Vintage Ring Book for Simon Says Stamp

Hello Friends,

I am happy to report that today I am sharing a tutorial over on the Simon Says Stamp blog!  I created a Ring Book with Distress Mixed Media Heavystock cards, Worn Wallpaper Scraps and Paper Dolls.  I hope you will follow the LINK to the Simon Says Blog, to see the easy to steps to create this cute book.  Truth be told, I've also spelled out lots of tips and tricks about working with Distress Crayons.  Hope you will stop by.

now carry on,
paula

Salvaged Patina Fabric Journal

Hello friends,

I am sharing a project from the Salvaged Patina release today, my mixed media Fabric Book.  This was such a fun project to create!  Lots of Collage Paper, Spray Stain and Distress Paint in the mix, along with Paper Dolls (both Solos and Groups)!  The Fabric Book is compact...or rather, it is just the right amount of space for Paper Dolls and ephemera and not so much space to be overwhelming.  Just my kind of substrate.

Lets start with the book itself...

The idea-ology Fabric Journal is made up of Cover and two, 4 page signatures. In the picture below, you can see the cover on the left and I am folding over one of the signatures.

To make the book I will be showing you today, I am only using the cover and one signature. Can you use the whole book and never take it apart? Of course you can. I just found it easier to unstitch each signature seam, work on the book using only the pages that I wanted.  The second signature will be use at a later time, so there really is no waste.
In the picture below, I have removed one signature from the Fabric Book and laid the two pieces I will use at the bottom of the picture.  I still need to remove the second signature so I can free up the cover.

And here we are...a cover + a large page + a small page, leaving one signature leftover. When I sew the book back together, I am going to switch the pages, placing the small page in between the cover and the large page. No real reason, other than I thought it looked better when turning the pages.

COVER

To begin, I quickly painted the INSIDE of the front cover with a layer of Collage Medium.  This will serve two purposes, it seals the fabric so the Spray Stain (next step) does not soak through and it will make the cover stronger once dry and cured.  

Spray Salvaged Patina Spray Stain right over the wet glue.  NOTE: I tactually urned my surface to spray from the left side to create a fade to the right or center of the book.

I also added Rustic Wilderness and more Salvaged Patina to the page. I did a much better job at spraying slowly/dribbling the Rustic Wilderness ink than I did in my original sample.  I guess 'practice makes perfect' rings true.  You can dry the surface with a heat tool to speed things up.

I love how the Spray Stain looks over the glue, you can still see the fabric and really, once the glue is dry you will be able to feel the texture of the book again.  So cool.

Once the inside of the cover is sprayed, move on to the Collage Paper that will be used to cover the outside of the cover and some of the pages.

Using different techniques to alter Collage Paper

Rip varying sizes of Collage Paper Entomolgy

Use Salvaged Patina Distress Paint to paint the BACKSIDE of any image.  Keep the paint thin, you do not want to overwork the thin Collage Paper.

This is what it will look like on the right side of the paper once dry.  Very cool, right?

Lightly spray with Salvaged Patina Distress Spray Stain. Practice pushing the nozzle down with a scrap paper to test out the spray/splatter pattern before moving to the Collage Paper. Keep some of the papers light (not too much spray) so once you adhere it to the Fabric Journal, you will see the fabric texture through the paper.

On other pieces, add more colors to the mix. If you leave the colors as you sprayed them and dry with a heat tool they will stay dark/deep. For lighter color, pounce over paper with a paper towel before drying.

For the cover and one of the pages, I went heavy on the color. I did pounce to get lighter shades, but added more spray. One thing to take note, was that I sprayed Salvage Patina at the start, then added the other colors and dried with a heat tool. Then I went back and added more Salvaged Patina to a few bare spots. This really brought back the bright blue. So leaving a little white space is good!

Once the Collage Paper is complete, you can start to adhere it to the book. Using the large piece as an example, I covered the entire canvas with Collage Medium making sure to work quickly so it stays wet enough to adhere the ALL the Collage Paper.  Press the paper into the fabric (you must have clean hands) until you can feel that it is adhered to the surface.  Add a layer of Collage Medium over the top - this will seal the paper and make it transparent. Collage paper can be dried with a heat tool so you can move through the book quickly, but it will not be fully dry or "cured" till the next day.  In fact it is always surprising how it changes overnight. The Collage paper portions will feel like oil cloth.

You might notice that I added paper from Backdrops 1 to the back of the large page. I like that the eye has a break from all the sprayed pages. 

