Hens on the Block! Friday 22nd August 2014

Hello Friends!

Hope you are all having a good week...we are gearing up for a major volunteering event at work, so preparing for that,is all I seem to be doing at the moment..not a lot of time to craft..or blog... also been feeling a bit 'below par' so when I have had the occasional hour this week, my mojo has completely not wanted to come out of the cupboard!

I will get around all your blogs soon, just bear with me at the moment please :)

I did however make this little project: a little ATB within an ATB and the perfect little place to keep tiny photos of all our hens..ones we've had and sadly lost over the past 7 years, to the ones we have currently scratching about in the garden, Bella an Cara.

To make the ATB I used my Sissix Scoreboards XL die by Eileen Hull, Graphic 45 French Country papers and a hen and cockerel stamp by Crafty Individuals.

 

  I cut out one large and one small box using quite thick card from some packaging I'd saved and painted them  using 'Warm White' Cosmic Shimmer matt chalk paint.I then sanded all the edges to give it a distressed finish; photos can never really show to best effect, but the finished style it like white washed wood.

I cut sunflower paper from the pad and also individual sunflowers to layer and give some depth. I left the white edges because I didn't want it to look too neat and tidy as it's supposed to be quite rustic. I decorated two sides of the box in this way and the other two using labels, which I cut out from the pad. I then tied green ribbon around the large box and added a button, I decorated the smaller box in a similar way.

The stamp was chosen from my collection because it really complemented the papers. After stamping, I gave the chickens a colour wash with distress inks and cut them out, leaving about 2 cms at the base of each. I then slit a hole in the box and threaded them through, they make the 'handle' to lift the lid. To finish the lid I added some raffia just in front of them, as some 'straw bedding' and a ruched ribbon . I also covered the inside of the box and lid to finish off.

 For the smaller box, I again cut a slit and threaded ribbon through for a 'pull'..

Inside the box I have placed lots of little photos (which will be protected in a glassine envelope) of 'our girls'


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

Art with a Heart, August- Anything Goes

http://www.eileenhull.com/2014/08/vintage-kitchen-sneak-peek.html

Really Reason Ribbons Challenge #101 Pets & Ribbon

http://reasonableribbon.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/challenges



Love and Hugs,
Carole X 

My First ATB! - Monday 16th June 2014

Good morning Friends!

Did you all have a fabulous weekend...? With lots of Sunshine...? It has been beautiful here, so we have spent a lot of time outside! Actually, Saturday I was quite pleased England vs Italy (a toughie for Tom, being half Italian!) was on late, because I stayed up for a very late night crafting session in my craft room, which was brilliant!

I also spent quite a bit of time working on the old desk I got my hands on a few weeks ago..it's all painted, I just need to make sure that I haven't missed anything and then I have to distress and wax it...the slightly 'scary' bit, but also the part I'm looking forward to the most...there should be a reveal soon....

Today is something new for me...inspired by my lovely and so inspirational blog friend Anne -Redanne, I have created my first ATB ''Artist's Trading Block". Anne has made some incredibly stunning ATBs and is now, very deservedly on the Artists on the Block design team.  If you haven't yet come across Anne's blog, you really should check it out. Anne was one of my very first blog friends when I started blogging and I have been in awe of her work from the start. I had better shut up there because I see her blushes!!! But it's all true.

I had never even really got into making ATCs and totally missed joining in with the ATC swap hosted by Julia at Stamping Ground to celebrate the WOYWW 5th anniversary. However my lovely blog friend Claire - who made some fabulous ones, was so kind to send me one, so I was inspired to make one to send back to her...what fun!

My ATB - Fairies, Butterflies and Fairies - a Mid-Summer Night's Dream!

My ATB,  was made using fairy stamps by Lavinia  and what a joy it was to make!

I made the block using the Sissix 3D cube die and purple card. I measured layers for each side and inked the edges of each panel using Seedless Preserves distress ink. I used a different Lavinia stamp on each side, all stamped in black onyx versafine ink. 

The door was stamped twice: I cut the door our of the second stamping and adhered it to the original image so that it opens.

I stamped a second vine leaf image, which I layered to hang off the side of the cube and also stamped additional wings on acetate, coated with gossamer lilac embossing powder, heat dried and adhered to the fairy using Cosmic Shimmer dries clear. I repeated this with the wings on the second fairy; for the pixies I added stickles to the wings

For the top I used the Zen flower stamp from Lavinia and stamped it three times to layer. I then  'painted'  each layer with mica powder. 

Finally  I  added the stamped butterfly. I stamped the first butterfly and coloured  with micas. I cut it out, chopping off the antennae/legs(ouch!). I then stamped a second butterfly using versamark ink on acetate, added the gossamer embossing powder and heat dried. I then cut it out, this time leaving the antennae and tail/legs. The embossing powder dries to a soft  shimmery lilac and I was really pleased with the effect.

To complete the ATB I added crystal stickles to all the wings. I also added gems, which were colourless, but I coloured purple with a promarker. I added the gems to the butterfly wings, flower, plants, fairy dust and door. I also added beaded legs to the butterfly, which is suspended on wire above the block.

As I used a lot of stamps, I've listed them below the post...when we decided to do our workshop this week using Lavinia stamps, I was able to get out all the ones I own, as well as the ones Amy gave me to play with, so I've been having a great time!

I'd like to enter this project into the:

Lavinia Stamps Challenge #6: Add some beads or gems

&

Art with Heart June Challenge - Summer Creations because butterflies & fairies bring to mind mid-summer evenings in the garden

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Thanks for stopping by and Happy Crafting!

Love and Hugs,

Carole X

Stamps used for this ATB: all Lavinia

Fairy Door - small
Vine Leaves 
Fairy Dust Silhouette
Small pixies
Flower Fairy
Stars
Zen Flower 2
Butterfly