Three layer Tag

Hello everyone and welcome to my blog.  So pleased you stopped by.

I haven't been doing a lot of crafting lately.  Apart from the fact that my computer crashed, too many other things are getting in the way.  Still get to manage it once in a while though .. (I would go nuts otherwise he! he!)  so I'm here to share a Tag I made.

I watched a video by Anna Rogalska a few weeks ago and totally loved the Tag she made so I simply had to try the process for myself.  If you don't know Anna, and if you love Mixed Media, her work is simply awesome and you should go over and take a look .. HERE is the link.

So, I basically followed the process on the video and here is the result.

 The papers I've used are from the 'Forgotten Meadows Collection' which were designed by Kerry-Jean Watson and are available in digital format from her Etsy Shop and are also available from Megs Garden in digital and printed format.  I have wanted to try the colour combination of purple and peacock blue  for a while now and these papers are perfect as a background for these colours.
 

One of the reasons I loved Anna's Tag so much is the three layers of papers she uses as the base.  Such a simple thing but it looks so much more effective than just the two layers.  I used a thin piece of cardboard in between the layers to get a bit of dimension.  Made a small label with the 'Dream' word from the 'Butterfly Book Kit' (also available from Megs Garden)  I simply mounted it on a small piece of left-over chipboard and inked the edges with 'Gathered Twigs' Distress Ink.

This lovely fabric bloom is the 'White Heirloom' flower (once again, available from Megs Garden) which, as the name implies, was white originally.  I simply sprayed it with some watered down acrylic paint to get the colour I wanted. 

  The quote is from Kaisercraft and the resin frame is from Prima.

The rose was sprayed with the same paint as the fabric bloom and the smaller flowers were sprayed with watered down 'Broken China' Distress Ink.  You can see some gauze and some stamen clusters tucked in among the blooms.

Also tucked in some pieces of lace and die cut leaves.  The clock is a printable from the net which I mounted on some chipboard.  The stamps I've used in the background are  'Arty' and 'Script',  both from Kaisercraft. 

Once everything was assembled I added some micro beads and swiped it all with a bit of gesso. Mine is quite different from Anna's, she added a bit more 'stuff' but I am really happy with how this turned out.

Thanks for dropping by and for leaving me some love, I really appreciate it.
Hope you all enjoy the rest of your day.
Take care and God Bless.

My Final Post for 2Crafty Chipboard

Hello everyone and welcome to my bloggy place.  Hope you are all having a wonderful day!   Feeling a bit sad right now.  As the Title suggests this is my last post for 2Crafty as my term on the Resident Guest Design Team has ended.  It has been a wonderful experience for me.  Being on this Team with all these wonderfully talented ladies was a dream come true.   I have so enjoyed working with these amazing chippies.  Thank you so much Vanessa for having me on this incredible Team and also to you and Di for all the support you have provided along the way.  It has been a fantastic experience!!   So, onto my projects.  This time I have created an altered Gift Bag, a Tag and a card.   'The Altered Gift Bag'  

2Crafty Chipboard used

Dreamcatchers
6 x 6 Mixed Sentiments - card words
Bubble Clumps

I used some different colours of acrylic paint to colour the background paper and also added some texture with a stencil and texture paste and did a little stamping as well.  The Bubble Clumps were simply painted white with acrylic paint and then layered over a piece of gauze underneath my flower cluster.

I love these Dreamcatchers!!   I was a bit afraid at first that the center would be very delicate and difficult to work with but it is a lot stronger than it looks.  I painted it with gesso first and then with some blue acrylic paint.  I also used the same paint to add the accents on the feathers and swiped the edges with a Versa Color Ink Pad.

These Mixed Sentiment Words are so handy for card makers.  They are the perfect size for smaller projects and you get ten different greetings in the one pack. 

'The Tag'

2Crafty Chipboard used

Chicken Barb Wire Small

ATC Words

Ava's Butterflies

Foliage Set 2

Once again I added some stamping and texture to the background papers and also added some splatters.   All the chippies were painted with gesso first and then I used a paint dabber in 'Peeled Paint' to colour the ATC Word.

Isn't this Ava's Butterfly unusual?  So delicate and pretty.  I simply coloured it with a stamp pad and then sprinkled it with glitter.  It looks really sparkly and pretty in real life but, unfortunately, the photo doesn't quite pick that up.

The 'Peeled Paint' dabber was used on the Foliage Set 2 as well but I didn't colour it solidly.  I like that slightly mottled look, it's just a little more interesting I think.  You can just see that I added a little sparkle here as well.

I had actually painted the other side of the Chicken Barb Wire but didn't like the colour so I flipped it and found some of the gesso and paint had leeched around to the other side.  Thought I would have to cut another piece at first but then decided to swipe it with a Charcoal stamp pad and liked how it looked so used it anyway.

'The Card'

2Crafty Chipboard used

Element Set 3
Decorative Rod Set 1

How gorgeous is this Decorative Rod Set 1?  When I saw this on the product list I simply had to get it.  I normally wouldn't have chosen a piece of this length because my makes are on a smaller scale than Scrapbooking but I simply could not resist this one and, I thought I could cut it up if necessary.  Well, what a shame that would have been.  I am so pleased I was able to use it all in one piece.  I simply coloured it with a Versa Color Stamp Pad and it fitted beautifully onto my card. 
 

