Sunshine On The River Of Creativity

     There is a new challenge on the block, River Of Creativity is for all crafts, not just paper. There will be a theme each month but it will be quite a broad one, allowing your creativity to run riot. 

     This picture started life as a wooden wallart item found in a charity shop, I didn't like the artwork much but when I looked at the back it was a great shallow frame I could do things to.

     I started to put together the image panel and tried it inside the frame, it was too much of the same colour, so I painted the inside edge of the frame with dark brown acrylic.

     I had a sheet of 12x12 paper that was almost exactly what I wanted but it was a bit too bright and a tad too big, the inside of the frame is 10.75 inches square. After playing around with different ideas I found a sheet of vellum in my stash with little flowers all over it. Perfect, it knocked back the colour and added another feature, as the light changes across the panel the flowers show up. After trimming the paper to fit inside the panel I folded the edges of the vellum over the paper all the way around, this way the vellum stays put and there is no need for glue.

     The bee hexagons are cut from mat photos using a die by Jamie Rodgers, the shape caught my imagination as soon as I saw it, they're like little boxes, which reflects the idea of using a box frame.

      To fix the paper panel in the frame I used some redline tape, this stuck to the vellum overlapped edge so hopefully over time it will not show through the paper as it doesn't actually touch it.

      To fix the bees to the vellum I used some Stix2 3D PVA, strong stuff and acid free. To get even spacing I used a wooden stir stick between each shape until the glue set.

     The corners needed a little something so I die cut some honeycomb in mustard card, thank you Avril for the use of your die, but only stuck them in two of the corners.

      At the bottom I added some paper sunflowers and at the top there is a small die cut bee, this is only stuck on with tack because I'm not sure if I like it, maybe I will find something I like more in time.

     I am so pleased to be working with the girls at River Of Creativity, it's great to have a challenge that welcomes all craft, not just card making. Please pop over and read all about it, then come and join us with your creations.

I would like to enter this project in the following challenges:

Through The Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

613 Avenue Create - #5 Anything Goes

We Love To Create Mixed Media - #5 Anything Goes

Always Fun - #212 Combine Old & New Products

2 Crafty Critter Crazies - Anything Goes With A Critter

Creatalicious - Things With Wings

World Wide Open Design Team - #4 Anything Goes

Dies R Us - #168 Anything Goes With A DRU Stock Die

Blue and Silver Swinging Snowman

     This one is a mix of old and not so old items, the die to cut the swing card is new to me and the lovely snowman came from one of last years Christmas cards. It's blue and silver to comply with the new challenge we have at Christmas Craft Creations.

     I cut the base card in white using the swing card die, it came with solid panel dies as well so I cut them in silver pearl paper.

     The blue snowflake pattern was a separate die set which I was lucky enough to get at the same time I bought the swing card set. The snowman was cut from an old card and as luck would have it he had a dark blue glitter band all the way around him.

      The hardest thing was making sure I stuck the snowman on the correct side of the circle. A nice easy card to make, especially when you get to recycle parts of old commercial cards, gentle on the pocket too. When folded up it's a 5.75inch square so standard letter post.

      Please come and join us at Christmas Craft Creations with your blue and silver projects, we'd love to see what you've made.

I would like to enter this card in the following challenges:

Winter Wonderland - Anything Christmas

Sparkles Christmas - Snowman     Top 3

The 12 Months of Christmas - #74 Card For A Child

CraftyHazelnut's Christmas - #528 Anything Christmas/Cute

The Holly and Ivy - #87 Anything Christmas

Merry Little Christmas - #31 Anything Christmas     Top pick

Fezziwigs Festive Frolics - #30 Take Your Pick - Shaped card/Snowflakes/Glitter

A Little Jar Of Spring Sunshine

     When I was asked if I would like to make some samples for Keep On Crafting using the Seth Apter I-Zink pigment inks how could I refuse, they are amazing inks. Why amazing? because they are water based, thickish inks in a bottle, with their own little brush that will paint on almost everything you can think of. Now for a water based ink that is amazing, they don't bead up on metal, glass or plastic, they just paint straight on without using gesso first!

     For this little project I used a small glass jar about 3 inches in height. I gave it a wash to make sure it was perfectly clean and dried it thoroughly.

     I wanted some tiny flowers all over the jar so I dug out a JND die and some Stix2 masking sheet. The masking sheet is like a very low tack masking tape that rests on a thin plastic film, so die cutting it might be tricky. Not if you put a sheet of copy paper under the plastic side, it seems to help the die force it's way through the plastic and even cut the copy paper.

     Using tweezers I stuck lots of the tiny mask flowers all over the jar and pressed them down firmly.

     For the colour I used one of the older version inks in the dropper bottle - Cactus and one of the newer flat colours - Olive Drab, more Olive than Cactus in the mix.

