Jane's project was not so much a card, more a way of dressing up. Different glam dresses on stands were printed three times, cut out, folded and glued together. Accuracy proved to be tricky because of the thickness of the card, but trimming and a little bit of distress ink at the edges will work wonders. A little tag with a greeting stamped on was punched out and attached with jump rings to the hem of the dress.The dresses still have to be blinged-up with gems or pearls and glitter, but they were all assembled, complete with matching envelope, ready for taking home.
Our second decopatch craft group night had to be postponed, but we finally managed either the second mask or a decopatch item of choice. I chose a crafting tools tray done in turquoise crackle design paper, finishing it at home before I lost enthusiasm! Glossy glue is used which gives a nice finish.
Completed with brush
Now the tray has my most often-used crafting tools to hand.
Ross Papercraft Show Meadowbank Sports Centre Edinburgh
The craft group went adventuring over to Scotland's capital to explore the Ross Papercraft Show. We were well impressed. Free parking, cheap entry, reasonably-priced teas, coffees and snacks - interesting well-stocked stalls with friendly exhibitors, demos - we had fun!
There was more buzz than there had been at the ICHF craft fair in the SECC, so we hope this fair expands to Glasgow! We had conserved our spending so still found things to purchase...no surprise there!
Alice's stash
Ruth's stash
I was entranced to find a small Hougie board - just right for carrying in my craft bag. It has centimetre score measurements on one side and inches on the other. I took green as I just knew that craftywhippet would go for pink! Mc Oyster from Cupar, Fife sold them and we had a great chat with Adrian.
We stocked up on decopatch papers for our next craft night. There was a lot of excitement over new rubber stamp designs and Jeanette went straight home and made a card with them! Hopefully, more details will follow. Lovely wee stencil dies for stringing on ribbon were so cute, how could we resist!
Ribbon Buttons
There were templates from Crafting Buddies for placing gemstones or pearls on - see the blog post coming up soon showing a couple of baby cards I've made.
Pearls
We've also been busy with We R Memory Keepers Candy Box Punch Board and hope to have a new video on YouTube soon. It let us make wonderful cracker-type boxes for little Easter eggs! Loads of other possibilities abound...
It doesn't seem any time at all since Ruth and I were at the Craft Fair in November and here we are in March doing the rounds again! It's a great opportunity to stock up on basics and see what's new.
Alice's
I look forward to practising some Tangles with the help of a book of examples, since I am prone to doodling while on the phone. It's usually treble clefs and cubes - I guess that makes me a musical mathematician LOL - seems appropriate! I also got a cracker boxmaker which looks like it might be fun and useful!
Ruth's
With permission, I filmed rubber stamped cards at Card IO, decopatch at Damselfly, card at Ross Papers and boxmaking at Payper Box. The results of our visit can be seen in a short YouTube video.
We hope to use the Card IO (formerly Tapestry) stamps on acrylic tubes, with the Day Centre patients at the Hospice. A quick tip we were given by the demonstrator is using alcohol-free baby wipes, dried-out, to rub in backgrounds to give an ink-dusted effect. The Inkylicious demonstrator uses a wet paintbrush to drag the colour; also a spray bottle of water pointed upwards drops a fine mist onto the background colours. We both bought the plastic sun and moon stencils to make ink dusting even easier!
Card IO Samples
More Card IO Samples
Demonstrator Hard at Work
Ann of Damselfly was on hand to give us advice on our decopatch technique, which leaves a lot to be desired. Jeanette of our craft group made a neater job, as she took her time. We were glad of the rest.
If only we could Decopatch like this!
Still to come, a demo of boxmaking, with Charmain of Payper Box. That will be a YouTube video on our Craft & Chat Playlist. Jeanette was with us too and helped with extra hands, since it's hard to film and craft without a tripod! This gave us another opportunity to have a seat while we crafted.
Well, here they are, the rest of the owls, it's taken time to gather them from where they flew off...
Russian Doll Owls
Baboushka Owls
Matrushka Owls
Slider Tree Trunk
Peek-a-boo
It was a good kit and fun to make them up.
At the last Craft group we did something away from cards and tried to decorate Venetian Masks.
Plain Masks
Professionally Decorated Masks
They are white polypropylene and the idea is to paint and stick till they are all glitzy. This first attempt was a laugh. Three of us tried decorative silver spray paint into a carrier bag to contain the mess. We were gasping for breath and had to open the door to let air in or we would have been high on fumes! One was sprayed with gold Spray & Sparkle. Trouble was that they ran into rivulets. By far the most successful was Decopatch, so we are ALL going to do it that way the next time the Project is Masks. Sticking gems or flowers on improved matters, but mine is still to be finished to hide faulty parts.
Plain and partially-finished Masks
The only problem is how we are going to stick them on cards - LOL. Bye for now.
I thought I had better post before we're into Christmas! As usual, where has the time gone? Crafting has continued as usual, making cards to send to folks and doing a project fortnightly at the craft group.
