Tri-Fold Notebook Holder -

Hello, Crafty Folks!

The diminutive trifold notebook wallets are wonderful RAK gifts.  I plan to make five or six more to give away during the month of April.   I created The G45 French Country wallet for myself!   The Prima wallet I plan to give the Prima to my daughter.

Graphic 45 French Country

Notebook paper was created using Photoshop.

Prima Nature Garden Collection

I really like how my little notebooks turned out!

Thanks for Stopping By!

Hugz,

Chana

Altered Eclectics - April Challenge

Hello, Crafty Peeps!

Welcome to another month of fun at Altered Eclectics!

As always the theme is anything goes but has to be altered/upcycled/recycled/mixed media. Cards and ATC's are not accepted on this blog but may fit in with our challenges over at Eclectic Ellapu (sister blog)

I am back with another altered bottle project.  I fell in love with the shape of this bottle.  It made me think of Greco-Roman Architectural design.  I tried to capture the essence of the patina that occurs over time and leaves little bits of gold and copper peeking through.   I also wanted to incorporate a nod to the great libraries and archives of those cultures, so I used a roller-graph to add text to the design.   Hope you like this one.  I hope you like them all!  HUGZ!

I found this fabulous cigar label in my ephemera stash. It was a perfect match for the Prima Vintage Trinket.  These two pieces really pulled the project together and completed the visual interest! 

I saw a great video on creating interesting crackle effect by mixing your brush strokes.  This technique works very well and creates very dramatic cracks in the project!

Try altering some bottles.  It is a very inexpensive way to create interesting conversation home decor pieces!  Let those creative juices flow!  See you next time!

Hugz,

Chana

The Red Book of Westmarch - First Attempt

Hello, Crafty Peeples!

I continue my foray into bookbinding.   The Hubster is a HUGE fan of the Hobbit and Lord of The Rings Series.  I recently came across a Long Stitch bookbinding tutorial for creating the Red Book of Westmarch.   I didn't have any red leather and was not inclined to spend that kind of money for a practice project so I decided to use the faux leather fabric that has been propped outside my studio door for exactly one year.

I am so glad I did not invest in red leather.  My first attempt at the long stitching did not go well.  I am posting it here so that I can mark my progress.  I now plan to make three of these books.  One for my hubby, one for my eldest grandson, and one for my son-in-law.   For the real projects, I will order the real leather.  I could not emboss on the faux leather and I really want to add the emblem and Bilbo Baggins initials.

I really don't like this frame.  It probably would have been nicer if I had made it thinner.  Hopefully, I will be able to emboss the books I am working on now.   

The Long Stitch allows you to sew your signatures directly to fabric (or paper,)  The Red Book in the film is Case Bound, but I liked the look of the book in the tutorial.  When properly executed (mine is not) The long stitch makes a beautiful spine.

The inside of the fabric I used is like a moleskin and I decided to leave it in its natural state but stained with Distress Ink

I also used distress ink to age the signature sheets.  I used water color paper to make these signatures.
By the way, my grandson saw this and really liked it, so I let him take it home.  Glad I took pictures.  At least now I know he will like the "real" Red Book of Westmarch once I have it completed.

Thanks for dropping by!
Hugz,
Chana

Portia's Poetry Book- Using Graphic 45's Typography

Hello, Crafty Peeps!

Times flies when you have poor eyes!  Hopefully, my surgeries will be scheduled within the next month and I will be able to return to crafting on a regular basis.  I have managed to complete a few book projects.  It is amazing how much I can get done, even with bad eyesight, when I stay off Facebook. 

My SIL loves to write poetry and while she types most of it on her computer, she still likes to write her initial ideas on paper.  I am still working on my bookbinding skills and jumped at the opportunity to make a poetry book as a birthday gift for her.

This is my second attempt using the buttonhole stitch.  

I was successful keeping my bottom stitches straight but not so much with the top stitches.  

 I used Photoshop to create the notebook paper for the signatures.  This book has 14 signatures and 4 Kraft Dividers.  Each divider holds one signature.

I created pockets on both sides of the cover (inside) for index cards.

Altered Eclectics - March Challenge - Cigar Box Upcycle

Hello, Crafters!

Welcome to another crafty month at Altered Eclectics!  

