Glue Resist & Auf Wiedersehen Lueneburg

Home safely from Germany after a worrysome flight. My plane had to circle Manchester for half an hour until given a new landing slot due to a problem with another plane having to abort take off due to bad runway conditions. We were all worried we would end up landing at another airport, if there were any in reach still open, and also we feared that we had only been told the minimum of info. It all turned out well and we then only had the problem of driving home carefully in blizzard conditions with the screen wash jets frozen solid!
Before the last of my pics from Germany this is a card I made and filed before I went away....
 When my friend Caz came for a play day recently we messed about (what's new?) with clear drying glue as a resist and this card was one of the results. I still need to experiment a little more but the technique has prospects. 

The image (Hero Arts Clings, Dandelion Frame) was stamped on white card stock then I drizzled glue over in swirly lines. It had to dry overnight before I painted the voids with watercolours. I dried it and then swiped a Versamark watermark pad over the top before dusting with Perfect Pearls which enhanced the swirls.

Last of Lueneburg pics....

I love the doors in the altstadt (old town) and this below is one of my favourites.

This is a snowy side view of the historic Rathaus which amazingly dates from 12th Century

My daughter was married here in the Heinrich Heine Haus right in the central square.

An arty car park

The Nativity in the square

Luckily the German branch of my family will join us for Christmas so I won't have too much time to miss them before then.

Rodney Reindeer Advent Tag 17

Had a wonderful time here in Germany but now I'm worried that the snow at both ends will stop me getting home. Whilst I don't want to leave my daughter and grandee, they will be with us in England for Christmas and now my DH is at home alone so I want to get back to him.
It has turned even colder here over the last couple of days and we've had more snow. This being Germany everything keeps running as usual and all the pavements are cleared. My daughter has been out twice today shovelling the white stuff and as fast as it's clear, more covers the pavement.
Here's my next Advent tag (made in England, of course) and I'd like to introduce you to Rodney the wonkey legged reindeer. He's a stand in for Rudolph, hence the red nose but his leg fell off and he was relegated to the subs bench.

Today we ventured forth to shop in the snow, which became thicker as time went on. It was beautiful in this quaint town and despite the cold I felt like a kid again. I was warm and toasty all bar my nose and cheeks. This is the scene from the window, looking into the garden, when the snow began....

We went into my favourite restaurant bar for lunch as it wouldn't be a trip to Lueneburg without a visit to the Malzer Bar and Brauhaus.

The food is great and they brew the beer in these copper vats....wouldn't like to polish them!

This is one the of their counters, an old apothecary cabinet, which I'd love to have in my workroom...

DD2 pushing grandee in the pram through the snow to the restaurant.

The Brauhaus next door

This shop looked especially pretty in the snow

I was amazed that the displays of goods were left outside even though the snow was falling.

Thanks for all your lovely comments and I'm pleased you aren't yet bored with my Lueneburg Saga!

Rupert the Robin Tag & more of Lueneburg

This is an Advent tag I made earlier and saved in my blog files.

For Rupert Robin I used the Tim Holtz bird stamp and coloured it to be a robin redbreast and he still shows the swirls on his plumage. I cut it out then it was clear embossed to give it a glaze and the background on the tag is also a TH stamp. The holly is made from Fimo.

Talking of birds here are some of the bird houses on sale in one of the local shops here in Lueneburg. Thanks for all the lovely comments about my German trip photos and I'm glad I've brought a little festive cheer to brighten up the season so I'll risk showing a few more!

I really fancy making some in this style next year

Here's a toy shop and it's even better inside!

and the chemist (apotheke as it is called here) which retains many of it's original fittings.

These are some of the mince pies I made yesterday and, as I mentioned, we took some to eat with our gluhwein on the Christmas Market. We've just got to add a little touch of England to this experience. 

WOYWW 78 & Lueneburg

Well my desk this week isn't a desk it's a dining table here in my daughter's house in Lueneburg, Germany. I couldn't get away without crafting in some way this week and you can see fabric on the table as I am making a copy of a hat and cape, in warm red fleece, for my little grandee. It makes a change from my usual mess!

If you are snowbound, or not, in any part of the world, why not pop over to our illustrious leader Julia's blog... Stamping Ground and you'll be able to peruse over 100 more desks.... messy or tidy..... you'll have to find out in your snoops!

Here, we seem to have escaped the bad weather that's sweeping through England and whilst there is snow here, it's only a smattering and the odd flurry. It's really cold at a few degrees below and a colder spell is forecast for Thursday. 

Late this afternoon we went into town to see the Christmas Market....Weihnachtsmarkt.... in full glory, all so beautifully lit up and, of course, we partook of our first gluhwein of the festive season.... Neet, I had one for specially for you and it was just wonderful and warmed me through so well! That's two new mugs to add to my collection! If you don't claim back your deposit you get to keep the mugs and they are different each year. I've got to make a confession here... we did take our own home made mince pies with us to eat with the gluhwein!! Is that a first I ask?? 

The Raathaus (Town Hall) looks amazing with Renaissance style images projected on it's facade. 

I bought these tiny wooden decorations specially for my friend Neet who is making an Advent House... I think they'll fit perfectly and I put my finger in the corner of the pic so you can see the scale. Hope she likes them!

Lots more photos to share so I'll post some more tomorrow.... watch this space!

Tree, Cherubim and Santa Advent Tags & Lueneburg

I prepped this post in England so now I'm in Germany I will add some photos of Lueneburg, the lovely little town where my daughter lives.
First some more tags..........Tags 14 & 15! I love my tree with the tiny gingerbread man, but I am not too fussy about Santa here. I might have a rethink and make him again entirely different. 

