Katherine's Dabblings

Jeans Bag

2011-06-14T09:32:00.000-07:00

Have seen tutorials for upcycling jeans into bags and thought I'd give it a go.

Have really really struggled with the lining but I'm NOT doing it yet again. Lol.

Am pleased overall with it though.

A Canvas Clock

2011-06-04T05:20:00.000-07:00

Or rather a canvas with a clock on it. Lol.

A friend saw some paper/fabric on a craft stall so we decided we'd have a go ourselves. It's jam pot muslin covered with pva and then has tissue paper worked onto it so it can be as smooth or as textured as you like. Coloured with colour washes and spritzed with some glimmer mists.

My smooth piece I decided to use as a background on a canvas and then bits and bobs added. There are three squares which are faux carnival glass. One worked better than the others but seeing as though I'd made them, they were going on! Lol.

Paper Flowers

2011-04-09T06:21:00.000-07:00

The very talented Ange Lee gave a tutorial on her blog for paper flowers. Now I do not have the patience to cut out graduating sizes and nor do I have any double sided papers. So I coloured some sewing pattern tissue paper and ran through the cuttlebug on one of the tatty floral dies. Secured layers with brad and scrunched up and arranged. And as they say oooooop north, job's a good un!

Mothers Day Card

2011-04-01T07:04:00.000-07:00

for my lovely MIL. I knew she would like this and she did so that's a billy bonus. Though I did say she was naughty for opening it early. Lol.

A Golden Wedding Anniversary

2011-03-24T01:37:00.000-07:00

card.

Used the instructions on The Craft Barn's blog to make the rosette.

Allotment Scrapbook

2011-03-17T03:34:00.000-07:00

Another bookbinding. Yonks ago I made a piece of card using cut up images from a fruit catalogue. OH wanted a small scrapbook to use as an allotment diary so I dug out my collage and made this A5 notebook.

Just hope it logs a more productive year than last. 8>(

Album for Hugbinders Raffle

2011-03-02T08:44:00.000-08:00

More of the same really. Lol.

Done in blue as that was the favourite colour of Mr S.

And if you don't know about the lovely Mr S. please look at the Hugbinders blog.

Birthday Card

2011-02-13T06:01:00.000-08:00

Fused felt & shiny bits and then ran it through the cuttlebug with the tattered florals die.

The leaves are made by trapping shiny bits between two pieces of organza and then putting on an embroidery hoop. Did the outline in satin stitch and then free machined the centre bits.

Humbug & Pyramid Bags

2011-02-11T08:00:00.000-08:00

Nicks very kindly lent me a book yesterday by Margaret Beal which rather spookily I had just reserved at the library the day before.

In it was these little bags. It's a bit difficult to explain here how it's done but I do love the idea of them. Especially the small ones within a larger one. No end to what little bits you could put in them.

Fusing Felt & Organza

2011-02-11T07:50:00.000-08:00

This is a technique where you cut small triangles of fabric that will melt and lay them onto a piece of felt. You then lay on a metal rule and run a fine tip soldering iron down the edge of the rule to bond the pieces to the felt.

These are a few experimental pieces using a different combo of colours & fabrics each time.

More Free Motion Stiching

2010-11-18T02:37:00.000-08:00

This time on water soluble film.

My lovely friend Julia came round to give me a tutorial and this is my finished first piece.

A grid was drawn onto the water soluble film which was about 4 inches x 4 inches. The grid was then free motioned stitched with a straight stich. Stitch setting was then changed to a zig zag and circles worked over the whole grid.

The most important thing about this is that all the circles must at some point connect to each other and the grid otherwise when the water soluble film is dissolved it will not hold together.

This is a picture before being immersed in water.

This is a picture after.

Now I know it's not brilliant but I am chuffed with my first effort.

Wedding Album

2010-11-01T05:31:00.000-07:00

I saw a tutorial on Youtube about Japanese bookbinding and fancied having a go. And seeing as though there is a wedding due I thought I'd make it for the happy couple to use as a guest book or an album for some fun photos.

The pages inside are alternate vellum and lovely quality paper.

The basic cover is mountboard covered in a cotton material. The front is decorated with painted tyvek, ironed and then stitched. The heart is two pieces painted tyvek with wadding inbetween and sewn. There is also some embossing on it but couldn't go mad with it without the tyvek shrinking. An air dry clay heart in the centre.

The back is the free motion stitched piece in the last post.

The invitation had a flower on it made out of ribbon so I thought it would be a nice touch to reuse it on their album so unravalled it, ironed it and then threaded through the holes. Voila!

More stitching

2010-10-05T01:02:00.000-07:00

Really enjoying this. The pink & blue piece was another practise piece but the turquoisey one isn't finished yet but is being made for a specific project. Well that's the plan anyway. Lol.

Free Motion Stitching

2010-09-22T03:57:00.000-07:00

Have always wanted to do this but my attempts were very poor. Anyway, it turns out that in our circle of friends is a lovely, generous and multi-talented lady by the name of Julia Martin who is City and Guilds qualified. She very kindly offered to teach me and this is my second piece which I am so chuffed with I decided to mount on a canvas.

Squares of shiny fabric have been secured to felt with the slightest touch of a fine point on a soldering iron. Black organza has been laid over the top and then free machine stitched with a gorgeous variegated metallic thread. Now my first piece didn't quite go to plan as I went a bit off piste from the instructions but it was a valuable lesson learnt.

A bit of tarting up

2010-08-01T08:39:00.000-07:00

Had an extremely sad looking downstairs loo (even though it's in a bungalow. Lol) and it's been like that forever.

Decided that it may benefit from the odd square or 200 of decopatch paper so got going with the old

pva and water mix. The flush button was coloured with alcohol inks and sealed with an a spray sealant.

Have to confess though that I did break the mirror when trying to reassemble it. It's not a good idea to use a stapler on the cardboard backing. Ooops!

A lick of paint on the walls and it's spruced it up enough until Ernie sends me a big fat cheque. Lol!

Nick's Birthday Adam & Eve

2010-07-13T06:58:00.000-07:00

Canvases (14"x10") covred with suedette & black chiffon which had then been machine embroidered with metallic threads. The remaining chiffon that hadn't been stitched was burnt back with a heat gun to that the suedy material shows through.

Figures cut from 1/2 inch thick foam. Eve covered in lace, two seed pods (not sure from what though) and then tissue paper pva over the top Coloured with Cosmic Shimmer mica pigments.

Adam basically made the same way. Each with an ivy leaf to preserve modesty though I may have got one the wrong way round? Lol!

A Canvas for Sparkles

2010-05-10T08:06:00.000-07:00

No, this isn't the third in my trilogy. That is still pending...................................................Lol.

This is a canvas painted and stamped round the outside with words. Then a layer made up of chiffon stitched to silver metal and melted. With the odd blob of pearly glue. The next layer was metal, angelina fibres and chiffon but that all went a bit Pete Tong (and very black!) for some reason so the old silver embossing powder came to the rescue.

Then some stampboard tiles stamped and etched a little bit. Smaller stampboard tiles embellished with bits from my Mum's hoard of costume jewellery and Bob's your Uncle. (Where on earth does that saying originate from?)

Part Two

2010-01-17T05:20:00.000-08:00

Yes, it's taken a while and seeing as though Sparkles and Nicks have finished their frames that I made for them, I thought I'd best pull my finger out!

The central image has been printed onto Decal Waterslide paper and attached to copper shim. Then highlighted with some machine stitiching.

The main frame is made by stitching string through plastic canvas. This was then glued to an artists canvas board and the whole lot covered in tissue paper. Originally painted black and then used copper acrylic paint, cranberry alcolhol inks and various metallic rub-ons.

Don't hold your breath for number 3, it may be some time. Lol!

Part one

2009-10-27T05:20:00.000-07:00

of a planned 3. I'm not religious but really like images of Madonna & Child and saw an article in a book which inspired me to have a go with my version.

The base is a piece of board (21cm x 26cm) which has been covered in black velvet and painted.

The image was printed onto Decal Waterslide paper and transferred to copper sheet. This was supposed to be stitched using the free motion stitching on my sewing machine but the guage of the copper was too thick really so I only ended up doing a small amount on the image by hand but did stitch the border on the machine.

The celtic knot and roundels are made out of copper and embossed. Coloured with alcohol inks and glass paint.

The copper borders have been inked, machine stitched and a string of beads added. Right, off to look for some thinner copper sheet and practise my free motion stitching as it isn't as easy as it looks on Youtube! Lol!

A gift for

2009-07-08T05:38:00.000-07:00

Nicks birthday. Both are projects that I found in a book called "The Art of Stitching on Metal". Thankfully, I confessed this to Nicks as it turns out she has the same book! Lol! The dish is 3 different types of copper that have been heat treated and woven together. The woven piece is then placed on Kunin felt with a piece of chiffon over the top.

The whole lot is stitched together on a sewing machine and then heat distressed with a heat gun. The felt melts to give a lacy pattern and the chiffon melts away. You can distress as much or as little as you like. Whilst the metal is still warm, you bend and pinch the sides to give the dish its shape.

This may look easy but it was an absolute nightmare trying to hold it all together whilst getting an old temperamental sewing machine to do it's stuff! I did have plastic pegs holding the weave in place but decided to try and change the colour of the copper with my heat gun. That didn't work and it bonded the plastic peg with the silk and copper mesh. Blood, sweat and tears this project cost me! Lol!

The seed pod gift bag is a piece of thick silk edged with a decorative fibre with copper mesh on top. There are two larger outer pieces and two smaller inner pieces. Shaped and tied with the decorative fibre.

Altered Doll Challenge

2009-06-20T01:02:00.000-07:00

Went to a car boot sale and found my Barbie; just ripe for a transformation. I originally wanted a smooth finish to my project, like brushed metal, but that meant she still stood out as a Barbie. Also, all those years of wearing high heels had made her not be able to stand flat so I knew mounting my figurine was going to be tricky.

So the textured look it was. Cut off her and bandaged her all over. Mixed some papier mache with pva and covered her all over. I had a pebble that I'd bought years ago as a tealight holder and I thought that would make a good stand for her. Unfortunately, because of the tippy toes and the generous proportions of her upper half, she would not become stable.

In the end I filled the cavity in the pebble with plaster of paris and stuck her into it but that didn't look right. Mixed some more papier mache and layered it on her and over the pebble to make it look like she's stood on the pebble with her dress draping over it.

Made some wings from copper mesh, outlined with krylon pen and sprayed with Glimmer Mist. And her crowning glory, a halo from copper wire.

I still have an action man to alter too but that will have to wait. But, at least he has flat feet. Lol!

Altered Fork

2009-04-12T05:06:00.001-07:00

for a challenge set by Nicks & Heidi on Docrafts. Thanks to Nicks for traipsing round a car boot and providing me with said cutlery.

I never realised how sturdy forks are when deliberately trying to bend them!!

Decided to use my fork like a hand (albeit a very arthritic looking hand!) to hold all the charms I received in the charm swap. Mmmmmm basically because I couldn't think of anything else. Lol!

Jigsaw charms

2009-04-12T05:03:00.000-07:00

made for a swap on Docrafts. Those jump rings and chains were very fiddly! Lol!

Bracelets

2009-03-11T06:38:00.000-07:00

made with safety pins and beads. Saw this at a bead fair recently and thought it was quite effective and some (cheat) beading that I actually might be able to do (Lol) so gave it a go. The prong of the safety pin is loaded with beads and fastened. The head is then squashed slightly from the sides in to form a sealed hole in the centre of the head. These are all threaded with clear elastic thread, alternating top and bottom on each pin and with a bead also between each pin.

2009-03-02T09:11:00.002-08:00

On Docrafts, Nicks set an altered art challenge and that was to alter a tin. I decided on a tuna tin and I wanted to use the tombstone moulds I'd recently bought. I'd also seen in a book a Day of the Dead Angel made out of tin and I wanted to have a go. That was after I couldn't get hold of the right size skeleton for love nor money!

Papered the inside of the tin, made the shelves, books and bible. Put soap in the little bowl and a Day of the Dead piccy in the frame and that was the interior sorted. Outer painted and an unamable subastance was used for moss. Lol!

Decided in the end that I prefer it without the Angel but she can always go back on if she fancies a change of abode.

Art House

2009-01-06T06:31:00.000-08:00

After some prompting, I'm updating my blog. Not that I've done anything except this for Heidi's birthday.

I haven't done anything in purely black & white before and was inspired by a drawing I saw somewhere in b&w where it had a half triangular face. Anyway, I used my eyes and lips stamps into fimo which I'd rolled out quite thin with a rolling pin and then trimmed to size with scissors once 'cooked'. Square stamps onto mountboard and covered in deep embossing crystals. Also stamped into more fimo with the squirly stamp and painstakingly coloured alternate black bits. Same applied to top bit but stamped into black fimo and coloured with a white pen. This didn't work so well, hence only the small bit. Lol! Stamped bamboo tiles, a crown, bottle caps, grungeboard smoke, and clay bits and Bob's your uncle.

Credit Crunch Gifts

2008-11-26T03:59:00.000-08:00

Bought a blank photo frame and wine box from QD Stores and decopatched them. They make lovely, very inexpensive gifts.

NEC purchase

2008-11-15T08:47:00.000-08:00

Had a trip to the NEC yesterday and saw these necklaces being made. The thread is made just like french knitting. Reminded me of my childhood doing french knitting on the wooden cotton reels that my Dad had hammered tacks into!

Enjoyed doing it and had it completed in about 45 minutes.

I dare you......................

2008-09-16T06:41:00.000-07:00

swap continued.

Nicks challenge to me originally was to make something using materials not typically used for crafting. However, when I was at hers making my lovely box, she asked me if I wanted a real challenge. Now, I'm not sure quite what made me say "yes" but I did and she gave me a plain, wooden shoe stretcher to alter as I wished.

Officially, this swap was due to end 30 July but it was almost a challenge too far for me (Lol) and I've only recently completed said item. And I have absolutely no idea how it came about. It just evolved into what you see in the pics! Nicks did ask me if I wanted the other shoe but I gracefully declined the offer. I have little enough hair as it is! ;>)

I dare you swap...

2008-08-01T06:03:00.000-07:00

...... continued. Carol challenged me to make a doll of some sorts. Originally, I was going to make several clothes peg dolls but they didn't go to plan. Anyway, after much hair tearing, I cut off half the round part of the top of peg and glued a clay face to it. Stuck a cotton wool ball to the back of the head and wrapped wadding around the length of the peg. Wrapped ribbon and material round and decorated with beads, buttons etc. She stands about 5 1/2 inches tall.

An altered slide mailer.......

2008-07-30T03:39:00.000-07:00

..........for my father in law. Painted with crackle paint then added bits and pieces that represent his life, achievements and his hobbies such as cribbage, wood turning, am-dram, music, writing etc. Oh, and the odd beer! Lol!

A birthday gift

2008-07-11T05:11:00.000-07:00

for Nicks. It's a box that I bought in a little craft shop in Morecambe. The box is hinged at the bottom and opens out into two compartments. Covered the whole thing in decopatch paper and then applied loads of tat! Lol!

Mugs!

2008-06-29T05:48:00.000-07:00

OH now has an allotment and bought two white

tin mugs for the purpose of refreshments. Alcohol

inks and hey presto, white no longer. Although, I

think I could only be enticed down there if the

one for me had some alcohol on the inside as well

as the outside! Lol!

I dare you.................

2008-06-28T03:54:00.000-07:00

Nicks organised a swap called "I dare you" with groups of five people. Each person in the group then sets a challenge to the other four. The idea is to get the others to do/work with something that they are not familiar with.

