Altered Book - the story so far

It's time to show the story so far of my first altered book - I'm following a fab online class run by WOYWW's Elizabeth (and Bleubeard) which has encouraged me to take up my book, cutting blade and glue.... here we go! (the link takes you to the current lesson but you can navigate back from there)

I love books and it was really hard the first time I "allowed" myself to tear a page out of a book - and so this is the first time I have ever tried altering one...

 This was measuring for the niche... decided to use a Stanley knife as I couldn't find any spare blades for my craft knife...

This is the niche drying after I'd glued it's edges - the shot you saw in WOYWW yesterday.  Lots of you commented on the spring clamps - I didn't want to spend a fortune and as the bulldog clips I used for the outer edges of the book were no good for the niche, I found a pack of 4 in my local Poundland store's "DIY" section.  I was quite impressed with them, considering they were so cheap... should have got more than one pack though, but the glue (matte medium) worked well and stuck fast!

 Then last night I stated painting the covers - not re-reading Elizabeth's lesson guide till today I painted over it even though it's kind of cloth covered - the book is one of my late Dad's old (very old) crime thrillers - but the paint worked ok and I am sure I can decorate it somehow later... when we get to that lesson! 


Tonight I read that Elizabeth recommends using a foam brush for this... oh well!

And the inside front cover... I was going for a "time" theme but all my clock or time related papers were the wrong size, so I went for this from Tim Holtz's Shabby Chic paperstack, so maybe I'll change my theme - or not have a set theme (which will help, as I haven't collected much in the way of "stuff" to put in the book yet....)

And the back - another piece of paper behind the niche, and the niche glued down...
(the scissors are just to hold the pages down whilst I take the photo..)

Off to link this with Elizabeth now, and then it's the final part of the Masterchef final so I'm putting my feet up!

WOYWW 145 - 14th March

Hi all and thanks for your visits last week.  Hope this finds you well and crafty. It's Tuesday night as I write, as always and I am watching Liverpool play Everton (local rivals for the non-footie fans among you) so my attention is wavering from this...

Here's what's happening chez H this week...

my altered book drying earlier this week...not had time to do any more to it, so not linked it with Elizabeth yet!

 a little bit of stash - well, the Stamp Attic was 14 and there was free P&P for the day so I had to... and I was running out of tags, and cut'n'dry....so the only indulgence was the "chitchat" stickers... that's my excuse!

and some plaid backgrounds for the Grungy Monday this week (see yesterday's post for the finished piece!) now I have spares too...

So in case you wonder why I am showing this weird collection of photos, check out Jula's Stamping Ground for a million and one other strange places people create... see you soon!
(depending on whether my body clock wakes me soon after Julia posts in the middle of the night, or if I don't wake till 5, I'll be near the top or halfway down the list!!)

Grungy Monday 39 - the Plaid Effect

This week, Grungy Monday from Linda's Studio L3 is back to 2009 - and a great alcohol ink plaid effect.  In fact I remember this one so well, I was really surprised it was from 2009!! Time really does fly...  Check out Tim's originals here .  I wasn't in a Christmas mood, so I have used stamps by Wendy Vecchi and made a card - I haven't stamped a greeting inside yet so I can use it for whatever situation arises!!

sorry about the flash bouncing off the shiny card!!

I was sure I had some spare plaid backgrounds from when I made the original 2009 tag, but could i find them?  I used stream, lemonade and raspberry AI's.  Simon Says is sponsoring this week and there is a voucher up for grabs. Good luck!

Ok, sorry but I can't stop, Liverpool are playing our local rivals Everton and the TV is demanding my attention. Byeee!

Simon Says - Anything Goes!

This week is a free rein at Simon Says - Anything Goes is the theme - and I've been messing about in my journal again, still in green!  I wasn't really sure where this was going...

I started by using shabby shutters distress ink direct to the page, then blended it with a wet brush.  The leaf is by Dyan Reaveley and is coloured with portfolio pastels in the violet shades. Went back to my fave Dina Wakley girl stamped in coffee archival ink, on a page torn from an old book, coloured with shabby shutters and mustard seed round the edges.
Used some white gelly pen on the leaves or a bit of an accent.   The sentiments are from a Clarity set.
Simon Says are giving a random entry a $50 gift voucher, so make sure you have a go!

