Crafty Cardmakers Challenge 264

The theme for this fortinght is Shabby Chic.

Now, I've never really got the hang of exactly what is and isn't shabby chic. So, I've got a couple of different projects to share in the hope that one of them fits!

I'm scheduling this post in June, and at this time, the hospital where I normally volunteer (but currently can't visit because of public transport restrictions) asked for donations of face masks for volunteers and visitors. I've made quite a few for my own family, and to make it more interesting, started stamping and shading plain cloth before hand-stitching the result. This is what I started with:

And these are photos of the finished result:

The instructions I used to make the masks is here. I'm not in any way a sewing expert and I don't own a sewing machine so the masks have all been hand-stitched. The edge pieces are the same cloth as the main part - I just didn't stamp or shade it at all.

The stamps are from a range of suppliers including Inkylicious, Craft Stamper magazine, Crafter's Companion and the inks are either Versacraft or Versafine Clair. The former is intended for stamping on cloth. The latter isn't, but in my not-very-scientific tests, when I heat set the images with an iron, they seemed to last as well as the Versacraft in a single wash. Beyond that, time will tell!


The second project is a card.

I recently saw a faux bleaching technique demonstrated on Create and Craft and liked the effect so much I had to have a go. I created the background by blending four shades of Distress Oxide ink on glossy card. I placed a Crafter's Companion stencil over that and sprayed with water. When it was dry, I replaced the stencil, slightly offset from where it had originally been, and dabbed black ink. Finally, I added some butterflies from a different stencil - this one from Imagination Crafts. I matted the result on black and then pastel green (not obvious in the photo against the white card) and that's it!
I do hope you can join us this time.

International Art and Soul Challenge 93

The theme for this fortnight is to use Autumn colours. The project can be anything you want, any theme, so long as the colours are autumnal.

I recently added to my collection of Brushos, and several of them seemed to be earth tones, so they seemed to be an ideal starting place for this challenge. I used several colours, and stamped over the result using Versafine ink. The result was two pieces of backing card for six by six inch cards.

The predominant colours on this piece were browns and dark greens, but the overall effect was a little darker than I had been hoping for. To counter that, I added things that would 'brighten' the overall effect. The main image (from Creative Stamper magazine) was stamped using a Kaleidacolor ink pad (cappuccino), and I stamped it on to some woven-patterned paper. The ribbon has been in my box for ages and I'm really not sure where it came from!

The predominant colours in this part were more the dark green and red, and again, I wanted to lift the overall effect. The image was stamped using an Indigo Blue stamp, and coloured with Promarkers. The lace is some of the 'stick on' variety that I got in Tiger (at least that's what it was called when I bought it!)

Stamps used in the background are from Poppy Stamps, Crafter's companion, and an issue of Creative Stamper magazine.

I do hope you can join us this time.

Crafty Cardmakers Challenge 263

The challenge at Crafty Cardmakers this fortnight is to make something with a recycled element. Other that that, you can make anything you like!

I spent a lot of time this spring making masks. Because of my (admittedly limited) experience volunteering in an isolation ward, I know that masks shouldn't be reworn (without washing) and should be handled carefully, so I made quite a lot for my family, and when the hospital asked for some to give to visitors, I made for them too. Most of them were the pleated variety, as I'm not a sewer, and don't own a sewing machine. But, I decided to have a go at a shaped mask and used the pattern I got here. For fabric, I used an old nightie which was otherwise supposed to go for rag recycling!

I was quite pleased with the result, and I've got to say, the fabric is very soft and comfortable - much more so than the ones I made using new woven cotton.

Having said that, I enjoyed making the others more because I got the chance to decorate using my range of  stamps and stencils. Some of the more recent ones are below, and for these, I used the instructions I found here.

The top mask (closed and open) uses a Tatty Teddy stamp I've had forever. I think it was a magazine freebie which I picked up at a craft show. I stamped it with Versafine ink, and added some background texture and colour using Versacraft ink. I used some of the Versacraft to tone Teddy's patches orange too.

The lower mask (which for some reason I photographed upside-down and I no longer have it) uses stamps from Printable Heaven and Crafter's Companion and a mix of Versafine Clair and Versacraft inks.

See what I mean? Much more fun! The ink fades a little, but is definitely still visible after a few washes.

I'm looking forward to seeing what you come up with, with a recycled element!

International Art and Soul Challenge 92

The challenge for this fortnight is to follow this board:

Your project has to contain three elements from the board - any line, horizontal, vertical or diagonal.

I chose to go with the middle horizontal line and made this:

I started with white card and made the frame using a die from Elizabeth Craft. Another piece of white card, and I stencilled that using stencils from Crafter's Companion and Imagination Crafts using Distress Ink and gilding wax.

The dies used to create the floral arrangement are (almost) all from Susan Tierney Cockburn's various collections. The exception is a die I bought in The Works which makes a useful piece of background with added perfect pearl dots.

I completed the frame by adding some die cuts cut using a Spellbinders die.

I do hope you can join us this time.