Vintage St Nick Ornament

Technique:  Stamping

Stamps:
Bo Bunny St Nick Santa Dear

Pens, Inks etc
Vintage Photo Distress Ink
Versacolor Black Ink
Versacolor Metallic Gold Ink

Papers:
Kaisercraft Timeless Sheet Music paper
sheet music from a hymn book
corrugated card

Other stuff:
Scor-pal
adhesives
glitter
Spellbinders Circle Nestabilities

I adore this Bo Bunny stamp, it's an old release (2009) and I found it by rummaging through a neglected box of stamps at a local scrap book store.  I've stamped St Nick using black ink directly onto a hymn sheet and used black embossing ink to bring him to life.  I finally managed to find someone in Australia who had the circle nestabilities dies (yay!) and have used these to create the the circles for both Santa, the corrugated card and the backing circle.

The rosette is made from two 1.5" strips cut from the Kaisercraft Timeless Sheet Music paper, scored at half inch increments and then joined together.  The edges of just about everything have been inked with Vintage Photo distress ink.  The corrugated card is inked with just a smidge of gold ink and then has a rim of gold glitter applied.  Finally a small piece of gold cord is adhered to the back so it can be hung on the tree.

Linkies:

Make it Monday:  Always Anything Goes

September Angels

Technique: Crochet

Hi and welcome, I am so glad you found me!

Every week I crochet an angel and send it off to someone who is need of hope through an organization called Angels for Hope. This is fantastic way to let people know that no matter what they are dealing with, that they are not alone. Each week I blog about it in the hopes that someone who wanders this way will read it and spread the word.

To celebrate the start of Spring all of my September angels are made with  a soft baby weight yarn with beautiful pastel colours. I can't believe this is the last one for the month already!

If you like to crochet and would like to register for Angels for Hope you can do so here. Also, if you know someone who is need of an Angel, you can put in your request there.

Christmas Across The Miles

Technique:  Papercrafting

Stamps:
Teddy Bo 128
Postcards from the Mini Holidays set by Tim Holtz

Pens, Inks & Colours:
Prismacolor pencils
Aged Mahogany Distress Ink
Vintage Photo Distress Ink

Papers:
Kaisercraft Dec 25th Collection (Wish)
Graphic 45 Christmas Emporium Collection (Believe)

Other:
adhesive
odorless solvent
paper blending stubs

The challenge at Winter Wonderland this week is to create a card to send to loved ones who live abroad, and further....  "Please be sure to show on your card with your sentiment that this card is going across the miles."

I chose an image from Teddy Bo that features little Bo holding a letter, and I added the sentiment in Gimp (the font is called A Little Pot).

Teddy Bo is coloured with Prismacolor pencils, and this is my very first attempt at trying to colour with these pencils and odorless solvent.  The Teddy Bo blog has a tutorial each week, and if you follow the tutorial and enter using a Teddy Bo image they send you another one free, so he's being popped over there, and a thankyou to Nicole Tietje for writing the tutorial on using Prismacolors.  I need a *lot* more practise but the variation and tone in colour I could get even with no skill was fantastic.

The card is made from a sheet called Wish from the Kaisercraft Dec 25th Collection.  This is the first time I have made a card without using a co-ordinating plain card to make mats, I have just used the front and back as the exterior and interior, this was partially as experimentation and partially to keep the weight of the card down for postage.  The postcard on the front is from Graphic 45, and the postcard inside was made from plain white card, stamped with a Tim Holtz postcard stamp and aged with Vintage Photo distress ink.

A simple card, no bling or frou frou, I have several cards that need to go overseas and I wasn't sure whether this was going to be sent to a male or female so I wanted something with generic appeal, and I wanted something that would post well and not get damaged in transit with little fragile bits.

Six Inch Crochet Blanket Sampler - Daisy Chain

Technique: Crochet

Materials:
8 ply yarn in 3 colours

Tools:
4mm crochet hook

Finished Size:
6 inches

This is another of the blocks from Jan Eaton's book, and this one was perfect, no adjustment necessary, the right size and right number of stitches first time!  I have over 20 squares now and have started blocking them, I'd like to get the blanket completed before the end of the year.

Chester's Music Box

Technique:  Papercraft

Stamps:
Retro Chester by Pollycraft

Pens & Inks:
Copic Pens
Earth Tone: E31, E33, E35
Flesh: E000, E02
Orange: YR02, YR04
Grey: C0, C3, C5, C7, C9
Mustard: Y23, Y26, Y28
Sakura Gelly Roll pen in silver
Spiced Marmalade Distress Ink

Papers:
Xtron by Kaisercraft

The second challenge at LESS-ology is to make a trinket box, and of course you must upcycle at least one item.  So many choices! I chose a box of tea.

