For my CCSwap friends!

Some examples of a few things I have done (that I still have!). I tend to create and then give away.
This is a paper mache box that is shaped like a book. I painted it gold and copper (with Lumiere paints). I added a picture that reflected the Shakespeare quote that I also collaged onto it. There is a stamp of an angel along with some mica chips for effect.

Here is a matching envelope and tag set stamped with Aggie (Texas A&M) stamps. I created these for a friend's birthday.
I love this tag, hence why I still have it! It is a large manilla shipping tag, sponged with sage chalk ink, then "textured" with a marbling cube (Stampendous, one of my favorite stamps!). The words "thank you" are then stamped on the bottom half. I then stamped the dragonflies, swirls and text onto some vellum, tore it and glued it onto half the tag. It's hard to see in the photo, but the colors and way it flows look lovely together.
This is another tag I created and really liked (again, why I still have it!). The first side is sponged with various chalk inks, then I stamped the rose vine (Stampington) on the left side. I collaged a Shakespeare quote with some crumpled gold paper. I then turned it over and did the other side (see next picture).
On the other side of the tag, I again did a background sponged with various inks. I then stamped several keys and a lock on it. I stamped a heart on another piece of paper, cut it out, and wrapped it with gold thread. I then applied it to the tag with some 3-D dots, to raise it off the tag. I randomly stamped some red hearts and the words "Key" and "Heart". I then put gold foil tape around the whole thing, adding some great fibers.

Mini Book...

This is a mini book I made for a gift for my Pastor and his wife this past Christmas.
This is the cover. The theme was the "Fruit of the Spirit". I took nine coin envelopes, painted them different colors, then stamped each one with a different "fruit"


I used think bookboard for the covers, and covered them with paper that had already been stained with ink to make it look older. I stamped the pears (from ASITH) by inking them with Marvy brush markers to give them a watercolor look. I then overstamped them with letters to spell "fruit".





Here is sample of an inside page:



This was the first inside page (corresponding to the first fruit "love"). You can see the inside of the cover has end papers (Basic Grey... love their papers!). the first envelope was painted (paint from Making Memories paper paints), then stamped with the word Love. I also stamped part of a heart on it, and added some interested paper to the flap as well as a brad.




The whole thing took me about four days to make, since I couldn't work continuously.

This is another inside page. You can see the scripture card I put inside each of the envelopes. Each scripture corresponded to that particular fruit.

This is a view of the whole book... you can see the pages fanned out. You can also see the beads and fibers I used to bind it together.

Here is another view. Each envelope was painted a different color, and each flap had coordinating paper on it.

I learned a lot making this... and there are several things I would change! But overall, I was pleased with how it turned out, and my pastor and his wife (who is also an artist!) were very happy to receive it!

Artful Musings...

I am just loving these ATC's! I am so getting into making them. And they don't have to take long. I have been using some different things to make backgrounds, including alcohol inks, Golden Acrylics, Pearl Ex, etc. It's so fun.

I bought a Bind-it-All Machine back in February, and I'm finally going to make something with it. I want to make a little art journal for my friend before she moves. I seem to live in an area where so many people are into scrapbooking, but no one is into stamping of any kind other than to embellish their scrapbooks. I'm not bashing scrapbooking, as a matter of fact, I love most of their stuff... I just use it in a different way. But I wish I had some like-minded friends when it came to the creative arts.