Bind Your Life: Homemade Scrapbook /Journal Covers

I spent some time wandering the "Inspire Me Monday" blog hop and can honestly say I was definitely inspired by the sheer scope of the creative talent that is out there.  All I can say is WOW!   From cooking to freehand design elements - how in the world did all these wonderful people connect before the internet!  And what incredible ideas are floating out there to latch on to!  Which brings me to my "inspiration" of the week!

Once more, my other half and I traveled to the north woods of Wisconsin last weekend.  It's great now that he's retired that he can do the driving after I've worked a full day.  Gives me the chance to do some closed-eye creative thinking.  All weekend long - while hanging drywall and laying subfloors (we'll talk about that project sometime later) - I was thinking about what I could do to creatively capture this huge long-term project.  I've already got a "building book" that holds the plans, color squares, ideas, measurements, and photos - but I wanted something more.  Something that tells the "story" more than the details.

Not long ago I wrote an article for an on-line help site on creating a travel journal.  How you take a blank notebook and as you travel you make note about what you've done, seen, experienced. Complete with some sketches (if you are artistically inclined) and special small mementos, this then because your trip "story".  Similar to what the old Banana Republic catalogs featured (for those old enough to remember those really cool catalogs).  Could I create something like this for the happenings we experience at our home away from home?

I'm thinking to include not just the humorous stories that happen (like holding a piece of drywall on my head as Leo screws it into the ceiling) but written expressions of amazement at the sight of a triple rainbow arching over the house, or the doe stopping in the center of the orchard to look in my direction and standing there, perfectly still, for all of 5 minutes before taking off down the forest path.

Not content with keeping my artistic slant inside the pages of this journal, I also want to capture it on the outside as well.  The question then becomes how?  I could create a free-form beaded cover similar to this one found at www.why-not-art.com.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Or I could create a felted cover like this one created by Barbara Potoczny  (http://www.barbarapotoczny.com/classes-detail.php?ID=6).  

 

 And if I want to personalize the outside, am I doing an injustice to the book itself by using plain old paper or should I create my own book by binding together different types, colors, styles and sizes of paper and thereby make something uniquely mine.  And if I make one for me - should this be my gifts for the holidays for my more artistic friends and family members.

I'm giving myself a headache!  So much inspiration - so little time!

 

~ Dani

Frame Up Your Weekend

No weekend should pass by without completing some kind of project.  No... don't laugh at me... I mean it.  While I acknowledge that weekends are packed with sports activities, kids, cleaning, errands and various other tasks that don't get accomplished during the week, those of us with "artsy" blood running through our veins can not let the chance to allow our creative juices flow all over the place.  It is how we decompress, relieve stress and re-energize our souls.  That being said -the question becomes what to do with all that creative energy.   So - every Friday I'm going to give you all some instructions and ideas for cool things you can make that won't take a lot of time.  This week - let's think Bedrooms!

Spring is the best time for refreshing any old room - and nowhere needs it more than the bedroom.  That space which is meant to be a haven of rest most often becomes the room where all the junk collects.  Take a weekend and do a quick and easy bedroom re-do that will give you the space you've always wanted.

Use wicker baskets to put away items that would normally lay out on a dresser. Make use of the space under the bed by placing some plastic containers with covers on the floor.  Change the bed linens from the warm flannel to cooling cotton sheets.  Keep it simple. Once you've eliminated the clutter, and it starts to look like a room again, that's when you can get creative.

Create your own wall art and eliminate the miscellaneous pictures standing on the dressers easily with just a few materials.  Empty out your old wood frames of all the photos and glass.  Cover a table with paper and paint the frames any color you'd like.  For example, try different colors if you want a "funky 60's" type look or paint them all black or white if you want something more formal. You can even mix and match the black and white for an "art deco" look.  Your choice, be creative.

Once all the frames are painted and dried, lay them out on a table so that you create a 3D effect. Put some on top of others.  The trick is that they should touch on at least 2 sides.

Get out some short nails or screws and your hot glue gun.  Wherever the frames touch, you should put a small amount of glue, then nail or screw the frames together, making sure that the heads of the nails or screws rest flush to the frame.  Continue until all the frames are connected together.  Now comes the fun part!

Flip the unit upside down.  In random sections, replace the glass and add photos back into the frames, fastening them normally. In some others, add mirrors or just plain solid backs.  Place nails or hangers into the wall at various intervals to hold the unit in place.  Carefully flip the unit up and hang on the wall.  Add additional fasteners to the wall where needed to secure it.  Once hanging solidly, fill the solid and mirrored sections with extra photos or mementos.

