Mini Halloween Domes

Some more hanging domes today, this time with a Halloween bent and probably destined to be sent to Marc. 

The 7cm x 3cm glass domes came from Temu (£4.94 for a pack of 10), the large skull beads from bracelet from a charity shop bracelet that cost me about 99p, the spools are from La Blanche (a gift from Marc), the crowns I've had for a while, probably from eBay and the metal, nail art snakes from Temu again (10 for 89p). 

I started by gluing the crowns to the skulls using E-7000 for a secure fix and then while glue was setting, coloured the spools with a black permanent pen.

I also covered the top of the cork seal with an ultra fine purple glitter.

When everything I was dry, I inserted part of a broken cocktail stick through the skull with a little glue and then stuck the skull onto the spool.

Then I stuck another broken cocktail stick into the cork seal, before putting some glue on the bottom of the spool and sticking it over the cocktail stick to keep everything in place and secure.

When everything was dry again, I added some Dovecraft 3D enamel to make things look a little more gruesome, however I thought the effect cheapened (???) the overall macabre look I was aiming for. I also decided to put a metal spacer bead under the skull, but I'm not that sure that worked either!

Then came the snakes, but they looked too bright and not dark enough for the theme ....... 

...... so, unsure that I wasn't about to completely ruin all my hard work so far, I dabbed and smudged the bright green goo with a darker green Sharpie pen, doing the same with the collar and snake in brown.

I think it's better, but something still isn't right, but I'm leaving it here otherwise they'll only be fit for the bin. 

I think, really, it's a back to the drawing board jobbie. Everything needs to be a little higher up in the dome, the collar isn't right, should it be substituted for a larger round top on the spool, or the head set at a weirder angle, perhaps the eyes need to be just left black and hollow ....... if I have the patience to return to the idea, perhaps we'll see in time!

Mushroom Houses Decorations

And ....... it's still more toadstools today I'm afraid, this time in the guise of fairy houses .....

...... made using Amazing Casting Resin and a silicone mould found on Temu for £1.29. 

The resin cures within about 10 minutes and dries with a white finish, ready to paint (?).

However, although I sanded the houses down on both sides before painting, the emulsion matchpots I used (red for the roof and white for the body) still chipped here and there, so once the two coats of paint were on and dry, I then added two more coats of glossy, clear, quick dry varnish (Wickes) as quickly as I could, to avoid any more possible scrapes ......

....... before adding the details on the door and window using a brown Sharpie pen.

To accentuate the spots on the roof, I painted over them several times with white paint, wiping most of it off after each application, to leave just the rings, and then varnished over them again, just to be on the safe side.

I painted the backs to match and added a small pendant bail at the top so that the houses can be hung.  I drew spots on the back of the roof to match the front using a white, fine tipped, acrylic paint pen.

Then came  the fiddle fart, first doodling the greenery again using acrylic pens in two shades of green, before adding the tiny acrylic flowers (Temu 88p for 100) using B-7000 for a really secure fix.

....... doing the same on the back.

I'm really please with how they turned out, I LOVE the resin, I just need to find the right paint to use on it ......

 ...... Sharpie pens work, but the depth and solidity of colour isn't there, if that makes sense, any suggestions?

I also think I could adapt the idea for Christmas, a bit of faux snow and some tiny, resin/fimo holly leaves(?) if I can find any or perhaps tiny fimo, nail art, candy canes and peppermint whirls? We shall see.

Easter Toadstool Hanging Decorations/Gift Tags

More toadstools today .......

..... this time with Easter in mind ........

...... using the small, silicone, toadstool mould I got from Temu ......

....... and a few flat, wooden egg shapes covered on both sides with papers from a 6" x 6" Delightful Daisies paper pad from Crafters Companion.

I then glued on the already painted toadstools (left over from another project) using Hard As Nails for a really secure fix, before varnishing both sides several times, with Wickes clear, glossy, quick dry varnish.  But then I left them for a week or so because I knew they needed something else, but couldn't think what.

Then ..... I remembered a small pot of gold flakes I'd had for a while.  

I didn't really have a clue how to use them, but lightly covered the varnished paper with watered down PVA glue and simply brushed the gold flakes over it, the flakes broke up a little, stuck and voila  ....... it worked!

