Well my blog posts don't seem to be getting any more frequent yet do they. It's so frustrating because I haven't had Alexa here this past week so I expected to be raring to go with my crafting once I got my chores out of the way but ..................... no such luck! Basically, I think my mojo has gone into hibernation from lack of use, lol, and I almost gave up on my alphatags for the Chocolate Baroque swap this month. I had quite a few ideas for subjects to fit the letters O and P but just couldn't get them off the ground. Luckily, lovely Margaret who organises the swap and keeps us all in order gave us a few days longer to get them done as I wasn't the only one struggling and after several nights of faffing about I eventually got something fit to send off.
O is for Oriental, Offset, Oval
I used a piece of Chocolate Baroque design paper from one of their packs and stamped and gold embossed an Oriental style honeysuckle randomly over the tag. I stamped another CB Oriental image onto white card and coloured it with something I've not used in an absolute age - my Sakura sparkle pens. I'd forgotten how lovely the hint of sparkle is. I die cut it with a Nestability oval, inked the edges with Distress Ink and then cut a scalloped oval in co-ordinating card for matting. The final touch was something else I've had in my stash almost since I started crafting - the little brocade flowers! These were a QVC purchase which I never got round to using (like several others in my cupboards :( ).
P is for Pink, Purple, Paisley and Plastic
This one also uses CB Design paper but it was from the lovely paper pack we used to get with our Guild membership. I used a piece to cut the tag, blended Dusty Concord Distress Ink around the edges and then overstamped a paisley image using the same ink, stamping twice from each inking. I stamped the paisley mandala several times onto two different shades of purple pearlescent card and two different CB papers and finally once onto white card. I used Graphite Brilliance ink and clear embossed before cutting them out and layering them, using the white card one for the very top flower and leaves which I coloured with Sakura sparkle pens once again and attached with 3D foam pads.
Finally I stamped the mandala again onto clear shrink plastic, coloured with pencils, cut out and shrank it. I attached the shrink plastic embellishment with Glossy Accents and the main mandala with 3D foam pads.
I wasn't too sure if I was happy with my P tag when I parcelled them up but now I'm revisiting it after a few days (and the frustration levels have subsided, lol) I think I quite like it. Needless to say, the important thing is if the recipient likes it so fingers crossed.
Well I don't know if I'll get any crafting done next week as I have my DD and her two children coming to stay from tomorrow for 3 days (I'm looking forward to lots of hugs and cuddles, lol) and I will have Alexa everyday next week (more cuddles) then next weekend OH and I are off on a little jaunt to my Goddaughter's wedding. I'll try to be back again with something this side of Christmas ............. speaking of which.......... EEEEEKKKK!!!!!
Have a lovely weekend all.
Hugs
Lesley Xx
