Recycled Paint Chip Journal by Karen Bourke

1. Take a collection of coordinating paint chip samples, a small Formica sample and a soft sandpaper block. (See Picture 1)


2. Use the sandpaper block to erase the writing on the paint chip samples.
(See Picture 2)


3 Cut two pieces of off-cut mat board (these were left over from another project) and cut to 6” x 6”. One piece was pink and the other black but as they are going to be covered it doesn’t matter. (See Picture 3)


4 Stick your paint chip samples onto the mat board. (See Picture 4)


5 Trim around the edges. (See Picture 5)


6 Use  a Crop-a-dile  (or similar tool) to  punch 3 holes  down the left hand  side of the  mat board  pieces and  stamp travel words  (Heidi Swapp corner  stamps www.heidiswapp.com)  on the top right  corner and the bottom  left corner with Timber  Brown StazOn  ink. (See Picture 6)


7 Stamp the main image of the lady (www.1stclass-stamps.co.uk) in Timber Brown StazOn and add some feathers to her hat. (See Picture 7)


8 Add an old lock to the middle right hand edge of the journal. (See Picture 8)


9 Take your Formica sample and glue on some old buttons and a pen nib. Add some fibres through the hole and attach an old key and a stamped tag with the word “discover” from the Heidi Swapp corner stamp and add to the front of the journal. (See Picture 9)


10 Cut some recycled paper to size (6” x 6”) and place between the two mat board pieces and join together with split rings. Finally thread an old leather shoe lace through the split rings and tie (see main picture at top.)

Altered Mary Janes by Mary Lind

These shoes are being recycled from my daughter to her younger cousin. Although the shoes were barely worn, I thought they could use a little sprucing up.

1. Take an old pair of black leather Mary Jane shoes. Clean thoroughly with a wet wipe and allow to dry.

2. Using Cotton White Opaque Staz-On, stamp cat image (Cat’s Life Press) on front of each shoe. Let dry. Paint the cats using Golden’s fluid acrylic paints and a fine brush. Let dry.

3. Apply a little paper glaze around the cat images and adhere black microglitter.

4. Use a cosmetic wedge sponge to apply blocks of white acrylic paint (Golden’s) around sole of shoe.

5. Apply several coats of Varathane to shoe to protect paint.

MINI KOI POND by Kathy Nycz

1. Start with a 3 ½ inch square Bentley’s tea tin (See Picture 1)
 and paint the lid with Christmas Green (Apple Barrel) and the bottom with Boston Blue (Apple Barrel) acrylic paints. Sponge the lid with Hunter Green (Apple Barrel) and Green Sea (Ceramcoat) acrylic paints.

2. With Graphite Black Brilliance Ink, stamp a dragonfly (Just For Fun) in the upper right hand side of the inside tin bottom.

3. Cut a piece of textured wave scrapbook paper (The Paper Studio) to fit inside the lid and glue inside the lid.

4. Glue bottom of tin on it’s side inside lid. (See Picture 2)


5. On handmade tan paper, stamp tree bark (Stampin’ Up) twice with Coffee Bean Brilliance Ink.

6. Cut out two trees with the Sizzix Bare Tree die.

7. Cut the two large limbs from one tree and glue to the other tree so you will have four branches. (See Picture 3)
 Cut strips of leaf trim (May Arts) and glue to the branches so that the trim hangs like weeping willow branches. Set aside.

8. Stamp koi fish (Posh Ltd.) with Graphite Black Brilliance Ink on orange card stock and cut out. Mount on the wave paper in lid with foam tape.

9. Cut notch in bottom of tree so it fits over the lid and glue to left side of tin bottom.

10. Glue moss inside of tin bottom.

11. Glue small pink flowers (Jolee’s by You) on the moss.

12. Squeeze Diamond Glaze (Judi Kins) over the fish and wave paper until the fish is completely covered. Let dry.

Recycled Bookmark and Journal Cover by Viki Banaszak

To make the bookmark and journal cover you will need to use a bunch of old photo negatives and some Rexlace (lacing plastic) in your choice of color.

For the bookmark, take one negative and weave the Rexlace through the holes. Leave a tale about an inch or so at the beginning don’t rush this process,  or you will tear the negative. Pull the lace through all the way up and then all the way down making it snug but not tight.  Do this on both sides. When you are finished weaving, trim the ends to the end of the bookmark. Add a piece of wide copper foil to each end to hold the lace in place. Punch a hole in the center of one end and add copper colored fibers and a key embellishment. The key is made with black polymer clay and a Krafty Lady Art Mould. After baking the clay, rub a small amount of copper acrylic paint over the top. Stamp swirl border from A’ La Carte Art Stamps with copper Brilliance ink. Use caution with your heat tool. You may want to practice with a scrap piece to adjust how far away to keep the heat so that the negative won’t melt. (See Picture 2)


For the journal cover, you will need to hold 2 negatives side by side with the holes lined up to weave through. You are basically weaving a fabric for your journal cover. Leave a tail two times the length of the negatives to finish the other side. Continue to weave the fabric until you have your desired length.

If you choose to make your own journal, here are some basics. Trim your paper to 1/8 in. less than your cover and fold in half. Use five pages per signature and make five signatures for 25 pieces of paper. A signature is a group of pages bound together.
After you have your pages folded and grouped into five groups, you will take each group individually and using a fine awl, poke holes at ½-inch intervals. Use linen thread to sew through the signatures in a backstitch. Leave a long tail at the beginning. When you finish sewing the first signature, you will hold the second signature tight against it and continue sewing. If you are interested in a more detailed version of how to bind books, please check your local library or bookseller for “Cover to Cover” by Shereen La Plantz is a good one. There are many books on the subject. Or you can check online.

If you choose to use a ready-made journal, attach a piece of banana fiber by gluing it to the front page. After it has dried, weave the lacing threw a few fibers at each end of your front cover. Then attach the fiber to the back cover and continue adding your negatives until you have completed your back cover.
Trim the ends and cover with copper tape to secure. (See Picture 3)


Add a piece of black fiber paper to the cover with copper eyelets. Use E6000 to attach a key hole (Krafty Lady Art Mould) made from black polymer clay. Add copper acrylic paint over the top. Add a tiny face to the bottom of the keyhole, made from beige polymer clay, then stained with brown acrylic paint. (See Picture 4)

 

Memories Found by Kathy Stoffel

1. Start with a vintage Brownie camera. (See Picture 2)


2. Brush off any loose dirt or rust.

3. Apply alcohol inks to the metal front of the camera to add interest and color.
(See Picture 3)


4. Cover the lens openings. (See Picture 4)


5. Gesso the outside. (See Picture 5)


6. Paint the outside of the camera case using acrylic paints.

7. Use a Krylon gold leafing pen to gild around the metal knobs and viewfinders.

8. Add beads to a wire and wrap each end of the wire around the screw posts where the original handle was attached.

9. Stamp with a border stamp along the bottom edge of one side of the camera.

10. Add a piece of metal trim to the bottom of the other side using regular matte gel medium. Hold for a few seconds to let the gel set.

Decorate the camera with transfers of vintage photos and other stamps, as desired. These transfers were made using black and white toner copies of old photos with Omni~Gel, following the manufacturer’s instructions