Art Journal “If Animals Could Talk”
I’m sure most of you are happy it’s Friday…I however am feeling the crunch! I have much to do and so little time to get it all done. Does anyone have a few hours to lend? Ah well can’t blame a girl for trying! This week at TOFF our challenge is “Animals”. What’s not to love about that? Lily’s fun and quirky animal images are what drew me to the Octopode Factory in the first place, so I was more than happy for the opportunity to showcase some of my faves in The Octopode Factory Storybook.
Art Journal "If Animals Could Talk"
This Art Journal is turning out to be a well oiled machine. As I’ve said before it’s almost as if it’s creating itself while I am holding the paint brush. Once again everything has come together in perfect harmony much like the age-old tale of the “Kingdom of the Lion” in Aesop’s Fables.
Art Journal Animals Gordon the Lion, Walter the Rabbit, and the Stork
In this case it’s Gordon the Lion and many of his friends. Walter the rabbit must be crying tears of joy that everyone is getting along so well in the land of The Octopode Factory.
Art Journal Animals Stuart the Giraffe, Little Miss Bambi, Tweet and Gomez
How did these animals come to be in this magical place? Allow me to show you the way…
Art Journal Background
I started with a light wash of white acrylic paint to allow some of the text and images from the original book to show through. Next I used the Marbled Stains technique from Tim Holtz’s Compendium of Curiosities 2. This is the same technique used on the Rainbow Connection page. While the ink was still wet I sprinkled some Ranger Holographic embossing powder over my pages. I think I’m in love with this embossing powder by the way 
Gift Wrap and Greeting Cards
Here we have a prime example of how this creation has developed a mind of its own. Last week, while working on the Fairytale page I discovered this amazing greeting card in my vintage card collection with the stitched hills and clouds. Although I couldn’t fit it into last weeks page I set it aside to use as a background for this weeks page. Even when unfolded the vintage card was not long enough to fit across both pages leaving me wondering how to fill in the gaps. I didn’t need to wonder very long. While purchasing my Grandmother’s Mother’s day gift at a store that offers gift wrapping I spied this lovely double-sided paisley paper. Not only did it make a lovely gift I knew she would give it to me to use in my art journal. She even crumpled it up before I could stop her which adds some nice texture don’t you think? Quite the role reversal I might add. Isn’t it Grandma’s who are known for saving gift wrap and not the other way around?
MMMM Mod Podge
Once I had clipped the paisley, swirls, medallions for the clouds, and lined up the green polka dots and blue portions with the edges of the greeting card I opened a fresh jar of Mod Podge. It’s the little things that make life grand!
Gift Wrap and Greeting Card Background
Ah Mod Podge how do I love thee! Your shiny lustre and ability to multitask as a glue and sealant all in one. I vow to “stick” with you for the rest of my creative days! *Meanwhile aside from this tranquil scene the animals were being colored with Copic Markers, given detail with my latest obsession Gelly Roll Stardust pens and Mod Podged to Chipboard in preparation for their arrival into the land of The Octopode Factory.
"Life IS a special occasion"
The animals were quite excited to be meeting each other and had lots to say. If only I could find the words for them. Ah ha! How about the Hallmark bag that held my Mother’s day cards? Oh horrors! I BUY my cards from Hallmark it’s true. I’m certainly not going to MAKE cards for people to toss in the round file. Besides, Hallmark always has the words “I might say”…I’ll just sign my name right underneath and call it a day
Animals from Across the Pond
These animals have come from all over to be here. It appears Gordon the Lion has come from across the Pond…”Cheers” to that!
A friendly "Hello"
Gomez, Bambi and Tweet have arrived with a friendly “Hello!”
"What's Up?" Stuart the Giraffe that's who!
