Showing posts with label Heidi Swapp. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Heidi Swapp. Show all posts

Saturday, 12 April 2014

A Little Blue Egg

Hi there! It’s a record for me - three posts in three days so thank-you so much for popping by again! I certainly have been busy and it has been a great compliment to be invited to do so many Guest Design slots.

Today I’m really happy to have been selected to enjoy the guest design limelight at one of my favourite challenges - the always pretty Sugar Creek Hollow. Their current challenge theme is ‘Easter’. I was going to go with traditional yellow shades but just couldn’t put down these gorgeous lilac and blue papers so have ended up with more of a gentle lavender Easter! I think that blue egg is going to hatch any day now!



Papers: Maja Design ‘Vintage Spring’ collection

Dies: Sizzix Bigz ‘Bird Scroll’ and On-the-edge ‘Vintage Doily’

Stencilling: Crafty Individuals and Heidi Swapp stencils using Wendy Vecchi texture paste

Distress Inks: ‘Weathered Wood’, 'Dusty Concord'

Other: Frantage ‘Shabby Blue’, paper doily, cheesecloth, gems, Prima resin bird-house, flowers, punched branches and hand dyed silk ribbon

Sincere thanks to all at Sugar Creek Hollow for kindly inviting me to Guest Design. Be sure to check out their challenge for some of the very best vintage / shabby chic talents in blogland.

Thank-you so much for visiting and taking the time,
Enjoy the rest of your weekend.
Nicola x

I wish to enter card to the following challenges:
Craft for the Craic - Easter or Spring
Crafty Individuals - Nature's Beauty
The Ribbon Girl Challenge - Spring
Simon Says Wednesday - Easter / Sweet Treats
It's All About the Vintage and Beauty - Shabby Chic
Moving Along With The Times - Easter / Spring
A Creative Romance - Eggcellent Spring
Inspiration Journal - A Few of my Favourite Things

Thursday, 27 February 2014

Lovebirds

Hello. Thanks so much for visiting!

Today's card is in keeping with February's 'romantic' theme and incorporates words, texture, stenciling, paste and lots more and so fits well with a number of my favourite challenges.



This is another of my cards where I put lots of work into underlying layers and then went and covered them up!

Papers: Mixture of french book text and Prima papers that have been variously stitched, torn and aged using several DIs and Prima chalk inks. Lace has been added to fill in torn gaps and the papers were also splattered with gold calligraphy ink.

Stenciling: Papers and heart stencilled using Wendi Vecchi texture paste. Stencils from Heidi Swapp (Hearts) and The Crafters Workshop (Art Is).

Frame and heart: Both were treated to Kroma Crackle medium for leathery crackle effect. Used DIs and pearlescent sprays to colour and topped with Treasure Gold for the frame and gold stamped script on the heart. Both cut from Tim Holtz grungepaper with Sizzix Bigz dies.

Lovebirds: Using multi matte medium I glued some burlap and some cotton cloth to grungepaper. When dry I diecut the 'fabric' birds using Sizzix Bigz die. Frantaged both with Stampendous 'Aged Ivory' though it doesn't show too well on the burlap. Also stamped gold script on the cotton bird. Rubbed gilding paste on both wings. Ran Prima chalk ink around their rims for definition. Mounted each onto some muslin with gave them perches of pleated ribbon / tulle.

Other embellishments: The 'Je t'aime' is from 7 Gypsies 'French Enamels' that I have dabbed with DIs and sealed. Ribbon, pearls, pins and flowers from stash. Finally a little Snow-tex has been dabbed on the flowers.

Thank-you for all the lovely comments and visits that you make - I truly appreciate each and every one.

Nicola x

I wish to enter card to the following challenges:
Inspiration Journal - Show It With Words
Simon Says Stamp Monday - Paste
Frilly and Funkie - Stencils and Texture
Craft for the Craic - Heart
Simon Says Wednesday - Anything Goes with Pearls
City Crafter Challenge - Do You Speak English?
Stamping Fantasies 5th Blogaverary Celebration - Favourite Item - mine is the Sizzix 'Caged Bird' die
We Love Vintage - Use favourite mold/pons (die/punch) - mine is Sizzix Bird die
It's All About The Vintage & Beauty - Use Lace

Friday, 21 February 2014

Thank-you for the Memories!