This is a great way to use up those extra frames and get some extra space on the tables, dressers or nightstands.

Another great idea for some instant art is using scrapbook paper.  Pick up some inexpensive frames and insert your favorite patterned paper.  Keep the tonal values all the same, but mix them up.  If you eliminate the glass, you have mini shadow boxes that are easily hung together in sets of 3,6 or 9 and can hold small items while still giving a classy look.
~ Dani

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Themed Shadow Box: Fill Er Up

Ok -- I freely admit I'm on a homemade decoration role lately - but this one I "borrowed" from a show on PBS and upgraded.  I wanted something different - and when I saw this project demonstrated - I thought to myself  "Self - I can do better!"  So here goes.....

I took a deep black-framed shadowbox in a standard size and removed the back. I measured the back dimensions and found a mirror that would fit inside perfectly.

I made a mark on the inside of the frame where the mirror would rest and screwed a couple of "stops" on each side of the mirror to hold it in place.

I wanted to be able to put flowers in front of the mirror, so I found a plastic tube that would hold a single stem of a flower and held it up so that it would reflect in the side of the mirror.  I made a mark at the appropriate height, then screwed a large hook into the inside of the frame so that the tube would be held by the hook. 

Since I didn't like the look of this green plastic thing... I, of course, broke out the beads and covered the entire tube with multiple shapes and sizes of beads, all in the same tonal family.  I had some shiny thin ribbon that I glued on the top to finish it.

Knowing me by now - you KNOW that I couldn't leave it at that!  I pulled out some different wood die cuts and colored beads and went to work again, completely beading the cut-out (I did the triple heart first - shown here).  I found some heavy duty magnets and attached them to the frame where the new beaded decoration touched the sides as well as to the back of the decoration itself.  Since I have a bunch of different shapes, I can change the outside decoration to match the season or my mood!

To finish it, I installed the mirror, replacing the back of the frame and fastening it in place.  While I could hang this on the wall, I kind of like having it sit on a shelf or table.   What do you think?
~ Dani

Going Postal: Make Your Own Tin Stationary or Card Gift Box

Ok -- so I admit it - I can start a project, get bored, and put it aside for another day.  My goal this month is to actually finish some of these projects - so be prepared - there's going to be a lot of different stuff coming atcha!

Warning -- Georgia - if you're reading this post -- STOP NOW!   LOL! (as if that would really stop her!)

I wanted to make something fun for a friend's birthday - and thought about making her a set of handmade cards that she can send to her friends and family for all occasions.  I did not, however, want to just give her a nice box of cards -- oh nooooo..... I had to come up with something fancy to put them in.   I had some leftover tile pieces from a mosaic project I started (and actually finished - how about that!!) and a small metal mail box I picked up somewhere to use in a centerpiece for a holiday party.  I broke out the epoxy, a ruler and a pencil and went to work.

First I laid out all the tiles I had, and created the pattern I wanted to make on the mailbox.  After playing with that for a bit, I used the ruler and pencil to create my guides so that the tiles would at least be straight and went to work.

The trick was holding each tile in place long enough for the epoxy to grab hold before letting go.  Too soon and they slid off the side of the mailbox, to long and fingers may be permanently attached.  You can cover the entire box with tiles if you choose (or have enough leftovers) or just do a pattern as I did.

Anyway - I think it turned out cute - and will be perfect to put all the cards in. Or maybe keep.. hmm will have to think about that.

So Georgia - in case you're still reading this post -- you may not be getting this as a gift.  You'll just have to wait and see.   :)
                                                                                                    ~ Dani

Mac App Art : Hand Colored Photo Look Made Easy

I used to love to do black and white photography (yep, real 35mm film and everything) and then hand-paint great images (and some not so great images) with photo paint to make certain areas stand out for dramatic contrast.  Although I still love my super dramatic Angel statuary series of hand-painted images, limited time and space for all those art supplies has made digitizing those efforts a necessity.  Instant gratification has its happy place in my heart (and portfolio) as well though, and I love some inexpensive Mac Computer Apps that make digital photo editing quick, easy and fun. A program that gives you that black and white, hand painted look is iSplash.  This App will take a color jpeg and turn it into a black and white. Then, you can use a "tool" to colorize sections of the image.



Here is the original                             Here is the iSplash version

The results are beautiful and print worthy. They can also be used to make personalized greeting cards, stationary, wrapping paper, or iron on transfers or anything else you want to do with your own photography.

~ Diane