RIbbon and Disney button bookmarks

The other day I came across this wonderful idea for making ribbon and button bookmarks. Sarah Jane from The Fruit Pixie had sent me some of her Disney buttons a while ago to make some projects for her. As soon as I saw the ribbon bookmark idea I knew what I was going to make with them.

 The examples of the bookmarks I found were made using plain buttons but I used the Disney buttons instead!

I also had some of the beautiful vintage glass buttons that you can also find in the button section and so used one of those to make a bookmark using a piece of embroidered ribbon I had bought many years ago in Austria.

 There wasn’t much left but just enough for a bookmark 

This is  a great project for using a special pieces of ribbon or off cuts from other projects

I think they would make great back to school gifts perhaps for the bookworm in your family.

Of course they don’t have to just be for keeping your place in your novels. They are great for your journal, favourite recipes in your cook books 

or keeping your page in a text books too.

All you need is a piece of ribbon, hairband to match your ribbon, a Disney button and a needle and thread!

You can find these buttons in The Fruit Pixie online shop here -

https://www.thefruitpixie.co.uk/disney-buttons-701-c.asp

Handmade notebook

My hubby very proudly hates tech. He only uses it when he has too and if he didn’t love his photography I don’t think he would use it at all. When he dose use it he only uses it for basic photo editing and storage. He has an iPad which is crammed full of photos so I talked him in to having a less expensive tablet to take the pressure his iPad. Unfortunately that is android, so he has another system to learn and he is not enjoying that in the slightest.

      So to help I made him a Steampunk (thought it was rather appreciate) notebook using recycled box card, masking tape a hair band and the beautiful Timekeeper paper from Kaisercraft. I could of just stapled some paper together but where is the fun in that.

Now he can keep notes on how android works as I show him

Wish me luck because to be honest I don’t know what I’m doing half the time!!!  Don’t you just love tech!

Altered suitcase part 2

  A couple of posts ago I showed you the covered tiny suitcase I made as a project for The Fruit Pixie online shop I design for. 

Well this is what I did on the inside.

As you can see I have divided it up into little pigeon holes to store a few craft supplies.

But first I painted the inside to match the outside.

I then used foam core board to make the shelves and dividers. Foam core it very sturdy but light as a feather. I covered the front edge of the pieces with the beautiful Craft Consortium decoupage paper.

Then to make some matching storage.

At the top, a tray to hold pens scissors and what ever else you want really.

A little pot for crayons and a tiny art journal. Well, who said art journals have to be big.

The deep box holds my glue and any paper bits I want to use. It could hold lots of things.

I then left a section empty to hold ink pads perhaps?

Then to fit in the cover an artist portfolio 

To hold collage pieces or the pieces you are working on.

It’s amazing what you can get into a tiny suitcase!!

I had so much fun planning and making my suitcase. It looks so cute by the side of my chair with everything to hand.

This would make a lovely gift for a crafting friend or make one for yourself fitted out for your favourite hobby.

Imagine the fun you could have making one for a child, I’m sure they would love it.

You can find the beautiful Craft Consortium decoupage papers in the Fruit Pixie shop here -

https://www.thefruitpixie.co.uk/craft-consortium-decoupage-papers-716-c.asp

Wanderlust week 26 take 2

Wanderlust course week 26.   Theme - Inspiration.   Teacher - Cat Kerr

   After making my first shadow box for this lesson which I love but wasn’t exactly the same as the sort our teacher made.

I wanted to make one that was a bit more in the spirit of the lesson.

First to choose my subject. I love the beautiful animated films of the masters at Studio Ghibli. When ever I watch one of their films,

I have seen them all and have almost all of them on DVD, I can just compleatly loose myself in the beautiful colourful worlds they create for you on the screen. 

The stories are often taken from Japanese folk law, some are funny, some have a message and some are quite sad but they all have a beauty that just pulls you in.

One of my favourite and I do have several, is the wonderful My Neighbour Totoro. It’s quite a well known film of theirs but who can resist Totoro!

So that was my theme. 

Part of the lesson was to print your own papers using the Gelli plate, one of my favourite things to play with, so I designed and cut my own stencils on my Silhouette Cameo and made some texture plates using funky foam to use with my Gelli plate.

