WOYWW #242

My name is Maisie Moonshine and my craft room is... A MESS!!!!

Why am I confessing this? Because it is Wednesday, and if it is Wednesday then it must be time for our weekly wander around the world's workdesks, care of Julia over at The Stamping Ground. (If you want to join in the fun - go here for the deets.)

The good news is that my craft room is a mess because I have been working on a project - Mr Mojo has returned to the building! ;0) So here is my desk in all its post project glory... (sneak peek to follow, finished project to be posted soon).

On the cutting mat you can see the aftermath of my project - DIs, blending tool, scissors, foam pads etc, etc. On the floor is my stamp catalogue and various boxes and files with stamps in. Sitting on the cubbies on the right you can see five mache tissue box covers which are waiting to be altered (future Christmas prezzies!) The rest of the table is taken up with random stuff which needs to be put away. The purple box houses my Christmas themed stash and is waiting to be tidied back into the wardrobe/craft store. I say waiting because it needs to go in here...

...and as you can see here needs a massive tidy-up too! Hmmm - maybe tomorrow...

Anyway - enough of my slovenly habits! Here is a sneak peek at my finished project...

Any guesses?

And finally - in case you were wondering why I have pipe lagging in my wardrobe/craft store - it makes great insides for felt cakes like these...

That's all from me for now, please do let me know you stopped by so that I can return the favour. I hope you have a happy and creative day. Oh, BTW, I'm off to a mixed media art class at my local Hobbycraft store tonight - I'll let you know how I get on.

Smile - it's The Craft Barn's Q & L Challenge

Hello again and welcome.

It's January - so it is time for a new challenge over at The Craft Barn.  This year it is the Quotes and Lyrics Challenge. Each fortnight the DT give a two word prompt and you have to find a quote or song lyric using either or both words and design a project using your chosen quote or lyric. If you want the full explanation go here. The current challenge words are "smile" and "up".

I've decided to make a quote book using a Daler Rowney hard-backed sketch book. My plan is to produce an Art Journal style book with my chosen quote on the left hand page and space to include additional quotes on the same theme on the right hand page.

For my first page I've chosen the word SMILE and this sweet little quote:

“There's enchantment in a smile, did you know?
Shall I prove in a wink that it is so?
Watch my mouth grin wide and see,
How quick your lips smile back at me!”

Richelle E. Goodrich, Smile Anyway

I just liked the reminder of how irresistible something as simple as a smile can be.

The background is made using a technique I've borrowed from Vicky Papaioannou (see her YouTube video here - LOVE HER!). I've used some VERY old Papermania 12x12 stack papers cut in to rectangles and randomly stuck all over the page to create the textured background, and then two colours of acrylic paint (NOW I wish I had TH Distress Paints!) over the top, blended with a baby wipe.

I used an orange Posca paint pen to emphasise the joins between the paper rectangles and a little bit of Vintage Photo DI here and there too. I've inked Wild Honey (or Rusty Hinge - sorry can't remember which) DI over a Kaisercraft Doily template and stamped flowers and a Cactus Annie text stamp in Espresso Archival ink to add some extra interest in the background.

Showing the texture of the paper rectangle background

The letters are American Crafts Rootbeer Float Thickers (had these for years too - I'm making a BIG effort to USE MY STASH this year!).

I made the library card pocket from the same Papermania paper as the background and gave it the same inky treatment. (I downloaded the template from Ruth Ann Zaroff at Mirkwood Designs - she has loads of great printable templates)

My plan is to collect additional quotes on tags and store them in the library pocket - the quote I have already is a Paper Artsy stamp (HPXT04).

Well that's it from me, leave me a message so I know you came and I'll come to see how you're playing along soon...

Tim Holtz 12 Tags of 2014 - January

Well - here we are with the first crafty finish of 2014. I've got to say that the old Mojo is still feeling a bit sluggish (no doubt the effects of way too much festive food!) and I'm struggling to find the inspiration to get in to the craft room and do some creating.

That said - I'm making a mega effort to keep up with at least the Tim Tag challenges (only managed 6 out of 12 last year - SHAME!) so here is my January 2014 tag...

You can see Tim's tag here.

As usual I had so few of Tim's chosen supplies that I had to come up with workarounds almost from the first step! My background colours are Weathered Wood and Old Paper DS and I've used Tim's Timeworks mask instead of the layering stencil - I quite like the result.

I used the large numbers from the 7 Gypsies Numero set, stamped with Black Soot DI to get an approximation of Tim's sanded rub-ons - I don't think it looks too bad!

Of course I don't have the fob watch die either so I've used the frame part of a Wendy Vecchi Art Part pocket watch covered in aluminium tape and a circle of cardstock similarly covered for the watch face. I was pleased with how well this worked and surprised by how easily the tape cut with a craft knife.

A couple of close ups...

Ooops - did my splattering at the wrong stage in the proceedings!

There are a few bits I'm not too happy with, but considering the lack of the supplies - it's not bad.

Hope to see you again soon.

Belated Happy New Year and WOYWW #240

Hello, welcome and a very Happy New Year to you all!

I hope you had a wonderful Christmas and are looking forward to stretching your creative wings again.

It is Wednesday so it is, of course, time to join Julia over at The Stamping Ground and show you What is on my Workdesk this Wednesday...

