February

is the first Wednesday of the month so there is a new challenge over on the challenge blog - pop on over and join us...

Red and Black Hearts!

Hello! For this special week  I have decorated a pack of hanging hearts...

Each heart is around 8cm long to give you an idea of the overall hanging length.  I have added some texture paste through Tando's Heart Mask and then painted them with DecoArt Metallic Festive Red (fabulous sheen on this).  Instead of using the letter from the kit I have covered some hearts from a Tando Grab Bag with some script paper and gone around the edges with Brilliance Graphite Black.  Here is a close up of the hearts...

A few gems, ribbon and beads finish it all off!  Here are the Tando products I used...

The Mini Hanging Hearts Kit

and the pretty mask

Thank you for popping by!  Do keep coming back as we blog nearly everyday!  Hugs, Karen x

Black and red with stripes and stars

Hello my dear crafty friends! Welcome to our Red and Black week and this is my shiny red and black arch.

I made it with Tando arch and a lot of Tando stars and with double sided glue strips, heat embossed one by one. It was a lot of work, but the result is shiny and fancy.

Hope you like my work today and see you next week with another Tando project.

A masculine card: 'Between Poetry and Painting'

Hello everyone, I hope you are doing well, maybe ready for a fun creative week-end!?.. If you need suggestions, I have a card to show you, inspired by the Artist Ellen Vargo. I enjoy watching at the videos Leandra shares on Paper Artsy's blog using the Fresco paints, and also discovering from time to time the fantastic works her talented guest DTs create. They often give also very interesting tips and techniques, and that's a great way to progress! This time I was able to give a try on the great brayering technique showed by Ellen Vargo... you can find her tutorial here. I spent a very enjoyable few hours on this, making a card and additional bookmarks I will show you later. Here's my card.

I started with a large A4 Manila sheet that I cut out (at the end) into four parts to create three bookmarks and my card. This is one of my good resolutions for 2014: To optimize my creative process!!!! :o)

I painted it using almost the same colours of Fresco paints that Ellen used (mainly a mix of blue and green shades) except the initial Cheesecake colour I do not have. I easily replaced it by a coat of Stone and Nougat. Next, to add a bit of texture on my background, I played with my Andy Skinner stencil 'Code Breaker' just at the bottom left on the card. I painted the inside of my numbers in reds/browns and highlighted the edges with the help of two white markers, shading off the lines gradually with my finger. I put a small candle remaining from a previous project (coming from a pack of 'Mini's Candles' by Tando) just below the first Zero, I had the idea to create a kind of halo around the wick, as if the flame was spreading out it... Love the result!

To embellish my card, I glued some mesh and two punched circles, also stamped some images and flowers, leaves and sentiments either directly or on black card. The stamps are all from Paper Artsy as I wanted to play along with them and Ellen Vargo. I used Jet Black and Libray Green Archival inks to stamp over the background, and for the daisy and leaves cut out from pieces of black card I used several PA paints. The daisy and its two leaves were first stamped using white paint (Snowflake)... Then I repeated the process with translucent paints (Autumn Fire and London bus mainly for the daisy, and  Toad Hall and Limelight with drops of Hey Pesto for the leaves). I affixed the flower on the background using foam pads for extra dimension. 

Some of my words and quotes were also heat embossed, a bit sanded at some places and then re-inked using Distress inks. I added a few metal and brads embellishments from my stash for the finishing touch!

Tando Products

Thanks for stopping by, I wish you a very happy and creative week-end!! Hugs Coco xxx 

Key to a Kingdom: Masculine week projects

Hello my dear crafty friends ! Irit is here again and this is my masculine small altered wall deco.
I used a lot of Tando products on this small stamped piece: steampunk pieces,scalloped basic board, a window tray,a key and key hole. All are painted, stamped, heat embossed and made this art piece so unique.

The textured background was made with stamping into a wet gesso and misting it  when it was still wet.
I hope you like this small altered piece and see you soon again!

One for the boys!

Hi, its All for the Men  here this week , although we secretly know they are boys really hahaha!!!!  I have used a favourite quote of mine and added it to a Tando book page...
 

 
...these are great for 'hangy things'!  The board has been treated to some PaperArtsy Crackle and paint and then some coloured texture paste through one of Andy Skinners masks.  The image has been stamped and embossed onto white card, cut out and glued to the board.  The quote is PC generated.
 
The book as it comes...
 

Andy's mask...
 

Please pop over to *Tando Creative* to see what else they make and to find a link to their stockists.  Thank you so much for popping in, Take care, Karen xxx
 

last week...

of our January challenge - there is still loads of time to join us tho' - pop on over to the challenge blog to see whats its all about…. see you there