I also carved some stamps too,  including his name and the little dust sprite poking his head up next to Totoro.

I really had fun with these projects, bringing several of my crafting skills together in one project is so satisfying. 

If you have never herd of Studio Ghibli or seen any of their film I really recommend them. There is something there for everyone. Please don’t think that because they are animated they are children’s films though. They are definitely aimed at adults.

If you would like to see my other shadow box you can find it here 

http://artyparrot.blogspot.com/2019/07/wanderlust-week-26.html

Wanderlust week 25

Wanderlust week 25. Theme- Inspired by   Teacher - Kasia Avery

  It was hard to choose a woman I am inspired by, there are so many. In the end I chose the amazing Katherine Hepburn.

Katherine Hepburn is an inspiration for me because she never played by the rules.

 She was always true to herself and refused to be moulded by Hollywood 

or the time she lived in. 

She proved a woman could do anything she put her mind to!

Altered suitcase part 1

I bought this little suitcase in a charity shop and knew as soon as I saw it what I was going to do with it.

    To begin with I covered it in gesso and then painted it white. It was originally covered with a blue flower paper which was nice but I wanted to use the beautiful Craft Consortium decoupage paper Cottage Classic for my project.

      So when the paint was dry I used the paper to cover it.

This is such a beautiful paper

I also made a little travel tag to match.

Of course I didn’t stop there. I did something rather special to the inside too. 

To see that though you will have to wait for part 2.

You can find the paper in the shop here -

https://www.thefruitpixie.co.uk/craft-consortium-decoupage-papers-cottage-classic-27505-p.asp

Until then, take care

  Love Katrina x

Wanderlust week 26

Wanderlust week 26.   Theme - Inspired by.     Teacher - Cat Kerr

    Wanderlust continues and I am still enjoying it emensly. I am a bit behind with posting but for this post I want to show you my project for week 26. 

This months theme is Inspired by and for this lesson we had to be inspired by something outside of art. Then use that inspiration to make a shadow box.

I am working on that at the moment but I took the opertunity to make a project I have had in my head for ages.

I bought the shadow box about 3 years ago, have planned many projects for it in my head but never got around to starting on them.

Then last year we were given our names in gold painted wood as a keepsake at our nieces wedding. I immediately knew what I wanted to do with them but again had not got around to making the project.

As it was similar to the project in the class I decided to work with my names and shadow box. Then make a second shadow box a bit more like the one shown in the class.

So here it is!

The shadow box is covered in paper that I made myself using my beloved Gelli plate. I also make all the stamp plates, stencils and carved rubber stamps too.

Inside the shadow box the layers are built up using plastic sheets. So the back is one of my Gelli plated printed papers.

The next layer is a heart I painted onto a thin plastic sheet.

The the final plastic sheet has our names attached. I love the way they fit so nicely together.

I must admit I loved making it and am very pleased with the results.

Wanderlust week 22

Wanderlust week 22.  Theme - Floral. Teacher - Shaw Petite

   

          For this class there were a lot of building up of texture and layers. It was a lovely class and I really enjoyed it.

I was very pleased with he finished page.

 Painting flowers isn’t really my thing but if I ever need to paint flowers again then this is a great way to do it.

I chose Honeysuckle as it’s one of my favourite flowers, just love the scent.

New tablet cover

I have been busy on the sewing machine for the first time this year. We had bought a new tablet for hubby to keep for his photography and of course it needed a cover of some sort.

   As I have lots of off cuts of fabric I decided to make a quilted sleeve for it. 

The beautiful vintage button is from The Pixie online shop and just finished it off

The buttons are from the 1960s and can be found in the shop here

https://www.thefruitpixie.co.uk/8-vintage-metal-buttons-20578-p.asp

Wanderlust week 19

Wanderlust 2019 week 19  Theme-Patterns. Teacher - Eliza Torjanowska

   Week 19 of my Wanderlust course and we were building collages boxes that showed our loves and rituals in our lives.

I had bought this little blank wooden box to do something just like that a while ago. So now was the time to do something with it.

Each box is one of my loves in life. Everything from my love of books, Austria and birds, along with others.

I have left a few boxes blank so I can collect little things to add later.

This was a really nice project to do.

