Gothic Arches Challenge

Marie Antoinette is this week's theme at the Gothic Arches Challenge blog. My arch is a collage of an image and text scraps from Digital Collage Sheets and a stamped motif from the Marie Antoinette set from Oxford Impressions.

Tag Tuesday

This week at Tag Tuesday the challenge is to use the colors red and green on your tag, but not make it a Christmas theme. Here is mine for this week with a summery flower theme. My poppies are colored with red and green watercolor pencils and I added some text stamping in green down the right side and on a torn muslin stip tied to the top. Stamps: Hero Arts, Stampington & Co., Paperbag Studios.

Compendium of Curiosities Challenge #7

The technique this week at Linda's Compendium of Curiosities Challenge is Tinted Vision Fragments. When I first got my book, I remembered looking at this technique and didn't think I'd like it, but I was pleasantly surprised. The edges of the fragment are reminiscent of old silver mirrors where the paint is peeling and curling back. It really does give an interesting look. I created a collage with various paper scraps from Oxford Impressions, Paper Whimsy, and Green Paper and the image in the fragment is from Digital Collage Sheets.

Color Challenge at Gingersnap Creations

This is a gate-fold card using the colors yellow, orange, and red that are the Color Challenge this month at Gingersnap Creations. I was inspired by a recent Stampers' Sampler article
where there was a resist technique shown using inked text paper that was then clear embossed, then inked with more brown ink to make the resist stand out. I always love clear embossed resist techniques, but usually do them with white or ivory paper, so this was a fun variation to try. I used all Glimmer Mists in my piece: Lemon Zest, Oriental Poppy, Candy Apple Red, Lilly Pad - I know that's not yellow, orange or red, but my card looked funny without the green leaves!, and Tattered Leather as the brown overspray after clear embossing the flowers.

This is how the piece of watercolour paper looked with just the Glimmer Mist stripes before clear embossing the flowers. (I masked the edges with tape to create a block of color.)

And here's another view of the card with the opened gate-fold.

Stamps used are from Oxford Impressions and Stampers Anonymous. The challenge is open until Aug. 22 so you have plenty of time to submit your piece!

And the winner is......

Thank you so much for all the comments that were left about my piano hinge book! I put all the names into a basket and had my husband draw a winner .........

and

the

winner

is..........................

Congratulations Annette! I'll contact you about sending the book to you!!!!

Compendium of Curosities #6

It's week #6 of the Compendium of Curiosities challenge, and the technique is Multi Medium Collage. I have to admit that Claudine Hellmuth's Multi Medium is one of my favorite supplies - I have used up several jars of it! It's great for transfers, as a sealant, and here as a collage glue. My letters are adhered onto a Glimmer Misted white embossed piece of cardstock that I stamped with a favorite flourish stamp from Stampers Anonymous.

Sunshine Acrylic Banner

This is a banner that I made from a piece of clear acrylic celebrating summer. I wanted something that was going to be representative of a bright, CLEAR summer day - hence the acrylic :-) - and it had to be sunshine yellow - so I used sparkly Glimmer Mists in Lemon Zest, Yellow Daisy and Golden Terracotta, and for extra sparkle I added rhinestones. The image is a photo stamp from Oxford Impressions with the flowers colored by painting with Glimmer Mist and I also distressed the edges - maybe I should have wrinkled it a bit, too - you know too much time spent in the sun causes wrinkles! I added swirls in white StazOn onto the acrylic, swirls as sunbeams and an embossing powder resist of swirls with the Glimmer Misted torn background piece. Be sure to check out other pieces for the Gingersnap Creations Random Redhead Challenge where the theme is "Sunshine" and submit a piece for the challenge! Stamp credits: Oxford Impressions, Hero Arts, Stampers Anonymous, Artistic Outpost and Autumn Leaves.

My fabric covered altered journal

I have finished the basic construction of my fabric journal from Carole's online class. I love the vintage shabby look of it. I used some of my scraps of fabric from various projects - there's a piece from an old slipcover I made for a couch, and a tapestry piece that's one of my favorites -it was used in the bridesmaid dresses in my wedding 15yrs ago. I still have lots more I can do with the inner pages, but I did make some tags stamped with french dictionary stamps from Stampington, and sewed lace and a zig zag stitch onto them for several of the pages. Here are several of the inside pages.

My pages are tea dyed watercolor paper stamped in areas with a Stampers Anonymous scroll stamp. This page has a beautiful napkin I received from Marie at Lost Bird Studios adhered to it.

This page also shows stamped muslin bits and I found it fun to use pages of differing sizes.

As it happens, stitching is the theme this week at the Lots To Do Challenge - I think my cover qualifies!

Piano Hinge Book Tutorial and a GIVEAWAY!!!!!!

One of my favorite books to make is this piano hinge type which is made with two ceramic tiles for the covers. If you’ve arrived here from Gingersnap Creations, read on to see how to make the book. If you’ve arrived from elsewhere, the first part of this tutorial where I show you how to make the tiles for the covers can be found at the post HERE on Gingersnap Creations. Supplies you’ll need include two ceramic tiles, cardstock for the pages, 5 bamboo skewers, waxed linen thread, a pencil, scissors, a bone folder, wire cutters, liquid glue like Scotch Quick-Dry Adhesive, heavy liquid glue like the Ultimate, and a glue stick like UHU.