I think he's lost his Ho, Ho, Ho, as I just couldn't get that beard to stick

Having a great time here with my family and it's especially lovely to share precious time with my little 15 month old grandee who is such a joy and lots of fun.
I've been out and about today in the town but I am not going near the main Christmas Market until tomorrow... after dark when all the lights are lit when I'll have my first gluhwein!
Pretty cold here at a few degrees below freezing the snow sent a few more flakes down today but there is only a smattering underfoot.

My favourite supermarket!

Every year I buy a different mug for the year on the gluhwein stalls

I wished that white van would have moved!

This is a table in the local chemist selling spices for Christmas

This is the window display in the chemist showing lots of old equipment and prescriptions from the 1800s

Some of my favourite bread rolls....they look like chestnuts and are so small.

Candle & Bottle Advent Tags 11,12 & 13

Just a quick post before I fly out to Germany today to see my daughter and her family... and the Christmas Markets and enjoy the gluhwein! I'm taking my laptop so I'll be able to post pictures of all the loveliness there.
 Getting nearer to 25 ........and on the bottle again! Hic! Here are tags 11,12 & 13
and there just had to be mistletoe somewhere (it gives a bit of help and a girl can hope!)

This was made quite simply by stamping the image, painting it then clear embossing all over.

To mimic the running candle wax below I drizzled PVA glue then when dry, it was rubbed with Perfect Pearls.

Four Fold Card Tutorial

I have frequently been asked for information on how to make the Four Fold Card I posted, on July 10th this year, so I am showing how to make it via a series of pictures of the stages of it's construction.

There's a different and simpler sample to those I showed last July(click here for the original post.)

Inside the double flaps...

The card when closed...

The stages of how to make it.... Start with a square of card... I usually make it with a 12 x 12inch card which results in a 6 inch square finished card but it can be made any size and 8 x 8 inch makes a 4 inch square card.

These folds can be easily made by folding each side to the centre point

ie., 12 x 12inch card  folds would be 3 inches from the sides and the centre area would be 6 x 6 inches.

Next cut out the four corner sections

Cut each flap to the centre point as shown in the photo below and Trim a narrow sliver from the inner edge of the loose edge of the flap. you can just see this in the pic. It is to enable the flaps to fold inward and lie flat neatly. 

 Fold flaps in half

Trimming the edges of the flaps allows them to lie flat neatly when folded inward as in the pic below.

Remember to add eyelets (for the 4 ribbon ties) only to the top layer of card as indicated by the markings.

You can also make different variations of this card by experimenting and changing the sizes of the flaps as I did in the July sample. 

The Card can also be made by sticking separate flaps to a card which is useful if you do not have card large enough to make the preferred finished size.

The original idea for this card was from a small version made as a memory keeper, as featured in Art Specially book a few years ago. I have modified it radically but thank Art Specially for the inspiration. 

If you need any further information, please contact me and I'll be happy to help if I can!

Angelina, Tags 9 & 10, & WOYWW 77

REMINDER... last day today to enter a tag for TIO... details on the side bar. A prize of a plate of stamps! 
I'm still beavering away trying to get my 24 advent tags made before I leave for Germany at the weekend. I've had some great inky handed fun messing with Alcohol inks and also using Angelina Fibres which I've had for years and forgotten about. How many other things are lurking forgotten in those drawers and cupboards?

Angelina is easy to use but I don't know if it will wreck clear UMs, so be warned!. I've only used rubber UMs as I know they are vulcanised and will withstand the heat of an iron.
(Just had a message from Angela who by bitter experience tells me that it won't work with CLEAR UMs ....so don't try it! Also she reminded me that Angelina works well with fabrics as it can be machined. Thanks Angela!)

First, I layered the fibres across the UM which was inked with Stazon and then laid a piece of waste copy paper on top. Next an iron, on low setting, no steam, (yes irons DO have their uses!) was pressed over the top for about 5 seconds.

A GOOD TIP... if you mess up your impression into the Angelina, don't waste it. Turn it over, re ink the stamp, add just a few extra shreds of fibres and iron it again on the reverse side.

 The edges look good left feathery but the poinsettia's were trimmed and red and yellow beads added to the centre. The Angelina gives a terrific sheen but as I had no pink or red, I used white  then coloured it really successfully with Alcohol Inks. It meant I could shade the poinsettia red, pink and green which gives an even better effect.

You can also see the effect below on some snowflakes and I've left the top RH one for you to see without Alcohol ink. A dosh or two of blending fluid helps the inks spread through the fibres and it means that by buying just the white sparkly Angelina you can create any colour or blends from it. The snowflakes, poinsettia, and the holly are all on the Winter plate I designed for Stampattack.

I tried it on this Winter Scene stamp from Crafty Individuals

Here below, several colours are applied to a Stampendous Gemstone image from their quad cube. I've given their link but I don't think the cube is still available.

The holly on the tag below is made from ready bought green Angelina Magic Fibres. 

WOYWW 

Getting no tidier but also no messier... it's all action and I'm sure if I did nothing my desk would lay boringly empty, uninteresting, and very tidy. Believe it or not, (how double dare anyone say NOT!) I cleared desk space on Monday for an expected play day here with my friend, Olive. Alas she had to defer so I just had to mess it back up myself! She missed a load of fun, but we'll do it another time.

Well there a still strawberries to be seen and you can also see evidence of my Angelina/Alcohol Inky experiments!

My friend Neet recently showed me someone's fantastic display of ATCs so I thought I'd show you mine...maybe not as good as Neet highlighted but I do also have files of ATCs. They all start off on show behind this door before they go into the files.

Wondering why I'm rambling about my creative mess? Well, if you pop over to our Queen of the Desks ... Julia at her Stamping Ground blog, you'll be enraptured to find over a hundred other lunatics crafters and artists quite willingly showing theirs.