Secret Squirrel! Project

I can now reveal the 'Secret Squirrel' project that I was working on for quite a while.

A member of a forum I used to belong to is getting married this month, so some of us got together to make pages for a book for her.

I was responsible for collating all the pages, making the book covers and making the book - and of course wrapping it up and sending it off.

I am not a very confident person, and I made several attempts at making the book covers - and lost a lot of sleep over it - especially when the most gorgeous book pages started to arrive - awesome. But I tried my best - and I guess that's all one can do.

I made the covers out of thick mount board. The front I collaged and used a rub on for the 'Love'.

The back page was collaged and I did some stamping on that. The borders are made out of Sari Ribbon.

The insides of the covers I painted lime to match the outside covers, stamped the pattern, and added poems on those and inside.

I think the recent postal strikes had delayed it somewhat - but at last it has arrived safely

The front cover



The back cover



The inside covers with romantic verses - and messages from all of us on the forum



The assembled book

Here are all the lovely internal pages - and the names those who made them. They are all gorgeous and so individual - and make a nice and original keepsake.

Moira


Paula



Mel - who kindly sent messages to everybody inviting them to join in.



Ginger


Natasha


Jaqui


Sue


Rein


Mine - 'Something old, something new' - etc


I love this poem - click to enlarge to read it.




Thank you to everyone who took part - your work is absolutely stunning - and I felt so privileged to see each page, and hold them and touch them - I only wish that my photos did them more justice!

Getting a little Distressed

Its has been a while since I got all inky - so I thought I would have a go this afternoon, having spent the morning on my allotment - harvesting.

On the Time for Crafting site and forum, we are having a play with distress inks. There are some fabulous examples in this months' magazine - and also in the members gallery.



The cover of this book is coloured using distress inks, using Cut and Dry foam pads to apply it.

It is a shame that you can't see the lovely coppery tones achieved by adding some Cosmic copper shimmer to the inks - it really makes it look like burnished leather.

I haven't smudged or splodged the sentiments stamping by the away - they are Tim Holtz stamps from Happy Daze and look at way. I liked the 'old fashioned' typewriter type script of this stamp.

The vintage girl image is from Crafty Individuals - and the butterfly is one I have on a CD which I have printed and coloured to match the little bow in the girl's hair.

Of course I just had to add an image and stamp on the back cover.


I used thick mountboard to make the covers - so used cream card with brown dots for the inside of the covers, then using distressed inks, I tried to make them look old and fade - they do in real life!

I am going to put images on the inside covers too - just haven't decided on which ones yet.

Robin Redbreast

I have been working in the garden today - urgent things to do before the rain started - and it fell down this afternoon.

I couldn't resist taking a photo of this darling young robin that waited patiently for each spade full of soil - so that he could get to it before the chickens


He is so tiny

So inquisitive

He spends most of his days in our garden - we are a cat free zone - the bantams see to that!


I do hope he stays with us all winter

Art Creations Friday Challenge 40

I have just found this blog and decided to join in with the challenge using the vintage image which they provided.

My entry is inspired by Lilla's from whom I have bought some bags, and from whom I received this gorgeous tag


Alas I do not have her wonderful talent or flair - or years of experience, but her work does fire me up with enthusiasm to have a go!

So this is my attempt for the Art Creations Friday Challenge


The image was in brown, which I have coloured with inks, and made a 'frame' to go around it.


It does look better in 'real life' the gold is very subtle - I took the above photo under a lamp just to show it up - but it is really not that bright.


I think I am going to take that 'flower' off the bottom which I made - it looks too big - I can just tear off the paper - no big deal

Thank you all so very much for commenting - it is so kind of you to take the time and the trouble. - And it encourages me to try even harder too!

Images

I just wanted to make a little announcement about the vintage images I sometimes use in my work.

A number of years ago, I bought three CD's of Victorian images from a company in the US.

I just loved the 'romance' of them. In all I must have a few thousand images on the CD's.

There are photos of cards for all occassions, in fact one disk is almost entirely Christmas cards , botanicals, butterflies. animals, labels (food, cigars, cigarettes etc) vintage scrapbook pages, angels, copies of paintings, the list is endless. There are also hundreds of vintage 'studio' portrait photos, ladies, children, men, couples, some photo postcards etc.

