5 in 5 - MELANIE - June 2015

 

 Melanie is my friend who lives in Australia and she loves photography. Every month Melanie has taken part in this monthly neme and we managed to find a way round her not having a blog by posting here. I love that we have found a way for her to take part!

 

This month (despite being in the middle of her holiday to South Africa) Melanie has remembered '5in5' and been organised enough to send me photos. I am impressed and very grateful! What's more I have enjoyed seeing other photos that Melanie has taken so I am taking opportunity to show you these too simply because it seems a shame not to!!  So over to you Melanie:

 

'We left Botswana on Thursday and it seems like a dream that we were so close to so many wild animals.  The lions were especially incredible.  They had no worry at all by a safari vehicle parking close to them.  The driver said if anyone were to get out or make lots of noise that would be out of the ordinary and that would cause unpredictable behaviour from the lions but things they are used to cause them no problems. Then the elephants there were literally hundreds of them.  One girl we spoke to said during one night at a nearby waterhole 400 elephants could pass by'.

 

 

 

But back now to 5 in 5.....

  

'My photos this month are taken in a place called Aulhas.  This is a small town on the southern most point of South Africa where the Indian Ocean meets the Atlantic Ocean.  There is an incredibly beautiful rocky shore here and a lighthouse based on the Pharos of Alexandrian.  This lighthouse was the third lighthouse to be built in South Africa and the light was first lit in March 1849. I climbed to the top of the lighthouse no staircase just ladders and the final of four ladders was very wobbly. Outside at the top of the lighthouse it was very windy, thankfully there was a rail to hold on to.  Hope you enjoy the photos'.

 

Wow!!  This looks an amazing trip!  

Melanie is next headed for UK so over the next month we plan to meet up and I am really looking forward to seeing her.  Mean while, a big thank you to Melanie for remembering and taking the time to send me photos while on her travels. I am full of gratitude.

 

And if this has inspired you to pick up your camera and take part in this challenge you have until 25th before this months link closes.

It's great fun and this post should answer any questions or give other information that you need.  And you don't need to go anywhere exciting to take photos, as my own post this month shows.

  

To see this and more links for this month just go here and

 hopefully I'll be back with more photos from Melanie and myself next month. I hope you will join us and thanks for popping by!

 

 

YOU'VE BEEN FRAMED - Tutorial

Welcome if this is your first time of visiting my page, and if not welcome anyway! 

This month I decided to use set of MDF frames for my THAT CRAFT PLACE DT project. They come in packs of two:

 

And I also decided to experiment using a bag of MDF offcut pieces.  I used them on this project too, and these are some of the pieces that were left over. There's nothing more I like than using up bits!    

First I glued the shapes onto the frame using PVA, making sure that I kept the design flat at the bottom so that it would stand. 

If you plan to hang your frame this would not be a consideration. 

 

Next I covered the frame with PVA glue and a thick layer of thick embossing powder.

 

 

After gently shaking off the excess I used a heat gun to melt the powder, being careful to get into all the awkward corners.  After I checked for gaps, reapplied glue and repeated the process. 

As this was a contemporary design I wanted an image that would compliment the frame.  I decided this stain glass window, taken in Liverpool Cathedral, would be perfect. 

 

I attached the photo to the frame using double sided sticky tape and used the same method to attach the back.  I simply slotted the stand into the back and here it is!  I thought about adding acrylic wax to give more definition but for now I have decided the frame looks busy and may be better left as it is.  I often like to live with projects I make and come back to them later....  Do you do this too?

 

 

 

The second frame is quite different, but uses the same technique.

 

This time I used scrunched up tissue paper and glued it onto the top and sides of the frame using PVA. 

 

Once it was thoroughly dry I gave it another coat of PVA glue and a generous layer of thick embossing powder, making sure it reached into all the crevices.  I learnt through my first example that it is easier to emboss one half at a time, as this makes it easier to hold while you apply the heat gun.

I assembled the frame in the same way and this time chose a vintage style.  I love how the frames offer such variety and contrast and I have ideas for others brimming!!

But for now here is a list of products used, all of which are available from THAT CRAFT PLACE. 

 

PRODUCTS USED:

MDF frames from TCP

MDF offcut pieces

Tissue paper

PVA glue

Thick embossing powder

Double sided sticky tape

 

Do check out the range of MDF, it is superior to others I have used and if you see Creative Expressions selling these products chances are they have been made by Lisa!  

Thanks for popping by and do visit the TCP facebook page for more creative ideas.