Mini Me?

Let me apologize up front for all of the words.....

 

 

I'm linking this up to a challenge at LESSology.  The challenge is to make something altered with a Dress Form.  This may be a stretch, but I did dress up Emma :) so I figured why not give it a go?  I'll definitely be checking back with this challenge blog because I think it will push me to do more of this type of project which I LOVE to do, but I get so overwhelmed getting started and also along the way.  But I keep remembering that whatever you do, if you don't like it... change it!  And have fun!  You should give it a try.  This challenge runs through the end of the month.

 

I got a birthday gift at work in August from a very sweet friend and co-worker.  And part of it was this tin that had a couple notepads in it.  Honestly I think I was more excited about the tin than the notepads...lol!  It had a window in it and immediately I said, I'm gonna make something with this!  So when I was trying to decide how I was going to present the coming story I knew how I wanted to dress Emma, but not what kind of project I would make... maybe a card?  And then I remembered the tin.  I should have taken pics along the way, but I have no patience for that... once I got going that was it.  The tin was silver and I had Pat spray paint it white for me.  I was going to do it myself, but I don't think he trusted me and from the mess he made I'm kinda glad I let him do it...lol!  I had gotten some tips and a beautiful tin from a new blog friend, Mitra so I decided to try some of them out.  (See her post here.)  I started by using a Tim Holtz stencil to add some texture paste in a lace pattern to the front and back... hmmm... I should have photographed the back... but it's like the front without a window... so I think you can imagine that.  When that was dry, I added some gold Perfect Pearls over the texture.

 

 

Then on the inside more texture past in a grid pattern and when that dried, I painted over it with some pearl paint mixed with Lagoon re-inker.  First I brushed it on and then I kind of dabbed at it to make it a little more textural in the flat areas.  While that was drying, I used Paper Sweeties Pretty Posies Sweet Cuts, stamped them with the coordinating stamp set with Versamark and then embossed them in gold.  Pulled out the old watercolors and added some additional color to the already pretty papers leftover from one of last year's special paper packs.  Of course I crinkled them, uncrinkled them and sprayed them with gold color shine.  After everything was dry, I proceeded to use liquid glass and popup tape to add all of the flowers plus some leftovers I had stamped for the Mason Jar wedding card (stamped from Party Time).  Probably the trickiest part was strategically letting only certain things show through the window.  I also added a few crocheted flowers (my very favorite embellishments).  These were not made by me or mom, but instead a friend of a very sweet friend, Tracey.   You can see her beautiful projects here.   I've been kind of hoarding them and will only use them for special projects... and this is a special project (and hopefully soon I'll have another one coming).  I cut the leaves from some gold linen paper I found at Hobby Lobby.  I added lots of Paper Sweeties gold sequins, creamsicle ribbon, and the sentiment and some gold bling gems from CTMH, as well as the wooden bird and I cut the acetate and gold heart from the new PML overlays.

 

This altered tin has been a labour of love this weekend.  So... what you've all been waiting for... some of you have probably been wondering what it is with me and Emma.  I couldn't put my finger on it and then one day I was looking at some old pics:

 

 

IDK... do you see what I see?  Maybe not... maybe I'm crazy... but....

Don't forget to stop back tomorrow for the Three Amigos Blog Hop!