Wednesday, April 27, 2016

Bluebird Altered Treat Jar

Not a kitty, but I love bluebirds, too.  One year we had a terrible hatch out of grasshoppers.  We were still in the old house and my chickens free-ranged over on our new property...so they couldn't help with the awful pests.  In the late summer when the grasshoppers were at their peak, the juvenile bluebirds were fledging.  Help was on the way!                                                                                                 It was very entertaining to see the youngsters learning to hunt.  Bluebirds' natural inclination is to hunt on the wing, but these grasshoppers were on the ground.  Instead of just picking them off the blades of grass as the experienced adult bluebirds knew to do, the young bluebirds would flap their wings and hop around in the yard to flush out the grasshoppers.  As the insects jumped, the juveniles would flutter up in the air a few inches and catch them.  A little unconventional, but they sure ate a lot of those disgusting hoppers...and it was great fun to watch!

Hi, Friends....

I'm here with another brief hiatus from my Big Blog Blitz Giveaway series to share a pretty bluebird altered treat jar that I made for a friend's birthday and filled with mini Almond Joy bars.  Yum!  :)


These are so much fun to make and it makes me feel good to reclaim jars that otherwise would not be saved.

The lovely images are fussy cut from an envelope that had come with a card a friend sent me a few years ago.  I knew that sometime I would use those cheerful birds!

To make this treat jar, I first gessoed over the sides of the jar and over the whole outside of the lid.  Then I tore discarded book pages in strips and Mod Podged them over the gesso on the jar and let it dry thoroughly.  I rubbed Gelatos with a moist finger to add some color over the book paper.  Then I Mod Podged my birds and blossoming branch papers in place and let everything dry completely.  This whole process took several days as each "let it dry" step was overnight!

 


I glitzed up my images with some glitter on the branches and flowers and I colored over the birds lightly with my Wink of Stella pen...although you can't really see much shimmer in the photo.  






I added a few sequins here and there and some twine.  

 
You can see a little flower I put on the twine in the top photo. I even tucked in a wee leaf from some vine trim I have had for ages.




Then it was time to work on the lid......

I blended the same Gelatos over the gesso and Mod Podged it all to seal it.  Then I added a twine bow and a layered flower with a sweet little dew drop that my crafty friend, Karen Ladd, once sent to me. (THANKS, Karen!)  I have been hoarding these so long I had forgotten about them!  Hoard No More!!!!  :)
I hope you like my treat jar. It has no stamping on it at all......but, again, who misses it? The gorgeous birds and flowers are plenty and the book paper adds a nice background.....so it really didn't need any stamping.

Okay, that's all for tonight. I have two more Blog Blitz posts that I will put up tomorrow. Be sure to visit my GIVEAWAY posts and answer the questions on each post by 11:59 pm April 30th Pacific Daylight Time to be entered!! Details are on THIS POST!!!

Thanks so much for your visit!!!

<3
Janis

Thank you for the honor of entering this altered treat jar in the following challenges:
1. Countryview April Challenge - Spring
2. Southern Ridge Trading Co April Challenge - Anything Spring
3. Craftin Desert Divas Linky Party - In the Garden
4. Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Use Metal (The lid of my jar is metal, and the sequins are metallic.) 
5. Ellibelle's Creative Moments Critters & Cratures Linky Party #3 - Critter must be the Focal
6. Happy Little Stampers April Mixed Media Challenge - Wings
7. Craft for the Craic April Challenge - Anything But a Card
8. Really Reasonable Ribbon Challenge #139 - Things with Wings must use Ribbon or Trim
9. Anything But Cute Challenge #12 - Earth Day Mixed Media Mood Board

(I am inspired by the colors and the bird on the mood board.  I recycled/reused several items for my project that would have been discarded, otherwise.)


33 comments:

  1. Fantastic alteration of a simple jar! Your beautiful birds and your embellishments made this jar unique and fabulous! Thank you for joining the April Challenge of the Country View Challenges!

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  2. Wow! Your friend is going to be doubly blessed--once with this beautiful altered jar and another by the treats inside! (I love Almond Joy, and now I'm going to be singing that marketing ditty in my head the rest of the day!) What beautiful birds and a great story to go with it! Love bluebirds and so funny to read about the juveniles! Great use of some ordinary items for an amazing transformation!

    Thank you for joining our Earth Day challenge at Anything But Cute. Hugs! Sara Emily DT

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  3. Oooo, lovely creation, Janis. Thanks for playing along at HLS MM. Hope to see you again soon. :)

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  4. It was interesting to read about the Bluebirds and their antics with the Grasshoppers. We don't have these pretty birds in the UK. Your recycled jar looks lovely. Never tried that trick with the gelatos. Hugs Mrs A.