Stuart the Giraffe is one of my absolute favorite images from The Octopode Factory. He’s saying “What’s up?” to the crew. Stuart is very “Up” for sure. By the way….the sparkly flowers were rescued from one of the Mother’s day cards I bought before it landed in the trash
Art Journal Gift Wrap Clouds
The medallions from the gift wrap worked wonderfully as whimsical clouds to fill this scene. The quote is from ‘Charlotte’s Web’ and for lack of a better word a “Perfect” fit or as Charlotte might write in her web “Some Quote!”
Flutterby Butterfly says "Hi!"
“Perhaps, if people talked less animals would talk MORE.” -Dr. Dorian
Well I certainly think so! What about you?
Stop by TOFF this week and see what all the animals are talking about. While you’re at it swing by Balzer Design’s for “Art Journal Everyday” for a healthy dose of inspiration!
Have a creative day!
Amy*
Art Journal Page “Life is a Fairytale”
I’m going full tilt with this art journal thing…it really is amazing how the pages of The Octopode Factory storybook are unfolding! This week at TOFF our challenge is Red, White and Blue. Since I have used the challenge themes at TOFF as prompts for my pages I must admit I was a bit stumped on how to include this particular theme in my story without making it patriotic. I had to put my thinking cap on for this one. Once again the story came together before my eyes in true Fairytale fashion….
Art Journal Fairytale
Once upon a time…Little RED Riding hood, Snow WHITE, and Little Boy BLUE hung out together in the same story…and why shouldn’t they? This is my fairytale and I can create it any way I want! Will there be witches and wolves you ask? We shall see what the next pages have in store. Every tale must have an antagonist so chances are good that one is soon to show up…oh my!
Fairytale Characters
Now that Little Red, Snow White and Little Boy Blue have joined the party I have successfully covered this weeks theme at TOFF Now let’s go back and see how it all began…
Faded Layers Background
I was so bummed about being a day late and a dollar short for last weeks CC2 challenge at Studio L3 I started working on this project extra early to make sure I wasn’t late again. To see last weeks page featuring CC2 #3 click here. Here I have used the “Faded Layers” technique from Tim’s new book Compendium of Curiosities vol.2. My layers didn’t come out as faded as I had hoped (I was a bit over zealous with the mini-mister I’m afraid) so I outlined them in Silver Pen. Simon Says Stamp and Show is challenging us to use our favorite stamp….with pleasure I say to that! My new favorite is this fantastic floor stamp from Stampendous. I have used it along the bottom to ground my images. Speaking of grounding…Little Boy Blue seems to be flying off the page. He must be looking for his hat. Don’t worry I found him one in my vintage greeting card collection. Now all he needs is a horn. Don’t worry I’m on it!
More Faded Layers
Here’s another look at my faded layers…I created my own masks with Tim’s Hardware findings die. The eye stamp is one of my other favorite stamps along with the text stamp. I added a bit of Mod Podge Sparkle to the Key and other areas around the page to add some pizzazz.
Mother Goose
I’ve gotten some mixed responses on this project when confronted with the fact that I am defacing an old Mother Goose Book. Some are shocked, some are scared, some say they could never bear to do it, some are glad that I have done it so they don’t have to. I started to feel bad about it while I was gluing pages together for the latest installment. That’s when I decided to incorporate some of the original illustrations into my pages (don’t worry I’m saving all the pages that I have removed from the book). Here we have the “Old Woman Tossed in a Basket”. Although I am not familiar with this particular tale I love the image. I added a quote from Susan Wiggs to her basket that I thought was fitting for the scene.
The Cow Jumped Over the Moon
This is my personal favorite fairytale rhyme “Hey Diddle, Diddle”. I just love the Cow jumping over the moon. I colored him purple with Copics because when I have the hiccups DH tells me to imagine a purple cow falling down a hill. This treatment never cures my hiccups but always makes me laugh! I globbed on some more Mod Podge Sparkle to his spots…it almost gives a holographic effect.
The Dish Ran Away with the Spoon...