     I dropped some of the ink onto my craft mat and picked it up with a sponge, dabbing the ink all over the jars sides. I left this to dry for a couple of hours, it does dry quite quickly even on a non porous surface, but I wanted to be sure it was hard. I applied a second coat of the same colours, making sure I had a speckled effect all over. Again I left it to dry for a while as I didn't want the ink to peel off when I lifted the flowers.

     To lift the flowers I used my pointed tweezers and pushed each petal from the end to the middle, to my delight they all lifted perfectly.

     I tried a set of lights inside the jar but it didn't look quite right, too bright. Using a strip of vellum cut to wrap around inside the jar I was able to achieve a slightly more opaque effect. The top needed to be covered and this jar had no lid, so I cut a circle of hessian to go over the top but with battery lights you need to be able to get at the switch which was inside. A small length of copper coloured elastic left over from a jar of jam was just right, now I could get in and out of the jar to operate the lights.

     A few of these little jars dotted about the room help lift the spirits on these dark winter afternoons. I'm really looking forward to being able to craft together at workshops again.

Materials used 

Old glass jar

I-Zink Pigment Ink - Seth Apter Olive Drab

I-Zink Pigment Ink - Cactus (pearlescent)

JND174 - Small Flowers die

S57268 - Masking Sheet - Stix2

Small string of LED battery lights

Strip of vellum

Small circle of hessian and some fancy elastic

I would like to enter this project in the following challenges:

A Bit More Time To Craft - Anything Goes

Crafts Galore Encore - Anything Goes

Creative Fingers - Anything Goes

The Creative Crafters - Anything Goes

Snow Happy

     This month at Christmas Craft Creations we are looking for shaped cards. I did try a different shape but it all went horribly wrong, so here's another snowglobe. 

     As before I cut a white card blank and stuck all the globe elements on to it, including a full circle of blue card to hide the fold on the white card and make the circle of the globe complete. The die used for the snowglobe is by John Next Door. It isn't just for Christmas cards, a crafting friend has made some very nice birthday cards with photographs, it's also perfect for popping a unicorn or a castle inside.

      As we are now closing in on Christmas rather quickly being able to make some quick and easy recycled cards is very handy. Please pop over to Christmas Craft Creations and show us what you can make.

I would like to enter this card in the following challenges:

ABC Christmas - S - Snowy

Christmas Crafts All Year Round - 2 Things Beginning With S   Top pick

Winter Wonderland - Snowmen and Snow     Top 3

CraftyHazelnut's Christmas - Anything Christmas

Christmas With The Cuties - Bling It On

Merry Little Christmas - Anything Christmas

Snowglobe Recycling

     This month at Christmas Craft Creations our theme is Christmas characters, that could be Father Christmas, carol singers, a Nativity scene, snowmen and many more.
     Staying with my recycling theme I used a snow globe die set by John Next Door along with some of last years commercial cards. There are no progress photos because I got carried away making and forgot about the camera, it's all pretty simple though.
     I had a rummage through my card stash and found some turquoise card that was a close match to the colours in the pictures and as I had two of the same picture I made two cards, changing the colour of the base so they wouldn't be the same.
     The snowflake is a mix of several different sized ones from various sets layered up with a tiny gem in the middle. They have some shape to the base so may not be good for posting, but hand delivered will be just fine.

     We have a prize this month at Christmas Craft Creations so why not pop over and join us, you may be lucky, if not you will at least have one more Christmas card made. We also have a DT call so if you like what you see and wish to join us then please apply.

I would like to enter these cards in the following challenges:

ABC Christmas - N-no fuss/ O-over the top

Christmas Crafts All Year Round - Cool

CraftyHazelnut's Christmas - Anything Christmas

The Holly and Ivy - Anything Christmas

Merry Little Christmas - Anything Christmas    (Top Pick)

Fezziwigs Festive Frolics - Anything Christmas

Ike's World - Show Us Christmas

Light Bulb Glow Bug

     Lockdown has proved to be inspirational, having time to look at some amazing projects on blogger and Pinterest has sparked a few ideas. This is based on a project I saw that was crafted in glass and metal, again skills and tools beyond my capabilities. The challenge?.....to use what I have in my stash to make something similar and then post it for Not Just Cards as my DT project.

     The centre piece is the lamp, this came from Poundland some months ago, it has a short string of LED lights inside, battery operated, and a nylon string to hang it up.
      I have in my stash some jewellery wire of differing gauges, I found two of similar colours and set about making some legs. I did try wrapping the wire around the screw part of the bulb but it looked chunky and untidy, so I made three pairs of legs and wire wrapped them together, leaving a length of fine wire to wrap around the screw.
     The screw part of the lamp comes off so you can change the tiny batteries, this meant I had to attach all limbs, etc. to the screw only.

