Letters Home--a closer look

Did you see the Letters Home book in the Spring 2014 issue of Altered Arts Magazine?  It was the first time I've made this type of altered book;  it was a little different for me.

It's a book with a niche full up of simply bound tiny books, and as the piece is entitled "Letters Home," all of the enclosed booklets contain images and proverbs or sayings pertaining to home.  Here is a closer look at some of the booklets:

nest and crown stamp from Something Tattered

Each of the enclosed booklets has tags/charms/found items attached at the outer spine.

collage images by Retro Cafe Art and ARTchix, LOVE stamp Pink Paislee

arrow by Something Tattered, heart & happy by Lawn Fawn

background stamps Something Tattered, collage image ARTchix

Been working on my lettering--can you tell??
Happy Thursday, everyone!
:)trisha

Somewhere In Time

Cyndi Duncan here.  I just wanted to let everyone know that I will be teaching classes at Artiscape Artist's retreat March 6-9th.  This wonderful event is held in Columbus, Ohio.  I have been participating in it for many years and can tell you that it is top-notch.  People travel from all over the country to attend.

Ever the perfectionist, I spent time the last couple of weekends making additional samples for my classes (I know - I'm crazy!).  Below are additional samples for my "Somewhere In Time Necklace" class.

 This image shows the raised detail on the front cover.   The inside images are from ARTchix Studio.  The cover image is from another company whose name I cannot recall.  I just recently switched computers and I know I have the name saved on the old one.  When I can, I'll let you know where it is from as they have wonderful collage images.

Altered Birch Magnets

The moment I spotted these birch discs at Michael's, I knew they would be perfect for altered magnets. Add in a collage sheet from ARTchix Studio, and you have a quick and easy project to spruce up your memo board!

Here are the birch discs before altering. So many possibilities! I think these would be sweet for pendants or charms too. I love the little squiggly bits of bark, so I left those, but you can easily snip them off for a cleaner look.

To create some magnets for yourself or a friend you just need a few basic supplies:
*Collage Images - "Lovely Lenses" ARTchix Studio
*Birch Discs
*Sharp Detail Scissors {Or a circle punch if you prefer}
*Gel Medium or Decoupage Medium {I used Liquitex Matte Medium, but any kind will work
*Inexpensive Paint Brush
*Embellishments {rhinestones, beads, buttons, etc.}
*Tacky Glue - "The Ultimate" - Crafter's Pick

Follow these steps to create the magnets:

*Begin by selecting the collage images you want to use for the magnets.
*Cut or punch out the images to fit on the birch discs.
*Use gel medium to glue the image to the disc and add a coat to the top to seal.
*Add embellishments with tacky glue.
*Add a self-adhesive magnet to the back of the disc.

Some fun alternatives for the collage images would be monograms, buttons or other embellishments, found objects...the list is endless! I hope you enjoyed the tutorial and have fun making your own magnets!

Kimberly

a transfer image pendant

So I've been playing with transfer images again, which is always a good
time, and finished off a bamboo tile pendant piece to show you today:

Collage images from  ARTchix Studio

It's very small, less than one inch across, with a double transfer of the
woman over a background (it's a glossy finish, thus the shine).  Please
tell me you think that background looks like cherry blossoms . . .

:)trisha