Alter it monthly - December Theme - CELESTIAL

So this is it, the last ever Alter it Monthly challenge. It's very sad to see the blog go, I used to enjoy taking part in the challenges myself until I then became a DT member to create monthly inspiration for all our readers. This month the theme is CELESTIAL.

I remembered these German paper stars we used to make when I was little. You start with 4 strips of paper and then it's a bit like origami, just fold til it looks like a star. It was fun getting back into it, so I made these 3 which are all made from 1cm wide strips, just in case you wanna have a go yourself (google FROEBELSTERN or GERMAN PAPER STAR). I dipped them in wax and decorated the frame with wax and stamped images too. The writing at the top is made from wire. It kinda just happened, I was sitting at the dining table with some wire and was wondering f I'd be able to "write" a word from wire. I asked my housemate to read it when it was done and it did pass the reading test. Phew.

Here is a closeup of the little bottles, one is filled with sand the other with glitter. In their own right they are both stardust. In fact I think everything is made from stardust.

Configurations Box for Alter it Monthly November

The start of another month brings of course another Alter it monthly Challenge. As you may know the blog will be closing at the end of the year so after this I only have one more DT piece to show you. Very sad but the end of one thing is the start of a new beginning as they say.

This month the theme is Drawers, Doors and Scecret Compartments.

I used this configurations box and created some little doors using magnets and 2 of the small square boxes I put in the wrong way round to create drawers. Loads of little bits to discover here.

Now pop over to the blog to see all the other DT pieces and maybe you'll leave inspired to join in the challenge.

I'm off to keep working on my new blog, I'm currently fighting with Photoshop but it just doesn't want to do what I want it to. Mean!

A little late..... Alter it monthly - October theme - Boxes

This is a bit late, but better late than never. My DT piece for this month's Alter it Monthly theme "Boxes".
I have been away on holiday lazing about in the sunshine and on beaches so I hope you can forgive me.
I altered this plain wooden chest using various acrylic paints, spray inks, stencils etc. I stamped the Stampotique flowers all the way around the box and punched out some small paper flowers to stick on. All sounds very quick and easy but it took a while to get all the layers of paints on each side of the box, it's just one of those projects you start and keep coming back to.
The lettering is stamped on using my favourite Alphabitties by Stampotique, I'm in love with them!




Here is the back. I think you get the idea.

If you fancy altering a box of some kind come and join us at Alter it monthly. There is a prize up for grabs. And there is only 3 months left to enter the Alter it monthly challenges as sadly the decision has been made to close the blog down.

Alter it monthly - September Theme - Trees & Twigs

It's Alter it monthly time again.
I had two months out from the DT as the themes were a lil bit not my cup of tea and so the amazing Kim Dellow took my place for two months. She did a much better job of the 2 themes than I ever could have so a huge thank you!

This month the theme is trees and twigs. Any kinda trees, parts of trees you get the idea.
As I have been making a lot of canvases recently it just had to be one for this theme, and here is my tree of thoughts.
I have recently done a photo tutorial on how I create my messy, painty backgrounds so scroll down for earlier posts if you fancy getting painty yourself.

I hope you do join us for this months challenge, there is of course a prize up for grabs from our lovely sponsor Calico Crafts. So I'll cu there!

Alter it monthly - June - Canvas

It's time for another month at Alter it monthly and this month the theme is canvas. This could be a piece of canvas or a canvas frame, use your imagination. We look forward to seeing your entries. And as always there is a prize to be won!

I had some fun with sticky back canvas and as I recently found out you can print on the stuff very easily I printed another old photo. This time it's my sister outside my grandmas house. I covered some chipboard with the canvas, distressed the edges and spritzed it with some silver shimmer mist. Add some fibers, a type charm with my sisters initial and there you go, a lovely little present.

Alter it monthly - April Theme - SPRING(S)

It's time for some more Alter it monthly inspiration. I really enjoyed all your contributions for last months theme - TIME. Very creative and inspirational.

Well as for this month with easter fast approaching and the sun coming out a bit more the theme is SPRING, SPRINGS and EASTER.

I did get myself a big bag of springs and really wanted to create something unique with them but you know how it is, sometimes things don't work out like that so I went for this spring themed frame instead. The frame is painted in white crackle paint and out of boredom i sprayed a few glimmer mists over it and it somehow ended up in these splattery pastel colours. Add a load of grungeboard and stickles, done!

Come and join us and you could be in with a chance to win a great prize.