For the book covers you’ll need to make 2 tiles. You can make them both the same or just alcohol ink the back tile to coordinate with the front and don’t add stamping. I would recommend that you add a piece of tissue paper to the back tile regardless of whether you choose to stamp it or not. As discussed in the first tutorial, the tissue paper can change the ink color just a bit, so by adding it to both covers they’ll match.

My tiles are 4 1/4" square and I’ve made a template for that size that you can download and print out on cardstock to use. Click HERE for the pdf. It’s easy to create a template for any size tile. The height needs to be the same as your tile, and for the width, take the size of your tile, double it, and add ½". For my tiles that means my page size is 4 1/4" x 9". You will need to cut 4 pages this size. Next make a spine template. Mine is 4 1/4" x 1 1/2" and I folded it in half and then scored lines 1/4" on either side of the center line. I then divided it into 5 sections each of about 3/4" to 7/8" and cut a V notch at each mark. The point of the V touches the 1/4" score line. (If this is confusing, it will all make sense when you look at the downloadable template and cut out the spine template.) To create a spine template for any size tile just divide it into equal sections (or as close as you can get them - you'll notice mine aren't exactly even) so that you will have an odd number of tabs and an even number of V notches.

Score all 4 pages at 4 1/4", 4 ½", and 4 3/4". (Basically, score at the middle and 1/4" on either side of the middle.) Fold each page in half.

Place your spine template over each page and mark the notches with a pencil. Cut out all the notches making sure that the point of each V reaches the 1/4" score line.

As shown in the picture, fold each tab in, then make each page have tabs 1,3 and 5 out, while tabs 2 and 4 remain folded in. By folding all the tab hinges in and then out, it makes it easier to weave the bamboo skewers. Stack the 4 pages together so that they all match.

Now for weaving the piano hinge with the bamboo skewers! Hold the pages together as in the picture. I’m right handed, so I’ll be placing the skewer from the right to the left, and I’ll number the tabs 1, 3 and 5 from right to left. For page 1, place the skewer through tabs 1 and 5.

With the second skewer, place it through tab 1 of the second page, then tab 3 of the first page, and finally tab 5 of the second page. This locks the two pages together.

Continue weaving the sticks in the same pattern until all pages are attached. The fifth skewer goes through only tab 3 of the fourth page.

Next you’ll need to cut off the pointy ends of the skewers. I find that it’s much easier to weave the skewers when they have pointy ends, so I cut mine off after weaving. You do need to be careful when cutting - the ends can fly! Adjust the skewers so the non-pointy ends extend about 3/4" - 1" beyond the pages. Place a pencil mark on the other ends also about 3/4" - 1" from the pages and cut off the excess.

To hold the skewers in place, I use waxed linen thread. Hold a 2-3" tail piece with your left thumb against the pages and starting from the second or third skewer from the left, wrap it under and over back and forth until you have at least 3 rows. Tie the thread in a double knot and cut the ends leaving them long for now. Repeat for the other side.

At this point I like to glue together the six inner pages using a glue stick giving me three sturdier pages - I like to create lumpy pages! Mark an X on the outside of the first and last pages so that you don’t glue them to each other - I am speaking from experience here! You certainly can choose to skip this step giving your book more pages.

Using liquid glue, add it over the top of the woven waxed linen thread including the knot. Set aside to dry. If you’ve glued your pages together, it’s helpful to place a heavy book on your pages while all the glue dries. Set aside to dry.

Once your inside pages are dry, clip the excess thread close to the knot and now you’re ready to attach the tile covers. Use a heavy thick glue and spread it out evenly onto the back of the tile.

Place your front cover tile in the direction you want your image (always double check - it’s easy to put things upside down!!) and lay your page down onto the tile with the X marked side down.

Press the page into the glued tile well - especially near the spine.

Flip the book over and again press firmly against the spine. Attach the back cover the same way, then place it under a heavy book while the glue dries and your book is done!

As you can see, I have made many of these books - I love the weight of them in my hand and the sound the ceramic tiles make when they close against each other! I hope you’ll try making one, and I would love to see pictures of books that you make - post a picture on your blog and let me know about it. So how about a GIVEAWAY!!!!!!!! How would you like to win the book I made as the tutorial sample? Leave a comment on this post making sure I have a way to contact you either by a link to your blog or an email address and I’ll pick a winner in a random draw next week on Saturday July 24th. Good luck :-)

Tutorial Teaser

I absolutely love to make these piano hinge mini books using ceramic tiles for the covers! If you'd like to learn how to make the stamped and inked tiles, check out my tutorial at the Gingersnap Creations blog HERE, and be sure to visit me again tomorrow and I'll have a tutorial here about how to make the book as well as a GIVEAWAY! Maybe you'll be interested.......hope to see you tomorrow!

Compendium of Curiosities #5

Here's a tag using Distress Embossing Powder for this week's Compendium of Curiosities Challenge. Stamps used are from Donna Downey @ Unity Stamps, Hero Arts and Purple Onion Designs.

