Pockets & Bit 'n' Bobs

Hi, 

I thought I'd share what I've been doing today..... 

Well for starters I've been creating some little pockets and tuck spots for my ongoing junk journals and to do this I've been altering glassine bags. 

I know it is really easy to make your own glassine bags/envelopes but the ones I worked on today were purchased from The Pumpkin Paper Co. Size wise they are 6.5cm x 9cm and portrait orientation i.e the opening flap is at the top rather than at the side. They're very robust and I find they take to being daubed with ink, stain, gesso and tea/coffee really well. However, when it comes to glue I tend to use a viscous one like Ranger Matt Medium or Golden Heavy Gel, so it doesn't warp the glassine too much.

Here are a couple of close up of my altered pieces......

I printed and resized a couple of images that I found on the Internet and then basically collaged and layered them with snippets of lace from my stash, adding threads, tissue paper, vellum, dryer sheets, charms, tiny tags and vintage mother of pearl buttons as the mood took me. 

With some I applied a layer of white gesso first, then when dry, stamped over the top using a the script stamp from a Stampers Anonymous stamp set (Entomology CMS328) using Distress Ink (vintage photo) to form a background. On others I stamped additional images over the top from another Stampers Anonymous stamp Set (tiny things CMS164)

I also added scraps of coffee stained paper and hessian to my layering. Mind you I have to admit that I really struggle with collaging and it doesn't come easily to me.

And finally here is my last pocket and the tag I made for inside, both using the same mushroom image......

In addition to the glassine bags I decided to alter a C6 size brown envelope. Firstly I covered the envelope with an old, yellowing book page from an ancient copy of Brideshead Revisited (great book) and then basically I went through the same process as for the glassine envelopes, collaging to my hearts content again. This time I used some Ranger washi tape (Butterflies or perhaps it's called Botanical, sorry not sure) and some ruler washi tape from my stash.

The verdict is still out for me on this envelope.... I think what is putting me off is the 15 dollar stamp in Versamark ink (black) on the vellum. It seems too prominent and in retrospect perhaps I should have gone for brown.  I worked on the envelope sealed but cut a slither off down the right-hand side to create the opening for the pocket..... If I decide to use the envelope I'll cut a semi circle into one layer on the RH side, so that it's easier to access as a pocket.

The other thing I made today was an origami box to hold wild flower seeds....

 It measures 3" x 2.5" and is held flat with a belly band which I decorated with snippets of Edith Holden paper, a heart made out of layers of old book paper, a lace daisy and a mother of pearl button. I used crotchet thread to sew through all the layers to secure them in place on the belly band. A couple of tiny tags were glued under the edge of the daisy with matt gel.

This is what it looks like when the belly band is slipped off and inside .....

......A tiny packet of wild flower seeds. I stitched two layers of thick vellum together using my sewing machine and secured the ends with tiny hearts cut from Prima Marketing cardstock (Archivist). The edges were inked wit Distress Ink (vintage photo). The planting instructions from the original seek packet was trimmed to size and used to line the bottom of the origami box.

On the reverse of the box is an image of wild flowers that I found on the Internet.  Because this box is relatively flat I'm going to use it as an insert for the botanical junk journal I'm currently making. It's so cute and I'm delighted at how it turned out..... I'll certainly be making more.

That wasn't the last of my labours today. I also made a small book which will be another insert into one of my junk journals. I'll be posting on that tomorrow and sharing some photographs, so I hope you'll join me.

Happy crafting....

Carol. xx

Woodblock House

Just a quick post to share a project that I finished off today: a woodblock house. Or rather a block of wood decorated to look like a house using Stampotique stamps stamped onto old book print, a lot of paint, Ecoline, water colour pencils and multi matt medium galore.

Here is the front of the house

Ever since I came across Stampotique stamps I've adored them, particularly the little door I used on my project. I layered up several layers of the image stamped onto book print so that the handle, hinges and door panels would have a little dimension. I did the same for the sign on the side of the house and some of the flowers.  

Side view showing the sign"Art lives here"

Here's a close up of the sign...sorry doesn't really show the dimension though.

Before gluing everything into place I gave the block a coat of matt medium.  All the stamped images got the same treatment, especially the flowers.  I wanted these to be robust so they could stand away from the block in places.

Some of the flowers I left single and others I layered to add dimension.
These are the ones on the back elevation of the house.

Full view of the back of the house.

My roof was the corner of a cereal box covered with decorated deli paper left over from an art journal page ("Do I look like a people person") I created last year.



