Recycled Oversprays ...

... turned into journals! The last guest tutorial over at Wanderlust was by Joanna Grant who had some great ideas about recycling various types of paper and card. So much inspiration that I just had to dive into my collection of A3 papers which I have used for a long time now as backing sheets when I use various sprays (mainly Glimmermist, because I can't resist those sparkly colours!) I just keep turning them around and catching more overspray. It doesn't matter what colours I'm using. Often these waste papers look better than whatever I was actually making :) Anyway, I finally got to put them to good use, along with a collection of smaller "shaving cream" backgrounds which were all experimental at the time and naturally, I just filed them away, with no purpose in mind.

Anyway, here's a few lot of pics ...  enjoy ...

That's the larger journal above. The pages keep folding out, getting smaller as you go.
There's about 22 pages in all.

The little journal (above) started out with the intention of being an accordion-fold booklet, but I just had to put a cover on it, didn't I? The closure is made from lingerie elastic, in case you wondered :)  And the pages are connected using ...

... washi tape, (Scotch) tape, and a "silk" tape 

(from the first aid section of the el cheapo shop!)

Ice cool shades for a hot summer

I finished one of those projects that I mentioned the other day. It is a handmade book, repurposed from the box of shortbread, a Christmas present from my neighbour. Cool, eh?

 

Here's what I did ...

 

First open out the box carefully

 

Fold all those edges over and glue in place.

This is where you will need your "special craft pegs"

not those grubby ones on the clothesline :)

 Paint a couple of layers of gesso all over (the right side).

Now I've stamped that pretty bird stamp from Rubber Dance Art Stamps on some tissue paper. (The tissue paper is actually blue. I don't know why it looks white?)

 

 

Just keep adding the tissue til it's all nicely covered ...

 

Then I made some papers to cover the inside cover.

I think the picture explains what I did ...

Here's the inside. I made three signatures of three sheets each.

Oh, and the front (see top pic), has been embellished with silver (card) die cuts

 and some tiny, tiny bling.

 

Now, I am reasonably happy with this little creation,
so I think I will enter it in these challenges:

 

 

http://rubberdance.blogspot.no/2015/01/january-colour-challenge-frosty-blues.html

and here also

http://ourcreativecorner6.blogspot.co.at/2015/01/christmas-leftovers.html 

 

 

Bird Book has flown in

You remember I was making multiple pages,

for a collaborative book swap just a few weeks ago?

See this post for the details.

The finished book has returned and I thought you might like to see some of the other pages,
 in no particular order ...

 

and here is the cover ...

 

 

WOYWW production line art and more happy mail

Here's an "overview" of the latest project which I mentioned last week. It's a collaborative book swap, subject "birds" (see below), and I have set up a production muddle line which I'm sure would horrify any real "time and motion" expert! Here 'tis ...

A picture is still worth a thousand (well at least a hundred) words,

so I won't bore you with the details, I think it's self explanatory  (see below).

If the above is of little interest maybe you would like to see some more happy mail, courtesy of Julia's 4th Anniversary celebration of WOYWW.

"Time Flies" from Annette and on the right two ATCs and a pretty card from RosC.
 Still expecting a couple more ATCs. You will see them when they arrive.

Notes: "birds" would not be my choice because I'm not partial to them fluttering around and invading my personal space, although I don't mind the odd Kookaburra sitting sedately on my clothesline, as they often do!
And if you are even remotely interested in how I have made anything, techniques, products, etc, please feel free to ask for more details.

OK, must dash and see what's happening on other desks.

WOYWW steady as she goes

Just pottering around ...

(not Harry Pottering ... although I wish I had his magic wand for tidying up with!)

As you can see, I'm still playing with those little handmade books.

There is more work to be done here ... and you can see some more "scrap" :) paper waiting to be turned into another "volume".

 

There's a couple of stamps which I have hand carved waiting to find their way onto a page or two. And there is my new revolving pen, pencil, handy utensil storage!

Thanks for the idea RosC.

 

Now, if you have been living in a parallel universe, or in a cave, and you have no idea why I am showing you my wonderful workspace, you had best go and visit Julia.

WOYWW just pottering around

Greetings on this fine Wednesday! 

"What's on Your Workdesk Wednesday" comes to you
courtesy of Julia at the Stamping Ground.

As you can see ... 

... there's not really much happening at all ... just playing with that little book (centre bottom) that I showed you last week and just above it there's another one I made from paper which was originally used to catch the overspray from Glimmermist. (Far too interesting to discard.) 

The el cheapo kiddy paints I rescued (from being thrown out). They might be OK for something.

A tassel stamp which I spied in a discount bin at the shops. 

(I've wanted a tassel stamp for ages, so that was a good buy!)

The little canvas at the top of the pic which I've shown you before. I got it out  for "show and tell" when a friend dropped in and now I think I should find a wall for it instead of just stashing it away again. 

Well, the internet has already crashed once today, so maybe I will catch you later? Who knows?

WOYWW lucky last

My first post for 2013 just fizzled out when blogger wouldn't play nice on Wednesday.

So, if you are still trawling desks, maybe you will stumble across mine.

You can see a small handmade book, using sketch pad paper, distress stains and washi tape. It was really just an excuse to get the hang of the "five hole pamphlet stitch" which, in fact, turned out to be pretty simple.

I'm late, so let's just leave it there for now, 

and I will pop over and visit Julia at the Stamping Ground.