Come on...Lets twist again......

I've made two more pieces of altered cutlery for the ABAA challenge because I was determined not to be beaten at trying to twist a fork!
(See post below.)
I've also managed to twist the handle of a spoon till it was back to front.. Lol!
I've got four of the metal masks so theres only one more piece to go to make a sort of "set" of four.
Once the fourth piece is done I should have got this out of my system... (oh yeah?)
...off to finish number four.....Catch you later !

Altered Cutlery for ABAA

The amazing Patty Szymkowicz is the guest designer at Awfully Big Art Adventure this week and she has chosen the theme "Altered Cutlery". Patty's altered cutlery is absolutely stunning so theres a lot to live up to !
Nothing ventured nothing gained... so I set about twisting a fork with a pair of pliers...the fork didn't budge...but the pliers twisted beautifully !
Then I tried making a hole in a spoon...which shot up in the air and landed in the sink...so not a good start ! Lol!
I finally decided to just go for embellishing an egg spoon while I was still in one piece !
I gold dabbered the spoon and heat embossed various colours of powder on the back and front of the bowl.
I then wired some beads...making a loop for the charm and threaded the wire back through the large bead to secure it. I wrapped the plain end of the wire around the base of the bowl and twisted the wired beads around the handle.
Finally I gold dabbered the mask and added it to the bowl with silicone glue.
This has got to be some of the most enjoyable crafting I have ever done...Thanks Patty ...and Thanks ABAA !

Card for "Truly Scrumptious"

Here is my card for the Truly Scrumptious challenge which is to follow a sketch......and add something shiny. (My "shiny" is the gold embossing)
I stamped and embossed a piece of cardstock for my image...and then added the other things until I'd built the main card up to follow the sketch.
(The sentiment looks pale blue in the pic but its white in RL !)
Thanks for looking x

Oriental for MMM

The theme at Mixed Media Monday this week is "Oriental" and Rosie has made two beautiful boxes to inspire everyone.
Here's my entry for this week.
This is a book I already had made....it hasn't been entered for any challenges so I thought it would be nice to enter it for this one
.... I hope you like it !

Sew an ATC for SaWo

ATC Front

ATC Back


The challenge at Saturday Workout this week is "Sew An ATC"
Well its nice to do something different and making this ATC was a first for me. I must say I did enjoy myself !
I've made my ATC with fabric and added a pocket so that a small card (or photo) can be put in it.
I didnt have any stiffener so I placed a piece of card between the layers before stitching through them all. (I used my old hand Singer for this as it will stitch through virtually anything !)
The fabric on the back was stamped with Stazon.
I hope you like it !

"Birdhouse" for ABAA

Well I was getting a bit stuck with the altered book I'm making and "Hooray" because the challenge at Awfully Big Art Adventure is "Birdhouse" ! ( My book is a birdwatchers pocket companion so I've been using a bird theme for it)
I've had a lovely afternoon playing again so here's another double page towards finishing my book.
Thanks for taking a look......
(More pages below...!)

"Red and Green" for Colour Create

Colour Create have "Red and Green as their theme this week...with the option of adding wings. Well my bird has wings and so has the bee...so thats me covered twice!
This is another double page of the altered book I'm making.
Thanks for looking x

"Nature" "Doors and Windows" and "Paint

The theme at Created By Hand this week is "Doors and Windows" which seems to fit in with one of the double pages I've done in an altered book I'm making.
...and as there are several layers of paint on these pages I would like to enter it in the Crazy Amigos challenge which is "Paint "
This also fits the theme "Nature" at My Time To Craft.
There's a song thrush hiding behind the door (window) as I'm altering a birdwatchers pocket companion.
Most of my craft time is being spent on this book at the moment so its nice to enter a part of it into these challenges.
Thanks for popping in x

"Mother and Child" for " Gothic Arches"

The theme at Gothic Arches this week is Mother and Child. Our host this week is Jaine....so thanks Jaine for a lovely theme!
Here's my arch for the challenge.
I've probably gone way over the top with all the "pretties" but you can't overdo it where mums and children are concerned can you?
Thanks for popping in x

Altered Book Cover for SaWo

The challenge at Saturday Workout this week is "Altered Book Covers" so here's the cover of the first altered book I ever did.
It measures four and a half by three and a half inches and was an old diary....so it became "My secret Diary" and holds lots of my "secrets" !
The wired beading on the spine was threaded through small eyelets.
Not much more to add except it was done with a combination of inks, stamps, brads and some little charms and swirls.

" Print" for ABAA

Heres my 4x4 for the challenge at Awfully Big Art Adventure which is "Print"
I tore up strips of newspaper and junk mail and painted and stamped them.
Then I took the quote from one of the discarded pages of an altered book I'm making and edged it with ink.
I then glued the pieces at random onto cardstock.
When it was all dry I chose a square I liked and cut it out.
I covered everything with a thin coat of gesso, to even out the tones and finally I added the image.
I hope you like this bit of re-cycling...and thanks for dropping in !

"Flowers" for "Theme Thursday"

Theme Thursday have chosen "Flowers" as the theme for this week so here is my entry.
I've turned a gothic arch upside down to make my piece.
The embellishments are strips of florist's ribbon rolled into "beads" and wrapped and tied with cord.
I hope you like it !

"Woman" for M.T.T.C and "Simplicity" for Crazy Amigo

M.T.T.C. have "Woman" as it's theme this week and Crazy Amigo have "Simplicity" so here is my ATC for both challenges.
Just tearing and chalks for this one !
I hope you like it !

Bookmark for ABAA and Colour Create

Awfully Big Art Adventure have a bookmark as their challenge this week so here is mine....showing both sides.....it's based on the Holy Grail tapestries designed by William Morris and Edward Burne-Jones.
I thought it would be amusing to put some words on the bookmark...just in case the book was boring !
The background is done with a copper dabber and the images are from a magazine.
I'd also like to enter this in the Colour Create challenge which this week has picked the colours "Orange,Yellow and Green"
Thanks for popping by !

Smile for Arty Girlz !

The theme this week at Arty Girlz is "Smile" and has been chosen by our host Anna
Here is my 4x4 for the challenge. The frame is covered with an Anna Griffin fabric swatch and the image is from Gypsy Purse.
I've tried to make the frame so that the flower on the material looks like it's part of the lady's hat.
The frame was made from mountboard, which I cut a square out of, and I then covered it with the fabric. Then I lined up the image behind the opening and covered the back of the whole piece with card.
Its a simple piece but it turned out to be harder to make than I expected !!!

"The Written Word" for Mixed Media Monday

Here is one of the pages of a mini book I've made using Laura Ashley papers.
The words are from one of Anna Griffin's books of quotes...laid on vellum.
This is my entry for this weeks theme (The Written Word" at Mixed media Monday
I hope you like it !

Fantasy... for Gothic Arches

Here's my arch for this weeks challenge at Gothic Arches...the theme is "Fantasy" which was chosen by our talented host this week who is Lynn Anderson
It's been nice to do some crafting today as I haven't been able to do much this week as one of our staff was off sick and another was on holiday so it's been early mornings and late nights for me at our market stall to try to help out. I'm happy we are back to normal this week...whatever normal is...so craft room... here I come....!
I backed my arch with serrated black card tipped with gold...I'm afraid it doesnt show up much in the photo but if you click on it you may see it a bit better.
The background is gold acrylic dabber paint with pearlescent glue swirled onto it.