Being unique is better than being perfect - Box canvas using Woodware stamps & Wow! Embossing powders.

Welcome back to my crafty little blog.

Today I'd like to share with you another decorated canvas design.

This was a project we made at my shop Out Of The Blue in Chipping Sodbury near Bristol.

We teach workshops twice a month & try to add some different projects other than just card making.

Like the last canvas project I posted recently, this is made by using the reverse of the canvas. 

As our workshops are only 2 hours long, to save time I prepped everyone's blank canvas using turquoise acrylic paint.

We then spread texture paste through a Creative Expressions mask & once removed sprinkled glittery Wow embossing powder over the wet paste & heated with a heat tool until the paste bubbles & adds more texture.

The effect is lovely & also means the paste dries pretty quickly. Another time saver!.

Clear Versamark ink was dabbed around the edges of the canvas & heat embossed with the same powder.

We stamped the Woodware Whimsical Flower onto watercolour paper & coloured/painted the flowers with Koi brush marker pens.

The flowers were cut out & layered up leaving some areas unglued for shaping & to add dimension.

The flower was glued in place to the left side of the front of the canvas box.

Next, we created the sentiment to place in the recess of the box frame using another clear stamp set from Woodware.

Mini flowers were added & distress ink was blended around the edges.

The choice was given to add ribbon to the back to hang on the wall, but I think this canvas looks better just stood on a shelf as it is.

Just a few touches of Stickles glitter glue were all that was needed to finish.

As it's Valentine's Day tomorrow I'll be posting again tomorrow with a love themed card so please come back to take a look.

As always, your comments are much appreciated.

Amy x

Two years of Out Of The Blue Craft Workshops!

Hi bloggers, what a gorgeous day! Fabulous sunshine here today, hope you've been enjoying the same wherever you are.

May is just flying by & before we head into the bank holiday I wanted to share the fact that our craft group at 

Out Of The Blue has been celebrating 2 years of crafty get togethers this month.

Where has that time gone!? 

Our group has grown from 8 to 16 in numbers since we started & we now gather twice a month.

 Carole & I have made some great friends along the way & we all really enjoy the social side as well as the creative side of our meetings.

Long may they continue!. 

Anyway, Carole & I discussed doing something a bit different for our birthday workshops this month. Carole had previously suggested creating chocolate bar wrappers for a workshop project so this seemed like a great idea for this occasion & meant that our ladies would get a little gift to take home with them afterwards too! The chocolate :-) yum!

I have to say my creative mojo had gone off on a little trip somewhere when I was trying to come up with the samples for my half of our group, but after some perseverance I managed to come up with these

Made using Sam Poole's Doodle Butterfly stamp set

Made with Tattered Florals die & Teresa Collins Paper pad

I used Sam Poole's Doodle Flowers stamp set on this one

Everyone really seemed to enjoy making their wrappers at our workshop & as always they all put their own twist to theirs. They all loved the idea that they could make these for lots of occasions for male or female, young or old. Great for table gifts at Christmas too & could also be personalised with place names.

Here's some of the wraps my half of our group made

So, lots of new crafty bits & pieces have been arriving in the shop in the last week or so getting ready for our demo day with Julia Watts on the 7th June.
 Really looking forward to her coming to Chipping Sodbury & tickets have been selling through steadily.
If you fancy a trip to our lovely town to see her please get in touch for more info.
 The shop number is 01454 312355 or visit Out Of The Blue
face book page.

That's it from me for today, thanks for visiting & please pop back again soon.

Amy x 

Pretty little heart

Hi everyone,
Today I am showing you a little creation I made as a sample for this weeks 'Out Of The Blue' workshop.

We thought we'd do something other than a card & decided on some decorated MDF shapes in the form of birds & hearts. A bit of a valentines theme?.

I've made a few of each shape & here's one example

The MDF blank was primed & then painted with Adirondack lights pink sherbet acrylic paint. I then stamped a script stamp  with a butterfly in the design in clear embossing ink & heat embossed with white embossing powder. I used the same stamp & embossing powder on lilac card & cut the butterflies out. I shaped them & stuck them to the heart & added pearl gems & lilac coloured craft wire for the bodies & antennae. The same craft wire was used to make a hanging loop & a pendant at the bottom to which beads were added.



I also added a strip of white cotton lace across the heart to finish.

I made a few others of different styles & techniques.
 Our group can choose what techniques they want to use on theirs based on the examples Carole & I have to show them.

I really enjoyed making this little heart, a pretty hanging gift, tag for a wine bottle or maybe a tag for a wedding gift?.

Thanks for visiting

Amy x 

Sparkle & Shine

In my last post I promised to show you the glass Christmas decorations we will be making at a local craft group in November.

 As a result of our card making workshops I have had a few local groups contact me to ask if I would go & hold a workshop for them.

 This particular group asked me to do a glass painting project that would be completed in the 2 hour time slot & be able to be carried home.

 If you have used solvent based glass paints ( my preferred type of glass paints) you will probably know that they take quite a while to dry & if any dust particles should happen to land in the design you've just spent ages painting you'll have to start again or it just won't look very nice.

 Plus it can be quite messy, & fumy.

 

So, with all this in mind, I came up with these using a different technique

 

 

The pieces of glass are pre cut & drilled with a small hole at the top.

 I used dreamweaver stencils & embossing paste & applied various glitters whilst still wet.

Once dry I added sequins, diamantes, die cut elements & glitter glues to highlight certain areas & around the outer edges of the glass.

I then finished them with some ribbon tied through the holes for hanging.

 

When they catch the light the glitters really glisten.

 I think they'll look great hung on any Christmas tree with twinkly lights shining through.

 

Hopefully the craft group ladies will enjoy making these on the night, hope you like them too.

 

See you again soon

 

Amy x