Yo-Yo crazy

I'm so far behind with blogging at the moment but I've still been busy creating. I've got some cards to show soon but for now I wanted to tell you about a new project I'm embarking on. It's called the Yo-Yo Along and details can be found on the SewTakeAHike blog here.

Basically, I'll be creating fabric yo-yos (also known as Suffolk Puffs) to make into 'something'. I very much doubt I'll be making 1008 like in the original, but I'm planning on making up to 84, using two charm packs in the pattern 'Hunky Dory' by Moda.

My only memory of these yo-yo's is that they used to be popular in the Seventies for making soft toys like the ones pictured below.

I'm hoping that whatever I create will be rather more modern! Maybe something like this gorgeous cushion...

...or this stunner from Amy Friend...

I'll keep you updated as the yo-yo total increases ;D

Postcard Challenge - England

A little later than planned, I finally finished my England postcard. I steered clear of all the stereotypes like cups of tea and bowler hats and went for a countryside scene instead.

When it comes to English artists, top of the list for me is David Hockney. I knew he'd done a lot of countryside pieces recently, using his iPad, but I wanted to see if he'd touched on this in any of his older work. I found a couple of perfect images to inspire me and ended up going with 'Road across the Wolds' from 1997. This is Hockney's original...

...and my rather poor tribute...

I wish I had been able to capture the vibrancy of the original but until I own the full palette of Promarkers (yeh right!) I have to make do with the limited colours I own.

I love the patchwork of fields showing various crops and those hay bales. This really sums up England to me.

Here's the reverse of the card...

Postcard Challenge - West Africa

After a bit of a hiatus from the Postcard Challenge I'm back in the game. This week's country was actually a collection of countries under the umbrella term 'West Africa'.

The pattern on the left hand side of the card is an example of a kente cloth design, a fabric native to the Akan people. This was drawn in pencil and coloured with promarkers. For the rest of the card I applied some Antique Linen and Tea Dye Distress Inks for the background. I then created the figures with my Promarkers. I've added the Senegal flag, although I've since realised that the Akan people didn't live in Senegal - oops.

For the stamp I have drawn and coloured an adinkra symbol, known as Sankofa. It is a bird looking backwards and is symbolic of learning from our past.

Monochrome

I'm on a bit of a roll these last couple of days, which is lucky as I have a TON of cards to make!

This card is a congratulatory card for some dear friends who have gotten engaged and are getting married in August. I chose to take up the challenge from Simply Stampin' (#60) and create a monochromatic card with a splash of a different colour. I also used my oval dies to fit in with challenge #53 (use Punches or Dies) at CAS-ual Fridays.

I went for a muted blue colour scheme, using a combo of Night of Navy, Baja Breeze and Bashful Blue. The splash of a different colour came courtesy of my Wisteria Wonder ruffled ribbon, which I layered with Night of Navy ribbon.

I used the bird image and a sentiment from Silhouette Sentiments, stamped in Night of Navy on Bashful Blue card. The Baja Breeze panel has been dry embossed using the striped embossing folder from Stampin' Up! and mounted on dimensionals. To add a touch of sparkle I placed basic rhinestones around the central image.