Once you are to this stage, get the pages in the order you want and stitch them up the center. Now you are ready to embellish the pages with what ever you wish!

I have kept the inside simple to really show off the Collage Paper, adding just Paper Dolls, Backdrop paper, Clipping stickers (all words) and ephemera from both Field Notes (standard and snippets size), as well as a few cards/tickets from the Ephemera pack, Keepsakes.

The gold paint behind his head is Dina Wakley Acrylic paint in Gilt. This thick body paint is my go-to gold for all my projects. The white dots were made with a POSCA paint pen.

I could have left the alphabet card in the background alone but I decided to add the POSCA pen work to add more visual texture.

I created the pattern on her yellow colored dress - all with Distress Crayons and a Detailer Water brush. The clothing here was colored directly on the surface with the crayon, then rubbed till I got the right transparency of color.  The pattern was added by dotting the surface with the end of the Detailer Water Brush dipped into the crayon color.  If you want to know more about working with Distress Crayons, please refer to this blog post HERE.

The dots made with the POSCA pen add such detail to the clothes!  The faux tweed on his pants was all done with the damp bristles of the water brush and crayon.

Here is where you can see the mix of the two Field Note SKU's. The bird is from the standard size Field Notes and the small pieces, the rose and blue circle are from the Snippets pack.  

I also used crayon to color the bird and the grass - this is most successful if you coat the ephemera with collage medium first, giving the card a slick surface.

The journal cover embellishment is again a mix of small and large.  Large label from Field Notes and small blue label from the Snippets pack.  The button is from the Mini Flair pack and the words from the Clippings Sticker book.  

The twill tie comes with the Fabric Journal.  I sprayed it with Salvaged Patina Spray Stain and water, then dried it with the heat tool.  Once dry, I was able to use Archival ink to stamp the words, "tell your story" on one side of the ribbon, from the Stampers Anonymous Simple Sayings stamp set.

I had already added the Paper Doll on the inside so I could not sew the label directly to the book.  My solution was to stitch the label then glue it to the book with Collage Medium at the top and bottom, allowing the tie to move freely.

I love making little books and this is no exception.  From the spraying, adding the paper, to coloring the Paper Dolls I just love it.  I guess I like the fact that anything goes!  I'm ready to make another one!

Now carry on,

paula

PRODUCTS USED IN PROJECT

Spring Kits

Hello friends,

I have two Spring kits for 2021, Finders Keepers and Collective Journey.

Kits will begin shipping on June 1st in order of purchase.

Shipping is included in the price for the continental US.  

*Please contact me directly for international shipping.  

There is an added cost to ship (taxes or duties are the responsibility of the buyer).

Click on the correct link below if you wish to purchase.  

The link will take you directly to PayPal.  

If you would like to purchase more than one kit, this is also where 

you can change the quantity. 

If you wish to pay with debit or credit card, click on the box at the bottom

 of the PayPal login page (you do not need a PP account). 

SOLD OUT

Finders Keepers

$90 

Create a vintage inspired 7 x 10” wood box with a masculine edge using new Backdrop papers and trinkets.  It’s like a mini cabinet of curiosities with bottles and old books, faux drawers and a plethora of boxes to fill with treasures. The kits comes with full packages of Thimbles, Vignette Finials, Odds and Ends, Laboratory Vials, and 9 Matchboxes to create the scene.  The kit is not hard to put together, but it is detailed and the more layers you add the better it gets.  The kits comes with comprehensive written instructions as well as 4 pages of color step-out photos.  

SOLD OUT

Collective Journey

$95

Create a 4 x 5.5” faux cigar box filled with 19 mixed media cards and 3 tag pockets. The kit comes with a full set of Vignette Boxes, custom wood dividers, 25 pre-cut Distress Mixed Media Heavystock Cards, Paper Doll Solos, Mini Marquee, Field Notes Ephemera, and a Metallic Sticker Book to personalize your cards. Twenty sheets of double sided Backdrop papers are included, more than enough to create multiple boxes if you wish. The kits comes with comprehensive written instructions as well as 5 pages of color step-out photos that include a picture of every card you will create.  

"Charming" Assemblage Bookmarks

 Hello friends!

We have been sharing Assemblage Jewelry on Instagram all week long and I am so inspired by the makes from Suzy and Stacy!  So many wonderful makes, I wish I could see them all in person! 

I have one last tutorial for the week using my very favorite pieces from Assemblage, Gemmed Bouquet.  The package comes with three beautiful white and pink connectors (meaning they have a loop on each end).  There is also an added jump ring on each end that I will use for the connection.  These are wonderful for necklaces since get three pieces on each card but today we doing something unconventional.

