My lovely blogland friends

Sunday 9 September 2012

Good things come in small packages

Hi there and a big warm welcome to my new followers, its lovely to 'meet' you and hopefully I'll have returned the favour and joined your merry band of followers. If you don't have a link to your blog on your profile do leave me a link so I can stop by and say hi. Anyway back to business, its time for a new challenge over on the catwalk at Fashionable Stamping Challenges. This time I chose the theme which is 'Good things come in small packages' so we want to see you creating something small scale, anything from an ATC to a mini book or alter something small. Of course as we're a rubber stamping blog we want to see some stamping on your project. 


I'd planned on making some ATCs for this challenge but kind of got into shrink plastic mode and thought it would be perfect for this challenge. I'd had this project in my head for ages, since I saw some gorgeous 'Captured Fairy' projects at a craft fair. I wanted to create a captured mermaid and oh my goodness did it give me some grey hairs (ok then some more grey hairs lol)

Apologies for the dodgy photos this project was almost as tricky to photograph as it was to make lol. I took a little jar from the ginormous pile of 'stuff waiting to be altered' in my craft room and set too with the glue and flowersoft to create the sand at the bottom of the jar. I coloured the flowersoft with alcohol ink to make it a yellowy orange colour and added some shells from my stash to the bottom of the jar. I stamped the background and coloured it with distress markers, cut it out and stuck it on the outside of the jar with multimedium. Next I used a little stream and pearl alcohol inks to colour some of the glass and the reverse of the background. Next I made the little figures, both of which are quite large stamps (all the stamps used are from Chocolate Baroque), I stamped them with versafine ink, coloured with distress markers, cut them out and shrunk them with my heat gun. Here's a pic of them before they went in the jar


So far all was going smoothly the tricky bit was hanging the little mermaid and seadragon in the jar. Oh my, did I get in a stress lol. Anyway eventually I used invisible thread and made holes in the jar lid to thread them though, it took a bit of 'faffing' around to get them to hang properly but they behaved in the end lol. To cover the lid of the jar I made a little brayered sea, added some shells (real and shrink plastic), a little boat (this stamp is from the Stamp Man) and a little 'journey' key. I added some  pearl trim, some lacey sequin trim, and some blue green sea weedy fibres. I covered the edge of the lid with string. This was a bit of a performance as I used my hot glue gun and got in such a mess with stringy bits of glue everywhere. I popped some white netting under the lid and the job was done. Here's a pic of the lid



I'm entering my little 'Captured Mermaid' in the following challenges:
Cards and More: Maritime
Craft Garden : inspiration from water
Frilly and Funkie: Outdoors 
(my quote is 'Secrets of the Deep' but its at the back of the jar and doesn't show up at all on the pic)
Live and Love Crafts: Lovely lace and terrific trim

Thanks for popping by
Hope you're having a great weekend
Claire xx


29 comments:

  1. WOW!! This wonderful Claire. I love the design and your attention to detail is amazing

    Sue

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  2. Hi Claire, this is amazing, such a beautiful idea and so much attention to detail. I adore the little mermaid and the sea dragon, such a fabulous concept. Have a lovely day. xx

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  3. Oh my what a labour of love this is but so beautiful. I am as ever in awe of your talent and imagination.
    Jenny xx

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  4. Oh wow! This is fabulous Claire. Such a beautiful project. The detail is amazing and your shrink plastic figures are gorgeous.
    Beryl xx

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  5. What a fun piece Claire and well worth the time and effort. Love the ideas and the shrinkies.
    Hugs Brenda xox

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  6. Where'd my comment go..... I was mid type - so apologies if you get two!
    I can only gasp at this & wonder that you did get a whole head of grey after working this out. Quite a wonder of creation/imagination!
    Paula (PEP)

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  7. Hi Claire
    Lovely and whimsical with great detail.
    Have a lovely Sunday.
    Wishes
    Lynne

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  8. Wow Claire, this is awesome !! So glad you joined us at Cards und MOre. Hugs, Marion

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  9. Hi Claire, you must have amazingly nimble fingers! Everything is soooo tiny! I absolutely adore the scene that you have created...
    Dot x

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  10. Wow, an absolutely fabulous jar of delights. I love all the amazing shrinkies you used.
    Yvonne x

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  11. Wow what an an amazing project project, and such fabulous details. Love your little shrinkies.
    Avril xx

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  12. That's a wonderful idea and a fabulous project, love every detail.

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  13. What a gorgeous fun project Claire, I love it.

    Sue x

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  14. Oh my goodness Claire this is just stunning, such gorgeous tiny details..I love it ! Not sure I'd of have the patience ! Esther xx

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  15. Oh this is sooo soooo gorgeous! Love your wonderful idea of decorating the jar like an aquarium - brilliant!

    Thank you so much for joining us at Cards and More :)

    Hugs
    Sabrina

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  16. Wow Claire, your project is stunning ! I definitely wouldn't have the patience ! Sue C x

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  17. Back again ! Just spotted you've joined us at Frilly & Funkie ! Thanks ! Sue C x

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  18. Hi Claire, what a fantastic under water scene. Your idea is stunning and how you arranged all the details in the jar is amazing.

    Thank you very much for joining us at Cards und More Challenge.

    Hugs Claudia

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  19. wow- this is absolutely amazing!! Thanks for playing along with us at The Craft Garden =) Tiffany

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  20. Beautifully done, LOVE your idea to make a small 'world' in a pot!

    xxx Ellie xxx

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  21. Hi Claire, Me again! Just spotted that you have joined us at TioT with this lovely creation.
    Thanks
    Avril xx

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  22. Where do you get your ideas from Claire all your creations are amazing. So much work but what a fabulous treasure at the end of it.

    Hugs Shirley x x

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  23. Much like the ship in the bottle! Amazing!

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  24. Claire, this is the most unique jar I have seen! And not to mention spectacular! I love your little shrinky sea creatures. What a great piece! I missed out on this round, but thank you for joining us at Frilly and Funkie! Hugs!

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  25. Wow Claire! Such a clever idea and a totally stunning result. Love it!
    Hugs, Fliss xx

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  26. Adorable project... absolutely worth all the stress!
    Alison x

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  27. Gorgeous! Thanks for playing along at The Craft Garden!

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  28. Hi Claire,
    Oh what a wonderful alteration. I admire the crafters who have such creative ideas; absolutely stunning project. Can imagine it was tricky to get the images into the jar and take photos of them, but you managed everything beautifully. Thank you so much for sharing your creativity this month over at LLC.

    Hugz,
    Sandy

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  29. Wow, this is so special!!! I love the idea and all your gorgeous details. I know I will come back and look around your blog, thank you for the inspiration! Thanks for sharing with us at the LLC challenge! Good luck in the draw! Hugs, Elizabeth

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Thanks for taking the time to look at my blog, all your comments are really appreciated

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