March Altered Calender page

Wow - Can't believe we're half way through March already. It means it's time for another page of our Altered Calenders for Darcy's Challenge. The rules for this month are -

1.. Keep a part of the original picture and incorporate that into your design

2, Technique - use a candle or wax crayon as a resist

3. Add a title, using letters or words cut from a magazine/leaflet in a ransom style.

4. Blog your calendar page and link up from March 1st 2015

My page for March started like this and I wasn't very inspired...

But I finally created this 

 I masked off the houses and set to with my acrylic paints. I've used the wax resist technique on the green at the bottom - colouring through a sequin waste stencil with a white crayon over pale green paint before adding a wash of forest moss distress stain which resisted the crayon. 

I used old book pages to cut window shapes, added stamping to the 'trees' and used grunge past through a stencil for the 'smoke'. My title is not very original but it was the best I could do - I'm a bit rubbish at coming up with them. I'm not really sure I'm completely happy with this page, think it needs more layers - but I've been unwell  after my wisdom tooth extraction so not firing on all cylinders. 

As well as Darcy's calender challenge I'm also linking up to  - 

Mixed Media World - Anything Goes

Pan Pastels - Alter It

Thanks for stopping by - Happy Crafting...Esther xx

Altered Bottle

OK - not the most imaginative title I know ! Does anyone else struggle for post titles ? Anyhoo - guess what - I've altered a bottle. A wine bottle to be exact, and yes I did have to force myself to make sure it was empty first although it is only a small 18.7cl bottle ! This was inspired by Craft Stampers current Take It Make it Challenge (the altering not the drinking) - 

I painted the bottle with Fresco finish Acrylic paint, then added a layer of Fresco Finish Crackle Glaze to the top half. While this was doing it's thing I stamped and coloured the Sheena Douglas (Creative Expressions) stamp onto tissue paper - I've coloured with water colour pencils.

Once the paint was dry I stamped Hero Arts polka dots and TH script onto the bottle before applying the tissue paper stamped image with Glue and Seal. Then it was just a case of finishing off with some lace, twine, a charm and roses.  

So as well as Craft Stamper Take it Make it I'm sharing my altered bottle here -
Rhedd's Creative Spirit - Altered Art
Tando Creative - Recycling
Splendiferous Creations - Alter It
Penny Black and More - Blossoms and Blooms

Thanks for popping by - Esther xx

Craft-Room Challenge – Use Wood

Hi - I wasn't at all sure whether I would make the challenge over at Craft-Room this time, firstly because I've had a lot going on but also because I couldn't think of a single thing to do ! I don't have any wooden embellishments so was struggling to think of an idea, until I remembered this letter rack I've had forever (you know how when things are always there you stop seeing them). I think my mum bought it when I was a teenager  - which shows how ancient it is!! 

So I started with a coat of gesso, then acrylic paint, followed by a splodge on my Gelli plate for good measure (nothing is safe !). I then used a letter stencil and Distress inks. I applied some tissue paper to the inside back panel, wrinkling it while wet for some texture, and also some little pieces on the back. I added some moulding paste through a stencil, which I coloured with distress inks once dry.

Then I added embellishments to the front  - some stamps, dictionary definitions, mini envelope and tag and of course some stamping. 

The stamps are from Stamp addicts, including the pen nibs which I’ve stamped into UTEE and the Distress Letters, embossed with Violet Pearl EP. So I hope you find some inspiration among our fab DT pieces and share your wooden creations with us this fortnight – you could win a great prize from a new sponsor – The MDF Man.

I’m also sharing my letter rack over at  -

PanPastel UK – Make it Blue

Unruly PaperArts RAQ 1 – 3D Wooden Project

Simon Says Wednesday – Emboss it

I’m off on my Hols next week so will not be around to visit much, but I look forward to catching up when I get back…Esther xx

Altered Peg

Well I’m supposed to be packing for my holiday but I’ve just got time to sneak in a quick post for our next challenge over at Fashionable Stamping Challenges.  You came up with some amazing little treasures last time and this fortnight we’re asking you to ‘Alter Something’. This is a type of crafting I’m quite new to – and I really enjoyed stretching myself to create my project.

I found this oversized Peg in a sale – but no way was I going to use it for Oven gloves !

I decided that I needed something to help get me a bit more organised – I have so many ideas and projects I want to make I keep forgetting where I am so I created somewhere to ‘peg’ them -

I started with a layer of gesso then added paints, inks and stamping – a little Owl sticker and some Tim Holtz tissue paper.

 I also dug out my liquid pearls which is one of those products I’ve had for so long but often forget about. 

I added the title with my trusted Dymo – and here it is hanging on the shelf next to my craft desk to remind me what I have left to do ! 

Remember FSC is a Stamping challenge which means NO DIGIS..and your entry MUST include some Stamping.  Please visit my team mates as their work is amazing, and I look forward to visiting lots of altered projects  - But it won’t be til I return from my Hols !!.
I'm sharing my Project Peg here -

Cute Card Thursday - a Different Shape
Stamp and Create - Anything Goes
Anything But a Card - texture

Thanks for stopping by...Esther xx

Craft-Room Challenge 2 – Playing with Dolls!

Wow what a great response we had to our first challenge over at the Craft-Room. Thanks so much for all who entered , I really enjoyed seeing your creations.

So..onto our next challenge – which this time is Altered Paper Dolls! When Kim announced this as her theme my  initial reaction was one of panic. I’d never made a paper doll let alone an altered one..where to start? After a little searching I came across this great blog Paper Thin Personas by Rachel who agreed to let us post our creations using her designs. I found one called Esther so I just had to go with it and this is what I did…

I stamped the top with a music design, the wings are a Tim Holtz stamp on Fantasy Film in Stazon and the legs are from a freebie sheet at Dezinaworld.

