Love Defined

(cross posted with The Blanket Stitch)

Hello! For today's post I have been busy making a wonderful heart decoration that was picked up from a craft shop, and I have been umming and ahhing over what to do with it ever since. Its actually taking me a fair while to get it made, due to not really knowing what I wanted. 

 

 When I made my 'Imagine' canvas a few weeks ago I loved the colour of the paint so much that I ended up painting the heart while I was at it, however, from there I didn't know what I wanted to do, so it had been left untouched, until now.

I was also making something for Fathers Day, and when I finished that I decided to keep going and finally finished the heart! 

 

 I started with a smaller heart I had painted that I knew I wanted to attached to the main heart. Using a Paris stamp and Victorian Velvet Distress Ink, I created this look on the smaller heart.

On the larger heart I stamped, again using Victorian Velvet Distress Ink, a sheet music background.

  

Using some pink wire, I added this to heart, and wound it round the stick.

    

For the centre of the piece, I used some cream paper, stamped quite haphazardly with Old Paper Distress Ink and edged with Vintage Photo to give it an old look. I then rolled the top and the bottom to make it look like an old scroll. Then, using a Tim Holtz stamp I stamped the centre of the scroll, using black archival ink.

 

Underneath the scroll I have placed a tag shaped piece of card, with a floral pattern.

  

To the right hand side of the scroll I have added a small silk/fabric flower.

  

This was really simple to make in the end, and I left it with this as I feared if I added anymore it would become to fussy. 

  

The final outcome... ...What do you think? 
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For today's blog post I wanted to share with you a little canvas that I have made my dad as part of his Father's day present. It was super easy to make and you can do anything to customise it so it suits your dad.

I started by painted my canvas my chosen colour, for my dad my only option was blue, plus I wanted to do something special on the front to represent him, and blue would be pretty pivotal for that. I used acrylic paint across the canvas.

Down the left hand side I used a piece to string, to break up the canvas. I tied a bow in the top and glued it too the canvas.

I also added this cardboard 'Dad' sign I found in my stash, just so the string didn't look too bare against the canvas.

I found some letter tiles I had in my stash, and using Chipped Saphire Tim Holtz Distress Ink, I stamped them to match the canvas.

As you can see from the above photo, everything was very blue while I was working!

I found this tag, and stamped it in Chipped Saphire Distress Ink. Then, using a stencil, I copied 'Love, Amy' coloured it in using a black sharpie and attached it under the Cardboard 'Dad' sign.

I attached the 'Dad' tiles to the top of the canvas, using 2 sticky pads on each tile.

For the centre piece I drew the Torquay United Logo (Dad's favourite football team - he was born and raised in Torquay, Devon, UK) and painted it using yellow acrylic paint and then glued it to the centre of the canvas.

I am really pleased with the outcome, its just how I imagined it. I am sure he will really love it, I will keep you all updated!

This is a really simple idea, easy to make and you can make it to completely suit you Dad's personality.

If you try this don't forget to leave me a comment below, linking to your post and/or photos, I would love to see them!

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It's been a while since I wrote a good long craft blog post on this blog, so I thought I would update you on my most recent crafting love...Stamping!

Introduced to stamping by my good friend from Laurart before Christmas, last week we had another good stamping session, and I loved it, I really do need to invest in some stamping bits and pieces and set about to make some wonderful creations!

Today I am going to show you the tag I made, its not officially my first tag as I had a play about before Christmas learning different techniques, but it is essentially my first tag where I knew what I was doing (-ish, I did have Laura to help and guide me through!)

First we gathered all the bits and pieces we would need; Distress inks, pads, card, stamps, sprays etc.

Next, with the blank card in front of me I had to decide what I wanted to do. I knew it would be for my boyfriend (due to me not getting him a valentines card) so I settled for a manly, grungy theme. But that was as far as my planning went I don't like to plan too much, I like to see how things develop).

I decided on three colours from Tim Holtz distressed inks (Crushed Olive, Gathered Twigs and Stormy Sky) and set about blending them together on my tag. 

Next I used a water spray, spraying the water into my hand and flicked it over the card and then blotted it, giving it a vintage look.

Then I used a copper spray to add more to the tag.

Next I used a stamp with script across it and using a distress ink added that to my tag. Then I added more wording, then a pattern and a stamp with a film reel look.

Next, using blank archival ink, I stamped 'Love' and 'Listen to your heart'.

Then I pressed a hole out the top and added some grungy ribbon.

Last of all I stamped a heart shaped piece of card and wound rusty wire around it and attached it around the ribbon at the top of my tag.

And I am happy to report, he really liked it!

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