using leftover Gellis to finish a UFO

Do you ever abandon projects, leaving them as UFOs?  You know, UnFinished Objects.  Must confess to you that I do, occasionally . . . today in the art room, under a pile of partially used Gelli prints, I discovered an origami wallet fold book.  It lacked a cover, and its pockets were pitifully empty, so this happened--that pile of leftover Gelli print pieces?  Definitely enough for a little book cover and some ATC backgrounds.

Leftover Gelli print pieces

Here's the cover . . . it's a little over 2 1/2 by 3 1/2, because inside is the orgami wallet fold book pages, the pockets being the perfect size to hold ATCs . . .

Inside cover, first pocket, and atc

Oh good grief.  Do you see what I see?

Make sure the image is glued down before putting it in the pocket!!

This one is my favorite.   :)

This, along with a brief organization tip, is my share today at Altered Pages Artsociates.  The theme this month is LET'S GET ORGANIZED, and there have been some really helpful hints.

Happy Thursday, everyone!  :)

A use-what-you-have, step by step introduction to book binding.

That's my new column at Unruly Paper Arts.  If you have time to peruse it, let me know if there's anything confusing--it made sense when I was writing it up, but does it read well?????  We'll see . . .

Here is the link:  A Use-What-You-Have, Step by Step Introduction to Book Binding.

 The finished book has a cloth covered cover, it's some random tie-dyed cotton from years ago, and

 I really like stamping over ephemera--this paper was someone's school notes at one time.

This page is old notebook paper--such a pretty image, our daughter plays violin, so I'm a little partial to this one.  Thank you to Rubber Dance Art Stamps for the beautiful stamps, love that Thoreau quote, too!

Have a wonderful week, everyone!  (And seriously, if you see something hinky in that tutorial, let me know.)

  

time--a 4x4 inch canvas

Today at the Leaky Shed Studio blog, I'm sharing this 4x4 inch gallery wrapped canvas:

DecoArt Traditions Acrylic paints, Leaky Shed chipboard

It features "Clock #2 Small," a finely cut chipboard who, once again, proved Leaky Shed quality by withstanding some substantial mistreatment on my part . . .

Isn't that a pretty cut?  If you'd like more details, please see THIS POST.
Thank you for stopping by, and a Happy Thursday to you!

:)

Valentine peeky party

Today at the Altered Pages Artsociates blog, I'm sharing peeks at a buncha Valentines--here are couple for you:

straight up collage--you could make these today!

leftover cut out images = stick them on the envelope!!!

Some of them fit into these super cute glassine envelopes, and they all fit into business sized envelopes.  What?  You say those glassine envies look like something you got your last hotdog in?  Don't be so observant ridiculous!  For the month of February, we're also sharing tips for organizing your art space, and I'm really enjoying the helpful hints.

Have a great weekend!
:)

palette paper Valentines

Today at the Leaky Shed Studio blog, I'm sharing some Valentines I made using paper leftover from monoprinting with a Gelli plate.  This paper isn't the actual prints, it's paper that was used as a palette to brayer out the paints, plus some LSS chipboard I was using as masks in the printing process.

Butterfly wings from Altered Pages

The palette paper is adhered to cardstock, cut to fit inside these glassine envelopes, which then fit inside a business size envelope

Have a great week, everyone--I hope to see you tomorrow with What's On Your Workdesk, Wednesday, and again Thursday with some more Valentines!  :)

the finished chair. and a matching chalkboard--What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday, #296

Good grief it's been a whole week already!  Finished the chair, the girl child likes it loads--AND the matching "chalkboard" to go with it, which will hang on the wall next to the desk:

The "chalkboard" has the same crackle finish as the desk, and the same colors--the lighting here is a little funky, as there aren't any windows up on the landing where this set now resides, so it looks a little off to me in these pics.  The chalkboard is really a picture frame, and the glass has been finished with Americana Gloss Enamels Chalkboard paint--pretty amazing stuff!  It's like a really real chalkboard now!

 The chair has the same yellow and green which were used on the desk, in the stencils--this photo was taken while the desk was still downstairs, the colors show more accurately here, you may remember this photo:

The paints are all Americana Chalky Finish paints, along with the Crackle Finish and Satin Varnish AND stencils from the same line--so easy to use, I'm totally hooked.  Seriously, I keep looking around for more things to paint, it's getting ridiculous . . . the daughter-in-law wants me to do up a desk for her now, too!

So What's On YOUR Workdesk this Wednesday?  Leave your linky at the marvelous Miss Julia's, and you're sure to have a few blog neighbors stop by to say hi and see!  Happy Woyww, everyone!

Valentines, and a chair to match that desk. What's on Your Workdesk? Wednesday, #295

It's Wednesday again, and for two weeks in a row, I'm in on the fun at Julia's with What's on Your Workdesk?  Wednesday.

Desk this week:

 Making a few Valentines, like this one:

And working on a chair to match the desk in THIS POST:

The girl child wants the base yellow, with crackles, and the deeper green that's the same color as some of the stenciling on the aforementioned desk.  Not sure I have enough green left, so we'll see how this turns out.  Maybe next week?

What's on YOUR workdesk?
:)

more prints--getting ready to make Valentines!

Had another little printing party today, making up some painty and inky backgrounds to use with Valentines, and to share at the Altered Pages Artsociates blog.  Yep, used the Gelli plate again--but I have been known to monotype print on that baking sheet, too!  In my last post, I was using DecoArt Traditions paints, but this time I was using the Americana Line--I like using less expensive paints for papers that are going to be backgrounds.  I could definitely tell the difference in the details, but the results were still great, and it's always good art therapy to pull a bunch of prints.

collage page from Altered Pages

I REALLY like the doily, such nice details.  Now I need to actually MAKE the Valentines . . .

By the way, Altered Pages is teaming with DecoArt this month--if you go to the Artsociates post, and share it on social media (fb, pinterest, google+), be sure to leave a comment telling Miss Jean you did--she'll put your name in the draw for $35 of DecoArt products, plus a very helpful brayer like the one I used here!

printing party--What's on Your Workdesk? Wednesday #294

Party with my Gelli plate and some pretty new paints--won't bore you with too much talk, here's what's on my workdesk today:

Stencils and paints (DecoArt, media and Traditions line), lots of messy printing, and trying to use chipboard cuts for masks (swirly one from Leaky Shed Studio).

I really like the detail in this leaf!!! 

Seriously good art therapy.  These particular prints are getting stitched up into a book, but I'm making a buncha Valentine backgrounds, too.  They should be up Thursday. 

Happy WOYWW to you--and thank you, Julia!

how did I not post this sooner??? (published, yay!)

A while back, I mailed in a couple of submissions, and then promptly forgot about them.  So when this came in the mail before Christmas--

THANK YOU, Somerset Studio Gallery!!!

what a fabulous surprise, right??  They used a set of three cards, created using images and ephemera from Altered Pages and Something Tattered Wallpaper Background stamps:

That wish stamp and paint swipe--Pink Paislee

And to make it even more fun (for me, anyway), the layout of my cards is right next to a gorgeous piece created by one of my beautiful bloggy friends, the lovely and talented Lynne! 

(One time, two of my friends that I actually see and live near were in the issue of a magazine, which struck me as majorly funny and exciting.  But I digress . . .)

Anyway, this is still making me smile.

It's Friday already, have a wonderful weekend, everyone!

:)