Paper robots

I've been trying to find ways to keep my nephew busy when he finishes his school work, anything to keep him away from the tv. So one afternoon we decided to make robots, he loves transformers, watches the cartoons all the time.

This very angry looking transformer was made from a little medicine paper box, I ripped it apart and glued it so the blank side was showing. We drew the hands and legs, painted them with crayons and then glued them on the body. His face is drawn on the box flap and I used a white piece of paper to close the opening, gluing it on the other two side flaps (the kid wanted it glued shut so flies couldn't get in!)
The transformer is accompanied by a very colorful drawing of... you guessed it: a transformer, it's his portrait.

Wishing you a lovely day,
Aleka

Linked to Homework, LizMarieBlog.

Recycled packaging

While waiting for some clay pieces to dry, we made a few boxes. For our packaging we use the standard craft boxes that we buy but we also make them ourselves from recycling other packaging boxes. That way we recycle something that we would normally throw away and at the same time have boxes in different shape and sizes from the ones we buy.
It's pretty simple packaging, we glue craft paper on the surface and a doily with a hand drawn colorful pattern on the inside but I think it looks pretty cute :-)
I love botanical illustrations, these you can download and frame!
Wishing you a great weekend,
Aleka
ps. See more creative people right here!

Stamping

I bought this pack of round erasers, six of them for half a euro, quite a bargain. I liked their round shape and decided to carve up some Christmas themes (and a little fishy!). I am a bit out of practice, so they are not perfect but I still like them. I'm also wondering if there are carving tools with smaller tips, the ones I have are quite big for such a small surface. Anyway, I'm planning on going there again and buying some more erasers, I'm thinking of doing a few fishes :-)
See more creative people here!
xoxo
aleka

In circles

The reason why I love taking part in our creative spaces is not only because I get to see what so many other amazing creators are making but also because I'm motivated to make something too! These past few days all my creativity has been focused in the computer leaving me little time to work on anything else but I decided to follow through on one of the many unfinished ideas.
I was inspired by Gia's round brooches and I wanted to try and make one too, I used jean's scrap and some pieces of linen with iron on transfers. My sewing skills are pretty good when it involves straight lines, I had trying sewing in circles before but that had been a complete disaster. So this time I followed Gia's advise and really went for it, no hesitation, no stopping. I'm pretty happy with the result, they are not perfect but now I know I can do it I just need to try and try and try some more :-)
xoxo
Aleka

Planting seeds

I bought a box of biscuits the other day and after I ate them I looked at the plastic container they were packaged in. I figured I could reuse it to plant some calla lily seeds and freesia seeds. First I made lots of little holes in the bottom with a pin. Then I filled it half way with soil and put in the seeds, filled with another layer of soil , watered, put in little tags and I'm all done! Now all they need is sunshine and water :-) We'll keep track of their progress and post more photos.
You can see more creative spaces right here!
xoxo
Aleka & Georgia

Jean bracelet

I saw this in the Marie Claire Idees magazine, turning the jeans' hem into bracelets. I thought they looked pretty cute so I decided to have a go at it. I used an orange ribbon, folded like a flower, buttons in orange and white and velcro tape for closure. Simple and eco friendly, I think I'll make one for myself too!
More creative spaces here!
xoxo
Aleka

Baubles

Last year a few days before Christmas I got the idea of reusing some old baubles, they where either old fashioned or the part where you hang them from was broken. I covered them with a layer of small newspaper pieces using pva glue, attaching a ribbon under the newspaper pieces. Then I covered them with gesso and finally painted them with acrylics. They turned out pretty cute so this year I'm starting a bit earlier as I want to remake all of the Christmas baubles that were out of use. I'll have about thirty and I'm thinking of decorating the Christmas tree with them.
See more creative spaces at Kootoyoo's blog right here!

Making of a diorama

To make this all you need is a small box (I used a box from a soap bar), some tissue paper, small scraps of thick paper and PVA glue.
1. Take the box and open it carefully at the seam where it is glued together.
2. Next cut away the parts that are colored dark orange. As you can see on one big side is the rectangle that you will cut out and on the other side you will paint and glue your stuff.
3. Paint the inside. I wanted to make it seem like outer space so I used a dark purple color. I didn't paint the small flap because that will fold when I close my box. I also didn't paint the side of the window since that side won't be visible at all.
4. Use smaller scraps of thick paper to cut the shapes you want to put in your box. When you glue something to the background you can use glue dots to make it pop out (I don't have any glue dots so I use small pieces of balsa wood). When you want to put something to the base of your box, score it to make a small fold and glue that on the base. Don't forget to paint the part of the fold that is glued to the base of your box so that it blends in.
5. Glue the top flap first and then the sides. After I apply glue to the flap I flip it over so that it is against my desk and then use the back of a paintbrush to apply force from the inside so that it will glue securely. Next glue the sides. I use PVA glue and have to hold them for a bit until the glue dries.
6. Cover the outside of your box with one or two layers of tissue paper, that will also help cover the parts on the sides that haven't fully closed. Paint with gesso and then you can paint it as you like.
When I finished it I realized that the background is too dark and that's why the planet and the star don't really seem to pop out especially in the photo, they do look better in real life. I think it would have looked better if I had used more colors maybe painted it to look like a milky way or something.
Have fun!

Diorama

I always wanted to make a diorama so about a month ago I made my first one. It's the one with the ship and you can tell it is my first one because it's a bit sloppy. I really didn't know exactly what I was doing, I guess that's why it is so messy looking but I still kind of like it though. Anyway, after my first attempt I tried again, thinking first about how I should make it and I think the result is much better. I want to make another one soon, I think I will photograph the process as well and turn it into a tutorial.

Fused plastic bag

I wanted to try this for quite a while and after a failed first attempt I tried it again today and it worked! Here are the steps:
Gather your plastic bag pieces: you need three pieces from the thick kind of bag and two from the thin transparent kind. On my first attempt I used too many thick pieces and didn't use the thin bag and it came out too thick and the surface was not shiny.
Make a sandwich putting the thin plastic pieces first and last and the thick in the middle making sure that the colored pieces face on the outside on both sides. Fold a piece of freezer paper in two and place the little plastic pile inside and iron. Set the iron to a middle scale. It doesn't take too long and once you've ironed one side grab the freezer paper and flip the whole thing over to do the other side. You can check by lifting the freezer paper but I think it took less than 10 minutes.
You can see how all the pieces have been fused into one thin piece and the thin plastic bag we used on the outside protects the colors and makes it more shiny. It is thin enough to use with a sewing machine, so if you make a bigger piece you can turn it into a little bag.
I made a small piece so I will make earrings. I used a piece of paper as a pattern and cut out two pieces then used needle and thread to make two pair of earrings

I think it would have looked better if I had used a clear white piece in the middle. Also maybe my thin plastic bag was too crinkled, I think it would be best if you use a more flat one.

WARNING: You should ALWAYS use freezer paper or else you will damage you iron. Also do it in a well ventilated room as it can be a bit smelly.