Read, Know, Learn, Go

I'm always finding things on Pinterest and Create & Craft that inspire me to try something new and today's make is no different.

The original idea was shown on Create & Craft ages ago when they had a new show with lots of beautiful papers and large stencils/masks (can't remember the brand name but there were American). The guest took a canvas and covered it with paper, masked words and then painted over the top. When the mask is removed, the words are revealed in the base design. I've wanted to try it since I saw it and I've finally found an excuse!

In my school, I am the literacy co-ordinator and one of the projects I want to work on is improving the use of our library. I've found lots of nice ideas on Pinterest that I will be doing but my first project has been to make something arty to brighten up the room a bit.

This is what I've made

I started with a canvas that I've had for ages (but they are on offer in The Works at the moment) and covered it using PVA glue with pages torn from a spare copy of Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone that I have for crafting purposes! I used the glue over the top of the papers also and then left to dry.

I then used the Cricut Explore to cut my lettering out of sticky back plastic- I used 3 different fonts all included in the Cricut Design Space subscription package. I laid the letters out onto the canvas (with the backing still on) so that I could place them accurately and then carefully stuck them onto the dry canvas.

When I had attached all the letters, I painted over the whole canvas with purple emulsion paint from a tester pot (Wilko's new 'magic' colour) and them dry brushed some hints of dark grey emulsion (Wilko's 'barely black') on top.

When the paint was dry, I used my pokey tool to carefully remove the sticky back plastic letter masks to reveal the text underneath. It was actually kind of fun too to see which words would be revealed. When one of the small letters revealed 'Professor Weasley' I had to smile (maybe Charlie teaching Care of Magical Creatures?).

I now want to try one for my own classroom with a fab quote I've seen on Pinterest that says "excuse the mess but we're learning in here", although this could work just as well for my craft room!

I am entering this project into the following challenges:-
CRAFT 'recycling' (old canvas)- 28.1
A Blog named Hero 'personalise' 29.1
Craft your Passion 'anything goes' 25.1
Ooh, la, la, 'once upon a time' (pages used from a book & it's for a library) 1.2
Polkadoodles 'case it' (idea seen on Pinterest and C&C) 30.1
Penny's paper-crafty challenges 'anything goes' 27.1

Potions class

Regular blog readers will know that I love anything Harry Potter and I've recently been crafting something for myself!

When I visited the Making of Harry Potter at Leavesden studios last year, I got hold of 3 house pennants (unfortunately the Gryffindor ones were sold out- good excuse to go back though!) and I've been looking for a way to display them ever since. I eventually found some large bottles in IKEA for just £1 each that were perfect. They looked a bit dull so I've Potterfied them a bit!

 The Skele-Gro bottle is an IKEA one, the 2 ribbed jars are from QD (the bigger one being only £2 which I thought was a bargain) and the smallest one was in a pack from The Range.

I started by using both acrylic and emulsion paints to coat the inside of the bottles. When dry, I added the labels which I found on Pinterest. The smallest bottle is ready for Felix Felicis (liquid luck) but doesn't quite have a label yet as I need to print out a super small version. I'm now on the lookout for more unusual jars and bottles and a box for a Bezoar!

I am entering this project into the following challenges:-
A Blog Named Hero 'not a card' 14/6

Hogwarts Acceptance Letter

Happy Christmas Eve!!!

Another non-card making post today as thankfully my Christmas related cards are all done. Unfortunately, the same can't be said for presents! I never really feel in a Christmas present sorting mood until work had finished for the holidays so that never leaves me much time. 

Luckily a trip to the shops yesterday was very fruitful, last night I finished making my own version of Mrs Weasley's clock (for a Harry Potter loving friend) and the sewing machine is now busy making a Hogwarts Acceptance Letter for the same friend- hope she loves them as much as I do!

I used a blank 12x12 piece of mdf, painted it matt black and then used Indigo Blu Flitter Glu and foil to do the numbers, distressed edges and the hands. I then printed small pictures of each member of the family and glued those to the hands. 

It's not quite as magical as Mrs Weasley's but it really works!

