ATC Block

Hello everyone and welcome to my blog!!  Hope you've all had a good day today and that the weather has been nice in your part of the world.  It's been absolutely beautiful here in Adelaide, almost like summer again.

Today I'd like to share an ATC Block  that I made.  I first saw one of these on Astrid Maclean's blog and I really loved the one she created.   She has made a couple more since then and they have all been gorgeous.  Any of you who visit Astrid's blog will know about her amazing creations.  Her work is stunning!!

Anyway, on one of her comments on my blog, she told me about Jenny Marples of 'Pushing the Right Buttons' and how she uses a lot of mixed media on her cards so, of course, I had a look and fell in love with her creations too.  Well, Jenny also makes ATC Blocks and I totally fell in love with one of hers and could no longer resist the temptation to make one of my own.  I'm afraid I pretty much copied Jenny's  because I loved it so much.  If you'd like to take a look at hers, HERE is the link, and HERE is the link to Astrid's Blog for any of you who haven't been there before.  Take the time to check them both out, you will not be sorry.  They are both awesome artists and create the most gorgeous things!!

So, here is my block.

 The block was made from paperboard and measures 3 x 3 on each side, and the papers I've used to cover it are from BoBunny's Weekend Market Paper Pack.  I've had these papers for a long time and never got around to using them.  I'm so glad I still had them in my stash because they were perfect for this Block.  The colours were just what I was looking for.

 The leaves were cut with my Silhouette except for the autumn leaves, they came from  Meg's Garden.com.  The flowers are a mix from different retailers but I have no idea what brand they are.  All the edges, including the leaves, were inked with Walnut Stain Distress Ink.

 The chipboard Trellis is the Moroccan Shape with Cutouts from Imaginarium which was heat embossed with Whispers Metallic Embossing Powder.  It does actually look like bronze but that doesn't show too well on the photos. The cutouts were coloured with Versa Colour in Gold, Silver and Bronze and then clear embossed.

 View from the top.  Added a few gem sprays from Magnolia Ink to the flower cluster.  The chipboard tag is from G45 as are all the other chippie labels.

 A closie of the cluster on the front ...

 ... on the right side ...

 ... on the right corner ...

 ... and on the left side.

 A view of the inside.

I enjoyed making this block so much that I am definitely going to make more of them.  Have no idea what I'm going to do with them, although I do think that they would make a lovely little gift when filled with chocolates or sweets of some kind.  They could even be used as Birthday Card replacements although they would not be easy to post.   Perhaps just for ones that get hand delivered.   Hmmmmm!!!  Might have to consider that.  Would give me a wonderful excuse to make more, not that I need an excuse!!  LOL!!

Well, I hope you like my little ATC Block and I want to thank Astrid and Jenny for giving me the inspiration.  I absolutely loved making this!!!  Gotta make More!!!!!!

I have decided to enter this into the Challenge at 613 Avenue Create 

Thank you so much for visiting and putting up with my nonsense.  I do hope you enjoy what's left of your day.
Take care and God Bless.
oxox Marg

A little Spring in my Step

Hi everyone and a very warm welcome to you!!  Hope everyone is having a wonderful day and that the weather in your part of the world is being kind to you.  We've had quite a lovely Autumn day in Adelaide today.  Nice and sunny with the temperature in the low 20s.  Could handle a lot more days like this one.

So, with our weather heading into winter, I thought I would take a step back and make a spring card.  Does that seem a bit on the silly side?  Well, I just felt like making something bright and sunny, and this is what I came up with.

 Have I told you that I really like making step cards???  Yeah, I think I might have mentioned that!!

 This one is a variation of my previous Crossover Step Card design.  Instead of using the pocket for tags, it has been closed and simply become part of the card itself and the crossover has been done in a double layer.  The papers were border punched with Martha Stewarts' Doily Die Border and some lace was inserted in between.  The papers used are a mix of Pion's Flower Frames and Maja's Vintage Summer Basics and I've done some stencilling with texture paste as a bit of added interest.  

 I've also tucked a few branches in between the card layers here and there.

 Added a couple of Vintage Brads at the bottom ...

 ... and here is a sideways closie of the flower cluster to which was added a twine bow.

The inside was lined with a sheet from Prima's Ledger Pad Paper pack and I made the pocket from a scrap piece of the Maja papers.

Thoroughly enjoyed making this card and it came together really quickly.  Love it when that happens.

I've decided to enter this one into the following Challenges -
Allsorts Challenge Blog - Spring Flowers
Challenges 4 Everybody - Anything Goes
613 Avenue Create - Anything Goes

Thank you so much for stopping by.  I hope you enjoy the rest of your day.
Take care and God Bless.
oxox Marg

Mini Books and Box

Hello everyone and welcome once again to my blog.  

So lovely to have you visit and I hope you are having a fabulous day!!