Dee challenged me to make a house using colours I wouldn't normally use. Well, I dont use a lot of pink or green so that's what I chose. The house is made from mountboard, painted and stamped. The heart and flourish are made from grungeboard. An embossed copper roof and three metal zip tags saying home, heart and abode finished it off.

Sian challenged me to make a house not using stamps or any moulded pieces. This was a challenge as I'm very fond of stamps and clay heads! Lol! Again the house is made from mountboard with an embossed copper roof. Painted a base coat of copper (no surprise there then!) and painted on a diagonal through sequin waste on the left and then just swirled the colours together on the right. Now I really liked the swirly paint bit so didn't want to cover it up too much so once the altered wooden frame with a picture of the lady of the house was added I just finished it off with some rusty bells.

Mesh, mesh and more mesh

2008-06-21T05:49:00.000-07:00

These are ATCs for Sians Mesh Swap. My old favourites, clay and friendly plastic came out to play. Lol! I'd seen Liz Welch doing a demo on Youtube and wanted to have a go and the oozing through method on the hearts. Although, some stampboard and copper were used also. Wanted to use my new etching tool on the stampboard. Was really easy to use in comparison to the pricking tool I had previously tried to do it with. Rofl! I just need to practise a lot more with it!

Altered wooden box

2008-06-18T04:52:00.000-07:00

Nicks http://nicksartystuff.blogspot.com/ very kindly did a mini workshop in preparation for a new venture http://yourcreativejourney.blogspot.com/ we altered a wooden box with paint and a piece of embossed metalwork. Now the metalwork has intrigued me for ages but with Nick's expert and patient tuition, I now understand how to do it. Thank you Nicks! Loved the workshop so much that when I got home I got straight on the internet and ordered the tools. Oh, and Nicks does a wonderful lunch too!

Now you wouldn't believe it but.......

2008-05-22T08:07:00.001-07:00

............ these have taken me days and days to make! Things just didn't go to plan and somehow they have just evolved into what you see now! Lol! They are for a swap being hosted by Nicks on DC. The theme is ABSA. Alternative background (no card/paper allowed) and had to have an altered item on them.

The first one is a mirror and the text says "Art is in the eye of the beholder". The second is a keypad from an old mobile phone and the third is an optical lens. They're all done on thick plastic that came out of a new shirt. I really liked the way they come to life when held up to the light.

Family Piccy

2008-05-19T07:47:00.000-07:00

Had to visit my home town of Morecambe in Lancs last weekend for the scattering of my Mum's ashes. At my Mum's request, her ashes were scattered in Morecambe Bay by the RNLI and I have to say they did a brilliant job. Caring, curteous and professional. Mum would've been extrememly pleased. Especially seeing as though they were four handsome young men doing the honours. Lol! Anyway, had this piccy taken of us four siblings. Thought I would share it as it's very rare we are all in the same country let alone town these days! Spot the one who got the "good looking" gene? Lol!

Gothic Arches

2008-04-29T08:10:00.000-07:00

Have joined a Gothic Arches swap on a forum and these are my first two attempts. The Mona Lisa one is my first attempt at masked stamping. Easy when you know how! Duh! The base was coloured with alcohol ink rubbed around. The other is just a stamp and coloured with pens apart from the face which is watercoloured to give a more natural effect. Both really simple but I like them. You know what they say, "simple things please simple minds". That's me! Lol!

Chess Board

2008-04-26T05:39:00.000-07:00

I saw these stamps on Ebay but was outbid at the last moment. It wasn't you was it? Lol! Anyway, once I'd seen them I had to have them. As you do! My trusty friend Mr Google located them for me and this is my first play with them. It's a magnetic notice board that I alcohol inked. For some reason when I stamped the chess squares, the ink lifted the alcohol ink. No matter; quite like the effect. The larger chess pieces are fimo and the smaller ones are shrink plastic. All the chess pieces have magnets attached so all the pieces can be rearranged.