My First Altered Assemblage Clock - Friday 16th January 2015

Hello Friends,

This is a first for me..my FIRST Assemblage Clock! In case you have no idea what I mean, these are a plain shell of an alarm clock, brought to us my Tim Holz to do with as we please! So I took this metal shell out of its box, all new and shiny, just asking to be loved and a few current challenges prompted me to go for it and create!! It took about 2 weeks, in the little snippets of relaxation time I've had lately....

One of the Challenges I wish to enter is Vintage Journey, my first time..feeling energised to enter after having Tim's 'Compendium III' for Christmas.The current theme is to use a portrait and I chose this old photo of me with Mum and Dad.

First of all, I took the clock apart and painted it with gesso, which is recommended as it is made of metal and this gives it 'grab'. I then decided to use an acrylic chalk  Fresco paint by PaperArtsy, in Mermaid, a lovely aqua colour. I mixed a little of the white gesso with it and  sponge painted it again.

When it was dry I sanded the paint very minimally in a few places to reveal a little of the metal.  I also sponged over some Vintage Photo distress ink.

I took some random words from a new packet of Tim's Ideology Remnant Rubs - choosing words that relate to family and life, such as 'memories' 'blessed' 'love from the heart' etc etc and used them on the bells and around the rim of the clock.

To finish off the shell, I coated it with Ranger Glue n' Seal and left to dry.

Whilst it was drying, I set to doing all my stamping and die cutting.

The bird is stamped from Clear Impressions 'Bird Song' set, which was free with a magazine and part of a set, brand new and not opened yet. I stamped it on to paper by Graphic 45, from the Typography pad.

I die cut the roses, butterflies and leaves -a mixture of Spellbinders and Sizzix dies -  and before rolling the roses into shape, I  sponged some of the paint mix on to them, as well as the leaves and butterflies and left to dry. I then stamped them with random words such as  'family' 'memories' 'love', using Versafine Sepia ink.

Once I had made the roses I inked the edges using Vintage Photo and applied the same to the rest of the die cuts.

Next was a case of putting it all together! I found a silver button-hole holder in a box and decided to use it inside the clock, adding some leaves and and one rose head...you can just about see it  tucked away in the close up photo. I had decided to use a photo of real relatives (opposed to 'Found' relatives, if you are a Tim fan and know what I mean) and as I thought I might actually like to display it, I looked for a photo of my parents and found this one in an old album..so I scanned and printed it.

Now I have to apologise here as I should have photographed the inside before putting it back together, but I got so excited about wanting to see it, that I forgot. I had glued some roses to the inside base and had adhered the photo to the back, which I had covered wit some Tim Holz fabric!!! I wanted to keep the glass so that it had more of a photo frame appearance and it took quite a time to get the back on with everything looking as I wanted it too, so there was no way I was removing it again....therefore there is some reflection in the close ups.

I decorated the outside with more roses and the stamped die-cut the  leaves and butterfly and the stamped bird. I also added a bead string tied to a little heart key, which I had also sponge-painted with the paint mix, quite randomly, to allow some of the metal to appear through and give a patina effect.

One thing is for sure, I can see how these could be addictive! I already have ideas for Easter and Christmas decorations!

Thank you so much for stopping by, I really do appreciate your visits and comments...you know I do!!!

Love and Hugs

Carole X

Challenges

 A Vintage Journey - Challenge 23 Use a Portrait: 

http://www.vintagejourney.com/2015/01/challenge-23-use-portrait.html

Country View Crafts - Use Something New to You - the clock and bird stamp

http://countryviewchallenges.blogspot.co.uk

Rhedd's Creative Spirit - January Challenge

http://rheddscreativespirit.blogspot.co.uk/2015/01/januarys-challenge.html

And finally a return to Sunday Stampers after a bit of an absence, my creation for this week Hels, 
Sunday Stampers week 340 - Anything Goes

http://pinkleart.blogspot.co.uk/2015/01/sunday-stamper-week-340-anything-goes.html

Pink Butterfly - 13th February

Morning,


We're all in the pink today..and loving it! This was one of those cards that I made for me..because I wanted to...and am saving for a special birthday or to sell at a craft fair!

