Inspired by France

Life has been so busy this week that it feels as if I've had to flap my wings furiously just to stay in one place!!! And in the snatched free minutes I've been sneaking over to the Paper Artsy blog to keep up with those 10th birthday celebrations. It's so exciting that I've hardly been able to absorb it all, what with all the other events going on at Magpie Heaven - the search for a flat for my mum and the continuing kitchen saga! However, I have seen that France has been creating some fabulous projects and Michelle has done amazing things with Crackle. I wish I could have built something really impressive to decorate like Liz Borer's lovely little chest of drawers or France's clock book, but I just tell myself one day I'll have the time and the space: today I was working away on the dining table, nipping in and out to check on supper. If you would like to find out more about the great Paper Artsy designers and how you can win some super prizes click HERE. I decided to use those moments before dinner to make a special card for my dear friend, Patsy to thank her for looking after my mum so well for a little while. France's hearts seemed the perfect theme.

Our friend Patsy loves all things Victorian and Edwardian, so I interpreted France's hearts in a more 'Old Fashioned girl' style! Please click on the images if you would like to see in more detail, especially the fine chain at the top of the card. I die cut a Tim Holtz tag and book plate. I Crackle Glazed the tag, using 'Little Black Dress' and Mermaid. In the corners I stamped with Archival using my lovely new Mini stamp that I won in the Paper Artsy draw - and these spirals are just lovely! I die-cut two Paper Artsy hearts, using Smoothy Card, painting them both with a mixture of Frescos in Sage, Mermaid and Vintage Lace. I stamped and clear embossed one with a lady from an 'Ink and the Dog', Buttons plate and the other I Grunge Pasted through a Crafters' Workshop stencil of swirls and spirals. I also die cut some hearts from Polyshrink and stamped them with images from the same 'Ink and the Dog' plate.

You can see the Grunge Paste and Crackle more clearly in this photo, as well as the shrink plastic heart, which I coloured with Adirondack alcohol ink and glazed with Glossy Accents. The gold wings are Dresden foil from Retro Cafe Art Gallery.

I finished off my shrink plastic hearts with a little pearl at the top and edged the card with some ribbon I bought the other day on my ramblings. It has a lovely design of trees - so appropriate as Patsy is a great nature lover! I finished off with some fine chain on the tag and some seam binding coloured with Peacock Feathers and Broken China Distress Inks. The background for the card is some canvas effect, grey 'Coredinations' paper. Now I must try to fit in a visit to Paper Artsy to catch up on the latest video and see all the lovely projects inspired by the great Paper Artsy designers.