Frosted box

You might guess from the shape of the box that I used an old Valentine candy box to upcycle. They make a great size gift box although mine is going to hold something different and you have to wait until my next Arnold Grummer blog post to find out. 

I wonder if anyone can guess what it will be? ...hmmm?

I also used something (that is controversial in my group of friends) to cover the box with...

old Christmas cards!

Some people consider this horrific to recycle a card because they keep them, (like forever) but hey, if you send me a store bought card, it's gonna get recycled. 

Now handmade cards on the other hand are another story!

I made a very short slide show video for you to watch if you are interested in the process :)

Also entering this in Really Reasonable Ribbon challenge
using the Snowflakes on Red Satin Ribbon

Fusion of bling

I have a thing about my brushes, I love them. I also don't want to accidentally pick up a watercolor brush and use it with acrylic paint. So I made a sparkly mosaic jar to keep my watercolor brushes separate from my other brushes.

 I made it all from scrap pieces of the Adhesive rhinestone sheets from The Buckle Boutique. Not only does it keep my brushes separate, I happen to think it looks very artsy too. Here are several views of, it looks different from every angle!

Technically, you can safely use watercolors with acrylic brushes, but always exercise caution when using watercolor brushes with acrylics.

A single use with acrylics can forever alter a watercolor brush.

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Tips and videos for cutting our rhinestone sticker sheets can be found HERE

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Please contact us for wholesale pricing information.

Guest Designer - Craft It Up & Link It Up Linky Party

I am posting today as a guest designer for Craft It Up & Link It Up Linky Party hosted by Tara of Craftin Desert Divas! Every other Monday will mark the beginning of a new semi-weekly linky party and you could win fabulous prizes!!

This linky party theme is Halloween!!! 

The sponsors are Too Cute by Jessica - $20 giftcard

and

Stinkin Cute Paper Piecings - $25 giftcard . 

The more you link up, the better chance you have to win.  Visit Craftin Desert Divas for all the rules and to play along.

Here is what I created for this linky party....A party cup made from a recycled fruit cup from the grocery store.
I love re-cycling!
 So many things are 'old' products, like the embossed scallop die, the purple metallic fiber ( yes, I do collect stuff like that just for certain occasions like Halloween!! ) and the orange magic mesh.
It's now sitting on the Art MoB counter offering little treats to all our customers!

I love embellishing my die cuts with a little glitter and fiber and embossing around the edge of the moon.
Cutting tiny strips into the broom add more fun detail!

Cricut - Happy Hauntings p. 34 ( witch )
Paper Trimmings p. 61 ( moon )
Ranger - stickles
fiber,mesh, paper, sticker letters - from old stash
Helmar - Craft Glue ( awesome for adhering things to plastic! )
Helmar - Craft & Hobby PVA Glue

Hope you will Craft It Up & Link It Up!!!

also entering this in:
Little Scrap Pieces - Fun Friday Linky Party
All That Stickles - Halloween Linky Party
Creative Inspirations - Inspired by Halloween

Kraken: noun

a fabulous Scandinavian sea monster

pronunciation
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Anything but a Card - Let your Imagination Fall into a Fairy Fantasy

After dividing and transplanting some aloe a couple of weeks ago, I kept looking at it thinking it looked like a Kraken rising up from the sea the way the plants leaves twisted and turned, which made me think of mermaids, which in turn made me think of my friend Jamie....so I made a mermaid planter for her.

...so squint if you need to, but doesn't the aloe plant look like a Kraken?

( As you read this, Jamie and I are currently traveling down to Panama Beach, Florida for some fun in the sun time!! woo hoo!!  Frou Frou drinks, hopefully some hunky men to oogle, white sandy beaches, pool...::sigh:: )

anyhoo...

The mermaid Cricut cut actually had her right arm extended with a Neptune's fork in her hand but I trimmed off the fork and bent her arm over for a more dimensional look. She is attached with big fat chunky glue dots.

I added a string of shells around the outside rim of the saucer, and mod podged some green and blue layers of tissue paper along with some swimming fishes.

I added some sand and shells to the top layer of soil to carry on with the theme:

( look at the cute little baby aloe poking up through the ground! ...or should I say a baby Kraken? )

Cricut - Pirates and Mermaids cartridge
recycled fruit container

Barbecue: transitive verb

In some parts of the country, such as Texas and Tennessee, your answer probably involves a method of slow-cooking with indirect heat. If you're a Northerner, you might just point to your backyard grill.
The word has different meanings, but a single origin.
When 17th-century Spanish explorers landed in the West Indies, they saw native people – the Arawakan – drying meat over a frame. The Arawakan called the wooden rack a barbacoa. The explorers borrowed the term.
Barbacoa soon came to name not only the frame but the process of cooking (not drying) meat. Now, of course, barbecue can name the cooking structure, the food, the cooking method, or the social occasion.

pronunciation
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BIGGEST PRIZE EVER!!!!!!!!