  

    Well, talking about cutting up some of these stunning chippies!!  I needed something to decorate this corner as it was a bit bare but I had no corner pieces left and nothing else that really suited the design.  While checking through my stash of 2Crafty Chipboard I found the Element Set 3 and cut one of the pieces in half and 'voila' .. perfect .. and I still have the other half left for another project.  Love that you can do that with these fabulous chippies.  They are so easy to adapt to your project no matter the size.  

  A fairly simple card made special by the addition of some stunning chippies!!     So, that is it, my final post done and dusted.  Thank you so much everyone for looking at my work and for the lovely comments you have left for me.  I have felt honoured and so privileged to have had the opportunity to work with these wonderful chippies and to be on a Team with such amazingly talented ladies.  Thank you again to Vanessa and Di for this fantastic opportunity.     Usually I would split my 2Crafty post and share it over a few days, one for each project but, as this is the end of the month and the new Team is about to start I thought I would share this one all at the same time.  Hope you have enjoyed it and found some inspiration here!  

Thank you for visiting.  Take care, stay safe and God Bless.

 

A Lovely, lovely Christmas Surprise!!

Hello lovely people and thank you for dropping by at this busy time of the year.

I did think my previous post was going to be my last before Christmas, but today I got a lovely surprise which I simply had to share.

I have been very blessed to have come to know a lot of very talented people out there in blog land and, quite a lot of them I have come to call my friend.  Some, I have even been lucky enough to meet personally but others I have never met and probably (unless I am extremely lucky) never will.  Well, this morning in the post I received the loveliest surprise from one of those friends who lives on the other side of the world and whom I, unfortunately, will most likely never meet.

I received a Christmas card from Astrid Maclean and I am over the moon.  Astrid and I, through a set of circumstances I won't go into here, did exchange cards last year but, as she is away from home over Christmas and as she is an extremely busy lady, I really didn't think it would happen this year so, to my extreme dismay, I didn't actually make one for her and then, this morning, I received this gorgeous card from her.   

I am always amazed at Astrid's art.  She has a wonderful eye for colour and composition and the techniques she uses to make her projects are brilliant.

I love the embossing and the way she blends the different colours so beautifully.

Love the heart with that little twine bow.  Such a lot of work went into this card, these photos really don't do it justice.  

Absolutely stunning work!!

Thank you, so much Astrid!!  It was such a lovely surprise to receive in the mail this morning.  Your card is divine and I will treasure this forever.
I have a box where I keep all my most special cards.  Some were made by my children when they were little and some were made by my grandchildren and also some from special friends (Astrid's card from last year is in this box), some of whom are no longer with us.  Every once in a while I get my box down and sit quietly to look at them all and remember when I received them.  After I finish displaying this card (which will probably be for a very long time) it will go into this box as well.
I am so sorry that I didn't reciprocate this year Astrid, but I will definitely correct that mistake for next year.  I wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas and a really lovely holiday with lots and lots of hugs and kisses for you from your grandchildren.  Blessings to you all.

For anyone who doesn't know Astrid, her blog is Astrid's Artistic Efforts and you can find it HERE.  I urge you to go and take a look, her work is amazing!!

A very Merry Christmas to all my lovely followers and visitors too.
Thank you so much for dropping by and enjoy the rest of your day.

Take care and God Bless

oxox Marg

My 2Crafty September Reveal #3 - 'A Gent's Tag'

Hello everyone and a very warm welcome to my blog.  Hope you are having a really enjoyable day!

I'm back to share the last of my 2Crafty projects for September.  

This piece is a Masculine Tag.

2Crafty products used
Barbed Wire Border
Compass
Mini Fob Watch
Mini Rulers
Gears
A blank from the Tiny Edwin Corners

The papers used are from Prima's Engraver Collection.  The small piece of the Mini Rulers was brushed with some watered down gesso and, when it was dry, I swiped it with Tea Stain Distress Ink.  Coloured the Compass with Distress Inks as well and then covered it with Clear Rock Candy Crackle Paint.  Except for the ring around the edge which was left raw, the Fob Watch was coloured with gold Versa Color and then covered in Glossy Accents.  I love that the details of the watch still stand out really well even after colouring it.  Awesome!!

Randomly swiped the gears with Midnight Black Versa Magic and then with Lapislazuli Versa Color.  I also used some Kaisercraft Red Gum and then Silver Versa Color so that they appear old and rustic.  The Barbed Wire Border was also coloured with the Midnight Black Versa Magic and then randomly swiped with a little silver and gold.

Originally I was just going to tie the word band at the bottom of the Tag but, it looked a little bare and needed something underneath to fill the space.  As I was looking through my chipboard pieces I discovered the blank from the Tiny Henry Frames which I had used on a previous project.  I simply cut away one of the centers and inked the edges.  Trimmed a piece of scrap paper to fit and then just tied the word band over the top.  It fills the space up nicely!!

