Austin Comes In From The Cold

      Altered Eclectics new challenge had me reaching for my magazine straws again, this time to make Austin, he's a metro gnome, based on a jam jar.

   

     To make the base I began weaving around an empty jar, this particular brand has a lovely tapered shape. I find the flat base the hardest part to weave, once it begins to rise around the jar it becomes much easier, the trick is to remove the jar before it tapers too far and gets stuck. Leaving the jar in is an option depending on where your gnome is going to live, he will be breakable.
   

   

     The hat is worked the same method as the tree but for this one I have left the ends out. To get the curve I used a heavy duty rubber band to hold it while I sprayed it with red paint. The base has a coat of white primmer to knock back the print on the straws.

     Austin's beard is cut from thin white card folded in half and die cut using a bauble die. Having the fold in the card at the top keeps the two layers together so that the top layer can be fringed and they both stay in place.
     The beard was stuck on to the base with hot glue, then the top fringes were gently curled up slightly.

     All that was left was to give Austin a nose, how do you make a nose for a gnome?....hot glue of course. I made an oval of glue on my craft sheet, once cold I dusted it with a dark pinkish mica and then coloured the back with a brown peel off pen to get a weather worn colour.
     With the hat in place the nose was stuck on using a little more hot glue, Austin has no visible eyes as his hat sits over where they would be.
      This would make a great novelty container for gifting wrapped sweets, just remember a gnome is not just for Christmas.


      You can enter our challenge at Altered Eclectics with anything mixed media or recycled, just no cards or ATC's please, we run all month so please come along and join us with your projects.

I would like to enter Austin in the following challenges:

Make My Monday - Anything BUT A Card   (F)
Through The Craft Room Door - Anything Goes   (M)
Rhedd's Creative Spirit - Anything Goes   (M)
Eclectic Ellapu - Anything Goes   (M)