The Great Glitzy Craftoff- Confession Day!

Guys, I have nothing for today.

The project I had scheduled turned out a bit more time- consuming than anticipated, so I gotta let you down on that front.

Alas, not everybody was such a letdown, so at least I can save the day by showing off what other participants who are less of a loser than me came up with.

Shall we?

Danni over at Silo Hill Farm is lucky enough to enlist this most handsome dude to do all the hard labor she required in order to make something so gorgeous, you'll want to go and find your own handsome dude to drag into the workshop (to CUT THINGS! Get your minds out of the gutter, will you?) straight away. I won't tell you what she made, but let's just say she saw the light. LIKE A BOSS.

And Her Royal Goopness herself thinks nothing of using child labor (oh wait, this particular handsome dude happens to be 21 now! So that's ok) in her crafty schemes.

What are they toasting?

Shells.

Why does that sound odd?

Anyway, go see what they all did, I promise you will not be disappointed. 

Poor Sunny seems to have some issues with her blog not showing up in Google Reader at the moment, so if you are a regular reader, just go there old- stiley via a bookmark or direct link. She's still posting VERY regularly as usual!

Did the ladies redeem my utter failure? Please, please say yes.

Does a picture of a yawning cat make up for being a loser?

Yeah, he thinks I suck, too.

Why does this sound odd, too?

I'll have my act together tomorrow.

Promise!

The Great Glitzy Craft Off- Day Four!

Guys, you know me.
You are aware that I can't leave well enough alone.
Remember when I said I really wanted those faux coral votive holders, but couldn't find faux corals that weren't immensely overpriced? It annoyed the heck out of me.

I wanted corals, and I jolly well GET what I want!

This post saved my day... and my bank account. My coral was not going to be faux, it was going to be daux!

Vivienne @ The V Spot created a brilliant, most real- looking coral from salt dough, and rather than explaining the whole procedure on here myself, I politely ask you to hop over and check out how she did it. You'll thank yourself for reading her post, it's not only immensely creative, but LOL funny, too!

My version is not as pretty and dainty as hers, look:

I tried to be extra- clever and house my coral in a shell. Erm... well, anybody with a few brain cells left between their ears could have predicted that a rounded shell will not feel inclined to sit up nice and straight with a shedload of salt dough in it!! But you know what? I don't care. I have got my coral and I will dang well enjoy it.

Don't forget to visit Sunny- she's so crafty, she makes people!

The Great Glitzy Craft Off- Day Three

For day one of our little get- together, I made something beachy.
Day two saw black and white stripes (and an unhappy man)

Day three won't deviate from this winning combo, so you'll get stripes, black & white AND beach. Somehow, I sense you are not surprised :)

Since I started with a few little projects for the mantle, I reckoned that I might as well go all the way and finish it up, glitzy style.

This was my inspiration. Kind of.

See those chevrons? Aren't they cute? Yeah, I think so, too, guys.

But they don't look very nautical, really. When I think nautical decor, it's stripes. Stripes like those on any given pseudo- sailors' shirt. 

And when I think mantelpiece, I automatically disqualify stuff that can shatter into too many pieces, so plates were out, too. Don't get me wrong, I DID window- shop for plastic plates, but they were either too expensive or too tacky. And the whole point is to be a cheapskate and still get the look!

So what does a clever gal do?

Exactly. Shop the house.

I found a shedload of plain, white IKEA picture frames in one of my drawers and immediately, an idea took shape, requiring nothing I didn't have in the house already, namely:

black spray paint

sticky tape

white spray paint

music sheets

plastic nautical critters (admittedly, I bought these for the CraftOff, very cheaply off eBay)

I shall let the photos speak for themselves.

What do you think? Too tacky? Too much?

By the way- the last two pictures were taken with my almost- back- to- normal camera! I just couldn't leave well enough alone and woke her up to see if maybe we could be friends again.

She's not back to her normal flashy self, but cooperates quite nicely, given I treat her gently.

Happy days!

Tomorrow is another day... 

Don't forget to check out Sunny's post for today! 

Her project turned out a major fail, I am afraid- but see for yourselves.

