Altered Sardine Can - Gone Fishing!

So did you catch the show on Create & Craft today? If not then you can catch it here or on Catch Up TV - it was an amazing show with plenty of lush samples from my teamies and a genius demonstration from Nikky Hall involving hot glue!!! Anyway, I thought I'd pop in and show you this fun little piece that I made for the show using the new Winston Collection from Polka Doodles.

There are loads of fun techniques I've used on this project and I have to say that although it was a touch fiddly in places, I had an absolute blast making it! I know this getting to be a habit but there are loads of pictures in this post so apologies if it slow loading!

As many of you know I love upcycling stuff that would otherwise be discarded in the trash. I'm always on the look out for odd tins, bottles and boxes and as a result have a quite a hoard! Anyway as soon as I saw one of the design sheets on the CD I just knew that I had to alter a sardine can from my stash. Now for those of you worried about the smell, don't be, simply wash it out thoroughly with hot soapy water and then soak it in bi-carb and hot water overnight and any smell will be removed.

The first thing I did was to create a "lid" out of card. I simply drew around the tin and then cut it to size.

I then hot glued some beads onto the base to make feet and then coated the whole thing generously with Gesso, along with the card lid. Whilst I waited for it to dry I printed out the design sheet from the CD, cut it out and layered it up with silicone glue.

Once the tin and card lid was dry I dabbed on some course modelling paste (if you don't have this try mixing a bit of sand or salt in with some fine modelling paste or gel medium) and again left it to dry.  I then covered the entire tin and lid in silver acrylic paint. I then added a thinned down coat of black acrylic paint to it and lightly swiped it over with a cloth so that there some areas of silver showing through. Before this dried thoroughly I added some Burnt Umber acrylic paint and some Burnt Sienna. I then left the whole to dry for thirty minutes or so.

I then printed some dotty papers from the CD and cut them to fit the tin to create the water. The bullrushes were freehand cut from scraps of paper and coloured with my Graph'It Markers. I then glued each of the individual elements into the scene.

Finally, I rolled up the lid and cut jagged edges into the sides where it was curled before gluing it into position on the tin. The key was an old corned beef tin key that seem almost impossible to find these days, so I made a mold and cast a few extras. This was then rusted up in the same fashion described above.

If you buy the Winston CD please do stop by and show me what you made - I love looking at other peoples creations. Alternatively, please feel free to share with all the other Polka Doodles fans on Facebook Page

Thanks for stopping by today.

Claire xxx

I'd like to enter this project into the following challenges:
Altered Eclectics - Anything Goes
A Little Bit Crafty - Distress It
Crafts & Me - Time for Anything
Natalie & Amy's Challenge - Things with wings
Rhedd's Creative Spirit - Anything Goes
The Mirror Cracked - Anything Goes

It's A Rubbish Christmas Ornament!

This weeks challenge over at Stampotique is to Alter Something, and although it's not my week to play along, it is my turn to post over at the Stampotique Designer's Blog. As you know I love altering things, so I thought I'd still run with the theme, especially as I have an ever increasing pile of assorted tins which "might just come in handy!!" Plus it'll get Hubby off of my back. He keeps passing comment on them and I just know if they don't get used he'll sneak them into the re-cycling bin!!! So, I've dug out a sardine can to alter.

I started out by stamping and masking Picket Fence and then heat embossing Abstract Foliage onto a piece of card that had been cut to fit the inside of the tin. It was then Distress Inked and heat embossed with the Abstract Foliage again. The tree has been stamped and heat embossed onto card using Abstract Foliage, then cut out and then Distress Inked.

The tin was covered in moulding paste. Whilst it was still wet I tore strips of card to layer up as the snowdrifts, inked the edges and quickly slid them into position. The images Brrr... , Christmas Mosaic and Snowman were then stamped onto heavy weight card before being cut out and coloured with Prismacolor pencils. I added a light dusting of Stardust Stickles to the Snowman, the collar and cuffs of Brrr's coat and the edges of the snowdrifts . I fully assembled the scene once the paste and Stickles were dry. To finish I die cut two Marianne Creatables Snowflake's LR0125 in shrink plastic, attached a small blue gemstone and glued them in position.

I haven't decided yet as to if this decoration should hang, stand as shown or free stand.... such big decisions ;D

Well that's me done for today.

Thanks for stopping by

Claire x

I'd like to enter this project into the following challenges:
Creative Stamp Friends - Stamp a scene
Make it Monday - Anything goes
Whoopsi Daisy Challenge - Anything goes

Altered Sardine Can Winter Wonderland

OK I'm running really late posting my Delicious Doodles Challenge project. I'm not really sure where this week has gone, but I'm almost certain that I've missed a huge chunk of it!

Anyway, the challenge this week is Winter Wonderland. Now, I should've used this an excuse to start on next years Christmas cards, but I'm soooo fed up of Christmas cards at the moment that I just couldn't face making one. So I thought I'd use it as an excuse to make a Christmas Ornament - how I wish I hadn't!!!!  The whole project has been a complete nightmare from start to finish. However, I think the main problem has been that I didn't allow myself enough time and so became impatient and you know what happens then! With hindsight I could've made a winter Birthday card, but you know me why make life easy for myself when I can complicate things!!!

Anyhow, here's my project - what do you think??? There are a couple of things I'd do differently next time, but on the whole I think I'm fairly pleased with it!

I took an old sardine can and flattened the edges with pliers to reduce the risk of injury to myself or others. I then coated the outside in a layer of texture paste. Whilst waiting for it to dry, I printed out the background image, cut it to size and glittered it up. Once the outside was dry I placed the image inside the tin and then added more texture paste. The Robin and Holly images were coloured with Promarkers and Prismacolor Pencils before being fancy cut and mounted onto the tin. Unfortunately, the camera hasn't picked up all the sparkle on this project, but I think you can just about see it on the picture below.

Thanks for stopping by today and I hope you all have a fab weekend.

Claire x

Materials:
Robin Redbreast, Holly and A Crofters Winter - Delicious Doodles
Prismacolor Pencils
Promarkers
Texture Paste
Sardine Tin
Stickles
Glamour Dust

I'd like to enter this project into the following challenges:
Crafty Purple Frog - Anything Goes
Simon Says Stamp and Show - Anything but a card
Moving Along With The Times - Things with wings
ABC Christmas Challenge - Anything goes
The House That Stamps Built - Scenic Challenge with snow (Repeat Impressions DCC118 Designer’s Choice Challenge)
I ♥ ProMarkers - Anything goes
PanPastel UK - Anything goes
Little Claire's - Anything but a card