A sneak peek of what's coming on Happy Daze

I thought I would give you a sneaky peek on what I have created for the Happy Daze blog for Wednesday 14th on my guest designer spot!

I hope that you will pay a visit to see the whole project.

I'd really appreciate it.

Thank  you.

Just a box......

I have been getting back into the crafting mode lately - spurred on by the need to make some things for this month's challenge on Happy Daze.

After another rummage around in long forgotten stash under my desk, I discovered a box.

It's about 6"x 6" and it had a sale sticker on it - so it must have been a bargain as I wouldn't have normally bought it.  But it obviously has come in handy as I thought it might!

It is really strong and sturdy and seamless, making it easy to work with.

I painted it with blue metallic acrylic paint - just a cheap tube from a supermarket - and just had enough left to cover the complete box, as it's my grandson's favourite colour!

It took two coats to cover it but I felt that it needed a bit of oomph so I found some silver rub and buff which hasn't seen daylight for years, and did just that - put some on my finger and rubbed, then buffed it.   Silly me didn't take photos of the sides, but as they looked plain, I used silver paint to stamp a swirl on each side and rub and buffed silver on all the corners and edges.

The image is one from a Crafty Individuals book - again something I have had for years, and it was the perfect fit for the aperture in the lid.  I sandwiched the glossy image between transparent plastic sheets cut to size - just to finish it off.

What do you think - would it be good enough to use to put some goodies in for a birthday present?

Paint Brush Bucket for Happy Daze

I am this months guest 'Designer' for Happy Daze

I know what you are thinking, and I thought that too when they asked me.

But it's great to be invited to create three items to brighten up the month - and it just proves that someone like me, who can't make a card for toffee, and who is definitely not a designer in any way can be picked.  They really do look at your blogs when you join in the challenges.

 I have been 'rummaging around' the Happy Daze shop looking for something different for Christmas presents, and I was not disappointed.

I've found something that will be great for children and adults.

It's lined with plastic so it can hold water,  

It packs flat so it's cheap to post!
It's  brilliant - so much so you'll want to buy one for yourself too!

It's a collapsable Paint Brush Bucket!
I've found different uses for mine - but first I decided to personalise it.

I stamped on two of the sides using brown acrylic paint.

 I've never tried doing that before so I was a bit apprehensive - but it was easy.

I spread brown paint on a washable flat surface, then just gently tapped the stamps on it, checking that the stamps have an even covering.  If you put too much paint on your stamp on your first attempt, don't be tempted to use it - just wipe the stamp clean, and try again; if it is too thick and gloopy you won't get a clear image, and clean your stamp/s as soon as you have stamped  your images as paint dries quickly and  you might not get it properly clean if you leave it.
 Leave the bag to dry properly, then colour you image in. 

 I have multi uses for mine.  As you can see, its holds lots of paintbrushes.  I have a number of very tall ones too, so decided to make the most of the bag by storing everything in one place.

This is one of those big chilli con carne tins which I have covered.

 I was looking through my old ATC collection for inspiration, and realised that those little works of art hardly ever see daylight!

 So I scanned some into the computer and printed them off and used them to decorate the tin, which fits nicely into the middle of the Paint Brush Bucket

 This is great as it holds my watercolour pencils too! All neat and in one place.  I'll be getting another for my colouring pencils, Promarker pens, and water colour crayons.

When I am ready to paint I just lift out the pot of paintbrushes, and pop in a lidded jam jar full of water or a big yoghurt pot!  There are so many other uses: for all my polymer clay tools - they'll be near to hand and tidy on my desk ready to use,  instead of hidden away in a drawer, ditto my jewellery making tools, colouring pencils etc

More ideas...... decorate one very girly with pretty stamped images, add embellishments, flowers etc. and do the same for a boy with another colour.  Add a name tag too to presonalise it.  If you don't have time to personalise one - just buy some for presents.  They are so cool and great for arty crafty friends and children
Am I allowed to say how much they are?
£3.80  I'm not being a 'cheapskate' but they do make really lovely presents - for adults and children alike!  What a bargain!

Yes, with Happy Daze, you sure can brighten up the month, and make birthday and Christmas presents at the same time!

Go on, give it a go, and do send me a link as I would love to see what you create.

And thanks so much for looking - and if I can do something anyone can - so all my three 'makes' are easy peasy.

Brighten up the month - Happy Daze Challenge

Over on the HAPPY DAZE design team blog the challenge this month is to brighten up the month!

The art work posted already this month has got me rising to the challenge.

I don't 'do' paper stuff - I really struggle with it but I've had a go.

 I'll probably put some paper money in these for Birthday or Christmas presents

 The sentiment stamp is an old TH one

Here is the template I created for these

It's 7.5 inches wide and 5 inches high for the wallet, and I used the button on the tag for the template  for the 'pull out' hole.

I used cereal box cardboard to glue the template on to - it's nice and sturdy to draw around.

And there is just one more

 

I have just been experimenting with these

Very easy.  I think I should put a bit of black ink on the gold trim - it looks a bit glarey!

Work in progress - which didn't progress sadly

Remember I told you about my disaster a few posts ago?  Well I thought I would show you just a few of the items that had to be binned.

 I bought this charm ages ago and found it in my stash so took a mould from it and created some pendants from it by adding a back disc.

Here are some more I made in their naked state!

The top left Egyptian I created from part of a brass hollow disc just using a piece of the head, and mounting  it on a texturised piece of polymer clay. The daisies were mounted on texturised clay too.  The little bird I had painted yellow and turned it onto a canary - I was sad to see that go.  There is a Welsh Lion / Griffin? which I moulded from a very old metal button - think it might be military, I found it in my button box.  The Japanese symbol started life as a foam stamp and I stamped into clay, baked then took a mould from - and mounted - that was so fiddly and  I dare not tell you how long it took me to achieve that - because the parts just kept falling off or bending etc.   I won't be doing that one again.  But I'll probably have another go at the others.  There are a few of the flower ones in the previous post - but they are rejects.  They had patina spilled over them, and I tried to wipe it off but wiped off the paint too in the process.

At least you know that I haven't been idle!

Earrings and pendant from polymer clay

 Since I have waxed, sanded, and polished the polymer clay yesterday, they have been almost impossible to photograph as they just reflect the lightl

And as you can see  - they are bleached of colour and you can't see the patterns - but in real life they are still the lovely colours they were before, and the beads I have added are metallic - a green base and when the light hits them they have a metallic shimmer of the same colours of the canework - purples, pinks, and green.

A bit of sanding and waxing makes a huge difference

What a difference a rubbing with sandpapers and a wax and polish make......

Quite a bit to polymer clay.

 In fact quite a lot!

 The daisy like flowers are not waxed and were an experiment

 

I think all the effort was worth it though.