October "A Inky Mess"

Good morning everyone
It's the 25th and that means a new challenge over at "A Inky Mess" challenge blog.
This month we have the wonderful Gecko Galz sponsoring us so you know their prize is going to be fabulous.
For my DT inspiration I have used another substrate from Tando Creative. Not as mini as last month to be sure but this file holder is still only 13cm square.
I started of by using modelling paste through a stencil then painting it. (Decoart paints/mediums)

This is the file holder when closed

and open to show that the decoration carries on to the end

if you look very closely under the rice paper, to the left of that daisy, you might see the magnet that forms the closure on this. 

and the spine

I have used lots of bits and pieces from stash, ranging from some TH ephemera (inked round everything), some glass flat backs, some pearls from a cheap piece of costume jewellery and some micro beads. The gaudy green stone has some twine wrapped round to act as a means of opening the book without damaging the whole thing.

The stamped saying is from Sheena Douglass' butterfly collection, stamped on more rice paper.

It was so much fun making this, even though it's outside that zone of comfort which we all have. I think it does everyone good to explore other areas once in a while and I know it helps my mojo return after it has a little holiday.

Looking forward to seeing everyone's makes in this new challenge 

And Now For Something Completely Different

I have always embraced the theory that crafters need to venture outside that little comfort zone, they create for themselves, once in a while. It helps to expand and grow and, for me, helps to encourage Mr Mojo back where he belongs. This is why, when Katy Leitch from Mixed Up Creative advertised a little Shabby Chic tutorial using a kit available from Artful Days, I jumped right in with both feet. Trepidation can come later.  I really enjoyed the series of videos that Katy made and made my own version of the hanging (of course) but did use many of the techniques, some old and some new.
This is what escaped my craft desk to hang on my wall

To be honest, I have had "a few bits" of similar ephemera in my stash for eons and never really known what to do with them and loathe to throw them away (as most crafters will identify with). I think I will now bring them out of cold storage and start using them.

I Haven't Been Idle

I know that not many projects have made it to my blog in the last few weeks - that's because most of them were gifts and swaps with other crafters and I didn't want to show them publicly until they had been received. Well most have now made their destinations so I feel happy about displaying on my blog.

First up is a tag I made as a swap within a group on facebook called Mixed Up Mixer. A mixed media tag with a Halloween theme.
This was the one I made

A greyboard substrate with paint and inked images layered with more (Tando Creative) greyboard cut into an arch and one of Tando's spider webs and (Tando Creative) brick stencil with (Decoart) modelling paste. Some cobweb fabric under a painted plaster cast skull. A few plastic skull beads to finish

I think the dimension is better appreciated here

My second Halloween themed project is now safely in it's new home

This time a little hanging

The skull was painted at the same time as the previous one, so is a similar colour. This time the greyboard substrate was brayered with paint, colours ranging from dark grey through to white. Then stamped with archival ink using stamps from Andy Skinner, high lighted with white gel pen.  The ornate die cut is one from Tonic's mixed media range cut from greyboard. Painted black then a variety of interference paint colours. Layered with another cut from the same Tonic range again brayered with paint then script stamped. The cobweb diecut to give another element in my scene.

Finished off with some white artstones and some twine to hang the picture with.   

Thanks for looking

  

I'd like to enter the projects as one into the challenge at

Bleeding Art Challenges - Halloween Mixed Media