Another notebook (!) and family photo frame....

Yes, more notebooks! I had cut these coloured pages ages ago and they were just sitting here so I thought a little kraft cover with them would be nice and some simple lettering.
I really need to start selling some of these, I seem to be accumulating a large number of notebooks here now, lol!











The other slightly random thing I'd like to share today is this frame. Is a photo of my grandparents and my auntie. I just love old photos and this one in particular. I painted a frame in trad tan and lightly stamped a script stamp onto it, then printed out a hero arts digital frame onto acetate and put it over the frame and added some paper grungeflowers. Sometimes simple works best so I left it at that.
Ta da!

Fabric notebook with Basic Grey brads

Yet another notebook I made this week. I covered the covers in fabric after sewing just 3 wiggly lines across it. I then stuck some Basic Grey glazed brads through it. Very quick, I think it's really pretty. Very simple but it works so well.

I made this for the Basic Grey Challenge where the theme is fabrics.

The notebook is for sale in my Folksy shop HERE.

Another little notebook.....

I can't stop making little notebooks and binding things - ahhhhh! I'm slowly getting on better with my bind it all, but would much rather have a binding machine that cuts round holes. Like the look of the Cinch, but it had such bad reviews I'm staying far away from it.

Anyway, so this one is covered with white linen card, some ribbon wrapped round, a bit of stamping and a little frame, done.

It is for the Stamptacular Sunday Challenge, theme this week is 2 stamped images.

The notebook is also for sale in my Folksy shop HERE.

Tim Holtz style photo album

Another week and another 2 fun challenges - first of all there is the Compendium of curiosities challenge, of course!!! And the other one is Simon says stamp and show and the theme this week is Tim holtz, so I cleverly combined the two. Well, it wasn't planned but it kinda happened.

So I had these photo insert pages I wanted to make an album with. I covered some thick board in dictionary paper and distressed it all and put corners on it. I didn't want anything too busy on the front so I opted for a simple frame with a message. When it came to stamping the message I thought I may as well try the blended batik technique from the compendium and it worked nicely but I don't fnd it anything special really. It's a lot of effort though. Maybe i'm not doing it right yet, but I expected more of a wow result.
Add some ideaology and album done.




This is the inside of the album (again picture won't go the right way round, sorry). I had these inserts from an old album I took apart, but I am desperately trying to find inserts like that. Anyone come across them? The hold standard size photos. The are removable as they just 'clip' around the spiral binding. I wouldn't mind if they were permanently bound in, either way it's those type of photo inserts I a after if you see them on your crafty travels gimme a shout!

The album is for sale in my folksy shop HERE.

Stamp your own family......

I must have mentioned before that I love having photos made into stamps. It started off with a photo of my mum as a child, it's a really pretty picture and it works really well as a stamp. So now whenever I get my hand on more old family photos I try turning them into stamps, although not all photos work. They should be good quality ones, professionally done pictures work well.

So I found a photo of my grandad that works too and here is 2 cards I made recently. Inspiration for the green/blue one came from craft stamper magazine and the other card is using the same layout.

Stick, Stick, Stickles - Compendium Challenge Time

Always looking forward to the compendium challenge on mondays, I get really excited around 12 o'clock and eagerly await the new post at 1.
So this week it's stickles time. I'm not much of a fan of stickles, just never really use glitter glue that much. But I do own 2 distress stickles (only because I won them or they came with a pack of things) and I actually made a point of ordering another 2 colours this week - green and white, thought they may come in handy for christmas cards.

As you can see I made yet another grungeflower card. Can't get enough of them. See the bottle cap in the centre, I squeezed that full of stickles too. So yeah, stickles everywhere.
Until next week! Ta da!

More moleskine notebooks and more of my folksy venture

I had a whole lot of moleskine notebooks lying around here so I thought I should do something with them. In fact I have a whole huge box of things that are waiting to be altered/painted/decorated, got to work my way through that and stop buying new stuff.

So here are the 2 notebooks I liked the most out of the ones I made. I put them on folksy, trying to find out what sells on there and what doesn't, so I'm putting up a lot of random items to sell and see how it goes.

GO TO MY FOLKSY SHOP.



This is also being entered into the Simon says Challenge, the theme is 'Make a gift'.

This is using some paper artsy stamps I really like, it's a cure little row of houses. I just coloured them with brush markers and added some glossy accents. Very quick and easy.

Picture frames and my folksy venture

I had this idea in my head for a while now. Saw the stamps and thought they'd perfectly fit the ikea frames. So I stocked up on frames and got the beeswax out again. Works really nicely.

