Ovaltine Light

     Earlier in the year I made a fairy jar using a jam jar, that's alright for an adult but what about a young child, I needed something other than glass. I have always loved to drink Ovaltine, it's a malted chocolate drink that comes in an opaque plastic jar, perfect!

     The jar is already opaque so no painting required, just some colouring to be done to that bright orange lid. I used a black marker pen but maybe a spray paint would have been a little better.
     The die is a Robert Adams Nativity set which cuts beautifully. I stuck some thin black card to a Stix2 double sided sticky sheet and then die cut the figures.
      The label on the jar is not glued on so there are no sticky marks to remove, just a small date stamp on the bottom which wipes off using an antibacterial hand cleanser gel.
   
   

     Turning the jar upside down makes the lid a perfect place to put the LED candle and the whole jar glows. The candle is fixed to the lid with a lump of tack so it can be lifted to switch it on and off, once the jar is done up tight it's quite difficult for little fingers to undo.
     Starting with the stable I peeled off the backing paper and stuck the shapes to the jar. The star is cut from gold glitter paper so it tinkles.
     On the back I have used a greeting die that had holly on it, that didn't look right so I trimmed the holly off and just used the words.
     Being plastic it's safe to have out on display where small people may be, if they drop it it will bounce, it's not heavy so if it hits a toe it won't hurt either. It would make a great Christmas night light as well as showing them the meaning of Christmas.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

I would like to enter this project in the following challenges:

UnstampaBelles - Flickering Lights

Craft For The Craic - Anything But A Card
Crafting With An Attitude - Anything Goes

Magazine star

     As you can probably tell I love working with these magazine straws, this time a star is born. This was the first design I saw and fell in love with but when I saw the trees I had to make those first.

     Again there are lots of fabulous tutorials on You Tube and Pinterest so pop over and have a look, there are different styles to try too.
     I have given some of the stars instead of cards this year, just writing my message on a handmade tag attached to the star.
     This large star is sprayed gold, then when dry I've added some PVA glue and gold glitter randomly over it. The beauty of these is you can make them any size or colour you want.

I would like to enter this star in the following challenges:

Paperminutes - Stars

Little Red Wagon - Stars

Glitter 'N' Sparkle - Christmas with Glitter

Plaited magazine trees

     Following on from the plaited wreath I decided to play around and make some trees from old magazines. I've really enjoyed making these because it reminds me of long hot summer days sitting in the garden making corn dollies.

     Trees can be made starting from the top or the bottom depending on which pattern you're following, these started from the bottom because that's the way this video showed.
     The most time consuming part is rolling the straws, making the tree is really quick and easy. You can vary the size of your tree by the size of cone you use to work round. Tip: Don't be tempted to use a polystyrene cone, I did and it got stuck inside, a rolled card one is much easier and surprisingly strong.
     I sprayed the smallest tree with gold paint and stuck a gold glitter paper origami star on the top but these could be painted any colour to match your decor. A large tree with a string of lights around it would look good and you can hide the battery pack under the tree so you can put them almost anywhere.

I would like to enter these trees in the following challenges:

Crafting By Designs - Anything Goes

Inspiration Destination - Anything Goes

Creates and Makes - Anything Goes

Moo-Mania - Trees

Driving Round In Circles

     Ever wondered what to do with that old road atlas? This year it's being put to use on my front door. I'm not a fan of SatNav, I prefer a good old fashioned map, so when I bought a new road atlas for my car I wondered what I could do with the old one, as an avid crafter I hate to throw anything away.

      I removed each page and trimmed the rough edge, then cut each page into three strips vertically. Using a bamboo skewer I rolled each strip into a straw, I made lots of straws!
     Starting with four straws I followed a great You Tube video and began to plait around a strong card tube from a roll of food bags, I found the aerosol can (as used in the video) a bit too big. If you need to take a break then just pin the straws in place with a clothes peg, that way you don't loose your place or unravel.
     I kept going until it was long enough to bend gently into a full circle and finished off as per the video, then using my trusty hot glue gun I fixed the ends together.

