Using up leftovers

And no, I don't mean cooking.   Today we have a guest post from Jackie.  I saw Jackie making these at our local crop and I asked her if she would share this technique with us.  This was meant to be a Febraury posting but I forgot to schedule it properly!

Making use of your scraps

So that my December Daily album had a continuous flow I decided to make these to hold my dates.

Gather together your supplies.  I used:
a Stamp Punch
a Circle Punch
a Tab Punch
Wood Veneer Stars
Some ribbon
and any scraps of paper that you have.

Using a selection from the papers, punch out your shapes starting withe the large stamp punch, then use the circle punch.

I used some printed acetate with  my tag punch.

 

Cut the ribbon to about 2 inch stripsand cut a 'v-notch' into each edge.

Using different colours for each punched shape, and a small piece of ribbon, it is now time to assemble the date tag.

1. Starting with the postage stamp shape add the punched tag.
2. Add the ribbon over the top.
3. Then the circle
4. Then the star.  I added the star to the bottom - it leaves some room for you to add the date.

You can even add this little embellishment to a tag and use as a gift tag or as a bigger embellishment for a scrapbook page or a card.

This is an easy way to use up your scraps and even if you are using different papers through your album, your pages will all have something in common.

Thank you Jackie for a great tutorial.

I look forward to seeing what you all come up with, using whatever punches you may have. Or cut out shapes with scissors if you don't own punches!  Perhaps you might use this idea to label all your pages in your 12 Months in View journal.  Whatever you choose to do please share it with us using the linky below.

February Calendar

Another month has rushed past and it's time to make our February calendar.  This is our last calendar together on 12 Months in View but you can continue with it on your own or join in with the group on Facebook.    ]If you want to know more about the idea behind the monthly calendar please look on Kate Crane's blog as the whole thing is her idea.

I thought I would like to do something different from hearts for Febraury but couldn't think of anything and in the end went mad with a heartfest!

I thought I would make a totally Dylusions background using Dylusions stamps and inks.  I stamped the hearts with black Archival ink and the month with red Archival ink.  I added the heartbeat style border stamp at the bottom of the page.

I sprayed with 2 colours of red and a pink - although in this photo it looks quite orange!  Then I sprayed White Linen through a Dylusions stencil.

I found some pink scrapbooking paper called Cupid in my stash and used a punch to cut out the hearts.  I wrote the numbers with a black Glaze pen and outlined the month.

I look forward to seeing what you come up with for February.  Please share it with us using the linky below.

January Art Challenge

This month try recyling an envelope.

Watch this video by Carolyn Dube and let her inspire you.  Use whatever you have.

Please share your recycled envelope with us by using the linky below.

Creative Date

Julia Cameron in The Artists Way suggested the idea of making time for a regular creative date.   This idea is also picked up by Matt Tommey in Unlocking the Heart of the Artist.   You can also find inspiration here: 101 Artist's Date Ideas.

I am suggesting that we should each make time for a creative date each month.  Ideally we will go out.  Go to a local museum, a local art gallery, go for a walk!  Whatever idea you have that will feed your creativity.

However sometimes it's not possible to physically visit those places.  So here's my idea for January.  Click on this link to colouring pages for adults.  There are lots of pages to choose from.  Download one or two and just colour in.

Please share your pages with us all using the linky below.

January Technique challenge

Making Paper Cloth

I thought we might try something different this month.

Visit these blog tutorials and have a go!

How to make paper cloth

and

Postcards made with paper cloth

Do share what you make with us using the linky below.

Recycling with Joanna

This is our last class from Joanna.  However if you want to spend more time with her, Joanna has set up a group on Facebook: Artful of Soul.  Here's the description of the group:

Mixed media, art journaling, collage, altered art, assemblage and all kinds of fun and funky, whimsical art is found here. We share resources, techniques, ideas and inspiration. If you have a heARTful of soul to share, you are welcome here!