The reason I am mentioning this is that I have often come across these in the public domain, flickr, forums, blogs with 'giveaway' images, challenges etc.

So, if you happen to see me using a image that you recognize and you might have used it, downloaded it etc, and see it on here and have not received credit for it - please do not take offence - it is because it is one I have on my CD's.

I wanted to explain, in case I have inadvertently upset anyone, especially as I have recently resurrected them and started using them again. I used them a lot when I first started 'art work' then when I discovered and bought rubber stamps, they went by the wayside, but I have just started using them again for image transfers.

There are some that I just adore - and have started using and will be using over the next week or so - which are from my CDs but do appear quite frequently on other blogs/sites - wherever I notice them and join in a challenge I will of course acknowledge this site.

A little needle case

Edited 11.55pm to say:

I never knew there were actually needle books - and have just googled and looked up some links - and now feel rather embarrassed as this is nothing like they should be!

So in future I will make a 'proper' one - with padding etc. but until then - this one will serve it's purpose!


After peeling off the labels I just had to make something with some of the material samples - and this is what I made. But it almost never got started as when I took my sewing machine out of the case and plugged it in, it just wouldn't sew. The needle would not go up and down and the machine just made a whirring noise.

I was really puzzled as it worked the day before. I thought perhaps I had 'messed it up' sewing the bag and its' thick lining together.

I just could not work it out, and was very disappointed to say the least - thinking that I would have to try and find a mechanic to look at it.

Then I read the leaflet - and had a 'light hulb' moment - and hey presto it worked.
'
There is a 'thing' at the top where you fill up a bobbin, and it must have got knocked when I took the lid off. I clicked it back into position - and I was off!

Once again, no pattern, just one of my ideas having seen the sample materials, and wondering what to do with them - these were the plainer.

I found in my plastic box that I had all sorts of odd needles - not in anything - which is not very clever is it. Really thick ones on the left.



And overleaf a few that are 'sizes 3 to 6 sharp' That made me laugh, all the needles are 'sharp' I have the marks on my fingers to prove it after making the bag.




On the right is a semi-circular needle - I have tucked in the point as it is very sharp. I haven't a clue where it came from, I certainly haven't used it - and have no idea why one would need a needle that shape - can anyone enlighten me please?


Here is the back of the little case and..........

The front cover.


It looks very textured in 'real life' and the colours are lovely. Not a needlewoman's work of art - just a fun project by a beginner.

I did an image transfer onto a scrap of cream cotton. I coloured it with Promarkers, and used grey to go over the stems and poppy centres. I am not even sure that there were any poppies - I just painted them in! Ditto the yellow - I just painted them the colour of winter Jasmine! I know that poppies bloom in summer and not at the same time as the yellow winter shrub - it's called 'artistic licence' methinks!

The 'trim' was a free sample which came with a magazine ages ago. It was something that I never found any use for in my paper arty crafty work - but it looks fine on here. In natural light you can't see the glue strip which you can in the photo, and I have stitched it here and there to keep it on.

It was a totally fun thing to make and play with - and now at least my needles are all together in one safe place. They might even get used now that I have started 'sewing'.

I recently did a bit of genealogy research, and discovered that my mother was a trained seamstress - so perhaps I may have inherited some of it in my genes LOL - at least it is nice to think I might.

Who is a very lucky lady ? I am starting a 'stash'!

I put an advertisement in the village post office and sweet shop a couple of days ago - and didn't really expect a reply - but I DID last night. From a very kind lady who is moving and has been getting rid of things - wish I had known sooner - I could have bought a box full of ribbons and trimmings.

But I am utterly thrilled to bits with which I do have........


This wonderful lace is about 12 inches deep!


Two of these - which I think may be 'chair backs' that someone has made to protect the chair where your head reats. I can't stop looking at the wonderful embroidery.


Look at these wonderful material samples. I spent a happy time peeling off the labels at the back. Mainly Laura Ashley.

I also got two gorgeous 'shiny' half a yard/metre of fabrics.

This is the reverse side of the shiny creamy colour piece


And this is the reverse of the orange piece

And this sample I think I shall be afraid to use!


It is thick and like satin and embroidered. about 12 inches square - but looks like it might have been for a wedding dress bodice or something like that!