Tree Decor - Wood Slices

A casual remark from a friend got me thinking...and playing.

And this was the result :

My friend commented on how perfect a log, in the bucket of firewood, would be for making wood burning ornaments. It did not take me long to ask hubby to slice the 'log' for me! However I found that the soft center of the wood (Big Leaf Maple) was hard to avoid and the darker areas really bugged me.
So I broke out the stamps and although the soft bits are still visible, I find it less obvious. Of course these pictures show them huge. The actual slices are only 1 7/8" tall (46mm), so in reality you have to look closely to see the imperfect bits.
This mouse image is 1.25" tall. (I touched up the black on the eyes and other parts of the image, after I looked at this picture. Now the lines and details are clear and crisp again)

I stamped them using Stazon ink and did the colouring with colour pencils.

I added a bit of glitter glue to some areas as well and embossing powders with glitter. For the puffy details on the birds' hats I used Tulip Puffy Dimensional Fabric Paint.

I'm very pleased with the results and will be keeping eyes open for more suitable logs for future decor items! It would be good to find slightly larger slices as there are so many images that would work very well for these.

Stamps used are all by Penny Black

The mouse is from Holly Jolly

The robin trio from 'Winter Wonderland'

The hedgehogs are from 'Every Which Way'

Autumn Decor - Little Scene

I certainly have an autumn feel! Difficult to miss when the days are much cooler and the rain falls softly while a mist rises in the valley....

It is time to store summer decor and change to gold, yellow, oranges and warm reds...aahhhhh.

Every change of season I feel like I'm heading into my favourite! I like them all!

When the new challenge was posted at Art Impressions and it called for 'Cut Your Cards' I decided to indeed 'cut the (try-fold) card' and turn it into a small scene to hang on the wall.

I stamped each of the images onto a piece of cardstock and coloured it with water colour in bright fall colours.

Next I coloured a piece of cardstock with spray alcohol inks, cut a window for the scene and scored the fold lines to make a shallow shadow box for the stamped pieces to fit in and on to.

I inked lightly around the oval cutout

Next I adhered the cottage scene to the back of the box, while the boat scene was attached to a strip of cardstock to hold it suspended between the background and the front of the box.

Once the box was glued closed, all I had to do was add the third scene with the little fawn onto the front of the box and add a selection of punched leaves in fall colours as a finishing touch. At least these leaves will not need to be raked!

I like the depth created by the volume inside the little shadowbox.

Due to the dull grey (misty) day we had, I had to make do with artificial light for my pictures this time round...but I think it still looks warm and all autumny!

Thanks for dropping by. Do take a look at the Ai Challenge. There is still time to take part!

I used an Art Impressions Try-fold called 'Lake House' for my scene.

Next I want to see if I can turn this into a winter wonderland lake house...

I am also entering this for the September Colour Challenge over at Rubber Dance Art Stamps

And the Colour Challenge #23 over at Your Next Stamp