Photo Frame - Easy DIY - Upcycle Project

This is an easy DIY upcycled photo frame which now hangs in my dining hall.

Things you need:

1) Cardboard (I had this from the furniture we bought)
2) Thermocol (Ditto)
3) Gum/ Glue (I used Elmer's glue)
4) Acrylic paint (and brushes of course!)
5) Clay Paint (I got mine from Michaels as suggested by neighbour)

6) Icing bag and tip (optional)
7) Some paper to make photo corners

How to make the frame:

1) Decide the size of your collage.
2) Use a Thermocol piece that fits all your photos . I had nine of them of different sizes.
3) Paste a cardboard piece on one side of the thermocol to make it stable.
4) Then cut and cardboard to the sides such that it looks like a frame..here's what I ended up with:

5) Paint or texture the frame as you like. I did a base coat of paint and added a design texture using the clay paint in an icing bag.

6) Cut equally sized strips of paper (number of photos x 4) to create the photo corners. The width of the strip decides the thickness of the corner. Here's a link on how to create photo corners which I got from Pinterest:  http://img18.imageshack.us/img18/4729/photocornerfinal.jpg

7) Stick the corners in accordance to the layout you want your photos in. I added a cellotape to increase the firmness of the corners.

Here's what my final frame with photo corners looks like:

I had loads of fun while doing this...and KP helped with the corners and general ideas and suggestions... :) 

Hope you also enjoy the same!

BGC #27 & Celebrating Womanhood

This post is an entry for the "Fetch that Sketch" (BGC #27) & "Celebrating Womanhood" (Challenge #8).







I dedicated this card to my dear sister...

The words couldn't be more perfect for the love my sister and I share .. "A sister is both your mirror - and your opposite. -Elizabeth Fishel"

What do you all think??

Movie inspiration + Seasons' stories

As I said I couldn't stop...movie inspirations are too many...so here is one more...

This is a submission for two challenges -
1) Movie Inspired CAS card (inspired by Shri 420)

2) Seasons' Stories (Rainy season - more inspiration from a blog post found through Pinterest)

The card I made:

The blog that was pinned in Pinterest showed a method to melt crayons to get the effect of rain...but lack of material and time..I just scribbled with a blue and grey pen...I tried my best to create Raj Kapoor and Nargis silhouettes (because I am terrible at drawing...stuck to silhouettes). 

Sorry for writing the song in English...I know it would have been much better in Hindi...but I am a Hindi illiterate.

The Seasons stories' challenge combined with movie inspiration was too much for me to ignore...I love the rainy season...I think it very romantic!

Let me know what you all think of this card...

Beyond Grey Challenge 26-Movie Inspired CAS

I cannot seem to stop my crafting...so now do it between my thesis revision...

This is my submission for the Beyond Grey Challenge 26 - a movie inspired clean and simple (CAS) card....

It was not at all difficult to think of the movie...

I have been in love with "Mary Poppins" from my childhood...so being inspired...here is my card...

It took a bit of time to do the London skyline and also Mary Poppins...they have been adapted from "http://www.spraypaintstencils.com/a-zlistings/london-skyline-image.gif" and "http://s612.beta.photobucket.com/user/kimsstitchintime/media/poppins1.gif.html". Thank you to them and Google...

I removed the London Eye from the skyline to make it as appropriate to Mary Poppins' days...though I think it is still incorrect...sorry for that ... 

Mary Poppins was drawn and cut on a white card base...then further layered with a black coat, black umbrella and patterned papers for the carpet bag and dress..I didn't do layering for the face, hat and legs but did colour them..along with adding details to the attire...

The words that I entirely agree with especially while crafting ...

I think this is a perfect card for a lady starting a new job...what do you all think?

(PS..sorry for the images being not so clear...)

Catchy Challenges

I am into a crafting mode...sorry for also those who visit and not interested...

Why am I into crafting mode...reason: simple...I have to make myself calm before I attack my thesis for my viva...so crafting being my go to solution...and secondly there's just too much of inspiration in the blogosphere...

This is my submission to "Catchy Challenges" ...the challenge was to make an inspiration card with blue and brown + white/black. The inspiration picture was :

My card ended up being very simple...

I had a scalloped card base and the patterned paper (which had a blue background and amazingly brown flowers!) with me...so all I needed was the sentiment...I tried creating the sentiment using brown ribbon ..but sadly that didn't work...do ended up with a written sentiment on white card base...the bows were just added for highlighting the sentiment...

Comments welcome..let me know what all of you think...

Congratulatory Cards

Hi again..yes this is a quickie..and an entry to the Itsy Bitsy Monthly Challenge. This month's challenge was to use patterned paper in the craft.

So this is probably the simplest incorporation of patterned paper. I made two Congratulatory cards using the patterned paper in the layering.

That's all folks...let me know what you all think of the cards and the glitter globe (previous post).

Glitter (Snow) Globe with a Wedding Couple

This is a DIY post that is fun to do and can be gifted to others!

Materials:

M-Seal

1. M-Seal
2. Paint (I used Fabric Acrylic Paint)
3. Clear Varnish
4. Jar with Lid
5. Feviquick / Fevibond (make sure it something very strong)
6. Glitter, Stickers, etc
7. Water
8. Decorations for lid.