Lastly a couple of stands of coloured wire wrapped round the house provided an anchor for some dyed seam binding to decorate the other side of the house.

Side elevation of the house....looks a little bare now. Hmmm have to sort that out!

Hope you like my little quirky house... thanks for stopping by.
Here are couple more close up pictures before I head off......

Windows at the front of the house.

Front door and the little girl with her heart.......

And yet another one of the door.... I have no idea what it is about this image that I love but I feel a journal page coming on using this image...perhaps an opening door!

Thanks for taking time to stop by and read my post today......Happy crafting.

Carol xx

France Papillon: Altered Art Journal

I wanted to share, albeit a little belated,  a project that derived from a couple of France Papillon workshops I went to at AFTH last month.  I say “derived” because it wasn’t quite the intended end result from the workshops!

The first workshop was a coptic bound art journal and the second, called Witches & Apothecaries, was a grungy apothecary’s shelf, complete with tiny bottles filled with potions and spells…. both absolutely gorgeous. Unfortunately I didn't take any pictures of my final projects but if you click on the AFTH link:  http://www.afth.co.uk/france-papillon-workshops---august-2015-693-c.asp   you can see how gorgeous they were.

France's workshops were totally amazing: 101 techniques and products to try and it goes without saying, meeting and being taught by France.  How France had the patience to teach copic binding to a class of 20 women ( including some left handers too) I do not know…lol.

But the end results were not quite me.  The Finnabair elements on the art journal were a tad too distressed and rusted for my liking, and whilst the apothecary’s shelf was adorable it wasn’t something to hang in my craft room. Soooooo I set about altering the front cover of the art journal using the background or backboard from the apothecary’s shelf and stashing away the rusted 

Finnabair embellishments for another day. This is the end result……

 I love it....... There's so much texture on the covers. 

This is a view of the back, which was stamped with one of France's Stamportique designs. I think it's called distressed paint but don't quote me on that. Either way, I couldn't resist it and I've been using it non stop on my art journal pages ever since.

This is the front cover;  layered up with inked and stamped papers and canvas.

Then with plaster and dyed calico or perhaps muslin.

On top of those layers went a distressed clock part and a decorative metal circle embellishments (both Finnabair I think) and standard, every day, common ol'garden washer which France had pre-rusted for us. Can you see the tiny signature heart? France taught us how to make these during the workshop but it's a closed secret. You have to take one of her workshops to find out how they’re made…adorable aren’t they?

For me the colour of rusted metal and tiny blood red hearts are synonymous of France, who I’ve watch work her magic with her JOM posts for ever.  Every time I walk past my "revised" art journal it reminds me of her… it just feels soooooooo France. 

Here are a few more pictures…….

I decided I wanted to add one of the Ranger Word Bands to the front cover but in retrospect I wish I'd done this with a couple of rusted brads now. C'est la Vie.

To pick up the blood red colour of the little heart I added seam binding coloured with Distress Ink.

I absolutely love the texture of all those layers on the front cover now, especially the coloured muslin and the subtle simmer and stamping on both the back and front base covers.

Inside the journal is just plain watercolour paper.... pristine and ready for creativity!!!!

Hope you like my journal and France isn’t peeved by the amalgamation  of her workshop projects… oh, and if you’re wondering what happened to all the little potions and spells bottles from the Witches & Apothecaries wall hanging, well they're snug and happy on my printer’s tray configuration shelf.

Happy crafting and thank you for taking a peek at my post.

Carol. x

An update ……

I mentioned yesterday that I hadn't been idle over the last month so I thought I would share some of the things I’ve been doing lately.  Grab a coffee and get comfortable as it's a bit of a marathon post:-

Firstly I was asked if I would make a baby picture for a friend’s new baby boy and decided to work on the theme that I’d used towards the end of last year.  This is one of my the original pictures…. 

As you can see it’s tiny butterflies and pearls made into the shape of a heart with an ombre colour theme to match a Moulton Brown candle I was given as a birthday present.

Once I made one I was hooked and made a few in different colour themes.  I have an old Sizzix die that cuts and embosses three different sizes of butterflies.   which was perfect for these pictures.

                I adapted the theme to 

                   make a baby buggy in shades of blue and added a label with the baby's details underneath:-

So that was project one.  Next was more to satisfy my desire to have a go at a pop up card.  

Here is a 50th birthday card I made after looking at various video tutorials   on Utube…..there are plenty out there to choose from so you can’t go wrong with these cards.  