The Dish and the spoon are another two of my FAVORITE characters in this rhyme. I adore this original illustration as well. If you haven’t read The New Adventures of the Dish and the Spoon by Mini Grey check it out it is a delight for all ages! All of her books are wonderful…as an aspiring children’s book author she is one of my greatest inspirations.
The little Dog has also come to play. Laughing all the way of course. I have given him a real lace collar adhered with ice blue stickles and dotted Red Barn Distress Stickles along his romper and hat.
Vintage Embellishments
I embellished my pages with more golden oldies from my vintage greeting card collection. The blue stars were punched from the bird card, the gold card was used to make Little Boy Blue’s Horn and the tiny silver stars came from my Junior Prom invitation…yes I still have it and this is why. You never know when something will prove useful artistically…there IS a method to my madness!
Little Red Riding Hood
Here’s Little Red Riding hood. Her hair is made of ribbon which I discovered can be curled just like the plastic kind. I also discovered these tiny bows in my stash while searching for red ribbon to tie around the yellow….crafty magic? I think so!
Snow White
I am a HUGE Disney Dork…I ALWAYS color my images according to the Disney movie I watched as a kid. Just like the Cheshire cat will forever be purple with pink stripes, in my mind Snow White will look like this.
Little Boy Blue
I did not plan for Dreamer to be above Little Boy Blue’s head It just worked out that way. I told you I’m not creating this thing…I swear this creation has a mind of its own! It worked out perfectly because Little Boy Blue IS a dreamer…”and he’s not the only one” Looks like he’s found his horn (and my Dymo Labeler). Little Boy Blue is actually from the Tin Tin and Snowy set from the Octopode Factory. I told you all he needed was a hat and a horn!
Life is a Fairytale...
I found many wonderful “Fairytale” quotes but this one seemed to be…in the words of Goldilocks, “just right”. Life IS the most wonderful fairytale of all! Isn’t it?
Stop by Balzer Designs for Art Journal Every Day and even more Art Journal inspirations. This week Julie has a wonderful guest post by Marit Barentsen where she discusses how she started her own Magazine…Featuring. Prepare to be inspired
Hope you will show us your Red, White and Blue at TOFF…thanks for stopping by!
Have a Fairytale kind of day!
Amy*
Art Journal “The Rainbow Connection”
I must say I am so in love with this new path I have found myself on! My journey into the world of art journaling has been nothing short of amazing! Each day is filled with new discovers and adventures in creativity. I feel like a bird getting braver and braver with each page I complete and I know before long I will be spreading my creative wings and really starting to fly! This weeks challenge at TOFF is flowers. There’s nothing I like more than a beautiful bloom; especially magical flowers like the ones that grow in the world of The Octopode Factory.
The Rainbow Connection
Since this Art Journal will eventually become an Octopode Factory Storybook I have used the weekly themes from TOFF as prompts for my pages. However, the backgrounds and overall creation of each page is inspired by many sources.
Marbled Stains Background
The background was inspired by the CC2 challenge at Studio L3. This weeks challenge was marbled stains. You can find this technique in Tim Holtz’s new book Compendium of Curiosities 2. *When using this technique on large surfaces just pick your craft sheet up and mash it on to the page The rainbow was added using the same technique and inspired by the Color Challenge at Simon Says Stamp.
Hero Arts Flowers and Text
To add texture to the background I used the Flowers and Text stamp from Hero Arts with Watermark ink and clear embossing powder.
The Rainbow Connection
The Distress Stain Rainbow was a bit faint so I outlined it with Copic Markers and added some Zentangle patterns to each color. I was further inspired to add the lyrics to “The Rainbow Connection” to the colored stripes as well. As of late I have been trying to learn Lettering and Zentangle patterns. Julie Fei-Fan Balzer has a wonderful lettering Tutorial where she even discusses which pens work best for different lettering styles. As for learning Zentangle I have found TanglePatterns and Beez in the Belfry to be most helpful.
Someday We'll find it...
