Flower Garden

Morning, Today I am sharing 'The Flower Garden', a mixed media project I have made using the new dies and stamps that Leonie recently launched on Hochanda. For this I used the 'Floral Bursts' and the coordinating stamp set.

To start with I joined two canvas boards together to give the size I wanted. I glued them together onto a piece of greyboard and cut that down when it was dry.

I screwed up some tissue paper and ripped it into pieces. Using Cosmic Shimmer Glue, Seal and Glaze, I stuck this all over the surface for texture.

Next I added some ripped sections of the mini type corrugated cardboard, some honeycomb die cuts and some roses, i secured these with Cosmic Shimmer glue.

To add even more texture to the piece I added some cotton threads across my project.

Next I decided that the rose swag at the top didn't match the look so I removed it. I then added some skeleton leaves where my main design was going to sit.

Next I painted with white gesso to even out all of the colour. When this was dry I built up the colour across the project with Dyna Paints. I kept it greener where the flowers were going. I used a mixture of 359,356 & 357. I also added some Sleeping Beauty acrylic pain from Indigo Blu. I then highlighted areas with Pebeo Silver Gilding wax.

Next I took some lengths of calico that I had previously dyed with blues, greens and teal. I twisted them until they coiled back on themselves and stuck them with Cosmic Shimmer glue, these were to be the stems.

I cut out the blooms I wanted in water colour card and coloured them with Distress Inks mixed with water. I used Scattered Straw, Spiced Marmalade and worn lipstick.

To finish the card, I stuck the flowers in place with 3D glue gel. I made one of the blooms into a bud which I had painted on both sides. I stamped the lovely modern 'ART' stamp on the project from the stamp collection.

Thank you ever so much for taking the time to visit today. I hope you enjoyed the step by step and the finished piece. I look forward to reading your comments so I thank you in advance.xx

Looking Good

Morning, After having such fun using Leonie's new Mixed Media range, I decided to work on another project, I dont know where the idea came from exactly, apart from the picture in my head, I have a feeling it might be from a painting I saw in a museum when growing up. I wanted to incorporate the Wonder Crystals & Sheets that Justin and Gordon bring us from Be Creative. They work so well and the effects you can get are amazing. They should still be available to buy on the Hochanda Website. I do hope you managed to get Leonie's new collection as it is so versatile.

The hardest part about this project was working out how I could bring it to life using card. The idea I originally had was of the face being in mid air, but I thought it wouldn't be possible without using metal frames etc. I roughly drew a sketch onto paper.

Once I had worked it out, I started with a box frame, I coloured all of the parts that might be seen with Black Soot Distress ink.

I applied a Wonder Sheet to some greyboard and marked out the shape which would become the head.

Using the spare space below this I drew some shapes, which would enable me to add detail, movement and texture to the head, making it look something like hair.

I made a few adjustments before cutting out the basic shape.

Then I cut out the hair shapes and applied Wonder Tape to the edges. I stuck these to the head section.

On a flat surface, I coated this with Goldstone Wonder Crystals.

As I heated the Crystals I added more, the two I used here were Goldstone and Lodolite Quartz.

I assembled my box frame.

I cut a frame that would go over the top of the box and coated it with Goldstone Wonder Crystals and heated. This would conceal all of the workings and joins.

I cut out an eye and lips from Leonie's Looking Good Die Set, Three of each and glued them together with Cosmic Shimmer. I cut an additional one of each from board covered in Wonder Tape, this was to be the top layer. I Used Carnelian for the lips and Turquenite for the eye.

Using the drawing I had made earlier I shaped Copper cable to form the nose and attach the lips and another for the eye. I secured this with super glue and 3D glue gel.

I then used the same method to attach both cables to the back of the hair section. This gave the illusion of the face being suspended in air. I paced the hair section onto my frame using Cosmic Shimmer glue.

Lastly to finish off the piece, I added the top frame which I had embossed using the Crystals earlier.

Thank you so much for taking the time to visit today. I really enjoyed making this piece so I hope you have enjoyed reading the step by step and seeing the finished project that I have created. I really appreciate your comments and do read them all. I hope you will join me again tomorrow. Take care xx

A Christmas Wish

Morning, After watching Let Leonie Loose on Wednesday with Matt and Leonie. I thought I would take up Leonie's challenge by putting a Christmas scene inside the Entwining Branches die from Her Big Heart set. If you missed the shows they will still be on the Hochanda website and if you're lucky there might even be a few of the dies left.

To begin with I cut my card to measure 6 3/4'' square. Taking a Sheena Douglas stamp I used black Archival to stamp Santa and his reindeer. The idea was that he was flying out of the heart to make his Christmas Deliveries.

I cut the die into copier paper to act as my mask and secured it in place on my card with Stick n Spray from Crafters Companion. I also placed a moon mask in the sky.

