Spring ATCs at the River of Creativity

I have done it AGAIN - this post is too early - the challenge doesn't start until tomorrow {4/5/22}!! So take the rest of today & create something for us :) I apologize for the confusion!!

Hello! Time for another challenge at River of Creativity! For challenge #12, our theme is spring as well as anything goes but a card - that's right, put away your card blanks and get inky with us!  I had planned on making something completely different than these Artist Trading Cards but nothing seemed to coalesce, so I listened to the universe and made a set of 6 ATCs instead of struggling to create something that just wasn't working! I've had a small box of scraps that I have amassed over the years {small die cuts, pieces of Dresden, punched patterns, stickers, scraps of paper, etc} and I decided to use what I had in the box to make set. I'd had the box for so long I really needed to go through all the things I had saved and figure out if I was truly ever going to use the pieces or not; so I went through the box, set aside what I really wanted to use and threw the rest away so a lot of what you see on these is from that scrap box and is almost vintage {grin - ok not really, but I have had it for a long time!}.  Enjoy!

 

I used a bunch of assorted products on these little guys, and I stuffed them full of bling! I used gems and sequin mixes from Picket Fence Studios, Dresden scraps from Alpha Stamps and many other sources, washi tape (and matching die) from Pinkfresh Studios as well from my stash, a ton of Dream Drops {I used  Indigo Eclipse, Cloud 9 and Love Potion} from Tonic Studios and many other bits and pieces, including stickers and more that are from my huge stash.  The background paper for these ATCs is from ModaScrap from the Fly and Scrap Collection, 6" x 6" paper {I could not find it on the ModaScrap site, but I did do a search and it is available}. I also used a bunch of small alphabet stickers and tiles, most from companies that aren't in business anymore, sadly.  All this stuff I've saved over the years

needs to be used so I can get new stuff! I had so much fun making these ATC's; I am finding myself using lots of bling and glitz in my work lately and I just went nuts with these. Knowing that if I really didn't like how something came out, I could just throw the paper away {I have so many blanks that I have amassed over the years, I could probably make an ATC a day for the next year!} and begin again with no harm.  Something about these little canvases is so freeing!

I was showing these to my roommate and explaining how "back in the

day" we'd make a bunch of ATCs, using the same design and bring them to stamp conventions and trade.  I think I still have a notebook full of traded ATCs. Do you remember those good old days? Hopefully, soon, we will be able to attend stamp conventions again - I miss the energy and all the cool products! Thanks for dropping in and get out your creative muse and create anything but a card and join us at the River of Creativity, optional theme of Spring - hope to see you there :) Christi

PS: To see the smaller pictures bigger, just click on them. If that doesn't work please let me know ~ Thanks!

I am entering my Spring ATCs in the following challenges:
Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Easter/Spring
Country View Challenges - Spring is Coming
We Love 2 Create - Anything Goes
Four Seasons Challenge - Spring Challenge
The Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers, #207 - A is for ATC 

Super Simple Candle Upcycle

I had tried to make a snow globe for my sister for Christmas but it was HORRIBLE and ended up in the trash.  Normally I wouldn't have worried, but I had bought my brother a little something and I didn't want to hurt my sister's feelings.  I was stumped and then I remembered a customer telling me about a You Tube video she saw using these flameless candles sold at the Dollar Tree.  I actually had purchased one already and I thought this was the perfect time to try this out.

All you need is the candle, tissue paper, and a heat gun.  The candle and tissue paper were bought at the Dollar Tree and I already had the heat gun.  

This is the actual type of candle I used; they come in cream or white, & I used a white one.  The candles have a wax coating on them, which, when you melt it, the tissue paper "melts" into the wax.  Another technique similar to this is stamping on white tissue paper, coloring it with pencils, and then melting that into the wax.  I will be trying other techniques since these candles are easy to get and inexpensive. 




Here is a picture of the candle I made, unlit: 

The tissue paper I used was out for the holiday season {I LOVE blue and white,

add some snowflakes and I am SO good!} but there are always pretty patterns and options all year round.  In fact, I bet you have some seasonal tissue paper stashed away right now. 

And here is the candle in action.  The light isn't yellow at all, but my camera

refuses to take pictures of light without making it yellow.  The candle battery will last about 120 hours and you can buy replacement batteries.

I hope you enjoyed my simple candle upcycle.  I love to browse at the Dollar Tree; and it is so much easier now that I'm working there.  I would love to hear about some of your Dollar Tree crafts so please feel free to detail them in the comments. Thank you so much. ~ Christi

PS: My sister loves this SO much she wants me to make her more of them!

