Let It Bee Tag

 

      My first project for Affordable Crafting is a large MDF tag, there is a pound coin in the photo for scale.  My efforts at mixed media are rather tame as I'm a 'less is more' kind of crafter, I struggle with adding lots of layers and bits and bobs, but I'm getting braver.

     

     I hunted high and low for some mustard colour paint I thought I had.....no luck, it's somewhere here I think!   So I chose a suitable paper as my base layer, this was stuck to the tag with a good PVA glue, brayered flat and left to dry.   Once dry I used an emery board to go around the edges and sand them off.

     Next was to hunt through my stash for anything Bee related, stamps, dies and odds. A torn strip of patterned paper added to one corner lifted the colour, then a die cut honeycomb gave it a more Bee related look. Using brown ink I stamped some hives in the other corner and coloured them in with watercolour pencils.

 

      Using a honeycomb stamp I added some pattern to the top corner but it was a bit too vague, so out came a stencil to add over the top, still not quite right. To add a stronger colour over the top I used another stamp that reflected the colour in the patterned paper on the opposite corner.....better.

     A couple of words stamped and embossed in gold lifted the whole look, just that splash of shine made all the difference. To frame the tag I used a Stix2 glue stick, dabbing the glue onto the tag with my finger, then dabbed the glued areas with gold foil, it gives a random distressed look when dabbed by hand.

     The big bee was stamped on cream card, coloured with the pencils and die cut before being shaped and stuck onto the tag with Glossy Accents, The button had a sting bow added before that too was stuck down with the Glossy Accents.

      I had the spotty mustard ribbon ready to add, a piece of the same string was lying on my desk but I couldn't find the right shade of narrow ribbon to pick out the rusty colours, then it dawned on me that I had white organser ribbon, so out came the Promarkers, result.  There is also a sting loop in with the ribbons so that the whole thing can be hung up.

     Please take a look at the Affordable Crafting website, you will find all manner of things to go with your stash making crafting exactly what they say, 'Affordable'.

I would like to enter this project in the following challenges:

The Paper Funday - #72 Anything Goes with paper

Creative Fingers - #292 Anything Goes

Pammies Inky Pinkies - #2502 Anything Goes

New Beginnings

 

     Hello, I know, it's been a long time. I've been working on my PHD......Projects Half Done!!  Not finished by a long way but it has been an interesting year with lots of twists and turns.

     I have some news......there will be more activity starting in the New Year.  I have been chosen to join a new design team, working for Affordable Crafting. I have known Mandy for many years and so look forward to creating projects for her along with several other crafters. Affordable Crafting stocks many brands so hopefully there will be something to appeal to everyone as we all showcase some ideas.

     Have a wonderful holiday season and see you in the New Year with some interesting projects.

     These crackers were made at a recent craft group using an old cracker die from John Next Door, sorry about the boring background, the craft room is undergoing a revamp in preparation for 2025. If you would like further details on the crackers then you can find them here.

The Paper Funday Gifted Gnome

 

     A new month means a new challenge at The Paper Funday. An Anything Goes papercraft challenge with an optional twist, which this month is No Patterned Paper......which I sort of forgot, oops, although strictly speaking it's coloured paper, not patterned.

     He's been printed onto white card and also onto the coloured paper. Using alcohol markers I coloured his hands and nose, then using a glitter Gel pen coloured the gift with silver.

     After cutting out all of the clothing and colouring the shaded areas I began to stick them onto the white card using a good strong PVA glue. Once all the glue was dry I ran a clean, dry brayer over the image to make sure it was all nice and flat.

     Using another piece of the coloured paper I cut a mat layer and mounted the image panel onto it, then onto a white card blank. The centre of the flower has some orange flock added to give it a little pop of bright colour. I found a greeting disc in my stash but it needed a little something, so I die cut a disc from the coloured paper and mounted it on foam pads. 

     If you haven't already seen the team inspiration on The Paper Funday then please pop over and have a look at all the great ideas, once you've made your project come and join us.

I would like to enter this project in the following challenges:

Lil Patch of Crafty Friends - #223 Anything Goes

Inkspirational - #308 Paper Piecing

Gem of a Challenge - Wk3 Anything Goes

The Paper Funday's 5th Birthday

     The Paper Funday is celebrating it's 5th birthday with a separate challenge to the usual, please join us in our celebrations, you might even win a prize.

