A Celestial Thought!

Hello crafters..

I am back today with my last post for this year! This month we have “CELESTIAL” as the theme at Anything But A Card Challenge Blog this month. As always you can make anything BUT a card, but keep the theme in mind!

It took me a while to get cracking on this theme…I could only think of the wintery night skies and twinkling stars when I thought of Celestial!

So taking inspiration from the colors of the night blue skies and the silver stars…I have altered a book box using one of my art prints.

What’s new??? I tried my hand at bees wax collage too…oh! I have no words to describe this experience…a bit sticky though but just LOVED the look of the end product. The bit hazy and vintage look…just PERFECT!

I had made this acrylic work on canvas about 5 yrs back and somehow thought it was incomplete. It was just waiting to be altered for this…I took a print out of my art work and decided to make a collage on the box cover.

I was just too excited to use my new Darice mini iron and the bees wax, I forgot to take the “in process” photos and my fingers  were too sticky too, Lol!

Once I was happy with the collage pieces, I warmed the box with heat gun and after melting the bees wax, applied a cot on the box and then layered the collage pieces with more bees wax..remembering to fuse the layers by heating with heat gun!

A totally different experience…no glue at all! What more, I added a drop of aroma oil to the wax and as it melted…the room was ….oooooo smelling of lavender!

I LOVE IT! So relaxing in all ways….

Ok, onto the project…

Once I fused the layers, I warmed the top layer of the wax and as it was warm pressed a bg stamp on the corners and before it cooled I applied some silver perfect pearls all around!

I splattered blue acrylic paint all around the lid edges, took a silver net ribbon and tied a bow on one end of the box.

The box was incomplete without a flower and so I made a TH tattered flower, vintage style with DI, stamping and some metallic flower center. 

The box cover just compliments this beautiful lady! I couldn’t resist a last minute sentiment on the box that says it all! I stamped it on tissue and adhered with more bees wax. The stamp is from paper Artsy…hot and fresh form my brother’s suitcase, lol!

This silver box is just the right gift for my cousin who is celebrating her silver wedding anniversary next week! I am going to fill it with some goodies…so when you open the box , this is what you see.

I have lined the inside of the box too with silver net ribbon and stuck some vintage print PP in blue and white on both the sides.

For the back I have stuck a lovely handmade paper in blue and silver which I got from Auroville(Pondicherry)…what a finale to the box!

The paper has an embossed pattern and you have to touch to see it and smell to get the aroma, lol!

I am happy with how the box turned out except I still feel it is little waxy to touch. Have I missed out on anything here, please let me know how to buff it and bring out the shine. I like the dull, hazy look…But I want it complete!

I can’t wait to hear your comments on this and suggestions too for the buffing! Thank you so much for stopping by and hope to see you play along on this them. Do take time to visit some lovely creations by our team members every week.

Wishing all of you a Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and Happy holidays too. I am off on a break, my Bro is visiting me from London and I can’t wait to catch up with him and see what he has got for me! I gave him a big crafty list, lol!

Until my next creative journey with the new crafty stuff…

Happy Crafting and Re Cycling.

Cheers.

I am linking this to the following challenges…

KraftZone- Bingo with a box(1st column vertically and last row diagonally)

Inspiration Destination – Anything Goes

Artist Trading Post- Celebrate ( my cousin’s 25^th wedding anniversary)

That’s Crafty Challenge – Anything Goes

613 Avenue Create- anything goes with option of gift packaging

Love for vintage!

Hello crafters...
Am here not to share any project but to let you all know about a mega Christmas give away! My love for anything vintage is no secret and I was in for huge surprise when I visited a A Vintage Journey Challenge Blog blog today.
Some amazing  creations by all the Dt"s for their teamies as Christmas gifts and for all the participants and visitors, there is give away. So do visit them and am sure you will be in a for visual treat and if you can win, that's a bonus.
Click here, for more details.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New year to all of you. Will be back soon with my post!
Until Then,
Happy Crafting and Recycling
Hugs.