     For the wings I die cut some foiled acetate, this was quite thick so the open work in the wings did not cut out but it did emboss rather well. I cut two sets of wings and coloured them with a little alcohol ink in colours to go with the legs. I also used an embossing ball tool to give a little dimension to the wings before sticking both sets together in the middle.
     Assembly began with the legs hot glued to the screw, once the glue set I used the long wire to twist around the screw for added security, the wings were then stuck on with hot glue.

     It's larger and a little more crude in it's construction than the gorgeous ones I saw on Pinterest but I am very happy with it. If I manage to find any more lamps then I shall make him some friends, maybe with different coloured bodies. He looks good in daylight but so much better at night all lit up.
     Please pop over to Not Just Cards to see all the DT inspiration, come and join us with your projects, we'd love to see what you've been making.

I would like to enter this project in the following challenges:

Creative Crafting Uncles - Anything But A Card    (top 3)

Moving Along With The Times - Things With Wings

World Wide Open Design Team - Anything Goes

2 Crafty Critter Crazies - Anything Goes with A Critter   (top 6)

A Bit More Time To Craft - Anything Goes

A Perfect Time To Craft - Anything Goes   (winner)

Classic Design - Anything Goes

Through The Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

Recycled Die Cut Christmas

      You may think making Christmas cards this early is a bit daft, but when we get let out of lockdown will you really want to be indoors making cards? I know I won't!
      With limited supplies I decided to raid my stash of old Christmas cards and see what I could recycle. I found several rather nice ones that would work well in John Next Door's Square Scene Box.

     Using some dark blue pearl card I cut out my scene box and added the Oakham Lattice for the aperture. I had to trim the old card to fit within the square but thankfully only a little.
     As the old card had lots of trees I decided to die cut some more and pop them at the front, just behind the latticework. I cut them in pearl white to help lift the colouring of the whole card, having a dark blue foreground and background could be a bit too much.
     There is a little sparkle on the old card so I didn't feel the need to add any more, the pearl effect is enough.
   

   
     On the back I have added a white card square to cover the dark blue  edges and give somewhere to write.
     To make it stand up I have cut a small white card stand and glued it in the middle, it will fold flat for posting.
      I'm quite enjoying recycling old cards as some of them are so nice, with a little new work added they have a chance to carry festive cheer again.
      Come on over to Christmas Craft Creations to see what other DT inspiration you can find.

I would like to enter this card in the following challenges:

CraftyHazelnut's Christmas - Anything Christmas Goes

The Holly and Ivy - Anything Christmas Goes

Crimbo Crackers - Die Cuts

Merry Little Christmas - Anything Christmas Goes

Cutlery Bird

     I have always admired the amazing items made from old metal cutlery, sadly I have neither the skills nor the tools to make my own. What I do have is a selection of plastic cutlery, a heat tool, a glue gun and the challenge to try it my way.

     I used to play around with my plastic stir stick and hot coffee on the train journey back from college, so if hot liquid and mild force will bend a plastic stick then a heat gun should be just as good, if not better........it is!
     Making sure to use a heat mat, a silicone mat and finger guards I started to go all Uri Geller with my cutlery. There were a few melt downs but it didn't take long to work out just how much heat was too much.
     I confess I used a photograph of a metal bird as a guide, but this one is not exactly the same as the photo, I used whatever plastic items I had to hand.

     Using spoons for the body, forks for the wings and knives for the tail the bird started to take shape. Feet were a bit of an issue for a while, then the penny dropped and I payed a visit to my local discount shop for some hair accessories. Small claw clips turned out to be perfect and while I was there I got some other bits and bobs for future projects.
     I have also bought some coloured plastic cutlery to play with, it will be interesting to see if the core colour takes over when melted. I would suggest making sure the windows are open when melting plastic, or better still try and do it outside.

     As this bird was made with white plastic I wanted to see what I could do to colour it. For this one I used a special grey primer for use on plastic, followed by a copper spray paint. There are some craft paints that may work on plastic but I have yet to try them.
     My collection of small plastic bits and bobs has increased a little so I will try some other birds or animals soon.
     Not Just Cards is the perfect challenge blog for a non papercraft project, so pop over and see what else we have for inspiration this month.

I would like to enter this project in the following challenges:

2 Crafty Critter Crazies - Anything Goes With A Critter

Crafty Animals - Anything Goes

Love To Craft - Anything Goes

Worldwide Open DT - Anything For A DT Goes

A Bit More Time To Craft - Anything Goes

The Crafter's Cafe - Anything Goes

It's In The Bag & On The Card

     We all spend time making great cards for Christmas but what about gift packaging? Why not make a gift bag to match the card for that special friend, then pop over to Not Just Cards and show us.The waste from making this bag was used to make a card, it doesn't match the bag but it has made use of bits that may have been thrown out.