Here you can really see the embossed Hero Arts Stamp peeking through the Marbled Stain background, along with some new additions to the Octopode Factory…Art Words!
You can learn a lot of things from the Flowers...
Another new addition to The Octopode Factory…Art Letters! I Zentangled each and every one then outlined them with my new silver pen and cut them out…yeah that took awhile
An "eye" for Beauty
The eye flower is one of my favorite flowers from the Octopode Factory. I printed it multiple times and mounted the eye portion on chip board to add depth.
Dream a little Dream with me...
The same technique was used for the Sunflower and Heart Flower. All of the images were colored with Copic Markers and adhered with Mod Podge.
Inspiring Words
I was planning on practicing my lettering skills and hand writing all the things that “You can learn from the flowers” but just a few days ago I received an email from Lily with the new Art Words! Gosh it’s like she’s reading my mind!
Love Art!
The “Love Art” is my favorite. I thought those words were the perfect ending to this page. Don’t you just love when art comes together? I swear I’m not even creating this thing…it is creating ME! What have you been creating? If you are working on an Art Journal stop by Balzer Designs and share…there is no shortage of inspiration and loveliness over there.
I hope you will join us at TOFF for the flowers challenge…all of the Flowers used in this project are available at the Octopode Factory.
Here’s to finding the “Rainbow Connection”!
Amy*
Sheet Music Flowers
I have a very special paper flower arrangement to share with you today. This arrangement was custom-made for my Sister’s best friend for her birthday. She had apparently been smitten with the Centerpieces I made for my Sister’s Baby Shower. Unfortunately, I no longer had any of the arrangements from the Baby Shower but I did have one of the containers. I will be entering this arrangement in the Flower challenge at the CSI project click the link below to play along! 
Sheet Music Paper Flowers
I received a call from my friends Mom asking if I had any of the Baby Shower Centerpieces or something similar. I showed her Mom the arrangements I had on hand and she really liked the Neapolitan Paper Flower Arrangement (this is my personal favorite). This is one of my largest paper flower arrangements and was a bit too big for a desk. I offered to create a custom arrangement for her combining elements from the Neapolitan and Baby Shower flowers.
A "Musical" Arrangement
I LOVE making custom arrangements! It allows me to add so many personal touches specific to the person who will be receiving the arrangement. In this case my Sister’s friend is a music teacher so I offered to add some sheet music flowers. I didn’t have much in the way of vintage sheet music at the time and was planning on using a sheet music stamp to make my own papers. Her mother was delighted by this idea and informed me that she had a whole bag full of vintage sheet music she was “hanging on to” in the hopes of finding someone to give it to. Oh happy day! Not only did I get to make a super personal custom arrangement I now have a TON of vintage sheet music for future projects! I can now cross sheet music off my thrifting list
Musical Details
The sheet music was a bit difficult to work with due to its age. I’m pretty rough with my flowers while trying to get them to bend and curl to my every whim. Not with the sheet music though! It kept cracking and breaking when I tried to curl it. In the future I will be sealing the sheets first before die cutting…Mod Podge is great for adding strength to weaker papers.
What would you do for a Klondike Flower?
The rest of the papers are a mix of Coredination’s card stock and other solid card stock from my stash. I LOVE Coredination’s for its versatility and durability. You can sand it, stamp it, tear it and beat it up entirely and it will hold up beautifully. It also adds a nice subtle texture to any paper crafting project.
Sheet Music Buttons
I added some custom buttons by gluing clear buttons to sheet music scraps. The rest of the buttons and beads are from my stash. I make a lot of paper flower arrangements so I keep a variety of buttons and beads on hand. Plus it gives me an excuse to buy cute buttons and sparkly beads…shiny things amuse me
Sheet Music Ribbon
I created a custom ribbon for the Sheet Music Arrangement by using my trusty sheet music stamp and Black Archival Ink.
Special Delivery!