Thanks for looking.

Grungy Monday 38 & Inspiration Emporium

Linda's Grungy Monday reaches #38 and it's been a while since I managed to join in - but this week she sent us way back to Tim's Tag 2 for 2007 - a paint resist technique (one that I have often struggled with truth be told) and I thought I'd have another crack at it.

Whilst following some links from Twitter, I came across this fab site - Inspiration Emporium -  no idea how it's escaped me so long.... but their current monthly challenge is a "green" colour challenge, so I thought I'd have a go, and combine the two.  Hope that's ok. There is a $50 random prize at Inspiration .

I had trouble with the flash and the artificial light, photographing it.

I've followed Tim's technique featured on his original blog post (linked above) and added some shimmer with the Perfect Pearls Green Patina spray that I used on the flower trim - mopping up the overspray on my craft sheet, onto the tag.
The tree stamp is by Paperbag Studio, the rest are Wendy Vecchi's.

thanks for looking.

12 Tags of 2012 - March

So, finally I get to play at Tim's Tag for March - love his version with some well placed mosaics!

My first background stamp I chose - I don't have anything wood-grainy like Tim used - was a disaster (too much pattern and I used a colour too similar to the mosaic scraps) so whilst tonight's dinner was cooking I found an alternative.

So, the background I used is a Hero Arts one called 'sparkle background' and it is quite old - though judging from the state of the red rubber, hardly used!! I've certainly not used it horizontally.

The butterflies are ok for a first attempt at mosaic - I nearly forgot to add the glossy accents - but I did find a tub of embossing powder in the right colour - cement - mine is by PSX so that is very old too!! I bought loads and loads of different colour embossing powders when I first started stamping - now I use clear, sometimes black and maybe an irredescent one - and that's it... but I like this one!

I am running low on Tim's foliage idea-ology so  I just used this little flower charm by Mei Flower that I bought at Stevenage a few weeks ago.

I have to say, I really like having longer to get these 12 Tags done - much as I loved the 12 Tags of Christmas - it was very restrictive time-wise (I hated not doing them on the right day!) so thanks for the fresh look to this year long challenge, Tim!!   Do go and check out the other entries - there are some beauties and it's only the 8th March - you have all month.

Now back to my latest obsession - messing about in my journal (though I have some other challenges I want to do this week too...) roll on the weekend!

What's on Your Workdesk? Wednesday 144

Well, here we all are again!  Another Wednesday, another collection of desks to snoop at... courtesy of Julia at the Stamping Ground.  

So, this is my "desk" tonight - I've been cutting some alphabets with the Wordplay die by Tm Holtz (I finally got a set of the extra large cutting plates which were out of stock everywhere for days!)
I've got 3 full sets cut out ready for when I need them...)

and I've been trying to stick my altered book pages together for the course that WOYWW Elizabeth is running - do check it out if you've ever wanted to do an altered book - her instructions are easy to follow and very detailed, just what I need as a beginner - this is my first one though I've been meaning to do one for years!  I don't have enough clamps or pegs (no outside space to dry my washing so I don't need pegs!) so I'm having a few problems at present!

Spent the weekend painting of a different sort.... no, the overalls aren't mine - I borrowed them from my brother (he wasn't on painting duties!) We were at my mum's house as we have lots to do to get it ready to rent (which we still aim to do rather than sell) - she was a heavy smoker and the rooms are very discoloured... and then we lost the electrics - some sort of problem with the RCD box after my brother turned the power off to put in another socket in her bedroom - so we had lights but no other power all weekend! (Don't ask me, I haven't got a clue!! )
We did have a lovely meal at the Indian restaurant opposite her house though (once we got served!)

I've also been messing about in my journal again  - umbrella man makes another appearance!

Finally, it's "Alice" week at Dragons-Dream Tag It On the choice of AJ.  I don't have any Alice themed stamps - coudln't even find a rabbit! so I've just used some Graphic 45 Alice paper to make my tag, and wrote out some quotes - the stamp is the crown by Tim Holtz.  Stop by and check out the other DT efforts, which will all be much better than mine! (should publish around lunchtime)