Fairytale Christening Album

I have not been very organised with my posting lately but I have been making lots of albums and gifts and this week is a bit of a catch up on the blog.

A friend asked me to make an album as a gift for the christening her daughter’s new baby. We talked all about her daughter’s favourite animals and interests and colours. I have had fun weaving in lots of the elements from our conversation. It was challenging to mix the strong blue with the soft turquoise, lavender and mint. I hope it worked and the new mother will eventually enjoy telling her little girl about the things she loved when she was a girl.

The album uses the vivid blue for all the pages and then a range of other paper from my stash. The album is covered with 'Deer Forest' paper from Websters Pages, 'Royal Christmas' collection. It seemed very fairytale like and I have used it throughout the album.

I think this blue star scattered paper is perfect for any magical or childhood project. Its 'Jolly Jack-O-Lantern' from the Graphic 45 'Happy Haunting' Collection I also used a star punch to make the cream cardstock fit the design. I printed out lots of images from my own collection of  illustrations. I have always collected magical children's books with illustrations that I think are beautiful.

This envelope/pocket is decorated with polar bears which was one of the things my friend said her daughter loved.













The colours she requested were lavender, mint green, turquoise, strong blue and green. Quite a lot of colours to get to work together! These pages use some of Prima's 'Meeting a Fairy paper' from the Nature Garden Collection. I loved this paper when it came out so I bough plenty the delicate colours  fit the magical feel of the album and it works well with lots of the colours in the album.

Another request was for unicorns. There is something about unicorns that seems to appeal to most small girls. This is an illustration from a book my own daughter loved as a child,* with all those turquoise and greens it blends in beautifully. Other illustrations are fairytales and a musical maiden to reference the mother's musical talents.

Penguins and butterflies were another request. These pages use a piece of paper from DCWV Mariposa I have had this small piece of paper for years but it was so pretty with a slight sparkle to it I wanted to save it for a special project. I think the little pointy hats give this page a fun feel.

This page has a sweet vintage penguin illustration on a flip tag I used more stash paper. This colour is 'Island Mist Vintage.' Its Bo Bunny Double Dot, I love this paper and bought a lifetime supply of it in almost every colour it is so good for vintage projects and great for album pages. The paper for the main page is by Basic Grey and matched it perfectly.

I though these pages might be dull as they had no patterned paper but I really enjoyed adding touches of pattern and they are now some of my favourite.

I love this jolly moon and the little book with little pocket and belly band. Gnomes were also requested as they are part of the Norwegian culture where this new baby and family lives. I have put in lots of gnomes throughout mostly as tuck spots.

More pages using the cover paper and lots of Grimm's fairy tale images. One forms a pocket and the other a little booklet.

The album has lots of different pockets, envelopes, tuck spots and bands to hold journaling and photographs. I asked for some family photos of all the female line and scanned them to use on some of the tags and mats. Once the new baby pictures fill this album it will have images of four generations of the women from this family. I love the way albums connect families together through time.

The album ends with more twinkle twinkle stars and another jolly moon, a flip pocket page, a little gnome tuck spot and penguin booklet.











I am linking this post up with Mini Albums Monthly as its a long time since I joined in with these lovely ladies.
Also with A Vintage Journey who are inspiring all of us to use our paper stash.

*The Book "Unicorns Unicorns" is by Geraldine McCaughrean. Its a beautifully illustrated book that tells a magical tale about why the Unicorns did not make it onto the Ark.  

Entomology stamps and framlits card

This is my first card using the Tim Holtz Entomology Framelits and stamps.

I used one piece of design tape on the left of the cream card front the whole surface was then covered  with brown Paperartsy fresco finish paint. I rubbed it back a little to allow the tape to show through in some areas. Next I used the crackle glaze over the whole card, let it dry and covered it in a coat of eggshell fresco paint. Once the paint had dries and the crackle effect was visible I stamped images onto tissue paper and collaged them on top of the painted surface. I wanted more crackle so I added decoArt Media crackle Glaze over the stamped areas. When this had air dried (after dinner) I rubbed over antiquing cream in Raw Umber and Red Oxide. I removed most of this colour and then used regular distress ink in Forest Moss, Vintage Photo and Rusty Hinge to create an aged wood look and bring out the crackle more. I intended to cover most of the centre of the card so all my attention was given to the edges.

I layered the card with; some of the label embellishments I made earlier and some of my new coloured bugs.

I love the luminescent colours on the largest bug.

The text stamp is stamped onto a piece of old book paper. I folded, rolled and scrunched it up a little inking the edges to suggest a page from an old note book. The card is matted onto some rust coloured cardstock and a brown card base.

I am linking this up to the current More Mixed Media Challenge Anything Goes + Brown

Seascape flag book Tutorial

Finally it was cool enough in the studio to return to my flag book. The bright sunny pictures show how hot it is. This photograph was taken at 8.00pm!

To make a similar flag book you need:
2 pieces heavy chipboard  6"x7" for covers
2 pieces of patterned paper 7' x 8" to cover the front and back covers
2 pieces of patterned paper 5 3/4 x 6 1/2 " to decorate inside the front and back covers
1  piece card stock (I used a blue colour to match my flags)  12 " x 6 1/2 "
Paper cut or torn into 6 strips lengths of approx 12" long x 3 1/4" high

The chipboard covers are each covered as separate pieces. I used some long horded 7Gypsies Mariner paper.

