Wednesday 31 December 2014

Happy New Year - Fauxdori Art Journal page.

Just a quick post to wish everyone a very Happy New Year!
I know that many of you around the world are already into 2015.
I put together my first New Year Art journal page.  I am not too sure if I like it but I did manage to try out some new stencils and use up some of my craft papers etc.
These are really tiny little card discs which came with some thick card embellishments and finally I have been able to use them.  Very fiddly to attach.
I think the above quote is good and sometimes not easy to achieve when life throws you some harsh experiences, but we can only try, right?
Would be nice if 2015 could include much more of the above.  The news is getting harder to watch and take in as each day goes by.  I think my family and I are very lucky to live where we do.  
So, I wish you all the best for the coming year and I will see what 2015 brings.
If you have two minutes leave a comment and say Hello.  
Take care all
xx

ATC - Vintage Santa

In December I entered the Blissful Atc swap and the theme this time was Vintage Santa.  I saw this was coming up months in advance and I deliberately started working out what they would look like in September.
I have emailed my partner but as yet I have not had a reply so I assume she has received them.
I started by adding some coffee on the ATC cards and then a little paint to give an older vintage look about them.  The snow flake in the corner of the card shown above is actually one of my cupcake holders from my birthday last year and I simply cut it up, stained it and then glued it on.  The images are part of a decoupage sheet that I found when we were in Brugge a couple of years ago and I thought they were lovely.  I still have some left for another time.
I also added some sprinkling of glitter to each card so I hope that Sonya did not end up with an envelop full of it and nothing left on the cards!
I used Archival ink to stain all of the white edges to make them look much older with the Sepia ink.  Very effective and goes well with so many themes.
The ATC cards that I buy come with cute little mini envelopes so I edged these with archival ink and added a stamp to the front of each one.  Again to help them travel much better and for storage if needed.
I am really pleased with how these turned out and I am thinking of perhaps making a bigger version to go in to my Art Journal but the proportions might not work out right.
I also sent off some bits and pieces to make further ATC cards but I did not take a picture of them, never mind.  Hopefully Sonya will find will find them useful at some point.
It is Hubby's birthday today and we are off to see Paddington at the cinema (tried yesterday but it was sold out!).
Then meeting up with his parents tomorrow for New Years Day.
So I wish yo all a Happy and safe 2015 and I do have a new journal page for the New Year which I will put up tomorrow.
Take care and all the best.
xx

Monday 29 December 2014

Santa Sack Swap - I recieved from Joanne

This year I decided to sign up for the Santa Sack Swap organised by "Gone stitchin" and I thought I  would by ways a thanking Joanne ( I have already sent an email) that I would post about the lovely items that she made then another time I would post about the I items I sent off.
I hope these pictures are alright as I am struggling to find anywhere with decent light.  In the end I found myself on the attic stairs  as there is a skylight directly above and the camera seemed to like it much better.  Now we could request stocking or sack and as I do not have a sack I asked if I could have one of these.  I thought I might be able to use it at school too.
Lots and lots of handmade Yo-Yo's or Suffolk Puffs depending on which book you look at, all stitched down with a red button and added to a hessian cloth.  Finished off with s stripey cotton edging and a lovely size too.
A knitted and crochet wreath.  This really caught Sophie's eye and I could never make those leaves.  I really do need to practise my crochet more and it is stitched to a polystyrene ring.  So neatly stitched as well.  Yes Sophie really likes this so I may have to "gift" it to her. 
Hand appliqued design in an embroidery hoop.  Loved this way of displaying and now that I have seen it in the flesh I think some projects of my own will need to try out this idea.  Again very neatly stitched.
A  very detailed festive cross stitch.  I used to do a lot of this but I find my eyes are so tired in the evenings that I have trouble seeing it too well so Joanne has worked this design beautifully and the robin is such a cute chap!  Love robins, see in my side bar.
This also came in a picture frame and I thank the Post Office for its safe delivery.
This little chap is at the top of some cross grain ribbon so that Christmas cards can be hung from it.  Complete with little pegs!
Included were some candles, much needed hand cream (teaching art means i do tend to wash my hands quite a few times a day so this will be sitting by my computer at work.
A Christmassy felt mat with cute star embellishments and
 a gorgeous bundle of cotton fat quarters with which I shall make something for the spring or summer.  Maybe a bag as I do not really have a summery bag to use or perhaps something for Sophie.  Very generous to have added this to the swap, I was not expecting that.
I enjoyed this swap even though it was marred by a broken finger and swollen hand which then healed to then be operated on on August so I hope that my offerings were alright in the end.  Talk about badly timed, so perhaps I should make some items much earlier this year.......just in case!
Many thanks Joanne and I hope we can keep in touch now that the swap has come to an end.  I have also signed up for "Gone stitchin" Initial Heart Swap for Valentines day and I have had fun going through all of my books and magazines looking for inspiration and I think that i might have found something!
Take care all and keep warm.
xx