Great Glitzy Craft Envy!

Right...
I used to think I'm quite savvy when it comes to jazzing up charity shop finds and putting my own twist on things.

Now, I am not so certain anymore. I mean, we all suffer from craft envy every now and then, but the following Glitzy projects really blew my socks off. Cheap (there, I said it!), clever and so imaginative that I would almost feel inferior if it wasn't for the fact that I'd have to stop crafting and blogging then- with all my crafty supplies knocking about in countless drawers, boxes, bags and baskets, that would be just stupid.

Ready to be dazzled?

This little beauty is one of three projects you can find over at Distressed Donna Down Home.

It's a glitzy night light in a jar! Hop over and pay this wonderful new star in blogland a visit to find out how it's done. You might come across a glitzy Atlantean treasure and some glitzy tree fairies while you are there!

Kinda boring, isn't it? Well, after Gail from Purple Hues and Me was done with it, this little food tent looked lke something Z Gallerie would charge 30 bucks for. I don't want to spoil it, but the finished piece has a candle stick to match!

Great minds often think alike. Yeah, I can prove it! 

Both Mich L (usually a jewellery maker extraordinaire) 

and Danni from Silo Hill Farm

went all clammy and shelled out (shelled out! geddit? I am easily amused...) what, about a dollar each, on what you will find to be some of the most gorgeous pieces of decor when they gave the clams a Glitzy makeover.

Would you like to join the fun? There's still lots of time. We are only three days in (my project to follow soon) and I can't WAIT to be glitzed by y'all :)

The Great Glitzy Craft Off- Day Two.

Welcome to day two of our little crafty marathon!

I've been drooling over lots of exciting projects you guys came up with in the last two days. Seriously, you amaze me! I'll fill you in with a feature post tomorrow, get ready to have your socks blown off.

Today, I have a quick little makeover to show you, inspired by this:

No, not the Moroccan lanterns. Heck, I wish! Look underneath them. See that? ZEBRA!!!

I love Zebras with a passion. I mean, what's not to love? Basically, they are like horses with a really cool paint job and they get to live in Africa. How cool is that!

Unfortunately, my dining table looks nothing like the one shown there. Which is largely owed to the fact that I do not HAVE a dining table. And you know me well enough now to be aware that even if I was the proud owner of a dining table, it still wouldn't look like this. It would be covered in kitty paw prints, craft supplies, empty wine glasses (what? Don't look at me like that. Sobriety ceases to be a virtue after 6pm!) and spare change. On a bad day, probably stacks of laundry to be folded or hidden.

Anyway, a Zebra table runner was NOT an option. Neither were place mats, as I don't believe in place mats. You don't need them when you are pigging out on the couch, cradling a plate on your lap. Well, you know, I'm nothing if not classy.

What was a distinct possibility, though, was a Zebra lamp.

When my Mum visited us recently, she was inconsiderate, awful and, most of all, HONEST enough to give my white lamp shades the thumbs down. In fact, she was plainly taking the mickey out of them, calling them all sorts from laundry bag to first aid tents. Cheers, Mum! You never saw what came with the house!! But I disgress.

No need to invent the wheel again, there are plenty of tutorials out there where you can find help to re- do your own lamps. I'll leave it at this:

Please, guys, pardon the atrocious photos. My camera has thrown a hissy fit and packed in her flash, creating problems even when I have no intention of actually USING the flash. The Mister promised to look into it- he's quite good at fixing stuff.

Apart from wanting to tear your own eyes out, I reckon you see what I did. Dismember lamp shade, cut Zebra fleece to size, mod- podge, I mean, white glue it to shade, reassemble shade, put pretty lace where fabric overlaps, done. Took me about 15 minutes, drying time excluded. 

When it was done, the Man went "You do realize this place is turning into a 70ies boudoir, right?"

I didn't say much at the time, but started plotting my revenge.

When he went to the shops, I quickly grabbed the shade of our ceiling light, Zebra'd it up and put a little twist on it... see for yourself. I will not repeat what he said upon returning home, but I know two things...