I am making more things to try and sell now as I've just started putting things on folksy. Anyone got experience with all the different craft selling sites? I have been looking at folksy as you can sell in GBP, my 2nd choice is dawanda I think, but a little put off listing in Euros. And same with etsy. Let me know what your experiences are. That be much appreciated!

This frame I covered in various layers of UTEE and the coloured cosmic shimmer powder. Makes a bit of a mess on our dining table when working with UTEE but I do like the result.

Check out my Folksy Shop.

Wendy style notebook - another challenge at Simon says

This week at the new Simon says stamp and show we are creating Wendy Vecchi inspired pieces. No need to think about it I just got making with the Wendy stamps I recently bought (already planning the next order, they are so amazing!).
I had a few papers and covers for the bind it all machine lying around so I thought I make a notebook, it's using the 7.5" x 5" covers. The decorating bit was easy, the binding however wasn't. I can't find my instructions for the machine so I tried to work it out myself and went totally wrong. Never mind, I somehow rescued it and next time I'll have to find my instructions first!!! Practice makes perfect, eh?

So this is for the Simon says stamps and show challenge as well as Wee Memories challenge where the theme is Buttons, brads and bling. I used some more of the vintage buttons I bought of ebay recently.

Now back to the crafting table, I am working on another Wendy piece this week, see if it's finished in time I'll enter it into the challenge as well.

I'm feeling so bluuuueeeeee.....

Summertime Blues is the theme at Simon says stamp so I thought I join in with this little fabric card. Only recently started stamping onto fabric, and I used shimmer misters to colour the fabrics.
This card was really quick and easy but I think the strong blue works really well on a white card.
I'm off to craft some more. Laters!

Decorated chipboard shapes - Craft Stamper Swap

So, once again I can't get the picture to upload the right way round. This is driving me nuts, anyone else have that problem? I've turned it every way and then uploaded it and then I added text so it may recognize it, but nooooo.

Ah well, you just have to turn your head sideways to get a proper look.

I wanted to enter the decorated chipboard shape swap in Craft Stamper so I used these 2 Maya Road shapes and inked them up in mauve, then added 3 layers of clear UTEE, sprinkled some blue micro beads onto the melted UTEE and stamped a Wendy Vecchi stamp into it. Then I rubbed scattered straw crackle paint into the writing.

I am sending the wings off for the competition and I am also entering them into the Simon says stamp and show challenge.

And the music note is for Hels Sunday Stampers.

Simon says stamp and show #1 - Things with wings

Things with wings is the theme at the brandnew Simon says stamp and show challenge and as I've recently stocked up on Ikea mirrors I just had to get the beeswax out again for this one.

I painted the mirror with traditional tan and then used a staz on ink pad to highlight the woodgrain, just swiped it across, gives a nice effect. I then stamped a music background stamp all over it and added another thin layer of trad tan. I then added loads of little bits with beeswax.
The birds are painted with crackle paint and spritzed with glimmer mists. And the tree branches are covered in 3 layers of UTEE and then stamped into with a script stamp. It was the first time I tried that technique and I think I'm now addicted. Gives such a cool effect. Although the script stamp may have been the wrong choice for the branches, it needs a more defined stamp for the thin branches I think, but next time I know better. And there we go, things with wings.

I am also entering this into the Alter it monthly challenge where the theme is music, hence my little singing birds and the music notes.

Anikraft's Altered Art Candy

UPDATED 1st OCTOBER!! SCROLL DOWN FOR DETAILS!

As promised here is another candy.

I enjoyed the last one and visiting my new followers blogs and as I like sharing my crafty stash I thought why not put an altered art theme on my candy this time. I've recently really got into old and vintage things from markets so here goes, my candy includes:

• 1 Kraft coloured pencil tub (great to alter and all coloured pencils included)
• a few sheet music pages
• heavy gold lace
• flowery serviettes (great to use with beeswax)
• 1 sheet of Tim Holtz grungeboard elements
• a few sheets of natural papers
• vintage buttons and snaps still on their cards
• old postage stamps
• 3 small vintage keys
• 1 old keyhole
• 2 German coins from 1939

There is some other little bits too and I may add more as I go along so if you like the sound of that, then become a follower, add your name to the list and link me to your sidebar. You have to have a blog to enter so I can come and visit you. I will draw this candy when we reach 100 followers. I will ship internationally.