Next, Using Distress inks I built up my landscape,for this I used Shaded Lilac, Faded Jeans, and Blueprint Sketch. I added a little Black Soot to the mountain range to darken it slightly while  still having the blue tone.I stamped a large Fir tree in the foreground, a smaller one further back with Black Archival.I used this same tree to stamp 3 smaller trees in the distance, using a mask so I could use just the top, to make them appear much further away. I used 1st and 2nd generation ink to give a little more depth and dimension. Lastly I stamped a deer in the foreground for a little more interest.

I masked Santa ad the Reindeer with Pebeo Drawing Gum, replaced the mountain mask and blended the sky. For the sky I used Faded Jeans, Blueprint Sketch, Chipped Sapphire and at the very edges Black Soot.

I removed the mask and lightly shaded the moon with Shaded Lilac, then removed the drawing gum.

After colouring the image with a selection of  Spectrum Aqua Markers, In black Archival, I stamped an 'I Believe' sentiment and added some snowflakes to the sky with Shaded Lilac. Then distressed around the edges with the same Distress Ink.

I cut a frame to fit using some navy, foiled Silk Art card. The using my Cosmic Shimmer glue, I added some white Flowersoft to the hills and trees.

To finish the card, I matted it onto some silver mirror card, leaving a very fine border and attached to my base card.

Thank you so much for taking the time to visit today. I really hope you have enjoyed the step by step and the card I have shared. I hope that you will visit again very soon. I have a special project to share tomorrow, using the recent launch from Leonie. It's one that I have only just finished so it wasn't featured on the show or my launch previews. Take care xx

Timepiece Box

Morning, Here is another project I am really excited about, so I am sharing it with you today. I adore making boxes and mixed with a time theme, blues and Crackle, I came up with this. I thought straight away about clocks and time with this stunning die from Leonie's new collection. The shows will still be on Catch Up on Hochanda's website via the TV schedule, if you missed them or want some more inspiration.

I started by cutting black card to 7 x 9'' to give a finished box size of 5 x 7'' on this is scored at 1 inch, one on the lid side of the big score and the other two at 1 inch on the base side. One one of the bases I cut all sides 1 cm from the score line, this will be put into the lid and glued to hide all of the workings.

From the lid I cut the 'In a Spin' die and set aside the die cut for later.

I then took pages from an old dictionary and ripped them into strips and odd shapes, I secured these to my lid using Glue, Seal and Glaze from Cosmic Shimmer.

When dry I replaced the die to cut again, to ensure a nice crisp edge in my aperture.

I took a clock/cog stencil (this is from Clarity), I used the clock portion of the stencil and applied Texture Sand Paste from Deco Art. Once dry I gave a coat of Sleeping Beauty Acrylic pain from Indigo Blu. I had watered this down slightly with water as I wanted the words to show through here and there.

I mixed three separate colours with Kroma Crackle, I used Park Lane, Townhouse Teal and Grandma's Teacup from Indigo Blu and built up the colour and texture. The I set this aside for the crackle to do it's magic.

Next I took some Tim Holtz letters and the 'In a Spin' die cut from earlier and added some Pebeo Silver Gilding Wax.

Next I added some of the gilding wax to highlight the crackle even more and to give added depth to the design. It also ties the letters and die cut together. I secured watch faces, workings and watch inners to the back of the die cut and arranged the letter and numbers, securing them with 3D glue gel.

Here is the finished piece. I am very pleased with the result and would have love to have kept it for myself. The text still shows through in places where the cracks have appeared so it has turned out as I wished.

I hope you like the finished piece and that you have enjoyed the step by step for this project. Thank you so much for visiting today and for taking the time to leave your comments.

Fluttering Hearts

Morning, Today I am sharing another card I made for the launch of Leonie's New Collection, Launched on Hochanda last Friday. It would make a lovely Birthday card for someone, the hearts are really delicate when part cut from the card.

I cut and scored a card measuring 6'' square, using pale pink Centura Pearl card from Crafters Companion. I then worked out exactly where the cut was required and taped it in place with low tack tape.

So that the hearts would stay in my card and hang over the edge. I placed the plates only up to where I wanted the cut. the rest of the card hung outside the plates.

I then took my craft knife and ruler to cut away the excess waste card.

I took the 'Love' coordinating stamp and using Plum Archival ink, I stamped it in place on the inside of my card.

I cut out the same heart die 'All the Love' from the same pale pink card. I stuck this onto a sheet of Graphic 45 paper from the 'Gilded Lily' collection and cut around the edge. I secured this with Cosmic Shimmer glue making sure that the hearts lined up with the hearts on the front.

I then stamped the heart from the coordinating stamp sets onto the same G45 paper, some single hearts and some double using a mask. I cut these out and stuck them to the front of my card. I then stamped the 'You are My Favourite' stamp using Plum Archival ink. I cut this strip out and blended around the edges using Victorian Velvet Distress Ink. I secured this to the front of my card using Cosmic Shimmer Glue.

Thank you so much for taking the time to visit today, I hope you have enjoyed the step by step and the card I have shared today. Please pop by again to see what I am sharing. xx