Everything Stops for Tea

Hi Everyone

I just had to have some crafty time today, the last few weeks have been full on busy at work and not allowed for any crafty time and if there was a little time I have been so shattered it has been the last thing on my mind. But thankfully, today, that all changed. I have had these crazy cat dudes for weeks and only just got around to playing with them, totally inspired by all the wonderful work out there in Blogland that are ahead of me, until today that is. So here is my first make using Tim's fabulous Crazy Cats.

I have made a wall hanging using one of That's Crafty MDF panels this one is 4.5" x 9".

I have, probably like most of you, a huge stash of designer papers that I don't really use much (if at all) so picked a shabby style one and glued it to the board using matt medium. One that was dried I altered the paper surface with Paperartsy paints and That's Crafty harlequin stencil and Tims square one. Using some of the paper from the same designer collection I die cut some cups using Tim's cup and saucer die and toned them down with distress ink.

I had at least, prior to making this managed to colour in the cats so cut them out and added them to my piece.

arranging them in the right direction to make my scene up.

Here you can see he has his foot cheekily on the tea bag tag, I think he is trying to pull it out!!

The words everything stops for tea I have typed out on my old typewriter and added distress ink.

Right I think I need to play some more while I've still got the chance.

Hope you like it and thanks for stopping by

Love

Amanda X

Swing for That's Crafty

Hi Everyone

It my Tuesday teaser for my latest make over at That's Crafty Blog

Hopefully you're intrigued enough to pop over and see it all HERE

Have a fabulous Tuesday 

Love

Amanda X

Cheval for Katzelkraft

Hi Everyone

It's the Weekend, Yey and I'm not working!!!!!!

Today I'm over at Katzelkraft with this project

You'll find all the details HERE at Katzelkraft team blog.

Have a fabulous weekend I know I will.

Love

Amanda X

Circle It at That's Crafty Challenge Blog

Hi Everyone

Where did the last 2 weeks go? As is time again for another new challenge theme over at 

That's Crafty Challenge Blog

Our theme for the next 2 weeks is 

"Circle It"

Here's my little piece of inspiration to support this fortnights challenge.

I first used a white wax crayon through the Dina Wakley stencil as I wanted a resist. I then swooshed the card through puddles of pastel pink and pastel yellow Aquatints I had put onto a craft mat. 

I then took some black and white papers and punched 3 circles of different sizes, I went round the edges with a distressing tool and then creased each one up and opened them out again. I have brushed pink Dylusions paint around the distress edges, layered them up and added a button to the centre. The stalk is black paper string and the leaves are stamped using a Carabelle Studio stamp. The leaves got the same distressed treatment and were coloured with Lime Dylusions paint. The stamped circles are a Katzelkraft stamp and have been stamped in Archival ink. Sentiment is from Tim Holtz. Some torn washi tape and black ink splashes finishes it off.

As always the design team has created some fabulous inspiration for you to hopefully inspire you to come and play along with us HERE.

Our lucky winner of this challenge will win a £20 voucher to spend at the That's Crafty online store.

What are you waiting for? Come and play.

Until next time, thanks for visiting 

Love

Amanda X

A quick one from me for That's Crafty

Hi Everyone

I'm over at That's Crafty Blog as is usual on a Tuesday but with the pressures of work at the moment I haven't had much, if any, crafty time so just a quick one from me this week. I have however managed to ink up one of the newly released fun stamps from Lost Coast Designs.

He is a real fun guy, you will find all the details Here

Thanks as always for popping in

See you soon

Love

Amanda X

Love is in the Air at MMW

Hi everyone

After Mixed Media World blog took a rest in January we are all back with a bang for February and as we launch this months challenge on valentines day our theme for this month is

"Love is in the air"

I decided to have a go at a Finnabair style canvas, my first attempt in this style and great fun to make.

I started by preparing my canvas with glueing on all my chosen bits, this style allows you to use up anything you have lying around. I blew the dust off a box of flowers that I can't remember the last time I used any from, a string of plastic pearls that the colour had worn off, the frame is the reverse side of a small canvas, bits of doily, lace, torn papers, stencilled texture paste, hot glue running down, and bits of Tim Holtz idea-ology. when all was dried I then covered the lot with several coats of gesso

Then time to add the colour, I decided to go for a grungy look so chose to start with distress sprays in ground espresso and hickory smoke, spray dry, spray dry, spray dry etc until I was happy. The distress sprays give a translucent finish. so to add more depth I added the same colours from the distress ink pads using a blending tool. I thinned down some Paperartsy white fire gold paint and added it to a spray bottle I managed a few sprays to create some splatters before it clogged up the mister (note to self don't do that again). Still wanting to deepen the colour in places I used more Paperartsy paints this time french roast and old gold until I was happy with the result.