     I didn't want to spray my wreath with paint, I like the map look, it fits perfectly with my families love of vehicles.
     I hunted around for some hessian ribbon and found this one at the local florist, it has wired edges making it easy to shape.
     The leaves are die cut and embossed silver mirri card and the three baubles are shatterproof, all fixed on to the wreath with hot glue from Stix2. I couldn't find any royal blue baubles so I used nail varnish to paint a silver one.
     It is fixed to my front door by threading lacing cord through the wreath and then through some tiewrap blocks stuck to the door. We have a porch so the wreath won't get wet, it's quite strong and surprisingly heavy for paper but then it is nearly a whole atlas. After Christmas it may get put away with the rest of the decorations or it may be recycled.

I would like to enter my wreath in the following challenges:

Holly Jolly - Christmas Card or Anything Christmas

Paperminutes - Christmas Decoration

Mixed Media World - Winter Wonderland

Country View - Christmas

Sparkles Christmas - Anything But A Card

Through The Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

Rhedd's Creative Spirit - Anything Goes

Tuesday Throwdown - Anything Goes

Eclectic Ellapu - Anything Christmas

Paper Creator's Crafts - Christmas

Christmas Wishes from The Male Room

     Welcome to Christmas Wishes from The Male Room, sorry I'm a little late. This challenge will run until the end of December, so if like me, you are running a little behind, you will still have time to join us with your Masculine Christmas project.

      I have to confess that this card is a rescue card, I found it in bits on the floor at the end of a craft show. Torn, smudged and with a large footprint on it I still couldn't throw it in the bin.
     The stepper card was fine with just a tear at the bottom, so that is covered with dark red paper. The Greeting panel was ripped beyond all help and the image panel was smudged as well as having a large footprint right across it.
     I have the Woodware Bubble Tree stamp in my stash so I stamped a new panel and transferred most of the Candi from the damaged image to the new one, with the addition of a few Stickles the panel was complete. I have used a peel off greeting as I have lots in my stash to be used up.
     I'm happy to have rescued such a lovely card from the bin, having the same stamp meant it really didn't take much work to save it. So if you go horribly wrong when making something, put it down and walk away, leave it for a while and when you go back to it you may see a way to save it.
     If you don't get time to join us at The Male Room this month then we hope to see you next year with lots more masculine challenges, Happy Christmas!

I would like to enter this card in the following challenges:

Christmas Cards All Year Round - Anything Christmas Goes

Jingle Belles - Anything Christmas

Addicted To Stamps - Christmas

MHK Designs - The Write Stuff

     Welcome to the last new release set from MHK Designs, this one is perfect for making note cards.
     Starting with a gatefold card I have used a paper from the World Traveller paper set to cover the entire card, including the back. Inside there is a die cut oval of the same paper but one that has been printed in 'draft' mode so that it's very pale.
     The image panels are both die cut plain ovals mounted on die cut scalloped ovals coloured with alcohol markers. These ovals have been stuck flush on to the card but off centre and on opposite sides making the whole card quite flat so it's standard postage.
     Please take a look at all the inspiration on the MHK Designs blog, there is also a chance to win one of the new sets or, if you are very lucky, the entire release.

The Write Stuff

World Traveller

     

MHK Designs - Fanciful Feathers

     These gorgeous feathers are from day four of the new releases at MHK Designs, there are three different feathers and five sentiments so something for every occasion. They would make a great masculine card for a keen ornithologist.
     The colours of these feathers have been manipulated in my photo package, printed and then fussy cut to go over a layer of backing paper from the French Country set that has been printed in draft mode and then edged with Distress ink.
     The scalloped edge oval and die cut bird have been coloured with an alcohol marker to try and match the ink of the sentiment. It's all stuck flush so the postage is standard but if you were hand delivering it you could raise the feathers and the sentiment on foam pads to add a little dimension.
     Please pop over to MHK Designs blog and have a look at all the inspiration we have for you, everyone has come up with something different so I'm sure something will spark your imagination.

Fanciful Feathers

French Country

     

I would like to enter this card in the following challenges:

Southern Girls - Anything Goes

Crafting With Friends - Anything Goes