Homes and Abodes

The new Spring 2014 issue of Altered Arts Magazine is available NOW and I am honored to be featured on the cover!!! For this issue focusing on Homes and Abodes I created this fun house from an altered box! I wanted to share with you some of the features : 

Embossed and shaped die cuts enhance the base of the box.

Foam blocks were carved and covered to emulate painted brick accents. 

Blocks were left raw and colored with chalk to give the impression of raw brick. Tiles were created with embossed brown paper sack!

This makes the perfect place to hide little treasures on a bookshelf! Check out the complete article in the current issue available HERE!

NOT ALL ALTERED BOOKS HAVE TO START AS "BOOKS"...

We are enjoying Altered Book Month. So many wonderful ideas and tutorials.  I hope you've been visited us!

I am showing a journal I made with sponsor products, back in September.  This is an empty book that is just a book.  Wonderfully empty pages inside!  Just waiting for something to be written on them.  But books like this don't have to stay plain.  Altering the cover is a fun way to make a plain book your own.

SUPPLIES:

• Kunst & Papier Journal
• 7 Gypsies Collage Tissue
• Prima Marketing Flowers and Ink
• Canvas Corp. Tag and Rope

Gather your supplies.....

Take out just one piece of the collage tissue.  The sheets are super big and there are a lot in the pack.  Get your gel medium and a paintbrush.  Paint a thin layer of gel medium on the journal and place the tissue on top.  You can also collage the tissue onto the cover.  Either way it's a fabulous look.

After it is dry, rub the ink all over the tissue.

The ink is a subtle way of brightening the journal up.  The collage tissue is called "Life" and I circled all the "Life" words on it.  I also circled a few other words.  I added some gauze to the lower center of the journal and a piece of rope.  Then I placed the canvas tag on top, some corrugated cardboard and a little tag.  I glued the other piece of rope to the back.  Some gauze and flowers on the left, and a few paperclips on the right were the finishing touches.  I use this as a handwriting journal.

So, is this an altered book. or is it just a decorated book?  Is it good the way it was or did you hear it asking for a make over too?  

Keep visiting us here on the blog.  There are lots more Altered Book posts to come!!

A Pattern for Love Journal Page

Good afternoon! leslierahye here to share with you this fun journal page entitled A Pattern for LOVE. I layered pattern paper from a vintage pattern onto my K & P Imports art journal. I layered colors onto my tissue papers and Pink Paislee  Tag with Rangers Dylusions Ink Spray and Tattered Angels Mist. With Prima's Raspberry Red Chalk Ink, I edged the tag and the page and then sprinkled with gold embossing powder and heat set. Next I adhered the tag and some tape onto the page. I finished the page by doodling and writing little quips that provide advice for love—such as Be Kind.

Products used in the creation of this journal page : 

Kunst & Papier Art Journal—K & P Imports

Designer Dries Clear—Art Glitter Adhesive
Color Wash Tags, Color Wash Stamps—Pink Paislee

Card stock—Bazzill Basics
24K Gold—Globecraft&Piccolo Embossing Powder
Color Brush Twin (Black)c
Mod Podge (Matte)—Plaid Enterprises

Glimmer Mist (Vintage Pink)—Tattered Angels

Dylusions Mist (White Linen, Funny Fuchsia, & Cherry Pie)—Ranger Industries
Chalk Inks (Raspberry Pie)—Prima Marketing Inc.
Tissue Tape, Pattern Tissue Paper

Thank you for stopping by! I hope you enjoyed my journal page!

ALTERED RAT TRAP

Altering rat traps is so fun!  It is a great piece to alter, for a very small investment.

I started by removing the metal from the wood base of the Rat Trap.   I sanded the wood and adhered text paper to it.  I used Ranger Industries "Perfect Pearls" to make a faux patina on the metal.  I attached the Rat Trap to a mini hanger from Melissa Frances.  The resin flower on the lower left and the clothes pins on the top right are from her too.  

Some other Ranger products I used are: Pins, A Bottle, Pen Nib, Baubles, Sprocket and Stamps.  The flowers and Inks are from Prima.

Canvas Corp. twine made the bow, and I used some of their burlap on my trap, too.  A miscellaneous key and gauze finished it up!

I would love to see your altered rat traps!  Just leave a link and I'll be sure to check it out!  If you've never altered a rat trap, give it a try!  They are a fun and inexpensive way to use up your scraps!

xxDaniella

Le Pot de Papillon

Good afternoon! leslierahye here with an altered coaster : Le Pot de Papillon—the butterfly jar! As an artist one of my favorite things to do is to upcycle cardboard--coasters from restaurants are perfect! Many are about the size of a fat book (4×4") and make wonderful substrates for small art. 

I covered this coaster with 2 layers of Kraft colored Tissue Stock from Canvas Corp using Nori Perfect Paste as my adhesive. I also used the Nori Perfect Paste to adhere the trimmed "La Fleur" mason jar from the Retro Cafe Art Gallery collage sheet. 

I created handmade flowers with the soft subtle Color Wash card stock from Pink Paislee and adhered them to the side of the jar image. I completed the composition by posing mini butterflies in the jar and upon a few flowers. Knotted Wood ink from Prima Marketing Inc. was edged around the coaster to darken the edge a bit.

Products used in the creation of this journal page : 

Vintage French Mason Jars—Retro Cafe Art Gallery

Designer Dries Clear—Art Glitter Adhesive

Nori Perfect Paste—Yasutomo
Color Wash cardstock—Pink Paislee
Tissue Stock 12×12 Kraft—Canvas Corp.
Chalk Ink, Knotted Wood—Prima Marketing, Inc.
dies (Mini Fanciful Flourish - B117S, Daisy Strip - B259, Flourish Leaf Strip - B178, Small Heart Lollipop Fringe Cutie - B391, Miniature Rose - B152, Sunflower - DL121, Tiny Flower Kit (Set of 3) - B376 Mini Butterflies w Angel Wings - D138)—Cheery Lynn Designs
coaster, sponge brush

Thank you for stopping by! I hope you enjoyed my altered coaster!

ATCs

Hello!  I'm so happy to be making my first post to the Altered Arts Magazine Blog!!

I made 2 ATCs today, using a paper napkin technique that I wrote an article about for Altered Arts Magazine.

I coated the ATCs with Matte Medium, and placed the napkin face down onto the medium.  The other 2 layers of napkin come off easy that way. Then go over the napkin with another layer of medium and you get a beautiful background!!  I sanded the edges of the ATC, and any loose napkin will come off here.  Then, I went around the outside of them with Prima "Wood" color ink.  I glued on a piece of corrugated cardboard, a distresses a piece of book paper and an inked bit of gauze.  Last was a single mini rose.  I wrapped it up in a nice piece of rope, and I tied it with a bow!

I really hope you enjoy our new blog, and visit us often!!  Tell your friends!  There are exciting things coming soon!  We love your comments!!

Have an awesome day!!

xxDaniella