Brrr...It's cold here!

Hello crafters..

I am here with my last post for Scrapping4Fun…yes it’s sad but on the brighter side I had a great time with my teamies and Rachelle, a great leader to work with! . Thank you Rachelle…I learnt a lot  for as first time DT!

As for the challenge this time…it is…

Isn't it really cute...I hope to see you all play along. You can create a card, LO, mini album or "off the page" creations too...Do hop over here to see some amazing DT creations.

And I went with Winter. Yes, it is winter in this part of India( Bangalore) too but not freezing cold! I have never experienced snow till date and its my dream to  see, feel and touch snow and experience that kind of winter! Well, some day…

So, for me winter is White and snow capped nature and drawing inspiration form thet I have an altered project today. Have a look…\If you are thinking this is an altered picture frame, NO it is not. Hang on till the end to see what it is!

 Firstly I sanded the wooden square and applied a generous coat of gesso. 

Then I did some stenciling with TH cargo alphabets and sprinkled some glitter too when it was wet. I did some random stamping and added some die cuts from my stash too and sanded texture paste too in places.

Once this was dry, I created a photo mat behind so that the photo can be changed now and then…who likes to see the same thing all the year round! I love the expression on this little girls face…cuddling up with that warm teddy. I knew she had to be here. I got her from We Love Vintage Challenge blog...they have some amazing vintage pics.

I started working on the embellishments next…I altered a few modge melts here, the flourish and the border, I colored it with acrylics.

 The dragon fly got some more special treatment…has rock candy distress crackle paint and then colored it in brown to highlight the cracks. Love it!

I gathered a floral arrangement with some hand made flowers in one corner and randomly stuck words from the chit chat stickers, all related to the Season, no doubt!

I then twisted a wire for the hanging with some jingle bells and made a matching tag with a bow. The tag too has some stencil work, glitter and the seasons greetings!

 Finally I applied gesso around the edges of the frame and on all the embellishments o give the winter feel and snow capped elements.

 Brrrr….isn’t it cold..this is my first experience with snow, lol!

Now are you ready to see what I have re cycled here…

Frankly, I didn’t know what it is called, so thought I will keep this till the end. Thanks for your patience and hope to her your comments, they all make me smile.

I would like this little girl to enter the following challenges…

Mixed Media Monthly Challenges-Tic tac Toe ( have use bow, ribbon and glitter and also column 3)

Artistic Inspirations – Snow
A Vintage Journey _ Let's celebrate

Alphabet Challenge Blog – ‘V’ for variety( have used e diff embellishments..bells, flowers and modge melts)

 Craft Hoarders Anonymous – Winter

Creative Moments – Winter

The Sisterhood of Crafters – Name that tune (jingle bells, jingle bells)

Until my next creative journey,

Happy Crafting and Recycling

Big Hugs.

Jack 'n' Jill in a pail !!

Hello Crafters,

This year is going to be over soooon….unbelievable, but don’t we love this month??? I love it, vacations, family meets and holidays and looking forward towards a brand new year…but before that we have assessments and exams in school and next week is going to be busy sitting with my little one to prepare for her tests!

I am going to do as much possible this week and today I bring to you yet another altered project, vintage style deeply influenced by the master, Tim. It’s actually re created  a scene from his wall flower paper pack… It takes a different eye and different set of hands to do what he does, Lol…but to each, his style!

 The master who taught distressing and grunge and texture…this one is for you!

 I altered a mini pail, well not actually a pail but a container which once had some yummy chocolate mousse in it! My little one loves the inside of it and I was just waiting for her to finish the contents and give me the container. Lol!

Have look…I didn't

think twice to alter it but it took me a whole day to work around this miniature! The wall flower paper pack is my current fav and I cut this 3 inch square from the book with a heavy heart!

