Coaster Book

I have been looking after two of our Flickr groups whilst our group leader Margaret is taking a break for personal reasons. I am currently setting challenges on the monthly groups of Art Dolls and also the Altered Swap.

I set the challenge of an 'Altered Coaster Book', which saw several members running for the nearest pub/bar/restaurant - (any excuse..........)

One of the reasons behind setting this as a theme was because I had never done one before! I said that there should be one stamp used somewhere on the book and also some texture but you could make it on any theme you want.

Here is my first attempt. I decided that I perhaps should only use 2 coasters for the first try - nothing too ambitious!!!

I covered the front and back of the coasters with stiff brown corrugated paper. The back has an embossed leaf design mounted onto mulberry paper with a couple of stickers and a button.

Inside I used some more mulberry paper to cover the coaster and added some stamped images of trees, a skeleton leaf and some small letter tags. A couple of different fibres and a leaf shaped button finished the inside.

On the front cover I used the quote (from a tag book), another stamped image of a tree, another skeleton leaf and a couple of acorn and leaf stickers. I added the metal corners and the little metal watering can charm. Finally, I attached some fibres to the front and secured the booklet with two strips of brown organza ribbon.

I have thoroughly enjoyed doing this and am now determined to do another with some pages inside.

Key to the Heart?

I am a member of a monthly altered art group and the challenge this month was to alter a key.

This is my first attempt.

The back of the key can be seen on my Flickr photstream here

I painted the key with black acrylic paint, then dabbed some of it off using a paper towel - some parts of the pic make the key and charm look red but this is due to me wearing a red shirt when I took the photo!

I used two silver filigree circles front and back. On the front I used a silver rimmed black button and glued on a pink heart gem. The lace was stuck on for no other reason other than it was lying on my desk and destined for the bin - waste not want not!!!

I am not sure if the addition of the two plastic leaves were a good idea as they are not particularly strong, but I liked the irridescent effect so decided to take the risk. I stamped the 'woman of spirit' image onto shrink plastic and panicked as usual when it began to curl up before it flattened out again - I added it and the silver cherub charm using silver chain.

The back of the key has the same silver filigree and lace scrap and I have added some pink gems. I am feeling quite relieved that today I have finally managed to make something - but also feeling guilty that I should have been catching up with the dreaded chores!

Not to worry - the dust will still be there next week won't it????

Oriental Dreams Part 2

As if the weekly challenge and the monthly art doll swap wasn't enough to keep us all occupied Margaret thought we should do another challenge. Both Margaret and I wanted to do something altered but the problem is the group is international and postage and packing might be a difficult (and expensive) problem for large or bulky or fragile items.
I was the host for the first 'Altered Swap' and I chose to challenge everyone on the group to alter a CD. I selected the theme of Oriental and here is my completed CD.
I love this sparkly hand made backing paper. I think the colour is striking and set this as the base for my colour scheme. I stamped and embossed the images in silver onto blue vellum which I then mounted on thin card to give them a bit more body. Holes drilled in the top and the bottom for the fibres and I also stamped and embossed a flower image onto the back of the sparkly paper (the plain side) and hung this from the bottom fibres. The ric rac braid and the 'dream' chipboard sticker carried on the colour scheme. I added a glass flower to the bottom (unfortunately this hasn't shown up too well on the photo!) and some fibres round the outside edge of the CD. I enjoyed doing this so may make another one as the closing date for entries isn't for another 3 weeks!

The theme of Altered CD's is also the challenge on Saturday Workout.