Fleur de Lys Tag and WOYWW

 I had a lovely, relaxing 'play' session in my studio yesterday and made this rather fussy tag for no reason other than the fun of it.  I flung everything at it - I stamped, crackled and foiled!  I then added some vivid blue glass beads simply because they are my latest passion!   

  

I'm linking up with Julia this week over at Whats On Your Work Desk Wednesday.

Summer Night Garden Velvet Tag

I'm enjoying working on the night garden theme - and I love this blue/mauve velvet which has a bronze thread in it and seems to glimmer as if in the moonlight.

I used Infusions for the background and sprinkled them liberally on clear texture paste through a stencil for the darker shapes - does anyone else find the powder gets everywhere, or am I just a messy worker!

I'm linking up with Julia over at WOYWW this week.

Spring Pinks

 Getting a little tired of the bright green I've been working with lately I decided to add some vivid pink - a choice helped along by the beautiful bundle of cerise sari silk I found at the Needlework Fiesta few weeks ago.

I used the little frame stamps from May's Forgotten Stash post here, and I made a series of little Spring windows again.

Th backgrounds are Brusho's on clear texture paste - a technique I found on the Country View Crafts blog, although they were using Infusions and not Brusho's.  I have recently purchased the Infusion powders but felt they weren't as bright and vivid for what I wanted on this project. 

I received another beautiful ATC in the post this week from Jo (Twiglet), and I'm thrilled with it - I love the colours, especially that beautiful bright pink -  very appropriate for my 'pink' mood this week and very gorgeous!  She also included a card showing close-up the beautiful and intricate work of her daughter Maxine (Tilly Tea Dance) - a big thank you Jo!

I am linking up with WOYWW this week.  

Spring Tea Bag Embroideries

I have been finishing off more of my little mossy tea bag embroideries this week.

These two became little ATC's!

Some close-up detail:

I'm so thrilled to have received another little batch of ATC's in the post this week - and what stunners they are - the beautiful triptych from Angela at Felix the Crafty Cat, the exquisite print of her work from Sandra de and the lovely heart from Lunch Lady Jan - thank you so much ladies!

I'm linking up with WOYWW this week and am so happy to hear that Julia is now on the road to recovery after her successful operation - sending lots of love and keep getting stronger Julia. 

A Spring Collage

Enjoying Spring!

I wrapped some sari silk around a hoop of wire and then loosely wound some vivid green wire around that.  Once decorated it looked rather pretty on it's own and would have looked good hanging on a cupboard handle, but not knowing when to stop I made a background from an old book cover and attached the wire circle to it.  I think I have to make another hoop without a background now!

I am linking up with Julia over at What's On Your Work Desk Wednesday.

Spring Moss Collage

I'm loving working with this vivid green velvet!  
It's so moss-like and so refreshing from my usual earth tones.  I used a page from an old antique photo album - the shape of the photo cut-outs originally drew me to it, although they are rather ornate for a lot of things I find.

I'm linking up with Julia over at What's On Your Work Desk Wednesday.

Winter Pods

I've been slowly working on a collection of little decorative seed pods using silk cocoons. As my collection grew I struggled to find a way of displaying them, and then walking past a bowl filled with pot pourri, I noticed this large seed head - perfect!!

As well as the silk cocoons I used felt, wire, beads, clay pipe stems, cinnamon sticks, eucalyptus bark, wired beads and pleated silk, plus a few touches of glitter for a frosty effect.  

So that's what is sitting on my desk today and I'm linking up with Julia over at What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday to see what other people have on their desks this week.

Mossy Teabags

 A mossy garden embroidered on a teabag! 

 

I am linking up with WOYWW - why not pop over to see what other people have on their desks this week!

Paper Artsy - Sprays Challenge

For the Paper Artsy challenge we have had to use sprays. 

  I was inspired when I saw Leandra's video and I realised I have that same beautiful green Adirondack spray called 'Lettuce'!  

 It was perfect for my Emergence of Spring project,

and it was perfect for moss!     

I used teabags backed with Vilene, Adirondack sprays, velvet, silk thread, silver wire, beads, rubber stamps and distress ink.

Paper Artsy - Grunge Paste Challenge

 The latest Paper Artsy challenge is to use Grunge Paste,and over on their blog I was inspired by Liesbeth Fidder's mosaic with it's beautiful frame looking like stained glass.  This gave me the idea to make a garden path, with some old pieces of sea-worn pottery, using Grunge Paste as the grout.  I also used it with rusting powder and stencilled it on the background papers.  I added antique clay pipe stems, wire and beading, threads around the wires, hand embroidery and a tiny needle-felted birds nest.

I wanted to create the feeling of moving away from winter, and to show the subtle changes as Spring arrives, growth coming up from below, little hints of greenery, the green beads replacing the white frosty ones and of course the birds nest with little pieces of green moss and lichen.

Winter Seed Head and Paper Artsy Challenge

I have just finished this little piece of work that I'm entering into the 
Paper Artsy challenge - the subject is miniature art, and on their blog I was particularly inspired by a domino with a pretty bunch of wire and bead flowers attached.  I immediately thought of seeds and twigs! 

I found this seed head in my studio and I used copper gutta around the outside.  I filled it with silk clay, into which I stuck wired beads and then wrapped wire around the stem - I also used Treasure Gold on the outer shell, on the stem and on top of the clay.  The bowl is about 3cm in diameter.

TAG TUESDAY AND VALENTINES CARD

The Tag Tuesday theme for this week is 'Valentine's Day'.

So I decided to make a tag that could be turned into a card for the man in my life.

It had to match certain criteria though:  he wouldn't like it if it was covered in ribbons, bows, lace or hearts (so that narrowed the field!).  He also wouldn't like it if it was pink or red, or had words that were overly romantic (or 'soppy')!

Taking all that into account here is the tag I made, followed by the card I turned it into.

I was inspired by my collection of old, antique printers blocks.  I absolutely love them and have them scattered around most of the house!  I love the patina - beautiful well-used wood and ink stains. 

 To recreate this look on the tag I painted it with Golden fluid acrylics, in a orangey-brown colour.  I sprayed it with Moonshadow mist (walnut ink mixed with metallic copper), and then I flicked Paynes Grey fluid acrylic onto it to create the ink splatters.

I cut out the letters for the word LOVE, but unlike my printers blocks I turned the L round to face the right way.

I then entwined copper wire threaded with beads around the tag and added a terracotta coloured ribbon to finish it off.

For the background to the card I used transfer gel and the text from an old hand-written letter.  I distressed it with Tim Holtz distress ink (Pumice), and singed the edges with a heat gun.

The antique printers blocks that I used for inspiration