First, I adhered a piece of paper from an old novel on the pail and inked it with vintage photo then fussy cut this pp and stuck it there. The yellow flowers and the bird caught my eye and that is what I wanted to re create with a lot of foliage!

I altered a modge melt bird with rock candy distress crackle and then highlighted the cracks with paints…look at that! It has a cracked porcelain look right??? This is “jack” and decided he needed a partner and so I brought in “Jill”, perched on top of the pail!

I had lots of ready made foliage peeking out of the pail and then stuffed in some coconut coir actually lots of it to make a lovely nest and I dint spare Jill too…altered it with crackle paint too! Jill is happily nested with a little white egg which I inked with broken china.

 I heated up a piercing tool and poked it thru the plastic pail to create 2 holes so I could string a cooper wire to make the handle. I grunged up a little piece of corrugated cardboard with sand textured texture paste and stuck a chit chat sentiment and had it hanging from the handle!

The yellow flowers are all the smallest one from the TH tattered florals which have been curled up to form tiny buds hanging from the foliage.

Are you ready for the other side of the pail…

I have a little fence running all around the pail. These are actually remnants of the bird cage die…the pieces that fall of the nest, lol!  I have distressed it and trimmed it to match the height of the pail!

 A few foliage from the fence too  and this lovely sentiment from TH visual artistry set says it all at the back. I love it!

You may wonder why it took me a day to do this..but I visualized each and every bit here before actually working on it and loved every inch of this mini pail.

Do you want to know how BIG this is…have a look! So that’s the scene from the wall flower paper pack with Jack and Jill…

My inky fingers are a proof for all the distressing, lol! 

Hope you liked it. Do let me know, I love reading your thoughts, they always bring a smile to my face.

I would like Jack and Jill to enter the following challenges…

A VintageJourney – birds of a Feather

The ArtisticStamper – Anything Goes

SweetStamping Challenge Blog- Things with wings

The corrosiveChallenge Blog – Anything Goes

613 Avenue create – Anything Goes with recipe..I have used column #2
Sugar Creek Hollow - No cards
The Mirror Crack'd - Re cycle/ Up cycle

Until my next creative Journey…
Happy Crafting and Re cycling,

Big Hugs.

PINK and more PINK!

Hello crafters..

I am back with everyone’s favorite theme “Anything Goes” this time at Scrapping4Fun Challenge. Hope to see you all play along there and do visit to see what the team has in store for you!

You are not going to believe what I have made this time! I have used up all the pinks in this world, Lol…am not joking! Even I couldn't believe my eyes when I was done with this project.

Are you ready…here it is!

Yes, it’s a frock shaped card which doubles up as a photo display and a cute room décor for a little girls room! Now that’s a lot in one project and would you believe me if I tell you that this was made with one big Kellog’s cereal carton!!!

Now if you  are wondering why all the pinks in the world is here…This is a commissioned piece for a client who wanted a unique gift  for her little Princess who turns 3 next month! The birthday girls loves Pink and Peppa pig which is why it is full of cute goodies that the little girl fancies!

I have used PP in all shade of pink and used worn lipstick DI for all the inking and shading on the flowers. The seam binding too is hand dyed. The frock flips open and you have totally 4 pages of display.

 Each page has a photo mat (die cuts), flowers made using CLD cutie hearts and sastha daisy die, pink flat back pearls and some buttons(a cute gift from a crafty friend).

The yoke piece around the neck is a doily die from CLD and inked to match the frock…how cute is that!

I have some tags for the little girl using Joy crafts die and stamped birthday images she would love. Behind each tag there is space for journaling. 

The display can be changed each day and have 4 different looks!

Another thing is the flexibility of hanging this …hang it from the cupboard, wall or just make it stand on a table…so easy!

I hope I have satisfied the little girls fancy and would love to hear your feed back too on this cutie!

