The Altered Alice Chapter 25: Mad as a March Hare

The Hatter was the first to break the silence. `What day of the month is it?' he said, turning to Alice: he had taken his watch out of his pocket, and was looking at it uneasily, shaking it every now and then, and holding it to his ear. Alice considered a little, and then said `The fourth.' `Two days wrong!' sighed the Hatter. `I told you butter wouldn't suit the works!' he added looking angrily at the March Hare. `It was the BEST butter,' the March Hare meekly replied. `Yes, but some crumbs must have got in as well,' the Hatter grumbled: `you shouldn't have put it in with the bread-knife.' The March Hare took the watch and looked at it gloomily: then he dipped it into his cup of tea, and looked at it again: but he could think of nothing better to say than his first remark, `It was the BEST butter, you know.' -- Chapter 7, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
 

We're so excited at The Altered Alice to be working with the fun, fabulous, quirky stamps from The Octopode Factory this month.  Lily has offered a generous $30 gift certificate to The Octopode Factory to one random winner so I'm sure you'll all be putting your crafty thinking caps on.

 [ Etsy Store - Digital | Rubber Stamps | Blog | Challenge Blog | Facebook | Flickr ]

The talented Lily Chilvers started The Octopode Factory when she was only seventeen and they were an instant hit. Originally available only in digital form, they are now also available in rubber stamps, and she has a wealth of amazing Alice in Wonderland images. Be sure to check out these wacky images through the links above!

For this challenge I took an inexpensive Walmart frame and turned it into a working clock with works from the local craft store. Instead of a pocket watch image, I chose Octopode's quirky Clockwork flower

 

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 I printed Clockwork Flower several times so I could fussy cut and layer it, adding some "butter" to the gears which were cut with Spellbinders dies.  It's colored with metallic Sharpies.  I also added to the "stem" so it would run the entire length of the frame.
 

 

The "Tick tock" is included with the stamp and was cut apart to add to the background.  All of the fab DP is from Heidi Grace.  I really thought it had a Wonderland feel.  Of course I added some alpha beads but didn't realize that I'd misquoted the text until just now.  It should read "Two days wrong"  OOPS!  This is gonna bug me to no end, but I can't correct it without ripping the background.  Sometimes Glossy Accents can be a little too permanent.  BUMMER!  Please ignore and promise me you won't tell.

 

 

The term "Mad as a hare’ which was common during Carroll's time, alludes to the crazy capers of the male hare during March, it's rutting season, and the straw on his head in the original Tenniel illustrations was also a symbol of madness. (from Lenny's Alice in Wonderland site)

Umm..., well this March Hare looks anything but randy and I dare say he'll need more than a cuppa before he's ready for any "crazy capers".  LOL  Where he isn't paper pieced, he's colored with Copics and is available individually HERE or as part of the 6 stamp Wonderful World of Wonderland set HERE.  The teapot is also paper pieced and is available as part of the 11 stamp Alice Elements set.

As March is the month we celebrate the mad March Hare, ANYTHING GOES is our challenge.

Please remember that although we're called The Altered Alice any and all projects are welcome.  This is the place to "get your Alice on"! 

You have until Friday, March 29 to enter your creations. As always, multiple entries are allowed but each must be on a separate post. All entries are welcome, but those that feature Wonderland will have two chances at the prize instead of one. And what a prize it is! A $30 gift certificate for digital images from the fabulous, fantastical world of The Octopode Factory!

 

I'm also entering this in the Movie Magic Monthly Alice in Wonderland Challenge, the 2 Sisters Fairytales/Fantasy challenge (I'm hoping this fits), Emergency Crafters Mad as a March Hare, Hotshot Craft anything but a Card and Simon Says Stamp Anything Goes.

Tiddly Inks Clock

My project for Tiddly Inks this week actually started last week with the Just Be Me Challenge. While perusing all of Christy's adorable images looking for something that fit, I came across Time Will Tell. Time seems to be getting away from her and that's exactly how I've felt since maybe October. I had a tough time with a layout however, and eventually put it aside for a future date. Then I came across a quote on the sidebar of Disney Dreamer's Designs (Melissa's Blog) that made me LOL. SOOO ME and perfect with Time Will Tell! I've only modified it slightly and decided to make a little clock to hang in the craft room and keep me on track (yeah, right!) Well, at least it will keep me smiling. The frame is a little $3.00 number from Walmart, the only one I could find in the right shape. The DP is Heidi Grace.

