Oriental for MMM

The theme at Mixed Media Monday this week is "Oriental" and Rosie has made two beautiful boxes to inspire everyone.
Here's my entry for this week.
This is a book I already had made....it hasn't been entered for any challenges so I thought it would be nice to enter it for this one
.... I hope you like it !

"The Written Word" for Mixed Media Monday

Here is one of the pages of a mini book I've made using Laura Ashley papers.
The words are from one of Anna Griffin's books of quotes...laid on vellum.
This is my entry for this weeks theme (The Written Word" at Mixed media Monday
I hope you like it !

First BIA Book !

Well I've finally got my BIA out of it's box and had a play.....just something simple to start with so I could get the hang of it ....
here it is then...a 4"x 3" little book in a sort of vintage style !
....hope you like !

"Arty Girlz"..."Fabric" challenge

Here are two mini books I've made and I have covered them both with fabric....the smaller one with an Anna Griffin swatch....and the larger one with a small remnant. I am entering them for this weeks Arty Girlz challenge....which is "Fabric"
Thanks for looking !

Book..... for Layers Of Colour (Now Edited !)

Edit......
Here is the final front cover (above) with the flowers, and the borders of the image, watercoloured ...now I can put it to bed and move on ....I think....!






Here is my new book...made for the Layers of Colour challenge this week which is...."Book" !
Its been quite a journey making this as the first version went in the bin and this one was pulled apart and re-made !.....anyway...here it is ...just about in time too...!
The words were stamped on canvas strips and the "stitches" made with a cd marker pen.
The image is courtesy of "The Graphics Fairy"
I made the white circles around the heads by stamping with the metal embellishment which is now on the book front.
The pages inside are plain... ready to be scrapped...although I have put floral paper on the pages.
Well after all that ..I hope you like it... Lol !

Puzzle Book !

I made this a while ago and usually it is swinging from my handbag or hanging on the wall above my craft table.
I thought someone may like to make a similar mini scrapbook.
(I used pieces from my grandson's outgrown jigsaw for this one.)
Paint each of the pieces and then add little photos, words and stickers etc.
Make a hole in each of your pieces and thread onto a bookring.... add some fibres and you have a tiny scrapbook.
I'm entering this for the challenge on "This Thursday Its All About" as their theme this week is "Puzzle"
Hope you like it !

"Cats" Accordion Book....

This is an accordion book I have made for the challenge "Cats" at "My Time To Craft" This is the inside shown open....sorry the pics are so wishy washy...you will have to believe me that it looks a bit more colourful in "real" life !

Above is the front cover

Inside pages 1, 2, 3 and 4


The book was made using Kay and Co papers using one sheet of 12"x12" and some extra flowers were cut from a second sheet to use for collage and to give a scrapbooking effect.
I hope you like this one ...!

"Vintage" Accordion Book..."children"

I have made this book based on a 12"x12" sheet of scrapbook paper folded in half and then accordion pleated.
I would like to enter it in the "Layers of Colour" challenge(children)
and the "Artygirlz" challenge (vintage)
Its a while since I made a book so I hope you like it !

The words on the tag in the first pocket say.....
"Children come into the world with fresh eyes
to see all that is beautiful,
embrace all that is joyful,
and love unconditionally
with open hearts and minds."

Domino Book

This mini book with tags in measures 2 and a half inches by one and an eighth inches. The covers are dominoes which have been sanded and inked to make them look like suede. The brad (an office paper fastener) was pushed through a die-cut flower and then through the ribbon. The "legs" of the brad were then pushed through the softwood domino after I made a hole with a bradawl. The ribbon has been wrapped around the whole book to tie it.
The "pages" were covered with mini tags (from K and Co.) flower brads and butterfly stickers.

Tidy Alert ....lol !

I have been having a tidy-up (!) and came across a couple of books I made back in April for easycraftprojects for their DT call (made it to guest designer...Yay!)
The bottom one is covered with Anna Griffin fabric (from her pack of fabric squares)and the top one is from my material stash. I thought they may be worth blogging before they get lost again among the pile of stuff here......trouble is...even after a good tidy I bet I still can't find a thing ...!