1) he must love me very much for he took the joke like a man and only cried very little and

2) I need a new lamp shade.

I shall leave you with this for now- make sure you visit Sunny over at Life In Rehab to marvel at the glitzy, kinda nutty goodness she has on offer today!!

The Great Glitzy Craft Off- Day One!

Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to the first day of the

as you know, this is a shared event hosted by both yours truly and Sunny over at Life in Rehab. Check her part out here! (warning: distinct threat of fits of laughter and severe craft envy)

What are you supposed to do? Oh, that's easy as one, two, three.

One- you check out THIS post and find some inspiration for a wickedly awesome project you can make. As closely resembling or as loosely based on anything you see and like in the photos as you wish.

Two- you share it on your blog and let your readers know how you've done it.

Three- grab a button for your project (either mine in the side bar or the one you find at Sunny's) and post a link to your project in the comments, so we can come for a visit and drool over it!

Sounds like fun? Good.


I had my project for today ready to post before I read what Sunny and her amazing minions came up with, but it looks like we were inspired by the same item, these pretty little votives.

Hmmm... beachy! My first thought was to grab some faux coral and spray it white, but after a quick reality check I realized that I am either too daft to find them at a reasonable price in any shop (yes, that includes UK online shops, as a long night of searching confirmed) or they really ARE all overpriced in this country.

Either way, I was not prepared to give up on a beachy candle holder, so the next best thing that came to my mind was another favourite seaside trip find- driftwood. Way closer to reality in a UK household, too, as the nearest coral reef is a tad further away than a day trip!

Basically, all I did was to build a little structure that could hold the little tealight holder. Bit of trial and error, a little patience and there you go. instant beach decor. (during this week, you'll see the mantle decor evolve some more around the CraftOff theme)

The little feathery thing behind the candle holder is an old soy sauce bottle sprayed white with some random craft feathers I had knocking about. The idea is a way smaller, inverted version of the huge planters in the top left and right of the shelf in the background here:

Obviously I'd LOVE the large version, but with cats in the house, that is not an option. Ever.

Wanna see who else was inspired by those vases and came up with something so ridiculously cool I nearly fell off my seat when I saw it?

Meet Danni Baird, the wonderful lady behind Silo Hill Farm.

here's a teaser, you will love the final result, promise!

Well, you know your OneTwoThree now, don't you?

Go, hack something glitzy and don't forget to let Sunny and me know what you've been up to!

Come back tomorrow for Day Two of our little party!

Stage fright!

Guys,
the Great Glitzy Craft Off goes live in less than 2 days!

Oh my word... I've been spray painting, hot- gluing, fretting, sorting and panicking pretty much all week.
Yesterday I produced a fail, which didn't really help calming me down- HOW LONG do you have to leave salt dough in the oven for it to dry? Seriously, you'd think 2 hours do the trick. Hrmph.

I have already had the pleasure of feasting my eyes on two glitzy projects, both of which, I kid you not, were projects I'd eye- balled for myself and were held back by lack of supplies. Good job, too, because I couldn't have done this

Silo Hill Farm

or this

Purple Hues And Me

anywhere near as beautifully as those two ladies pulled off the stunt.

Best thing is, they got the look for mere pennies, and never even had to look at their credit cards or think about re- mortgaging the house :)

Don't forget to go see Sunny over at Life in Rehab- all of this is, in essence, HER FAULT. If you don't know her already, you jolly well ought to pay her a visit straight after you're done reading this post (not right now, as you'll miss out on a lil' surprise). She's the head honcho of the Great Glitzy Craft Off  and when it comes to glue guns and spray paint, she's your woman. 

On the non- crafty side of things, my brief but relaxing spell in the new shop (which I thought to be permanent) is over.

I've been summoned back to my old shop- same role, same wage, LOTS more work. SAY WHAT? I can tell you my mothers' daughter was less than impressed when I was told two days ago to pack up and haul my backside back there week after next. Oh, the stress of actually working for my paycheck! Disgusting, isn't it?