Added 1st October:

I've put together a little trial pack of chipboard shapes including mini crowns, snowflakes, hearts, swirls, butterflies, keys, trees, flowers etc. Also included are 2 Maya Road Kraft envelopes. Some foundations frames. Sheer owls and birds. So yeah, there is a nice little selection to get any crafter into Maya Road.

Compendium of Curiosities Challenge #9

It's Tuesday (almost still Monday) and therefore another Compendium of Curiosities Challenge. Yippie.
As mentioned in a previous posts my parents were staying and my mum had taken over my desk so I couldn't get making til today. Now that my parents are on their way back to Germany I have my crafty stash back to myself and quickly made this card for the challenge before I have to head to work.

By the way, this week we are playing with crackle paints. So I used some rock candy on the flower there and had a little fun with distress inks for the background.

Wendy inspired birthday cards.....

I'm still not bored of my Wendy stamps, so here is a few creations:

They are all using the vintage buttons I bought loads of. Especially loving the chunky red-orange upholstery buttons. They are so chunky I don't think the card will fit in an envelope.

1000 sheets of paper candy

This is the most amazing paper candy I have ever seen, a thousand sheets to be won. Where would you put them?!

Check it out here and be in with a chance.

Stamps and craft crashcourse for my mum

Apologies for the lack of blogging in the past few days, my parents are visiting until Tuesday and since Thursday I've been trying to pass on all my crafty knowledge and the wonders of Tim Holtz, Wendy Vecchi and so on.
Easier said than done. But I think she has now worked her way through most of my magazines and we are working on a frame to learn some techniques. So many stamps and so little time!!!

I won't get my desk back next until next week so until then I'll have to keep all the ideas in my head, so many things I wanna make. Now that I'm stocked up on Ikea mirrors and frames I wanna get making.

In the meantime let me share this little Wendy inspired frame with you.

I promise there will be more new things to blog about next week and I will also sort out that other candy I was on about.
Tada! Anika x

Stampman ATC Swap - Time

Haha, I finally found a way of getting round my pictures being turned sideways by blogger. I just added some text in the top corner. Genius. I'm sure everyone else already knew that. Never mind.

So finally here is my entry for this months Stamp Man ATC Swap. The theme is time.

I'm loving the one on the left with the photo of me and my sister. I used a circle punch, then stuck the pic in the bottle cap and filled it with clear utee then stuck it in the oven til it's melted.

Nice little idea to make personalized embellies I think.

So these are being posted off to The Stamp Man asap.

Dragonfly ATC

Just a little ATC to share today. I am still having trouble uploading certain photos the right way up so whilst I figure that one out, here is a little dragonfly ATC.
I painted the background and stamped a wendy stamp on on it, crackle paint over the top and some ribbons wrapped round, very easy yet effective and pretty I think.

Sunday Stampers - Old and New

When I got back from Spain with my market finds like the wooden measure and old keyholes n stuff I already had this design in my mind, I just had to make an A out of the measure. Little did I know at the same time Hels was making an "Art" frame for Sunday Stampers and the theme is old and new. That's pretty creepy.
So I went ahead using old bits like the key, snaps, fabric tape measure etc and combining it with new things like the piece of chain, the vial (I poured some alcohol ink into this) and one of my new Wendy Vecchi stamps.
And there we go, an arty frame worthy of Sunday Stampers (I think) and it's also being entered into the Artistic Stamper challenge.

Yummy Tim Holtz Candy

Check out this super yummy candy on Scrap with Stacy. It's amazing!!!

Compendium of Curiosities Challenge #8

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Originally uploaded by Anikraft

Yippie it's monday, not just my day off and therefore declared craft day but also a new compendium challenge.

So this week we are inking grunge, funny that, I've kinda been doing that the past few days as is. Now I have to apologize for the bad photo, I will retake the picture with daylight some time this week. It's just that I won't have time tomorrow when I normally take my photos, I am off to Ikea to stock up on frames and mirrors to alter! Better take a big bag!

Also apologies for the picture being inserted from flickr, it just didn't want to be the right way up when inserted here so I uploaded it there instead and inserted it that way. Anyway....

So I just got a bunch of Wendy Vecchi stamps (finally!!!! been waiting for back orders for ages!) and gave them a little test run. More cards to be blogged this week.

And OMG I just got the most amazing parcel this morning. I bought a whole lot of vintage buttons from ebay, they are still on their cards. Pretty funky. Had to use some straight away for my flowers. And I may have to share some in another candy so watch this space.

Ta da! xxx