Alter it monthly - March Theme - TIME

This month the theme over at ALTER IT MONTHLY is Time. A theme that has been done many times before and will be done many more times in the future, cause it's just timeless.
It's a particular favourite of mine and I have many ideas and thoughts on that theme but just not enough time to craft......

So I decided to make a clock, very fitting I thought. I used Terra texture paste for this and stamped into it. I dried it with a heatgun, quite closely so it bubbles up and gives an extra bit of texture and bumps. I then painted it quite roughly with Precious metal paints. I then rubbed over some silver Viva Gold paste, so I basically used all Viva products. I just love them, they are fab.

Come and join in this month's challenge with a chance of winning a great prize too!!!

Mini Canvas Frame Tutorial - Alter it monthly

This month is my first month with Alter it monthly and it's an honour to be part of such a fun blog! The theme this month is Shrines, Alters and Nichos... if that sounds like a fun challenge why don't you come and join in, there is a prize to be won.

A for my piece this month I used two mini canvases to make a deep frame and I just wanted to share with you how my piece was created.

This is my first little picture tutorial so any comments and ideas for improvement are more than welcome.

Get yourself some mini canvases, although this would work with any size canvas. Cut the canvas out of one of them and glue onto the back of the other one so you have a deep frame to decorate. In this case I covered it with Terra Texture paste, you can apply it as rough or smooth as you like. The reason why I like using a texture paste on the back of canvases, it's because it covers up and stapled bits of canvas or canvas edges very nicely.

When dry, paint in a neutral colour like Traditional Tan.

I then rubbed over some Inka Gold, this is an amazing product almost like shoe polish. I apply it with my fingers, bit messy but great fun. I just rub it over the frame to pick up bits of the texture.

Now find yourself some items you want to display in the frame or decorate it with. I had two old chess figures lying around. I painted one in Modern Masters Iron Paint and the other one in Modern Masters Bronze Paint. These come with different type activators......

For the Iron Paint I used a rust activator and for the Bronze Paint I used a blue patina activator. The effect is particularly visible where more activator was applied. Gives a nice aged effect, I love these paints. Next step is to place them in your frame and decorate to your liking, I used tissue tape to add a little playful touch.

Get some more embellies ready.

Assemble it all.

Lastly I sprayed the whole thing with a bronze shimmer spray.

Now get yourself some canvases and get making, it's great fun and as these are fairly small it is also a very quick project.

Rusty Challenge Time.....

It is time for some more challenges. I've been working on this frame all week, you know a few minutes here and there, I was very busy at work but managed to squeeze in some crafting before and after work. So I have made this to enter 3 challenges.... first of all The Stampman Challenge where the theme is 'Distress', the Alter it monthly challenge with a 'Rusty' theme and last but not least the 'Distress' Challenge at Sir Stampalot.

I've been wanting to use some of the rusty knobs/keyholes/keys I bought at a market in Spain so I thought I combine them with some faux rust grungeflowers. Not sure you can see the rusty flowers very well in thr picture but they are done with distress embossing powder and then inked with distress inks. Very nice effect. I then went a bit crazy at adding lots of little things like punched flowers from metal sheet that I coloured with alcohol inks. Plenty of dangly bits from chains. Rusty snaps, also from a flea market. Some memo pins filled with beads. Grungepaper leaves, a crackled birdie. I just wanted it to look all old and grungy and rusty. I used a lot of Wendy Vecchi stamps on this, they are just fab for adding a pattern to chipboard and backgrounds.

So there you go..... yet another frame to be put on my living room wall, when the living room is freshly painted that is, my OH is currently re-painting rooms bit by bit.

I better be off to work.... ta da.

Simon says stamp and show #1 - Things with wings

Things with wings is the theme at the brandnew Simon says stamp and show challenge and as I've recently stocked up on Ikea mirrors I just had to get the beeswax out again for this one.

I painted the mirror with traditional tan and then used a staz on ink pad to highlight the woodgrain, just swiped it across, gives a nice effect. I then stamped a music background stamp all over it and added another thin layer of trad tan. I then added loads of little bits with beeswax.
The birds are painted with crackle paint and spritzed with glimmer mists. And the tree branches are covered in 3 layers of UTEE and then stamped into with a script stamp. It was the first time I tried that technique and I think I'm now addicted. Gives such a cool effect. Although the script stamp may have been the wrong choice for the branches, it needs a more defined stamp for the thin branches I think, but next time I know better. And there we go, things with wings.

I am also entering this into the Alter it monthly challenge where the theme is music, hence my little singing birds and the music notes.