I’m all about presentation when it comes to my paper flowers. I recycle shipping boxes from online orders and such and save them for my arrangements. First, I lay them flat and stamp with my new favorite “Flowers and Text” stamp from Hero Arts in Sepia Archival Ink. Next, I cut the tops off of the box and embellish by hot gluing ribbon around the top. Finally, I use the Tim Holtz Hanging Sign Die to cut a label for the front of the box with my logo ( the logo stamp was created from a Martha Stewart Custom Stamp set). Now all I have to do is add the flowers, some tissue, and an extra special hand-made gift tag and we are ready for a special delivery!
If you would like to see a photo tutorial on how I make my paper flowers and the products I use to create them you can check out this post. The next arrangement I make I am hoping to do a video tutorial so stay tuned!
Thanks for stopping by! Hope your day is filled with loveliness!
Amy*
Altered Book Page “A World Where Anything is Possible”
Happy Friday! My how this week has flown by! I’m back with another installment in my Octopode Factory Altered Storybook/Art Journal. I am so enjoying this art form. I love it because anything goes and ANYTHING is possible…you never know what creative discoveries you might find within the pages of an Art Journal. This realization was the prompt for the text I added to the new pages. The rest of the page was inspired by this weeks challenge at TOFF “Pink” and oh how pink it is!
Imagine a World Where ANYTHING is Possible
If you have followed my journey into art journaling the past few weeks you already know that my plan is to turn this former Mother Goose book into an Octopode Factory story book. I have left spaces for the text of my story but my original plan of writing the story within each page has changed. Who knows it may change again. For now I am taking a backwards approach to it…like watching the movie before reading the book it’s based on. The story is in my head, and scrawled on various notebooks littering my desk. Truth be told I’m a bit nervous to finalize things now that I have entered a world where ANYTHING is Possible! Who knows what kind of changes and discoveries might come up along the way?
Feathers and Frosting and pink Polka Dots
It was a very rainy weekend here on the East Coast. What’s a girl to do when stuck indoors? Learn some new Art Techniques! I spent the weekend pouring over Balzer Designs home to the ever inspiring Julie Fei-Fan Balzer. I also spent some time learning Zentangle over at Beez in the Belfry. Next stop…down to my studio to put this new-found knowledge to good use! I started with White paint to prime the pages, then Distress inks to create the striped background. From there I just went wild with Martha Stewart Acrylics and Copic Markers by trying to mimic Zentangle patterns within the stripes.
Where Anything IS Possible!
Another great thing about Art Journaling is that even the most mundane things found around the studio can become the perfect addition to a page. Exhibit A: This bubble wrap was used on the “Under the Sea” journal page from last week….still stuck to my palette. Upon peeling it off to add fresh paint to my palette I thought “Well this might work to frame the corners of the pages!” I stenciled it with Alcohol ink and presto! Exhibit B: See the pink dots that look like buttons to the right? Well, I didn’t mean for them to look like buttons at first but since they turned out that way I went with it. It just so happened that I had some Real pink buttons in my stash to match them!
Pigs Might Fly After All
Don’t worry I have more evidence to prove my case Exhibit C: The cloud with the pig kite was an original page from this book that I removed so the pages would lay flat. I can’t resist a flying pig so I saved it to add later. Exhibit D: The lips were cut from a magazine. I was not looking for lips but rather…letters. Again, I cut them out to use later. Several magazines later and no suitable letters I flopped the magazines down without looking where I was tossing them. The magazines knocked over a container of bits and bobs from projects past…including the dyed cotton used for the Caterpillars hookah smoke on my Wonderland Dresser. Smoke can be wind right? Yes it can! Put all these discoveries together and what a whimsical scene you have
Imagine
Although I was unsuccessful at finding magazine letters I did find a Lettering Tutorial at Balzer Designs so I gave it a go. Simon Says Stamp and Show is challenging us to use a favorite word so I used one of my favorites…”Imagine”.
