The new Marion Smith Design papers from The Fruit Pixie, who I design for, are right up my street and I just couldn't wait to get crafting with them. They have lots of great collage pieces on them and they have not been overly collaged for you too much so it leaves you to do with them what ever you wish. 

As I expect you can tell I love to collage and so I decided use the Timekeeper set first and to make a collaged file folder using the file that comes on the Portfolio 12x12 sheet. 

So to begin with I simply cut out the file folder, scored it and folded it in half. I then inked around the edges. The word Journey comes from the Tinker page.

I then used the Gypsy clear stamps, the Timekeeper set would work as well, to stamp a background on the inside cover and used the different components from the papers to collage. The die cut cogs are cut from one of the Tim Holtz dies but you could use any Steampunk style dies.

Don't you just love this image!

I wanted something inside the file folder so I made up the envelope from the Tinker 12x12 sheet and made what is called a "Tip in " by attaching the envelope lengthwise using washi tape to the fold of the file folder then turning the page so to speak and attaching it on the back as well with the same washi tape. This then makes a new page. I used one of the Tim Holtz washi tapes as it seamed to go quite well but you could use anything you have. I then used more of the elements on the papers and the stamps again to fill in the spaces.

I then made a tag to go inside the envelope, I love to have bits hidden away to find. For this I just used a scrap of card and some of the collage elements again. The Timekeeper word is in fact the name on the tare strip of the paper.

I then collaged the reverse of the envelope

I had great fun collaging this file, there are so many great elements in this paper collection

I just couldn't resist making this little pull out using the top hat advertisements, such fun!

This is not the only project I have made using this paper collection, so if you liked this project then stay tuned!!

This is such a versatile collection, if you like to make vintage style cards or any vintage style project in fact then there is so may elements to use. It is also beautiful paper to work with too. I am so looking forward to trying the Gypsy collection by Marion Smith Designs.

You can find them here at The Fruit Pixie online shop - http://www.thefruitpixie.co.uk/timekeeper-682-c.asp

As you can tell by my latest posts for The Fruit Pixie I have been in an Asian mood of late and this time I have brought together the lovely Spellbinders Dancing lanterns die along with the papers from Far and Away and one of my Shiori dolls to make a sweet wall hanging plaque. 

For my plaque I used a wooden blank from my collection but you could use anything really that is stiff enough, or a canvas perhaps would be good.

I covered the wooden blank with a piece of the Far and Away Light blue character paper and added a border top and bottom.

I cut the Spellbinders dancing lanterns out of the Far and Away papers 6 from the Dragon Shimmer and then 4 from the Black character.

I then stuck the lanterns onto the White dragon paper and cut them out and shaped them

From 3 of the red lanterns and 2 of the red ones I just cut the middle sections of the lanterns out and then stuck then in the centre of the others using 3d foam to give a 3d look. 

I used a thin wire to string across the plaque and then up to make the hanger.

I made my origami Shiori doll from the Far and Away Lanterns shimmer paper and her Obi is from a scrap of the red dragon shimmer.

I placed her where I wanted her and arranged the lanterns around her and stuck them all down.

To finish off I cut a Chinese character on my Silhouette cameo to go in the bottom corner.

All the products, except the wooden plaque is available from The Fruit Pixie - http://www.thefruitpixie.co.uk/

Crafting prodigy

We have not had that great a summer this year but I have manage to craft outside a few times which is always nice to do. We live next door to a lovely family who's youngest member, Megan, is 8 and likes to come and have a chat over the low fence. One afternoon I was crafting away and Megan popped up over the fence and was amazed at what I was doing, she had never come across adult crafting before and we ended up crafting together over the fence, which I have to say is not easy!!  This has bloomed into a friendship and she has become my little prodigy! We have crafted together a couple of times since, we gave up the over the fence idea in the end.

   After teaching her stamping and paper piecing, which she is amazing at, we went onto stencilling. Megan loves to collect the little rubber animals and so I had promised her we could make homes for them.

I found a nice cutting file in the Silhouette store and cut them out in white card. A great deal of thought went into who would live with who and then what they would like on their house.

Each house was painted inside and out with watercolour and then a design was stencilled on the outside with ink. The Penguin's home was stamped with snowflakes,

The whale and octopus had a wavy pattern like the sea, the cow who is looking out the window, a zigzag farm style pattern.

Monkey and elephant wanted bamboo to remind them of the jungle

and hamster just liked the pink!

They all had house numbers from book pages and a door handle of course!

We completed the houses with removable roofs so they can be played with, which we covered with scraps of scrapbook papers.

We both had great fun doing this project and you can't tell which house I did and which was Megan's works, she is quite amazing and a complete natural. No one else in her family is crafty in any way but she loves it. We will get together again soon and have a crafty afternoon, I have so many ideas!

  I have always loved Origami, I spent most of my revision time for my exams making origami animals with the paper pad rather than notes on history and commerce! I did pass my exams but also fell in love with paper folding.

   Then a few years ago I bought a kit at my local craft shop to make Shiori dolls. The trouble was the papers were so lovely I just didn't want to spoil them, so they went away in my craft cupboard but I have been in quite an oriental mood recently with all the dies and cards I have made so I dug out the kit and made one of the dolls up.

  I then remembered how well the Far and Away papers, from The Fruit Pixie, folded and so decided to make one up using them...............   Trouble is I had so much fun I couldn't just stop at one!

These are very easy to make, there are lots of instructions on the internet.

The Far and Away papers make lovely dolls. I used the scraps left over from the cards I have been making over the past few weeks

Its always nice to do something different with your papers. These make great bookmarks too.

The papers are available from the Fruit Pixie here -  http://www.thefruitpixie.co.uk/

Dancing Lantern Card

       I just love these dies from Spellbinders, the Dancing Lanterns dies are such fun, I love the 2 different designs and they have even given you the lantern holder to hang them on, how cute is that!

            I also used the wonderful Far and Away papers, these papers are beautiful and were just made to go with these dies.

      So here is my card -

I made the card using a 5"x5" card blank and the Far and Away papers - White Dragon, Red solid and Pink character shimmer. 

As I have already mentioned you have 2 different lantern designs, which are separate dies. The small shapes in the middle can be found with the handle which is the 3rd die in the set. I didn't use the handle this time but instead hung the lanterns on some bakers twine.

I then finished the card off with a greeting.

All the products used in my card are available from The Fruit Pixie online shop - 

http://www.thefruitpixie.co.uk/