Sunday craft time

Have you ever heard of Altered Slide Mounts?

Well, I hadn't. Then a 4 for 4 swap came up in a Yahoo group I belong to and I knew I'd have to give it a try.

I used alcohol inks to color them. One of the things I love about alcohol inks is that if you are using them on something they can't soak in so they pool and look like a cross between tie dye and reptile scales. They dry pretty fast but I usually coat the with a quick shot of spray sealer just to make sure they never bleed or rub off. When you open these little hinged slides up, you can put a picture facing each way so it's double sided.  The do need a dab of E6000 or Glossy Accents to keep them closed after adding the pictures. My favorite, of course, is the Marie Antoinette one. The picture on the back is a foofy pink cake.

The intent for these is to send 4 and get 4 back from different artists. I guess then  to make them a little booklet like in this turtorial. The Crop-a-dile  make the holes easily without cracking the plastic mounts.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6pxCRaBHVrU

I think they would be really cute for a mom or grandma to hold little pictures of the kids. Especially if it was put together as an accordion type book. 

I'm also working on an altered spoon and did 2 more Marilyn ATC's  for a tag game.

Marilyn Always Sparkles and Blue Marilyn

an ATC moment

Having so much going on around my place means quicky-projects. So. I'm having an ATC moment. 

I needed to make some backgrounds for a swap (above) and made a few extra to do when I had a chance.

 I discovered that if I use acrylic on watercolor paper and use it straight from the tube, it takes on a leathery finish. I did this background with a metallic gold, tube acrylic and applied it with a crumbled up piece of paper so it would be blotchy. After it dried, I went back over the unpainted spots with alcohol ink and then dry brushed some pale flesh-tone craft paint that was on a brush from something else. It came out kind of a metallic marble look with a leathery feel to the paper.  later on I stamped French text in white and then again in black. It only stuck here and there.

 

acrylic paint over sheet music

 

same as 1st but without text stamping

 rumpled paper bag background.

 I did squeeze in a couple of charms that had to go postal right away, a couple more little houses, 2 or 3 more ATC's  and this altered frame.

 

I just couldn't distress it enough for my taste. I had to work with a bright color for the person I made it for. It was harder than I thought it would be to step away from my comfortable neutrals and monotone.

a quick post

Key Fob

I made a key chain / key fob for a swap. 

The group is Buttons, Beads and Baubles so that's where I started. 

First, a key ring and a shape in black acrylic. My partner is goth and I wasn't sure which shape to use so I made it with and Eiffel but included a couple of other shapes for her to switch out if she wants.

I added a medium sized teardrop crystal, an old key, a vintage mother-of-pearl shank button and a rescued, vintage black bead. 

Now, off to the mail man!

a new craft

Whimsey Pockets!

 

front

back

I had never even heard of one of these. 

They remind me of treat cones but a little more fancy. They are made from a flattened, cardboard paper towel tube.  When you pinch the end closed, it gives a great oval-ish shape.

This is my first one and of course, is for a swap. The theme was Bordello Chic. I filled it with a few goodies for my swap partner per the swap requirements. It was pretty fun to make so I will likely be making a few more of them. Possibly larger so they can be more detailed. 

This one is just  2.5" by 3.75"

I've also been slipping in an ATC here and there. 

We have house guests from out of town and lots of things happening around our house so art and crafting has taken a back seat.

Lucky for Zoey, curiosity didn't kill this cat.

(thurs)Day of crafting

Well, I didn't get done anywhere near what I had wanted but I had a wonderful day with a friend and also made a new friend!

An ATC for the Weekend ATC Swap that I host.  
 

and I finished one more house for a swap (two more left to go)

The studio move is on for Saturday and the GrandBabies are coming to spend the night so this may not be much of a crafting weekend. 

I plan to try and work it in somewhere though :)

Quick-Craft for a swap

Altered Clothes Pins

I saw this swap and thought, that's something I've never done, I can do it fairly quickly and they might even turn out okay. I had to make 4 for the swap and tried to make them in the taste of my swap partner. I have some ideas for some grungy designs for a later date.

 In use

 Final packaging

I had a vintage packet of glass, flat back rhinestones that I used for the flower center and as I was putting the paper packaging in the garbage I realized that it's kind of cute and would be a great way to clip them to something to ship them off. 

???

what shall I do with these!?!

Easily, 100+ clear acrylic ovals. 1 5/8" tall by 1 1/8" across 3/16" thick

I could use them like a dog tag but will have to attach a bail to hang them.

I could use them as bases for magnets.

Or maybe even as a "frame" on a chunky tag or page. 

hmmmmmmmm

What ideas do you have?