Pink Feathers
If I could live in a world I would imagine it would be something like this. A world full of patterns, bright colors, and polka-dotted trees. Cupcake would grow from the ground with pink frosting and sprinkles, birds would be taller than you and the grass would be like feathers. I created this world and now I can visit it anytime I want. If I choose to visit somewhere else all I need to do is turn the page. I wonder where my imagination will take me to next?
What art journaling techniques do you enjoy most? I’d love to hear about them. Have you been working on a journal of your own?
I hope you will join us at TOFF this week!
Have an imaginative day!
Amy*
Altered Book Page “Under the Sea”
After a weeks worth of YouTube videos, checking back on lessons from Creative Chemistry 101, and of course working through Compendium of Curiosities 2 at Studio L3 I have completed the first page in my Altered Book project. I’ve never altered a book before but man am I in LOVE with this art form! i Love being able to mix techniques and materials into one piece of art. When I’m done with it I’ll have a whole book to flip through. I’m going to be writing a story to go along with it all I need to do is add the text. For now here is what I came up with this week…
The Creation
Ever since I started Plucking Daisies nearly a year ago I have looked to Studio L3 for inspiration for my projects. With Linda Ledbetter’s leading and Tim Holtz teaching I have created more art in the past year than I have ever created in my lifetime! Many of the elements in this layout are leftovers from past Studio L3 challenges and Tim Holtz techniques. For this weeks challenge at Studio L3 I created a custom stamp from Tim’s Scallop Border die to make sea-foam. I used the punched border and black acrylic to frame the corners of the pages beneath the sea-foam. You can find instructions for this technique in Tim’s new book Compendium of Curiosities 2…He will even sign it for you
Jolee as a Mermaid
Our challenge at TOFF is Fashion this week. I find fins to be highly fashionable. Especially when paired with stripes. Here I have mounted mermaid fins found in my book collection on Jolee from the Octopode Factory. She floats in an ocean composed of torn book pages and Stampers Anonymous stamps stamped on vintage lined papers.
Tiny Bubbles...
Here the Octopode Factory Mermaid is wielding a Magical winged pen where she has drawn smaller Octopodes and encased them in bubbles. The Bubbles are Alcohol inked packaging plastic pressed together with Glossy Accents.
I should have a full tutorial (Minus techniques discussed in Compendium of Curiosities 2 and Creative Chemistry 101) on how I created this Altered Book page within the next day or two so check back with me for that! I can’t wait till tomorrows CC2 challenge at Studio L3…this will be the jumping off point for the next page. I will also be playing along with “Art Journal Every Day” from the ever inspiring Julie Fei-Fan Balzer.
Be sure and stop by TOFF to show off your fashionable creations!
Amy*
Compendium of Curiosities Challenge is sponsored by Simon Says Stamp
Gnome Plant Pot
It’s my Sister’s birthday today…Happy Birthday Kate!! What do I do when my sister has a birthday? I make her a Gnome! Why? Because she hates them. I know…I’m evil For the past couple of years I have glittered a garden gnome for her….she hates glitter even more than gnomes…double whammy! This was last years birthday gift…
"I'm too Sexy for your Lawn" Gnome
I don’t find these gnomes…they find ME. I knew last years gnome was going to be hard to top. Unfortunately, this year I did not come across any gnomes… but I did find one of their homes. A couple of weeks ago I came across a glass mushroom votive at the dollar store. I grabbed it like it was a winning lottery ticket and from there the Gnome plant pot was born!
"Hanging" with my Gnomies
It isn’t easy to photograph a hanging plant…but I tried my best to capture the gnomes in their natural habitat
Garden Gnomes in their "Natural" Habitat
Now let me show you how I created this cute gift with dollar store finds and other items found around the house. Let’s start with the gnomes…
Gnomes and their Home
Here is the Mushroom votive I scored at the dollar store. I also found this brick of floral clay to fill it with. I make a lot of Paper Flower arrangements and was happy to find a good amount of floral crafting supplies like tape, foam and moss at my local dollar store. Obviously these items work well for Gnome Garden stakes as well :0) The Gnomes are made of Sculpey clay that I snagged on clearance at the craft store a while back. Although I am not a great sculptor I wasn’t about to leave 99 cent clay lonely on a shelf. I took it home and hooray! it has proved it’s usefulness at last! I used wire to keep the gnome parts together while baking. Once they were done I trimmed the wire to insert into the floral clay.
