Monday 24 November 2014

CKCB Challenge 1 ... make a Pinterest inspired LO

Morning all..

Welcome to the Counterfeit Kit November Blog Hop. If you have found your way here you will have come via Suzanne's blog.... I'm sure you've been inspired by her creativity. 


For this challenge the idea was to create a layout taken from an idea from the amazing source of ideas that is.... Pinterest.. well this was right up my street! I spend far too long on Pinterest, pinning things and rarely getting around to trying them out...but in this case I was determined to put one of them to good use. 


Here is the idea I decided to try.


I had pinned this tutorial some weeks ago and had intended to try it out quite soon, so this was the prompt I needed. The idea is to use your hot glue gun to create a stencil.. so I chose to write the title of my LO.. in this case the word 'together'..




I tried both clear glue and white glue on a non-stick craft mat, (I personally preferred the clear glue)... and a second glue gun.. the first one was too slow!. It took a bit of practice, as you can see here, but now I have lots of word stencils I can use! Happy days!








This is the LO I made with it... after laying the 'glue word' stencil I spray misted the background card stock with dark pink and pewter and then gently lifted it off to reveal the title.. its the first time I've started with the title in the layout and made the clusters 
around it, so it was quite refreshing. I'm really pleased with the end result and I am 
sure I will be doing this again. 



I hope you've enjoyed my Pinterest inspired LO.... And you enjoy the rest of the hop. If you get lost along the way, here is the list of wonderful entries to find your way again... enjoy! 





Elaine
x


Monday 17 November 2014

November kit layout

Hi all... Here is a LO I made with my November kit, Leaf it up to Me!



I chose this sketch here from Stuck?! Blogspot...


 I used three photos in place of the one photo and chose to punch them out hexagonally instead... I then chose several papers from my kit and added some Teresa Collins, Far and Away stickers together with some washi and some small embellishments.

My husband and I went to London to see the poppies at the Tower of London and we spent a really pleasant couple of hours walking around London and seeing the sights too.

Just a quick post from me..but I wanted to share this with you.

Elaine
X


Tuesday 11 November 2014

Altered/ mixed media items including Christmassey birdhouses

Hey all... Well here I am again.. This time with something quite different for me! 


As some of you may know, I recently went on a scrapbooking retreat weekend.. And two of the ladies there are in to altered items and mixed media art... So they provided us with a giant clothes peg (pin) for us to alter and they also gave all of us a papier mâché initial for each of our names. 



Well... I think it's safe to say.. I'm hooked! I just love taking something quite plain and boring and turning it into something so different from what it started out as. 



Here are those two items.. I'm really pleased with them for a first attempt at altering something! 



The peg (pin) I painted with turquoise chalk paint by Paper Artsy and then whitewashed dry acrylic paint over it. I then stamped some paisley shapes and silver heat embossed it. I added a cluster made of embellishments, which I added on top of a rectangle of plasterers drywall tape as the base. I added Prima paper roses and painted them to co-ordinate. I finished it off with a stick pin with made with beads and crystals.



I am going to use this peg to hold my take away menus... when I move that is.. I live so rurally that no-one delivers to me out here! Lol!




Below is my initial... I covered this with dictionary paper, painted it thinly and then used script texture paste with a mask then rubbed Treasure Gold around the egdes. Again I made a cluster of embellishments and added pearls all over..but I realised it was a bit unbalanced so I added a smaller cluster at the bottom. I'm pleased with the end results. really.. for a first attempt!   



Tell me what you think.. And be honest, I'm learning here so any tips would be gratefully received! 



So ... after I got home, I decided I would make some more things..this time I though I'd make them Christmassey    (as it's that time of year again)... and I was challenged to do so by themirrocrack1d blog here ... and as you probably know by now, I'm always up for a challenge!



so.... First I took these little wooden birdhouses... 


Then I covered them with yellowed pages from an old Thesaurus. I used PVA glue (and got in a right mess too!) to stick it all together. Once dried I took a dry paintbrush and dry brushed acrylic white paint all over them.. After allowing them to dry again, I then added pale gold acrylic paint. 



Once I was satisfied with the finish of them, I stamped small snowflakes on the roof of each and then I added fold embossing powder and heated it. Then I added pearl 'runs' on the top of each roof too. 




 When they were completely dry ( which took some time because of the Viva Decor pearl pen) I then made a decision to add a row of crystals across the ridge of the roof, and added thin lace to the apex of the roof too using a hot glue gun. 



Finally I chose the embellishments for each house, making each slightly different, and I stuck them all on with the same hot glue gun. 



Mainly I used pearls and silk roses, but on a couple I have used old broken jewellery to add a different element. 




Overall I'm very pleased with them, and I have a few new decorations for my tree this year.. So I'm a happy girl. 



So pleased you've joined me in my journey into mixed media art.. Do pop back soon.. You never know what else I may get up to! 



See you soon! 



Elaine

X




Monday 10 November 2014

CKCB November kit

Hey all.. its been a while since I blogged...don't know where the time is flying by to? Hey ho... I'm back now and here to share with you my take on this here CKCB kit from Crop and Create.... which is awesome and still current if anyone wants to buy the original!

When I first saw this kit coral, taupe and the rose patterned paper jumped right out at me... then I set about watching the video that comes with the kit... and then I realised there were quite a few woodland elements with it too and leaf stamps and lots of other lusciousness... so I set about making my own kit up.. which I am calling: 

'Leaf it up to me'.

Unfortunately, I don't own any leaf stamps, so I am going to have to get creative whilst using this kit.. but for now..here is my take on it so far.. I reserve the right to 'make' more items and add plain CS where I need it. 





First I chose some Kaisercraft rose paper and picked the colours from that for my cardstock.. which included, coral, aqua, taupe and pinks.














I then selected all my other patterned papers and came up with these below. 







I then picked out some alphas.. I don't have canvas ones so I chose corrugated card and cork and some sage alphas too














and I finally picked out my embellishments and washi..because I just have to have washi in my kits!



So here it is.. a photo heavy post, but I think the pictures speak louder than words... 'Leaf it up to me' to make some awesome LO's this month.. 

Before I go though.. I must just say I really hope a few more people get on board with this kit this month and join in the blog hop on the 24th as last month there were literally no takers which is so sad as this creative team work so hard and this idea is so great that we shouldn't just look and not join in... so go on, take the leap and join in too. 

Have fun all.. 

Elaine
x