Once everything was assembled and dry, I randomly swiped around the finished Tag with some watered down gesso.

As I said before, this is the last of my 2Crafty reveals for September.  I hope I have inspired you to get some 2Crafty chippies for yourself.  They have a fabulous range to chose from.
To find a stockist near you ... drop an email to salesat2crafty@optusnet.com.au and to take a look at  the inspirational projects created by the rest of the Team, please visit the 2Crafty Blog HERE

Thank you so much for visiting and enjoy the rest of your day.
Take care and God Bless.

Masculine Step Card

Hello lovely ladies, and, possibly, gents!!  Welcome to my little crafty space.

Hope your day is going well so far.

I'm here to share another step card with you but it's a step card a little different from the norm.

I'm not sure whether it's a 'crossover' step card or a 'tag' step card or maybe even a crossover tag step card.  Yeah!!  I agree, that sounds just a little ridiculous!!  lol  To explain, I really love Crossover Cards.  You know, the ones that look like an open envelope with tags inside.  I also love Step Cards, so I decided to combine them into one card. Now, I'm probably not the first person to do this, but I haven't actually seen any around so I can't give anyone else credit for this.  The inspiration for this card actually came from Heather Jacob who has made some gorgeous Tags in a Pocket just recently.  The tags are based on her design but I wanted my card to be a bit different.  If you'd like to take a look at her incredible creations, you can find them HERE.

Anyways, here is my card.

 I've used Kaisercraft's Art of Life Paper Pad for this.  Other than the little button at the bottom, all the labels, etc. are from this Collection.

 All the papers are distressed and then edged with Walnut Stain Distress Ink.  I've also added a little doodling around the edges as well.  Another inspiration from Heather.

 The film strip and the labels, as I said before are from the Paper Pad and also from the Collectables.  They've all been layered with foam dots to give them dimension.  The top piece has been covered in clear embossing powder.

The tags, as mentioned before, are based on Heather's design.  The labels are from the same collection and then I've simply folded some of the paper over the top of the tag and added the eyelets  and the twine.  As you can see, I've also attached a smaller tag to one of them for added interest.

 Here is the inside ...

 ... and a closie showing the build-up of the layers.

So, there you are ... a Centre Step Crossover card.  Hope you like it.

I've decided to enter this card into the Challenge at Crafty Cardmakers and More ...

Thank you so much for coming by for a visit and for any comments you may leave.  I read every single one and really appreciate you taking the time.
Take care and God Bless.
oxox Marg

My First Meg's Garden DT Project!!!

Hello everyone and welcome to my blog.  Hope you are having a wonderful day!!

I am super excited to share with you my very first DT project for Meg's Garden.

For this project I have created a card with some photo mat pages on the inside so that you could take some pictures of your Christmas celebrations and keep them in the actual card itself.

Using one of these types of cards each year, you could keep a record of Christmases through the years all in their own tiny little album.  You only need to take a few photos each time and the card wouldn't take up anywhere near as much room as a Mini Album.

I've used the Musical Christmas Collection paper pack for this card.  These papers are absolutely gorgeous and the paper pack is the perfect size for card making. 

On the front I have created a Christmas tree from some of the DP mixed with some red, white and green cardstock.  The idea for this tree actually came from one of my favourite card makers, Dorota.  She makes the most gorgeous cards.

 The tree is made using a triangle of paste board or chipboard as a base and then just layering different foliage die cuts until the base is filled.  I've also mixed in a bit of gauze here and there.  It was then lightly brushed with gold acrylic paint and I also glued on some gold crystals to serve as the lights.  The star at the top of the tree is from a sheet of gold stickers that have been in my stash for some time as are the stars  around the edge. 

The 'Noel' is part of the design on the paper. I've simply fussy cut the letters from another sheet, glued them onto some paste board and edged them with the same gold paint.

 There's not a lot of embellishment in this card simply because it would then have become too bulky and besides, these papers are pretty enough to stand on their own.  I've simply used some of Meg's beautiful lace ribbon on two of the pages and also placed a few of the gold stickers here and there.

Placed inside the main pockets are a couple of plain photo mats  which could also be used for journaling.  

  On the inside cover is a small tag which was stamped  with the sentiment, then gold embossed and another of the gold stickers was placed on the edge. 

 Two of the pages have corner pockets made out of a piece of clear acrylic that came from some pakaging  I had.  Cut them into heart shapes and placed a sticker on each of them.  They can be used to hold journaling cards or just as decoration on the edge of a photo.

Here is a close-up of one of these pockets ...

... and here is a closer view of the layers on the tree.

I had such a wonderful time creating with Meg's gorgeous papers and I am so thrilled to a part of this amazing Design Team.  Thank you so much Meg for giving me this wonderful opportunity.

Meg's Garden products used:

A Musical Christmas Paper Pack.

1.6cm White Lace Ribbon

HERE is the link to the Meg's Garden Blog so you can check out the beautiful creations of the other Team Members and HERE is the link to the shop so you can check out all the marvelous products.

Thank you so much for visiting and I hope I have inspired you to create some Christmas goodies with Meg's Garden products for yourself.

Take care and God Bless.

oxox Marg