Today I'd like to share with you a set of Mini books and the File Folder box to keep them in.  This is a design download purchased from Marion Smith Designs and it was great fun and very easy to put together.  The download includes templates for most of  the required pieces.  The only things you need to measure out for yourself is the outside cover of the File Folder, but she gives you all the necessary information to make this very easy to do.  Marion actually has a video tutorial on this project and, if you'd like to take a look for yourself, you can find it HERE.

The papers I've used for the outside of the box and for the covers of the mini Books are from Prima's Engraver A4 Paper Pad.

The pattern includes this concertina fold for both sides of the box.  It is simply a matter of printing it, cutting around the outside and then scoring the fold lines. 

The back view.

I haven't done a lot of decorating on this.  As a matter of fact, I've done very little.  This is the cluster on the top of the box.  The large gardenia was originally white.  I've simply coloured it slightly with some watered down Tea Stain Distress Ink to make it blend in better with the papers.  The skeleton leaves were cut with my Silhouette from green cardstock and I've coloured those with Walnut Stain Distress Ink for the same reason.  I've also added in some paper and fabric flower buds and some autumn leaves.  The autumn leaves and the gardenia are available from Meg's Garden HERE.  The paper bud is from Magnolia Ink and the fabric buds are from my stash.  There is also a small green gem spray from Magnolia Ink but that is a bit difficult to see here.

For the cluster on the front I've simply used the same skeleton leaves, some small Kaisercraft Roses and a white gem spray.  

The open File Folder showing the mini books snuggled inside.  You can also see the Velcro I've used for the closure of the folder ... 

... and here are all the little books.  The base of each of these is a print out and then you simply cover them with the papers of your choice.  You don't even need to measure your dp as there are templates for that too , including those for the flaps.

Just a closie of one of the books.  You can make up your own mind as to what kind of closure to use.  

This is the inside of the book.  You simply punch the holes through the cover and the paper and then thread through some twine and tie it off.  So simple!!

I've glued an ornate metal plate on the front flap and used Velcro to hold the folder closed.

This was a fabulous little project to make.  Really easy to put together.  The only fiddly bit was attaching the concertina sides to the cover but even that was not really difficult.  It just came together really well and I'm certainly going to make more of these.  I think they would make a lovely little gift.
Sooooo, I'm thinking you might be wondering what I'm going to use this for?????  Well, I needed somewhere to write down  all the bits and pieces used on the cards I make so that when I write up my Blog Posts I'll have all the information at hand, and that's what these little books will be for.  Am I clever or what?????  Actually I just have a pretty bad memory and am sick of having to get up a dozen times or more to find the name of what I've used on a specific card or project.  LOL!!
Will be so much easier now.  That is if I remember to write it down!!!!!

Thank you all so much for taking the time to visit and I do hope you enjoy the rest of your day.

Take care and God Bless.

oxox Marg

Cherry Blossoms

Hello everyone and welcome to my blog.

Well, here I am again and with yet another Art Journal page.  For someone who really only does these once in a blue moon, I've been quite prolific lately.  I've been experimenting because I could not get the hang of using gesso to seal the pages  and stop everything from seeping through the paper.  Every time I tried coating my page with gesso first I seemed to lose all the colour once I started spraying.  Used a few different brands but all I would be left with is the shimmer and not much colour at all. Well, this time I coated the page with watered down gesso and, when dry, sprayed with watered down acrylic paint and the colour actually stayed on the page.  Woo!! Hoo!!

Once the paint dried I was able to spray with Distress Inks as well, and it all worked.  I haven't quite got the effect I was after, but I'm hoping that will come with experience.

As stated before, I coated the page with watered down gesso and while doing that I added in a few cotton threads for a bit of texture. The orange  colour is the acrylic paint.  I simply mixed some Vermillion with Ochre Yellow  until I achieved the shade I wanted.  Then, when that was dry I also sprayed with watered down Broken China and Mustard Seed Distress Inks.  You can just see the watercolour type blotches on the side.  That was the effect I was trying for.  Hopefully, one day I will get it all over. 

 Used Urban Artist  'Mt. Fuji Blossom' Stencil with some homemade texture paste, coloured it with watercolour pencils and highlighted with a white gel pen and a black sharpie.  Then went around the blossoms with a black watercolour pencil and a wet paint brush so they would stand out a bit more.  Not sure if I should have done that actually as it turned out a bit messy.

Unfortunately I forgot to do the stamping before I did the stenciling so the surface wasn't exactly smooth and the stamps didn't work too well but, I'm just going to say it adds character to the piece. LOL.  The stamps used are Kaisercraft's Tiny Dots and a Chinese or maybe a Japanese Script stamp.  It is also a Kaisercraft stamp but I haven't got the name of it I'm afraid.

 I searched the net for a Confuscius quote, but they were mostly quite rude except for this one which I quite liked.  'Wherever you go ... go with all your heart.'
So, there you go, I finally managed to do an Art Journal page that didn't seep into the back of the paper and make a mess of the next page.  Yay!!
This will actually be the last of my Journal pages for a while.  I have also been making cards as usual, but I can't show any of them here just yet as they are mostly DT projects although I've also been working on a project I purchased from Marion Smith Designs and I will be showing that in the next few days so do please come back and take a look at that.
I thank you so much for visiting and enjoy the rest of your day.
Take care and God Bless.
oxox Marg

 

In Step with Meg's Garden Damask Collection

Hello everyone and welcome to my blog.

