Rainbow Showers Altered Printer's Tray

I want to share some pictures of a printer's tray that I finished altering a few days ago. (Click on each picture for a close up)
For the past 2 years Dyan Reaveley of Art from the Heart has come up to Macduff, NE Scotland for a weekend of workshops called Scrapattack.
Every year the Aberdeen craft group that organise the weekend set us some fun challenges to get us in the spirit. This year one of the challenges was to alter an item.

I soon decided that I wanted to alter a printer's tray and chose to do it in the theme of Colour.
Here is what the tray looked like before I cleaned it with wire wool.

All cleaned!

I then painted it with several coats of undercoat and then painted with acrylic paints. Once dry I sprayed each band of colour with different pearl mist sprays made with Distress ink reinkers, water and Blonde Moments pearl pigments.
Next stage was to stamp some random images over the tray and inside some of the compartments with a selection of Tim Holtz stamps Burnt Umber Palette Ink.

I then filled each compartment with an assortment of doll's house miniatures that I purchased from ebay, collage images purchased mainly from Lisa's Altered Art and Digital Collage Sheets.








Finally I made a minibook filled with the words to my favourite song Somewhere over the Rainbow. I love this song and my two boys love me singing it to them (just a pity that I can't sing that well LOL)
















I will be back over the next few days with new posts showing some of the projects I made at Scrapattack with Dyan. I have had a fantastic 2 days and am back again tomorrow for an art journalling day.

CHA candy giveaway

Visit the lovely and talented Erika to see her CHA blog candy giveaway.
She also has loads of pictures showing new stash unveiled at the recent CHA in Orlando.

Baby Boy's 1st Birthday

Materials Used:
Paper by Hot Off The Press (8x8 baby book)
Cuttlebug polka dot embossing folder
Chipboard number
SU stamp (circle)
Creative Cafe stamp (Today)
Hero Arts Stamp (Happy Birthday)
SU scallop punch

Time for a party!!

The Stampin Up party I had on Friday evening was a great success.
Dawn was a great demonstrator as usual. We made two bagalopes as our make and take, one was Halloween themed and the other was Christmas themed. Unfortunately I did not have time to finish making my one so have no pictures to show you yet but as soon as I get them made I will post a photo.
She also demonstrated various techniques/products including heat and stick powder with glitter, embossing, rollers and rulers, reverse image stamping and the Stamp-a-ma-jig.
I am so grateful to everyone who came along and helped make it a big success. I was rewarded with sales that got me to level 3 and I also got £142 to spend in the catalogue. I will post pictures of my goodies once they arrive.

Thanks also to Dawn for the beautiful gift she gave me of a Rose embossing folder and an epoxy brad making kit, both of which are exclusive to the US catalogue. They will be well used!!

Here are some photos from the evening. (My apologies for some of the blurry photos - my sister borrowed my camera and took it off of auto with the result when I got it back I took some fuzzy photos ~ next time I'll need to remember to check the settings LOL)

From left: Gillian, Sarah, Stephanie, Janice, Ellis, Me

From left: Gillian, Sarah, Stephanie, Janice, Ellis, Fiona

Having a cup of tea and a fine piece!

Janice, Gillian and Denise busy making their make and take

Two of my sisters - Diane and Linda Ruth

Hazel and her grandchildren

Brenda, Kerry and Kerry's daughter Kali

Dawn and Denise

Janice and Gillian

Angela, Rosie and Ann

Mary, Jeannie and Denise (Jeannie was hard at work!)

Christine and her daughter Emily

Anne and Geana


The recipes are on the post below for all the biscuits I made.
Special thanks to Christine for the Jelly Pieces, Janice for the Date&Walnut loaf, chocolate crispies and Mincemeat tartlets, Stephanie for the Lemon Drizzle cake and Strawberry sponge, and not forgetting Sarah and Angela for providing some sandwiches too.

Honeymoon Slice and other recipes

Today I have been busy baking for a Stampin Up Party that I am having on Friday.

Honeymoon Slice

Ingredients:
2 x 300g blocks white cooking chocolate
12 oz dessicated coconut
2 oz glace cherries
1 tbs icing sugar
1 large tin condensed milk
1/2 cup rice crispies

Caramel:
3oz margarine
1 1/2 oz caster sugar
1/3 large tin condensed milk
2 tsp syrup



Method:
Line a tray with cling film. Melt one block of white chocolate and spread over the base of the tray. Leave to set.
Cut the cherries in to small pieces and add to the coconut and icing sugar in a bowl. Stir in the condensed milk, ensuring that all ingredients are thoroughly mixed. Spread on to the chocolate base.
Make the caramel by placing all the ingredients in a pan and gently bring to the boil, stirring constantly. Boil for several minutes, continue to stir and then pour over the coconut layer.
Sprinkle rice crispies over the caramel. Melt the second block of chocolate and spread over the top.
A little melted milk chocolate may be drizzled across the top for decoration. Once colled lift the biscuit out of the tray, peel off the cling film and cut in to squares.


