Monday 29 September 2014

Crafty weekend ....

...  WARNING!!!  PHOTO HEAVY POST!!!

Morning all!  We're still enjoying a beautiful Indian Summer here in Northville - it was a fabulous weekend.  Not only was the weather great, but I had a super crafty time.  I attended several classes run by Amy Flowers of Shrew'd Arts.  Since moving to the States I've been lucky enough to go to several of Amy's classes - I always have a great time and get really inky. This weekend there were several classes - Shadowbox Stamping, Woven Text Collage, 365 Days of Being Journal and Gelli Shot Journal.

Elements of Surprise - photo by Deborah Frings - Deborah's Gems

I've called this piece "Elements of Surprise".  It's my finished piece from the Woven Text Collage class.  We started with a panel of Gessoboard, added some collage papers, texture paste, paints, stamps and pieces of dyed cheesecloth.  In the stash of paper I found the scrap with the Periodic Table on it - I had to have it.  And it's a surprise as I've gone out of my usual colours - I'm normally greens, blues, purples - all cool colours, but I decided I had to have a go at warmer colours.  This was such fun.

Do you remember the shadow stamps and inks that came out years ago?  Amy's Shadow Stamp class was technique based to remind us just how much fun these stamps can be!  I have a really neat set of tags made using different techniques and a few sheets that I made with those techniques:

Shadow Tags - photo by Deborah Frings - Deborah's Gems

Shadow Play 1 - photo by Deborah Frings - Deborah's GemsShadow Play 2 - photo by Deborah Frings - Deborah's Gems

It fun to play with little shadow stamps and remind myself just how useful they can be!  I think I'll be using a few of the images I made soon.

The other two classes were to make art journals.  I've already done a few classes and love playing, but tend not to carry on with them when I get home.  The first class entitled 365 Days of Being Journal was to get us to prep a journal with the aim of doing something for 365 days!  We used various techniques to create some initial layouts - collage, stencils, painting, washi tape and stamping.  I got to play with a new product - Izink pigment ink - which is fab!  Here are a few of the pages I've started:

365 Days of Being 1 - photo by Deborah Frings - Deborah's Gems

This is the inside cover - I found this fabulous photo in the scrap bag - love the words on the face.  The first page is pained with the Izink pigments - beautiful paint and has a lovely opalescent sheen too!  I still need to stamp and decorate this page - it's going to be January 2015.

365 Days of Being 2 - photo by Deborah Frings - Deborah's Gems365 Days of Being 3 - photo by Deborah Frings - Deborah's Gems

I created a pocket on one page using washi tape to hold it in place (a lovely way to use washi tape) and also to store bits and pieces.  The orange pocket you can see is a CD pocket that I've painted over with Izink and attached with washi.  It flips open and I can store stuff inside - and actually see what's there.  The double page spread is going to be for January - each little box is going to contain some sort of art - I think I may try zentangle patterns in the boxes.

365 Days of Being 4 - photo by Deborah Frings - Deborah's Gems365 Days of Being 5 - photo by Deborah Frings - Deborah's Gems

These are a couple more spreads that I've prepared the green pages are Izink - just love the shimmer on this paint.  The red pages were made using Izink pigment ink which I added to matte medium, spread with a palette knife, toned down with a wash of white acrylic and stencilled on some pattern.

Last year I attended a class where we used a Gelli Plate to prepare some pages for a journal.  I had such fun with the plate in class that I bought a Gelli Plate to use at home - and then didn't!!!!  So when I saw that one of Amy's classes included more techniques with the Gelli Plate, I had to go.

Gelli Journal 1 - photo by Deborah Frings - Deborah's Gems

Above is the back cover of the journal (Amy provides all the journals we use).  I picked this bright lime green journal.  Amy prepared the back using Tulip puff paint when, when heated, puffs up to give a nice raised line.  To get colour on the back we printed our Gelli prints and the raised line made sure that there is a green shadow around the black paint.  I've still got some work to do on the page, but I think it's a good start.

Gelli Journal 2 - photo by Deborah Frings - Deborah's GemsGelli Journal 3 - photo by Deborah Frings - Deborah's Gems

 A couple of pages made using basic techniques - I really like the bold colour block technique.