     For my birthday card I have used a flower die to cut out the centre of a white layer, then mounted it on foam tape above a piece of patterned paper.

     The greeting has been heat embossed in gold across the centre bar which does not cut the card.

     To add a tiny bit of interest and to tie the whole thing together I have added some small pearls in each corner of the top layer.

     The card is still thin enough to go standard post and by facing the pearls to the back when in the envelope, it should run through their machinery without causing to much fuss.

     Come along and join in the celebration at The Paper Funday. Follow the link to join in the fun.

I would like to enter this card in the following challenges:

Crafter's Cafe - #303 Feminine

Creative Fingers - #267 Anything Goes

Pammie's Inky Pinkies - #2248 Anything Goes

Beautiful Blossoms - #11 Anything Goes or Mood Board

Die Cut Divas - Flower(s)

Paper Funday Christmas Has Landed

 

     December is upon us already, where did the year go?!  This month's challenge at The Paper Funday has begun, it's an Anything Goes challenge with an optional twist this month of Snowmen or Birds, but that's not all........there is also a chance to win a prize if you join us in our 5th Birthday challenge which is being run alongside the usual one.

     

     This is a small Christmas Journal made with greyboard covered with Christmas papers. I have made one very much like this before and it was such a hit I had to make it again.

     There is a small pocket on the back flap to hold the cover of a note book, this way the note book can be removed when full and a new one added. The note book was made with some copy paper covered with a patterned card overlay and stitched together.

     

     Inside the front cover is a small pocket to hold a tag, next time I think I should add a larger pocket to hold receipts. Double sided papers are perfect for this type of project and I do happen to have just a few!!!

     This project was for our monthly challenge at The Paper Funday which you are welcome to come and join. 

     If you have the time then take a look at our 5th Birthday challenge which is running alongside the usual one, this one is for Birthday or Anniversary projects and there are prizes to be won, so come and join our celebrations.

I would like to enter this project in the following challenges:

Kraftin' Kimmie - Anything But A Card

Crafting From The Heart - Anything Goes

Crafts Galore Encore - Anything Goes

Creative Crafting Uncles - Foliage and Leaves

Thank You

 

     A new month means a new challenge at The Paper Funday, an Anything goes challenge with an optional twist and this months it's Thank You.

     In the UK November is a month of remembrance for all our armed forces and others who were lost fighting for freedom, their symbol is the poppy.

     I already had this image stamped and embossed after borrowing the stamp from a friend, all I had to do was mount it on a red mat layer and add a die cut poppy. I felt that no words were necessary, none would have been enough.

I would like to enter this card in the following challenges:

Festive Friday - #FF0146 Remembrance Day

Use Your Stuff - #496 Anything Goes

Cats and Bats

     Another month, another project for The Paper Funday. This is an Anything Goes papercraft challenge with an optional twist, for October the twist is use yellow, orange and green. 

     This card is a CASE of a card by Shelly Matteson, her card is a bit more orangey than mine but in my defence I was using up some gorgeous papers I inherited from my mum.

     The background paper already had a sun/moon type look to it so I cut a moon in vellum and stuck it over the lightest area of the background.

     The colourise pumpkins were cut from some Clarity papers mum had in her stash, I chose a greeny purple one to fit the twist. The leaves come from another sheet of Clarity paper that had amazing Autumn colours on it. Shaped leaves give a bit more texture and depth to the overall picture with bats and cats in black card being set off by a black mat layer. To make the whole thing a little more magical I mounted the picture on some pearlescent orange card. 

      I won't be giving this one away for two reasons, one being I really like it and the second is we don't tend to celebrate Halloween even though the colour are amazing. It will grace the walls of my work area until next year at least.

     Please come and join us at The Paper Funday, it doesn't have to be Halloween and it doesn't have to be a card, as long as it's made with paper or card that's fine with us.

I would like to enter this project in the following challenges:

Dragonfly Dreams - Autumn

Two Old Bats Halloween - Anything Halloween

Try It On Tuesday - Autumn

Inspiration Station - #54 Halloween colours

Get Creative - #126 Purple, green black and orange

Unicorn - #92 Autumn/Halloween