I am entering my Candle in the following challenges:
a2z Scrapbooking -M, Jan, New To Me
Altered Eclectics - M, (runs until Feb)
Country View Crafts - M, Jan, Anything Goes
Let's Create Challenge - Anything Christmas Goes
Not Just Cards - Anything Goes
Rhedds Creative Spirit - running 'til end of Feb
Crafty Gals Corner - Anything Goes
The Crafty Addicts - #44, Anything Goes
Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Something New
Emerald Creek Dare - M, Jan, Anything Goes

Purple Petals are blooming at Altered Eclectics

Let me tell you how the first of the month sneaks up on me - it's pretty stealthy! I'm humming along day after day and then I happen to glance at the calendar and I'm stunned at how much of the month has already flown by.  If only I could grab some of that time I wished away as a child; when I couldn't WAIT to grow up! Alas, there is no capturing time, but I can capture a it of childhood back; and I did so for my Altered Eclectics project for this month. I'd love to hear what you think about my Purple Petals Ring! (PS: You can enlarge the pictures by clicking on them)

Say hello to my Purple Petals Ring!

What I Used to Make my Ring:
Inside "pop ring" from a juice or milk container
Gems - one large and 7 12mm "bubble" gems
Krylon Leafing Pen in Silver
Glue - instant glue

Where you will find the ring

First, let me try to explain what I mean by the inside "pop ring" - the best way I can describe it is to show you a picture.

The "ring" on it's top

You'll find this inside ring is there once you open the containers outer twist off cap - I have found them in quart cartons of both milk and juice.  When I opened my vanilla almond milk and popped it off, I immediately put it on my pinkie (the only finger of mine that it fits) and admired it - it needed to be made!

While the white of the ring may be fine for your project, I knew I needed to color it and the Krylon Leafing Pens are perfect. I have been using these pens for years, from everything to outlining a card or making the old fashioned polished stone with alcohol inks and they last a long time and are well worth the money, in my opinion.  Also, if you look closely at the picture of the ring, you can see that there were some edges that we sort of ragged with a bit of thin plastic - I colored my ring and then sanded the ragged bits off, and then touched the ring up. Not that you can see them but for my own piece of mind.  You will also notice the outer edge of the bubble (that is face down) isn't even all the away around - never fear, we have ways to work around this.

Once the ring was colored, I had to figure out a way to hold it so I could put on the petals.  Since there is a bump on the top side of the ring, the petals are needed to ensure the large gem doesn't wobble.  Low and behold I had a pill saver type thingie that I had gotten as a freebie from some company, but you can find them cheap at drugstores or your local Dollar Store. I ripped the top off of one of the individual pill compartments and put waxed paper on the sides in case my glue dripped - turns out I didn't need the waxed paper at all - but I didn't know that at the time. 

I carefully used a small amount of instant glue and placed the petals around the lip of the bubble. 

This part took the longest because it turns out my instant glue wasn't so instant, so off to the side for the night it went. If you look closely at the picture, you can see the numbers on the dome, another reason I felt the petals would help "hold" the bigger, middle gem. When I picked the ring up, I noticed that a few of the petals were still wobbly (I suspect due to the part of the ring where the lip was smaller than the other parts) but I went ahead and glued the middle gem on and set it aside again.    
 Once it was dry, I flipped the ring over and put a generous amount of glue all around the petals to help stabilize them and it worked like a charm!  The glue isn't really that visible, in the picture the light is reflecting (I wanted you to be able to see it), but when you look at the ring in regular light it doesn't look anywhere near that bad.  

So there you have it!  You could save these inside ring pop closures and make a bunch of rings, for you to either wear on your pinky, or to give some lucky child.  These would be perfect for that friend who loves funky, chunky jewelry also.  And as I was making this I thought of so many other options to use for toppings; sequins, buttons, little beads, basically anything you want!  I hope this little post has inspired you to use something out of the box for your next creation! Please consider popping over to the Altered Eclectics blog and seeing what my wonderfully talented teamies have made to also inspire you ~ Fondly, Christi

Here's Manny holding up the ring - he's been feeling left out!

I am entering my Purple Petals ring in the following challenges:
Crafty Creations - #286, Anything Goes
Creative Moments - #65, Anything But a Card
Everybody Art Challenge - #318,  Anything Goes
TTCRD - Always Anything Goes (end wk of 4/26)
Recycle, Re-Purpose & Re Invent - (m) April Challenge

Love Potion #9 at Altered Eclectics

Wow does time fly! My last project for Altered Eclectics was 2 months ago (a break supplied by the gracious Ellapu, our esteemed leader) but it seems like yesterday! I am not a huge fan of Valentine's Day as I think every day should be celebrated with chocolate, especially dark chocolate (let me know if you'd like to send me some).  So, instead of going the way of the romantic, I decorated this little bottle:

After

Before

What I Used to Make my Project:
Bottle (in my stash - I seem to collect them!)
Alcohol Inks (I used TRIA inks, colors: Rhodamine Red, Warm Red 2X and 1925)
Black Vinyl
Silhouette Cameo
Cork (for the bottle top)
Black Ribbon Bow

Colored with the cork in.  See the cool pink shadow?