They're a lot easier to make than they look and my friend was delighted with the one I made for her. As it was a little bulky I decided to made a box and popped it in that.

Td it….phew!!!!

The banner was made from folded and trimmed washi tape and a couple of Starbucks coffee stirrers, embellished with a couple of hand tied bows.

The cake itself was a die cut which I pieced together and glittered. A couple of white feathers set behind it added a softening touch.

The diamante 50 is something I had in my stash but it was originally bought from a cake decorating shop.  I saw it and thought I could make use of it on a card...... et voila!  

The larger 50 was traced freehand onto card-stock, cut out, 

sanded and then sprayed with glue and glittered.  I then 

attached it to some strips of plastic packaging (from a 

recent Tim HoltzIdea-ology purchase).  I tied a tiny bow 

from some pale pink ribbon I had in my stash and popped 

it onto the numerals with a glue dot.

The basic card was blue card-stock layered with Bo Bunny designer paper.

Ok, so what next.... well more cards I'm afraid:-

A couple of Baby’s first Christmas cards for a new Grandmother…. yes, I know it's a bit late but who am I to question! 

These little ones were born in late December and their proud Grandma wanted them to have (somewhat belated) 1st Xmas cards for their Memory Boxes… so I set to and these are the cards I made.

I embossed a bauble in white embossing powder and then added either pink or pale blue half pearls, a die cut snowflake which I glittered in white and a simple organza hand tied bow.

All that was needed then were a couple of boxes with a personalised belly-band to pop them in.

Next on the cards (pardon the pun) was a 60th Wedding Anniversary card for a member of my family.....

A couple more pictures.....

 The card base is 300gm white pearlescent card layered up with Centura pink pearlescent card on mirror board. French Guipure lace and wide white taffeta ribbon went across the top of the card. A single SU ribbon rose in the centre of the bow finished with a pearl.

The numerals were chipboard sprayed with glue 

and doused in glitter. The bells were up-cycled 

from another card with a tiny half pearl added to

Thank you so much for popping by.  There's still a little more for me to share with you but I'll save that for another day.  Hope you've enjoyed what I've shared this time and hope to see you again soon.

Bye for now and happy crafting.

Carol.x 

Decorated Nine Compartment Box

I  thought you might like to see the plywood box I decorated recently.... it's called a 9 compartment tea box and mine came from Kars. I've seen these plywood and paper mache boxes in numerous craft shops for awhile now and promised myself I'd have a go at decorating one. Well, I finally got round to it recently. So here it is.....  I'm going to use my box as a sewing box, hence the stamping designs and Steampunk dress-form. etc. The colours haven't come out too well on the photographs yet again but it's pastel blue, green and cream with a little brown distressing and Rub & Edge ( I think it's called that) at the edges of the box, the dress-form and cotton reels.

Here's the Tim Holtz dress-form in a little more detail.  Inked with Tim Holtz Distressed Ink then over stamped with script in brown.  The flower had the same treatment before rolling, shaping and glueing into place.  I embossed one of the hat pins but the other, the cream pearlescent leaf-shaped one, came from my stash, as did the little heart with the organza bow that I used to top off the lace.

A close up of the rose embellishment and hat pins.

Another embellishment I used for the top left-hand corner of the box was a couple of buttons and this gorgeous metal flower.  I used alcohol inks to give it a shabby chic look and popped a SU Antique brad into the centre with Glossy Accents.

The script in the background wasn't stamped directly onto the painted box but onto tissue paper and then glued into place. The paint was feathered over the edges of the tissue to soften them and blend them in. The safety pins and the other sewing images on the box were stamped directly onto the box itself.

This is a close up of the cotton reels.  These were inked with Distressed Inks and Rub & Edge before being wound with crotchet cotton which also got the distressed treatment. Again a couple of hat pins that were embossed to match the colour of my buttons.   The buttons themselves were a couple of plain white, flat plastic buttons that I triple embossed and stamped over to give them some texture. A little bit of lace finished off this bottom corner of the box lid

And finally this is a look inside the box.  The inside got the same paint treatment as the outside but without the stamping and tissue work.  I decided to line the bottom and lid with some pale blue/green K&C paper from my stash that I've had squirrelled away for some time now waiting for the right project to came along.  The colour match was perfect so out it came.  I added a little border to the base of the lid for interest.

I enjoyed making this box so much that I've decided to have another go.  It'll be the same 9 compartment box but as I'm going to make it as a card storage box it'll be with the inner compartments removed. I'll post the step by step details so you can have a go too.

Happy crafting.

Carol .  xx