The Mirror Crack'd

Thursday, 5 February 2015

#06 Album/Journal Cover

Welcome to our Sixth Challenge. We are really enjoying seeing all your fabulous works of art, and your creative imaginations.

For this, our second challenge of 2015, we would like you to create a mixed media Album cover or Journal cover – Any subject, but using multiple techniques and materials.

We are thrilled to be sponsored by

WOODWARE CRAFT COLLECTION

With a prize of £12.00 to spend at your favourite Woodware Stockist, either in store or on line.

Woodware are a Yorkshire based family owned business, as well as distributing Dreamweaver Stencils and Stampendous Stamps we have a wonderful range of stamps designed for us by Francoise Read and Jane Gill. We also scour the world for new and innovative products for the crafty card maker, and have a great range of punches and tools of the trade, to find stockists in your area or to see the range visit the website www.woodware.co.uk.

Our design team are playing along with the challenge so check out our blog, which is there for inspiration at www.woodware.co.uk/blog.

Before we get down to the Team's gorgeous samples, I would like to thank all of you who applied to be in our team. Sorry I couldn’t take on everyone. I have a few new team members to announce. Please pop by their blogs if you have time as I am sure they would love to see you.

Claudia Neubacher

Servus and hi, my name is Claudia, I am in my forties and I live in Vienna, Austria (next to the beautiful river Danube) with my wonderful son and husband and our dog Bluna.

I am a studied arts and woodworks teacher and after 18 years in the job have become a dedicated stay at home mom and housewife - which happily gives me enough sparetime to regularly create a happy mess in my studio. I have been discovering stamps and mixed media since I started my crafty blogger career about two and a half years ago - and I still keep finding new techniques, styles and media to explore!

I love altering objects, painting canvases, making books, tags, altered art jewelry and have just started with encaustics and some art journaling too. I don't think I have one particular style (as there are so many fascinating styles to try and play with) but I would describe myself as the messy and (in a good sense) chaotic painter and crafter, who is happiest when being covered with paint up to the elbows and (very often) embraces imperfection and happy accidents ;) . I love working with acrylic paints, texture pastes, stencils, crackle media of all sorts and stamps to create texture and effects that give the impression of timeworn surfaces.

I get inspired by rust, by bark, by rock,well....honestly by nature in general and all the colours and textures and shapes there are to find. You can make me the happiest person of all by giving to me some old rusty keys!

I love to challenge myself and explore new territory! So to me becoming part of the wonderful design team of The Mirror Crack'd is both: a new challenge and a wonderful opportunity to get to know and work alongside some fabulously talented artists! Ain't I just a lucky girl?!

Kerstin

I'm very happy to be a part of this very creative DT.

My name is Kerstin-Inga Peters and I come from Germany and have been creating for many years now, always in search for new techniques and yet unexplored territory in craftland.
My big passions are colours and structure. I'm a big Mixed Media Style fan and love the things that are old and nobody wants anymore, because they have a history! My newest love is Mr. Art Journal, with Art Journaling I have found one of "my" favourite genre - as it combines words and pictures, thoughts and feelings, application of various innovative techniques and the idea of telling stories in a brave new crafty world!

Besides I discovered the steampunk style, inventive genius and adventurous romance are what makes Steampunk so very special and exciting to me.

But I also like to invent always new and so I will also often be good for a surprise!

Jan Hill

Hi I am Jan Hill, I live in Coventry (England) but was born in Manchester and am a Northern girl at heart. I live with my long suffering husband and son, but have a happily married daughter and gorgeous Granddaughter whom I love to scrap pages about.

My passion is now mixed media, I am a big fan of distress and all Tim Holtz products but like to put my own twist on things. I am sooo lucky to be retired and have loads of time to spend in my Attic craft room and on holidays. My blog is www.scrapintheattic.com. I seem addicted to challenges which is where I found The Mirror Crack'd,( I also hate making cards) so this site seemed perfect. I was thrilled to be invited to be a member of the Design Team, many thanks Lin x

Elaine Langford Pugh

I am known as Elaine aka Ellapu in Blogland. I am 54 and live in Hampshire, UK. I work full time as an Investigator for Revenue and Customs, UK. I have been in the job for 15 years and love it.

I suffer chronic pain through having 2 types of arthritis and also suffer with bi-polar - some days I don't make it to work and for the rest I struggle to do so.

Recently I had my head shaved for Charity - Children in Need and raised £2000 - One of the best things I have done aside form creating.

Crafting has given me an outlet for my frustrations and get completely emerged, losing out on time for getting the housework done - just as well I live on my own lol.

I am happy to be here working alongside such talented ladies and grateful they wanted me. I look forward to seeing everyone's creations to give me inspiration.