I am having sooo much fun taking part in this course, can’t wait to see where the next class takes me!

Bookmark using Marion Smith Design Timekeeper papers

When I am not crafting I love to read. Because I love to craft I like to make matching bookmarks for the book I know I am going to return to again and again.

   At the moment I am reading “The Binding “ by Bridget Collins. If you haven’t seen it yet then do look it up, it is such a beautifully bound book, if you want to read it please get it in hardback if you can, you won’t be disappointed.  

I am really enjoying it too.

The other night I noticed that the key used on the dustcover of the book was very similar to the Couture Creations Lace key die that The Fruit Pixie, who I design for sells. 

So I made a matching bookmark for my book using the Couture Creations key and the beautiful Marion Smith designs Time keepers papers, also sold by The Fruit Pixie online shop.

To make the key and the die cut border, also from Couture Creations, look a bit more vintage looking I cut them both from Card I had covered with double sided sticky tape. I used the Stix 2 ultra sticky sheets but you could just used double sided tape but make sure you don’t leave any gaps.

I then after cutting the die shape I carefully removed the protective backing from the tape and then plunged them into the Cosmic Shimmer gilding flakes and then used the scrunchie foam to remove the excess. Take your time with this, especially on the detail of the border.

I used some of the waste to cut a thin strip to frame the piece of book paper.

The bookmark itself is a piece of card covered in the Marion Smith Design Timekeeper paper, I used Antique Emporium, front and back.

I cut a piece of book paper to lay behind the key.

I then added some different fibers in matching colours to finish it off.

You can find the Marion Smith Designs Timekeeper papers (double sided) in the shop here-

https://www.thefruitpixie.co.uk/timekeeper-682-c.asp

Couture Creations dies here-

Keys

https://www.thefruitpixie.co.uk/couture-creations-ornamental-lace-die-keys-to-my-heart-23781-p.asp

Border 

https://www.thefruitpixie.co.uk/couture-creations-intricutz-die-vintage-border-28969-p.asp

Cosmic Shimmer gilding flakes here (I used gemstone) -

https://www.thefruitpixie.co.uk/creative-expressionscosmic-shimmer-gilding-flakes-602-c.asp

Stix 2 double sided sheets -

https://www.thefruitpixie.co.uk/stix-2-ultra-sticky-clear-sheets-10015-p.asp

Fibres here -

https://www.thefruitpixie.co.uk/fibres-710-c.asp

I think that is everything!

Any questions please ask either below or on The Fruit Pixie Facebooks page.

So why not make a matching bookmark for your favourite book.

Wanderlust week 17

Wanderlust- week 17 Theme - Patterns Teacher - Kasia Avery

   A new month, a new theme on my online course. This month its patterns. In this lesson we made decorated pieces of paper with different patterns and then made them into a page 

As I also love to sew and make quilts I thought I would make a paper quilt page.

Cherish mini album

     I must confess I LOVE making mini books or any book to be honest! So today I have a quick and easy way to make a mini book. This project I have made for The Fruit Pixie online shop, who I design for. It’s ideal for a few photos or perhaps an extra special card for someone. 

It is very easy to put together and decorate, anyone can do it.

For the base for my mini book I used one of my favourite dies from Couture Creations

their Tabbed Journal die -

https://www.thefruitpixie.co.uk/couture-creations-decorative-die-tabbed-journal-tab-23775-p.asp

( half price at the mo too!!)

I cut out 4 pieces with the die in card then another 4 from the beautiful Kaisercraft In the Attic papers. I used the 6x6 paper pad -

https://www.thefruitpixie.co.uk/kaisercraft-in-the-attic-609-c.asp

( also half price )

You need to cut 2 pieces of your paper with the pattern you wish to see facing into the die and the other 2 pieces with the pattern you want facing out.

This is because we will attach the separate pieces of the book to each other using the tabs and it makes it more stable to have every other piece

upside down, as you will see soon.

Just lay your 4 pieces out in a row so you can attach one piece to its neighbour using the little tab piece. 

You will need to turn every other piece over so the first tab is at the top but the next piece has its tab at the bottom

and so on. It just makes it a bit more stable.

Once dry fold your strip of pieces into your mini book by folding into a zig zag shape.