Gelli Journal 4 - photo by Deborah Frings - Deborah's GemsGelli Journal 5 - photo by Deborah Frings - Deborah's Gems

Above are a couple of techniques that are new to me.  The double page spread was made by applying thin tissue paper to the page with matt medium and over printing with a Gelli plate impression - it makes the tissue paper disappear into the page.  Love the technique.  The single page was made using distress ink on a Gelli plate - the impression is much more subtle, but is lots of fun.

Gelli Journal 6 - photo by Deborah Frings - Deborah's GemsGelli Journal 7 - photo by Deborah Frings - Deborah's Gems

I was able to get a couple more double pages spread made using Gelli plate prints - I really like the blue and green spread made using the first impression and then using the ghost print too.

365 Journal 1 - photo by Deborah Frings - Deborah's Gems365 Journal 2 - photo by Deborah Frings - Deborah's Gems

365 Journal 3 - photo by Deborah Frings - Deborah's Gems365 Journal 4 - photo by Deborah Frings - Deborah's Gems

The pages above are in my 365 Days of Being Journal and are ready for more work.  When using a Gelli plate you need to spread the paint on the plate, and I wiped off the brayer in my journal creating really unique pages!  The yellow page is actually a Gelli print - I had left some paint to dry on the plate and then spread yellow paint over the top, printed it and found that I got this fab print!

On Sunday I decided to do some photo editing - I worked on a shoot done in March.  The theme was steampunk/vintage and we had two models - Natalie (who also made most of the steampunk clothing) and Corian.  Below are some photos, but if you want to see all the ones I edited the link is here.

Natalie & Corian 1 - photo by Deborah Frings - Deborah's Gems

Natalie & Corian 2 - photo by Deborah Frings - Deborah's Gems

Natalie & Corian 3 - photo by Deborah Frings - Deborah's Gems

Natalie & Corian 4 - photo by Deborah Frings - Deborah's Gems

I'm doing the Copic Markers Class over at Online Classes, so I'm off to see what the team have for us today.  I've also managed to get some copic colouring done this weekend, but I'll share that another day!  That's it for now!  See you soon.

signature

Saturday 27 September 2014

52CCT - Stash ....

.... Hello again!  It's the last Saturday in September and that means it's time for our new challenge at 52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown.  This week is our stash challenge - Asha would like us to use Pearls and Diamonds on our cards.  Here's my take:

Naughty List - photo by Deborah Frings - Deborah's Gems

Stamps: Waltzingmouse - Compliments of the Season, Tag Collection #1, Seasons of Love
Inks: Stampin' Up! - Real Red, Bermuda Bay, Daffodil Delight, Tangerine Tango
Dies: WMS - Stitched Tag
Accessories: White Lustre Card; SUDP - Real Red, Daffodil Delight; Twine; Gems; Pearls


I don't often use gems and pearls on my cards so this was a perfect challenge for me!  I used the colours from this week's Colour Me! challenge - CMCC#39 and the layout from this week's Freshly Made Sketches - FMS#155.  I stamped snowflakes, in totally non-traditional colours, randomly over the card and then added a panel of design paper to go along the edge of the card.  I stamped the main image onto white card and cut it out with the stitched tag die. I stamped the image again in turquoise and cut out the "nice" part and adhered it to the tag.  I finished the tag with some gems, pearls and a turquoise hole reinforcer.  I added a tangerine twine bow.  I added a few more pearls to the centres of some of the snowflakes.  On the inside a cut a couple of mat layers in design paper, stamped orange snowflakes around the edge of the white panel and finished with a Christmas sentiment.

Naughty List inside - photo by Deborah Frings - Deborah's Gems

You might have noticed that we have a new member on the Design Team - please join me in welcoming Peg Coombes to the team!  Check out the blog to see more inspiration pieces for you.

Before I go, I'd like to remind you that there's still plenty of time to join in with this week's Waltzingmouse Fanatics Challenge where our theme is Christmas.  You must use at least one WM stamp, sentiment or digi on your card - mine's all WMS!!!!

I hope you all have a super weekend.  I've got a really crafty weekend planned - I'm attending several workshops run by Amy Flowers at my local shop - Stampeddler Plus - I'll share photos later.  Bye for now!

signature

Thursday 25 September 2014

Pumpkin witch ....