I made the tiny dots around the base white layer with my wonderful Tim Holz ruler and then layered this with a deep pink linen effect card from stash. Before fixing the card to the blank I tied an organza ribbon and bow along the side. The sentiment was printed on white card and then cut on the Grand Calibur using a die from the Spellbinders Parisian Motifs set, coloured around the edges with Spun Sugar distress ink. I cut and embossed the butterfly from my favourite 'Fanciful Flight' Spellbinders set, in both white and pink to give it 'flight'. I added the flourish freehand with Creative Expressions Cosmic Shimmer Pearl PVA and the final touch is the pretty zipper rose, again from Creative Expressions.


That's all for now!


Carole X

August 2011

Hi all, I have been busy these last few weeks trying to get some cards made for my cousin to try and sell at her fundraiser for Cancer Research in a few weeks and it's also been a busy time with family birthdays...and I'm also still determined to get my Christmas cards made!
 I am quite excited to read on her blog that my  'crafting idol' Sue Wilson is soon to bring out her first crafting DVD...oh wow! 

You know how much of a Promarker fan I am? Well Nikky Hall and Martyn Parker simply talked me into trying Letraset's new FlexMarkers on Create and Craft last week...can't wait for them to arrive and share with you my thoughts on them!


Here are a few of my cards to share with you so far...


The first one is my 'grunge bag'! I cut the shape for the bag using my Cricut Storybook cartridge, first on plain white card and then on Tim Holz/coredinations card (antique linen), I sanded it and then stamped the birds. I used brown polka dot paper from stash to cover the bottom of the bag. The 'thank you' was stamped on to a die from the Spellbinders Parisien accents set and the flowers were made from the anemone spellbinders die and flowers/leaves from cricut cartridges. They were curled, sanded and I added a hint of glitter. The card is finished off with a rusty wire handle. This card took a while but it was a joy to make!

This was a simple card made from acetate. I have to confess the paper was from my stash, but it was printed from one of my CDs...I will revisit when and add which one when I have found it!
The flowers and tags were made using punches and the card was finished off with a brad and some ribbon.

I am very fond of Tatty Button and how different colourways work so well. This was made using a deep fucshia coredinations card. I used a Martha Stewart punch for the border and threaded matching silk ribbon through. Tatty was coloured with Promarkers (of course) and the flower was again made by stamping, colouring and cutting out several umberellas from Tatty's 'worker' stamp set.

A new House Mouse stamp to play with! They are just irresistible! Need I say he was coloured with Promarkers, after being stamped in to a deckled oval spellbinders die? The edges were accented with tea rose distress ink.I used a hole punch to make the circle for the easel card to rest on and decorated with polka dot ribbon and buttons from stash. 

This is Tatty Button's little mouse pal, Pip. Again stamped on a deckled oval die, which is inked very subtley at the edges with Spun Sugar distrss ink. I used paper from stash and polka dot ribbon in translucent brown finish it off, together with punched flowers and brads

One last card for now...my first from the Tatty Teddy, Me to You CD I just bought. I decided to buy this one for two reasons...I do like this little bear and I hope he will sell well at fairs, but its the first CD that has been made available that works properly on a MAC!!! You can access the files on most of the others, but I usually revert to my laptop for interaction...this one interacts all the way on my Mac..wonderful! This is one of the digistamp images, which I coloured...the image was printed on to Nenah white card and cut with the deckled oval die...just a simple, fun ca




Friday 26th August
More cards will be added in September; we've been on holiday - a 'staycation' which was absolutely fabulous.. London, Alfie Boe in Les Mis, Tracey Emin exhibition, followed by a host of other arty type trips closer to home: Oxford and the Ashmolean, Bath and the Holbourne (Peter Blake's Museum for Me exhibition was superb) and just exploring our Cotswold countryside. It's sometimes nice just to spend time in the beautiful surroundings on your 'doorstep' so to speak.

I have already started to think about some scrapbook pages from the holiday and will post them eventually! I came home to a lot of orders for cards, so that has put a temporary halt to my Christmas cards, just as I was getting into the swing of it. We have a holiday again in a few weeks, this time off to Italy, so I had better get moving!


It's going to be a card making day today as no work, but I am very excited about the POTW on Create and Craft, because it's Spellbinders! My Christmas present sorted! I am also excited about receiving Sue Wilson's DVD...can't wait!