Christmas day 5

So this is the last of my Christmas projects and the second project we completed at the weekend retreat. Again this is another Lin Brown class and she has a full set of wonderful instructions for this project entitled "Tim Holtze tattered leaves".

So here is mine, again note te colour scheme as its a Christmas Wreath, lol















I love how the metal leaves turned out after a distressing session and being recoloured with alcohol inks then going thru the cuttlebug folders.

And this is my last blog post for a few days as the new edition is due anyday now so i will be busy, lol

Christmas day 4

So at the weekend me and a bunch of ladies from our craft group went on a retreat. We have hired this beautiful big house on 3 occasions now and it just gets better and better each time we go. I just love it and look forward to Fiona planning the next one, lol.



Look at the concentration



Mmmm gloves, such a good idea as now, 5 days later i still have black finger nails!



Decisions, decisions Bev



Fiona, the teacher



And relaxing at the end of day 1! Well deserved glass of bubbly for some, lol

So this time we decided we would be adventurus and make a big project or 2. We decided we would make a christmas arch inspired by the time arches, me, mum and Fiona got to make at the artsy crafts retreat run by Lin Brown and Leandra Finch back in March.

We had so much fun making them and i just cant wait to get a group photo of all the finished arches all lined up in a row.

But for now here is mine, photo oveload, lol. See the recurring colour theme again, blue & brown, is it becoming a signature.



















TFL

Sarah

Retreat projects

As promised, here are a few pictures of the retreat projects were all did.

Firstly Sandra the owner of Crafter's Haven, Banff, set us a challenge. She provided us with a wee box and said to go do something with it. So here is mine. I didnt do anything fancy, just decorated it and made a mini book for inside.












I loved how ours all looked different. Nicola cut hers up and made an exploding box. Linda inserted little match box draws into a few sides and Bev got us all to decorate a tag over the two days to slip inside her box.



Next most of us made mirrors based on some ideas from Tim Holtz and using skills we learnt whilst making another mirror at Scrap attack 2008 with Dyan.

Here is mine. I used mountboard squares and rectangles cover in PP before embossing with Blonde Moments Unltra thick clear. I also used memory glass backed with PP, grunge board shapes and silver charms.

I prepared my mirror by painting it blue then adding a coat of Blonde Moments crackle glaze and adding a coat of black paint using a rangers dabber when the glaze was dry. I sanded down a few areas here and there for an aged effect.





Here is one of the other ladies christmas mirrors. I will edit and add more once i get some pictures of Fiona.



Next i decided to make my mixed media mini book kit that i got for christmas from Cleo's undomesticated kits. I made a start when i got it but never finished it but i was determined this time as it was a stunning kit. I made lots of changes from Cleo's fab instructions as i wanted it to suit the boys. Added bonus, Karen from our retreat actually brought me some more single records to alter again.

























Next came a card making class from sheena. Sheena is not a scrapbooker at all but we are winning her around and she is now making boxes and mini books. Sheena made us a card and put the kts together for us. She was nervous that us scrapbookers wouldnt like it but she was a great teacher and we all had fun and a few of us where devients and added a few things, lol





Lastly i wanted to finish a altered jigsaw i started of Daniel. I started by painting the pieces in brown acrylic paint before covering each one is blue and brown PP's. On a few of them i embossed with clear embossing powder before stamping into the hot powder with a slightly inked stamp. It produced a nice effect. I added hidden journalling behind some of the jigsaw pieces and embellished with ribbon.

Here are the before picture









and here are the after pictures











Oh and i made a 6 x 6 mini book which i covered in vintage papers ready for filling with pictures from the retreat to make a keepsake of our weekend. Pictures to follow, lol

This retreat was a great way to clear up some of those UFO's, lol

By for now

Sarah