I've colored Time Will Tell with Copics (notice she has red hair) and cut her out and matted her with my Nesties Labels Seventeen, then inked with Distress Inks in Tumbled Glass while she was still in the die. I used my Cropadile Big Bite to punch the hole for the clockworks (several times to make it big enough).

Here's a better view of the sentiment and the little embellie in the corner which is a Dienamics Die from My Favorite things. The leaves are hand cut. This is definitely one of my favorite quotes right now which fits right in with the current Quote Me Challenge at the Tiddly Inks Challenge Blog and there's still loads of time left to play so why not take a look.

Edit: WooHoo! Hot off the press! There's also a fab new release at Tiddly Inks that includes these adorable images and check out Fabulous Inky Friday for even more creative inspiration!

Oh Alice! Mad Watch Challenge

My Mad Watch Creation

The Inspiration Photo

What a fun challenge at Oh Alice! this week. there was a fabulous inspiration picture to draw from. At first I was bummed because I've yet to receive my Clockworks Cuttlebug folder so I scrambled to find some stamps. Then upon rifling through my drawers I came across the TONS of cool Tim Holtz stuff I've been hoarding and decided to go a different route.

The Timepieces and Game Spinners sort of clinched it. I mounted the largest face to one of the ornate frames using Glossy accents. I added a sprocket gear and 3 hands to make it look more mad. the top of the watch is decorated with Metal Foliage. Love the mix of metals!

I used Type Charms to spell out "LATE" and attached them with jump rings to the bottom. Then I remembered a small ladies antique enameled pocket watch I had (pretty sure it was my grandmother's) which was the gorgeous blue from the inspiration photo.

I added a Swivel Clasp for a watch fob and filled a 1 x 3" Memory frame with Graphic 45 paper and a tiny Alice playing card of the White Rabbit that I cut up to fit. Finally, I glued additional gears and sprockets, another metal flower and a pearl to embellish, again using glossy accents. (Love how that stuff glues ANYTHING!) I really enjoy challenges that make me think outside the box and craft with the fun things I've been collecting. I tried to hang my creation in one of the glass domes I have some of my other antique pocket watches in but it was too large. Guess I'll have to find a way to display it in a shadow box or something. Thanks ladies for a particularly fabulous challenge this week. Update!!!! WOOHOO!!! I won the challenge!

BBTB 24/7 Challenge

Happy Monday! Are we all nursing a chocolate hangover? This week at BBTB Regina had us use the 24/7 cut from Graphically Speaking. This really was a challenge for me. I tried designing a card as usual but it got so complicated and HUGE that I started over. Tried a layout but I'm NOT a scrapper and when I was done with the design I realized there was no room for a pic (not that I had one to use or anything). Finally an inspiration. Seems like I've been doing alot of altered items lately but I thought what do I like to do 24/7? (No not that you naughty minds!) I LOVE TO CRAFT! I found this inexpensive 11" wall clock at WalMart with circle cutouts for pix where the numbers go. Conveniently I LOVE TO CRAFT is exactly 12 letters so I used my new Hello Kitty font cartridge to cut it out on both shadow and regular at 1 1/4 inches and popped them on 2" circles from Plantin Schoolbook. I cut 24/7 twice at 3 1/2, punched a hole in the middle and glued it to the center under the hands. The little red metal flowers and black centers on the face are from J's as is the grosgrain ribbon I used to dress up the outside. Of course I had to add a bow and some Primas. Hope DH doesn't mind since I share my craft room with him and his computer. At least I won't lose track of time anymore. Please stop by Bitten By The Bug to see what my fabulous Design Team sisters have done with this challenge.

Regina also has a new contest sponsered by SweetArts Paperie going on now so click HERE and don't miss out. Also there's still time to take advantage of the EASTER SALE at The Cutting Cafe. Buy one file and get the second of equal or lesser value for FREE.Click HERE through April 14.