RECYCLED CHRISTMAS CARD ANGEL ORNAMENTS

Supplies:

• Christmas cards (covers only)
• Scissors
• Glue stick
• White glue
• 6” of decorative thread or ribbon (for hanger)
• Pencil
• Plain copy paper
• Card stock (to make angel template)
• Assorted decorative embellishments (ribbon, stickers, glitter, jewelry findings, etc)

Download the angel template PDF to your own computer and print it off on copy paper, then trim off most of the excess paper around the image. 

Using your glue stick, adhere the angel image to the cardstock, then cut it out.  This will be your template to use with the Christmas cards.

You can make the angel any size you want but this one is about 4” at its widest by about 4.25” at its highest.  This size works well to get two angel shapes from one Christmas card cover measuring about 5” X 8.” 

Of course, there is no reason not to make your angel shapes from different cards.  That will just make them more interesting!  And don’t worry if the image prints off at a different size than what I’ve noted here.  Just work with it as it is.  You can always alter the size of your template at a later time if you’d prefer it smaller or larger.

Cut apart your Christmas cards.  You’ll only need the cover (or front) piece of the card.

Trace around your angel cardstock template on the back side of your Christmas card cover.  Then flip the template over and trace a second image on the same Christmas card (or on a separate card if the first one is not large enough for two tracings).  You will now have two angels that are mirror images of one another.  Cut both out.  The finer the job you do of cutting them out, the less finishing work you’ll need to do later on.

With the angels face up (good side of Christmas card), take the angel with the wing on the left and cut from the center bottom of the angel body up about halfway.  We’ll call this the Left Angel.

Take the angel with the wing on the right and cut from the center top of the head down about halfway.  We’ll call this one the Right Angel.  (Photo shows both angels with the cuts as described.  You may need to look closely to see the cuts.)

Here’s the tricky part.  Holding the Left Angel in your left hand and the Right Angel in your right hand, slip the slot you created in the Right Angel’s head up into the slot of the Left Angel’s body. 

Adjust the fit until both sides are even (this isn’t an exact science).  In the photos below I have taken the Left Angel from the white/red set and the Right Angel from the gray/gold set and slotted them together.  Hopefully the contrast in their colors helps to demonstrate what I am doing.

Use a couple of discreet dabs of white glue at the bottom of the now-joined angels to hold them together as one.   Do the same with the head, but if you want to make a hanging angel, then layer your looped decorative thread or ribbon in as you glue, hiding the ends of the ribbon or thread of course.  Let dry before moving on to the next step.

You may want to trim the bottom of the angel or around the head or wings just to even things up. 

Now comes the fun part – decorating your angel!  You can leave it just as it is and it makes a great ornament, however I have trouble leaving anything plain, so I usually do some embellishing.

To cover the center seam that shows where the two pieces are joined, I will often run a small strip of double-sided tape (.25” wide) from the bottom of the angel to the neck.  I’ll then cover that tape with decorative ribbon or trim or some kind of embellishment.

I love adding a head to these ornaments and have used everything from clay face cabochons to bottlecaps with vintage face images on them.  The limit is really only your imagination.  Just remember that these items add bulk to your angel so if you are going to be mailing them, keep this in mind.  Also, depending on what you are adding for a head (or other embellishments) you’ll probably need to use a stronger adhesive such as E-6000 or Goop.

Even if both pieces of my angel came from the same Christmas card, I am always surprised at how they look when they are slotted together to make one.  That is part of the fun of this project, I think. 

Keep in mind that this template is a just a rough outline of an angel so that you can get the idea of this project.  You can certainly create something more refined or elaborate.  If you come up with a great shape that you are willing to share, we would love to see it.

I’m sure you’ll think of all kinds of other ideas of how to embellish your angel ornaments.  I would recommend that if you are going to do any kind of treatment to the ornaments (like paint, or glitter glue covering the surface), that you do that before you slot the two together.  It will be much easier that way.

The last thing to do is give the wings a gentle bend toward the back so that they and the arms stand out a bit from one another and give the angel a 3D effect overall. 

I like to take friends’ Christmas cards they’ve sent me and make an angel out of those cards to mail back to them the following Christmas.  It’s especially fun to do this if they have written on the back of the card.  I love the expressions on their faces when they turn the angel ornament over and see their own handwriting on it.