The first thing I did was to re-inforce all the edges with tape, the type that picture framers use.  This also hides all the multi-coloured corners.

Then each panel of the box was covered with paper, the edges inked with a little Spiced Marmalade Distress Ink.

Chester has been coloured with Copic pens. I had a little mishap that turned out quite fortuitously.  When I uncapped one of my markers three blobs of ink flew onto the paper, so I had to cut away the background.  This turned out quite well though I thought.

This box is now proudly being displayed in my son's room who is using it to store his Nintendo DS games.

Paperclay Gingerbread Ornament

Technique:  Stamping

Materials:
air drying paperclay
Gingerbread House Heart by High Hopes rubber stamp
acrylic paints
drying retarder (or stain of your choice)
ribbon, felt & adhesive

This was a very simple ornament to make.  I often prefer working with paperclay because you can use it instantly, it doesn't require conditioning like polymer clay, and there's no baking, no need for separate equipment, no toxicity etc.

Tthought I should add a little more info on the paperclay as a few have never worked with it before.  I use a brand called Darwi, mostly because that is what is available here, but there is also Creative Paperclay and I think even companies like Crayola make a version branded for children.

Paperclay doesn't require any firing, depending on the thickness it will air dry in around 24 hours.  As soon as you open the packet put it in a zip loc bag and only take out as much as you will need.  I find it easier to work with if I wet my hands first, and you will notice that you get a fine, silky "slip" on your hands the same way as you would with real clay.  It needs minimal kneading to get it to soften, and any tears or splits while you are working with it can be quickly and easily repaired with a damp brush.

To make this ornament, roll out a piece of paperclay on a baking sheet or non stick craft mat  with a rolling pin.  Use a firm pressure to stamp your image directly onto the clay.  I used a mounted red rubber stamp  from High Hopes and got a nice, deep, clean impression.  I haven't tried acrylic stamps, so I can't vouch for the success of those, they don't tend to be as deep so it may now give as good as an impression.

With a sharp knife or scalpel cut around the outside of the stamped image, depending on the stamp you used you could use a cookie cutter for this step.  Set aside to dry over night.

Once thoroughly dry the paperclay can be painted.  I gave mine a base coat of a brown biscuit colour and then when that was dry, I mixed a little burnt umber paint with some drying retarder so that I could use it as a stain (which is primarily what ready bought stains are, a colour medium with a drying retarder so you have time to work with it).  Using a soft cloth I rubbed it over the entire 'cookie' making sure it sat heavily in the stamped image to create a contrast.

Once dry I finished with a few coats of spray varnish, adding a ribbon at the back to hang it on the tree and covering the back with brown felt for neatness.

Challenges:

Make It Monday #55:  Anything Goes
Simon Says Stamp:  Sing It (I'll Be Home for Christmas)
High Hopes Stamps:  Home For The Holidays

For more information on paperclay and other air drying clay, The New Clay News is an excellent place to start.

Wassail Package

Technique:  Papercraft

Stamps:
Chef Tilda
snowflake stamp

Pens & Inks:
Copic Markers
Dusty Pink: R81, R83, R85
Earth Tones: E11, E13, E15, E17, E19, E21, E23, E25, E29
Flesh: E0000, E000, E02
Sakura Gellyroll Pen in white
Versacolor in white

Papers:
brown craft paper
spotty patterned paper is a free download from here

Other:
Threading Water punch by Fiskars
string

Wassailing is the pre-cursor to the Christmas tradition of caroling, wassailing refers to a traditional ceremony that involves singing and drinking the health of trees in the hopes that they might better thrive.

Wassail the beverage is a hot, mulled punch often associated with Yuletide. Historically, the drink was a mulled cider made with sugar, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg and topped with slices of toast. Modern recipes begin with a base of wine, fruit juice, or mulled ale, sometimes with brandy or sherry added. Apples or oranges are often added to the mix. 

The tradition, as it was taught to me, included villagers going around from house to house with a wassail bowl (a toasting mug).  At each house their bowl would be filled with a warm alcoholic cider and they would give a loud WASSAIL! (the toast).  There are several versions of wassailing songs that were sung as the wassailers went from door to door, I imagine the more often their wassail bowl was emptied the rowdier they became!

Wassail (mulled wine) is something I make when we celebrate "Christmas in July" or the mid-winter solstice.  One of my friends has often asked me for the recipe, but I have always told it to her verbally, you know how it is "oh its just a bit of this and a bit of that", so this is my gift to her.  Cooking is one of her passions, and she spent a great deal of her childhood in Holland, so little Chef Tilda felt perfect for her.

