Let there be Light!

Hello there crafty friends!

Hope you're all well today. I finally seem to be getting rid of this stinking cold, but am still coughing and spluttering when I laugh. So what did PapaMia choose to watch last night, but an episode of It'll be Alright on the Night!!!!! Love 'im :oD !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's new challenge time at Incy Wincy Designs and this time we'd like you to Alter Something. Grab a box, tin, anything you can alter (but no cards this time please!), alter it and show us the results! We're also introducing Maria Giselle who is the newest member of our DT - please head over to her blog to say "Hi"!

As usual, we'll be rewarding two lucky crafters for their hard work. 

Our first sponsor is Lizzy from Oddball Art and our second sponsor is Jodie from Bugaboo Stamps. Both ladies are very kindly offering our 2 lucky prize winners a pack of digital images from their respective stores!

They have also kindly given the DT some images to play with and, today, I'm showcasing an image from Bugaboo Stamps and an empty mustard jar!

There seem to be quite a few "glasses" around in some of the shops around us that are made from jars, and Mason or Kilner jars are enjoying a huge revival now too, so I thought I would have a play and see what I could do with a jar from our recycling "bottles box" and I've made a tealight holder! You could even use a summery design, fix some wire around the neck of the jar and hang it from a tree or hook to use on summer evenings.... Or how pretty these would look in wedding colours on tables ... Ooops - looks like Mr Mojo is running away with ideas again ;o) !!!!!

My project recipe is as follows:

• Jar - empty (!), clean and dry with the label removed. To do this try putting the jar in your sink and covering it with warm water. Leave it for a few hours and hopefully the label will float off. If the label is reluctant to part company from the glass, you may need to pull the label off and then scrub any glue/paper remnants from the surface of the jar.
• Image - is Christmas Words - Noel by Jodie at Bugaboo Stamps. I carefully measured the size of my jar, and then resized the image in my word processing package to suit. I printed my image onto a piece of white tissue paper which I had stuck onto a piece of card (carrier) with low tack tape. My tissue paper has a glossy side and a matt side - I printed onto the matt side and used the Draft Setting on my inkjet printer. I coloured the image using my Spectrum Noir Pens in TB3, TB4, and TB8, although in hindsight the colours haven't come out strongly. I then die cut both the tissue paper and carrier card using my second largest Sizzix Framelits Ovals die. I then drew and cut a straight line under the image to flatten to die cut and to make it easier to get the image onto the jar.
• Papers - are one of the co-ordinating papers from the (sadly no longer available) Nordic Christmas CD-Rom by Crafter's Companion. I printed these out onto another piece of tissue paper and then tore these into roughly 2cm squares.
  

I used regular PVA Glue and a paintbrush to put a layer of glue onto my jar and I then carefully smoothed my "Noel" die cut over the glue. Once it was in place, I then smeared another layer of glue over the top to seal it (a bit like decopatch-ing really!). I think I might have used a bit too much glue as the colours on the image smeared, so I went over them again once the glue was dry. I affixed the squares of Design Paper in exactly the same way, making sure they overlapped.

Once all the glue had dried, I embellished the design by glueing some silver glitter to the top of the letter "L" and also added a small Gem to the centre of the snowflake on the letter "O". Some fine silver cord wound around the neck of the jar and tied in a bow completes the project.

I hope I have inspired you to have a root around your recycling box and Alter Something but if you're short on ideas, why not pop over to Incy Wincy Designs and have a peek at the fabulous creations by my talented teamies. Then come back and link up your altered items to be in with a chance of winning one of our prizes or being a DT Top Pick! We'll be back with our next challenge on Monday 20th June 2016.

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

• Snowflakes Challenge at Winter Wonderland
• June Challenge - Anything Goes at Craftyhazelnuts Christmas Challenge Extra
• Challenge 119 - Altered at Card and Scrap
• June Challenge - Anything Goes at Altered Eclectics
• Challenge #165 - Monochrome at Crafty Cardmakers
• Challenge 64 - Upcycling at Quick Quotes
• Challenge #40 - Bingo at Get Creative Challenges - I am claiming the top left to bottom right diagonal of Glitter, Printed Paper, Blue
• Week 21, U is for Utilise at The Pencil Case

That's it from me for today - I hope you manage to enjoy some sunshine and warm weather before the forecast thunder storms strike! 

Take care,

Hugs, Helen x