This was such a quick and easy craft. I used a small canvas + scrap scrapbook paper + an old children's book. I stapled the colorful paper to the back of the canvas, then cut out and glued a small picture from an old circus book on to it. To finish it off and add dimension, I cut out the P and set it using foam tape It fits quiet well into my wall collage!
I took a Letterpress class from Portland's amazing IPRC. I've been wanting to learn for awhile, given my love for all things paper. The class was great and I learned so much, now I can't wait to practice my skills! I'll be going a couple of times each month to use the studio, and hopefully will have a collection of notions I can eventually put into my craft-fair booth.
After being endlessly inspired by one of my favorite bloggers/crafters (Elise Blaha), I have been working all summer on my mini book. Although this summer hasn't been blog-post heavy it has been full of sunshine, crafting, and general all-around-happiness.
Here are some of my favorite pages:
I've created more summer pages bases around some ideas in my Get Crafty class. I haven't use either of these techniques much in my journals, although both are things I use often in art.
The first was to create a page using your own painted paper. This picture is from awhile back, but it fits my summer theme and I adore the colors, and the subject matter:
The second is to stamp your own paper. I'm not terribly impressed by the results, but I will be trying this again, and often:
Yesterday's task was to use personal photos as journal embellishments. What a wonderful idea! I'm learning that with a creative journal like the one I am making, it is best for me to have a day to ruminate on events and to put them in perspective before getting any glue sticks into the mix. I've been using sticker paper to print photos, and it seems to be working great!
And this little comment on the bottom of the cupcake box is the icing on the icing on the cupcake.
These covers are all made from scrapbook papers. I wanted to be able to switch them easily, so I used my iPod Nano as a template and created three covers for it, then placed it back into its clear case.
I found this idea on a wonderful website - Lark and Lola. When I saw this project, I knew I had to make some for Christmas gifts. Little did I know that it would take three days to complete them! In all I made seven sets, and hopefully they are enjoyed by my friends and family I made them for.
Here are two of the many Christmas gifts I made this last weekend. I was snowed in, Portland has had the most snow its had in 41 years. Yikes! I spent most of my weekend crafty craftin'!
I made this for my mother for Christmas. It is made using an over sized clothes pin, a metal sheet, and magnets.
Front:
Back:
With a photo (the blondie is me, and the cutie with bows is my cousin, and that beautiful lady in the middle is my grandmother):
In honor of Nation Calendar Awareness Month (don't ask me why it's not January - I guess it's just another commercial holiday) the Conundrium Presents: The Paper Podcast. 1 part PDX-o-philia, 1 part truthiness, 2 parts self indulgence, 1 part social cheapster (hipster cheapskate) calendar.
Find it everywhere we've been to drink coffee this weekend!
Page #8: "Listen to Your Inner Child"
Yet another page inspired by childhood. Often my favorite inspirations come from memories of childhood.
Page #9: "Let Your Soul Shine"
Chaos is a friend of mine. This page comes with a removable charm with the initial of my swap partner.
I've decided to post my back log of pages that I have completed for the Chunky Page Swap on Craftster because the swap is nearing an end. Too bad, this was a fab swap and I'll be needing another journal type swap after this in order to keep my craftiness flowing.
Page #1 "Ode to Sylvia Plath"
I have a deep obsession with Sylvia Plath that started with reading the Bell Jar many years ago. I've always thought it was humorous and unusual how pink all of her books always seem to be (I highly doubt this was a personal choice of hers). So I made a pink and depressing page to pay homage to a creative force in my life.
Page #2 "Movies of My Dreams"
This page is inspired by my favorite Built to Spill song - Car. The lyrics are all amazing, but my personal favorite, and one that I've been quoted as saying many times over the years is "I want to see movies of my dreams" - do I ever....
Page #3 "Love Gone Wrong"
I pretty much love this page and wanted to keep if for myself. The poem is something which has spoken to me since the first day I read it. Beautiful and haunting.
Page #4 "Be Free"
A simple page with an acetate swallow and tags.
Page #5 "Choose Your Muse"
This Ouija page was inspired by the tastes of the recipient. Fun and funky. I like it.
Page #6 "Create Your Life"
Another page inspired by the tastes of the recipient, acetate dragonfly, colorful fibers.
Page #7 "Let Your Imagination Run Wild"
This is the page so nice I had to make it twice. Nothing better than merging adorable imagery and the restless (verging on depressive) longing for childhood, and no one can do that better than Lewis Carroll! The quote, if it's difficult to read is: "I'd give all the wealth that years have piled, The slow result of life's decay, To be once more a little child, For one bright summer day." Oh - and sewing paper is super awesome!
One of the greatest aspects of the Craftster community is the swap board. I've done over 20 swaps, and my latest is The Chunky Book Page Swap which consists of trading 4x4 inch book "pages" within the theme of creativity. I would consider myself to be somewhat of an addict when it comes to swapping, so I will often be posting my latest swap projects.
Here is the front of my current page:
And the back:
These are all of my pages (some sent from partners, and some of my own) together:
