Knotty Nautical

So much for Spring being sprung.  I think we were being lulled into a false sense of warmer weather was on it's way way - hubby was even sitting out in the sun on Saturday afternoon.  Fast forward to today when it's been like a chilly winter's day with couple of very heavy hail showers & strong winds - there's even snow forecast for tonight!  Having said that, our garden is beginning to come to life again with lots of buds beginning to open up.

Last week our son started back at school for his final term.  This week marks the last time he will be at school with all his friends. On Friday they will break off for Study Leave as exam season looms large next month and he will only go in for particular study groups or for exams.  I'm not sure if they have anything planned for Friday but if past years are anything to go by there could be high jinks for those leaving this year.

I wasn't sure what to make for this week's Freshly Made Sketches Challenge

but then a parcel arrived earlier than expected containing an order I'd placed last week for some crafty stuff.  After a rake through, I picked out an embossing folder and a paper pad with some vintage style papers that I thought would go with some nautical themed stampCs and dies.  I thought the X-Cut "Cable Knit Pattern" embossing folder would work quite well with the nautical Sea Breeze Collection items.

The embellishments were cut from Centura Pearl Snow White cardstock and then coloured in layers with Distress Inks. I tried to get a pearlised effect for the shell and a metallic look for the anchor.

 

What I Used

Cardstock

300gsm Supersmooth White - Fabriano

Modern Vintage Paper Pad - The Works
Centura Pearl, Snow White - Crafters Companion

Dies, Stamps & Embossing Folders

 

Sea Breeze Collection Shell & Anchor Dies - Couture Creations

Sea Breeze Collection stamps - Couture Creations

Cable Knit Pattern Embossing Folder - X-Cut

Ink

Tim Holtz Distress Inks - Ranger

18th Birthday

April 3rd is a big day in our household.  This year it marks two big events, for hubby it's the 35th Anniversary of the Defense of South Georgia at the start of the Falklands Conflict*.   Hubby has just arrived back from the Reunion and Mess Dinner for the HMS Endurance & NP8901 Royal Marines which was held at the home of 42 Cdo, RM Bickleigh, Near Plymouth. 

* http://en.mercopress.com/2009/04/14/too-few-too-far-a-vivid-account-of-the-battle-of-south-georgia


Today also marks the day our son, Liam, turns 18.  He is just celebrating it quietly by having a small get together with some of his friends.

I had been saying to Liam I would like to get him something that he could say "I got that from Mum for my 18th" but he couldn't come up with anything he wanted that kind of fit the bill memento wise. In the end I decided to just make something for him or to be more accurate I found a wooden box that I could decorate for him as a Memory Box.

I used a lot of Tim Holtz dies to cut out elements in thick-ish cardboard (Amazon packaging to be precise!) and decoupaged them to the box along with assorted embellishments.  I has taken me what seems like a month of Sundays to do, probably due to the layers of varnish and gilding wax that have been built up on it to get an antiqued patina on it. 

It didn't quite come out how I envisaged it, not as many embellishments as I had intended to use but which didn't seem to look right when I tried them out.  Anyway, regardless of not looking as I intended, he loves it & that's the important thing.

I Used

Wooden box from stash

Decopatch - Black Crackle

Sizzix - Tim Holtz Mixed Media #2
Sizzix - Tim Holtz Cogs

Sizzix -  Just a Note Alphabet

Couture Creations - Sea Breeze Embossing Folder

Ranger - Tim Holtz Key Embellishments

The Works - Wooden Embellishments

The Works - Charm Embellishments

Cosmic Shimmer Gilding Wax

Cosmic Shimmer Polishing Wax

I kept Liam's card quite simple as I had been busy working on his memory box so used the sketch from Freshly Made Sketches

I had a set of three washi tapes bought from our local Poundland store so used them to create the banded effect.  I also stuck some to a piece of scrap card and used them to cut out the sentiment.

Life's An Adventure

Only a week to go until my boy turns 17 and I make good on the promise I've made to him over the many years he's asked me "When I'm old enough, will you teach me to drive?" So next Sunday I'm going to give him his first driving lessons! It's been a while since I've taught so the lesson plans are being dug out from the depths of my filing system and I've got some homework to do to see what changes there have been to the test! I've decided not to do it all myself so after the initial couple of hours of basics he will be going out with an ADI & I'll be taking him out for practice sessions. As I no longer have a dual controlled car I've hired one for two hours next Sunday afternoon - hopefully we each will still be in one piece afterwards & able to go out to his favourite Chinese restaurant for a Birthday buffet!

I was out shopping the other day & spotted a couple of paper crafting magazines which had some nice freebies with them. After trying to decide which one to get and not making up my mind I finally decided I'd been good enough to treat myself to both! One was "The Cardmaker's Collection" featuring dies, embossing folder, stamps & paper samples from Couture Creations latest collection "Sea Breeze" - just the thing for making some men's cards. I love the embossing folder! I was also pleased there was an anchor die as it may well come in handy for some wedding décor next year. In the meantime the collection will come in handy for this week's Freshly Made Sketches Challenge

I did make a wee mistake, I forgot to check which way up the card blank was and stuck the already rope-stamped blue card the wrong way around, hence the flipped layout. I only noticed when I was ready to put the "Framing the Breeze" panel on!

I started off with a 6" x 6" Kraft card base which was given a mat of light blue before adding a panel of white card embossed using the Sea Breeze "Framing the Breeze" folder. The card was then given a light brushing with "Faded Jeans" Distress ink and highlighted with Cosmic Shimmer's "Cast Bronze" gilding wax.

The light blue card was stamped with the knotted rope stamp in Vintage Sepia and two circles were cut out and stamped; one with a ships wheel and the other with a compass from a Hot off the Press set. The stamps were then heat embossed with a clear powder and lightly gilded. A die cut anchor in matt bronze metallic cardstock was placed in the centre circle of the embossed design.

I Used

Cardstock

Kraft Card 6x6" Blank - Hobbycraft

White Supersmooth -

Blue - American Crafts "Summer" 12x12"

Dies, Stamps, Embossing Folders

Anchor Die - Couture Creations Sea Breeze Collection

Ships Wheel & Knotted Rope Stamps - Couture Creations Sea Breeze Collection

Framing the Breeze Embossing Folder - Couture Creations Sea Breeze Collection

Compass & Life is an Adventure Stamps - Hot Off The Press

Inks, etc

Vintage Sepia - Versafine

Faded Jeans - Tim Holtz Distress Ink

Cast Bronze Gilding Wax - Cosmic Shimmer