I am entering this into the Winter Wonderland challenge this week, which is Girly Christmas (must have an image of a girl).  I doubt it's fancy enough to win anything other than a big smile at Christmas, but that's worth more than anything :o)

Morgan's Mulled Wine

10 cloves

2 cinnamon sticks

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 roughly grated nutmeg

1 orange, skin intact, sliced

1 bottle of Merlot

Place all the ingredients in a 

crockpot on low for an hour.

September Angels

Technique: Crochet

Every week I crochet an angel and send it off to someone who is need of hope through an organization called Angels for Hope. This is fantastic way to let people know that no matter what they are dealing with, that they are not alone. Each week I blog about it in the hopes that someone who wanders this way will read it and spread the word.

To celebrate the start of Spring all of my September angels are made with  a soft baby weight yarn with beautiful pastel colours.

If you like to crochet and would like to register for Angels for Hope you can do so here. Also, if you know someone who is need of an Angel, you can put in your request there.

Christmas Tree Altered Book

Technique:  Papercraft

Pens & Inks:
Versacolor metallic gold ink

Papers:
Bo Bunny "Father Christmas Holly"
Paisley Park "Father Christmas Around The World"

Dies:
Tiny Tabs & Tags by Tim Holtz

Other:
hard cover book to be altered
gold mica spray (ie Glimmermist)
gold glitter
gold cord
gold brads
red and gold ribbon
hot glue gun

This is my first altered book, and whilst I don't consider it to be "arty" I was pleased with the result, and it suit's me as it's function is a practical one.  The tree in the centre is not just decorative, it's a Christmas card holder.

I started with a book called Quartets for Men, which is a book of gospel hymns.  I picked this up at the Salvation Army thrift shop for a song (I made a punny!).  I removed the first and last page because this was a thicker sheet and would have created issues when folded. 

This left a small gap in some places between the meat of the book and the covers, which I sealed up with tissue tape.

Then the hours of folding started, well not really but it did take longer than I expected! 

To create the fold for the tree take the top right hand corner and fold it down to the spine.

Take that folded edge and carry it in toward the spine once more.

Tuck up the bottom flap.

Repeat that for all the pages.  My book was some 200 pages or thereabouts, and I removed around 20 sheets to ease out some bulk.  This was necessary otherwise the bulk of the folded pages would force the covers to extend beyond the flat 180 degrees that I wanted. 

Once all the pages were folded I lined the inside of both covers with the Bo Bunny patterened papper and then misted the entire surface with a gold mica spray, if you do this less is more, you don't want the pages to wrinkle.

When dry I squeezed the pages of the book together and ran a glue stick along the folded edges, not too hard though, you don't want to force glue between the folds so that the pages stick together, and gave a dusting of gold glitter.

The four little ornaments are made using the Tiny Tags die, which just happens to be the same size as the circles on the Paisley Park paper.  Cut out four tags, and four images of Santa.  Glue the images to the tags and trim any overhang.  Ink around the tag using the Versa metallic gold ink.

The tags are "attached" with a gold brad - what I did there was remove the prongs from the brad and hot glued it into position, that way nothing was sticking through the other side.  The final touch was a red bow atop the tree.

The cover of the book is a faux green leather, and the title of the book is imprinted with gold ink.  I decided not to cover it with paper and just give it a spritz of gold mica.

Here's the tree holding a few Christmas cards.  If you prefer it could be purely decorative and then you could adorn the tree with all manner of bling.

This is being entered into (and was inspired by) the first LESS-ology challenge which is to alter a book.  I am so excited about this challenge, as I love altering and upcycling and that is more within my comfort zone than card making.

Six Inch Crochet Blanket Sampler - Diamond In A Square

Technique: Crochet

Materials:
8 ply yarn in 3 colours

Tools:
4mm crochet hook

Finished Size:
6 inches

This is another of the blocks from Jan Eaton's book, and this one only took a minor adjustment to get it to a uniform 6" in size. In the original pattern the 6th row is single crochet, to get the block to the correct size I had to do mine as a row of double crochet.

Coffin Treat Box

Technique:  Papercraft

Materials:
card stock
adhesive
white pastel chalk

Tools:
scissors
scoring tool
halloween embossing folder
Sizzix Big Shot

This project comes from Martha Stewart, the links to download the templates and the tutorial video are below:

Coffin lid template
Coffin base template
Coffin treat box tutorial video

For my personal touch, once I had the coffin constructed I embossed a piece of black card using a Halloween Texture Fade, which I sanded lightly and then brushed over with a white pastel chalk.  I also sanded all of the edges of the box to distress and ran the chalk over them as well, I really like the old, dusty look this gives the black card.