ATCs

I've just completed a couple more ATCs for swaps.

The heart stamp was from the pack Chris sent me for winning the Love Challenge.

I stamped it onto some paper I'd painted with watercolours, then I embossed it.

The backgrounds on both were done with gesso, stamps and tiny flecks of embossing powder.

Printing and stamping on fabric

I've been playing around with my transfer paper today. I also tried stamping some images and sayings on fabric using a black archival pad. Seemed to work ok. Look out for these on future ATCs.
Also went to The Beetroot Tree in Draycott to buy more supplies of Angelina fibres!

Angelina Fibres

Here are some images I stamped onto Angelina fibres. I kept the iron on too long on the first one - but I quite like it!

This is what the fibres look like; they are loose and individual when you buy them. They cost around £2.00 a pack and come in lots of colours.
You have to experiment with stamps; some don't work quite so well.





Pile some fibres on to a stamp.

Place a piece of baking parchment on top and press with an iron.
Thats about it!
You can of course, just lay fibres in between baking parchment and iron on top.You then get a flat piece of glistening fabric.

I buy fibres from a local art centre, but you can get them from http://www.artvango.co.uk/

A few people have asked about this technique, so I hope I've explained it properly.

Have a lovely weekend!

Linda xx

Printing onto Fabric

I'm really pleased with my first attempts at printing images onto fabric. I know they aren't perfect, but with practice will hopefully get better. I used INKJET TRANSFER PAPER from Photo Paper Direct. It cost £12 for 20 sheets incl p&p.

Its so simple to use...just print out an image and iron it onto fabric. The instructions come with the pack.

I've been playing with my sewing machine today - I love machining onto card.

On the first ATC I used gesso and ink pads for the background. The large flower was stamped onto Angelina fibres and machined down, the small flower is the same stamp on shrink plastic. Finally the words were printed on calico and machined down onto the card.

The second ATC has a collaged background. The face and the word were printed on calico and stitched down. You probably can't tell, but I zig-zag stitched the whole thing onto sheer blue fabric and card.

I'm really pleased with these; they are more shimmery in real life.

Click on the pictures for a closer look.

If anyone wants to trade, let me know.

You might not get these...but I'll make more!

Hugs

Linda xx

PS I'll show how to use Angelina fibres tomorrow.

Treasures

Yesterday was fab and full of treasures; I won Chris's Love Challenge and I got a package of beautiful things from Rosie. My turquoise ipod nano plus a book on ATCs arrived from Amazon. I got a package of Kaffe Fassett fabric which I'd ordered from ebay and I had delivery of some t-shirt transfer paper!
Rosie and I did 3 mermaid swaps plus 2 others. I love her ATCs but she also made me a hanging mermaid with a glitzy crackle glaze fishtail and fabulous hooters. It is wonderful. (Sorry, but I love the word 'hooters').

I haven't had a spare minute to look at my new book yet, but am hoping to spend some time with it tomorrow.

The ipod is a special present to myself because its my fav colour and I've always wanted one.

I am having a go with the t-shirt transfer paper because I want to put images onto fabric.It worked really well! Here are some of my frst attempts. Looking forward to using them in my ATCs etc.

I'm a lucky girl!

Hopefully have some work to show tomorrow.

Love

Linda xx

I won!

I am so thrilled - I won Chris's competition! I have so much to write about today but I have loads of jobs to do this evening.
I'll save it all for tomorrow. Please come back then!

Lucky me!

Today I became the proud owner of a Baumcat quilt!



It is so beautiful, so neat..and lovely to touch.
I'm thrilled with it (in case you hadn't noticed).
Have a look at the latest quilt on her blog - I want that one too!
I'm happy to say she used one of my favourite quotes from my blog.
Thank you Cat - I'll be having another look on your etsy shop very soon!




Thank you also Sesga for saying such nice things about the present I sent you. I'm so glad you liked it.

Off now to make more mermaid ATCs. Sesga says I may have been one in an earlier life! What a lovely thought.......but my swimming's not that good.............

Love

Linda x

Chris's Challenge

This is my attempt at a scrapbook page for Chris's 'Love Challenge'.

I though I'd do something a bit different; I'm going to put it above my work table.... so I suppose really its for me. I've been wanting to record the things I love for some time - its a lovely task to sit down and make a list. Of course I couldn't put everything on, there are things missing.......chocolate truffles, fairy lights, natural beaches, friends, turquoise and lime, David Beckham.........

I may have another go at this in the future when I've acquired a few more skills and can make a better job of it!

A few gripes...the print is too small so you'll have to click on it to read the words.

My camera is bending the sides of my photographs!

Thanks for the challenge, anyway Chris. I enjoyed doing it.

Linda xx

Mermaids

Doing a bit of collage today - and experimenting with another new stamp. Just wish the face didn't keep reminding me of Nicole Kidman.
The one above is for a swap. Hope they like it.