Double Shortbread

Ingredients:
16oz margarine
4 oz icing sugar
16oz plain flour
4oz custard powder

(I sandwich mine with jam but you may prefer butter icing)
Butter Icing:
2oz butter
3-4 oz sieved icing sugar

Glace Icing:
4oz icing sugar
1 dsp warm water

Method:
Cream margarine and icing sugar together until light and fluffy. Gradually work in the plain flour and custard powder, mixing thoroughly. Turn on to a light floured surface and roll out thinly (about 1/4"). Cut out rings with fluted cutters.
Put on to a well greased baking tray and bake at 150C until pale golden. (I baked mine for 20-25 mins).
Cool and sandwich together with butter icing (or jam). Decorate tops with glace icing and sugar strands.

Mars Bar Fudge

Ingredients:
3 Mars bars
2oz margarine
150g milk chocolate
2tbs syrup
4oz rice crispies

Caramel:
3oz margarine
1 1/2oz caster sugar
1/3 large tin condensed milk
2tsp syrup

150g white chocolate


Method:
Add the Mars bars to the margarine, milk chocolate and syrup in a pan. Heat gently, stirring constantly, until all the ingredients are melted and thoroughly mixed.
Stir in the rice crispies and spread over the bottom of a greased baking tin..
Make the caramel by placing all the ingredients (except the white chocolate) in a pan and bringing them to the boil, stirring constantly. Boil for several minutes then put on to a low heat and gradually add the white chocolate, stirring constantly. Stir the mixture well and pour over the base mix.
A little melted milk chocolate may be drizzled across the top for decoration.

Caramel Shortbread

Ingredients:
Base ~
8oz plain flour
4oz cornflour
2oz caster sugar
2oz icing sugar
8oz margarine

Caramel:
8oz margarine
4oz caster sugar
1 large tin condensed milk
1 tbs syrup
300g milk chocolate


Method:
Cream the margarine until very smooth, then gradually work in the remaining ingredients. Press into a lightly greased baking tray and bake at 200C for 20 minutes, until pale golden.
To make the caramel, melt margarine, caster sugar, condensed milk and syrup in a pan over a gentle heat. Bring to the boil and boil for 5 minutes, stirring constantly.
Pour the caramel over the shortbread base and leave to cool.
Melt the milk chocolate and spread over the caramel base.

Canadian Roll


Ingredients:
15 marshmallows
15 glace cherries
15 digestive biscuits
small tin condensed milk
1oz margarine
dessicated coconut to cover








Method:
Cut the marshmallows and cherries in to small pieces. Crush the digestive biscuits and melt the margarine. Mix these ingredients well, stirring in the condensed milk.
Shape in to a roll, roll in coconut and leave in fridge to set.
Slice and serve.

Peanut Mallow


Ingredients:
1 medium (8oz) jar crunchy peanut butter
2oz margarine
150g white cooking chocolate
1 packet marshmallowws










Method:
Line a tray with cling film. Place the peanut butter, margarine and cooking chocolate in a pan and melt them together over a gentle heat, stirring constantly. Leave to cool.
Cut the marshmallows into small pieces and stir the in to the cooled mixture.
Pour into the tray, place in fridge and leave to set.

Fresh Cream Meringues

Ingredients:
4 egg whites
8oz caster sugar
1oz granulated sugar
pinch of cream of tartar
10fl oz double cream










Method:
Whisk the egg whites with the cream of tartar until stiff then fold in the caster sugar.
Fold in the granulated sugar.
Pipe or pile small spoonfulls onto a greased tin lined with greaseproof paper.
Bake at 150C for 1 hour and 100C for 1 1/2 hours. When cold, sandwich together with whipped cream.

Peanut Butter Balls

Ingredients:
8oz jar crunchy peanut butter
1 1/2 cups crushed cornflakes
1 cup icing sugar
10z margarine
300g block milk chocolate
walnut pieces for decoration









Method:
Place peanut butter, cornflakes, icing sugar and margarine into a mixing bowl and mix together thoroughly. Roll into balls of the required size.
Melt the cooking chocolate and dip the balls into the chocolate.
When coated with chocolate, decorate with a walnut piece.

Queen's Challenge

The wonderful Dyan Reaveley has a challenge on her blog just now to create anything you want with a Queen's Collage sheet purchased from Lisa's Altered Art.

I had great fun creating a background yesterday for the challenge using techniques I learned from Dyan at a workshop and also a clear embossing resist technique I saw on Tim Holtz's blog.

