I got a shock when I paid a long overdue visit to my own blog today and realised it's about 6 weeks since I posted anything!!! I'm afraid crafting has had to take a bit of a back seat to family stuff recently but I'm hoping things settle down a bit in the New Year so I can delve into all the fab crafty stuff I have waiting to be explored..
Anyway, way back early in the year I pledged to make a gift for five crafting friends who expressed a wish to receive something from me. These items had to be sent before the end of 2013 and as I left it so late I decided to make something for Christmas that they would hopefully like enough to use for several years to come. I took inspiration from two places for these MDF hanging hearts. The first side was from a lovely crafter I met through Twitter and you can see Hazel's decorations HERE. The inspiration for the second side came from a project by Anna-Karin Evaldsson in the December issue of Craft Stamper Magazine
1st Side
I used co-ordinating papers, distressing all the edges to cover this side, with lace to cover the join. I applied Versamark ink with Cut n Dry foam around the edges and applied Wow Bright White embossing powder. I used my Tim Holtz/Sizzix Tattered Poinsettia die to cut the flower and leaves adding Distress Dry Glitter to the edges and the centre. I stamped the 'BELIEVE' circle and die cut it with a Spellbinder die and then inked the edges.
2nd Side
For this side I first gave a coat of PaperArtsy Fresco Finish acrylic paint but I'm afraid I can't remember what colour it was, lol! I also can't remember which order I did the background in as it was before the mayhem of Christmas preparations but if includes stamping random text using Archival ink and a pine branch using Versamark and then heat embossing with Wow Bright White EP before blending Distress Inks over the top. I think the Merry Christmas is an Inkadinkado stamp which I stamped in Red Geranium Archival and then die cut with a Spellbinders label die. I inked the edges and then using the Tim Holtz/Sizzix Tattered Pinecone die I cut and twirled and curled and glittered all the pinecones I needed, lol! I have to admit I don't find these pinecones very easy to make and they look more like flowers than cones to me, lol, but they ended up looking quite nice I think.
I was actually more pleased with these hanging hearts (the MDF blank hearts were from the MDF Man who can be found at lots of craft shows around the country and bonus....... his workshop is only 15 minutes away from me ;D) than I expected to be and will definitely make more as gifts for next year.
Well I hope you have all had a wonderful Christmas and that you are looking forward to New Year celebrations now. Thank you for making time to visit my little bit of cyber space during this busy time of year and I will try to be a better blogger in the New Year ahead.
I would like to wish you all a very happy, healthy and prosperous 2014 and especially all the poor folk who have been affected badly by the awful storms we have been lashed by this past week, I hope your lives get back to normal as soon as possible.
Lots of love and hugs
Lesley Xx
