Altered Tin for Altered Eclectics DT Project

My DT make for Altered Eclectics for March is a little hanging made from old packaging cardboard and the lid of a small tin. I then added a heart I'd made in my melt pot.

My first step was to cut several layers of cardboard using Tim Holtz's Cabinet Card die and also a couple of pieces using the Pediments die. Once cut I covered them all with white gesso. I purposely used an older stiff brush to create texture in the surface. I measured and cut out the centre to be able to fit the tin lid in (it had a really nice lip that could hold it just nicely in the hole. Apologies as I forgot to take a photo of just the gesso (!¿!).

The tin was lined with strips of aged book pages, which I buffed with some distress inks. Then the heart was glued in place.

The card layers were glued together and I fastened the Pediments at the base to elongate the look of the piece. I then painted the card with a copper paint, and once dry covered with a layer of crackle paste. Once this was also dry I aged it up with my distress inks, and put the tin in place.  

The next step was to add a Tim word band attached with twine and some pieces of filigree.  Another piece of twine was used to create the hanging loop.

This piece feels very personal to me, related to some of my health issues (physical and mental) and is now hanging where I can see it daily.

Please remember to visit Altered Eclectics and see what goodies my teammates have to share with you for March.

Thanks for reading :o)
Steffi xx

Domino Book for Rhedd's Creative Spirit DT

Hi :) today for my March DT piece for Rhedd's Creative Spirit, I'm sharing a little domino book I made for a swap - it had to follow a butterfly theme (not hard I think every crafter has butterflies in their stash!!) and have lashings of lace!

So I started with two ordinary dominoes and coloured them with alcohol inks. I had forgotten how much I love alcohol inks - the colours are great and you can use them in lots of different ways. Definitely worth a quick look on Pinterest (or if you're like me that will turn into a few hours!)

The next step was to create an inside for the book. I measured the dominoes length and then cut a strip of cream card a fraction smaller and concertina'd it, going over the creases with a bone folder to make sure they were crisp. Then I used a distress ink pad that toned with the dominoes to shade the edge of the folds.  

Next I took a few of my butterfly stamps (I did let a dragonfly slip in) and stamped along one side of the card. Flipping it over, I attached a layer of lace tape and some pink gem butterflies. Before attaching the card to the inside of the dominoes I attached a length of crocheted lace to each, so that the book could be tied shut when finished.

Another part of the brief was that the book needed to have feet so it could stand up. I took 4 little beads that were a pale jade colour and glued them into place. On the front of the domino book I used another piece of the lace tape and also added a floral wooden butterfly. 

I'm really pleased with it,  so much so that it was a wrench to send it away!  It is definitely my new favourite!!

Please pop across to Rhedd's Creative Spirit and see all the loveliness created by my teamies.

Thanks for reading :o)
Steffi xx

I would like to enter this into the following challenge:

Dream it up - Frilly and Fabulous - here : http://www.dreamweaverstencils.blogspot.co.uk/2015/02/frilly-and-fabulous-week-one.html?m=1 

Altered Matchbox for Altered Eclectics DT

Hi, today I'm sharing my first Design Team make for Altered Eclectics.  It is an altered matchbox that I made for a swap.

I started off with an everyday, kitchen sized matchbox.  Here's a little picture of it, you can just see that I was already sizing  up some paper alongside it.

I stayed with the butterfly papers to cover the matchbox, and inked them with a couple of distress inks.  Then I've added some lace tape to the edges of the top and sides.

The large flower is a Kusudama flower which is made using an Origami technique; I've used a different piece of designer paper from a co-ordinating collection for each segment of the flower; the centre is a Prima paper rose.  I've also lined the match tray inside and out with a paper, and added a little metal drawer handle.

The word band says 'Where there's a will, there's a way' (that was one of my mum's favourite sayings so I always think of her when I see it).  I wasn't completely happy with this at that stage, I knew it needed something else but I wasn't sure what.  I tried a few things, more flowers, cogs and things until I remembered some little bottle caps I got with images under resin on them.  I chose one of those, it still didn't look quite right on it's own, so I added a square piece of metal filigree under it, and that did the trick!  It was just the finishing touch it needed.

I'm really pleased with it, and hope that my swap partner is too :o)

Now I can't wait to see what all my new teamies have created over at Altered Eclectics, do pop over and have a look too.

Thanks for reading :o)
Steffi xx

I would like to enter this into the following challenge:

Challenge Up Your Life - Challenge 7 Box - here : http://challengeupyourlife.blogspot.co.uk/2015/01/challenge-7-box.html#.VM1OgiusWSo