Back on line

Due to computer pronlem Ihave been off line for a while so now that I am back I thought I would post some projects that I have been doing,  The first is a group of notebooks and journal covers that I have made using the Sweetpea stamps.

The next project was a set of tags made from corrugated card again using the Sweetpea stamps

The last projects was a bunch of pendants made from washers and scraps of paper and other embellishments. These are a fun way to use up scraps of paper other bits and pieces that I have lying around and can be used as necklaces or charms on mini albums.

Currently I am working on a couple of mini albums and as I get them done I will post the pages.

Birds of a Feather Challenge

This layout is one I have done for the April challenge at BOAF.  The challenge was to use various fonts in the journalling and to use distressing.  I painted the background then using masks sprayed it with expresso colour wash.  The sprockets are dye cut from aluminium tape and dry brushed with black ink.  The strips under the photos are from a "Red Bull" can and I have embossed them with a sprocket embossing folder. The journalling is done on a piece of notebook paper, in differing fonts, I then crumpled the paper and opened it back up before adhering it to the page.

I like using unusual elements on my pages and on this one I have used puzzle pieces across the middle of the page.

Here is the same layout using chipboard numbers instead of the puzzle pieces.

Die Cut Canvas

These two canvases were done for a class I ran illustrating ways in which die cuts could be used.  They are fairly simple but quite effective and make a nice gift if personal photos are added.

Interactive Pages

I just love interactive pages.  Below are a few of the ones I have made.

This is the page with the flap closed and below is the page with the flap opened.

The page below was one that I have done but I am waiting for the photos.  The little booklet opens to provide room for more photos.

This page of Tyler I made because there were so many photos of his birthday and I wanted them on one page.  So there are various levels to this fold out page which allowed me to scrap lots of photos. I love this page.

The page of my grandmothers was one I wanted to keep simple but the photos lift up and inside are notes to my grandmothers.

On this page of my grandson the Flap with the "B" on it lifts up and again there are more photos and a personal note underneath,

Bottlecaps and Paper Beads

These are are a few bottlecaps that I have been playing around with, using leftovers and buttons and bits and pieces.   I wanted some original charms to use on my mini albums. I have also made some paper beads using old maps and book pages. 

ATC Taranaki Swap

This ATC I made for the April ATC swap over at ATC Taranaki Tartistry.  This is a site for mixed media artists and there are some very talented ladies who participate in the swaps.  The subject for this months ATC swap is "Wings" and below is my take on the theme.

Swaps

I had a busy day yesterday getting some of my swaps finished.  At my local stamp club we are doing a monthly swap.  This swap involves altering jumbo playing cards and anything goes as long as there is a quotation included in the piece.  Once the swap is finished the cards will be bound into a book. "Change" is the piece I did for the March Swap and "Cats" is for the April swap.

Raranga

At the beginning of the month I began a diploma course in Raranga (weaving) through the  Te Wananga o Aotearoa. My first assignment was due this week and our only brief was that it must be a mobile or wallhanging and that we must incorporate at least four different whiri (plaits) in the piece.  I called my piece Dichotomy and I wanted to use the piece to illustrate the duality of the human response to conserving our natural resources and the consumerism and subsequent waste that threatens that conservation. I used the mask to symbolise Mother Earth and the human race.  The right side of the mask is covered with picutres of the natural world taken from gardening magazines and the whiri are made from harakeke (flax) native grasses and cotton fabric and symbolises the natural resources. The left side of the mask symbolises consumerism and wastage and is covered with images from junk mail and the whiri are made from recyled materials.  The  mask is mounted on a section of flax flower. The flax lengths have been left long to indicate that nature will overcome in the end and the  flax korus encompassing the metal tape at the top of the piece and at the top of the mask  symbolise the same concept.  The flax whiris cradling the mask on each side symbolise that the natural world cradles and supports us and the use of the recycled materials reminds us that we each a responsibilty to walk lightly and using recycled materials in art is one way to help diminish the growing piles of waste.  The pieces are assessed by the other students doing the course as well as the tutors and the piece was very well received and I got very good feedback and marks from the other students.

This is my entry for the Artfull Crafts March Challenge.  It is a journal I will be giving to my friend for her birthday. I used the sketch provided and the theme was Birthdays and Blooms.  The flowers on the journal are made using Cuttlebug dies and they are the first handmade flowers of this type I have made.

Cards

I don't usually make cards but while I was at a friends I had stamped off a couple of images using her Sweetpea Stamps.  I found them while I was looking for something else and decided to make them up into cards. They really are the most gorgeous stamps.

Challenges

I finished two pages for challenges this weekend.  The Whoo Hoo page was for a challenge posted by Sonya and Carol at Birds of a Feather Craft Together and the other is for a sketch challenge at  Little Shop of Sketches

Goth Angel

This layout was made using metal plumbers tape over die cut shapes, The tape was then dry embossed to bring out the die cut shapes.  The flowers were made out of punched card stock and metal tape.  I think it creates an awesome effect on the page.

It has been a busy busy month keeping up with work and the children.  Nevertheless our swap group GGS Swaps has started the swaps for the year.  The first swap is to use one of the gorgeous Sweet Pea stamps and it has to have 3D elements.  Above is the mini album I made for Sonya.  The stamped mermaid image is behind a piece of plastic packaging and is actually a shaker box with sand and shells in the bottom of the "window".  Great way to re-use stuff we would normally throw away.