Male Room Goes Coastal

      This fortnights challenge at The Male Room is die cuts. I could have made a card but I wanted to make something a little different for a special occasion.

      Using the Tim Holtz Sizzix die Village Dwelling and the Surf Shack I made this beach hut with corrugated card. Just the walls are cut from the corrugated card, all other parts are cut from Kraft card.
     To get the rusty look to the walls I used Distress paint smudged on with my finger. The door was stamped with a woodgrain pattern and pushed in slightly.
     The roof is covered with some hessian from my local craft shop, I have yet to find a seagull the right size to sit on top but I'm still looking.
     These little buildings are great with a battery tea light inside, a unique table decoration for a summer party.
     You have two weeks to create something masculine using die cuts to play along at The Male Room.

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

Eclectic Ellapu - Anything Goes     (M)

Open-Minded Crafting - Mighty Men In May   (M)

Crafts Galore Encore - Anything Goes   (M)

A Proper Gent

     When making my project for The Male Room last week I made this tag as well with one of the new Woodware stamps.

     Starting with a blank Tim Holtz Sizzix die cut tag I used Distress Oxides and a TH stencil to create a tartan style background, making sure I used the colours that would match the patterned paper I planned to use for the waistcoat.
     I also stamped a few circles over the tag just to break up all those straight lines.
     The waistcoat was stamped and embossed in blue on some patterned paper, then the inside of the waistcoat was coloured blue with an alcohol marker before being cut out ready for the tag.
     I stamped and embossed a greeting on a Stix2 kraft tag and after a little trim added it to the main tag using thin foam pads, making sure the hole was directly over the large tag hole. There are three lengths of twine in various shades threaded through both tags.
     With the addition of a little gold relief to the buttons the waistcoat was ready for mounting on the tag, this was done with thicker foam pads so it sits on top of the small tag. A little gold ink added around the edge of the tag completed the look, it's now ready to add to a gift.

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

Cuttlebug Mania - You're Tagged    (2W)

Die Cuttin Divas - All About Tags    (W)

My Time To Craft - Masculine   (2W)

Send A Smile 4 Kids - Dads or Special Males   (2W) 

Seeing Stars in The Male Room

     A new challenge at The Male Room has us seeing Stars, you can make any project you like as long as it's masculine and fits our theme - Stars.

     This card started with the waistcoat being stamped and embossed on patterned paper, then it was cut out and the buttons covered with gold relief paste.
     The background needed more stars so I die cut the sentiment panel in a blue card layer, then cut the same shape in white card and stuck that flush in the hole, making sure to push out all the little stars around the edge. I then die cut a few random stars in the blue layer before matting it over gold paper.
     The sentiment is stamped in blue ink and clear embossed. The background layers were stuck to a white card blank and then the waistcoat was stuck on using foam pads. There is only one raised layer to the card so it's alright for UK postage as an ordinary letter.
     Our challenge runs for the next two weeks so please come and join us with your Star creations, there's lots of inspiration on The Male Room blog to help get you started.

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

Crafting From The Heart - Anything Goes   (W)

Crafty Cardmakers - Add A Sentiment   (F)

Come and Get It - Birthday Wishes   (W) 

MHK Designs Monthly Inspiration

     Hello and welcome to my very simple inspiration project for this month. A tag to go with a handcrafted gift that also has a sea theme.
     I used the sand dollar to make a background in my photo package. The contrast has been changed on some of them to get them near white, with the others having the opacity changed to get shades of grey. The main image was done last so it sits over all the others but it is at 75% opacity so the greeting stands out in black.
    The whole background was then placed over a sheet of paper from Country Farm to get the sandy colour. Once the printed paper was stuck on the tag it was then trimmed and edged with blue ink, with the addition of  two colours of string the tag was complete.
    Don't forget to pop over to the current challenge for a chance to win some gorgeous MHK Designs goodies or visit our Etsy shop to browse the huge collection of digital delights.

Sea Creatures

Country Farm

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

Digitally Made - Anything Totally Digital Goes  (M)

Angie's Digital Stamps - #9 Anything Goes  (M)

The Cats Whiskers

      As soon as I saw Curious Cat by Visible Image this card popped into my head, there are many cat lovers among my family and friends so this will get lots of use.

      I stamped and embossed in black on black card. Trimming to fit the card meant the ends of his whiskers were snipped off, but I think it looks like he's peeking through a hole.
     The eyes are coloured with a mixture of neon gel pen and a highlighter to get that vibrant green, with a touch of white to give the illusion of gloss.
     The mat layer is white card coloured with the same highlight pen, then another black layer before going on to a white card blank.
     The card has no greeting on the front, I didn't want to detract from the image.
     When taking photos of dark, shiny or sparkly cards it's hard to capture their impact, sadly that is the case with this card, it looks so much better 'in the card'.