     Using both the Poinsettia and the Swirl Poinsettia dies I cut in gold and white, I kept the offcuts for the card.
     Assembling the flowers white over gold and shaping them slightly didn't take long but I wanted something special for the centres. Using a hot glue gun I added a large blob of glue to the flower centres and covered them with seed beads, gently pressing them down a little and leaving them until set.

     For foliage I used the new small ivy spray die and cut several in thin white card, I also cut a white greeting.
     The layers were all cut and matted before I put the flowers on, it's much easier to do when everything is flat. I have also learnt that if you wish to stamp on the top layer this should be done before it gets stuck on the bag, when folded up these bags can be a bit 'lumpy'.
     I love the Kraft and white combination, it's clean and simple and works well for any gender.

I would like to enter this project in the following challenges:

ABC Christmas - S-Sparkle & T-Texture

CraftyHazelnut's Christmas - Anything Christmas/option Patterned Paper

The Holly and Ivy Christmas - Anything Christmas

Merry Little Christmas - Anything Christmas

My Time To Craft - Anything BUT A Card

     Now what to do with the off cuts?  To start with I put the white over the gold layer but off set it slightly and stuck them together.
     Using the Poinsettia stamp set I put a large piece of red card in my stamp press and stamped it using a Crimson ink pad, I though black would look a little too harsh.

     I put the white and gold layer over the red and lined up the petals, there is a little overlay as the gold and white are offset, then carefully stuck them together making sure there was a red border all the way around the top layer. I put a tiny amount of glue on my finger nail so I could stick down the little bits without making a mess.
     There is a small difference between the Swirl Poinsettia die and the Poinsettia stamp, the smallest stamped flower does not have a corresponding swirl because it's too small so their are two of the next size up. This meant that the smallest flower was missing on the top white layer so I stuck one on top of the white and there was one flower hole with the wrong size stamped image, so I covered this one up with a red die cut flower dropped in the hole.
     The red layer was trimmed to give me a nice even border around my image panel, this was then stuck on to a white card blank. All that remained was to add some gold pearls to the flowers.
     Making a card with what I would usually have discarded made me very happy, after all no crafter wants to throw anything away do they!

I would like to enter this card in the following challenges:

Happy Little Stampers - Anything With Dies

Winter Wonderland - Favourite Embellishments

Materials List - for both projects

JND132 - Swirl Pionsettia Die
JNDCC017 - Poinsettia Die

JND50013 - Elegant Poinsettia Stamp

JND129 Mini Ivy Die

Four Tiers and A Tattered Rose

     A new month, a new challenge at Altered Eclectics, the home of altered art, mixed media and recycling.

      We needed a fake wedding cake for display in the shop so when somebody kindly donated a set of stacking boxes the ideas started to bake.
       All the bases were stuck to the lids of the boxes below each other with hot glue. I found some crochet lace in a bargain bin, the only problem was it was blue.

      I tried several types of paint but found the only one to really cover well was some cream emulsion, two coates later and the blue lace was cream.
      The flowers were die cut from music score and coloured with Distress Ink, then attached to the cake with more hot glue.
   

      The lids will come off but they're a tight fit, good thing it's just a display item. If you are working on a recycling project, altered art or mixed media please pop over to Altered Eclectics and show us.

I would like to enter this project in the following challenges:

Crafty Creations - Anything Goes #391

Fab 'n' Funky - Recycling #442

Little Red Wagon - Recycle #499

Through The Craft Room Door - Anything Goes 

Classic Design Team Challenge - Anything Goes
Not Just Cards - Anything Goes

Seascape Inktin

     What do you do with an old, dried out ink pad that's not worth trying to revive? Well maybe nothing with the pad, but the tin is a different story. This project is for Altered Eclectics challenge blog as we love anything altered, recycled or mixed media.

   
     It took a bit of brute force to get the pad off the base, only to discover that the base wasn't really going to be of much use, so that went in the metal recycle bin.
     The lid has many possibilities as it's a nice silver tray about half an inch deep. After peeling the label off the lid I used some Sticky Stuff Remover to get all the glue off, leaving it nice and clean.
     To be able to pop it on the fridge I added a strip of Stix2 self adhesive magnetic tape on the outside.

      To decorate the inside I used Alcohol Inks in shades of blue, ready for my seascape.
      The weed and creatures are all made with hot glue in a silicone mould, this means they are slightly flexible which is very handy when sticking them on a curve.
      The shapes were painted with a mix of acrylic and pearl paints, then stuck into the tin with hot glue. The addition of a few shells collected on various outings completed the tin.
      If you have anything altered, recycled or mixed media then please come over to Altered Eclectics and join us, we would love to see what you've made.