New Blog Home and Blog Candy

I have moved my blog to a new home at  http://thealteredegoblog.blogspot.com

If you pop over there you can find some lovely blog candy

Ich traum von Rost

I have been taking part in Linda Baldock's amazing international art doll swap. This is my creation, and she is now on her way to her new home in Germany, hence the name which means "I dream of rust". The work from the 80 plus participants is stunning, whether people are making their first art doll, like me, or are experienced art doll makers. I have had so much fun. seeing all the work, and am very excited about the doll that is on its way to me, I've seen a pic and she is a beauty.

I am also using this in the Happy Daze Facebook challenge where the new theme is dollies - anything doll related - altered doll, new made doll, work using stamped or collage images of dolls, card, ATCs, fabric, canvas etc. Closing date is midnight Sunday 12 June and as usual one entry will be drawn at random to win a £15 Gift Voucher. Maximum of 3 entries per person.

in Flight

I made this little shadow box as a piece for the current Happy Daze Facebook challenge - In Flight which closes on Sunday at midnight. Pop over to the Facebook Page and see the entries so far.

Black and White

I went a little "old school" with this case. It started life as a papier mache box, I've papered it with Delish Designs Peppercon papers, added flowers made with Ten Second Studio metal and lace, I love a metal lace combo, and the lid has a base of black acrylic paint with a thick layer of white Viva Croco crackling over the top. I am using it as a sample piece for the new challenge on the Happy Daze Facebook page - Black and White.

I've been screening!

I finally got this box finished as a very belated Birthday present for a friend. I used texture paste through a screen to create the pattern effect which was coloured with spray inks, wax and copper leaf.



She was also leaving her job and developing her art practice in photography and jewelery making so I added a did this smaller box, using the same screen and gold texture over metallic turquoise paint as a good luck gift.

I am going to pop both of these in the current challenge gallery "Made with Wood" on the Happy Daze Facebook wall

It's like buses

You know, nothing for ages then 2 come along at once! So here is yet another blog post! This little Bird House altered with metal was spotted just after I'd made it by a very talented friend of ours, Maria Slovakova, an artist, poet, performer and all round amazing person. She is releasing her first record shortly and asked me to make a series of these, all slightly different, to animate for a video, how cool is that, and how chuffed am I.

A Klimt Inspired Box

A friend of mine is fond of the paintings of Gustav Klimt so for her birthday recently I made her this box with a hint of Klimt. I didn't want to use The Kiss as she has that image already but chose instead the Alter of Dionysus as an image to go on the lid, the rest of the box is decorated in a style stolen entirely from the Alice in Wonderland themed boxes made by Carol Fox, thank you Carol for letting me steal which I felt added to the Klimt feel. The box was painted in gold and a PVA peeled paint in cream effect was applied over the top, clear Viva Crackle paint was applied over the image, the base and inside were treated with Glue N Seal and copper foil added in parts, new hinges and closure fitted and four large glass beads attached as feet. The hard part is waiting between the layers for it to dry when you are doing the inside and outside and top and bottom of a piece duh!

The Bluebird of Happiness

Back in February as we tramped around the craft Trade Show a few of us got talking about hats- 2011 we felt would be the year if hats, what with Royal weddings and what not. So we decided to each create a new hat an d this is my effort. It has everything except the Kitchen sink on there, a bird house, nest with eggs, a couple of birds and a pile of feathers. I did have fun!You can see the other hats on the Happy Daze Design Team Blog - click the link on the right. There you will find "Matilda's Walking Hat" a Steampunk creation by Carol Fox, "A Bee in Her Bonnet" by Jo Capper-Sandon featuring stamps she designs for Stampotique Originals and "Mad as a Hatter" an Alice inspired piece by Julie Dandy.

Altered Hands

Those who know me will be aware I do love to have my nails painted. Well they only usually look nice for about 5 minutes before I've got ink or paint all over them, but these I might jsut have to look after more carefully. This cunning effect is created by a base colour – in this case “Outrageous Turquoise”, with a layer of a new polish by OPI called "Shatter" over the top and hey presto crackle paint effect nails. I'm loving it. Best get some of those cloves to wear when playing now to keep the nails looking lovely.

Another Mirror

This one I made for my lovely sister for Christmas. It uses Inka Gold paints and lots of pretty things by Prima and Pink Paislee. The little birs is air dry clay in an icing sugar mould painted with Inka Gold - deelishus

Bad Blogger

I have no idea where time goes, one minute it's Easter, then you are wondering where Summer went, then you are caught up in the rush of Christmas and suddenly it's a whole new year. I don't make resolutions but I an so going to try and blog more often this year, well let's face it it wouldn't be hard would it.