Enamel Accent Eyes
I couldn’t believe my “Eyes” when I saw Enamel accents on clearance as well ($2). I love this stuff! Here I have dabbed it on with a toothpick to add details to the eyes of the gnomes.
Sculpey Glazed Gnomes
The dollar store floral clay came in handy once again when it came time to glaze the gnomes. Using a cheapo paintbrush and some Sculpey glaze I was able to give the gnomes an all over shiny coat in one shot by inserting the wire into the clay brick.
Gnome Family
Doesn’t the Gnome family look darling in their toadstool abode? (Each Gnome is modeled after my sis, bro-in-law, and my new nephew Max) I nestled them among some Dollar Store Moss for good measure. To create the stake I used Dollar Store floral tape to wrap two large floral picks together and hot glued it to the inside of the Mushroom.
Now that the gnomes had a home I needed to find them a plot of land to live on. Luckily I had propagated a piece of my Pothos plant for my Sis’s birthday last year. It was quite small a year ago and she has a long history of plant neglect. I wanted to give the plant a fighting chance so I saved it for this year. Pothos are almost unkillable and the perfect gift for houseplant neglectors.
Propagated Pothos
Here I have recycled a pot from last years Mother’s day gift to plant the propagated Pothos. Even the soil is homemade…I cleaned up some of the rotted wood from the woodpile behind our house and found some of it had turned to soil. I threw it in the pot and my plant is thriving! The bird stake was found in the dollar bin at Target….Ok it was $2.50 but there were two in the package and I kept one for my own Pothos plant. Look what else I found in the Dollar bin…
Bird Plant Hanger
How cute is this? My sis hates gnomes but LOVES birds…I figured this would balance things out. Now all I needed was a hanging basket. Wait a second…I think I saw one on the side of the house where I got the dirt!
Hanging Plant Basket
This will be perfect with just a few minor upgrades…
Altered Plant Hanger
I removed the hanger and cut off the top. After coloring the green plastic with brown Alcohol inks I used my vintage Marvel punch to make a hole for the Bird Hanger. This thing cuts through ANYTHING! Notice the Krazy Glue in the background? I dropped the punch on the ground while taking the photo and broke the handle off my precious punch *Tear*…hope the glue holds up.
This pot has gone to the birds...
I found this bird paper in a scrap stack my sister gave me for MY birthday this year. I thought it would be the perfect trim for the rim of the pot. The paper was cut into strips and Mod Podged to the plant basket. * I cut several slits along each strip to allow the paper to bend around the curved surface.
A Polka Dotted Pot
Polka dots were added to the top rim with Ceramcoat paint and a tiny round foam brush. I’ve had this can of paint in my stash for years and use it often…it’s nice and thick yet easy to work with. Once the paint was dry I lined the bottom of the pot with a tin takeout container to keep the water from leaking out….IF my sister does indeed water it.
A little Birdie told me it's your birthday!
Here is the finished pot! Transformed with just a few items I already had on hand.
Gnome Sweet Gnome
My Sister LOVED her gift and sent me this photo of it hanging in her living room.
This project was created for less than $10 dollars. I was also able to re-use quite a few items that might have been tossed in the trash. I went “green” and saved some green at the same time…Woo Hoo! With Earth day coming up on Sunday I think this is the perfect gift to celebrate my Sis and keeping the planet green! What type of “Green” projects are you working on? Are you a Dollar store Diva? The CSI Project is having a Dollar store crafts challenge stop by and join in!