Tag Tuesday - Hearts

This is my tag for this week's Tag Tuesday Challenge where the theme is hearts. I created the red paper using an acrylic paint wash over a stamped image on music paper using Ranger's watermark resist pad. In order for it to work, you first need to seal the paper with matte multi medium to make it non-porous. This great technique from Claudine Hellmuth is so much fun to play with! Stamps used are from Stamp Camp and Stampabilities.

Gingersnap Creations - markers challenge

This is a card I made for the Spicy Supply Challenge at Gingersnap Creations where the theme is "Markers". I created a background using the Double-Bug Technique from Technique Junkies. Using a piece of Ten Seconds Studio's colored metal in Dijon, first run the metal piece through the Cuttlebug embossing folder, sand the embossed areas to reveal the silver metal, then run the piece through the Cuttlebug again with the piece underneath the embossing folder to flatten it. For the "double" step, run the metal through using a different embossing folder. I sanded the embossed areas again and colored the flowers and leaves with Sharpie markers. I got a bit carried away with this technique - you can create some really fun combinations! I thought I'd share some variations I tried.

I hope you're inspired to pull out your markers and why not create something for the marker challenge? You can post a link to your project on the GC blog challenge post HERE.

Compendium of Curiosities Challenge #4

This week's technique for the Compendium of Curiosities Challenge is Shabby Chic. My version of it is on the chipboard background that I cut using one of the Tim Holtz edge dies. I added a simple collage with a favorite Paper Whimsy image. Background Stamp - Hero Arts.

Summer Heat

It has been SO HOT here! My thermometer measured 95 on Monday - ugh! I'm much more of a cool weather girl, but was inspired by all the heat to make this piece that I suppose is more about cooling off than it is about heat! The piece is all on metal, two pieces actually. First I stamped the Melanie Sage stamp of 2 vintage bathers onto aluminum with StazOn and embossed a frame free hand with a stylus. This is adhered to a second piece of aluminum that I stamped a swirl stamp (Purple Onion Designs) onto the back and used that as a template to emboss with my stylus. A fun way to get another use from a stamp. I covered that piece with alcohol inks in Pool and Sailboat Blue (appropriate summer colors, don't you think?) and sanded off the embossing to reveal the silvery aluminum. The right edge is a border stamp by Technique Tuesday that I stamped using Ranger's Jet Black Archival instead of StazOn and found it to be just as permanent on the metal. If you're inspired by the heat, why not make a piece and submit it to the Chestnut Theme challenge at Gingersnap Creations HERE.

Now I can show you the entire card for the tutorial at Gingersnap Creations! What do you think? The basics of the card are to stamp and mask images, then add Glimmer Mist to create your background and heat dry. Then use more Glimmer Mist and "paint" with it onto the images you previously stamped and masked. The images that you paint with glimmer mist puff just slightly because of all the water - a really cool effect. The 2nd card shows a variation where I stamped a flourish with Versamark, heat embossed with clear embossing powder, then sprayed the background with Glimmer Mist to create a resist. If you'd like to see the full tutorial, you can find it HERE.

Tag Tuesday - Summer

This is my summer themed tag for this week's challenge at Tag Tuesday. I experimented with a technique I read about on the Tattered Angels educator's blog where you spray Glimmer Mist onto glossy paper, sprinkle kosher salt on it and let it air dry. It does take awhile to dry - I think the instructions recommended overnight - and it creates interesting mottled patterns and a little bit of texture in spots. Stamp is from The Queen's Dresser Drawers.

Compendium of Curiosities Challenge #3

For this week's Compendium of Curiosities challenge we were to utilize alcohol ink monoprinting. This technique created a nice blended background, and I overstamped it with an Oxford Impressions stamp from the Bird's Nest set then mounted it over a vintage french dictionary scrap and created a frame with a Hampton Art border stamp.

Even more exciting news!

I get to be the July Muse at the Gingersnap Creations blog! I'm thrilled to be asked and will have two tutorials posted this month - I'll be sure to let you know when they are posted so you check it out and let me know what you think. Here's a teaser photo I took of my project - are you intrigued?

The Gingersnap Creations blog is such a fantastic blog with so many talented people participating and sharing really inspiring work. I'm really looking forward to this! Hey, do I become an honorary red-head for the month? I've always wished for that...the best I can do is some coppery highlights in the sun!

So excited!

I wanted to share these photos of projects I had submitted to Stampington & Co. that were chosen to be in a digital magazine they have available to their Facebook fans. I was so excited when they asked if they could use my star book and acetate cards in their publication! I have not explored Facebook, but actually got my husband (who does use it) to become a Stampington fan so that I could see the digital magazine - what a guy! My book, which is one of my favorite type of shaped constructions, has backgrounds of stamped and Glimmer Misted crinkled tissue paper, then I stamped on copper flashing and added either a whole image or punched hearts to a page.


These 2 cards use some of the beautiful Le Beau Monde stamps from Oxford Impressions, more of my crinkled tissue paper backgrounds, and white StazOn stamped acetate.