I've Found a New Paper Crafting Passion

Thanks once again to www.ScrapShare.com and to all of the wonderful ladies on that site who share their creative works and ideas I have recently found a new creative outlet that I'm becoming very excited and passionate about. It's called Altering or Altered Art. So far I have only altered a couple of different items, but I've been so excited to see how these items have turned out that I now have several items just waiting to be altered and given as gifts to my loved ones. I still love scrapbooking and the idea of scrapbooking, but I also love the fact that with altering I don't feel that I am limited in what types of materials I can use because I have to worry about the safety of my photographs and I can buy and use all of the cute lumpy-bumpy items that I find for sell in my local scrapbooking/crafting stores. I feel like with altering it is pretty much an anything goes art form. I am only limited by my mind and artistic abilities.

I thought it would be fun to share some photographs of my very own altered works of art. The photograph below is of an altered glass votive holder that I made as a gift for my ScrapShare Secret Cupid during the board's Valentine's Secret Sister Swap. This was my very first altered item and the first time I had used the product Mod Podge.

I had heard about Mod Podge before, but really didn't know what it was or what it would do until I read more about using Mod Podge on ScrapShare member Cowtown Stacy's scrapbooking blog, (Scra)propos. Stacy is such a creative and talented artist and a wonderful writer. She is a wealth of artistic knowledge, and I love that she is so passionate about sharing her knowledge with the rest of us. Stacy has a wonderful step by step tutorial under the category "Off the page" on her blog that explains in detail how to alter wooden letters.

After reading her tutorial, I thought, "I have to buy some Mod Podge and try altering some letters." As you can see above I didn't quite make it that far. I did go to my local Michael's Craft Store to buy a bottle of Mod Podge and while I was in the store that day I was also shopping for items for my Secret Valentine. Well, I found the perfect Cherry Blossom scented votive candle. I put it in my shopping cart and thought I really need to find a nice candle holder for this candle. So I continued to shop looking for a candle glass. I found a row of plain 'ol glass votive holders and thought, "boring!" Then I looked across the aisle and right there staring me in the face was the selection of Mod Podge. That is when the light bulb went off in my head and my creative juices started flowing. I thought, "Hmm, I wonder if that stuff will work on glass?" Sure enough, it said it would. So in my cart went the bottle of Mod Podge, two plain glass votive holder (in case I messed one up) and I was off to find embellishments.

I came home that evening so excited to start working on my new project. I pulled out all of my materials I had purchased to create the votive holder and went to town. I was so surprised at how easy it was to work with the Mod Podge and how quickly it dried (20-30 minutes) so that I could go on and finish my project.

If something takes a long time to dry or I have to wait for more than a few hours to finish a project then I loose interest. That is why I could never be a successful painter or clay sculptor. I couldn't stand the wait for the paint to dry or the clay to be fired.

The votive holder project from start to finish probably took me 2 1/2 hours. A good half hour of which was probably spent with me trying to figure out exactly what paper pattern I wanted to use and how I wanted to embellish my work of art. I was so excited and please with how easy it was to put together and how well it turned out.

The photos below are of my second altered project, an altered paint bucket. I am going to be using it as the container for a bridal shower gift I am putting together for a cousin who is getting married soon. I thought it would be fun to put together a "Newlywed Survival Kit" filled with a variety of romantic things that she and her soon-to-be husband can use after they are married. I have seen the altered buckets online before and I love them. I like anything that is different and stands out in a crowd. I figured that this gift might be something that she would keep in her bedroom, so I casually asked what her home colors are going to be and set out to create a gift that would match and compliment the colors of her bedroom.

My projects kind of become like babies to me. I become very attached to my creative work, and as sad as I will be to see my first altered paint bucket go to a new home, I cannot wait to fill it with all kinds of goodies and give it to my cousin at her bridal shower this next week.

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