Challenge #218 S-t-r-e-t-c-h yourselves............

It's 2016....

Happy New Year everyone!!!!!!! 

....and welcome back to the 

cheerfully untidy world that is 

Opus Gluei. 

Lets make the most of the extra day this year and have a long and happy crafty calendar, starting with some s-t-r-e-t-c-h-e-s......of the creative kind (though you can stretch out on the couch if that's more your style) to ease into the year.  

STRETCH YOURSELVES

Use some of this glorious holiday time to try out that idea you saw on Pinterest, raise a favorite skill up on a new technique that looked so easy, stretch that brain and amaze yourself (and us too).  We might just get the chance to finish something from the too hard basket.....

So, let's see what our Poobahs made to inspire you!

Deena here: my stretch is to try and make 500 cards this year...I want to donate to our local mission for the homeless and have sold many of my Christmas cards this year...my goal it so locally sell 250 cards to donate $1000 to local charities in our area...here's hoping it all goes well...I had this really old kit hanging around and tweaked it a little to pump out a few simple cards to get in the spirit:

Rosemary here and after a long dry spell of creativity I've decided I'm going to try to do an Index Card a Day as my own personal 2016 challenge.  So, here's my first three days.  With my Posca paint pens...

Chat Noir here, and I'm a work in progress.....  Every time I see a pile of wooden shapes (mine are from kaisercraft), I buy some and carry them home, my head filled with ways to turn them into little works of art.  The reality is a lot less productive, so this challenge is made for me, if only I can channel some of those long lost ideas.

....and I remember now how long it takes to achieve the finish I like..... smooth..... glossy..... Oh well, I've made a start, and I promise to finish them and make good on the one resolution I made this year: no more UFOs lurking in the studio.

I promise to add to this post as they progress.  

Now lets see what you s-t-r-e-t-c-h yourself to do.  Link us to your blog post in the comments below and remember that we love all takes on our themes, be it literal or figurative or completely on your own tangent.  You have until January 17th to share your beautiful crafty goodness with us!

Challenge #217 - Star Light, Star Bright!

Our challenge for this last fortnight of our crafting year is:

Star Light, Star Bright

which seems to suggest a vintage Christmas wish.  But even if you don't celebrate Christmas you surely could be inspired to create and put a star (or many more) into whatever you make!

Chat Noir here, coming out of left field and beginning with "vintage" before getting to the starry part!  I just spent a lovely day making all sorts of things out of second-hand rubbishy paperback books (I did have to read a bit here and there to be SURE they were rubbishy) and Christmas decorations were part of the fun.  Wait for the stars til the end......

The first is a lovely easy bird, which is just two 2D shapes joined by lining up a scissor cut in each and threading them together.  Its a bit easier to see in the second photograph, and I have to say that card stock has more strength so makes better birds, but you could glue two sheets of print together if you prefer.

The second is the beginning of a collection of paper baubles made with the help of paper punches, glue and a loop of thread to hang each.  Make sure you choose symmetrical shapes, but anything would look great....butterflies, snowflakes, hearts.....as well as the circle and square I used (which also tells you a lot about my paper punch collection!!).

You need at least 6 cut-outs for each bauble, and each is folded in half before being glued together and enclosing the loop of thread.

....and finally, the stars!  These decorations are two sizes of wood stars, each covered in a different paper, and just glued one on top the other.  I can think of lots of other ways to jazz them up a bit, but hey, its a beginning....

 

 

Deena here:  I took my projects on a different path as I needed some much needed birthday cards this month...

 

 

We would love to see what you make, so comment below and link us to your starry creation!

NOTE:  We will be taking off until January 3rd so that we can enjoy the holidays with those we hold near and dear.

FROM ALL THE POOBAHS  - HAPPY HOLIDAYS, MERRY CHRISTMAS, AND BEST WISHES FOR A FANTASTIC 2016!!!