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so this morning i finally finished the black/green wrought iron chandelier make-over for my client. what a long haul this one was...a whole four days of cleaning of years worth of dust and grime and then lightly sanding and getting rid of gunk and dust and loose flakes before i could actually start the process. so as i said before i am so bad at taking before and after pics - so yes you guessed it no before pic here, just the finished lady in all her creamy glory.

the black rope wrapped around strategic points was a headache at first, and then i simply embraced it as the paint took to it eventually leaving it slightly distressed and totally matching the look of her dining room table i painted so i left it as is.

tada! here she still is suspended in my garage (which is also still unpainted)

i added some beautiful crystals here and there to 'french-en" it up a bit. it totally did the trick to turn this dark and depressing lady into a glorious swan filled with light and beauty. can't wait to see it all hung up in its spot. and i hope to get some pics then. hope you are having a creative weekend with some rest. thanks for popping in.

here's a more recent layout where i simply had to use my new dina wakley stamps. if you're a stamper and love my style then you are sure to absolutely fall in love with her stamps and style of throwing paint onto paper. i wish my personality aloud me the freedom to do more of that and that it would be more easily accepted within the crowds...i guess it is just too unorganized and free for most people who love to be in control and perfectionists.

i used some of the new glitz girls paper ranges combined with some old 7gypsies, october afternoon and mme. i loved how it turned out - the blue and yellow with a hint of pink. the photos are a quick recap of the year 2011 so far.

here's a bit of that hand coloured silk ribbon again.

paint splats with an almost dried up paint dabber from ranger - whats with that? i hardly have it for a couple of months. i think it's time to call it quits with all the other stuff and stick to inks as clearly their paints aren't working out for them. but this is just my opinion.

and here she is...dina wakley in all her glory stamped onto a piece of yellow patterned paper. it says i am uncomplicated, free, happy with myself, content in what i do, unaffected by the masses and what they think, i am me. i am just going to have to get myself some more of these beauties. thanks for stopping by.hope you have a wonderful weekend planned. my day is filled with some project deadlines, a chandelier that needs to be completed for a customer and some down time this weekend.
supplies
background cardstock by african dream house brand smooth
patterned papers by glitz, mme, october afternoon, 7gypsies
stamp by stampington for dina wakley
ink by tsukineko
stickers by glitz
paint by ranger industries
silk ribbon by may arts
distress stains by ranger industries
other postage stamp, thread, diamante,
sketch by let's scrap

it's been almost a week since our annual card making retreat and i am struggling to get into routine again. this year seamed so different and tiring - although i enjoyed it. things change every year and some for the good and others not. this year we had loads (90%) new girls attending camp. what this tells me is that the regulars are struggling and finding it hard to budget for camp which was also visible in sales. it may only be my observation but one none the less. every year i make a something special as my project - other than a card that is. BUT this year even i opted for a card which meant that i actually stuck to some sort of budget. and although there seemed to be some disappointed ladies everyone loved the cards too.
we did some funky backgrounds using distress stains. easily one of my favourite products to be released this year. although an old technique, out of 75 ladies only 1 had done this technique before and not with this new product or on paper. so all in all a good 2 days of informative teaching to a bunch of eager learners. today i am sharing the card samples with you as i prepare the step x step photos which i hope to share tomorrow God willing.

card sample 1 and a close-up pic of the ribbon we coloured using distress stains. i am such a snob when it comes to ribbon - so for me to use ribbon on a project it has to be silk at the very least. the colour and texture you can achieve is simply amazing.

card sample number 2 - same technique but different colouring.

the effects is simply amazing and even better in real life than in the photos.

thanks for popping in. stop by tomorrow for the technique sxs and some more samples of using distress stains on your cards and layout.

i'm heading out of town for a couple of days to teach 70 plus ladies at our annual card making camp. every year i teach something different than a card BUT this time around i actually gave in and am doing a fun little card with the girls. it features loads of techniques for them to explore - some old and some new using new products. i will be back next week with images of camp and of my card and some techniques to share using distress stains. hope you have an awesome weekend planned filled with loads of creativity. be safe and fill your days with love!

i guess having started my creative endeavors in life with card making wasn't such a bad idea after all. it seems like people and scrappers in particular are catching onto the idea of using your scraps for cards and other projects, but also to the fact that cards are such a small area to decorate and anything goes. as with atc's the golden rule can also apply to cards - a background, a focal point and an embellishment and *tada* you have a good recipe for a card.
tomorrows card class over at sweet scrappins is chock and block overbook - so sorry if you missed out! the class was booked completely even before we had advertised or shown sneak peaks. anyways - here are the sneak peaks for those that are interested nonetheless. Thanksto everyone booking and interested.
the first sample shows loads of fun products to use in conjunction with each other - meaning that we forget the rules and totally disregard the fact that we combine different products from different companies together - oohhh and i know they hate that! but the fact is that together they create magic - real creative and artistic magic.

you may also catch a glimpse of a little UTEE and melt art thrown into the mix. i totally fell in love with the simplicity of this card. i used all my favourite products and techniques on a single card. simply yummy!

and yes we are combining patterned papers from 5 different manufacturers with loads of different looks all together! i love how the colours and textures just work together - the techniques add interest and pulls the whole look together. ok enough of that!
i am also so very excited to see the new sign board above the shop! a couple of months ago Carla asked me to redesign her blog header (ok maybe i offered some help). it turned out really cute and it totally captures the look, feel and personality of her and her little shop in Pretoria. so then she asked me to design her a new sign board for outside the shop - and apparently it is being installed and looks amazing! i can't wait to see it in real life - and will so add a picture when i get home later tomorrow! here's wishing you are creative weekend filled with love! thanks for popping in and hanging around!

so what interesting thing have you found on the web lately. with my newly acquired obsession of vintage furniture, old stuff, painting and distressing furniture i found this beautiful sign post ...it says it all! hope you have an awesome day!

xxx