Something a Bit Different

Take a 12"x12" piece of thick paper or card and fold into nine 4"x 4"squares. Cut out the top and bottom middle squares and you should be left with an H shape.
This shape will fold all ways...up,down,side to side...until you have a 4x4 book so it is up to you how you fold it up and decorate the squares. An added bonus is it will fit into a CD case when its folded.
(I've done a pic of a rough template) Have fun...!

At Last ...!

Well this has taken quite a while to finish (see post further down !)but I got there in the end thanks to Laura who left such a helpful comment after I appealed for help.
It was the suggestion of a silver charm that did it ....suddenly I knew what I wanted to do......so here it is... all silver embossed...wire beaded... and sporting some fibres and ribbons.....and of course the silver "charm" ....I knew the silver cross would be just right.... especially with the sentiments in the book.
"So"....Laura wanted to know, " what does Jacob think of you turning his book into a girlie one"....well he's fine...he wants it for his mum (my daughter Nichola) as a present and I am delighted, because Jacob's little wooden book would have been thrown away and now, instead, its a keepsake that means something to three generations.

(posted on Arty Girlz ongoing recycling challenge)

Sweet Nothings

The cord is wrapped around a brad which was raised by putting the "legs" through a flat bead before pushing it through the cover and fixing.

The inside back cover looks a mess but it will be covered by the last page when it is glued in place

I've been asked about cutting mountboard and if I have a special cutter. Well all I use is a trimmer and a craft knife. If you run the trimmer blade across the mountboard you can then bend it (as your trimmer will not cut deep enough to go all the way through) and make it into a cover (front, back and spine) or you can slide your craft knife through the partial cut ( just gently draw it through a couple of times till it parts) and use the pieces for a front and back.I took a pic of this and it seemed a shame to waste the mountboard so...that's how I ended up making this book !

ATC Holder (With Instructions)

Just add some ribbons to your mini book and ....hey presto....you have an ATC holder !

The mini book used here measures 4"x4" and can take ATCs which are landscape or portrait.

I was delighted to be chosen as guest designer on "easy craft projects" for this month where my design for a book using up your flimsy cards was shown. To make one of my mini books go to http://www.easycraftprojects.net/Projects/minicardalbum.pdf Please enjoy... and I would be thrilled to hear back from you and see what you have made.

(you will need adobe reader to download the instructions. )

Book On Book

Here is a book on book...the smaller one is made using the Bigshot after seeing a folded tag cut out in a demo on TV. As soon as I saw it I knew there was a book waiting to be made....so here it is!

The larger book is made from mountboard which I stamped with black Stazon and coloured with gold Krylon and red acrylic. The tassle (plus bead) was added to the spine through holes made with a crop-a-dile. The pages were inserted and then embellished.

This is another view of the book showing the pages open. I hope you like it and also I hope I have inspired you to "have a go" !

Who Lives in a House like This....?

I started out to make a house with the doors opening to show our Lisa and Lucy... but I am not sure if the idea has really worked .
Anyway, it just goes to show not everything turns out as planned and I hope you like it anyway
( It measures six inches high and two and a half inches wide when closed)

Three Little Books

Here are three little books I made using the same technique.

I make all my own scrapbooks and vary the sizes and shapes.

The front and back can be covered with paper, fabric or even that special piece of crossstitch you have done.

They make simple little scrapbook gifts too.

For details of how to make my books please go to http://www.easycraftprojects.net/ where you will find my easy to follow instructions......enjoy!

Showing construction...

This pic shows the book with the spine splayed open showing how I constructed it.

It gives access behind the pages for you to attach brads, ribbons ,eyelets etc.

Pages Ready for Scrapping

This is the same book with the pages got ready for me to add some pics of my garden.

One of My Books

Well its been "busy, busy, busy" with the family calling by over the holidays but here is a pic of a book I made beforehand. Hope you like it