I did a major glitter job on her hair with stickles in 3 colours The hair beads were a happy accident – in my impatience I added beadazzles to the bodice before the  stickles hair was dry  - and hey presto – beaded hair!! So after my initial Terror apprehension I had great fun creating my doll and fully intend to have another go, thanks Kim for a great challenge and encouraging me to try something new!

Now it’s your turn –head over to Craft-Room challenge to see the other DT pieces. They are all so different and definitely demonstrate that there is no right or wrong when it comes to this theme! Don’t forget you can win a £10 voucher for Craft-Room and we’ll also be picking our Top 3!

With my doll I'm joining the Linky Parties for the first time at 'Make it Monday' and 'Inspire Me Friday' and also entering into the 'Anything but a card' challenge at MAWTT and 'Anything Goes' at Papertake Weekly.

Have fun…Esther xx

Domino doings...

Many weeks ago I was busily working on Christmas cards and getting frowned on for being too early...now it would seem that while the rest of the crafty world has caught up with me and challenges abound for Christmas cards, my Christmas crafty mojo has abandoned me..peaked too early I reckon. So I turned my hand to something very new today - dominoes.  Having had some arrive in the post this morning from 'The Artistic Stamper' I set about altering and generally having fun  -hadn't a clue what I was doing but knew it had to include alcohol inks and Tim Holtz stamps. The reason for the Dominoes is because it's the theme for the challenge over at Alter It Monthly.  Altered art is an area I've only recently started exploring having stuck with papercrafts til now and I am enjoying my tentative steps into something a bit more adventurous. But enough waffling, can't put off sharing my attempts any longer - here's what happened -

It was really tricky to photograph at this time of night but I couldn't leave it til the morning as I want to enter  the Simon Says Stamp and Show challenge which ends in a few hours! The light has bleached the colours a little - it's a bit more purpley in real life but here is the best close up I could get to show off the inks effect better.

For the stamp and show challenge we were asked to choose our favourate Tim Holtz stamp (a challenge in itself I might add) but at the moment my passion is for the expression stamps and I picked this one because it felt appropriate for my lack of altered art knowledge!  

Having inked the dominoes I stamped on tissue paper and applied with watered down PVA glue - the first time i'd tried this technique too! I created the wings with Fantasy Film and hung it all together with some fibre.   I can't help feeling it lacks something but I don't know what - maybe if I had some ideaology bits and pieces I'd add them but I don't, so, it stays as it is. I'm also going to enter this into the Lets ink it up 'recycle' challenge.

Well I better post this and get off to bed - got a Christmas mojo to find tomorrow!  Thanks for looking...Esther xx

More Music

Hi, I've had a very lovely but busy weekend with my best friend who came to stay to help make her wedding invites. (I've got some pics and will probably post them Weds as part of WOYWW). It has meant however that I haven't had much time for any other crafting but I did manage to spend a couple of hrs this afternoon after she'd left to have a play with some new bits and pieces I purchased recently from The Artistic Stamper. They have a new challenge blog where the theme is 'Something Old, Something New' and this is also the theme over at Sunday Stampers. I've never really moved away from creating cards and scrapbooks but have loved looking at all the wonderful Altered Art and other creations since I started blogging and fancied a try, though was nervous about tackling it. This is what happened -

This was inspired by a tag I made the other week for the Compendium of Curiosities challenge, Music is the theme over at Alter It Monthly, a challenge I have had my eye on but not been brave enough to attempt so far. As music has been an important part of my life for as long as I can remember and I have played an instrument since I could learn to read I figured this was as good a time as any to have a go!

....And despite my wariness I really enjoyed this-  I started off with a paper mache blank, applied a thin layer of Claudine Hellmuths' Studio Gesso with a really cheap rough brush as I wanted to see the strokes. I used an initial layer of Milled Lavender distress ink followed by Frayed Burlap and Dusty concorde over a Tim Holtz's mask, I covered chip board pieces in downloaded sheet music (Catch a falling star - Perry Como, if you're interested!) and added distress inks and smudges of Milled Lavender Distress stickles.

In the top right corner I stuck some more sheet music, coloured with dusty concorde and painted with Rock Candy crackle paint. I wanted to lift the piece a little so tried sprinkling some glitter into the wet Rock candy (went a bit over the top with it though!) and then rubbed more Dusty concorde over the top once it was crackled (wiping off the excess.). It's not very clear in the photo because of the flash but I think it adds a lovely texture, just a bit too much glitter!

The quote inside the frame is from Leonard Bernstein and is just printed from my PC, then I embossed the whole thing with super gloss clear powder. I layed a piece of card which I'd distress inked and then stamped in the recess before adding the quote piece.  Some flowers, buttons - (which I'm quite taken with at the moment), Tim Holtz die cut flourishes and a few crystals finished the whole thing off. I also added some silver metal corners, also from The Artistic Stamper, which I though about colouring but decided I liked them plain.  Looking at the photo I'm not sure if I should of added some more sheet music collage to the frame, but, it's done now, not going to start messing with it. It's my first attempt at a frame and practice makes perfect so they say! 

So- this is going to  -

Alter It Monthly - Music

The Artistic Stamper - Something Old (Leonard Bernstein and Perry Como!)  Something New (most of the products used and a new style for me)

Sunday Stampers - Something Old Something New

Sir Stampalot Challenge - Bring on the Bling (I did over do the Glitter after all!)

The Stamp Man - Take 2 Colours (Purple and er...Frayed Burlap!)