( ya'll are sooooo lucky!! )

One lucky winner will win an online class worth $65.00

This online workshop includes direct access to the artists, all 15 projects & videos, each artists personal video tutorials, supplies lists and project photos.
With your unique link you will gain access to the classroom where you can stream the videos AND/OR download each video directly to your computer. The video will be yours forever once you download it, (however, we plan to keep the classroom accessibly to registered students indefinitely) and gain immediate INTERNATIONAL access to your inner ARTIST today and join in this unique creative experience 

Plus... Donna's new Internationally inspired Vol 2 Workshop

  has a total of 5 teachers and 5 projects. 

WOWZERS...RIGHT???

( I wish I had a chance to win this!! )

Here's my project that I created, an up cycled Christmas ribbon spool made into a gift box. Over the music ribbon is a layer of tissue paper aged with Distress ink and the twine was wrapped around in the spaces where the ribbon didn't meet.

 I cut 2 butterflies out. Stuck my straight pin in through one butterfly and then glued the second one on top to hide the pin head. Then stuck the butterfly into the flower giving him a "floating" appearance.

The box is held together with Velcro, first the butterfly part opens

then the lid

  

Really Reasonable Ribbon - black, and music ribbon  

Kaiser Kraft - pearls

Ranger - Distress Inkm stickles

Prima - flower

twine - misc.

Cricut - Paisley cartridge

Also entering this in:
Really Reasonable Ribbon - #75 'Anything But a Card & Ribbon' Theme
2 Creative Chicks - 3-D challenge #4

tontine: noun

a joint financial arrangement whereby the participants usually contribute equally to a prize that is awarded entirely to the participant who survives all the others

pronunciation

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Welcome to Challenge #11  

Use 2 or more Ribbons

Begins: Monday, May 27

Ends: Sunday, Jun 9

Sponsor: Cardz TV Stamps http://www.cardztvstamps.blogspot.com/

Prize: 1 set of stamps

(must have USA address)

Last year I made this little bird house plant decoration wondering how it would hold up. Even though my balcony is covered it still got a little dirty and the yellow paper faded. So it needed a little tender loving remodeling...

And here is the summer of 2013 version; covered with velvet ribbon and pom pom fringe...a little yellow polka dot butterfly and a snazzy button hole entrance...and to top it off, a tiny white bow.

A couple of close up shots of the sides and back.

  And here it is, in it's new location for the summer :)

Really Reasonable Ribbon - polka dot satin

pom pom fringe, bow, velvet ribbon - misc.

Ranger - Liquid Pearls

Helmar - 450

entering this in:

Craftin Desert Diva's - Craft It Up & Link It Up Party # 7
 

hot air: noun

empty talk

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"Interestingly, the history of hot air ballooning can be traced back to the 18th century - way before the Wright Brothers developed the first airplane.

The urge to fly like the birds prompted humans undertake several attempts to soar in the skies.

 The Montgolfier brothers - Joseph-Michel Montgolfier and Jacques-Etienne Montgolfier, are given the credit of being the hot air balloon inventors - a feat they achieved in the second half of the 18th century." 

I don't now about you, but I am fascinated with hot air balloons...don't get me wrong, I do not, in any way, want to be in one, I just like looking at them from the ground floating across the sky.

and why am I talking about hot air balloons, you ask?
 Because it's time for

where our challenge is Inventions, inventors, or steampunk

Our very generous sponsor is:

  http://www.genuinelyjanestudios.com/blog.html
 Where you have the chance to win a $25 Gift certificate !!

I was really going back and forth on this challenge because there are SO many awesome things that have been invented over time, but in the end inspiration from this picture  I discovered on Pinterest won out. I was smitten from the moment I saw it!

 So many elements were found recycled parts, the balloon ( or envelope ) itself came from packaging, covered it in tissue paper, outlined with my Pebeo to create the seams, colored with metallic melon gelato, and embellished with rhinestones and pearls.

The basket ( or gondola ) was created from a used tea light, that tin is so malleable, I just loved working with it. Covered it with tissue tape which was then washed with the same gelato color as the balloon. After I punched holes into the basket I sewed it with silk cording to attach it to the balloon. I used LSD to prop up the puffy heart that is riding in the basket.