The effect was magical and I'm already thinking that I might be able to repeat the idea again but for Christmas, using a flat, wooden, bauble shape in place of the eggs and perhaps adding a little translucent ultra fine glitter to the toadstool caps for a frosty, winter effect?

So, for now, it's back to the drawing board ...........  

Revamped Bunny Tealight Holders

Happy Easter! 

I've had these Easter Bunny tealight holders for a couple of years now (Home Bargains, costing no more than £1.50, if that) and, to be honest, they were heading to the nearest charity shop this year to find a new home ...........

....... but then they got a reprieve ........

.... as I decided to zhuzh them up ..........

...... first by painting them very quickly, all over, with household emulsion paint ........

...... followed by dry brushing them, equally quickly, with white paint to give them a little extra depth and texture ........

 ...... before finally, using my index finger to wax them all over in gold.

I think they work .......

..... so they will probably now be around for a couple more years Easters after all! 

Small Easter Wreath ......

I had high hopes for my Easter wreath this year, that is until I couldn't find any more of the string carrot embellishments I was so chuffed with from The Works (see 20th February post).  I tried in every Works I passed and online, but no luck ...........

Disappointed, I decided to use up all the foam carrots I had left over from Easters past (still available in Home Bargains 79p a pack of 6), although I wasn't very inspired by the idea.

I started off by painting a small MDF wreath on both sides with green acrylic paint.

Then glue gunned two layers of said carrots onto the wreath base, adding a few painted, wooden ladybirds for a little extra interest.

However, despite adding a carrot print bow, made with Easter ribbon from The Range (£1.29 for 2.7m), it still looked rather lacklustre to welcome in the spring!

So, I simply grabbed a few small, resin roses that I already had, punched some tiny foliage to go with them and then stuck them all in clusters around the carrots.  It looked better .........

......but it's not my finest work by any stretch of the imagination, but it will do for the next two weeks or so!

HEADS UP - The Works are stopping their Together Rewards scheme from Saturday 30th March, however vouchers can still be redeemed until Saturday 29th June.  I can't say I am surprised...... I've seen value for money and the quality of some of their craft products, particularly packets of embellishements go down in the past year or so. I  know I am partly to blame for their struggle, after championing them (as well as The Range and Hobbycraft) for quite a few years now, I'm afraid I've succumbed, finding better quality, value, variety and inspiration on Temu ......... hangs head in shame!

Hanging Easter Bunny Decorations.

These decorations use a few spare, foam clay, moulded rabbits I had left from last weeks very similar idea (18th March).

..... made using scraps of blue and green patterned paper, 4ins, wooden egg shapes (Temu 32p for £5.84), small wooden fences and tiny butterflies that I've had for ages, punched foliage, tiny resin flowers (£1.16 for 100 from Temu) and nail art, plactic bows.

I started by covering the egg shapes on both sides with the paper ........

........ and then cutting the fences in two to help fit the rabbit and his carrot in between.

The butterflies were duly coloured and doodled on and a small pile of foliage punched .......

........ which were all put together on the front of the egg.

After the butterfly was added, I faux stitched round the edges and along the skyline (on the front and back), plus a few clusters of three dots here and there, using a black biro (to prevent any bleeding of ink when the whole thing was varnished. I then gave the front and back several coats of clear, glossy, quick drying varnish.

However, when all this was done, the back looked a little plain, so I added a couple more wooden butterflies, a metal Easter plaque backed on blue card, plus more flowers and foliage, so that if they were hung as a decoration on festive twigs etc., they would look good from whatever angle.

Revamped Craft Table - A Work In Progress

My craft room table has been looking a little worse for wear of late, as I am not the cleanest of workers and don't often use a mat/cover while I am working.  I did paint and varnish it before Christmas, but yes, I mucked it up again, as soon as I started crafting again after the holiday, doh!

So, when I couldn't bear it any longer, I struck upon the idea of using packs of 1.75ins x 1.75ins, waterproof, adhesive squares that I had bought from Temu for a completely different project, which cost £1.68 for a pack of 62 pieces.

Well, the 5 packs I already had just about covered the first leaf of the table, so needless to say I've had to put in another order, enough to complete the narrow top/middle panel and the other leaf. 

...... however, I am quite pleased with the results/effect so far ......

........ which I think might be best to seal before the new packs arrive.

I have also bought a large plastic tablecloth to cover the table from now on while I  work ........ and when it's all finished, rest assured, you'll be the first to see the results!