An altered Elf Stocking ~

Hey all!  Told you I'd be back.  I'm going to make this really short and sweet...I think I've contracted the strep throat...as well as an ear infection.  Ugh.  Thankfully, my parents took my child so I can lay on the couch, drink tea and watch chick flicks all afternoon!
A couple of years ago, I saw a paper pieced elf stocking decoration that I fell utterly in love with.  I right clicked and saved all the pics so that one day I could make something just like it!  Well, while browsing around Hobby Lobby last year, I saw some plain wood elf stockings in their holiday section and bought three of them thinking that I could alter them and give them away.  Yeah, that didn't happen.  I pulled them out again this year and have completed one.  It's a bit harder to get the paper just how I want it, pick out the papers that I think go great, etc.  I'm going to keep this one for myself as there are some problems with it that I hope to fix before making the other two as gifts.  Now, as far as cost I would guess that these are less than $3.  It uses about one sheet of 12x12 patterned paper plus the snowflake embellishment.  If you have a bit of time on your hands, you really should make one! 

I used a few retired Basic Grey Figgy Pudding papers on this - I adore that line, so gorgeous!!  I had to remove the top part of the stocking to get it all papered the way I wanted.  Kind of a pain, but so worth it!  The little heel and toe parts are the backside of the main stocking paper.  They needed a bit more interest, so I stamped the smallest snowflake from PTI's Snowflake Serenade in Scarlet Jewel ink.  The edges of all the papers and the wooden stocking are sponged in Ranger Distress Vintage Photo ink.  The back side of the stocking is covered in another paper from the same line, and the top of the stocking is from a plain brown paper from the same line.  I didn't want to take away from the snowflake, so I didn't add anything to that part.   

The snowflake is cut with the Spellbinders Create a Flake 1 snowflake dies.  They are embossed and then sponged with Antique Linen ink while still in the die.  Ranger Glossy Accents was added to the raised portions and then covered with glass glitter a la Sherry Cheever.  I added a few sprigs of the Martha Stewart twig punch to the largest snowflake, threaded some brown hemp twine through a Scarlet Jewel button and then through all the snowflakes, wrapped a couple of rusty jingle bells around the twine, threaded through another button, then through a hole in the stocking.  I tied a loop of twine to hang it from, threaded another Scarlet Jewel button with the twine and tied it off with a knot and a big fat bow.  Done!  And I love it!  The only part I don't like is the back...I shouldn't have tried to use glossy Mod Podge.  I can see the brush strokes and it really wasn't necessary at all.  The next two I do won't have that stinky stuff on them!  lol  Well, thanks for stopping by!  I'm off to go snuggle on the couch some more with my tissues, hot tea and a good movie!  :o) lyss

JUGS Challenge #61: 3-D Holiday Embellishment

A Crafty Little Place #66: Anything Goes

Basic Grey Challenges #34: Recipe challenge

Really Reasonable Ribbon #13: Anything but a Card - Winter   I hope twine counts for ribbon!!  lol

P.S. I forgot to mention a really cool *new to me* blog I've found.  House of Hepworths does a lot of crafty projects and DIY things around the home.  I'm entering this in her crafty post that she has every Thursday.  Super great place to find tutorials and crafty projects throughout blogland!  :o) lyss