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

Animal Charms: A Quick and Personalized Gift Idea

I freely acknowledge that I tend to stay away from anything too cutsy.  I'm an adult and don't need to clutter my brain with the "my kitty" syndrome of small cute charms of animals that can adorn everything from jewelry to cell phone covers.

That being said... what do you do when someone you know has a birthday and happens to LOVE those things.  If you are an ATA Girl - you bite the bullet (or in this case the bead) and you make them a bunch of animal charms.   It was so easy - of course I had to make several... after all - who knows when I might need them.

Now who would have thought the there were so many animal "bead caps" to choose from - all with little matching bottoms.  There are bears and frogs and cats (oh my!).  I picked up a bunch of bear heads and bottoms while at the bead show and went to work.   All you need to make these is:

A multi-piece bead cap in an animal shape - make sure it has a post.

1 6 to 10 mm round or bicone crystal for each animal

E60 epoxy

toothpick

Play with the beads to see what "fits" best with your animal head and bottom. You can change the look of the animal by switching up the size and shape of the bead you will be placing in the middle. You should make sure that whatever bead you use fits over the post on the animal head.

Start with the head of your animal charm - and place a small amount of the E60 in the post and the underside of the head. This is the tricky spot... you don't want to apply so much that it will ooze all over your bead - but you do want it to hold the bead in place.  

Slide the bead in place, making sure it is seated tightly to the top, then immediately wipe away any excess adhesive.  Allow to dry for a few minutes.

Place a small amount on the feet section and place the feet on the bottom of the bead, making sure the feet are facing forward.  If the post is long enough - it will actually fit into the indentation or hole in the feet allowing you to line the two pieces up easier.  Press together until the glue sets - then let sit overnight before attaching it to anything.

Ok - -so I admit - they are cute. Maybe I need to make myself a whole zoo!   Hmmm.

~ Dani

Simple Beaded Loop Earring Pattern

I'm on a beading kick lately... and decided to expand my design collection to earrings.  I wanted to make something quick, easy but eye-catching - and this is what I came up with.  You will need:

26 gauge artistic wire in matching color

8 lime 4mm bicone Swarovski crystals

14 lime 4mm bicone Swarovski crystals

4 aqua 6mm bicone Swarovski crystals

2 silver plated findings

2 silver plated "fish hook" earring findings

You can use any color combination of crystals - this just happened to be what I had on-hand that matched the wire I had... so - in other words - you can go crazy and make dozens of these with no problem using just your current supplies.

Cut a piece of wire about 6" long. String the finding and crystals on the wire in this pattern: 1 finding, 1 aqua 4mm, 1 lime, 1 aqua 4mm, 1 aqua 6mm, 1 aqua 4mm, 1 lime, 1 aqua 4mm, 1 lime, 1 aqua 4mm, 1 aqua 6mm, 1 aqua 4mm, 1 lime and 1 aqua 4mm. 

Bring the end of the wire around and back through the finding. Pull the wire tight so the crystals form a "hoop" below the finding.

 

Thread the 2 wire ends through the earring wire. Bend the 2 wires and wrap around the bottom of the earring. Continue wrapping the wire neatly around the top until you have formed a slight "ball" of wrapped wire. Slide the tightener down the earring. If necessary trim excess wire and tuck ends into wrapped wire ball to prevent scratching. 

  Place a drop of jeweler's glue or clear nail polish near the ends of the wire that are tucked into the wrapped wire ball as an added precaution against scratching.  Then go out and let them sparkle in the sun. 

I actually liked them so much - I made a bunch to use as shade pulls for my windows. - very pretty.

~ Dani

"Bond... HeatnBond...." TShirts, That Is!

I was working in my craft room the other day creating an egg for a class I'll be teaching in September.  As I was looking through the drawers of arts supplies that line the wall of my space, I came across a project I started and never finished.  We all have THOSE now don't we! - Admit it - come on - you know you do! 

Anyway, giving in to my need to do anything except what I'm supposed to do, I brought it out and decided to finish it.  What was it that so grabbed my attention you ask?  A shirt.... but not an ordinary shirt - nooo.  This is a shirt that I started decorating with handmade decals!  So out came the ironing board and the scissors and I put my mind to the task of completing it (at least until something else catches my attention!) 

This is a really fun, easy project to work on for any age - and with a lot of the schools on break - I thought it was a perfect project to share.  Enjoy!

You will need: Sharp scissors, Material with pattern you like, HeatnBond Iron On Adhesive (Ultrahold), Iron,
Ironing Board, fabric paint with a thin tip and a t-shirt of some kind.

There are 2 ways of making your own decals. First you use a large piece of the HeatnBond (the size of your fabric) and attach it to the fabric. Or second, cut small pieces of the adhesive paper, just a little bigger than the pattern you want to capture iron it on. Either way works great.  The second is the way I usually do it as it wastes less of the adhesive so you can make more decals.

Put the HeatnBond paper-side up on the material.  Hold the iron on the paper side of the adhesive for about 2 seconds to warm the adhesive. Glide your iron over the paper pressing down slightly.  Make sure to iron entire surface until the adhesive bonds to the fabric. Material will feel hot to the touch. Allow it to cool before cutting into pieces.

Cut out the patterns being careful to cut away whatever you don’t want included on your decal. Keep in mind – the more intricate the design – the more difficult cutting it out may be. You may want to keep a very thin border of fabric around your design as it is usually a good idea to seal the decal onto the shirt by sewing or outlining with fabric paint.

Place your new decals on the shirt in whatever decorative way you choose.  Peel the paper off the back.  Cover the decals and shirt with a lightweight piece of cloth or towel and gently iron until the adhesive bonds to the shirt.  Allow to cool, then outline with fabric paint and embellish with beads, more paint, washable glitter or anything else you might have handy.

~ Dani



Kick this process up a notch by printing your own artwork or photos onto iron-on material made for your ink jet printer!  Cut away the excess material to isolate areas of your artwork you like the best, then apply as any other iron-on to make cool T-shirts, totes or even dress up those Ked sneakers!
~ Diane