Happy Inks Stains Blog-A-Versary!

Roni has been running her very successful and super inspirational blog for 5 years!!
I have taken part in two charm swaps on the Ink Stains Blog and now I am taking part in my first ever blog hop.
Roni put out the challenge to alter an Altoids Mints Tin.  We don’t get them here but the ever generous Roni sent me two! Bless her.  I won one in a random draw, filled with goodies from her stash, and the other she sent as a container for my returned Christmas Charms from the swap.
I have altered my first one and have loads of ideas for the second one.
It started out like this:

Progressed to this:

and now looks like this:

I painted the tin with gesso and while it was wet I roughly placed down some printed tissue paper and let it dry.  I then added a coat of iridescent medium for a wee bit of sparkle. I used 3 curly paper flowers and a resin piece (bunch of grapes) I had made and painted with nail polish. I wrapped some purple grosgrain ribbon around the tin and to cover the join I added the flower cluster on the front.  This  is another a resin piece that I made and I just added some colour to the leaves.  I had some knob-whatsits hiding in my stash so I added those to the bottom for feet, and lined the tin with handmade paper I had in a drawer.  It was the perfect colour so I was really pleased.
Thanks for stopping in on your journey through the links on the Ink Stains Blog or if you have stopped by as a regular peep.
Cheers, Esther

Dragons Dream TIO–Handle With Care

This fortnight’s tag recipe at Dragons Dream Tag It On is to include An Animal, Something Fragile and A Warning.  The Design Team have provided some fantastic examples so why not pop on over and take a look.

I used a pre-inked-misted tag (as in, here’s one I prepared earlier) and added a topper with a punched edge and also a matching section on the bottom.  I used a Pink Paislee overlay on the main tag and  stamped my crow in Archival Ink on water colour paper, inked it with Vintage Photo and cut it out.  I added a thick coat of Dimensional Magic, just as much for durability as anything else.
I added the small glass bottle to part of a 7 Gypsies tag with the warning of “Do Not Remove”, putting some thick glue inside for effect (and making sure to glue the cork in, lol).  Part of another tag is placed on the hanging part. The warning on this part say “Some restrictions may apply” – I wonder what those restrictions would be?
Thank you all for you your very positive comments on my last tag!!  You spoil me – but I like it!
Thanks for stopping by to take a look – have an awesome weekend
Cheers, Esther

Tim Holtz Tag–November 2012

I couldn’t get too excited about this months tag.  I think because I had not long done an Autumn tag for Dragons Dream Tag It On and the fact that we are bowling through Spring at a great rate of knots here in NZ.

Still, – I gave it a go anyway (how could I not). Due to yet another PC crash, I don’t currently have access to all my Silhouette files although I have managed to rescue many from various sources and flash drives etc but I seemed to find enough to take the place of Tim’s die cuts.  I also cut my Thankful word on Silhouette as opposed to stamping it.

It’s “OK” but I am not in love with it at all.

Thanks for stopping in to see it.

Cheers, Esther xo

Dragons Dream TIO–Self Propelled Flowers

This fortnight the recipe is based on the following quote: Butterflies are self propelled flowers. (R.H. Heinlein) and we need to use Flowers, Butterflies and movement od some kind.  Not to forget the use of least one “real” stamp.

My tag is inked and misted with the bicycle and hibiscus flower (somewhat obscured) stamped with perfect medium and brushed with bronze powder, well eye-shadow actually lol

I made the butterfly from a Silhouette cutting file that I had been designing to make an oval rosette.  These 2 didn’t quite work right but they made great wings!  I added little fabric roses for the body and beaded pins to finish it off.  It is attached with a brad so that the butterfly moves.

Thank you for popping to take a look.

Cheers, Esther xo