I have created 3 bookmarks using each of the Gemmed Bouquet pieces.

You will need a few extra supplies for this project:

1.  3/4" Velvet Ribbon - I am using May Arts Brand but any velvet ribbon will do.

2.  20MM Ribbon End Crimps -To make three bookmarks, you will need 6 ribbon crimps (Here is the Ebay link I used to buy that ones I used in this project). You can buy these a craft stores but I was unable to find the color (antique bronze) that I wanted.

3.  Needle nose pliers

Cut your ribbon to length. I used 9" per bookmark.  Pinch the ribbon crimp a little at a time till it is flat.  I did tap it with my small hammer to flatten just a little more.

Use the jump ring on the charm to add the flower to the ribbon crimp (I lost the darn jump ring on the floor so I had to break out some extras from my stash).

I used some of the same Onyx Iridescent bead chain, used the Honey Bee Necklace, to create more of the bead drops. Again I added tiny pearls to the end of each drop. Once created, I added it to the bottom of the flower (no jump ring needed).

I added another bead drop to the other end of the bookmark.

The steps are the same with the two other bookmarks, just the ends are different. For this one I added one of the Ornate Heart Lockets. I wiped a little Distress Picket Fence paint over the locket to give it more dimension by highlighting the design.

I also added a Clippings sticker to the inside. So cute!

For the last one, I added another bead drop.

They look so beautiful all together!

I sure hope you have enjoyed our week all about Assemblage Jewelry. It has been fun using Assemblage to create different pieces and I am sure more ideas will come, now that I have seen what everyone else has been posting.  You can check out all the pieces at your local Joann store or Joann online.

now carry on,

paula

Salvage Patina Tag

Hello friends,

I am sharing a tutorial over on the Ranger Making page featuring the new Distress color Salvage Patina, a Mini Etcetera Tag using Distress Inks and the Sizzix Bloom Thinlits die.  It was easy to make and oh so satisfying to dip the embossed paper into the Distress Ink! I hope you will pop by to see how I did it! 

now carry on,
paula

Tim Holtz Assemblage Jewelry Necklace

Hello Friends,

We are celebrating Assemblage jewelry this week!  Assemblage is an exclusive line to Joann that has a vintage vibe (right up my alley).  You can purchase it in store and online. Tim, Stacy, Suzy and I will be sharing makes all week long, so continue to watch Instagram for posts and stories showing ideas for using Assemblage jewelry to make all kinds of things!  

I'm using a two different chains, connector pieces and a large bee in my necklace today.  You will also need some small jump rings to combine a few of the components.  Please keep in mind that Assemblage is meant to be taken apart and combined, so one strand of beads will be used in small increments.  As you follow along, you will see what I mean.

These are the pieces that I used:

Tim Holtz Assemblage Pendant Honey Bee #16821100
Tim Holtz Assemblage Deco Antique Silver & Brass Links #15507932
Tim Holtz Assemblage 18" Gold Chain Onyx Iridescent Beads #15507759
Tim Holtz Assemblage 18" Small Link Chain Brass #15507668

Use small needle nose pliers to open the bead chain (just twist to the side to open).  To make this necklace, I created 3 strings with 10 beads each but you can use as many beads as you wish to make it the length you want.  Mine necklace is 18" long including the bee.

When you are done separating the beads - you should have 4-5 beads left.  Set those to the side for later. Add a connector to two chains, and leave the clasp on one.

Separate the chain into 3 sections. The length depends on the chosen connector (mine are 10 to 15 links each). To be honest, I never count links.  I just go with what looks good and if I need to take out or add in it's an easy fix.

Now take the six pieces and connect them together alternating, beads and chain.

I added another of the connectors to the bee with an added jump ring at the top.

Then I added the chain from each side of the necklace to the jump ring above the connector.

And just like that the necklace is together!

I wanted to use the remaining 5 bead links to add detail, so I found some TINY pearls in my stash and added them to the loop at the bottom of each bead. This created a more finished look. 

The new drops were added to the jump ring right below the connectors.

And that one last bead... right above the bee connector!

The necklace was easy to put together, right?  And using just needle nose pliers (love when I don't have to buy new tools to make something)!

That bee is so cute hanging at the end!

I hope you like seeing our Assemblage pieces this week. We have lots of ideas to use Assemblage to make more jewelry, add to junk journals and create some special gifts.  Enjoy!

Now carry on,

paula