To Do:

1. Mix the M-Seal as instructed on the box.

2. Create any Figurine - I did a wedding couple dancing.

3. Let it dry and harden for about 24 hours(preferably) or overnight.
4. Paint ( Sadly my hands are not very steady!)

5. Stick the Figurine on to lid using the strong glue like Feviquick or Fevibond (I have read hot glue gun also works well).

6. Add glitter and water in the jar. Ensure water covers the figurine and yet leave enough air on top to create bubbles.

7. Add some Feviquick to the side of the lid. Close the lid and allow the glue to dry.

8. To ensure no water leaks, add some M-Seal to the edge of the lid-jar.

9. Decorate the lid in any manner. I did mine with some gold card-stock and some red ribbon.
(Sorry for the quality of the photos)

Disclaimer: Removal of any part of this post without my express consent is considered copyright infringement. This post was created for Aparna's dotcom. If you are reading this post on any other site please contact Aparna at blogsar@gmail.com .

Weekend stitching

I got so bored of my thesis writing that i gave a complete break to it during the weekend...

What did I do instead? ...amazingly I was at home ...

I made pancakes (eggless) and devoured them with bananas and nutella....

Then. after all the sweet stuff, I need some salty..so we (my friend and I) ordered a pizza to be delivered along with sides and all.....warning to myself: careful of the food overdose during weekends...you suffer during the week!

After some cleaning up...I decided I needed to stitch myself a top..I had bought the fabric almost a month back...so after a lot deliberation on which of my previously owned tops I would use as a template ...I began...

Started with cutting the fabric (note to myself : be careful of how you cut the fabric...try to minimize wastage next time!!) Went on to pinning up the parts that need to be stitched and got oodles of help from my friend...

So after loads of stitching, trying and reworking..below is the finished product!!

I had fun ...and I am proud to say that I stitched it myself by hand!! I cannot wait to get home near a sewing machine and get loads of fabric and stitch my own clothes!!

Camera Bag!

Hi...I know it has been too long since I posted a few words

A week or two back, I invested in a new camera - a compact system camera....the NIKON 1 J1...oh I am in love with it...just like I am in love with all my other gadgets....

Now, I went looking around for a sweet pouch that would take care of my camera...I didn't want a bag ...because that would be another one to carry during travel...not happening!!! But I got bored looking and decided I should just fashion one by myself...and that's exactly what I did...see below:

If any creative hands would like to try making their own pouch with scrap cloth, here's what I did:

Things needed:
1) Heavy fabric (if you want to put heavy stuff) - I used cloth from my old black jeans.
2) Softer inner lining fabric - I cut my old synthetic top.
3) A lace to tie it shut.
4) Needle - sharp and thick enough to pass through the layers of fabric
5) Thread - I used embroidery thread - wanted to sure it was secure.

Procedure:
1) Cut the fabrics to the appropriate size (do not forget to leave some amount of fabric on the top to fold) , pin them together.
2) Fold and stitch the two sides.
3) Fold and stitch the top - leaving enough space to thread a lace through.
4) If you forgot, cut a slit on one side of the bag to pass the lace through...
5) I did some stitches at the openings so that it looks neater.
6) Pass the lace through...and voila your bag is ready!

This was fun to do...and I completed it in a total of about an hour and half ...though i hand-stitched the same...I am sure I would take much lesser time, if you do it my hand...

Have a go...let me know, if you enjoyed this post!

:)

My new earring stand

First...let me apologize to all my male readers for such a girly post..what to do ...I am a girl after all...

Now, dear gals...this is one of the cheapest earring stands and guess what you can make it yourself... All you  need is a nice scarf or cloth and a hanger... those two are essentials..rest is depending on you...

I had some cloth which I cut out of a long skirt (I made it short). I added eletric wires (cut from a mobile charger that was not working) to the sides and the top before stitching it. Hung the cloth on the hanger and then the earrings on to it... The finished product with my earings below:

By the way this is not my idea...I saw it on YouTube (below)



Tell me what you think of mine...and there are many more DIY / recycle ideas on YouTube...

Painting....a hobby I would love to master

Hi...

Yesterday was a dream come true .. I went to an art workshop. It was day full of fun and colour...

My friends and I found out about this workshop two weeks back at a fair in Cambridge. I was extremely excited about it that he two weeks  wait was too long !

The workshop teaches the Bob Ross Wet on Wet Painting technique. Bob Ross is an American Painter who firs inroduced this technique of Wet on Wet to use on canvas. If you want to know a bit more about click on his name.

Our instructor, Kirk Glander goes around the UK and teaches this wonderful Wet-on-Wet painting technque. He teaches people of all ages and those with and without experience to do a beautiful painting.

Here's what I started with :

And here's my finished painting with frame:

...cool is it not? For a person who knows not how to paint....

A Mother and her Baby.

 
     This is a rock that I found at one of the beaches in UK. The first thing that triggered me was the shape that resembled a mother and her baby. Well ...to be more exact, I saw Mother Mary and Baby Jesus in the stone. I excitedly brought it back home and decided to show other what I saw...but as you can guess...I am not a great artist...so it ended up as you see today. I believe I managed to show others atleast a mother and her child.

      Any comments on my rock painting?

Ganapathy

The Hindu elephant-god better known as Ganesh or Ganapathy. The picture is of a zardosi work that I completed a few weeks back.