Mixing It Up With Imagination Crafts

Hello!

Welcome to my first blog as part of the Imagination Crafts Design Team.

I'm delighted to be able to share with you projects I've made for Hochanda shows featuring the amazing range of products from Sue & the team at Imagination Crafts.

Let's start with a real splash of colour!

I loved making this bright tag for the August One Day Special show on Hochanda. It was the perfect way to play with lots of fabulous Imagination Crafts goodies & some of my favourite techniques.

Here's how I did it.

 I used Imagination Crafts black gesso to cover my tag.

Next I used the 'Harlequin' stencil and applied Imagination Crafts white gesso through the the stencil using a sponge.

 Using sponge again I applied Imagination Crafts Mixed Media Sprays in Blue, Fuchsia and Purple. Just spray a small amount on your sponge at close range then dab it through your stencil.

I then stamped through the stencil using a permanent ink and an Imagination Crafts Texture Art stamp.

Next I removed the 'Harlequin' stencil and switched to the A4 Dragonfly Textures Stencil to add the white details with white gesso and a sponge again.

 I then added white heat embossed swirls from the Texture Art Stamp set above. I then stippled some of the Chickenwire Magicutz with Gold Starlight paint (not shown)

 On a piece of matte black cardstock, I stencilled a white gesso dragonfly and over stamped it with clear heat embossed detail using the leaf vein stamp from the Texture Art Stamp set above.

 I then spritzed the dragonfly using Imagination Crafts Mixed Media sprays in green and light blue before cutting it out.

I stuck the Magicutz & dragonfly onto my tag using Magi-bond.

Don't miss Sue and Imagination Crafts on Hochanda (Sky 673, Freeview 85, Freesat 817) on 

Saturday 1st August at 9am, 1pm & 5pm

All products used are available at www.crafterscompanion.co.uk

Did you miss me?

Seems ages since I had the chance to blog but this morning I got up extra early to catch up with you guys.

So, where have I been? 

Well, where to start?  We've moved! Yup, I decided that my last shop was not in the right place so I closed it and moved everything to a fabulous little 300 year old barn at Kirkharle, in the heart of my beautiful home county, Northumberland. And I love it!!

The new studio is set in Kirkharle Courtyard, a 17th century manor house & farm which was the birthplace of renowned landscape architect Lancelot Capability Brown.

The courtyard is also home to a number of other creatives along with a farm shop selling Northumbrian fayre and the most  amazing cafe (oops, there goes the diet!).

As you can imagine moving everything from a large shop to a small studio wasn't easy but with lots of help from family and friends (thank you  Paul, Caitlin, Simon, Nikki & James!) we did it.

Not only did we change premises but we also changed names so I'm delighted to introduce you to The Creative Chicken!

www.thecreativechicken.co.uk

So, that's one of the things I've been up to since we last saw each other but there is so much more to tell you all so see you soon!

Wendy x

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas…

Welcome to December!
I'm hopelessly behind with my holiday preperations but I have found time to make these cute little mixed-media wreath ornaments.

I started off by cutting a circle from strong black card stock and sticking a ring of buttons around the edge using my hot glue gun (I made sure that about 1/3 of each button overlapped the edge of the card circle). I left a gap at the top of the circle so that I could add my hanger & ribbon later.

I then added a layer of smaller buttons onto of the first layer as shown below. Try to choose a few buttons with text or detail on them as this will add texture later.

Next, I added a couple of embellishments from my Finnabair Mechanicals stash to the centre of the wreath using Art Basics Heavy Body Gel.

I then added a couple of beads I had lying around and filled in some of the gaps around the embellishments with Finnabair's Art basics Art Stones and mini-art stones. This also gives you some great textures.

Once the gel was dry (you can speed this up with a heat tool) I painted everything with a coat of Pebeo Black Gesso and dried it off.

Now everything was black, the magic could begin! I dry brushed my wreath with Finnabair's Art Basics Opal Magic. I used two different colours to get the effect I wanted, dry brushing one onto of the another. The magic of these paints is that they change colour depending on the colour you paint them over so you end up with a subtle range of tones.

You can add more colour to certain areas to give the wreath a 'worn' effect and make elements stand out.

I wanted the ribbon to have a vintage feel to it so I simply dry brushed double sided black satin ribbon with my opal-magic paint. As well as giving the vintage look to the ribbon, this has the added bonus of helping stiffen the ribbon slightly so it keeps it's shape better.

I glued a key ring chain in the centre of the 'gap' on my wreath to hang it, then made a bow from my satin ribbon and attached that with hot glue.

I hope you enjoyed this project. 

Don't forget to follow the blog and if I have inspired you to try a bit of mixed media you can find the supplies I used in our online shop (just click the links) or pop in and see us at Craftsite in Cramlington, Northumberland if you are passing!

I would love to see your mixed-media art. Please share it on Instagram and tag me @craftsiteshop.

Supplies used are available to order from Craftsite.co.uk. Just click the item to go to the website.

Art Basics Heavy Body Gel

Pebeo  Gesso

Art Stones

Opal Magic Acrylic Paint

Embellishments from a wide range in our shop

Hello and welcome to my crazy world!

Hello and Welcome!

Well, I've done it. After months of saying 'I really should do a blog' here it is.
So where do I start?
Maybe I should tell you a little about myself? Ok, I've always been into crafts.  As a child I was always making things from yogurt pots, glue, basically anything I could get my claggy hands on (claggy - sticky) and this has never changed.
I have a craft supplies shop in Northumberland, UK where I'm lucky enough to have a workshop in which to 'play' and teach.
It took me a while to find my crafting passion. I've tried everything - knitting, cake decorating, calligraphy, card making, furniture upcyling. You name it - I've had a go, and although I still enjoy dabbling in other crafts over the last few years I have realised that mixed media and art journalling is where my heart really lies.
When I'm not messing around in the workshop I'm usually spending time with my wonderful husband, Paul, my grown up children, Caitlin & Simon and my fur-babies Daft Dougal & Princess Pepsi who are adorable cockapoos.
Apart from my workshop, my favourite place is the beach and you will see a lot of beach inspiration in my work.
So, that's me!
The plan is to blog about what's been happening in my workshop and share with you some of my art & techniques used in making them.
I'd love to hear your comments and questions so please get in touch and if you are in the North East of England pop into Craftsite and say 'Hello'!