As always the theme is anything goes but has to be altered/upcycled/recycled/mixed media.  Cards and ATC's are not accepted on this blog but may fit in with our challenges over at Eclectic Ellapu (sister blog)

For this month's challenge, I wanted to repurpose/upcycle a beautiful black lacquered wood cigar box.  I have had this for almost four years and really wanted to leave the wood alone.  Repurposing this into a stationery box seemed the simplest and easiest path to take.  Every item used in this project came from my stash!  Another successful stash reduction!

BEFORE

AFTER

I have fallen completely in love with these little snap latches.  They are wonderful elevating elements on a CAS repurposing project! 

Inside Before

Inside After

I used Tattered Angels Plain Jane Baseboard "Bittersweet" and "Clay" Glimmer Mist to stain the wood.  The original wood color was too light for my paper palette so mixing two mist produced just the right tone for this project!  This finish has a deep rich luster and complements the black lacquered wood and burgundy and gold paint on the lip trim!

I used leftover papers from my Graphic 45® French Country Collection to decorate both the interior and exterior of my box.  The lip trim was painted using Earth Safe Finishes® Razzleberry Tart Chalk Paint!  The gold trim is Rub N' Buff "Gold Leaf" Metallic wax!

Thanks for stopping by!

Hugz,

Chana

Blast From The Past - 7 Gypsies American Vintage Collection

Hello, Crafty Peeps!

My quest to use papers from my stash goes on!   A couple of years back, 7 Gypsies® came out with their American Vintage Collection™. The Company sent sample packages to Crew members and I have used the papers sparingly,  mostly to enhance other "Postale" projects. 

Recently, I saw a project that would allow me to use practically the entire collection in one small design.  

This project is based on a design by Alexandra M.  Credit where credit is due!  The link to her tutorial is at the end of this post!

On The Road Again - Mini Stamp Album

I used papers from the 7 Gypsies® Postale Collection to cover the exterior of my project!  The exterior of the mini stamp album and the interior of the box are covered with "map" paper.

The exterior of the mini stamp album and the interior of the box are covered with "map" paper from the Collection. The "Ring Pull" on the front makes it easier to remove the album from its box!  I added a simple brad to make the hardware more interesting. 

I had fun creating different stamp layouts for each page.

The "Stamps Page" in the American Vintage Collection has a nice selection of stamps so each page can be unique.  I followed the tutorial and created 7 pages but you can create fewer if you desire.

I created pockets on some of my backing pages to hold additional ephemera.  I used gold paper clips to add interest.  I used Ephemera from the 7 Gypsies® Mini Ephemera, GYPSY Ephemera.

One of my many new "crafting loves" is using hardware embellishments on my constructed/engineered projects.  I am always amazed at how these simple additions can elevate design.  I was ecstatic to find the little snap closers for the front of my box. The handle on the top is by Prima® "Frank Garcia™Memory Hardware Collection.

I was also fortunate to find these really inexpensive small hinges.  I had larger ones that really detracted from the project aesthetics. Hardware gives the project a clean, professional look, IMHO.

Here is a link to the Tutorial by Alexandra M!

The tutorial is for creating the Mini Album!

Challenges:

The Sisterhood of Crafters - Travel related projects

Hugz,

Chana

A Book Of Spells

Hello, Crafty Peeps!

2017 is my year of creative exploration!  So far, I have found two new loves: Gelli Printing and Bookbinding.  A few years ago, I created a small book using Graphic 45's® A Ladies' Diary Collection and wanted to explore bookbinding in more depth.   This is my first effort and I was pretty pleased with the outcome.  I have started a new book and, hopefully,  my techniques have improved 

A STEAMPUNK JOURNAL

I used the Graphic 45® Collections: 

Steampunk Debutant and Steampunk Spells.

The book is composed of 14 signatures and 4 Dividers.  There are two signatures before and after each divider and one signature inside each divider.  

I use these beads sparingly but thought they were perfect for this book.  I wanted to cover the strings from the binding in a fun way.

I added extra stitches across the bottom to draw my strings together because I did not want to put beads on the bottom.

The front and back inside flaps are convenient for tags and other miscellaneous materials.  

I plan to embellish the pages in my journal as I use them!

DIVIDERS

Here are some shots of my dividers and how I used the G45® papers to decorate them.

Tutorials:
Buttonhole Stitch: Sea Lemon
Hardcover: Alexandra M.

Thanks for stopping by! 

HUGZ,

CHANA MALKAH