Here you can see the main detail. I covered the reverse side of the mini canvas with tissue paper and applied with gel medium to give the canvas texture and to also cover up all the staples that you could see on the back. The little MDF heart has had the same tissue paper treatment and was then painted using Paperartsy london bus red, the red was then toned down using the colours from the main canvas.

Here you really can see the textures and the heart is nestled in the frame sitting on some bandage that I have coloured to match.

I have added a Chit Chat sticker that has had the same grungy treatment.

Texture paste through Tim's Ironworks stencil and the hot glue runs.

Here shows the lace and the doily just peeking out from behind the frame.

So that's how I have interpreted this months theme, hope you like it. The team have come up with some stunning pieces which you can see HERE.

We would all love to see your love themed mixed media makes so hope that you will come and play along with us this month. Our fabulous sponsor to start the year off, is one close to my heart as I'm part of their design team, and is That's Crafty. Laura, owner of That's Crafty, has given us a £20 voucher for our lucky winner to spend in the hugely stocked online store, you'll have no problem spending your winnings.

Thanks for popping by and I hope we'll see you over at MIXED MEDIA WORLD this month.

Have a wonderful Valentines Day and I'll see you soon
I would also like to enter this into Anything but Cute challenge theme Grungy Love
and
Stamps and Stencils theme Splatter, sptitz and sploosh

Love

Amanda X

Love is in the Air at Stampotique

Hi Everyone

Over at Stampotique Designers challenge this week the theme is "Love is in the air" for us all to play along with.

I've kept it clean this week working directly onto white card (I'm to tired after a hell of a week to get the paints out). 

I typed the lyrics, and printed them out, from "These boots were made for walking" changing the lyrics to read "These boots were made for loving" for those of you that know this song you will realise it should be 'are' not 'were' but you get the idea. 

I've used the wonderful "Boots" by Kate Crane and the background is "Daniels Hearts"

All has been coloured using coloured pencils.

I've grounded her on a couple of strips of washi tape.

Thanks for stopping by and I'd love to know you've been so I can return the visit. Is it me or is it quiet at the moment out there in crafty blogland?

See you soon (tomorrow infact)

Love

Amanda X

Joining in the Encaustic fun

Hi Everyone

I have been totally inspired by all the recent posts I keep seeing using encaustic wax so thought I would have a go. So having ordered and received my encaustic wax and encaustic gesso I set to. First thing I did was to blow the dust off my melt pot (I knew it would come in). I then, following the fabulous tutorial by Lin Brown on the Paperartsy Blog, decided to have a go. I decided to start quite small which might have not been the best idea and decided to create on a That's Crafty MDF. Now if I said I got wax everywhere I wouldn't be exaggerating!!! This is not as easy as I first thought, my first attempt had too much wax so i melted it off and started again (note to self order more wax) and had another go. My first result is far from perfect but it is at least a go and I have enjoyed learning some of the things not to do. So here it is my first ever piece of encaustic art.

Rather than me tell you how not to do it I'll share the Lin Brown tutorial that inspired me.
Lin Brown Tutorial
Please be gentle with me lol
Thanks for stopping by
Love
Amanda X

Don't Mess with the Queen

Hi Everyone

Just a quick post to share with you my Tuesday make for That's Crafty

If you want all the details you will find them HERE

Thanks for stopping by

Love

Amanda X

Remember to play for Katzelkraft Blog

Hi Everyone

Today I am over at Katzelkraft Blog 

For all the details you need to pop over HERE

thanks for calling in

Love

Amanda X

New Challenge at That's Crafty Challenges

Hi Everyone

It's time to start another 2 week challenge over at That's Crafty Challenges and our theme for the next 2 weeks is

"FIRST LOVE"

I have chosen to use the stamp Zombie Love from the Octopode range. My images have been stamped and then coloured with Luminance pencils. I then cut them out to put on my background which has been created with the plastic wrap technique and Dylusions spray. I have then added a slight bokeh look using white pigment ink through a circular stencil. I cut the heart from dictionary paper and coloured with distress inks and then stitched it to my background. I then added a little torn washi tape and some stenciling in white through Tim Holtz dot fade stencil.

The sentiment I wrote my self and typed out on my typewriter.

You are free to interpret our theme however you want and if you pop over you will see that myself and the rest of the DT have just done that HERE
As Always with our challenge, one lucky winner will receive a £20 voucher to spend online at the That's Crafty Store.

I can't wait to see what you come up with
I am also entering this into this months challenge over at Countryview Challenges where this months theme is make your own background.

Love

Amanda X

New Product Launch at That's Crafty

Hi

Exciting news over at That's Crafty Blog we are launching a new MDF storage range to offer organised solutions for us for many of the specific products that we all own.

I am featuring the storage solution for Dina Wakley paints

To see how I decorated my storage box with all things Dina I'd love it if you'd pop over for a better look HERE

Hope you like what you find

Thanks and see you soon

Love

Amanda X