Cards and Crafting Live at Doncaster

I have been making a couple of cards recently and really enjoyed creating the splat and splodge background in the one above.  It really looks as though I have gone a bit mad with the inks, but the splats and splodges are stamps.  I need to make more of these in lots of rainbow colours...

I took a long time considering what I was going to make and tried various things, but in the end I found that simple is best for me.  I was pleased with the card above which I think worked well.

Last Sunday on yet another hot day for the UK, Chris and I went to Crafting Live at Doncaster.  This is a shopping show, with around 70 stalls full of all things crafting.  The majority were papercrafting but there were material and sewing stalls and some others, such as beading.  I had been curious about these shows and decided I wanted to go just once.  I got the dies above as a free gift, which was a good start to the event.

I managed to avoid the sewing and material stalls, even though there were some beautiful fabrics.  Above are a couple of stamp sets (I spied the hare stamps from across the aisle and just had to buy them - they are in a lino print style which is something I have been looking for) and some stencils which I bought.  I even managed to stay in budget! 

I nearly forgot to include this stamp, which was the one I actually went to the show for!  It's a layered hydrangea stamp which gives a watercolour look once it is layered up.  I enjoyed the show but am not sure that I need to go to another one.  It was great to have so many shops all in one place though.

Creative things...and learning important lessons

As I have amassed rather a huge papercrafting stash, including papers, stamps, dies, die cutting machines and various other tools to accompany the aforesaid things, I decided that the time had come to experiment and actually use some of the stash.  I had noted down a few ideas and so had a go in my sketchbooks.  Above are watercolour backgrounds with stamped images.  They worked pretty well, though I did need to stamp twice as the paper was textured. 

I then had a go at stamping and colouring with watercolour pencils, which was surprisingly effective and reasonably quick to do too.

 Here is my favourite stamp set from Altenew - Folksy Florals.  I like the Scandinavian retro feel to these simple flowers and enjoyed building up the colours and patterns.  I have now got the corresponding die set too so will be able to cut out the flowers and leaves accurately.  They are just so cheerful.

At the top of the page is an Altenew Stencil which gives a lovely  watercolour effect using inks.  At the bottom of the page is an embossed leaf stamp which I coloured with watercolour paints.

It was my sister's birthday, so I made her a card using hydrangea stamps and the large image in the centre is embossed and watercoloured too.  One of the great things about stamps is that you can decorate the envelope too. 

I have plans to create some cards with positive sentiments to have on my wall at work, so they will be the next project.

In other news, you may remember that I was going to make the tunic dresses featured above.  I made a toile first as I knew that the shoulders would probably need altering.  I had also read on other blogs that the pattern on the left was not designed for curvy figures and the ties were too high up and hit a fuller bust in the wrong place.  Armed with this knowledge, I brought them down to waist level.  I also thought the pockets were a bit too big, so used a pocket from another pattern.  So, I worked away, making the necessary alternations as I went and happily sewing.  Here's the finished product. 

(It does need an iron, which I really should have done before taking a photo.)

Here's the back.  So, I was very pleased with myself and tried the finished garment on.  There was just one problem...I didn't like it, not at all, not one bit.  I looked like I was wearing a sack - not flattering at all. 
So, what could I do?  Well, I could donate it, or alter it again.  I measured it against the tunic dress pattern I have made before and it would work, so I unpicked it all and have started re-making it. I will post a photo once I have finished.  So, lesson learned - some styles just don't suit me, so I should stick to the things which do.  I am going to make the other pattern up next though and I have made a toile and tried it on.  It's a simple shape with a tie belt and I think it will work nicely - let's hope it does...