Hugz to all - Elaine xx

We hope our fabulous Design Team can inspire you. Please pop by their blogs and show them your appreciation

Carole

I have used acrylic paint, texture paste, printed paper, UTEE and a lot of embellishments for the cover of my spiral bound album.

Vania

For this challenge I created one album.I don't know how much visible is from photos, but on the cover have embossed text with gold powder and some of leafs are colored with acril paint. Every one from sheets in this album is colored with distress and decorated with buttons, flowers, ribbons, lace and stamps.

Sue B-scrumplescrunch

My Journal cover has a substrate of Tissue paper and Plastic netting before I proceeded to paint up and add the elements. There is a step by step on how I created this on my Blog.

Elaine aka Ellapu

I updated my journal using diecuts, wooden misshapes, stencil, poly filler, paints, lots of dylusions and Inka Gold.

Kerstin

My first Art Journal cover for my new favourite theme.

I've been working consciously with contrasts, black and white and metallic effects, matching the content of my art journal.

More details please on my blog

Lin

My journal cover comes from my dreams. It's a canvas board, with various lazer cuts and letters, and lots of spray inks and gilding wax. More information on my blog

Lula

I have made the Art Journal cover using my favourite items: chipboards, lace and modeling paste with stencils. Lots of misting, painting and enjoying the colors.

Susanne

I created a back to back binding mini album to collect some photos of our last years visit in the playmobil fun park. The cover is created with Gelatos. You'll find some step by step photos on my blog.

Jolanda

My Journal Cover is decorated with structure paste & stencils.

I used 5 colors Inka Gold...

Rita Marie

My Funky Journal Cover was made using scraps of some of my printed artwork, magazines, markers, gel pens, and really lots of thing. This is a great way to use lots of your supplies. I have a short tutorial for you to watch if you would like to head over to my Blog. This was so much fun and relaxing to create. I hope this inspires some of you to get out your fun art supplies and create something different. Thank you! xo

Angela R. Felix the Crafty Cat

Hi everyone, my journal cover was made using a variety of materials including Tyvek, stencils, pastes, gilding wax and several other bits and pieces. I have included a tutorial on my blog if you would like to see how I completed this.

Shilpa

Hi everyone, I recycled old book and made new art journal for 'Me' I've used Gelatos in various colors.

Come over to my blog Neon Diary to have closer look.

An InLinkz Link-up

#05 Stencils Winner and Top 5

I was the hostess for our Stencils challenge and I have chosen my winner and Top 5 as follows:-

10 - Being shMe

Please contact Lin at the email address in the side bar to let me know if you want to Guest for us, so we can liaise and sort out suitable dates.

14 Pawsitively Creative

Thank you all for your fabulous entries, I had a great deal of fun visiting all your blogs and oooohing and aaaahing at your talents.

Don't forget to take your Winner/Top 5 badge from the sidebar.

Please come back and join us at 12 noon for our February challenge.

Monday, 5 January 2015

#05 Stencils and Design Team called extended

Welcome back to The Mirror Crack'd and Happy New Year. I hope you have all enjoyed a fabulous Christmas and New Year and are raring to put your creative thinking caps on.

Sadly we have lost another two members of our team Merethe and Angela J, due to family commitments, so I am still running the DT call. Please put DT after your name if you fancy joining us. The commitment is for only one project a month, plus commenting on a number assigned to you, so it’s quite easy to do.

For our first challenge of 2015 we would like you to use Stencils somewhere in/on your project.

We hope our fabulous Design Team can inspire you. Please pop by their blogs and show them your appreciation

Sue-scrumplescrunch

On this canvas I show two methods of stencil work; texture paste and paint.
I have a written tutorial on my Blog.

Shilpa

I've made Mixed Media Canvas for this stencil theme challenge. If you would like to see more close up views, please visit my blog Neon Diary

Angela R.
Felix the Crafty Cat

Hi to you all. I've been working in my journal for this stencil theme, using Gesso and inks to apply the designs. Hope you will pop over to my blog to see more details of how I did this.

Lula

This time my contribution is an altered calendar.

I have used gesso, modelling paste and ink with 3 different stencils.

Carole

I created a canvas using 2 different stencils. I airbrushed, used acrylic paint and texture paste. And also stencilled through the Owl die.

Jolanda

I made this mixed media canvas with photos from our wedding day, now almost 2.5 years ago! I used lots of stencils, structure paste, distress paint, design paper, mod podge, lots of embellishments....

More details you can find on my blog!

Lin

I created a new art journal page with a stamp from Prima and stencils from Splodgeaway and also from Imagination Crafts. For more details please see my blog

Vania

An InLinkz Link-up

#04 Recycle/Upcycle or Christmas Gift Winner and Top 5

Hi and welcome to 2015 at The Mirror Cracked. We didn’t have masses of entries into our Recycle challenge, but the standard of entries was extremely high and I really struggled to narrow it down to a winner and top 5, so I didn’t. There is actually a top 6 instead.

