Carnival Glass

Three more effects on seawashed glass using Fusible Film, PipeDreamInk Opals UTEE and SW clear UTEE. Whilst hot they were impressed with a stamp using metallic Brilliance inks as release agents. I used a heat gun on a non-stick craft mat rather than a melting pot. Trying this technique out to help with a query from Trish Latimer on Talkcrafts Forum.

These very much remind me of antique Lustre Glass.

Faux Dichroic Glass pieces

Have had a very crafty day today. Spent all day doing these pieces of Faux Dichroic Glass. The melting pot, heat gun and UTEE have certainly been in action. Managed to burn the end of one of my fingers too........be warned, molten UTEE is definately VERY HOT indeed especially when stuck firmly to the end of your first digit !! I have not put my nose outside the door today, but I am off for 2 weeks so plenty of time for excursions.

Here are the pieces:

These are done using the melting pot..........

These are done with a heat gun & stamp........

Faux Dichroic Cufflinks

Here are a pair of cufflinks I have made using small pieces of seawash glass as a base. The technique used is detailed elsewhere in the blog. Silver plated findings have been used and the finished glass has been attached with 5 minute 2-part epoxy glue. I actually wear these and will be doing more in the near future..........so keep an eye on for them !

ATC Kit Swap (2)

I have just completed the remaining 8 ATC's. So here they are !!

ATC Kit Swap

Well another week has got lost somewhere ! I have put together a couple of ATC's from a swap of 10 kits on UKS. These are the first two completed....just 8 to go. Lost an hours sleep this morning too but welcoming the lighter evenings heralding longer & warmer days. Went to Harrogate yesterday to the Great Northern Papercrafts Extravaganza meaning not to spend much (the road to heaven is paved with good intentions kind of thing)..........so melted the plastic a bit but got a lot of bargain mounted stamps and some nice Invoke Arts UM's too.

Quick Mothers Day Card

Did a very quick Mothers Day card this morning, before I set off to see my Mum for the day ! Always last minute as ever.

On cream pearlescent card I stamped the butterfly (Personal Impressions) in Versamark and heat embossed with detail gold EP. Then cut out the image and coloured by hand with USArtQuest Stargazers watercolours. I added antenna with gold wire. The background was again stamped with Versamark and the Rubber Stampede Acanthus Background stamp and again embossed with detail gold EP. Trimmed this to fit and matted onto the A6 base card and embellished with the butterfly attached with foam pads. The Mother chipboard plate is by K & Co and I added a ribbon bow for good measure. Hope she likes it !!

Brooch Mania

I Seem to be going through a very 'Broochy' time at present, can't stop making them. I promise that these are the last for a while.

This one is oval, and measures 53 x 22 mm. Painted with several coats of Twinkling H2O's ( Moss Green , Rich Cocoa) Deco Beads in Pearl Green applied with Glossy Accents across the centre and some mirrored seed beads applied in a pattern (holes upright) Finished with a brooch back.

The next is oval again and same dimensions as above, covered in printed paper adhered with PVA glue and trimmed and sanded around the edges. Pattern accentuated with Versamark pen and heat embossed with Claret and Pink Pearls EP. Edged with Krylon Gold.

This one is triangular, base 55mm sides 40mm. First covered in paper and then selectively heat embossed with Versamark pen and Stardust EP after edging with Ochre Chalk Ink. Finally sealed with paper Mod Podge.

The next is 35 x 40 mm, Stamped and coloured with ink, heat embossed with three coats of UTEE and edged with Purple Deco Balls adhered with Glossy Accents.

This one is circular, 34mm diameter and has been coated with silver and purple deco balls adhered with Glossy Accents in two stages. Edged with silver Krylon pen.

The last is again triangular, first painted with Twinking H2O's (Golden Monarch, Blue Zircon), then decorated with mirrored seed beads in Amber and Pale Blue, adhered with Glossy Accents and leaving a stripe un-decorated. Edged with black dye ink.

Well that's it folks, no more brooches for a while. So much more to do !!