Then cover the pages with their papers. You can either cut off the tabs or not depending how you feel.

I then decorated mine using pieces from the little paper pad and the pieces from the sticker sheet.

Here is mine -

My cover using some of the stickers from the sticker sheet.

This page used stickers and pieces from the paper pad.

One of the sentiments from the paper pad.

Again stickers and pieces from the paper pad, including the borders.

Then the last page, using another sentiment and a couple of the stickers.

This is such a sweet little project to make and so quick and easy to make. 

Wanderlust week 14

Wanderlust- week 15  Theme - Steampunk. Teacher - Finnabair

     I was so excited about this class, I have followed Finnabair since before she was famous but had never taken part in one of her classes.

    So this week we were taught how to make a steampunk box using her techniques.

I chose to use a wooden box from The Works to work on.

We used modelling paste to make lots of texture. 

   Then built up our Steampunk look using anything we could find.

As mine was a big box I needed some large cogs to help fill the space and give it some night. So I turned to my trusty Silhouette Cameo,

an electric die cutting machine.

I cut each sharp out 3 times and glued them on top of each other. Then they make a dimensional piece. Once painted they blend in with

the other metal and wooden pieces.

For my centre piece I used a fake pocket watch I had had for years and added some real watch parts to add interest.

I then painted it up with layers and layers and layers of paint.

It was then finished off with different coloured waxes.

This was quite a project but I am pleased with how it turned out. 

This course is getting better and better!

Wanderlust week 13

Wanderlust online course - week 13 - Theme Steampunk- Teacher Kasia Avery 

    New month, new theme and it’s one of my favourites Steampunk!! There are some very exciting classes this month, which might take a while to finish.

     The first class was a fun one though, our teacher is our host as well, Kasia Avey. We were given lots of fun Steampunkie images and asked to invent something in the mad scientist Steampunk style using them.

      I loved this one and had lots of fun with it. Here is my invention 

I think it’s some kind of holiday house? 

Compleate with entertainment in the form of a musical octopus who also takes the holiday snaps for your album.

If you feel you need to keep up your daily fitness training then you can take a turn on the bicycle. Which is also handy if you feel

like a change of scenery, you can then bicycle your way there.

Of course the hot air balloons have propellers so it is not to much like hard work.

Wanderlust week 12

Wanderlust online course - week 12 - Theme rivers - Teacher Kasia Avery.

    This weeks page was concentrating on enjoying the process of making the page and not always expecting a finishe page at the end of it. 

So we made a pull out book made of different papers and fabric which represents a river. We then added stones to dangle below and painted the background of our book. The book was added to the page and the background of the page painted. 

Then we had to stop!

I also made some of my own tape to add to my page and used some paper beads I had made ages ago.

Later we can go back to our river page and continue the process.

We have been given prompts to pick at random with ideas for the next few layers untill it is eventually finished, when ever that may be!

It feels funny showing you a page half finished but I will post the finished page whenever it is finished.

Wanderlust week 11

Wanderlust week 11. The theme is rivers and the teacher was the wonderful Laly Mille. I had done a few things with her online before so I knew it would be fun. 

  We used loads of different mediums on the page got very very wet! My poor home made journal needed a bit of repair after the class.

I like the result but I think I over worked it a bit too much.

Always a hard job to know when to stop.

Wanderlust week 10

I am way behind on my posting for my Wanderlust course. For the month of March the theme was rivers. Here is my page made for the Clair Etheridge class. I even astonished myself and drew the dragonfly and beetle myself!! 

We made the collage papers that we then tore up to make our page. Loved this class!!

Easter Card

  Can you believe how fast this year is going? Spring is here and Easter just around the corner! 

So today I have a cute little Easter Card to show you using the Craft Consortium Little Fawn and Friends stamps I

have made for The Fruit Pixie online shop.

I stamped the sweet little rabbits onto white card using brown archival ink.

Then used my watercolour paints to paint the background and stamped images.

I then mounted it onto a piece of the matching paper pad, added a die cut sentiment and a 

couple of the Craft Consortium enamel dots to finish it off.

