My Winter Garden and the Paper Artsy Challenge

For the second challenge over at Paper Artsy the subject we've been given is shiny things.  I am currently working on a series of pages in my sketchbook based on my winter garden, and this page seemed very appropriate for the challenge - I have used white embossing paste with glitter, translucent embossing paste, copper wire, Treasure Gold and iridescent beads.  I'm afraid my camera simply refused to acknowledge that there was any shiny, glittery, sparkly stuff to photograph - even on the closeups it's hard to see the glitter.  However the translucent embossing paste shows up quite well on the lower half of the page, with a shiny glass-like quality, so all is not lost! 

Tyvek Lacy Papers

The Paper Artsy Challenge last week was to make art with fragile papers, and it coincided nicely with me seeing a fab technique over on the super-talented Angela's blog at Felix the Crafty Cat - she laid Tyvek over a rubber stamp, covered it with greaseproof paper and ironed it to create some amazing and beautiful lacy papers. I just had to have a go - I knew they would be perfect for the challenge - you can see how I used the scraps of Tyvek for my collage here.

 My collection of fragile papers included some scraps of delicate 'paper' using Angela's technique - although they look fragile, they really weren't!  In fact they were as tough as old boots and I had a really hard job tearing the bits apart for my collage!

 I originally tried working with Lutrador but nothing happened - luckily I found some scraps of Tyvek I didn't know I had and here are the results, which I'm quite pleased with. 

I am linking up with Julia over at WOYWW this week.

Paper Artsy Challenge - Fragile Papers

I am cutting it fine, but have just manged to link up with the Paper Artsy 2015 challenge before it closes for this week.  The subject was Fragile Papers. For my collage I used a disintegrating book cover for the base which has been beautifully eaten by something - the nibbled corner fell off while I was working on it!  I also used a page from an extremely old Shakespeare book that is falling apart, and some handmade Tyvek lacy papers.  Where I have pulled the Tyvek apart to make whispy bits, I rather like how they look like they've been eaten and match the little nibbled holes on the book cover!

Before starting the project I collected some 'fragile papers' together to get some inspiration - included is a vintage cigarette card, a page from a 1934 diary, part of the Shakespeare book previously mentioned, the broken top of a box for pianola music, and hidden underneath the various samples of Tyvek paper is a teabag!

Decay and Repair Textile Project

Another week of embroidery and stitchery, working on my long-running Decay and Repair project!  I would love to claim that all the embroidery is done by me, but sadly I didn't do the background stitching - that was already on the lovely piece of vintage silk I used for the background - my embroidery is mingling with it.  I might use a yarn card with less thread on it next time - it was extremely difficult getting the needle through all that thickness! 

I am linking up with WOYWW this week

Decay and Repair Textile Project

I have been doing a little bit of hand embroidery over the holidays, working on my project of Decay and Repair.  I found it very tricky sewing the hooks and eyes and just couldn't get them straight - I haven't sewn a hook and eye since I used to make clothes for my Sindy doll in the early 70's - perhaps child-size fingers helped back then!

I am linking up with WOYWW

Merry Christmas and WOYWW #289

The builders have gone, the decorating is finished and the tree is up - we're ready for Christmas!  I'm linking up with WOYWW but although there is nothing on my desk, I hope I'm forgiven as all my creative energies have been going into the festive preparations!  Here's a little mosaic of my decorations - red, brown and cream this year - and I managed to acquire an old sled which I'm using to display some of the presents.

To all who celebrate Christmas, I hope you have a happy, sparkly and creative one! 

Pine Cone Gift Tags

After last weeks Poinsettia-fest I've still been churning out gift tags like there's no tomorrow but this week I've been making some with a more masculine feel - after several failed attempts I finally got the hang of Tim Holtz's pine cone die - a bit fiddly and time consuming, but I enjoyed myself!  I'm linking up with Julia over at WOYWW.  Apologies for the appalling quality of the photos - will try and do better next week!

Christmas Poinsettia Tags

I wouldn't say I particularly like Poinsettia plants - I can pretty much guarantee that any given to me at Christmas will be dead by February - however, I'm rather keen on the Tim Holtz Poinsettia die that I've used for my Christmas tags this year.  In fact, I've been making tags like crazy - here's a small selection of what I've been making this week to share with WOYWW.