sneak peek: stamp love

More soon - but I just had to share a peek at my new favorite stamps by Roben-Marie Smith - Mixed Media Essentials.

the process: recycled binder turned art journal

Let's recycle something else this week!

I took this old clear binder and turned it into a pretty art journal cover. It was super easy and took just under an hour to create, including drying time, which I sped up by using my heat embosser.

Next, grab one of these re-purposed scrapers and scratch off a little gesso- letting your favorite words shine through. Ink the gesso using a dry brush or sponge.

Mix a little gesso with some ink or paint and rub it over your favorite stencil. Chunky goodness happens here.

Add a stamp or two along the edges.

Use a black paint pen to add more journaling.

Stitch some fabric to the front cover to add some texture.

Punch holes along the edges of your solitary pages or add in those you have removed from a spiral bound journal.

My favorite part is seeing my journaling, in reverse, on the inside of the cover.

art stuff: recycled art combs- in thirty seconds

There are just certain things I can't throw away. Used gift cards are one of those things. No matter how many I seem to collect I just can't toss them. They seem too RE-USABLE.

I am tinkering with a few cool projects ideas that will incorporate much of the mass, but until then I found a great way to re-purpose a few of them. RECYLCED ART COMBS - how cool are these?

And you can make them in about THIRTY SECONDS! All you need are a few old gift cards and a good pair of heavy duty scissors.

A thrifty way to recycle that used gift card, these combs are a neat addition to your art journaling tool box.

I used a few of these while working on some backgrounds in my art journal. Pretty cool.

Here are a few of the other recycled tools that I have in my Art Journaling Toolbox.

art stuff: re-purposed tools

When you make a habit of "taking a look before you toss" you find yourself collecting some pretty odd stuff. It just takes a second look in the right light to know that you can re-purpose something. Art journaling tools are some of my favorite re-purposed items.

RE-PURPOSED ART JOURNALING SCRAPERS AND DISTRESSERS:

1. old gift cards  2. small ring of wood  3. water bottle cap  4. plastic button template  5. plastic crochet needle  6. contact solution cap  7. cut plastic bottle  8. making memories paint comb

I loved my ancient, but trusty, making memories paint comb. It came in some kind of distressing kit that I picked up years ago when I first got into mixed media. They had me at PAINT COMB. What an awesome set of words. Because I am a big re-cycler I started collecting bits of things I could use for the same purpose- adding to the looks I could create when I used them in my art journal. Like this --->

Be creative. Be inventive. Use what you have and enjoy the process!

tutorials: plastic fused notebook

Today I have another tutorial for you using the same simple steps we used to make THIS PRETTY PLASTIC FUSED CANVAS AND COLLAGE PIECES.

If you had fun making your PLASTIC CANVAS COLLAGE PIECES I think you will enjoy making the easy pocket notebook. JUST GO HERE TO MAKE A PLASTIC FUSED CANVAS. Once you have your  CANVAS hop back over here and follow a few more easy steps to create this pretty, recycled pocket notebook.

STEP ONE:  Trim your plastic canvas to the desired size and shape, using your paper pad as a template. Be sure to allow for a half inch seam allowance around the edges of your paper pad. Stitch all the way around the edges of your canvas a few times with pretty thread. I added some zig zag stitching at the last minute too!

STEP TWO:  Grab some notebook paper or a small tablet- a sticky note pad works great. If you are using note book paper you will need to trim it to size, allowing for folding to create a signature.

STEP THREE:  Stack your trimmed paper, creating a signature. Fold in half and score. Now stitch down the score line with pretty thread. ( If you are using a ready made tablet you can skip this step! )

STEP FOUR: Once your signature is stitched, position it slightly off center on the wrong side of your PLASTIC FUSED CANVAS. Check that both sides will fold in toward center of notebook, overlapping. If positioned correctly, open to middle of signature and restitch down the center. Double back for added strength.

STEP FIVE:  Fold in your notebook flaps and mark both sides where you will need to punch a hole for your ribbon tie and button.

STEP SIX: Attach your ribbon and knot. Add a button or bauble on second flap. Fold & Wrap!

What a pretty little notebook to pull out of your bag for all those LITTLE NOTES AND LISTS. And the best part? It is recycled!

Enjoy!

mailart: go where you need to be

I am loving all my pen pals these days! I am putting together a mailart swap so I can learn a little more about my fellow artists all over the world.  Interested? Leave me a note in the comment section and subscribe to this thread so that I can notify you with all the detail ---> COMING SOON!

tutorials: plastic fused canvas = pretty collage pieces

I make a lot of collage pieces to use in my art journals, but lately I am hooked on these pretty pieces. They are so full of wonderful texture and color. Since I have had so many questions about them I decided to do a little tutorial.

SUPPLIES YOU WILL NEED:

<--- plastic bags and wax paper
<--- towel to protect your surface
<--- iron and ironging board or flat surface
<--- inks paints and gesso 

STEP ONE:  Cut bottom seams and handles off of your plastic bags. Lay a towel on ironing surface to protect it, followed by a piece of wax paper that is larger than your plastic bag. Next, lay out one plastic bag ( print side in to protect your iron ) followed by another sheet of wax paper. Iron. Continue layering and ironing until you have a four to eight ply stack. Add a final piece of wax paper to your stack and iron one last time.

STEP TWO:  Apply a layer of gesso to your finished plastic canvas. Use an old credit card to move the gesso around. Let dry completely.

STEP THREE:  Start layering your canvas with inks and paints. Spray, brush or dab on your colors to create dimension and color, making sure to let each coat dry completely before adding another layer.

You can mix a little glossy mod podge with your favorite acrylic paints to create a beautiful color that dries with a shine.

STEP FOUR:  Add pops of white and black using a fine tipped brush or the end of a pencil. Add inspiring words or phrases.

STEP FIVE: After your PLASTIC FUSED CANVAS has dried completely, add a final coat of glossy gel medium or mod podge. Let dry. Now your canvas is ready to cut into shapes.

They look so pretty stitched to your favorite card or journal page.

Look for another cool way to use your PLASTIC FUSED CANVAS soon!

on the worktable: new bible covers

Pretty Bible Covers using re-purposed vintage quilt blocks are on the worktable today!

mailart: love your destination

It has been so absolutely crazy busy around here - but the good kind. The good kind of busy where you have to build posts for your blog ahead of time just so your three readers don't leave town and forget about you. In the middle of all that busy though, I had to have a few moments of creative time and this is what happened. LOVE YOUR DESTINATION  mailart.

Of course, like all things,  I had to use some cool recyclables on this pretty piece. I started with a simple print of my latest canvas, adding paint chips, fabric scraps, cupcake papers, washi tape circles, painted tissue paper and more....oh and lots and lots of stitching! Enjoy your Summer, wherever your destination may be!

on the worktable: favorite upcycled stencil

Every once in awhile do you find yourself going back to one tool over and over again? Well this is my favorite go to stencil right now. It is an upcycled piece of I don't know what from an ancient bin of scrapbook stuff I purged a few months ago...

It is started life as a  heavy duty papery sort of material. Once it was inked, stained and gessoed a dozen times it built a tougher outer shell. Now it is the perfect tiny circle stencil. I love it so much that I only allow myself to use a tiny piece at a time - at least until I stumble upon some more!