Friday, November 23, 2012

All Things Altered Winter Blog Hop



Hello everyone.  I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving, and welcome back to another edition of the All Things Altered Winter Blog Hop.    Our wonderful hostess, Pam Bray, of Scrapbook Flair, is having a really nice giveaway, so be sure to start there.  If you arrived here from Jess B's blog, then you are on track.  

I am so excited to be able to play along, once again, with such a fabulous bunch of wonderfully-talented designers.  I know you will have a good time visiting each blog and be inspired by their creativity.   

When I think of winter, I think of cooler, grayish-white and mostly colorless days.  So, to take the "blues" away, I made this cute little winter mailbox using papers from Little Yellow Bicycle's (LYB) new collection, Winterings, and My Mind's Eye (MME) Signature Christmas collection.  The MME are specialty papers with bits of glitter scattered throughout.  



I started with this bare paper mache mailbox, and covered it inside and out with the LYB Winterings papers.  I used my Xyron 850 to add the edge-to-edge adhesive to each of my papers, making it quite easy to adhere the papers to the box.  I did not like the grayish-blue color as much as I thought I would, so I inked it up with Bundled Sage and Brushed Corduroy Distress Inks.  This made it match the MME papers more and tie everything together.  I love the vintage feel of this piece.



I used a Tim Holtz Sizzix tattered pinecone die to make the pinecone arrangement on top of the mailbox.  I added beaded embellishments, which I think really added that special bling.  




I edged the box with Stickles Icycles glitter glue, added pre-made flowers from Michaels, a decorative border made with a Martha Stewart punch, and added thin strips of the same paper that I used on the mailbox flag to tie it together. 


Decorative paper strips with punched edging
Michael's flowers, beaded bling
On the side opposite the flag, I fussy cut a reindeer and adhered it over a piece of distressed music sheet paper that I also distressed with Brushed Corduroy. 




I stamped Christmas images onto scraps of the printed papers, distressed the edges, and turned them into postcards for my mailbox.  


Postcards front


Postcards back

I am so pleased with the way this turned out.  I hope you enjoyed my project as much as I enjoyed making it to share with you.  As a special thank you, I have a bit of blog candy to give away.  To enter, please leave a comment and follow my blog, if you don't already.  Simple, right?  It would also be super if you could do the same on each of the other blogs as well.  Here is what you could win. 


I will pick a winner at random and announce my winner right here on Saturday, December 1st.  So you have a week to enter.  Good luck.

Your next stop is Eileen's blog.  

So, please be sure to visit each blog and leave a comment and follow.  A complete list of each participating blog is listed below, in case you get lost.


Enjoy your holiday, and happy hopping!

Barbara  

31 comments:

  1. golly golly gosh, how exciting, i have one of those mailboxes! another to do project! thats for all lovely work and effort you put into your blog posting for us! Really enjoyed the read and think I might just have to go dig that mail box out :-)

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  2. Love this mailbox and cards!!! GREAT JOB!!

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  3. FABULOUS!!!! Love the mailbox!!!! Wow, I really don't know what to say it is simply beautiful. Love all of the details on the box and the fabulous note cards are amazing. TFS and being a part of The All Things Altered Winter Blog Hop. pammejo1@yahoo.com

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  4. What a beautiful project. It is so elegant and country at the same time. Just perfect for card holding. And I think it would be a fun project to make and use at our church. Everyone gives Christmas cards and they are left on a back table and one person hands them out to everyone, like he is a postman, this would be perfect for people to put the cards in! What a fun idea. Thanks for sharing. correnaingraham@hotmail.com

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  5. Oh just love that mail box.. will be looking for one of those to do something with.. Well done.. take care

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  6. so much work, so much talent. very creative. this mailbox is adorable. thanks for sharing. i'm a new follower

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  7. Barb, great off the page project. Love the muted color tones. Now those post cards are like wow.....vintage sur-real!!!
    cottagerca@yahoo.ca
    ava g

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  8. Barbara, you never cease to amaze me. These colors are my all-time favorites (I went through a blue/brown phase in my other life as a graphic designer.Every client got those colors for their projects!). Can I touch you so some of your talent will rub off? Please?

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  9. LOVE what you've done with the mailbox and love those postcards as well! Following :) phenis2031 at yahoo dot com

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  10. This is gorgeous Barbara! I love the colors you mixed for the body of the mailbox and that pine cone spray on the top is so beautiful! I just got that pine cone die but have not opened it yet! Thanks so much for sharing this project and for the chance to win these goodies :) I am already a longtime follower of your lovely blog.

    rebeccadunham at hotmail dot com

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  11. Super sweet and unique!!!...loveeeee the muted colors and sugary "bling"!!

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  12. What an adorably decorated keepsake mailbox...love the winter classic & chic look...beautiful colors

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  13. Beautiful mailbox! Would love to receive such pretty postcards too! I'm now a follower. Thanks for the chance at some blog candy.

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  14. One big WOW project! Love the colors and flowers and everything about it!

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  15. Wow!! That is the prettiest mailbox ever!!!! I love it!

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  16. This is so pretty and I like the glittery postcards. I am a follower.
    slrdowney at hotmail dot com

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  17. Such an elegant mailbox! I have always wanted to make one and just haven't got to it... it sure would make a nice gift to me or use it as a gift box for someone special. TFS your creation...Luv it! :)

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  18. My heart went pitter pat when I saw this! Loooooove all the flowers and sparkle!

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  19. Pretty mailbox!! LOVE the postcards!!

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  20. Your mailbox is quite beautiful--a classic Christmas look.

    kristainmn at gmail dot com

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  21. A beautiful mailbox. I can just picture the snow outside and settling in at night with tea to read the mail. TFS and the tutorial

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  22. This fabulous mailbox is magical! Loving the colors you used and all that sparkly elegance!
    kladd94803 at aol dot com

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  23. I have an old tin mailbox that I could alter. Thanks for the inspiration! Yours' is so pretty & sparkly!

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  24. What a precious, precious mailbox! I love the warm, vintage colors and designs you used. Great place to tuck those incoming Christmas cards, or for kids to put their letters to Santa! Thanks for aharing!

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  25. Your mailbox turned out wonderfully! I love the colours and the gold edging really makes me happy! The little postcards are the perfect touch!
    esthert119 (at) yahoo (dot) ca

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  26. Barbara your mailbox is absolutely beautiful!! I LOVE anything with the vintage feel and this has such a true vintage feel. I have been following you for a while now and love your work, such an inspiration ~

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  27. Hi Barbara, I missed the hop, but I am so pleased I stopped by to see this beautiful work of altered art! Your winter theme and vintage details are just gorgeous and I love the cute little postcards you made to go inside. So beautifully done! xx

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  28. I so enjoyed your steampunk creation at Halloween that I had to venture back to your site to see what you've been up to and you didn't let me down. I love this mailbox project - so elegant. I'm a follower. http://lorbysworld.blogspot.com

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