I would like to link this to the following challenges…

Beyond Grey Challenges- Monochromatic

Die Cutting Divas- Shaped cards

Crafty Sentiments –Use die cuts

Shopping Our Stash Challenge Blog- Free is good (buttons from a friend, CLD die as a prize win)

Decorate To celebrate – Anything Goes

Craft For The Craic – birthday

Fab “n” Funky challenge – Anything goes with die cuts

DelightfulChallenges-It’s a Kids world

Until my next creative journey…

Happy Crafting and recycling.

Cheers.

A BOOK in a Book in a book !!!

Hello crafters..

Am back after a small break…only to share with you yet another Vintage project! I know you are NOT surprised!

It is customary that I give a ”special” gift to my son’s teacher every year around this time just to let her know how much she means to us.

 Many of you know by now that my older son of 15yrs is a child with special needs. He is wheel chair bound and has been going to a special school for the last 8 years of which he has been associated with this teacher for the last 3 years!

Shopana is a friend, teacher and a guide to my son and it is so rewarding to see changes in him in the last few years. I don’t want to get into too many details here and as is my posts are lengthy, lol!

She is getting married which means we are she will not be able to come from early next year. We are so thankful for all that she has done for Shreyes( my son) and wish her a great future ahead! We will miss you Shopana, your services are commendable and I have no words to express…which is why I have translated it into a lovely handmade gift for you!

Here we ago…

The main Book…A lovely vintage cover with an image I downloaded from We Love Vintage Challenge Blog. I made a ornate panel around her with a scripted background and some heat embossed golden butterflies all around. There is something about this little girl that attracted me, her eyes wanting to tell so many things and this is what my book will convey!

The Spine ..is a piece of canvas cloth that I ran thru a damask embossing folder almost three-fourths and then colored it with shades of yellow and brown acrylics to give a vintage leather look, on the top part of the spine I heat embossed an ornate label and quote from Inkadinkado stamps which says it all.

What do you think this main book is???

 An altered nut case tin…!!!

When you open the main book (Tin)  this is what you see…

On the left you see another ornate page with a sentiment from Stampendous and the same treatment as the front cover.

On the right you see another mini book and …another micro mini book charm! Confusing…

I just got my TH Wall flower paper pack and dint even hesitate to tear a page from it to create this mini tag book. I took the ATC page and created mini from this 12X12 beauty! The paper was too good to be altered and I felt it was just screaming for a bit of yellow to be highlighted and so I went with that.

The front cover… and the back cover is made with chipboard from cereal boxes and the spine is a piece of colored burlap from my stash. I have used complimenting papers from DCWV and embossed with TH burlap stencil and sprinkled some gold embossing powder on it!

The label on the book is hand made resin embellishment. I cut the paper from DCWV pack and made a faux frame using air drying clay and then filled it with clear resin. As it was drying, I sprinkled some fine glitter for some sparkle. I have kept some coconut coir behind the label for some more texture!

The butterfly is resin mold which has been treated to crackle paint and on the cracks I have rubbed in inka gold. Just look at those textures…

Some metal book corners and this mini album is ready.

Here are the tags inside the mini, all cut using Joy crafts die and the sentiments all from TH visual artistry. A lovely yellow ribbon keeps the book intact.

From the spine hangs a micro mini book charm along with a few tea pot metal charms.

The book charm…is an inchie to be precise and I enjoyed making this teenie weenie thing! 

It actually has some pages inside and some more sentiments. The book is held tight with some twine.

So here is my BOOK in a Book in a book …

It took me more than 2 days to make this one and I wanted to make something really special that can be treasured and remembered too.

I should be giving it to her in a couple of days and before that would love  to hear your feedback on this.

Hope you enjoyed reading all the books…

I would like to link this to the following challenges..

Frillie and Funkie Challenge _ A gift from the heart

Country View Challenges- my fav butterflies are all over the books!

Craft Hoarders Anonymous- Box it up!