You can find the Craft Consortium Little Fawn and Friends stamps and enamel dots along with 

their beautiful Washi tape and the cutest little pine cone charms you have ever seen in The Fruit Pixie online shop here!

https://www.thefruitpixie.co.uk/craft-consortium-little-fawn--friends-collection-803-c.asp

The archival ink pads I used here. These are waterproof inks so you can use watercolours 

and other water based colour without you stamped image bleeding.

https://www.thefruitpixie.co.uk/archival-ink-pads-339-c.asp

Card blanks are here 

https://www.thefruitpixie.co.uk/card-blanks-374-c.asp

Wanderlust week 9

As I have said before, hubby gave me the year long Wanderlust mixed media art journaling online course for Christmas. I am having a ball!! Each month we have a theme and the theme for March is rivers.

 Every Friday we get a full video class from different teachers. Week 9 was taught by the founder of Wanderlust Kasia Avery. The theme for the page was rivers of your heart. 

Now, I could tell you that the page just magically flowed out onto the page and some pages do. But not this one! 

We live in a world now where everyone is an expert, often without any experience. You always see the perfect end result but without hearing the fact that it took them 10 attempts to get there. 

I have been art journaling for many years and making a lot of pages but the first attempt of this page was a total disaster. In the teachers page she showed how to do an image transfer with gel medium. I had done this technique many times before but the difference this time was the fact that my gel medium, which isn’t my favourite product to be honest, had all but dried up. But I tried it anyway and of course it didn’t work so I had a horrible black smudgy mess instead.

No problem! I just glued the pages together and started again.

I worked away all day on my page but at the end of the day I hated it! The colours were all wrong and it just looked a mess. I did sleep on it but agreed the next day, it had to go!!!

So I carefully ripped one page out and glued in a replacement page. Luckily I had made my journal and I just happened to be at the end of a signature so I had enough space for it to work.

I then changed the design completely but kept the essence of the class, changed it to rivers of my life and really enjoyed making it.

So what I am trying to say is never get put off by things that don’t work or like mine are a total disaster! Just give it another go, it’s only a piece of paper at the end of the day. 

If you are interested in my rivers, the Salzach, Inn and Danube are in Austria and I was born and still live in Bristol, where the river Avon runs out into the Bristol Channel.

Craft Consortium travel stamps decoupaged pot

I love organising my Arty things, using unusual containers or decorating blanks. This little pot is a wooden blank from The Works. 

I began by painting the pot on the outside white and inside pink. The white paint helps the colour of the decoupage paper shine through.

I covered the middle heart with the lovely Cosmic Shimmer silk glitter. The heart pops out so you can add a photo if you like.

Once everything was dry I then covered the outside with the Craft Consortium decoupage paper Travel stamp paper.

Everything, except the pot, is available from The Fruit Pixie online shop, who I design for.

https://www.thefruitpixie.co.uk/

Wanderlust 2019 week 6

For Christmas I had the Wanderlust art journaling course from Hubby. A year long online art journaling based course. Each week there is a new class every Friday. I am now at week 6 and I must admit I am having a ball!! Each month there is a new theme. January was Typography ( my other projects can be found on my Instagram ) and this month February is Faces. Not the theme I was looking forward to but it has been fine.

    Here is my page for week 6. The class was taught by Marjie Kemper and used sprays, stamps and stencils. Just my sort of thing and I hadn’t used my sprays for ages! 

I learnt by accident that if you used the Sparkle texture paste by Cosmic Shimmer and then, when dry, spray it with your sprays you get this beautiful effect. The colour pools on the paste. I used the silver texture paste for the tags.

The tags are little pockets that hold hand written tags

Such a fun page to make and I am really pleased with how it turned out too.

Love Katrina

A return to blogging with a cute little card

Hello! I’m back in blogging land again. I have been AWOL for a while due to technical reasons but now I have sorted it out and am back!

   This time I have a cute little card I made for The Fruit Pixie, who I design for. This is a penny slider card made using the Craft Consortium Little Fawn and friends papers.

                                                

This is such a fun little card. The squirrel spins and slides around the card chasing his acorns!

You can find the paper collection in The Fruit Pixie online shop here -

https://www.thefruitpixie.co.uk/craft-consortium-little-fawn--friends-collection-803-c.asp

It feels so good to be back again in blog Land!

Thanks for visiting, I’ll be back with another project very soon.

   Love Katrina x