I'm using stamps, angelina fibres, gold net, ribbon and vintage fish clip art from here (thanks for that link Chris).

Oh well...back to the chocolate.....and maybe more mermaids.

'A mermaid found a swimming lad,
Chose him for her own,
Pressed her body to his body,
Laughed, and plunging down
Forgot in cruel happiness
That even lovers drown.'

(Can't remember where I got that from!)

Hugs
Linda

Happy Easter

There's not a great deal I can do today - other than mess around with paper.

My husband is decorating the lounge, so everything is in a mess. I hate it!

In case you think I should be helping...I do keep asking, but he says there's nothing I can do ;)

So, here I am in my conservatory, watching the crazy weather, making ATCs.

I'm still loving my Lost Coast angel (or is she a fairy).

The purple card has a shrink plastic flower in the top right corner, made from the same stamp as the background.

I'm off now to eat some chocolate.

Hugs

Linda

''There are three basic food groups.... milk chocolate, dark chocolate and white chocolate'' LOL

ATC

This is my first attempt at a vintage-style ATC. The picture is from Crafty Originals and the paper behind it is a scan of an actual postcard sent by my grandmother in the twenties.

Bright and Beautiful

Leonie has set a challenge this week to make an ATC that is bright and beautiful. I had a good rummage through my stuff and dug out the brightest things I could find.

Maybe garish would be a better word for what I produced! Anyway, hope Leonie likes it.

Mermaid Doll

I've made a few of these recently; they're all quite different, but this one was my first.

Her hair is made of pure silk fibres spun from the clippings from saris.

Once again, thank you Dot for the inspiration!

New Friends

I love the way this new hobby has helped me to meet new people. I met Sesga through Dot's blog and we have exchanged gifts already! She admired my I must go down to the seas again ATC so I decided to make her a similar one. She then sent me one of her lovely lino print cards, an embroidered tag and a cute dottee doll (with a contented smile!).

Thank you Sesga...I'm making you a mermaid doll which should be with you in a few days.

Luckily I also found Cat 's blog and will soon be receiving one of her little quilts through the post. I bought one today on Etsy - it's gorgeous! Have a look at her work on the Baumcat blog; its beautiful.

Rosie's ATC exchange is another one of my favourite blogs; her work is so inspiring. We're going to do some exchanges with a mermaid theme - should be fun!

Love Linda

Spread Your Wings and Fly

Well I finally managed to finish one! I love this stamp; it's by Lost Coast and I bought it from Scrapz. I'm aiming to do a few more along similar lines, so if anyone wants to swap one, let me know!

Linda x

It reminds me of this quote:

The greatest things you can give your children are roots...........and wings.

A Rather Unproductive Day!

I wanted to make a few ATCs today, but only managed to make a mess!

I faffed around with stamps, old photos and Angelina fibres...went to pilates class....came back and continued to faff. Hopefully tomorrow I'll have something to show! Oh well - here are the pictures to show I was trying!!

Ladybower Dam

We had a blissful weekend - the guest house was just as good as the Trip Advisor reviews claimed. The weather could have been better - but at least it didn't rain!

The highlight for me was discovering the Ladybower dam ; I just couldn't believe it. Why have I never seen it before!! What a miracle of engineering.

Luv L xx

Quote for today:

War doesn't determine who is right.........only who is left.

Weekend away

I've just spent the last 2 days making my ATCs for a club challenge, but I can't show those for a couple of weeks.

In the meantime, here's a litttle chipboard book I made a month ago.

I got the book from Scrapz and the papers from a QVC kit. The photos were taken in my garden - here are just a few of the pages.

I will be gone for a couple of days as we are staying at a country hotel in Derbyshire for the weekend. It's called Losehill House Hotel, near Hope. Tell you more on Monday!

Linda x

Quote for today: No act of kindness, however small, is ever wasted. Aesop

A Special Day

Today is our Pearl Wedding Anniversary - we've put up with each other for 30 years!
I made a card for Brian - its a bit odd, but he loves it.

The pearl is stuck to the inside, but peeps through a hole on the front.

I used pearl embossing powder for inside the oyster.

It says If the world is my oyster.......you are my pearl.

We aren't always this soppy - LOL - but it is a special occasion!!

By the way, I've been told that if you leave the photos at the top of the post (where blogger puts them!) they will open in a new window. If you drag them down below the text then they won't.

Try it out!

Linda xxx

Presents

Strangely enough my engagement ring broke last week, so Brian bought me a new one for our Anniversary. It's a blue topaz - my favourite stone.

He also bought me a freshwater pearl for my Troll bracelet....its almost full now!

Every bead has a special meaning (no, I won't bore you with them all!) but suffice to say it began when I retired, so some of the beads are from the girls I worked with in the Foundation Unit. My daughter bought me the heart for Christmas, bless her. I love the clasp ( I think that was the most expensive part!)

Hugs

Linda xx

Quote for the day: Don't dwell on mistakes of the past...they only exist in your memory.