Hello again! No doubt you know that the Extraordinary Shirley Temple died this month. For me anyway, She leaves behind only the happiest of childhood memories, watching re-runs of her movies, usually on a weekend matinée (likely having fought for negotiated viewing as my brother would have wanted to watch some sport programme!).

In my mind Shirley represents an era (Depression America) whose earnest values have long since diminished. She, and her movies, had a charming innocence (though I acknowledge some now could view aspects as a little risqué). She played a darling poppet who seemed to genuinely radiate abundant love and happiness toward all, regardless of age, race, wealth or crankiness of disposition. Her performing abilities were remarkable and the icing on the cake is that she managed to move from 'The Movies' to the adult 'real world' and lead a successful happy life. Rest in peace Shirley Temple Black.



The idea for my card came about on a tangent. One of the challenges I'm entering has restricted entries to an unusual colour combination and I was finding it difficult to make something I liked. Reading about Shirley's death I came across a free vintage image of her (thank-you Janet K Designs) that I thought could be adjusted to fit the requirements of the colour challenge and other challenges as outlined below. I edited the image in Photoshop to remove any black and imbued strong sepia tones. Also altered the polkadots of her pjs to shades of plum, purple, blue and navy. Added too some of the lyrics of the delightful "Good Ship Lollipop" song from her movie "Bright Eyes". For the full song lyrics see here. Seriously, who could not smile at thoughts of "happy landings on a chocolate bar" etc!

The layers:
I've used plum and blue sheets from Prima 'Firefly' collection. 1st layer plum sheet. Next is blue debossed with Cheery Lynn 'Petite Hearts' plate. Then plum sheet embossed with Cheery Lynn 'Stitcher' plate and on top of that blue diecut using Cheery Lynn 'Sophia Heart' die. On lower half I embossed a blue CS with Sizzix Music texture fade. Then liberally coated brayer with Versamark chalk ink in 'Purple Hydrangea' and rolled brayer over embossed music several times to give the purple notes. (This looked great so it's a pity I had to cover up so much of it!). Also included two Magnolia border diecuts.

For the layout there was only one way to go and that was to put Shirley 'centre stage'.  Edited photo as above and printed onto canvas paper sheet. Matted that onto SEI Velvet paper in 'Chocolate'. Stenciled in little hearts and stars around Shirley using a Heidi Swapp mask and Wendy Vecchi texture paste.

Top Left - Well Shirley had to have a nice big jaunty bow for her cameo appearance on my blog today. I then added two stars (cut with Sizix Bigz 'Stars' die) that I had coated with Distress Glitter in 'Clear Rock Candy'. The 'cutie' charm is by K&Co.

Top Right - painted a starry corner charm with gesso and then anointed with Brilliance Pearlescent Chocolate ink. Diecut SEI 'Chocolate' velvet with film strip die.

Bottom Left - The candy cane is diecut using Sizzix Bigz 'Stocking & Candy Cane' die. As before, applied lots of Distress Glitter to the Candy Cane. Wrapped some beige cord around for decoration and affixed grosgrain bow.

Bottom Right - There had to be a lollipop and I bet Shirley loved to have M&Ms on hers! Punched an oval from SEI Blue Velvet paper and glittered as before. Affixed it to cotton bud. Added lots of brads, bow and 'Sweet' charm.

Finished off with lots of gems and bling - this girl most definitely merits glitz!

Thank-you so much for stopping by and I hope you share my happy memories of Shirley. It's a long post so thank-you if you've read it all the way through!

Have a lovely weekend and here's hoping that the approaching storms in this part of the world won't do further damage.

Nicola x

Thank-you to hosts, sponsors and DTs of the following challenges that I wish to enter:
Our Creative Corner - Use Blue, Brown and Purple/Plum with no black or white
Inspiration Journal - Show It With Words - I've included lyrics
Simon Says Stamp Monday - A Cameo Appearance - Shirley is making a Cameo appearance on my blog!
Craft Your Passion - Girly Girl
Charisma Cards - Inspired By A Movie
Southern Girls - Bling It, Bling, Bling
Crafty Ribbons - Anything Goes
Craft for the Craic - Heart
Crafty Hands Devon - Heat/Dry Embossed background