I am starting with some Christmas presents I made. I set a rather hard task of making most people something as part of their gift and like last year I did not get a chance to take pics of most things but at least I got some of them. There was something of a theme this year with lots of people getting mirrors. you know those fabby mirrors from a certain Swedish furniture and furnishings chain store that are as cheap as chips, well actually as chips used to be as even they are not that cheap anymore, but I digress, fabby wooden mirrors which scream "alter me " at the top of their splintery little lungs. The first one uses Ten Second Studio Metal in Bronzed God, Gold Nugget and Peacock , embossed with a range of Cuuttlebug folders, Tim Holtz Sissix folders and TSS plates which was then cut into patchwork and stuck on (technical term that!). The flower is also embossed metal, stuck to card to prevent raw edges and cut with the Tim Holtz Sissix Tattered Florals die and finished with and Ideology Fanciful Accoutrements button.

The second frame is painted with acrylic paints and collaged with a corner element from the Pink Paislee Artisan Elements, bling flourish, Websters Pages Cameo, Prima butterfly and flowers and vintage image and buttons from my stash. You can see the reflection of my hands and phone taking the photograph in the mirror - how professional - not!

An Altered Cigar Box

I made this as part of a swap. It started life as a cardboardmini cigar packet. I have used Ten Second Studio metal on the lid with collage and inside there is a wee pin cushion with an image transfer using th

Publish Post

e Claudine Hellmuth sticky back canvas technique.

An Altered Spoon

Having seeen lots of lovely altered spoons I decided it was time I had ago at one. The handle is embossed with distress embossing powder, with a collage image, micro beads and a bird charm in the bowl of the spoon. These spoons come with twist off tops - I think to load Pandora style beads, but I used some from my stash. It was sent to a Forum friend as a RAK.

Kilt Pin and Fob Watch Swap

We have been busy gain on Zuzus forums with a few swaps. My kilt pin birdy is wearing some script embossed metal, seems to me I use metal more and more these days. When I made the fob watch I had in mind the Victorian idea of mementoes of the dead - hence the white feathers like those on funeral horses, unfortunatley the face of my young lady slid a bit in the resin so she is partly obscured by the pearls, but hey I like it, great how in crafting there are no mistakes just creative changes of direction (sometimes though straight in the direction of the bin)! Hope the recipient likes it.

Frida Shrine

For a swap on Zuzu's Forum, we altered little flat metal hangy houses. Actually these were lovely wee things before did anything to them. Anyway, me being perverse I had to turn it upside down, then added some texture, paint, beads, embossing powder and a fan to turn my house into a Frida shrine.

Altered Pages Digital Collage Giveaway

Altered Pages are giving away this free digital collage sheet called "Ladies Who Lunch" If you would like a chance to win visit the GlitterTart Design's blog here and leave a comment or find out about for more chances of winning.

An Alice Swap

I am in a swap with two others from Zuzu's Forum with the theme of Alice.




This is a Nicho altered with paint and collage.




This is a Kilt pin with tiny Alice themed charms with Alice and the Queen charmes made by stamping and colouring on shrink plastic.

These are also my entries for this month's Tin Pan Alley challenge over at Alter It Monthly which Happy Daze shop is sponsoring with a £15 Gift Voucher.

An Altered Matchbox

Almost too late but just my the skin of my teeth I have an altered match box for the April challenge at Alter It Monthly . The matchbox is made from Ten Second Studio metal using the template Zuzu had found. The metal was embossed and "aged" with some Espresso paint dabber. And what do I keep in my matchbox? Well some pretty hot stuff, as DH is going away for a week he has left me his love.

New Challenge Blog - Alter It Monthly

Alter it monthly.

There's a new kid is on the block, Alter It Monthly is precisely that, a monthly challenge blog for those who prefer an altered reality. There will be a new theme each month, make an item, blog it and just pop a link to your blog on the challenge site, simples!

April is.. Matchboxes. Alter a matchbox or use matchboxes as a theme in some way...

Spring Swap

Back in about April or May I set up a swap on Zuzu's Forum called the Spring Swap for people to have a go at a technique that was new to them. Well it is now November and I finally got round to doing mine. Having been on a workshop in May I wanted to use the Ten Second Studio metal embossing but then did not pick up a tool or a piece of metal till last week and struggled to remember what to do, watched the online videos by Cheryl and Megan of TSS and laughed a lot and learned a lot but was still in a pickle as I only had one mould which was not right for the project so in the end I got out a Cuttlebug embossing folder, some alcohol inks and acrylic shapes and this is the result. . Anyway that got me back into it and since then a notebook was made for the DH birthday yesterday and a picture frame is half done. It made me decide I was definitely going to start stocking it in the shop, lovely stuff to work with. Anyway Carol has received it now so it's safe to blog it. I may now have to go and lie down in a dark room having actually blogged a piece of work for the first time in months.