Friday 26 December 2014

Fauxdori Art Journal Pages - Merry Christmas

Just before Christmas I did manage to finish another Art Journal page spread.  I used some card stock to make the parcels and an old tag with a rubber stamp for the wording.  I like using text so in the background is some tissue paper with a dictionary text layout on it and then painted it with red watercolour paint.
I have quite a bit of Christmas tape and I added this to one side and the bottom section of the pages.  It is a bit shiny but it does frame it a bit and I am trying to use up what I already have.
Christmas stickers and real ribbon went into making the bauble section and I sat and tied all of the parcel bows with actual tape.
I do not tend to use glitter much as it does get everywhere but a little sprinkled all over and then some iridescent sequins added a bit of sparkle in the background.  
I was not really sure what to make it look like and it took two days to make it as I was trying to do other jobs in between.  It turned out quite Chirstmassy and I think I should start trying to date them to look back on in the future and I have a whole year to think up of another festive idea.
But what should I do next?
Any ideas?
I hope you have all had a good Christmas.  The weather is awful here in Cornwall today so we are staying in and mooching around with books, word searches and Sophie has set up her old farm set on the living room floor.
All the best abd back tomorrow.
xx

Thursday 25 December 2014

Merry Christmas Everyone!

It is late in the evening on Christmas Eve and I know that some of my blog friends around the world are probably sitting down with their family's having their lunch and it is Christmas Day.  Seems strange when in the UK we have not reached Christmas Day yet.
However, I wanted to say a huge thank you to those of you who visit, follow, pass through and take the time to comment.  Even after 8 years it is still a buzz (can I say that?) to see a comment on a post.

At the end of the month when things have slowed down I shall post about my 2014 and what I hope 2015 might bring. Plus some last minute festive makes that I squeezed in.
In the meantime have fun, be safe and have a Merry Christmas.
xx

Tuesday 23 December 2014

Happy Birthday to ME!!

 Another year has gone by and another birthday appears!  
45!  Not sure I like the ring to it and I can not believe that it is 5 years since I celebrated my 40th in Italy at Christmas which was fantastic!
Above is a close up of my birthday cake last year.  I made it myself and decided to go for a snowflake theme with my own colour scheme based on an idea I saw on The Pink Whisk.
What am I doing this year?  Well, Mum is here and is staying for Christmas as well and I shall be going to Truro to see Robin Hood in Pantomime which should be good for a laugh.  It is the same cast who do it every year and some of the ad libs are great.  Then hopefully find some dinner out afterwards.
A full view of last years cake.
My hubby is sorting out my cake this year and I do not know what it is.  Now in the past I have had some cakes that make you wish your birthday was some other time of the year. Such as a cream bun with a candle, Christmas cake which I was told was doubling up to nothing at all ( not hubby's fault by the way).  However, this year hubby has asked if he could do something for me on his own. 
So you might have figured out that I am writing this in advance and I shall be back to show you what they cake looks like but to let you know about the Panto.  I like a good laugh and to find my inner child at least once a year!

