easy altered jewelry box ornament tutorial

If you've stopped by here before, you probably already know I have a
thing about candy--like it.  A lot.  No big surprise, then, that this elfy candy
label got me going on a little Christmas crafty:

collage image from Altered Pages

Made a little candy box from a small cardboard jewelry box to hang on the tree,
oh yes, gonna fill it full of goodies!  It was so easy, I couldn't make just one . . .

It was super easy, simple enough to make with children.  I got the idea from some
gorgeous ornaments a friend made years ago, but hers were way more fancy fine--
here is how I made mine:

Stuff you need:  small jewelry box, patterned paper, collage image, glue stick,
hole punch, ribbon.  I also added some ink, a bead and some glitter, all totally
optional.  You may want to add even more embellishments.

First and Second:  Cut out a collage image that will fit on the front of the box, and
cut a piece of patterned paper that will fit all the way around the box.

DON'T glue the collage image on!!!

Third, or somewhere along the line:

Punch a small hole in the box, in a spot on the box half (NOT the lid) that isn't

covered by the lid when the lid is on the box.  Does that make sense at all?

Thread a piece doubled piece of ribbon through the hole:

AND TIE a knot in it, so it won't come through the hole.  If you want,
thread a bead or two onto the top (outside the box) ribbon:

totally optional bead

Fourth:  Wrap the patterned paper around the box, creasing it at each edge,
leaving plenty of overlap to glue the paper together.

DO NOT GLUE THE PAPER TO THE BOX!  But DO make the paper
tight enough that you must physically slide it off (like a matchbox), not so loose
that it just slips off of its own accord.  That way you can still open the box, see?

Simple, right?  Big enough to hold something fun, but small enough to
be an ornament.  Easy to add extra embellishments, too--I added some
Glitz pen glitter, but wouldn't these be cute with some German scrap,
or using wire and glass beads instead of ribbon.

PS--Playing along with Inspire Me Monday!
and Lunagirl Moonbeams Hidden Things challenge

3D-ish stamped ephemera butterflies

You've probably seen something similar to these, or made them yourself--

I think they'd be sweet in houseplants, or even around photographs?
Here's a quick how-to:

First, stamp your desired image (I used the Painted Butterflies set, from
Blockheads).  Stack several layers of papers together--I used three--and
fussy cut the image and layers.

Clamp the layers together with a clothespin--not absolutely necessary, but it
makes the gluing easier.

On the back layer, add a thin bead of glue (I used Super Tacky) and nestle in
a piece of wire.  Sandwich the other layers on top, repeating the glue on each
layer.

That's it.  Super easy, right?

This one got some shimmery paints--I think he's destined for the front of a card.
You can add antennae, too, by the way, using that same glue sandwich technique.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

super simple easel card directions/tutorial

There are plenty of great easel card tutorials on the intraweb, but here is a
generalized, super-simple version that may be easier to start with than some
of the more complex varieties.

Stuff you need--cardstock, adhesive, paper cutter

Just like any basic card, whatever size cardstock you are using, the finished
card will be half that size.

1.  Fold the cardstock in half.  This is your card base.

2.  Cut a piece of cardstock the same size as folded-in-half base.  Or, in
other words, a piece one half as big as what you started out with:

(The piece you just cut will eventually be the front of your card--you can
stamp/collage/embellish it at will.)

3.  Fold the FRONT of the card base in half, from the outside edges to
the fold, like this:

4.  Adhere the front piece to the folded flap of the card base, like this:

Now the card front can be set up like an easel.  You probably need to put in a
strip of paper, or ribbon/trim, underneath the base, to act as a lip that will hold
the easel front in place, like this:

A sentiment generally goes beneath the strip/lip, but that's up to you.

That's it--simple, right?  Here's a pic of the loosely folded card, in case you
still aren't quite seeing how these work:

make your own simple bound art journal with fabric cover

There are quite a few tutorials out on the intraweb for making
pretty much this same type of journal--this is a condensed,
super simple blend of a bunch of them.  If you've never
attempted binding before, this might be a good place to start.

What you'll need:
paper for the inside pages--you can use any decent weight paper
you want, any size, really.  This book has 16 pieces of paper, which
makes for 32 pages in the finished journal.

a piece of fabric a little bit wider and about 6 inches longer 
than the paper--we have three boys around the house, and I always
save their ripped up jeans, so denim it is for this one.
  
punch tool--if you don't have one of those pokey tools, a darning
needle with the eye shoved into the end of a cork works okay, or
of course an awl

darning needle
embroidery floss or other similar stuff to bind the journal, about
about 4 times as long as your book is wide, PLUS about 20 inches--
it doesn't have to be exact!
big button for the clasp
ruler, pencil, and clamps--I use the big black flappy paper clip type,
but clothespins will work okay

optional:  bone folder, stuff to embellish the fabric cover such as
paints, fabric stamps/inks, lace, etc.

1.  Fold all the papers in half.  If you have a bone folder, now would be
a great time to use it . . .
2.  Open the papers, neatly stack them, and clamp them together.
3.  Using the ruler, measure the center of the fold line and mark it with a dot. 
4.  Measure out from the center dot about 2 inches on either side along the
fold line and mark with dots.  You may want to measure out a little further
or a little less on each side, depending on how big your paper is--just make it an
equal amount from the center on each side. 

 5.  Using the punch tool, carefully poke through the entire thickness of papers
on the three dots you made.

6.  Thread the darning needle with embroidery floss--don't knot the end.  Place the
papers on your fabric as shown.  The longer side of fabric will wrap around the
finished journal.

7.  Keeping on the clamps, close the papers slightly, and mark on the fabric where
the three holes are.  These marks will be your stitching guides.

8.  Come up through the back of the fabric through the CENTER HOLE, leaving
about a ten inch tail hanging out the back side of the fabric.  This tail will later
be what wraps around the button to clasp the journal closed.  Continue through the
center hole of all the papers, and tighten the floss enough that the papers aren't
loose, but not so tight that the papers will tear when you try and turn pages in the
finished journal.

9.  Sorry, didn't get a pic of this--you're on the inside center of the papers with the
floss--now go through one of the outside holes, through all the thicknesses of
paper and fabric,  through to the appropriate mark on the fabric.
Tighten the floss a bit.

10.  Now go over through the other hole you haven't visited yet--be careful to
line up the mark on your fabric to the hole on the paper--

and again pull through all the thicknesses of paper.

11. Go through the center mark again, and through to the back cover where
you will---

arrange the floss so there is one tail on each side of the giant outer stitch.  Tie a
knot securing the giant stitch, and trim the ends to match, if you like.  (Take off
the clamps . . .) 

12.  Wrap the fabric cover closed, and decide where the button clasp will be.
13.  Stitch on the button, then wrap the floss around the button to close the cover.

See?  There it is again.  Well, yes, okay, I painted mine . . .

What do you think?  Have you ever constructed your own journal?  Leave me a
link, please, I wanna see, and come join in the Reader's Art Quests at Unruly
Paper Arts--this month's RAQ themes are "Dear Diary" (art journal pages, anyone?)
 and "Scrapbook Page."

It just so happens that the current challenge at Blockheads Paper Arts is to use
any bookbinding technique--you can find the details HERE.