January Calendar Girls

Hello crafting friends and thank you for visiting.

I recently did an " In the spotlight" interview over at Our Creative Corner (OCC) (it's here if you want to read it), one of the questions was, "If you have lost your Mojo, how do you go about getting it back?"  Well, to be honest my Mojo went AWOL at Christmas and I've been in a bit of a crafting doldrums ever since. So, true to my interview response I've been looking around for sources of inspiration - and sometimes you get inspiration when you least expect it! - I recently picked up a copy of Creative Stamping magazine (mainly because I was drawn to the knife, fork and spoon freebie stamps - sad - but true!) A quick flick through the mag left me a bit disappointed - but then I'm not really a card maker - until I came across an article from the DT at Ali-Craft showcasing the Prima doll stamps - and then... Ding! - a light bulb moment and my personal 2014 challenge was born.

I am setting myself a "calendar girls" challenge - no silly, not the naked WI with strategic cakes style Calendar Girls, but a monthly themed tag featuring the Prima doll stamps  (or stamp singular - in my case!) I have also made the resolution to make a mega effort to use up some of my stash, so the current challenge over at OCC is perfect to get my newly returned Mojo back in working order!

The challenge is "No more shopping sins" (click on the link for details) and is an opportunity to use up some of the stash that's gathering dust in forgotten boxes and to confess your stash shopping sins and make a clean start in 2014.

So here is my January Calendar Girls tag...

I chose cold colours and a snowy theme to reflect the chilly weather we can have here in the UK in January.

It was fun pulling together various different stamps to make my cluster of embellishments - and of course I have unearthed some I'd forgotten I'd got!

So - to confess my stash shopping sins - I am a terrible sucker for a "bargain" - if it is vastly reduced in a sale bin and I think I may have a use for it at some point it will - almost inevitably - end up in my shopping basket!

Case in point with this tag - the self adhesive fabric ribbon and co-ordinating brad were in a sale of Dovecraft Christmas lines three or four years ago and have not been out of the packet until today.

Talking of ribbon - I just LOVE printed grosgrain ribbon - can't resist a pretty ribbon - OMG I'm SUCH a girl!

The Papermania ticket stamps were reduced to £2 in my local craft shop, the clock stamp was a freebie on a Creativity Magazine - can't resist a "freebie"!

The snowflake rub-ons (part of a set of glitter snowmen) were in a BOGOF (Buy One Get One Free) offer at The Works, again three or four years ago.

I must also confess that the Cuttlebug Swiss dots embossing folder had its maiden voyage in the making of this tag - and I've had that for donkey's!

Then there's the patterned paper - you know how that calls to you from the racks in the craft shop... so I'm pleased to be able to say that I have CUT INTO FOUR - that's FOUR, people, - different pieces of patterned paper from FOUR different stacks in the making of this project! (I needed a lie down with a cold compress afterwards mind you!)

Those of you who know your way around Julie Nutting's doll stamps for Prima will know that this is NOT one of Julie's designs. I had great fun (which really took me back to my childhood!) designing and making suitably warm attire for my January Girl.

I started by stamping the doll stamp (Doll No.2) on to white Neenah cardstock, loosely cut out my image and coloured in the face and neck with Copic markers.

I then stamped the image again on to copier paper and drew my "warm clothes" design over the top of the original image. 

I cut the pattern pieces out and used them as a template for making the finished clothes from patterned paper.

The new clothes were then glued over the top of the original stamped image and details such as creases and buttons were added with a fine black Pitt artists pen. A coat of matte medium made the surface of the finished doll non-porous and allowed me to add shading with Pitt Big Brush india ink markers.

                                                                                                                                                                

The final touch was to add a generous coat of Dimensional Magic (Glossy Accents equivalent) to the spotty wellies to give them a lovely "bang on trend" shine. Oh yes and those are supposed to be fluffy earmuffs - in case you were wondering :0)

So there you have it - my sins confessed and my project completed - and a head full of inspiration for February's tag too...

Wow - that was a long post - thanks for sticking with me - let me know you came and I'll try and catch up with you soon.

Hugs

Mixed Media Angel - Sunday Stampers #223

This weeks Sunday Stampers Challenge song title is Tie a Yellow Ribbon - with the challenge theme of ribbons.

I've just hopped over to the Anything But A Card Challenge blog and spotted that Challenge #2 is Texture so I'm going to enter this project there too.

Here is my little offering. To give you an idea of scale my little mixed media angel is standing in front of a tissue cube from a well known paper handkerchief manufacturer. (She is four inches tall) and the product of a worse than usual attack of insomnia!

I'm sorry, I didn't take any step-by-steps as I wasn't sure if I was going to end up with something blog-able or a hideous voodoo stylee monster!

Luckily she came out OK!

Here are some detail shots

Her face and wings are stamped with VersaFine onyx black ink on vintage dictionary paper. (I think I've fallen in love with faces stamped on text paper - I WILL be doing this again!) (Or maybe it is the gorguss girl herself - I have a real thing about Santoro's gorguss designs!)

Her body is made from two pieces of pipecleaner bent and twisted in to a body shape and then wrapped with wool roving.

Her dress is made from silver satin ribbon, gathered over a white felt underskirt and bodice and finished off with a white sparkly ribbon bow and a tiny silver heart charm. And because I know that if you could pick her up and check, you would (because we all do - don't we (?) (Oh dear I hope it's not just me - EMBARRASSING!) I can confirm that she sadly is NOT wearing any knickers!

The all important deets:

Face stamp - Personal Impressions / Santoro gorguss - Hang me up to dry
Wings stamp - Hampton Arts - Teen Labels

Well this little project couldn't be further removed than last weeks minor opus - minimal stamping and monochromatic to boot, but I really enjoyed making this, and with the addition of a hanging loop I am determined that my sweet little mixed media angel will be taking up residence on the Moonshine's Christmas Tree this year!

Thanks for popping in, please come back again soon.

BETTER LATE THAN NEVER

Hello Lovely Blog Followers! I hope you're enjoying this gorgeous weather we're having at the moment!

I know it's a few days late but, I thought I'd share with you the Father's Day card I whipped up whilst waiting for The Gas Man NOT to arrive last Wednesday - don't get me started! I did one for Mr M from the boys and one for my Dad.

I'm really pleased with how it came out, masculine yet attractive, I think. The papers were from a TrimCraft Lads n Dads stack, the ribbon is Hobbycraft and the brads are probably Rayer, but as I decant all my brads in to divided storage boxes I can't say for sure.

I'm currently working on a top secret project for my Mum's birthday in July, I can't show you the progress as she is one of my followers and I don't want to spoil the surprise. I promise I'll post it after the 14th of July.

NEWSFLASH NEWSFLASH NEWSFLASH

Exciting news over on Maisie, Maisie Garden Crazy click here