I knew from the start that I wanted to decorate a tin to hold recipes after seeing the Cupcake Queen image. However I had no idea what I was going to do with the background LOL

Anyway I got there in the end, here is the final result.
If anyone wants the recipes I can email them to you as long as you make me a sample LOL













Details of background (Click on image for close up):
NB: The 5th picture should read " when the paint is almost dry"

Northern Papercraft Retreat Blog Candy Giveaway

See here for a great blog candy giveaway

Birthday Card with Stampin Up Crazy for Cupcakes Stamp

Materials Used:
Papers ~ Scenic Route, Loveland
Stamps ~ Stampin Up, Crazy For Cupcakes
Coloured with Promarkers
Martha Stewart doily punch
Ribbon, lace, gems

The inspiration for this card was in Card Trends Magazine and was by Lilybean

Baby Girl's 1st Birthday Card

Materials:
Papers used ~ Basic Grey, Sugared
Stamp ~ Downloadable calendar stamp from The Cutting Cafe
Sentiment cut using The Storybook Cricut cartridge
Wooden Heart, charm, ribbon

Birthday Card with Sweet and Sassy Sugar Nellie Stamp

Materials Used:
Papers ~ Magenta
Stamp ~ Sweet and Sassy by Sugar Nellie
Coloured with Prismacolors
Sentiment stamp from Stampin Up
Wooden Heart, charm, ribbon and gems

Birthday Card with Russian Doll

Materials Used:
Paper ~ Creative Imaginations
Stamp ~ Hero Arts
Coloured with Promarkers
Ribbon, gems

Cool Dude

Finally got round to taking part in the Cat Amongst the Pigeons UKS cybercrop class which I loved. I made this layout whilst at the weekend retreat recently.



I used papers by Rouge de Garance
Rubons by Basic Grey
Chipboard by Rusty Pickle
Bling by Glitz
Foam letters cut using Sizzlets
Letter stickers by Making Memories

My Sweet Boy

I recently came across the amazing work by Ingvild from Norway and immediately fell in love with her style of scrapping.

I scraplifted elements from the LO on her blog(www.spinvild.com - Jan 15th, 2009) for the inspiration to create this LO.

My LO shows a picture of my son Peter taken last Autumn. I made this layout whilst away to the weekend retreat.



Papers used are a selection. Base is Colour Co-ordinations CS in Vanilla Cream
Bazzill Kraft paper
Green Foliage paper is from Scenic Route Laurel range.
The blue graph paper I got from a friend at a crop - I think it may be October Afternoon.
Music paper is vintage.
The bird and foliage is cut from a paper from the Scenic ROute Laurel range.

All papers were distressed, inked, ripped, rolled etc

The title was cut on the Cricut using the Storybook cartridge. I welded the butterfly on to the word BOY and also cut again in blue and layered.

Butter Wouldn't Melt

A favourite scrapper of mine is Jakey - I love her style.

I have scraplifted her LO here.

My LO uses a photo of my son Andrew taken last Autumn. As soon as I saw the photo the words "Butter wouldn't melt" sprung to mind! hence the title and journalling.

Papers used are Rouge de Garance (background) and Scenic Route (Metropolis range)
The journalling page is from Making Memories.
All the embellishment shapes were cut using the Cricut and the Accent Essentials cartridge.

Title is a mix of white stickers and cricut letters. The word PHOTO is stamped with a Creative Cafe stamp.

This is one of the layouts I made when away to my recent craft weekend.

Food, Drink, Laughter and a little bit of crafting!

Finally got a chance to put up some pictures with a write up following the fab weekend we had two weeks ago at Elgin.

The House

What is worse than a girl packing for a weekend away?
THREE girls packing for a CRAFTING weekend away!

Here are some of us on Friday
Sarah, Angela (or me - in red), Frances, Fiona, Christine, Sarah and baby Bronte

Setting up the "craft room"

In the kitchen

Preparing for our meal on Friday evening - Pizza, garlic bread and salad washed down with wine of course!

The Corry fans (not me!) didn't want to miss the wedding so we took a short break.
I played with Bronte.

The Saturday gang.
Angela, Jo, Sarah, Jane, Christine, me, Sharon, Frances, Erika, Fiona, Sarah.

Sarah, Jo, Fiona and Frances peeping out of the "craft room"

Angela and I went outside to pose LOL

Happy Crafters!

Three Glitter Gossips
It was great to meet Sharon from Inverness for the first time. Erika, Sharon and I are all in the same UKScrappers team.

Bronte was our youngest guest, she was a wee angel the whole weekend.

Delicious Chinese meal for Saturday evening.

Fun, games and laughter on Saturday evening.

Sarah and Angela going head to head in the Embellishment game.

The anagram game provided lots of hilarity and it also brought out a lot of the competitive sides! Fiona was desperately waiting for the extremely difficult IGNX to come round!! Can't believe GIN X proved so hard!
Frances kept getting Steve (AKA Autumn Leaves) and Sarah couldn't see Heidi Swapp, as she kept seeing Dishwasher LOL

Sadly we said goodbye to Sharon, Jo and Erika on Saturday but Janice and Gillian joined us on Sunday.

Some pictures of us crafting on Sunday

Messiest desk award goes to ANGELA!
She was working on an area 2" by 6" !! Can you tell she's a florist! LOL!
(she can also claim prize for the loudest snorer but shhh! I won't tell)

I can't believe how quickly the weekend passed. Everyone had a great time.
We shall definitely have to do it again.

Thank you everyone for all the laughs and companionship over the weekend. It was great to make new friends and bond with everyone. I personally took a lot more away from the weekend than just crafting.
xxx