This is my other creation, a Harry Potter Hogwarts Acceptance Letter, word by word true to the original in the Philosophers Stone but personalised for my friend. I plan to frame it so she can hang it somewhere in her home. 

I tried a practice run a while ago and it worked really well.

Merry Christmas!

I am entering the clock into a new challenge blog I have just found:-
Crafting for all Seasons 'anything but a card'

anything you can do...

Here's another Harry Potter themed card using the Bugaboo 'Har Repotter' digi images. I've now used them for both cards and bags but this is one of my favourites.

This card started with an 8x8 card blank which I attached the grass & cloud print papers onto. The Harry, Draco & golden snitch digi stamps all came from the Bugaboo website and I coloured them with a mix of promarkers & spectrum noirs. I trimmed the images leaving a small white border & then attached them to the card with 3d foam.

I am entering this card into the following challenges:-

Stampin' for the Weekend 'anything goes'

Cute Card Thursday 'fly like a bird'

Here Come the Boys 'use a digi stamp'

Graph'It Markers 'new beginnings' (this part of the film was a new beginning for Harry- finding out he was a great flyer and leading to him becoming the new Seeker for Gryffindor!)

Ron @ The Burrow

Here's another of the cards I've made using the fabulous Har Repotter digi stamps from the Bugaboo website. Today, it's Ron who is one of my favourite characters in the books and films (Rupert Grint is great!).

Both Ron and The Burrow are digi images from Bugaboo, so I started by colouring them with my spectrum noirs & promarkers. I used distress inks and a handmade paper mask to create the hill for the Burrow to sit on. I raised the toppers with 3d foam and then added some peel-off stars around the house.

I am entering this card into the following challenges:-
Challenges 4 Everybody 'anything goes'
MayzyArt 'anything goes'
Love to Create 'bookmark, book or reading'
Creative Inspirations 'anything goes'
Cute Card Thursday 'too cool for school'
Crafty Catz 'storybook or nursery rhyme inspired'
Catch the Bug 'anything goes'

Knight Bus

I love most things fantasy based but particularly LOVE Harry Potter (especially Ron!)- so I make lots of HP themed cards. I was lucky enough to go to the Studio Tour not long ago and took about a million photos that I thought I might use in some of my cards. I've not got round to that yet but when I was lucky enough to win the new XCut 'Create A Scene' dies in the Daring Cardmakers challenge, I chose the London set so that I could hopefully use it to make some HP cards. I particularly wanted to make a triple decker purple Knight Bus. I have tried to do this with stamps in the past but, even with masking, it didn't work very well. I was hoping that the double decker die would be a better bet. It did take me a couple of attempts but I'm pretty happy with the results. So much so that I found myself jumping up and down (literally) with a huge grin on my face!

Here is my completed card

I started by choosing 3 different shades of grey card and used the xcut dies and my grand calibur to cut the 3 different layers of London skyline. I attached them together with 3d foam pads and then used my trimmer to even up the edges. I then cut a thin piece of black card (for the road) and used double sided tape to attach it to the base of the design. I then used a thinner origami paper to cut the buses, taxi, lamp-posts, post box & telephone box. It took me a few attempts to arrange them where I wanted them so I did not glue them straight away. When I was happy with the composition, I attached everything with my quickie glue pen which can be used on really detailed elements. I then got a piece of A4 dark blue card which I folded into an A5 card blank using my ScorPal score board. The card was slightly wider than my London scene so I trimmed the base card down as it would have looked strange if the scene did not go right to the edge of the card. I finished the card by stamping the dragon in the sky using black Memento ink and then used my Stardust Stickles to create some stars- being a proper geek for things like that I even did proper constellations (Orion, the Plough and Cassiopeia).

In case anyone else wants to make a Knight Bus, all you need to do is cut 2 of the double deckers in a nice purple paper and then cut one of them just below the bottom windows. You can then layer the 2 pieces together, overlapping the central windows- you will need to cut out part of the door barrier too.

I am entering this card into the Polkadoodles 'fantasy' challenge.