I'm back to share my Meg's Garden DT Project with you today.  This card is made with the stunning new Damask range of papers. Once again, it's a centre Step Card.  I think I'm stuck in a rut.  I seem to be making a lot of these step cards but I just love working with them.  So .......  I guess there probably wil be quite a few more to come.  Really hope you don't get bored ???  

 As you can see I've incorporated a few different papers from the collection in this card to create the layers.  Some of the papers are from the Mini Pack and some are scraps from the 12 x 12 sheets left over from another project.  The leaf flourish on the side panels was stamped with Memento 'Tuxedo Black'. 

 For one of the layers I've used a square doily cut in half  and scrunched up a bit and then placed a torn piece of the paper over that.  Added a bit of lace and another strip of torn paper.  I love using odd bits of paper.  The uneven edges look more interesting to me that regular straight cuts.  The flourish and the twigs  were cut from cardstock with my Silhouette and the label was fussy cut from one of the mini papers.  You'll also see I've inserted some small branches in between some of the layers for extra interest.  The small gem sprays are from Magnolia Ink.

 Just a closie of the layers.  You can also see I've used a little bit of gesso in the corners and down the side as well.

 This gorgeous flower was white originally, but it simply looked too stark against the rest of the card so I decided to give it a bit of a make-over.  I gave it a burst with my Lindy's Stamp Gang Starburst Spray in Sea Grass Green and 'voila' now it blends in beautifully.  Well, to me it does anyway.  I really love that the centre is now more or less a solid green and the petals have also got some spots of colour as well.  Wetting the flower with the spray actually caused it to open out a bit and gave it more dimension ... you could say the spray made it blossom !!  LOL

 The chippie border is from Little Birdie and I've simply coloured that with some watered down Acrylic Paint.

And there you have it.  My Centre Step Card made with the new Damask Collection papers.  These papers are truly beautiful and such a lovely colour.  The photos really don't do them justice.  Why not visit Meg's Garden shop and have a closer look, you can find it HERE.  Believe me, you won't be sorry.

List of Meg's Garden Products used:

Blue Belle Jardiniere 12 x 12 Paper - P6380

Blue & Green Damask 12 x 12 Paper - P6368

Framboise Fleur 12 x 12 Paper - P6370

Damask Mini Paper Pack - S120

Gardenia 3 Layer White - gar wh

1.6cm White Lace - L2920

Mini Square Doily - bond10

If you'd like to see the awesome projects created by my Teamies please visit Meg's Garden Blog HERE

Thank you so much for visiting with me here today, I really do appreciate you taking the time. 

I hope you enjoy the rest of your day.

Take care and God Bless.

oxox Marg

Center Step

Hello everyone and welcome to my bloggy space!! Lovely to have you here.

I'm back to share another card with you and it is another center step card, a feminine one this time.  I still have a lot of masculine cards I need to make but keep getting side-tracked.  It's the flowers, they distract me every time.  LOL!

The papers I've used this time are from Prima's Sunrise Sunset Mini Pack.  All edges are distressed and inked with Walnut Stain Distress Ink.  I've layered some netting in between the papers and added a little gauze in one corner and a die cut as well.  The Die is the Honey Blossom Sprig Die  by Memory Box.  I think the paper I've used for the die-cut is actually from Kaisercraft.

 Did some lacing on the side panels by simply punching the holes and then using embroidery thread for the stitching.  Have seen this on so many other peoples' creations, I thought I would give it a try.  Must say I quite like it.  I know Miranda Edney does this quite a lot and I've also seen it on Heather Jacob's  work.

 The flower cluster is made up of some daisy type flowers from Seriously Scrapbooking ( I don't know the Manufacturer ) a small rose from Kaisercraft and a small spray from Ribtex.  There's also some gauze and die cuts as well.  The dark brown branch was actually cut with my Silhouette and the fern is a Joy Craft Die. 

The chipboard frame is from Little Birdie which I've coloured with Brown and Olive Versa Color and then coated in clear embossing powder.

The wooden flourish is from Kaisercraft. I've left it raw and just inked the edges with Walnut Stain Distress Ink. 

 Attached the usual strip of border punched paper on the inside.  The border punch used is Martha Stewart's Doily Lace Die.

As those of you who have visited here before probably realize, I quite enjoy making these Center Step cards.  They are a little more involved than the normal type of card because of the number of panels that need to be decorated.  It's not just the one surface, and I find it keeps the creative juices flowing and the brain working just a little harder to get it all to blend together.  Love it!!

That's all for today good people.  I do thank you so much for coming and hope you've enjoyed the visit.  

Take care and God Bless.

oxox Marg