I added lots of deep sea Seth Apter embossing power to the edges of my covers

To make the spine I creased at; 1 1/2",  2 1/4",  3", 3 3/4",  4 1/2",  5 1/4",  6",  6 3/4",  7 1/2",  8 1/4",  9",  9 3/4",  10 1/2"  Folded along the creases to form an accordion with 1 1/2 inches unfolded at each end this is used to attached the spine to the covers.

The accordion spine is attached to the covers right up to the edge of the boards leaving a small space top and bottom. I forgot to photograph this step but check out the links below if you want to see detailed instructions. At this point I added patterned paper on the inside covers.

To make my flags I decorated 2 A4 pieces of paper. For the top row I tore the sheet into strips. I wanted a sky and horizon line. Using distress stains and inks to create a light sky with a range of blues I then added a darker horizon line along the bottom of the strips with salty ocean stain.

Once dry I tore the strips into shorter flags and added stamped details in manganese blue archival ink and clear embossing powder.

For the bottom row I wanted to suggest the depths of the sea.  I used distress ink archival ink and stencils on the whole sheet .

Again I then tore it into strips and stained the white exposed edges.

I added archival stamping with clear embossing to give it shine, layers and texture.

Finally I tore the strips into shorter flags and finished off the edges. Before gluing in the flags I finished the cover. I added more deep sea embossing to the inside covers.

The covers were then decorated with lots of stamping and clear heat embossing. I made an embellishment using a stamp from Paperartsy Eclectica ESA06 by Seth Apter. I stamped onto patterned paper, embossed and then edged it with treasure gold to create a metallic edge. I used this to attach a ribbon tie for the book closure.

The ribbon wraps around the closed book and ties on the front cover holding the book closed.

With the cover finished I then attached my flags.

If you want to try making a flag book you can of course simply use patterned paper or decorate your flags however you want.  Avoid media that is very dimensional as the flags have to move past each other and you dont want them to catch. Also you want them to lie flat when the book is closed. My book only uses two sets/rows of flags you can have as many sets/rows as you like. There are lots of tutorials for making flag books. Lizzy Wurmann has a good video; LINK or this tutorial on scrapbook-crazy.com is also good:  LINK

I am glad to be organised enough to join in with Mini Album Makers again this month HERE

Also joining Fashionable Stamping for the first time - their current Challenge #136  Seaside

Fairy Birthday Box

This box is for my daughters birthday. It is empty so I can use it for her gift and the lid is plain as I will put her birthday message onto it. I have a few weeks until her birthday but I wanted to join in with the latest Paperartsy Challenge which is "Boxes" I did manage a few pictures of the process although sometimes I was working at night which shows up the limits of my photo set up, sorry if the pics. are a bit dark. It stretched over three days so Its a long post.
I started with the Sizzix 3-D Block/Cube/Bank die by Eileen Hull. I used heavy watercolor paper. First I coloured it with regular distress ink in Victorian Velvet, Abandoned Coral, Twisted Citron, Forest Moss and Mowed Lawn.

Next I stamped text and an old Prima stamp with Versafine Spanish moss ink. Then I mixed up Paperartsy Grunge paste with a few drops of distress reinker in Forest Moss, Twisted Citron and Mowed Lawn. I used a Dreamweaver Maidenhead fern stencil to add some foliage in areas around the box.

While that dried I made a lot of butterflies and flowers. For the butterflies I made three distress oxide wrinkle free background. I used Worn Lipstick and Seedless Preserves, twisted citron and Broken China, and Worn Lipstick and Broken China. 

 I die cut lots of butterflies with the Tim Holtz Movers and Shapers butterflies and a Memory Box Willoughby Butterfly Wings die. I also used a Martha Stewart punch to cut tiny butterflies.

I stamped detail onto them all using lots of tiny Graphic 45 stamps and Leaf Green, Rose Madder and Aquamarine Archival ink. I then edged them with distress ink. I made flowers using another old Prima stamp and a Scrapcosy stamp from her ESC03 set. I stamped them out in watering Can Archival ink and then coloured them in distress ink using a water brush pen.

I made sure to go over the edges where I would be cutting so there would be no white paper showing after I fussycut them out. The fairy was one I made earlier on the computer. I had to put this picture in as the camera caught her sparkle.

Once I had all my pieces I assembled the box adding a snippet of paper from an old copy of the secret garden.

I tried to make break the sharp edges of the box with the foliage and butterflies.

I finished just in time and the sun is shining so it is great for the photographs.

I am off into my garden now to enjoy the flowers and sunshine, and who knows maybe a fairy too! Thanks for visiting and hope you have lots of sunshine and flowers wherever you are.

Im entering this in:
 Paperartsy  Challenge 2018 topic 8 BOXES
Also Craft Stamper May Challenge

Seahorses and Alcohol Ink

I love Tim Holtz crackle paint and it looks amazing with alcohol ink on top. The sea is obviously one of my recurring themes.