The winner, and person I would like to offer a guest spot to for a future challenge is

10 Curls N Twirls

Could you please contact me at the address in the sidebar to sort out a future Guest spot.

And my Top 5/6 are:

I could so do with a thinking cap!!!! So sorry that I couldn’t leave a comment for you, but I don’t do Instagram and am not about to sign up just to make a comment.

Congratulations to you all. Please take either the winner or top 5 badge from our sidebar for your blog.

Join us back here in a couple of hours for our first challenge of 2015.

Friday, 5 December 2014

#04 Recycle/Upcycle or a Christmas Gift PLUS DT CALL

Welcome to our Fourth Challenge.

Sadly we have lost one of our team members through pressures of life. We wish Cec all the very best for the future and thank her for her contributions. Because of this we are running a DT call, so if you fancy joining us, please add DT after your entry!! If you want to be considered for the DT but don't want to enter the challenge, just drop me a line at the address in the sidebar, or enter a previous project but please then call it DT ONLY. So we don't think you are entering the challenge and get confused!

It has fallen to me to be the hostess this month (well you can't dump it on your team at Christmas, lol)
So I challenge you this month to recycle or upcyle something. If you have something a bit old and tatty you can give it a makeover and turn it into something else, or just give it a new lease of life. We realise that this month will be particularly busy for you, so if you would rather enter something you have made as a Christmas gift, that will be fine also. Maybe you have done both? Upcycled something for a gift! Whatever your creation we are looking forward to seeing it.

We hope our fabulous Design Team can inspire you. Please pop by their blogs and show them your appreciation
Lin

My project is both recycled and a gift. It was a tatty old jewellery cabinet I bought at the local tip for very little money and gave it a re-vamp. Details on my blog.

Angela R

I have made for your delight a pocket book with tags.

I used old cardboard tubes, acetate packaging and a section of cereal box.

If you would like to see how I made this and the other pages, please visit my blog.

Susan-scrumplescrunch

This was an old exercise book that I have upcycled with an eclectic mix of media, more details on my Blog.
Vania

Carole

When I'm sample making, I end up with loads of reels of ribbon all over my desk. So I decided to make myself a ribbon reel holder from an old coaster, an empty ribbon reel, and the ends of some kebab sticks left over from another project!!

Lula

I have altered an old plastic piggybank and with some mixed media transformed it into a steampunk piece. Pigs can fly;)

It's a Cristmas gift for my friend.

May the season bring you all the good things of Christmas!

Jolanda

I recycled a wooden box! Painted all the embellishments with white gesso.

Then some layers of Inka Gold...for more detail photos you can visit my blog:0)

Susanne

I recycled the silver glitter garland. I got it from my grandma about 6 years ago and she has been hoarded it for more than 20 years!!! Of course I have a huge amount left...

If you'd like to see how I created this canvas, you can check out my blogpost. There'll be a process-video on my YouTube channel.

I wish all of you a nice Christmas time.

Merethe

Hi all :)

This time I have recycled a fire starter box. They are not nice to look at the way they are from the store. I have used most scrap paper and leftovers from my stash. The brown paper are from a banana box. Covered the base of the box with and had Gesso on a stencil and pressed it to the base. And also put some spots of gesso randomly. The winter bird is from Studio Light and just dies to cut it out. Layered on a piece of scrap paper in layers. Punched out some branches and had some snowflake buttons and some red thread.

Nice gifts for those who has everything.

Happy Crafting and a Merry Chistmas to you all.

Big Hugs from Norther Norway.

Merethe :)

Shilpa

I've altered Clipboard into mixed media piece. This one was used by my daughter when she was very small. It is made up with thick chipboard.

I've used lot of art and color mediums for this.

Hop over to my blog Neon Diary to see how I made this.

We would all like to extend to you all the compliments of the Season. We are looking forward to bobbing by your blogs and seeing all your fabulous creations, and we would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your support so far and we look forward to seeing you back again in the New Year with lots more crafty fun.

An InLinkz Link-up

#03 Christmas Decorations, Winner and Top 5

Hi Angela R. here, it was my turn this month to pick the winner and top five and what fun it has been visiting all your lovely blogs but at the same time very hard as there are so many gorgeous projects.

I hope the winner will be able to accept a guest spot with us for a future challenge as I would love to see more of your work.

6. Keeley

Please contact Lin at the email address in the side bar to let me know if you want to Guest for us, so we can liaise and sort out suitable dates.

And now for the Top 5. It was so difficult to choose and everyone did such a great job. Congratulations, please take our Top 5 badge, and we will be honoured if you will display it on your blog.

1. Studio Garage Band: What's Cookin'