26"). I used nine different coloured 8ply yarns. The blanket was completed using double crochet (US single crochet). 

The border was also completed using double crochet using two yarns that were used in the blanket.

I like bright and I wanted it to be as uni-sex as possible. I plan to make a toy to go with the blanket in the school holidays when I have a bit of time.

Thanks for stopping by!

 

With Sympathy

Hello everyone. It is with a heavy that I share my latest project with you. In all of my years of card making, I have not been able to bring myself to make a sympathy card. This is my first. Sadly, I had to say goodbye to another family member...to my cousin who fought right to the end against cancer. He leaves behind a six year old son, a partner and a heartbroken family. We all know that his pain is gone but now life without him must start.

I decided to create a card on behalf of my family for my aunty and uncle and then I made a box for the card. My sister selected the colour of the papers and of course I chose the rest. Here are some close ups.

Supplies:

Paper: Maja Design Vintage Spring Basics

Stamps: JustRite With Sympathy and Sympathy Vintage Labels

Ink: Versafine Black Onyx and Distress Ink Vintage Photo

Dies: Spellbinders Curved Borders Two and Fancy Framed Tags One, Joy Crafts 6002/0381, Memory Box Botanical Stem

Flowers: Wild Orchid  Crafts

Other: White Lace, hemp, twine, Kaisercraft pearls, cross charm

Thanks for stopping by

Travel Mini Album

Hello everyone! I went on long service leave a few weeks ago and went overseas with a friend of mine. I traveled to places that I have always wanted to go to and feel blessed that I had the opportunity to do so. While on my trip, the break from everyday life, helped me recharge and find some creativity that I had lost this year. I decided to make a mini album for some of my photos and finally I can share this with you. I have a video walk through below that I can share with you as well.

It is the largest album that I have so far. I followed a tutorial by Shellie Geigle. You can see the tutorial by clicking here.

Here are some photos to get you started....

Here is a video walk through of the album. It is highly interactive and it can really only be captured on video.

Supplies:

Paper: Kaisercraft Now Boarding Collection, Paper pad, Collectables, Sticker Sheets and Clear Stamps

Ink: Distress Ink Vintage Photo,

Stamps: Kaisercraft Journal Boxes Clear Stamps

Punches: Martha Stewart Flourish Lace and Embroidery, Fiskars 1 inch punch, We R Memory Keepers Crop-o-dile deco punch corner chomper and Crop-o-dile, Stampin' Up! Tag Punchesw small and large,

Dies: Spellbinders Curved Borders Two,  A2 scalloped borders one, Die-namics pierced traditional tag stax and postage stamp stax, Tim Holtz Tag Collection

Other: Tim Holtz Quote bands, Tim Holtz adornment souvenir, Tim Holtz mini corners, Rubtex lobster clasp swivel 30mm, Basic Grey small magnetic discs, Stampin' Up! crumb cake seam binding, hemp burlap, 1/8" eyelets, Paper Clips, Tim Holtz tiny attacher, Hug Snug seam binding tile blue, We R Memory Keepers wide eyelets cool metal 3/16"

Thanks so much for stopping by!