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

 2 Crafty Critter Crazies - #2 Any Critter Goes (M)

Show Us Your Pussies - #18 Cats only (M)

Cardz 4 Guyz - #168 Film, Book or Music - Musical:CATS  (W)    Top 3
Through The Craft Room Door - Anything Goes   (W)

MHK Designs May Challenge

     A new challenge starts today at MHK Designs with a real birthday feel to it. There is also the opportunity to win the image set I have used here just by playing along with us please check the challenge blog for full details.
     My image was printed on white card, coloured with alcohol markers and then die cut, the backing paper is from Flower Power Brights, also die cut. The backing paper is stuck flush to the card blank and then the image is mounted on foam pads.  A very quick and simple card to make.

MHK Designs - May Challenge

Eat Your Cake

Flower Power Brights

   

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

Di's Digi Design - Use Something Digital

Send A Smile 4 Kids - Punches and/or Die Cuts

Sequins and Swirls at The House Of Cards

     The House Of Cards this month would like to see the use of sequins and/or the colours in the chart. I have chosen to use sequins on this simple card and one colour.

     Using a Sizzix thinlit die I cut the swirls in the front of a white card blank, then backed it with a medium weight pink paper insert.  A pink ribbon has been stuck down the side of the card with the ends wrapped over to the inside, then I stuck the insert to the back of the die cut but left the other side free. When the light is behind the card it gives the die cut shapes a pink glow.
     Three small paper roses are added to the ribbon at the base of the swirls and three flower shaped sequins, each with a tiny gem in the middle are added to the pattern.
     With the addition of a stamped and mica dusted greeting the card is complete.
     The House Of Cards challenge runs for a month so you have lots of time to create and lots of inspiration from the DT to help get you started.

Use Sequins and/or Colours

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

My Time To Craft - Sequins/Buttons
Colour Crazy - Anything Goes

Altered Eclectics meets Rusty Patinas

     Another canvas for Altered Eclectics, this was also made for a workshop we had on Saturday. It never fails to amaze me how different all the projects were when they all started with the same materials, so much creativity in one room. If you would like to see the students work then please pop over to Facebook page Rushanne Crafter, there is some stunning work on view.

     To begin with I used texture paste and stencils, one with flowers and butterflies and the other with swirls. Some paper lace on the bottom left completed the texture layer.
     Next was to make some paper flowers. I had been told that it was difficult to get paint down into the flower so I chose to colour the petals with a marker before assembly, choosing a colour close to the finished item.

     The flowers were stuck on to the canvas using hot glue. I also added some leaves made using hot glue in a silicone mold, once painted there is no clue what the embellishments were made from so you could use old broken jewellery, plastic cake decorations, almost anything.

 

      I have used Rusty Patina Duck Egg to cover the whole canvas and the flowers, it's not a perfect match to the marker used but pretty close.

 

      After the Duck Egg dried I went over the whole thing again with Rusty Patina Cafe Creme on a sponge, making sure not to get a nice even coat as I wanted the Duck Egg to show through.

     Once the Patina was completely dry I used some Starlight Wax  in White Gold to highlight the flowers, leaves and swirls.
     The texture flowers and butterflies are lightly coloured with other gilding waxes.

     The birdcage is die cut from greyboard and painted with Rusty Patina Rustique which has tiny bits in it adding to the worn and rusty look.
     Inside the cage is a bird made with hot glue and a silicone mold decorated with Rusty Patins and finished off with a little Starlight Wax.
     The bird was stuck on with hot glue and then the cage was shaped and stuck over the bird also with hot glue, doing one side at a time. With the addition of another flower to the top of the cage the canvas was finished.

     Altered Eclectics is a mixed media and altered art challenge so you can come and join us with your projects as long as they are NOT a card or an ATC.

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

Hiding In My Craft Room - Freestyle

More Mixed Media - Anything Goes optional yellow
Through The Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

Pop Up Brusho Flowers

     This card was made using a pop up die from Stampendous. It usually stands up portrait style but I wanted to try it landscape, it still work, especially with flowers and doesn't try to close. With the addition of patterned paper for the background it fits perfectly for our challenge at CraftyHazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge.

   
      I have several tubs of Brusho and wanted to try the White embossing technique I had seen on Pinterest.
     The image was stamped with Versamark and them embossed with white powder on watercolour card. Brusho were sprinkled over the card and a gentle spritz of water added to make the colour flow. As the images were going to be die cut it didn't matter about over run colour, just that the colours looked good on the images. Once dry all flowers and leaves were die cut ready for assembly.

     The patterned card was cut to size and then using the pop up die the creases and tabs were cut. After cutting it was trimmed to fit an A6 landscape fold card blank, sticking the pop up mechanism inside with care not to stick the tabs down.
     Each flower was added to the tabs to build the bouquet and the leaves were added to the background on foam pads. The addition of one flower to the other side of the card just left the space for a die cut greeting.
     A matted patterned layer on the front with another flower finished the card off, it all folds quite flat so it will post if required.
    Remember CraftyHazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge runs all month and just requires the use of patterned paper on your project.

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

A Gem Of A Challenge - Embossing Wet or Dry
Allsorts - Embossing
Creative Fingers - Anything Goes