Have fun with this project and Happy New Year, one and all !

Cheers!
Joanna

Thank you so much Joanna.

I hope you all enjoy making these angels.  Please share your photos using the link below.

January Zine

Each quarter we are making a seasonal Zine.  The information for the Winter Zine is here with the December page.

And so to January.   Here's the starting point.

I had a snowdrop stencil from years back when stenciling on the walls was popular!  I used a white acrylic paint dabber through the stencil.

With a small brush and the acrylic paint I filled in the spaces.

I inked over the white acrylic with Distress Markers.

I printed out the quote, cut it up, inked it and stuck it down.  I stamped the word January on a spare piece of paper and stuck that down too.

I look forward to seeing your January page.  Don't forget to share it with us.

Photo Challenge

In March 2013 I introduced this monthly challenge.  Each month we take a photograph on the same day, at the same time, of the same place.  How are you getting on with this challenge?

You choose a day or date and a place to suit you.  It could be taken from your front door, your back door, a particular place on your journey to work or on the school run.  It could be where you walk the dog.  Wherever it is, it needs to be a place you are at or near regularly.

Each month we take a photo and over the year we will build up a picture of the changes in the seasons.   If you haven't already, I suggest you have a folder on your hard drive where you keep these photos so you can find them at the end of our 12 months together.

If you upload them to the Facebook group please add the photo to your album or if you are new please make an album with your name and a suitable title.  Thanks.

There's also a Flickr group if you don't have a blog or a Facebook account.

I've added a linky for you to add your photo or blog.

Flower of the Month

Our penultimate contribution from Susan for our flower of the month.  This month we are featuring the Snowdrop.

Snowdrops – Galanthus nivalis

Deep sleeps the Winter,

Cold, wet, and grey;

Surely all the world is dead;

Spring is far away.

Wait! the world shall awaken;

It is not dead, for lo,

The Fairy Maids of February

Stand in the snow!

-The Song of the Snowdrop Fairy

By Cicely Mary Baker

“So simple, so humble, yet so brave. It comes before the crocus dares. I love the snowdrop, the first of all flowers, the harbinger of spring. God’s New Year’s gift to the earth, …”

- Francis Kilvert (1840-1879), clergyman

Snowdrops are one of the earliest flowers of the year to bloom, so early in fact that they often get covered with snow. The botanical name, Galanthus nivalis, comes from Greek and Latin. Gala means “milk”, anthos means “flower”. Nivalis means “snowy”.  Galanthus will bloom anywhere from January to March, depending on the climate and weather conditions. In the Language of Flowers, the Snowdrop represents hope and consolation and says “Let us wait for better days!”  If these flowers are in bloom, spring can’t be too far off!

A native flower of Britain, it is the English flower emblem for January. It can be found growing wild in England in open woodlands and in hedgerows.  The plant grows three to four inches tall. The nodding white flower is made up of three inner petals which are tinged with green and three longer outer petals that open out like a ballerina’s tutu. The outer petals are also said to resemble angel’s wings with the green base of the flower serving as the head and the inner petals as the body.  The leaves of Galanthus resemble grass blades in shape and color.

Snowdrops grow best in partial shade and moist, well drained soil. They look wonderful naturalized in the lawn, at the base of trees and shrubs or in the garden. Buy bulbs in autumn and plant them two to three inches deep and two to four inches apart. Since they bloom when the weather is cold, be sure to plant them in an area that can be seen from a window or along a walkway to your house.

So long as the ground isn’t frozen, the plants can be dug up when flowers begin to bloom, put in pots and brought inside. Once the flowers fade, the plants can be tucked back into the soil.

If you do not have any snowdrops to bring inside this winter, you can try your hand at making paper flowers by following this simple tutorial found in the beautiful British magazine, LandScape.

http://www.landscapemagazine.co.uk/upload/2_Flower_Craft.jpg

Happy New Year!

Thank you so much Susan.

Please share your Snowdrop page with using the linky below.