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This is intended to be mainly about my crafting stories, as a personal record of what I do. However, I interpret crafting quite widely, not just paper crafting but other things too. I have a butterfly mind and like to change from one thing to another depending on what I feel like on a given day - knitting, crochet, cross-stitch, cards, baking and several others, including my favourite right now, parchment, both traditional skills and Groovi, very relaxing and calming to do.

I have decided to put some structure into my blog so that each day will have something of a theme.
Monday- for Mindfulness; Tuesday - Tidy Up Day; Wednesday - What's on Your Workdesk Wednesday; Thursday - Technique and Tips; Friday - Finish Off Day; Saturday - Start Something New; Sunday - Anything Goes
These themes are not hard and fast and will be changed if I feel the need.

Wednesday 15 January 2014

WOYWW 241 - Using natural products

What is WOYWW?  Well if you visit Julia's place over at Stamping Ground, she will explain it far better that I could.  Although you cannot see an actual desk here, the second photo shows where some of my materials came from, out in the garden.  This is not actually a new idea for me, but I am fairly certain I have not shown it before.  The reason I am showing it now is to reiterate that you do not need to spend a fortune to make a card.It really is made from snippets of this and that so it is combining our lovely Wednesday get together and Di's Playground too, symbolised by the two intertwined hearts.  I am getting all poetical here.

The two hearts are die cut from silver birch bark, not the white side but the more brown underside.  I love the dark lines that show through.  This bark will come off the tree in large peeling sheets if you are lucky. 

The brown border is also a tree bark, this time from the Prunus Serrula, a tree also grown for its bark.  this tree has the morst glorious peeling flaming copper bark.  Seen with the sun shining through the bark, this tree is so spectacular.  The bark tends to come off in fairly narrow strips, so I just cut it with fancy scissors to use it like ribbon, and added stripes of glitter.  This is not the best photo I have of the tree, but it does show our resident woodpecker and that is yet another sorting job to be done, to reorganise and catalogue all my photos, get rid of the hundreds of duplicates etc,  I hope it does give a little idea of the gorgeous bark on this tree.

Both these trees are in my own garden so I have not been going round stripping public trees, and I only took small bits of what was already peeling off.

I mounted the hearts on white glittery card, then onto gold mirri card, then onto an A5 textured card.  The sentiment was gold but I added some colour to turn it more coppery.

I am showing this as a snippet card for this week, if that is allowed, Di.  If everyone leaves me alone on Thursday, I am hoping to get into my room and make a couple of new snippet cards to show you.  I am looking forward to getting back into the playground even if the playhouse has been a little bettered by the winds.  I have got an absence note, honest I have.

If you have got this far and are still reading, you might now have decided that I am completely mad.  True, I am.  However, if you go over to Pixie's Crafty Workshop, our head teacher, Miss Di, will explain it all to you.  Come and join us in our mad games in the playground.

You should also go over to Julia's to see everyone else's fascinating desks.  This week, I have a plan to actually get more than a toe into my wreck of a craft room, so I will take a photo of the before and then the after and show you next week.  

30 comments:

sandra de said...

Lovely card and pic of the woodpecker. I have been trying to paint silver birch trees because they always look so spectacular.
Sandra @28

Bleubeard and Elizabeth said...

Oh wow, Maggie, I love that bark. I have some a neighbor gave me one year, but it curls and I had no idea you could run it through a die cutter. Now the neighbor is dead, so I won't be getting any more of it. Love what you made, though.

Happy WOYWW from # 16

Sandy said...

How interesting that you made a card from the bark of a tree. It is quite wonderful..
Happy WOYWW
Sandy #31

Eliza said...

Good for you for using nature in your art world, it is nice to see all that can be used around us in a pleasing way. Nice card.

Hope you have a wonderful crafting week.

Happy WOYWW
Hugs Eliza & Yoda 32

glitterandglue said...

That's a lovely card, Maggie. I like the colours together. Just read your previous post - ah, the mysteries of life! I agree, 19 does feel warm in the summer - but not warm enough in the house on a winter's evening! Strange....
Have a great week.
Margaret #52

Cardarian said...

You are right it would be much better to gather natural stuff for making cards - I try that sometimes but I must admit I am quite addicted to buying stuff! Still I love your card using bark! Such a clever idea!
Lots of hugs
Cardarian

Debbie Rock said...

