Monday Makevers...

I am really excited to share today's Monday Makeovers. Today's items are both gifts made for my Sister-In-Law's birthday. She had given me strict instructions that I was to make something for her birthday gift. Even though I was already likely to make her present, her request seemed to add so much extra pressure. I can't believe how many weeks of thinking it took for me to decide what I was going to make. Part of the reason for this is I like to make sure that my gifts are really personal. It is the thought that counts - but only if you REALLY have thought about the person you are giving your gift to. So as usual there was as much creative effort spent thinking as there was creating.  This post is called Monday Makeovers as all of my creations incorporate recycled/ upcycled/ refashioned (whichever term you prefer) items. Here is the result of my KRE8IVE THINKING AND CREATING. What do you think????

KRE8IVE THINKING- My Sister-In-Law likes jewellery but she doesn't wear dangly earrings and can't wear most necklaces as they tend to get too heavy for her neck. So I thought I would do a brooch and not run the risk of making something that she might not wear.

KRE8IVE MAKING- This brooch is made by 1) pressing an old market bought dollie into air drying clay and leaving it to dry (this takes several days). 2) painting the clay with layers of artists acrylic paint. 3) gluing repurposed black tulle embellished with some metallic gold artists acrylic. 4) gluing an upcycled broken necklace gem in the centre of the air dried clay. 5) gluing a brooch clasp on the back.

KRE8IVE THINKING- Both my Sister-In- Law and I saw this technique in one of the Better Homes and Gardens magazines (they made a soap dish). As my Sister-In -Law doesn't use soap dishes, and because I like to challenge myself using the technique demonstrated in the magazine, I had to come up with something else I could make. I came up with a cup cake stand (as my Sister-in-Law usually borrows mine).

KRE8IVE MAKING- The cup cake stand was made by 1) pressing an old market bought dollie into air drying clay. 2) cutting the clay to size and leaving it to dry (this takes about a week). The centre of the stand was also shaped from air drying clay and left to dry. 3) painting the clay with layers of artists acrylic paint. 4) gluing all of the elements together. 5) finally painting the entire stand with two coats of artists vanish.

Let me know what you think of my gifts and I would love to hear about your latest Kre8ive Practice project- post me a comment.