Thursday 31 August 2017

On the Case


On the Case



Hallo There!

"Goodness me!"  She exclaimed, "It
is the last day of the month....already!"

Expect that rings a chord with a few 
of you - I wonder if we were more aware
of the date in the days prior to the IT takeover
of our lives?  Not sure I can remember that
far back........................!


Hazel Harler is here today to share a
book with us..............not just any book
I hasten to add but a very special book....


 "Hi everybody, I've a decorated book box 
to share with you today.



I used a paper mache book box.



 I glued some crumpled tissue paper to 
the spine and gave the box a coat of gesso 
inside and out.


I covered the box inside and out with
 some script rice paper.


I painted the spine with acrylic paint 
then I dry brushed some white gold
 Starlight metalic paint over it.


 Some of the embellishments I'm using. 


The frame on the photo was heat embossed
 with aged spice Frantage embossing enamel.

I made the stickpins by attaching some beads 
to a couple of headpins with glue.

The branch was painted green then painted
 with some crackle accents and then I dry brushed 
some white gold Starlight paint.


The finished box. 

I also added some roses and a word sticker
 - the photo is of me and my sister.


 I made some photo cards to go into my box. 
This card was covered with rice paper, 
I stapled some folded flowers to one edge 
and added a wooden butterfly.

The photos are me with my mum and dad, 
I won't tell you what year it was but we had
 all the mod cons - you can just about see 
the mangle behind my dad.


This card is covered with rice paper
and I just added some gems. 

The photos are of us with my grandparents. 

I chose the colours because I always remember 
my grandma in later years always wearing a white, 
purple and green cardigan.


 Card again covered with rice paper, 
I embellished the card with wooden birds 
that I'd painted with Starlight paints. 

This is a photo of my lovely Auntie Nellie.


The card is covered with rice paper,
 I also used another piece of rice paper to
 embellish the card and I added some 
seagull die cuts. 

The photo is me and my sister with dad 
on a caravan holiday.


The cards are in their box and because I didn't
 go mad with the embellishments 
I have room for more cards.

 I've enjoyed making the cards but I think
 words are missing so I'll sort that out later."


Supplies:

Impression Obsession seagull die.

wooden shapes, lace, beads, headpins,
 skelleton leaves, gems.


Thank you Hazel for showing us
some of your beautiful memories 
in your gorgeous memory book


Those rice papers really lend themselves
to this sort of project don't they?  So many
designs to choose from too - bound to be
something to suit every mood and/or taste


'Till tomorrow

Mickie xx

Wednesday 30 August 2017

On the Case


On the Case


Hallo Everyone!


Hope your week has started off
well and will continue on the up

We have a great week planned
and here is Louise Thomson to
start us off.....



"When my hubby and I got married, 
a friend of ours gave us a 'treasure box' to
 keep all the little bits and pieces you
 gather over the years from dates and 
holidays and such like. 

I loved it so much that I've made one for
 pretty much everyone I know who's got 
married since! 

This one is destined for a friend who is
 getting married shortly and is having
 a literary themed wedding. 

It started out life as very ordinary
 office storage.



I gave the whole box a couple of coats of 
gesso primer.


While the gesso dried, I stamped this incredible 
impression obsession book stamp in archival 
cobalt blue ink.


I kept going until the whole piece of
 tissue paper was coated!


Then mixed some pva and water and 
used it to cover the top of the box.


The base of the box also got a coating in gesso,
 followed by a coating of starlight paint in turquoise.


With the starlight paint dry, I softened 
the look using fresco paint in chalk, which I
 then sanded back. 

I also added in some scraps of paper, 
stencilling, and a few paint splatters for 
good measure!


I made a background card using 
distress oxide inks. I smooshed them on 
to my non stick mat, spritzed with water 
and picked up the colour on the card. 

I repeated this several times, 
drying between each layer.


Next I added some stencilling.



This was followed by some script stamping 
and some die cut birds and lettering.


To the top of the box I added more stencilling, 
this time using grunge paste.
 I repeated this stencil several times to 
build up the background.
 I also added some more of the floral stencil.


Once the grunge paste had dried, I replaced the
 floral stencil and added colour using
 cracked pistachio and worn lipstick distress oxides.


Using some leftover background card I cut
 out some little birds using an impression obsession
 die set.


I fiddled about with the layout for a long time
 adding some gorgeous graphic 45 papers
 and a few little extra details such as the
 stitching in this picture.


A feather quill from a Bo Bunny stamp set.


More inking and stamping



This picture shows up the earlier stencilling better, 
and a little bird die. 

I 'hid' birds perched all around the book shelves
 just for fun.



I looked up some quotes online and found 
this rather romantic one which comes from 
one of my friends favourite books. 

The background here is made by spritzing card
 with color bloom.



Finally the finished layout!"




Materials list;

Office filing box
Fresco paints - Chalk
Paper scraps from stash


Thank you Louise.  Your friend
is going to be so pleased with
her box after all the thought 
you have put into it.  

Such a lovely idea for a wedding
gift.  There are so many bits and pieces that
we collect on our journey through life


'Till tomorrow

Mickie xx