I do love that card Maggie ... very much to my taste! Yes, you are quite mad but it sure does help, doesn't it? Much love, Debbie #61 xXx

Unknown said...

Great card! Love the use of natural products! Enjoy seeing your woodpecker. We have one that loves the birdseed blocks that we put out. Thanks for popping by my desk and Happy WOYWW!
Carol N #4

Julie Lee said...

Hi Maggie! I love those little bark hearts! Thank you so much for the advice about the sticky stuff. It was so horrible getting my hair embedded in it, I must say and I have wondered about it once the stamps are tackily adhered. I just didn't realize there was an alternative. Thank you again. Julie Ann xx

Winnie said...

How great Maggie! I never saw someone use bark for diecutting, thanks for sharing, I love the look and the great card you created from it! Winnie#64

Princess Judy Palmer said...

Oh I love the idea of using bark on your cards. We have a eucalyptus tree that sheds the most lovely bark. I'm sure something creative can be done with it. Your card is awesome! Judy #82

Di said...

Wow, how clever Maggie! And of course it counts as a snippet card - we have few roolz :) I would never have thought to use the bark - but what a great result!

And lucky you having a resident woodpecker too.

Hugs, Di xx

shazsilverwolf said...

Hi Marg, love the tree bark.Hope you are getting the hay fever under control- its miserable. Speak soon, Love Shaz xx

Andrea said...

WOW .. Maggie I don't think I have ever seen a card with tree bark what a fabulous idea and great result too I also love the photo so envious that you have woodpeckers in your wildlife but thanks for sharing it with us all have a great week ahead a crafty hugs Andrea #17

Linda Simpson said...

Beautiful card and love the photograph of the woodpecker. We have one who visits us in the summer.
Hugs
Linda xxx

Paper rainbow said...

Love the use of bark and natural products, I've been working using bark too recently!

Lunch Lady Jan said...

What a great idea...how did you think of that? I love barks that peel off in layers too, like the paper bark tree. It's a clever idea anyhow.
If you make the Crop, it would lovely to meet in person, but if you're otherwise engaged then no probs :-)
Hugs, LLJ 41 xx

Spyder said...

I quite offten die cut my glue tubes....when the glue's all gone of course... but never thought to use tree bark ...must have a go at that!! Have a very Crafty week! Happy WOYWW?!
((Lyn))#39

MaryH said...

Miss Maggie, so very pleased to see you back over at the Playground. Your madness will fit in quite well with the rest of us doing mad stuff. It's always such fun to read what the Pixies are up to. Loved your card, and was fascinated at how you used the bark. We don't have silver birches in our area, but I see what is called a white birch when I visit New England. The crape myrtles in our area peel their bark as you described, (but ours also seem to be full of ants!). I might have to salvage some that goes on the ground, make sure it's safe to bring inside for crafting and have a go at trying this. I really like the natural effect you achieved with the found supplies. It made such an unusual & beautiful card - especially with the gold trimming. Thanks for the pictures too. You have a gorgeous visitor at your tree! Take care. See ya in the Playground. Hugs

Tertia said...

What a lovely card you made and how lucky are you to have a resident woodpecker?
Happy WOYWW!
Tertia #77

Sarn said...

Great natural card here Maggie. x

Annie Claxton said...

Beautiful card Maggie - how lovely to see natural materials used - thanks for the inspiration! :o) Annie #94

Julia Dunnit said...

well Maggie, it's thursday, and Im not leaving you alone, I wonder if everyone else has? Love the idea of the birch bark, aren't you clever. Such a nice card.

fairy thoughts said...

Wow that is amazing I never would have guessed that the frames etc were made from bark.... does it just fall off without hurting the tree.
have a great week
janet #18

Greta said...

Oh what a great use of the gorgeous bark on your trees! I love this card!

scrappymo! said...

Brilliant. I think this card will be a highlighted feature. What a lovely and unique card!

Brenda said...

Such a pretty, shiny card! Love those hearts and loved that pic of the woodpecker!

Greta said...

Congrats on the shout out at the Playground!

Elizabeth said...

Wow, Maggie! I'm so impressed with your use of the two different barks on this card ... although I have used leaves and flower petals in crafting I don't think I would have ever thought of using bark. It's a lovely card. Like you, I'm hoping to get more crafting done after a very bitty period when not much got done at all. Elizabeth xx

Elizabeth said...

Oops, forgot! My WOYWW number is 67