.... Good morning!  It's a beautiful day here in Northville - bright blue skies, sunshine and really warm - a perfect Indian Summer's day.  I've been playing in my craft room making a few cards and this one is for my Halloween stash.

Witch Way - photo by Deborah Frings - Deborah's Gems

Stamps: Rick St Dennis Digi - Pumpkin Witch; Waltzingmouse - Vintage Witch, Poo-a-Boo sentiments
Inks: Distress - Mowed Lawn, Wild Honey; Stampin' Up! - Garden Green
Accessories:  White Lustre Card; Graphic 45 DP - Steampunk Spells; Copic Markers; Wink of Stella Brush - Clear


I've used the layout from this week's Retro Sketches challenge - RS#133 (it's been a while since I played along here) and I'm submitting it to the A Step in the Dark challenge - ASID#11 where the theme is Anything Goes, as long as it's on the dark side.  I'm not sure if this is dark enough, but the Pumpkin Witch is a bit sinister!!  I cut a panel of orange paper for the base.  There are no green papers in the Graphic 45 pack, but there is a lovely teal piece which is the one I used.  However, I changed it up by blending Distress ink over the top.  I printed the image onto white card, coloured her Copic Markers and then cut her out.  I added a touch of sparkle with my Wink of Stella brush - you can't really see it above.  I added a fun sentiment.  On the inside I cut another layer of orange paper, and on the white panel, which I edged with green Copic marker, I stamped a Vintage Witch and a Halloween poem.

Witch Way inside - photo by Deborah Frings - Deborah's Gems

That's it for now - see you soon.

signature

Tuesday 23 September 2014

ASM - Addicted to CAS ...

... Hello all!  I'm back today with a new card for our challenge at Addicted to Stamps and More!  This week our challenge is to make a Clean and Simple card - lots of white space, minimal embellishments, crisp lines; by the way "white space" can be a colour so long as it's free of decoration.  Our sponsor this week is QKR Stampede and I've used one of their digis on my card.  The winner of the challenge will get 3 free digis. 

Happy Thanksgiving - photo by Deborah Frings - Deborah's Gems

Stamps: QKR Stampede Digi - Cornstalk; CAS-ual Friday Stamps - Amber Waves
Inks: Archival - Jet Black; Stampin' Up! - Daffodil Delight
Dies: Spellbinders - Petit Ovals Lg (S4-138) #5, Petit Ovals Sm (S4-140) #5
Accessories: White Lustre Card; SU Card - Real Red; Copic Markers


I've made a really clean, simple Thanksgiving card.  I used the colours from the current Card Concept - CC#19.  I stamped the digi image on white card, cut it out with the die and then coloured with Copic markers.  I edged the white oval with yellow and then layered it on to a red mat.  I attached the panel directly to the card base and added a simple sentiment.  On the inside I cut a mat layer in red and on the white panel stamped a wheat sheaf and sentiment.

Happy Thanksgiving inside - photo by Deborah Frings - Deborah's Gems

For more inspiration on the theme of clean and simple check out the cards from my team mates on the blog!  That's all for now!

signature

Monday 22 September 2014

Fun weekend ....

...  Hi!  I hope you all had a super weekend.  Mine was lots of fun.  Jonathan was away in Chicago on business - we missed him, but he did get to go to a baseball game at Wrigley Field!!  Kathryn had her birthday party - she invited a couple of friends over for gossip, pizza and movies and a sleepover.  I've no idea why it's called a sleepover, I know that the girls were still chatting when I went to bed at midnight!!!

So I had a lot of free time on Saturday - I did think about cards, but I decided to catch up with my other hobby.  I go to photo shoots with Jonathan and Kathryn, but I'm really bad at editing.  At the start of the weekend I had over 30 different sets to edit.  By last night I'd got that down to 23 sets.    I worked on some shoots with models as well as some of the sets taken on our summer road trip.  Here are a few of the photos edited.

Abby - photo by Deborah Frings - Deborah's Gems

One from a series, taken in February, that features the beautiful Abby.  I have all the edits of the natural light photos on my Flickr account - you can check it out here.  At the same shoot we also did studio lights - two quite different sets, and they are here and here.

Rachel - photo by Deborah Frings - Deborah's Gems

This is Rachel - she's a really fun model, as well as being very beautiful.  Here she is being "Christina" from Phantom of the Opera, it was a Broadway themed shoot.  She also did Fantine from Les Mis and finally she did a blue cat from Cats - you can check out more here.

Amber - photo by Deborah Frings - Deborah's Gems

Would you believe that this one of Amber is taken in Downtown Pontiac?   There's a small garden between a couple of buildings - perfect for taking photos!  There's the rest of the natural light outside photos, a few more inside with natural light and then the last set uses studio lights.

St Louis 1 - photo by Deborah Frings - Deborah's Gems

Jonathan and Kathryn at the foot of the St Louis Gateway Arch.  St Louis is 250 years old this year and to celebrate they have put birthday cakes all over the city!  Sadly, I didn't get to photograph as many as I would have liked, but this one was in just the right place!!!

St Louis 2 - photo by Deborah Frings - Deborah's Gems

Most of the time we were in St Louis it was really dull and grey, but the sun did come out occasionally and I managed to get this one looking up at the Gateway Arch through some pretty flowers!

 St Louis 3 - photo by Deborah Frings - Deborah's Gems

Finally, this is a view of the Old Courthouse in St Louis, looking down from the top of the Gateway Arch.  We took a ride to the top - the lift is tiny and rather claustrophobic, but it was worth it.  The views are amazing. Click on the links for more photos of St Louis from our first day and second day.  I still have the last morning to edit - they will follow soon.

On Sunday I took the girls to the cinema to see Maze Runner - it was really good - highly recommended if you have teens to amuse!

Before I go, I must tell you that I've been nominated for the Rick St Dennis Pick of the Week - second week in a row.  This time they picked Kathryn's birthday card - which features Rick's Sugar Skulls.  Go check out the rest of the nominees and I'd love it, if you vote for me!!! 

Kathryn's birthday card - photo by Deborah Frings - Deborah's Gems

That's all for now!  Thanks for stopping by.

signature

Saturday 20 September 2014

52CCT/WMSFC - Theme ...

.....  Hello!  Can you believe we're already on our third challenge in September, the month is flying by.  Asha has a fabulous challenge for us at 52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown - the theme is NORDIC CHRISTMAS.  I had so much fun that I made three cards!!  And over at Waltzingmouse Fanatics - WMSFC#27 our challenge for the next couple of weeks is CHRISTMAS - we want to see your Christmas projects, but you must include at least one Waltzingmouse stamp, sentiment or digi!  

Good Jul Red - photo by Deborah Frings - Deborah's Gems

Good Jul Blue - photo by Deborah Frings - Deborah's GemsGood Jul Green - photo by Deborah Frings - Deborah's Gems

Stamps: Waltzingmouse - Nordic Winter, Folk Art Christmas Additions, Alpine Christmas
Inks: Stampin' Up! - Real Red, Gumball Green, Pacific Point
Dies: WMS - Folk Art Christmas
Accessories: White Lustre Card; SU Card - Real Red, Gumball Green, Pacific Point; Canvas Paper


I used the sketch from this week's Freshly Made Sketches - FMS#154 for the layout.  Nordic (or Scandinavian) Christmas tend to be clean and simple and are often simply red and white (or kraft), but they can also be layered and in other colours like blue and green.  With this theme there really was only one stamp set that I could use - Waltzingmouse's Nordic Christmas!!  Perfect.  I stamped the border stamp in all the colours and then trimmed to fit on the cards.  I stamped three different images in different colours and cut them out with the matching dies.  I made the panel out of canvas paper and distressed the edges to give a more folksy feel.  On the inside I cut a mat layer (to match the colour on the front) and on the white panel I stamped another Nordic image and a Christmas Greeting.

Good Jul inside - photo by Deborah Frings - Deborah's Gems

For more inspiration with our Nordic Christmas theme, check out the cards from the rest of the 52CCT team - they are just fabulous.

Don't forget to check out Tara's card for our Waltzingmouse Fanatics challenge too.  You have until Thursday 2nd October 10.00pm BST (5.00pm EDT) and don't forget you MUST use at least one Waltzingmouse stamp, sentiment or image.

Really looking forward to seeing your creations - have fun!!

signature
Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...