Today I am mainly doing my Tim Tag for January 2014.  Only just started on the background - and having to think of some workarounds, so progress is slow.

Bet your desk looks a tad more interesting - let me know you came and we can compare notes.

Oh by the way - if anyone has any blog challenges they can recommend please let me know in the comment box - I would be very grateful - I REALLY need to kick start my Mojo!

Our Creative Corner - In the Spotlight

Hello, welcome and Season's Greetings!

Thank you for taking the time to stop by - especially this close to THE BIG DAY! I hope you are all ready and set for the fun and games and that you've maybe even managed to squeeze some creative chilling time in to your hectic schedule.

If you regularly visit me you may be aware that back in October I entered the "It's Halloween - Let's Tag It On" (using surface texture) challenge over at Our Creative Corner. I entered my Creepy Castle Tag, and was thrilled to be chosen as the "Top Talent".  Challenge winners are invited to submit a second project, of their choice, and be interviewed and featured in a special post over at Our Creative Corner - so here I am, "in the spotlight" with a little festive make to share with you.  (you might want to pop over to OCC when you've finished here - I've put the link at the bottom of the page too.)

The banner is made from two sets of My Mind's Eye Lost and Found album covers (I thought I was buying complete mini albums when I bought them, but they turned out to be just the covers - (always read the small print!) I'm REALLY glad I picked them up for half price now!)

I decided to use both the front and back sides of the covers to give a bit of variation. Since taking my Art Journal classes I've discovered that I really love building up backgrounds, so I had fun adding layers of interest over the slightly pink text pages. I wanted to add some texture, but not overwhelm the piece, as I knew I wanted to add embellishments and still be able to clearly read the lettering.

I knew that my colour palette was going to feature the traditional Christmas colours of red and green and that I wanted a slightly faded vintage feel to the piece, to tie in with the shabby feel of the album covers with their pinkish tint, faded brown type and "inked" edges.

I used Memento Rich Cocoa to randomly stamp a Hobbycraft Merry Christmas sentiment and some Artemio flourishes and  Peeled Paint and Victorian Velvet DIs to stamp some Hot Off The Press borders and flourishes around the outside of the banners, leaving the middle section clear for the lettering. (The font I used is Santa's Sleigh available free here) which I cut out from plain old red cardstock using my Craft Robo. All the elements have been inked with Gathered Twigs DI to add to the vintage feel and to tie all the pieces together.

The N and the E flags are created using the "front" cover of the album and already had the glittered flourishes which I wanted to incorporate into my design - I don't normally "do" glitter but you can't beat a bit of a sparkle at Christmas!

In a nod to the original challenge, which required the use of surface texture on the Halloween tag, I used texture paste and a ledger stencil to add some random raised areas.

As you can see each flag is embellished differently, but uses the same colour palette. Where the N and E flags have the glitter flourish, the O and L flags have die cut TH Elegant Flourishes to give some continuity. The flourishes are cut from greyboard which has been covered with aluminium tape which I have then coloured with Copic marker to give a glorious red shine.

In brief - (as I'm sure there is probably a mince pie with your name on it waiting) the deets for the embellishments are as follows

N - Stampin' Up "Ornament Keepsakes" stamped in Peeled Paint DI and heat embossed with clear embossing powder - the embossing is not consistent on the DI but I love the shabby feel.

O - TH Elegant Flourishes die, TH Tattered Florals cut from red Core'dinations and Dovecraft's Back to Basics Christmas - Vintage 6x6 paper (my FAVOURITE general purpose Christmas paper EVER!). The ivy (and robin) are Marianne Creatables LR0206 and the ivy is cut from both Dovecraft Back to Basics Christmas and Papermania Woodland Folk.

E - The Christmas tree is Marianne Creatables LR0136 and Back to Basics Christmas with a few red gems - I borrowed the holly die from my crafty neighbour and forgot to write down the make - sorry!

L - TH Paper Rosette die (I cut the strip down the middle to make the smaller rosette), a couple of Papermania snowflake card toppers, a tag from stash and some Prima ivy leaves completes the project.

All that remains is for me to wish you a very Merry Christmas and a happy, healthy and creative New Year.

My interview for Our Creative Corner can be found here.

Festive Fireplace

Hello and welcome.

Festive preparations continue apace and I wanted to share the finished card which was a WIP (work in progress) on my desk on WOYWW #236.

The design is taken from the Molly Blooms Christmas Carnival pack published in 2012 but coloured to suit the recipient's decor. Sorry the lighting in the photos is a bit weird but I had to take them whilst it was still dark outside. (Click on the pics for a better view).

They aren't showing up very well in the photos, but the touches of glitter on the fire, candle flames, stocking top and star really give added depth and interest. The heart is glazed with Dimensional Magic (similar to Glossy Accents) too.

Love the snowy touches on the garland (Seafoam embossing powder)

I had fun making the ribbon and fibre embellie - and you can't go wrong with a bit of pom-pom trim!

LOVED doing this project and I'm really pleased with the end result.

WOYWW #236

Hello again fellow Deskers - a very quick post from me as we are running LATE this morning.

This is what my desk looks like - still in the dark this morning...

A close up and sneak peek at a card I'm working on...

The wreath I was doing last week - all finished...

and in detail...

Got to go - VERY LATE now. Catch you later!