Blog Hop & Giveaways!

Hi everyone - I don't know if I already mentioned, but I'm on the DT for the lovely team at It's A Creative World... and this weekend we're having a blog hop!

If you are already following along, you'll have come here from Mandy's blog - Welcome, Hoppers!

 For my part I'd like to invite you all to try your hand at a very popular mixed media project - shrine making. Shrines are places to give thanks, seek answers, and venerate treasures things - they can be religious, spiritual, or neither, so anyone can join in.  Mine was created for someone in particular, who I was partnered with in a swap, and who wanted the theme 'Things with Wings':

It's one of the simplest forms of shrine - a matchbox drawer stood on its end, with a piece of card or chipboard cut into a frame.  I chose a house shape, but you could chose a circle, star, tree, you name it - totally up to you.

Then you just decorate and fill with whatever you love :)

So, the giveaway part... Leave a comment on my blog during this blog hop, and I'll enter you into a draw to win your very own, custom-made shrine, and some lovely altering goodies for you to try your own out too!

For another chance, make sure you become a follower of my blog, and for even more chances, follow the blog hop around and comment as you go.  Even if you don't win, you'll feel like a winner when you see all the lovely projects everyone has to inspire you with, and there are a few more giveaways to be found too!

You may (or may not!) also know I'm an independent Stampin' Up! demonstrator too - so to celebrate the blog hop I'm also having a special deal on at Beautiful Impressions - click to find out what, and how you can benefit!

Thanks for looking - and you're now off on your next part of the hop, to the lovely Kerry.

Celebrate Spring!

Leanne x 

***

PS. Here's a comprehensive blog list, incase you get lost!

Start at: http://itsacreativeworld.typepad.com/its_a_creative_world/
1 - Laura - http://bubbaboobits.blogspot.co.uk/
2 - Doda - http://www.dodadidit.blogspot.co.uk/
3 - Gabrielle - http://gabrielle-price.blogspot.co.uk/
4 - Eleanor- http://highlandhousekeeper.blogspot.co.uk/
5 - Erika - http://snappycrafts.blogspot.co.uk/
6 - Ifa - http://ifazainon.blogspot.co.uk/
7 - Katherine - http://www.fruitofmyscraps.blogspot.co.uk/
8 - Dolly - http://dollysdreamings.typepad.com/
9 - Mandy - http://6ichthusfish.typepad.com/
10 - Leanne - http://craftaholicleanie.blogspot.co.uk/
11 - Kerry - http://www.socksandscrapbooks.blogspot.co.uk/
12 - Tracey - http://tj-runningwithscissors.blogspot.co.uk/

Artistic License...

Wow. I was thrilled to receive my CJ back today, from the swap on UK Scrappers.  And simply overwhelmed when I saw the work people had done. Truly awesome, and not in a skater-boy way.  Check it out, in the order the CJ went round: Frances, Sarah, Irene, Helen, Shirley, Lou, and Netty:

Thank you ladies for such gorgeous work, - I now have to pick one they didn't and finish my own, then these are destined for a wall hanging.

Thanks for looking, and I hope you're all very jealous, mwhahaha!
Leanne x

Screens and Shrines...

So over on the UKScrappers swaps forum, I was partnered with Rebecca, to create a matchbox shrine on the theme Things With Wings.  This went through my head as 'things that fly' - and I chose birds, butterflies, and time.  I tried my best to make this personal to Rebecca, and  I hope she likes it:

Also, I got drawn into chat in the Screen Swap running alongside it, and - before I knew it - I was in on that one too!  Again, with Rebecca, again on that theme... ,This time I used lyrics from one of my favourite songs.  So, again, I hope that she likes this my efforts:

Here are some close-ups of my 'mechanical' winged wonders:

Both of these items went through several incarnations - the first shrine and screen were Stampotique bats that didn't work... The second shrine had all sorts of things going on, until I realised that nobody made the other item I wanted... The second screen had mesh panels in the centre but kept collapsing...
But I'm still proud of how these final versions turned out - even if it was hte most severe case of leaky elbow I've ever had...!
Thanks for looking,
Leanne x