Have a good day.
xx

Sunday 21 December 2014

The Three Little Bears

These little cuties have arrived at their new home so it is safe to blog about them.  This is a website special order and the customer stated what colours to use and I added the flower details and some eye lashes to make two of the bears look more girlie.
This time I decided to add one of my labels to each bear.
I tried to match the pockets and the flower together.  i just love the red spotty buttons.
This bear was lucky enough to get flower shaped buttons!
I shall be adding these examples to my website to show other colour and design combinations.  There is also a pinafore design but it is the dungarees that are the most popular.
Happy Christmas Guy's and enjoy your new home.
xx

Thursday 18 December 2014

Fauxdori Sketchbook- Art Journal - Stitch

I did miss last Sketchbook Sunday due to work and trying to get Christmas off the ground but yesterday I finally completed it.
I bought an ephemera pack  by Tim Holtz and it is titled Thrift Shop and that gave me the idea of a sewing and stitch themed page.
I started by painting the pages with paint and then added an off cut from a pattern which shows you all of the markings.  I used Decopatch glue to attach it.
I have become a great fan of Tacky glue!!  It is brilliant and I have bought some more.  In fact I had a tube for years, un-opened and I wish I had started using it before.  I found an old tape measure which is no longer accurate due to over use, and glued that down the side of my page with Tacky Glue.  I made a label look much older by following video on You tube, created by France Papillion and stitched on some scrim which I had painted and left over from my A level practical exam piece.  On top of that I added an image of a fashion mannequin.
I have some very old cotton reels and several of the labels had fallen off in my cotton reel box so I added those as well.
I then found some mini safety pins and taking an idea from an old sewing book I have I added them to some calico and a backing of painted scrim.  I also had a vintage card with thread on which is far too big for any of my sewing needles and i thought could have a new lease of life in my art journal.
Overall, I really enjoyed making these pages and I found looking for the items part of the fun. It is a similar colour to my last page so next time I must branch out and try something else.
I think perhaps something festive.
Take Care 
xx

Sunday 14 December 2014

Le Challenge December - INK

When I first saw this challenge theme I thought that I would not be able to come up with an idea. Then it was obvious!  Since September I have been attending a Printing evening class and I have created lots of prints 
( which is why I can not believe that I did not think of this before) but I have decided to select the following.

This a 3 layered lino cut which has then been printed with yellow, red and blue ink.  The lino is about 8cm x 8cm and i have made a select 6 cards at the moment and I hope to make some more this coming week.  
No two prints look the same and even though the ink is put on in the same order, the amount of ink used and the accurate lining up of each lino block can make all the difference.
These lino blocks can also be used individually with just one ink colour to create a much simpler print and other elements could be added.
Printing on brown parcel paper gives yet another look to the ink and when torn out and added to white card stock I ended up with some pretty cool cards.
Have a good week
xx

Friday 12 December 2014

Doodle Blot

I was not really sure what to call this post but hopefully the pictures will explain it better and I found it quite fun to do.
Whilst colouring some white cotton last weekend I had some paper underneath to protect the table (not sure why after all the paint and other marks on it but it is the thought that counts right?) and it left some lovely shapes.
A colourful merging of blues and purples which has blended due to the water that had been added at the time.
Then I picked out a black sharpie pen because I wanted something that would be quite blod to contrast with the diluted paints.
I added to some of the lines to make them a little thicker and to then  add some highlights I used a corrector pen.  I did not really want to use this but I did not have my white paint pen with me.  
I think this picture was taken just before I added the corrector pen and I can not find another so perhaps I never took one!  Honestly it has been a bit of a week all round, but I shall save that story for another time.
Anyway...........
Next up is a sheet that I very nearly put in the recycling then thought it was worth seeing what I could come up with so this time I tried...............
Using oil pastels, mainly because the box was sat on my desk but also I thought that some of the colours in the box would give a bit of a tropical look which the painted background was suggesting to me.
I mixed greens, orange, yellow, white and finaly a bit of black.
The base was a mixture of light brown and very pale yellow which is not really showing up very well in the photo.  I also added some long trailing stems to the outer areas.
On reflection, I am not sure if perhaps three flowers may have looked more in proportion but it was a little spontaneous doodling between sessions at work yesterday and thinking did not really come in to it.
Might put them in my Fauxdori sketchbook.
Have a lovely weekend.  We are going to actually get started on Christmas this weekend.
xx

Wednesday 10 December 2014

Felt Teddy bears - work in progress

I mentioned last month how traffic and orders on my website has increased a little recently and I thought I would feature some of my latest work in progress.  They are not a surprise for anyone who visits this blog so I am not ruining anything.
Ready to be stitched and stuffed.  Love the faces.
A wardrobe in the the making.
Lots of felty fun, love making felt softies!
Take care all
xx
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