Today holds much signifigance in our lives. Today we take time to remember and to thank all who have given time, energy, life and themselves to protect our Country and our freedoms and the freedoms of other people. I want to say a special thank you to my Grandad who served in Scotland in the British Air Force in WWII. He was but an 18 year old boy when he began his service to his county. My Papa also served in WWII. He was already a family man with a small child so was not conscripted until the second round. When he did begin his service he went into the British Army and he served in Egypt fighting against Rommel. Many stories have been told and heard. I thank them for serving and protecting us all with their service to their county.
I want to especially thank God for allowing both to come back alive. If my Papa (Dad's dad) had not come home my father would not have been born nine months to the day of his return. If my Grandad did not survive he would not have had my Mum and by extension of both neither would I be here!!
Thank you to all who have ever served for their county to protect their beliefs and freedom. I especially thank all the mothers, fathers, wives, children, grandparents and other family members who have lost a family member in the service of their county. Past and present. God Bless you all.
On to crafts...........................
I have much to share and many new exciting adventures, well they excite ME, which really is all that matters right?? well not really but hey nice try!
My girlfriend Melissa and I have started a class by Christy Tomlinson a fab mixed media artist. Melissa and I found we both wanted to do the class so decided to go about doing it together so we could share our progress and our joy of all things "SHE ART"!!! I am totally in love with Christy's She art!! Here is a link to Christy's She Art class. I am totally enamoured with Christy and her teaching skills. She is an incredible teacher. She has an easy way about things and such a total passion for her work. So much passion that she can't help but get you excited too! Love it! Thank you Christy! In addition to the first She Art workshop there is now a new one called She Art 2. This class begins on November 14 2011!! wooo hoooo~~~!!!! Melissa and I will do this workshop as well! Ohhhh so excited to be able to learn even more from this amazing artist! Again thanks Christy for sharing your incredible art with us all! You are a total and utter inspirational sweetheart!!! Love ya!
Okay so here is the first background I created after watching the first of three weeks of classes!
And the piece when I added my first girl!!
This is a close up of the words. I really think this is fitting for me. I feel the words represent me if the girl does not!
After the first ....success???....I began a second background. I was so excited to do a new one. I added a tissue paper sewing pattern on the background of my canvas and then went for it. I was not happy AT ALL with how the second one looked so I got out the white paint and got rid of it all....no pics...it was BAD oh really bad. (probably not too bad, But I guess we are our worst critics for the most part.) After adding the white paint I went for it again. I am much happier with this canvas background. I am thinking that I may be doing too much to it......its very busy and I may have to back off and not add so much. We will see how I evolve! I had DANG well better evolve!!!
One of my friends lost a close family member. I made and sent a card to her and her husband. The many flowers are added using my Unity stamps by Donna Downy. They were coloured using Tombo markers directly to the stamp. I then sprayed the stamp with a mist of water and stamped onto watercolor paper. After laying the main flowers down I stamped a script image on the paper to create a simple background. I distressed the edges of the paper then inked it. The purple background paper is dry embossed in a Sizzix folder. I don't recall the name sorry..... after embossing I sanded it down to expose the inner paper. After distressing, ink was added to the top of the embossed paper. I also distressed the edges of this paper then inked it too. The note is stamped on a separate piece of paper and cut out with my super favorite edging scissors...deckle by Fiskers. I can't believe I am using these again!! The green strip is paper. Pearls were added to the green strip. I stamped then heat embossed the butterfly with a holographic powder. You really can't see the shimmer in the pic. I popped it up off the page using scrap dots by Helmar glue. Love that stuff!!
I also created a card for another friend just to say hello. This one was fun in that I got to make the flower!! oh that was a total treat. I made the design on the background paper as well as the paper for the flower I made. The background I stamped all over with a Tim Holtz stamp with versamark ink and then rubbed in with a fine brush some Perfect Pearls powder. The leaves and flowers I cut out with Spellbinders dies. I added tulle and mesh into the flower. I heated it to make it a little bit distressy, I'm very happy with the end result. To make the flower paper I stamped plain brown packing paper with distress inks by Tim Holtz using a background stamp. The paper looked great but I was even happier with it when I cut it up into flowers!! After making the flower I added the lace to the card some bling and created the 'just a note' message on a separate paper. Fun!
I had loads of fun at Halloween. Aside from only 10 kids coming to my door for treats,....(not sure whats up with THAT!!) I made cards for my nieces and one of my nephews. My youngest nephew is too young to appreciate a card so he will get one next year!! Here are the four I made!
cute one...
I have also been busy with ATC's. I made my own and was not making them with a Jam this time. Yeah strange I know. It has been a long time since I have made my own backgrounds for atc's and it was a treat to do my own work on them again!
This one was an experiment to see what I could do with book paper. Fun......well to me it was okay I'm a little enthused...lol.....I also made these flowers from book paper strips!! Like with ribbon, I took about an inch wide strip of paper and twisted it up a bit and then put it onto glue then twisted and glued until it was in a type of circle...a wee bit wonky true but circle like?? kinda?!
So once made I took my Lindy's stamp gang colour shot of Bourgainviaaea fucshia I painted the paper. Stiff flowers really. I added diamond dust by Twinklets to the center of the flower to ensure enough bling! The background was a bit of a challenge for me. I had not made one for so long. I stamped it with a text stamp then coloured with distress inks. I then glued it up and stuck on a bit of book paper and inked that up too. The flower stems are made of a green suede fabric strip. Leaves I made from a punch. I stamped the paper first with the script stamp and then punched them out. I used McGill's flower making tools to create the shape in them added glitter and then glued em on too. I found a great saying then popped that on to finish this one. Happy with it! It is going to a good home!!
This ATC went out with the card above .... 'just a note'....I loved making this one. The birds are so easy to make! Love em. I made them using glossy paper and Tombo markers and some Local King rubber Stamp stamps and their coordinating Spellbinders dies. I coloured the bird stamps then stamped onto the glossy paper. They dry so quickly. I then die cut them out. The saying is a Unity stamp and I soooo love it. The Lily of the Valley that is now blue...ya its supposed to be white but stamping white on white paper ...hmm not nice. I cut them with a die from the same set in the bird kit. Background paper is from a book of sheet music I cut up and aged with distress inks. Love how that turned out. I edged the card in ink after distressing the daylights out of it. A strip of lace up the edge finished the embellishing for me.
This set was a long time coming. I got a set of My Sentiments Exactly stamps that came with corresponding dies for sewing stuff!! LOVE dress forms! The other stuff is just a great bonus!! The backgrounds are on watercolor paper. After stamping in versamark I embossed in clear powder and heat set, added some watercolor paint and just created whatever was gonna happen!
Green glitter thread on this spool....
Last but certainly not least I added silver thread to this one.
thank you so much for coming to look at my latest creations. I can't wait to work on more She Art. I will update as I create more girls.
Happy weekend!!
okay we know the weekend has passed....I am posting this late but it is just as prevelent today as it was on November 11th! hugs all!!