But I go back to a fantastic team of hard- working lads and lassies and actually get to train up a new starter, a responsibility I have not yet had. Sort of frightening, but pretty exciting at the same time. Fresh meat, a minion I can shape after my own image! *insert demonic fit of laughter* So... let's see if we can manage to turn a drag, stressful, largely annoying job into a bit of fun again and stop hating the alarm clock in the morning. Wish me luck.

Are you still here?

OK, you deserve this, then.

Wait.

Let me first tell you that this is in no way representative of the kind of behaviour that is normally standard in this house.

Honestly, it's not.

Not often, anyway.

Ach, who am I kidding.

Not playing the blame game, but...

... if I find out who did this, there will be words!

A little glitzy teaser!

Have you thought about joining The Great Glitzy Craft Off yet?
I have started gathering materials, and everything is coming along nicely so far.
Want a quick look?

Yep, this IS auto spray paint. At 1.09 quid a can I can't say no!
And I really have no idea what the starfish is doing to that seahorse- I reckon they might have spent too much time in an envelope together, some things are better left unexplored.
There are still some things I will need, but as soon as the rain stops (presumably around Easter 2013, the way things are going) I shall start spray painting in earnest...
Mark your calendars, July 23rd is going to see the beginning of a series of hack- offs, complete with a linky party for y'all to join.
How are you faring so far, Sunny?

The Great Glitzy Craft Off is here!

(find me in the side bar)

Him: "I LUUUUUV you!" (in a terribly over- excited singsong)
Me:  "I need chrome effect spray paint."
Him: "OmG... not right NOW???"
Me:  "Love me still?"
Him: shuffles feet and proceeds into the safety of the front yard...

It's here, boys and girls, the Great Glitzy Craft Off.

The what?

Let me explain, I'm pretty sure that by the end of this post, you too will horrify your beloved with seemingly odd requests for trips to the DIY store to gather things like grout, pipes and metal bins.

Not too long ago Sunny over at Life In Rehab posted this, an account of her latest trip to a place called Z Gallerie. I'd never even heard of the place (guess it must be an American thing?), but after drooling over loads of photos not only did I almost hate Sunny for having such a Nirvana in her vicinity, but also challenged her to recreating some of the stuff she'd shown.
I mean, what's the point being an amazing crafter if all you do is drool over ridiculously pretty things you can't really afford (or if you can, you don't want to spend the dosh for fear the kids/ cats/ hubby will wreck your new purchase anyway) and then go home, forever staring at that empty spot on the wall that rightfully should hold that twig sculpture and stick a tealight in that drab old hurricane where the mirror tile candle holder should gleam?

After a few mails to and fro following up my rather bold challenge (and in retrospect silly challenge- David floored Goliath alright, but heckers, I am no good with a sling. What was I thinking???) an idea emerged. What if we could turn this into a bit of fun for everyone?
Same starting point for all, Sunnys original post and at the end of a set period of time see what everybody has come up with in a fun linky party to show all the knock- offs, inspired by- projects and new creations that sit well with the common theme.

Up for it? Then have a really good look at all the photos Sunny posted in her inspiration point.
Chandeliers, cloches, candle holders.
Flowers, fish, furniture.
Skulls, shells, sparkly stuff.
Buddhas, bouquets and bean bags.
(I could go on, but I'm out of alliterations!)
Find something that inspires you, something you think can be easily done without the 12 inch price tag. Something that puts a smile on your face.
Go and make it. Write a post about it. And then come back Monday, the 23rd of July for our Great Glitzy Craft Off  Linky Party to show Blogland what you came up with.

What are you still loitering about for? Don't you have spray paint to buy and twigs to gather?

(all images used come from Sunnys post, go look at them all before you head off to the charity shop to gather materials!)

Oh yeah? Go ahead, make my day!

That's basically what I was told by a lady I was idiotic enough to challenge the other day.

Nope, not a queue- jumper, obnoxious neighbour or dentist.
Far, far more scary than that. And she's got starfish, people. Starfish.

Wanna find out what's going on and why my local DIY haunts are boarding up their windows? Come back on Monday and be afraid. Be very afraid.

There will be hot glue, spray paint and, if I am informed correctly, a gauntlet thrown...