Tuesday, 15 November 2016

ATC Trio for SanDee&amelie's Steampunk Challenges

Servus and welcome to my little creative corner of the steampunk/industrial craftin' and blogging world!

It's time for the mid-month reminder of our challenge over at SanDee&amelie's Steampunk Challenges (which is an Anything Goes - Steampunk/Industrial themed one again).


I created this set of three ATCs:




The background was taken from an old and beautifully messy sheet of paper that I used to protect my workdesk with while painting MDF parts and other alterable bits 'n pieces.

It was crumpled and torn in some spots, but honestly that is something I count as a bonus when it comes to creating texture and visual depth. All I had to do is create an ATC format sized "finder" (from paper) to move over my stained paper to find the most beautiful spots.



I glued them to some Calico Craft Parts mixed media greyboard ATC blanks using matte Decou-Page. Then I browsed my stencils and chose some of Andy Skinner's and Tim Holtz's. I applied black archival stamping ink through them with a piece of cut 'n dry foam. Afterwards I outlined the black shapes with a white gel pen (one of the great things I learned from Seth Apter via one of his fab online classes ;).


Then I gave my ATCs a thorough coat of DecoArt media Satin Varnish. That does not only protect the glued on paper but also is of great help when you want to remove a stamped on image that you aren't as content with as you had thought you would be (as you can simply wipe it off while it is still wet) ;)






I hope you like my industrial ATC trio! I would also like to invite you over to our challenge blog to check out the makes of my fab teamies...and maybe also play along!!! That would be great!

Hope to see you over there soon!
Hugs and happy crafting!
Claudia
xxx



Monday, 14 November 2016

Autumn Farewell at Calico Craft Parts

Hi and servus!

As usual on a Monday this is a short invite over to the Calico Craft Parts blog, where I am sharing a project that is meant to capture everything (well - almost) I love about autumn. Winter is almost here and everything is cold and grey already so a bit of warmth was something I needed ;)



I am also sharing a simple and cheap technique on how to create this heavily textural rust like look. (*wink wink).

So I hope to see you over at the Calico Craft Parts blog soon!

Hugs and have a happy crafting Monday!
Claudia
xxx


Monday, 31 October 2016

Happy Halloween!!!

Happy Halloween, my dear friends and readers!

Thank you so much for stopping by! I hope you are enjoying a lovely holiday and are having a lot of fun with ghoulish fright and spooky delight!

I would like to invite you over to the Calico Craft Parts blog and check out my latest project. That little sneak peek below is meant to lure you over of course. ;)




It's a rather quick project this time and I kept it very simple...so if you are in need for another quick last minute Halloween-ish project or just an easy autumnal home decor piece, this might be the one for you!

Hope to see you over there!
Happy Halloween and happy crafting!
Claudia
xxx


Saturday, 29 October 2016

Gypsy Fortune Teller Cards

Servus!

Today I just want to share a little somethin' I made for my niece, Rosi, who will have a Halloween party on Monday where she will be wearing a mysterious gypsy woman costume and she still needed some fortune teller's cards - so I promised I'd make some for her.




I had this lovely 7 Dots Studio designer paper with tarot cards on it and cut them out. Then I glued a patterned paper to them for the backside, inked the edges black and ran them through my laminator.

To have something gypsy style looking to tie the cards up in a bundle I twisted some thin wire and various ribbons that I had tinted with some walnut ink solution into a bendable cord. The wire within makes it flexible and all you have to do is wrap it around the cards and it will keep stay in place.




I created a little charm using a 7 Dots Studio rubber stamp and shrink plastic. Then I rummaged my embellies box for some beads and other goodies and found a lovely feather.




The beads were part of a cheap bracelet that I took apart. I threaded them onto an eye pin and attached it to the wire within the gypsy cord.

I hope my niece will have the most wonderful Halloween party!!! I am sure she will look just terrific. And as she is great at putting up a show I am sure she will be a fantastic fortune telling gyspy! (Let's hope I will get to see some pictures of her!)



Thanks for stopping by and Happy Halloween!!!
Claudia
xxx

Thursday, 27 October 2016

Falling Into Celebration! - "All Hallow's Eve" at Emerald Creek Dares

Hi and servus and welcome to the actual "Falling Into Celebration!" challenge at the Emerald Creek Dares blog!

Over there Canadian Thanksgiving and the Diwali Festival of Lights have already been on this month's schedule and the last part rounds it all up with a bundle of Halloween projects - and my make is part of it ;)

I made a Halloween card using some of the gorgeous Emerald Creek embossing powders and embellishments and some of my favourite Tim Holtz Halloween themed Sizzix dies alongside some Distress inks, Distress paints and Distress crayons as well.




The arch shaped background (that was die cut using the Tim Holtz Arch Frame die) is selfmade and I will definitely do more of these layered "forest sceneries" but not cover them up as much next time as I really love how it looks! But with this make I wanted to make the pumpkin and the gorgeous spooky swirls the stars.

To create my arch I started with a scrap of the backgrounds I did with my lovely niece some time ago (in this post HERE). Actually they were done by scraping on various acrylic paints with an old credit card and then adding layers of Distress inks and splattered on Distress paints in black soot and raspberry red.

I used Tim's Birch Trees and Branch Tree dies to create stencils from cardboard and acetate to use on my background for layering a forest scene.




The first layer was done in black soot Distress ink while the second (using the Branch Tree stencil) was done using archival black ink for a darker effect.



I just love the depth of this!

Then I went on with die cutting two borders using Tim's Twisted Edge and Drip Edge Thinlits dies.
I heat embossed the Twisted Edge border using "St. Paddy's Day" - one of my all time favourites from the Emerald Creek embossing powders!

To blend it in with my grunge look I darkened the edges using a black soot Distress Crayon. It works just perfectly on embossed pieces!



I did the same with a pumpkin that I die cut using the Movers & Shapers pumkin die from the Tim Holtz Mini Acorn & Pumpkin set. This time I used Emerald Creek's "Tangerine Orange Sparkle" embossing powder on it.




As you can see I mixed both embossing powders on the pumpkin which makes it look even more natural.

I took one of Emerald Creek's "Fearless" Buckle charms and heat embossed it with Emerald Creek "Mercury Rising" embossing powder to grunge it up. I also used this embossing powder on a die cut bat to repeat this colour (which always helps with visually fusing different elements on a project).



One of Emerald Creek's fab Skull Charms was painted white using picket fence Distress paint and my fingertip.

The Drip Edge was die cut from red cardstock and given a thorough coat of DecoArt Triple Thick to create a drop like and liquidy impression.




The Fearless Buckle Charm was attached to the background and border using sticky foam pads and some grunged up string.


I highighted the letters by smudging on some white Distress crayon with my fingertip.



Some Halloween designer paper from my stash was cut to size and folded in half to form a card. The edges of the arch and card were darkened by smudging on black soot Distress Crayon before I mounted the finished arch to the card using sticky foam pads again. Et voilá!




I love the mix of a bit of bling and dark grungy edges and shapes! I hope you like my card as much as I am content with its outcome!




If you haven't already done so I recommend you check out the makes of my lovely teamies and the other celebrations themed DT posts over at the Emerald Creek Dares blog!

Hope to see you there playing along soon! There's a $50 voucher for the online store to be won! So don't miss your chance!




If you liked some of the Emerald Creek products featured in this post (they have the Distress stuff as well!) - here's where you can buy these and even more fab stuff (just click on the button to get to the shop):


Happy Halloween and hugs and happy crafting!
Claudia
xxx