Tear Drop Brooch

Another creation.........this time free-hand painted on a wooden shape with Twinkling H2O's (Midori Melon, Orange Peel, Ocean Wave & Pink Anthurium) edged with black Stazon then sealed with matt paper Mod Podge. Dimensions are 55mm x 20mm x 2mm (at widest point).

Brooches

Made another two brooches today. This time instead of using bazzill chips I have used wooden shapes as a base. I found them easy to use and they are very light too. These two are actually 39 x 36 mm and they are 2mm thick. Great surface to work on ! I first applied a coat of gesso all over each shape and allowed to dry. I then applied decorative paper to the front with PVA glue and allowed it to dry. I then cut away the excess paper and sandpapered the edges until smooth and slightly bevelled. The backs of the brooches were painted with Lumiere Pink/Gold Halo metallic paint and allowed to dry.

On the first brooch I randomly stamped with Versamark a small leaf stamp and heat embossed with dark brown opal EP. Then I stamped out the image of a womans face onto cream card in Pumpkin Stazon and cut it out. I then applied the cutout with PVA to the surface of the embossed brooch. I completed by edging with Burnt Sienna Chalk Ink and gave the front of the brooch a coat of matt paper Mod Podge.

On the second I stamped a small flower stamp with Versamark and heat embossed with Violet Pearl EP. I then hand painted with LuminArte H2O in sunflower. Finishing off by edging with violet Chalk Ink and a coat of matt paper Mod Podge.

Both were completed with a brooch back adhered with 2 part epoxy glue.

Tags to Go

Here are three tags I made for a swap on TalkCrafts Forum . The theme was 1-2-3 and thats what I did. Both sides of the tags had to be decorated and I generally used distressed ink techniques with Ranger Distress Inks.

This is the front

They were then decorated with a variety of embellishments and stamping.

This is the back

The swapped tags were then exchanged and a random selection returned. Really enjoyed taking part and there were some really fabulous interpretations and art demonstrated by the swap participants.

Altered Mint Tin

Again inspired by a class on UK Stampers Forum I used one of Marks & Spencers 'Curiously Strong Mint Tins' as a base for this creation. I rubbed the tin down well with fine sandpaper and then coated with white gesso and allowed to dry. I then used colonial green acrylic paint (DecoArt) and applied with a natural sponge and allowed to dry. I then stippled with Adirondack dye inks in bottle and oregano and dried thoroughly with a heat gun. In the meantime I stamped some leaves from the See D's leaf set in black Stazon on white tissue paper and then hand coloured with Lyra Aquacolor crayons and a water brush (drying with a blast from the heat gun). These were then cut out and adhered to the surface and sides of the tin with Golden gloss gel medium and a soft brush ensuring that they were covered on both sides. Once dry I coated the entire surface of the tin with more Golden gel medium watered down slightly, missing the edges of the tin in order to ensure the tin would close afterwards. I finished off the outside with two rows of iridescent clear bugle beads (Gutermann) which were adhered with Glossy accents.

The inside was completed by sponging green alcohol ink all over, working quickly and building up the colour to suit. I then ran a bead of glossy accents around the bottom inside of the base and applied metallic green decobeads. Once dry I then applied a piece of fused glitterati fibres with glossy accents in the inside lid and then applied a piece of my hand made Faux dichroic glass in green and gold. The tin is pictured with some unfinished Inchies within.

I was very pleased with the overall finish, the main drawback of coating any tin with layers of gel is that the outside gets slightly bigger and then the lid will not close. It's important to take this into consideration when decorating the tin. I was pleased also with the alcohol ink coating inside because it let the shiny finish of the inside of the tin show through the colour in a very brilliant way. Hope you like it.

Even MORE 'Inchies'

Inchies Inchies Everywhere !!!!

My God, has a week really gone by? I have been busy though. One of the things I have produced are a set of 30 'Inchies' for a swap hosted by Clare on UK Scrappers Forum .

Here is a pic of my work. I basically hand coloured a background on watercolour paper (previously spritzed with water), with Lyra Aquacolors and a water brush. Then overstamped in blue Stazon with 'All over floral' stamp by Rubber Stampede. Pics and words were in the 'EYES' theme cut out from various mags. I then edged all with Gold Krylon pen.