19 April, 2026

Anyone home?

I have misinterpreted our current "Zoology" theme over at the Alphabet challenge blog, meaning I'll just post a regular creation this time instead of a DT inspiration. If you feel inspired by it, even better - just make sure you feature an animal on your project to qualify!
Anyway, I've been seeing those decorated mandala stones recently, and while they look absolutely stunning, I don't have the patience to line those dots in geometrical patterns (and how do you make them so even, I wonder?). I wanted to create something similar, though, and while on rehabiliration, I found a rather large snail house during a walk in the forest. I cleaned it up and let it dry, and brought it to my next crafting session. It took quite a few layers of white acrylic paint to cover up the surface, and by the time I was done, the lesson was over.
This gave me the opportunity to think about what to do next: decoupage with some tiny motifs? Cover everything in random colours, or a particular colour scheme? In the end, I decided to go for contrast with a touch of geometry. I took black acrylic paint, and started adding a pattern on the narural line of the snail house. I opted for something like petals, making them bigger and bigger as I continued from the top of the snail house to the opening on the bottom.
I even managed to end the petal pattern in a way that runs into the snail hole!
And while it was quite tricky to paint those tiny bumps because I didn't have the proper size paintbrush...
... It was just as tricky to go bigger, as I realized I had to pay attention really hard to keep the petal pattern symetrical. 
In the end, I even decided to paint the interior of the snail house - at least the part I could reach with my paintbrush. I tried white in the beginning, figuring only the pattern should be black, but I realized it looked way better once I covered the white inside with black. It gives the impression of an endless hole, all while the black pattern from the outside runs directly into the opening. 
Once all dried up, and I thought I was done. However, I took my snail house to my next crafting session to seal the paint job with clear varnish. My idea was to just give the project a neat finish, but only after comparing the before and after pics I realized what a difference a transparent layer can do. From a dull surface to a shiny new house - who would have thought! 
Before I went home, I left the snail house at the exchange desk - I figured somebody might want to take it home for decoration, as a reminder of their own rehabilitation stay, or as a tiny thing that fits in your palm and absorbs all your unspoken thoughts into the black void?

challenges: 
- allsorts challengeblog: ATG with optional twist "in the garden"
- C.R.A.F.T.: ATG
- card free zone: ATG but a card
- crafty catz: ATG
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06 April, 2026

Yellow flowers

Hello again, and happy Easter Monday to all of you. We've had a weather roller-coaster recently with really warm days and periods of winterly temperatures, but the Easter holidays couldn't have been more perfect: blue skies, sunshine, and pretty blooms everywhere. Matching the outdoors, we'd like to see "Yellow flowers" over at the Alphabet challenge blog.
For my DT inspiration, I decided to use napkin decoupage after ages. I found this *bottle of a popular beverage* amongst the crafting supplies at my rehabilitation, alongside with a pretty napkin featuring sunflowers. I got myself a bit of yellow acrylic paint, and applied it onto the bottle with a sponge. Not only is it way faster than using a brush, the coverage on smooth surfaces turns out to be way better.
I waited for everything to dry, and then placed the napkin onto the part where the label used to be. I glued the napkin on the glass using decoupage varnish, and let it dry for a bit. After that, I cut the napkin alongside the lines in the glass. To make the napkin stand out, I then took a string of gemstones - I didn't really plan this part, but the shimmering gemstone embellishment separated from my flipflops the other day, and I didn't want to throw it away. I figured it would make a nice touch to the glass bottle now vase, especially as it matches the colour scheme of my project.
Originally I planned to paint the upper part of the bottom blue, in an hommage to the people of Ukraine who are defending their (and our!) freedom for more than four years already (or even 12, considering the first Russian invasion of Ukrainian territory started way before the consequences of the latest full-scale war reached our comfortable asses). In that context, I specifically picked the motif of sunflowers to connect the blue and yellow Ukrainian colours. However, I couldn't find the matching shade of blue: one was way too dark, while the other was more of a smurf colour. I therefore decided to stay within the yellow colours only, with Ukrainian national flowers symbolizing resistance, peace and hope - as well as the fate of occupiers. 
In the end, bits of glue can be seen on the clear glass above the upper gemstone lining, but the string would only stay attatched after using a hot glue gun, and I'm not exactly familiar with using one. This is the best I could do, and not everything needs to be perfect. I think it gives vibrant soring vibes anyway, just as all the other yellow flowers out there.

challenges:
- 613 avenue create: ATG with optional twist
- allsorts challengeblog: ATG with optional twist "springtime"
- C.R.A.F.T.: seasons/weather/ATG
- card free zone: ATG but a card
- crafty catz: ATG
- creative inspirations: Easter/spring
- everybody art: favourite colour (yellow)
- fabnfunky: Easter/spring
- nachteulen: spring/Easter
- pearlysparkles: something old, something new (new napkin, old gemstones)
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