I love the free hanging heart bead on the ground cable....which really shouldn't be attached theoretically beacause in the real world it would get caught on a tree or something...but then hey, there aren't giant puffy hearts flying balloons either... but I like how it looks :)

  

American Crafts - Thickers puffy stickers
Dear Lizzy - glittered chipboard bird
Maya Road - arrow chipboard, tissue tape
Ranger - Distress Paints, tissue tape
Pebeo - outliner
Helmar - 450, Liquid Scrapdots
Faber Castell - gelato, PITT pen
Higgins - waterproof drawing ink
Syudio G - stamp
Really Reasonable Ribbon - hemp cord

also entering this 6x12" wall hanging in:

Sparkles Monthly Challenge - #43 Hearts
Faber Castell - April 'Take the Challenge' with Mou

obviate: verb

to anticipate and prevent (as a situation)
or
make unnecessary (as an action)
pronunciation
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Happy Easter to everyone!
 

 

 

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Here are my Easter projects that I made for my friends and neighbors:

2 egg cartons filled with goodies for the elderly neighbor ladies who live below me.
And I made up a lot of Peep S'more's and handed them out to my friends, they get their's early since the Easter bunny has to hand deliver them! lol
 ( This Peep S'mores will be hung from the door knob for the girl who lives across from me along with the neighbor's below who get the egg cartons.The Easter bunny delivers theirs during the night for them to have a surprise in the morning !! )

I did change how I put the goodies inside the egg cartons, I like this much better than the orginal version. You can go to Try it on Tuesday to see the first version and you still have until April 8th to play along with our Recycle It challenge!

 

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Did you know that there is a PEEPS web page? HA!


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Yesterday I was asked by Winnie ( concerning my Art MoB 6 month recap  )
"Is the shop you sell for online as well so others can look and order from it as well?"

The answer is no. I chose to not do an Etsy shop because I want to obviate dealing with the Post Office on a regular basis. I love being in a shop where I can restock and then can walk away from it. I am lucky that I live in one of those tourist towns where there are a lot of people visiting the shop. ( excluding the months of January and February ).

If you are interested in the card recap, go here.
For the mixed media wall hanging recap, go here.
 

laudable: adjective

worthy of praise : commendable

pronunciation
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March Creative Dare with Tracy Weinzapfel
Create a piece using BUTTONS including a song (lyrics and/or title) that means a lot to you!

Also entering this project into Simon Says Stamp and Show Quotable challenge.

I knew I wanted to paint something that I could use and see everyday along with lyrics from the Beatles, which reminds me of my childhood.  This was the first "canvas" that I painted along with Tracy on Monday night. Used a button for the Hot Air Balloon's basket.

 

On this "canvas" I used a Quilter's pin wheel to create the star burst pattern. When I was a kid I use to love singing this song, lol I used a button for the center of the sun.

Tracy went away for a week to supposedly work while in Las Vegas...yeah, we know what happens in Las Vegas stays in Las Vegas..wink wink I still painted Monday sort of re-creating one of my favorite wall hangings and used a rhinestone button ( removed the shank ) for the center of her outfit.

Last Monday night I painted this one which I am also entering it into Pan Pastel's Photo Inspiration challenge. I was inspired by the salmon color and the flower. I used a pearl button ( removed shank ) for the center of the flower.

So have you guessed by now what my "canvases" were?

I like how I can turn it to fit my mood.

And it looks great from any angle...well it does to me I should say, lol

 

One of things I would have done differently looking back, would be the way I did the buttons on the top of the box. I wish I had just chopped up all the buttons and made it into a more mosaic look. It also would have been easier to conform to the square shape.

 

This is where it will sit on my crafting desk shelf

 

nascent: adjective

coming or having recently come into existence

pronunciation

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It's Tuesday and it's time for our new challenge which is:

 'Recycle It' 

Our challenge is to use old packages, plastic boxes string etc and upcycle them!!

Go check out what my fellow DT members created, I was blown away with their creativity!

 

 

I love this challenge! I have 2 little old ladies who live on the ground floor and I enjoy making then surprises to have. I took a half an egg carton and embellished it. First applying some coordinating pattern paper to cover the top.

 

 Little Scrap Pieces is having a challenge to use a hand made embellishment.

I made washi tape or faux ribbon, however you want to look at it, lol I took masking tape and laid it out on a piece of wax paper ( so it would lay flat to work on it, yet wouldn't stick ) Then I rubbed some Ranger Distress Stain on it and spritzed it with water. Then made faux stitching lines on it with a Distress Marker. Great way to trim the egg carton since it's tape.Added a small flower with a drop of Liquid Pearls to finish it off.

Tied it up with some scrumptious Really Reasonable Ribbon and filled it with fun Easter goodies...yum..snacked on a few of them myself ;)

Over at Anything but a Card they are asking you to create something Spring or Alice in Wonderland related, and this definitely falls into the spring category!

 

Our sponsor for this month's challenge is Craft-embellies with a  £10 store voucher.

( currency convertor )

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Name That Synonym:

 Fill in the blanks to create a synonym of "nascent":

  i_c_p_e_t

Answer found here...you didn't think I'd tell you, did you?