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  5. Wow! I Love your bird jar! Very adorable!

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  6. It is absolutely amazing, Janis. So very creative and love the sparkle! So happy you shared in my Critter and Creature Linky Party, and your creations is definitely eligible to enter, doesn't have to be stamped. Thank you for joining in!

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  7. Your jar looks beautiful Janis. I love to recycle too. The bluebirds look beautiful and I enjoyed reading how you made your gift.

    The story about the grasshoppers was very interesting and what a lovely photo of the bird. Barbxx

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  8. That is super cute! This is a great idea to use on my cans that I have been hording for a while! :)

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  9. Such a beautiful spring jar, those birds are so pretty.Thanks for joining in with our spring challenge over at Country View.
    Jane DT

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  10. It's so pretty, Janis! Thank you for alerting me so I could enjoy the post and this awesome upcycled jar!! Hugs, Darnell

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  11. so pretty! I am not having that much success with my gelatos! great job!

    Alicia

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  12. This is a great idea! I love how the jar turned out! I love bluebirds too!
    Take Care!
    Michele

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  13. Oh my gosh Janis, this is so beautiful! I need to bookmark it so I can read your step-by-step again and give it a try myself. I am especially interested in the way you used the Gelatos because I still haven't braved my set and I need ideas to get me started. Haha...you beat me to those dewdrops as I still haven't used them either. They make perfect flower centers! This project is even more fun with the recycled glass jar and makes a wonderful keepsake.

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  14. Such a wonderful idea. That jar will always be a joy to look at.

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  15. You have outdone yourself, Janis! It's a lovely project and the textures really bring me to nature - lovely! hugs, de

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  16. Love your altered jar. Thanks for joining us at HLS Mixed Media challenge this month Carol DT x

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  17. Beautiful decorative jar. Thank you for sharing your beautiful project with us at Really Reasonable Ribbon and can't wait to see your next beautiful card or project with us soon. Nancy Hill, Really Reasonable Design Team Member

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  18. Fabby jar ! Thank you so much for joining us again over at Country View Challenges !
    Corrie x

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  19. Your treat jar is beautiful! I love the design and all the little details that make this a treasure. Thanks for entering it in the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge. Cathie

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  20. Gorgeous project!
    Thank you for joining our Earth Day challenge at Anything But Cute!
    Samra DT
    Paper Talk with Samra

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  21. Your jar is terrific. Love how you gave that jar new life. Now it will be a treasured keepsake. Thanks for sharing.
    Crafty hugs,
    Dawn
    DesignsbyDragonfly.blogspot.com

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  22. This jar is a double delight because it is filled with yummy goodies and also uses recycled bits-how fantabulous is that! Totally fantabulous! Your birds are so awesome sauce and beautiful. The added glitz ties everything together so well and creates a lovely 3D image. Wonderful lid as well!

    Thanks for joining our "Earth Day" challenge at Anything But Cute! Hugz. ~Niki DT

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  23. LOVE the makeover you gave this jar! The bird images are so gorgeous and the colors are happy and full of energy. This has a definite positive vibe and is such a great tribute to nature. Love the layering you incorporated and how the whole thing looks like it belongs in some high-end botanical boutique! Really stunning! I'm so glad you shared your talents with us for this week's Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge!

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  24. What a fabulous idea, Janis. This is fabulous. Thanks for sharing it in our Things With Wings challenge. I really hope that you will join us for our new challenge starting this week. We really enjoy having you play along.
    Blessings,
    Karen
    Really Reasonable Ribbon DT

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  25. Love the jar Janis! You surely had fun making it as it looks! The use og gelatos is also cool! Thanks so much for joining us at Craft for the craic challenge this month! :)
    Suchi - DT xx

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  26. I just love this project! I love that you took our challenge "off the page" and created something so joyous and colorful and fun! Thanks for the tips on how you made this...it's wonderful! Thanks for sharing with us at the Really Reasonable Ribbon "Things With Wings" Challenge!

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  27. Wow, this is so pretty!! I love your altered jar and the birds and background are absolutely wonderful. Thank you so much for sharing with us at the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge Blog!!

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  28. Super cute--congrats on the SSS Monday challenge blog spotlight!

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  29. Wow ! These are so wonderful ! Thank you so much for joining us at Craftin' Desert Divas In The Garden Linky Party .
    Hugs,
    Mayra DTM

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  30. Biggest congrats on your SSS spotlight! What a delightful altered project! <3

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THANK YOU so much for taking the time to leave a comment. Your kind words encourage me so very much!!!

Have a lovely day!
<3
Janis