4 Crafty Chicks – make it sparkle

A Creative Romance- use anything old ( the inkadinkado stamp is my fist stamp bought 18mnths back!)

Brown Sugar Challenge – use 2 or more colors ( brown, yellow, gold and green)

Crafting Musketeers – Anything But A Card

Sentimental Sundays – heartfelt Thanks

That Craft Place – anything Goes

613 Avenue Create – Anything Goes

Until my next creative journey…

Happy Crafting and Re cycling.

Hugs.

Frozen in time !

Hello crafters..

Happy Saturday to you all …I have something totally contrasting to my previous post! Well, that’s how it is every time…I love to create different styles and this time it is something feminine, shabby chic, grungy, vintage, frozen in time and some PINK…Does thet make sense??? I have played around with some textures and techniques and done a fusion of Prima and Tim Holtz…you can imagine the result!

Here it is…an altered match box.

I made a jumbo match box using cereal boxes and covered it with Prima Something Blue papers. I stuck to the colors grey and ping and little bit of aged silver. This is my first time in this color combo. The theme being “Sewing”.

I have taken the focal image from We Love Vintage Journey Blog where they an amazing collection of vintage pictures that you can down load.

I have always refrained from too much pink and thank to the Grey here…I managed some grunge and texture. I mixed some fine white sand to texture paste and added color to get the cement finish and have applied this in various places.

The stamp set that I have used is Tim Holtz Visual Artistry. The flower is made using fine cotton fabric that I starched and swished it thru D Inks spun sugar and walnut stain. Then I did second generation stamping of Bo Bunny script with Archival inks and ran the fabric thru TH Tattered floral die. I layered up 3 flowers to get this one!

The little sentiment is from Whimsy stamps I have given a watered down effect on the back ground.

I have badly been wanting to use Distress embossing powders and sadly it is still in my Wish list and I couldn’t wait till it came. I saw some techniques using salt crystals/ sand and tried it out. I mixed some white sand with ranger silver embossing powder( equal parts), applied versa mark on the area to be embossed, pored this mixture and heated it from BENEATH…this is important, otherwise the sand flies off…I got it the second time only!

 That is how I embossed these buttons and one side of the vintage clock  face. Do you see the sand crystals peeking out, not as good as the master but somewhere there….please give me an honest feedback on this

.

Now for the inside of the box…I stamped the body form on prime PP and heat embossed in silver, stick it to two layers of cereal carton and cut it out to get this chipboard like embellishment! 

I then dressed it up with a net fabric gathered skirt and a bow and grungy button! The edges are all distressed and inked with grey chalk edgers from Prima and DI walnut stain!

The other aged up embellishments in silver and grunge is all for you to see…all sewing related!

For the pull out I have aged some jewellery findings and attached trinkets, beads, my faux distress embossed button and a monogram ‘A”. The monogram has been given a brushed metal look using silver CS, chipboard, embossing powders, UTEE and distress crackle paint rock candy (for the back)! First I ran the CS alphabet thru an embossing folder and then went ahead to give it the aged silver look! Looking forward to hearing on this too…

For the pull out on the top, I have attached a shabby linen chord.

At the back of the cover, I have this lovely quote from the same TH set and I have altered a vintage clock face here using crackle paints and the distress embossing! I am in love with these textures and hope I have not gone too grungy !

I like  this “frozen in time” look  with all the textures and distressing. Do let me know if this appeals to you.

I may decide to give this to a “special” friend who is a sewing enthusiast depending on your comments and feedback.

I would like to enter this in the following challenges…

Lessology – use a monogram

We Love Vintage Challenge Blog – grey and pink ( thank you so much for this choice, else I wouldn’t have ventured on this!)

A Vintage Journey – All sewn up ( I have tried some new experiments with the master’s techniques! )

That’s Crafty Challenge- Anything Vintage

Natalie and Amy's Challenge  – Stitch it

Until my next creative journey…

Happy Crafting and Recycling.

Hugs.