I made a shrink plastic new home card as an example of colouring-in the rubber stamped image, and the group experimented with different shapes to hang on lobster clasps for handbags or keyrings.
The craftystudy was yet again tidied and I do seem to have more clear surfaces to work on.
Ruth and I did our twice-yearly visit to the craft fair - as usual tiring but enjoyable. Parking is the biggest difficulty, involving avoiding the rain! However, we had plenty of rests and I made a hanging star under Damselfly Ann's supervision.
Decopatch Star for Evan's Room
Ruth resting at the Decopatch Stall by Damselfly
Two tired crafters
The Rain Stopped
Alice's Purchases
Teabag folding came out to play for Christmas and made a nice simple card on embossed backgrounds.
Teabag Christmas Tree
Ink dusting is always popular with the group and combined well with a diecut Nativity in various colours.
Card for a friend from the past
We have been trying various combinations of simple ink dusting and rubber stamping.
Santa over Glasgow Skyline
You might wonder what a packet of bran has to do with the craft group...Ruth shared the recipe for All-Bran Tea Loaf...well, baking is being creative, isn't it? Did you watch the Great British Bake-Off?
Ingredient for Ruth's Recipe
However, we did actually make a decoupage Christmas card to add to our (hopefully) growing collection of cards to send this year.
Layout with the decoupage only
Our Grandsons Leo and Evan keep us occupied - just wait till they're into crafting! Meanwhile it's keeping their hands off the craft equipment that's the job in hand.
Evan grows apace and enjoyed a recent firework display to promote local businesses.
Bang!
You might notice that all my blog images now have a Pinterest button. I have started putting various photos and videos on my own Boards so I might meet you there whilst pinning your stuff! Bye for now.
It has been a long time since we have
done anything for you but our little Grandsons have distracted us don't
know why. Months ago we were talking about making another video so now we
plan to be back on track and babies will just need to understand that Grannie is busy.
We debated whether or not we should go to the
craft fair this year as we really didn't need
anything. Now, there is a difference between need and want ...so tickets were
purchased . We cleverly left the car parking fee of six pounds in a safe place
so that at least we could get home.
We were very organised about the order we were
going to do things at the SECC but that went out the window when we arrived.!
It was good to see Ann at Decopatch. This is something I have never tried so we
sat down to have a play. I thought I was finished, when a voice said
"do I still see some wood without paper round the edges" What! I have to do
there as well. Lady Ann said "well I thought a woman like you
would never
leave the edges not done" So I finished it and Ann then unstrapped me
from the chair.
On we went shopping having a rest
when we could. We have stopped kidding ourselves that we can do......as
much as we thought we could do.
As you will see from the photos we bought a
number of items that we absolutely
needed. I am still trying to put them beside similar craft items
but one has to actually be in the house to do this.!!
We have some really nice toppers as well
as practical items. I also bought a table tote bag so that I
can remove craft items from the side of my table for safety. I don't think it
would be a good idea for an eight month old baby to play with glue and
craft knives.
We ended the day exhausted but happy ready to
save up for the October fair (did I say that) I might hire a stand and make tea
in paper cups for £2.00 that might help pay for my purchases.
Ruth's Dies on magnets in the new case
Now time get our heads working. We have
some lovely Tatty Teddy items that will make pretty cards - perhaps Easter. Well,
Alice has decided it will be for Easter I might do something else who
knows.
Debra (New Zealand) and Mary NSC (America)
It is too far for you to travel just to get glittery nails. Now, I wonder if
they will be safe with a heat gun ...
It is good to be in touch with you all again.
Since I have become a Grannie I am much more serious ...and if you believe that
you will believe anything.
We made our visit to the Craft Fair again to stock up on our supplies, and as well as our usual breaks to rest our legs, we spent a long time sitting whilst trying out Decopatch for the first time. Demonstrator Ann, whom we have met before at the Craft fairs, guided our sticky hands, without damaging Ruth's craftyglittery nails. Using mdf hearts and gluing torn pieces of fabulous French-designed greaseproof-like decorated papers, that don't fall apart when glued, gave us a chance to snatch a quick video for YouTube which you can now watch.
Decopatch Ann
Our decopatch hearts completed
Other side
I bought the beginners decopatch kit as it looks like something that will work well in the future with Grandsons; they definitely have to be introduced to crafting! Evan's Mummy is very creative herself so I gave her a wee rubber-stamped and Copic-coloured picture to mark her 1st Mother's Day this weekend.
1st Mother's Day
Here's a couple of photos of our loot, and Ruth has even gone so far as to film hers to give you a good look!
Alice's supplies
Ruth's purchases
We're still very keen on ink dusting and bought some more Inkylicious rubber-stamp verses and images, to make our pictures when we get a chance to have a play.
Ruth at the stall
Next in our video pipeline is Tatty Teddy; we're going to make some simple Easter cards to use with the patients in the Day Centre at the Glasgow Hospice at the end of the month. We have various Carte BlancheFrom Me to You cardmaking paper and rubber stamp products which we are looking forward to using.
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