Cardboard Shamrock Art Journal

Hello everyone, Cyndi here.  It is my turn to be the guest blogger.  I thought I would share with you today a cardboard shamrock journal that I created. I have just finished the "bones" of the project, but I'm sure you can see what a great start it would be for a fun, holiday-themed art journal.

This art journal is a great way to recycle cardboard boxes you may have laying around the house.  I also adore the texture that can be achieved when you cut away the top layer of the cardboard.  There are a LOT of artsy possibilities here.

You can leave the pages brown and decorate with ink sprays, stamps, etc.  You can also paint the pages as I have here, or add decorative paper or fabric. We would love to see your versions of the project.  You can share your efforts on our Facebook page.

You can see more of this journal, along with a tutorial at: Still Life With Stilettos. 

Matchbox Love

Happy Wednesday everyone! leslierahye here sharing with you an altered match box that I recently created. The theme is love. 

 One section of the inside has a lock and key on a red and lace background. Another section contains a note in a bottle, with a rose and a piece of a romance novel. The final section contains wooden word blocks spelling out the word love. 

The cover has bits from the novel, a bit of stamping and some feathers, beads, glitter and bakers twine. a picture hanger functions as a pull for the box with a heart charm dangling from some twine.

I hope you enjoyed my project! Thank you for stopping by!

an Alice In Wonderland altered book

What creative things are you working on this fall?  I've been adding layouts to an Alice In Wonderland altered book, and it's been a delight.  If you visit my blog, you've probably seen some of the progress.

If you'd like to alter a book of your own, be sure to check out Kimberly's Altered Books 101 post here at the Altered Arts Magazine blog for some great helpful hints.

Wishing you a wonderful November, everyone!
:)trisha

Vintage Flashcard Dos-à-Dos Sketchbook

Ever since I found a stash of jumbo vintage flashcards I've been thinking about various ways to use them for handmade books. With a generous length of 3.5" x 10.25" they proved to be ideal for a double-sided mini sketchbook!  It includes a mix of papers for jotting down notes and journaling, and watercolor paper for sketching, painting, or collage.

To make a Dos-à-dos book of your own you will need a few simple materials:

• Vintage Flashcard {or cardstock or heavyweight paper}
• Bone Folder or other Scoring Tool
• Scissors
• Decorative Tape or Masking Tape
• Awl or piercing tool
• Tapestry Needle with a large eye
• Ribbon or other binding thread
• A variety of paper including watercolor paper

Here's how to make the sketchbook:

• Score the flashcard into thirds and fold.
• Wrap tape around the spine to reinforce and embellish it.
• Measure the paper for each side of the book. The paper should be the same height and 2X the width of each section. Fold the paper and stack 3 pieces together for each signature.
• Pierce each section of the flashcard and the signature for in the center to create holes for stitching.
• Thread the ribbon through the hole, wrap it around the spine, then go back through the same hole and tie a knot. Start on the outside of the cover and leave a long tail to wrap around the book as a closure.
• Start on the inside of the second signature, wrap the ribbon around the spine, bring through the hole and tie a square knot. Snip off any excess ribbon.

An aerial view of the sketchbook shows both sides, one with watercolor paper, and the other with a mix of vintage book paper, handmade paper, a tag, and an old slide. The beauty of this type of book is that it can be made in a variety of sizes with an endless array of papers and binding threads or ribbons! Dos-à-dos is a French term meaning "back to back" and traditionally includes two separate books that are bound together, but this is my nod to that type of binding.

Here's the sketchbook all closed up with the ribbon and a sparkly clip-on earring to hold it in place. I already started embellishing the book with some vintage stamps from my stash, and some text and images from a book about birds. This will be a fun little book to tuck into my tote bag for sketching and collaging on the go! If you don't have flashcards this large, you can substitute any heavyweight cardstock or paper in the size you choose. I hope you'll enjoy making your own!
Until next time - make art...be happy!
Kimberly

A FUN TAG

Tags are so fun to make!  A little bigger than an ATC, but smaller than a canvas.  

This tag uses products from Susan K. Weckesser, Canvas Corp.  Core'dinations Cardstock, Tattered Angels, and Ranger Ink.

First, I take out all the supplies I might use.  

I went way old school and dry embossed this chain design into the paper with a stylus and a foam mat.  Then I turned the paper over and sanded the design with sandpaper

I then splattered some Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist on the corners.

I made the tag from Susan K. Weckesser's Live In Color Paper Collection, then I used a piece of book paper on top.  I added my embossed paper to the bottom.  I inked the edges of the whole tag with Ranger Distress Ink.  I stamped the heart and the word love right on the book paper and outlined the heart with dots.

I finished my tag off with some Cord and Clothespins from Canvas Corp.

I had such fun making this tag!  I hope you create a fun tag today!!

xxDaniella

Every little thing wants to be loved.

Hi everyone! leslierahye here with a recent Altered Trading Card Swap. ATCs are meant to be traded among artists and that's why they are so fun to make. This little 2½×3½" work of art will be shared with other artists making ATCs along the same theme--this theme was Bees. They also will make a run of cards on this theme and our hostess will sort out the lot and send them to each of us. It's always fun to get back the cards and see everyone's artwork!
I chose to use this quote from The Secret Life of Bees for my ATC. This is part of the Bee Yard Etiquette and while assembling them I became inspired to do a series of Bee ATCs--I will share those with you at a later date!

“I hadn't been out to the hives before, so to start off she gave me a lesson in what she called 'bee yard etiquette'. She reminded me that the world was really one bee yard, and the same rules work fine in both places. Don't be afraid, as no life-loving bee wants to sting you. Still, don't be an idiot; wear long sleeves and pants. Don't swat. Don't even think about swatting. If you feel angry, whistle. Anger agitates while whistling melts a bee's temper. Act like you know what you're doing, even if you don't. Above all, send the bees love. Every little thing wants to be loved.” 

― Sue Monk Kidd, The Secret Life of Bees

Thank you for stopping by!

Feather Studies

I love to explore a wide variety of art media and processes. From altered arts to bookmaking, collage, encaustic art, embroidery, textile art, origami, mixed-media - you name it, I've probably given it a whirl! No matter where my artful adventures may lead me however, I've discovered that a few motifs nearly always make their appearance in my work. Feathers are definitely one of my favorite elements to include! Their delicate beauty, graceful lines, and colorful variety make them a favorite detail for collage or mixed-media art.

I created the handmade sketchbook shown here as a special place to gather my favorite feather images, so that I can practice drawing and painting them. The book includes a variety of pockets, papers, and tags, that allow to me experiment with sketching and painting while documenting the various pens, pencils, markers, or paints that I use. It's a fun reference tool that I can refer to again and again!

For my Feather Studies book, I printed out some beautiful images from The Graphics Fairy to serve as inspiration. Her website has 1,000s of images that are copyright free, and cover a huge variety of topics. Do you have a favorite motif that runs throughout your artwork? If so, I would love to hear about it! You  might find it useful to dedicate a sketchbook that you purchase, or one you make yourself to that favorite element and use it to document your artful adventures.
Until next time: Make art...be happy!
Kimberly