Easy peasy I thought - I use alcohol inks a fair amount and I figured coloring this bottle would go without a hitch. I thought I'd try to color the bottle inside as opposed to coloring the outside - nope.  I colored the inside of the bottle 2 times, swirling the ink to cover the inside completely and then letting it dry overnight and each time the ink refused to stick to the inside of the bottle - it ran down the sides, leaving little teeny dots of color and pooling on the bottom.  I even tried to dry the inside of the bottle with my heat gun (which made these awesome howling sounds that the cats did NOT like but it was funny because they all puffed up and ran around like secret agents) but it still would not stick.  So, after wasting 2 days, I went back to the tried and true method of grabbing a small piece of felt and daubing the ink on the outside.  After each layer of ink I let the bottle dry for a good amount of

time, a few hours, and then I daubed the second layer and so on.  You can't really tell the different colors and that was what I wanted.  While waiting for the bottle to try I realized there was no top so I found a cork that fit and colored it with Sharpie markers to sort of match the bottle.

Then came time to cut the vinyl for the saying.  It took me 3 days to choose the font that I felt worked with the saying.  I am a font fanatic and have far too many - but it was fun and I found a few more that I want to try on paper. Using my Silhouette Cameo. I cut the saying out of black vinyl and stuck it to the bottle, after tearing the first "L" and cutting it again. I am still very new at cutting vinyl, and while it is much more forgiving than paper, I am still learning, as you can tell by my wonky placed LOVE.  I glued the black ribbon bow onto the neck and I was done.  I like it even with a little wonk!

Thank you so much for stopping by! I just wanted to mention that I am having trouble with replying to comments, for some reason there are some that have to reply option on Blogger so please know that if I don't comment it isn't because I didn't see or appreciate your taking the time to say hi.  Fondly, Christi

Another view

Thank you SO much for coming to visit and I hope you enjoyed my little tutorial! Please consider following me as I am on a mission to gain 100 followers ~ Til next time ~ Christi

I am entering my Love Potion #9 bottle in the following challenges:
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes
DL. Art Thankful Thursday Challenge - #149, Valentine's Day 
Crafty Ribbons Challenge - Anything but a Card
Silhouette Challenges - January Challenge, Anything Goes
Not Just Cards Challenge - #11, Anything Goes

Spooky Skull Wall Hanging

I recently bought the Tim Holtz Alterations Skull Blueprint which, in case you don't know, gives you the dies to cut out certain stamped pieces of course this isn't the only one I bought; but those will be introduced on another day.  I am Halloween crazy, and skulls and skeletons are my one of my favorite Halloween embellishments.  In fact, throughout my home, you’ll spot skulls tucked in various places because they aren’t just for Halloween in my world!  A while back I commandeered some scrap wood and had my resident handyman cut it into panels I could use for my art.  This project is born from my love of all things Halloween, Tim Holtz and one of those panels.

What I Used to make My Project:

Wood panel (approx. 7” x 7”)

Gesso

Golden Acrylic Paint in Micaceous Iron Oxide & Carbon Black

Tim Holtz Idea-Ology Paper Stash in Laboratorie

Tim Holtz Alterations, Skull Blueprint, #659375

Grey Paper

Ranger Archival Ink in Jet Black

Paper Frame cut with Silhouette Cameo

Black Paper for frame cut out

Thin Pop-Dots

Dresden scrap

4 Silver Skull Charms

First thing I did was gesso the wood panel.  Since wood soaks up paint like crazy, the gesso adds a barrier between the wood and the paint.  After the gesso was dry, I followed up with one coat of Carbon Black paint so I wouldn’t have to use too much of the Micaceous Iron Oxide paint (it is my favorite color and it has such a cool sparkle to it when it dries) and waited for that to dry.  Once I painted a coat of the Micaceous Iron Oxide I moved on to making the skull while I waited for the last coat of paint to dry.

I stamped the skull with Jet Black ink on the grey paper, and then lined up the dies with the stamped image.  My dies have a tendency to move when I am

3D - and no special glasses required!

rolling them through the machine (I am sure it has nothing to do with the fact that I need to use all my strength half of the time) , so I used a bit of removable tape to hold everything in place.  I cut the entire skull, then just the head part and finally the jaw.  I pop dotted them together for a bit of 3D action.

I had already cut the frame for another project so I had it lying around with the Dresden scrap.  This time of year I have lots of things lying about as I am usually creating like crazy and being neat is not an issue for me in my room – thank goodness!  I picked the paper out of the Laboratorie Paper Stash and cut it out.  It is from a

sheet that had four squares on it, each square was a different pattern, so I didn’t need to crop it or anything. 

I laid everything out, tweaked this and that, and finally glued everything to the paper before I glued the paper to the wooden panel.  Once I glued the paper, I finished up with the little silver skull charms (with the holes cut off) and put one in each corner.  I literally built the piece around the skull because I think it is so awesome!  

I hope you enjoyed your visit here & I'd love to go to your blog and see your Halloween creations, so please be sure to leave me your blog address in the comments box.  Happy Halloween! ~ Christi

I am entering my Spooky Skull in the following challenges:
Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers - #19, H is for Hopeful Halloween 
Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Anything Goes
Craft Hoarders Anonymous - #18, Layer it (use at least 3 layers)
Haunted Design House - Week 1 of Hellacious Halloween
A Vintage Journey - #17, A Halloween to Die For