Have a Creatively “Green” day!
Amy*
How to Alter a Book Cover
Hi there! I may be a day late and a dollar short with this tutorial…buuuut…better late than never right? So here’s how I altered The Octopode Factory storybook cover….
The Octopode Factory Storybook
STEP 1 Painting the Cover: Tape off the sides of the book that you don’t want painted (in this case that fabulous checkered trim).
- Painting the Cover
- I used a mix of Martha Stewart Pearl and Folk Art Extreme Glitter Acrylic and Metallic paints.
- When in doubt…add MORE Paint!
The first coat did not cover enough of the original images. Although I was not sure whether I wanted portions of the images to show through…in the end I decided against it. When in doubt add MORE Paint! Dab on a nice thick coating of paint with the side of a foam brush. Not only will this ensure a thick coat it will also add texture.
- Martha Stewart Glitter Paint
STEP 2 Adding Color and Texture: I’m a big fan of Martha Stewart’s line of Glitter Paints. Lay out several colors on a pallet or paper plate and use the textured side of a cheapo sponge from the dollar store (4 in a pack) to apply color to the first layer of paint. * You will want to do this step while your first layer of paint is still wet.
- Sponge Painting
Turn the sponge as you go to avoid a repeated pattern and reapply paints often.
- Misting with Perfect Pearls
STEP 3 Misting with Perfect Pearls: Create a custom mix using a Mini Mister, Distress Re-inker, and a scoop of Perfect Pearls and spray random areas of the cover. I used multiple mixes for this project. If it is too wet use a heat gun to dry and move the color around. *The mist will bubble the layers of paint underneath so be careful not to touch it!
- Altered Book Glitter
STEP 5 Adding Glitter: Using spray adhesive (I like Elmer’s) spritz random areas of the cover and sprinkle glitter over them. I have used both chunky and fine glitter here. * The Chunky Glitter will melt and curl into the paint if you hit it with a heat gun for a few seconds.
*Let Dry Overnight before moving on to the next step.
- Distress Crackle Paint
STEP 7 Distress Crackle Paint: Once the paint is COMPLETELY dry you can add a thick coating of Distress Crackle Rock Candy paint. Don’t be shy with this step GLOB it on! You can use a craft stick to push it around.
- Texture Stamping
STEP 8 Texture Stamping: Using a stamp (any kind will do…I have used a mixed media texture stripe stamp here) and some acrylic you can add a touch of texture to your project. Here I have added stripes to the top and bottom corners. *This step is optional…you can also do this before the crackle paint, after your paint is dry, or before…completely up to you.
*Stop here and let the crackle paint dry overnight.
You can move on to the next step here if you like, but if you would like your project to look similar to mine I suggest signing up for Tim Holtz Creative Chemistry 101 and checking out the Shattered Stains Technique from Day 3. It’s a great class and chock full of techniques and tips from the master of Distress himself…Tim Holtz.
- Shattered Stains Background
Isn’t it Pretty? Looks like it was found at the bottom of the ocean just like The Octopode Factory!
- Painted Binding
STEP 9 Painting the Binding: The binding of the book was a bit scuffed and all around beat up. Martha Stewart to the Rescue! Here I painted the border and the Binding with a mix of Martha Stewart Satin, Glitter and Pearl paints.
- Stamped Mirror Chips
STEP 10 Preparing Embellishments and Images: Although I loved the checkered border around the book I wanted to take it a step further and create checks within checks. Here I have used the Floor stamp from the Stampendous Wonderland set (my new favorite) to create a checkered background on mosaic mirror chips.
- Book Page Background
The map of the ocean inside the frame was cut from a book on Ancient Greece. *I have an extensive collection of weird books for collage and mixed media purposes (the thrift store is your friend).
- Embossed Metal
Here I have stamped and embossed the winged pens for the front cover. You can also use Copic Markers to color the embossed metal. Check out my tutorial for coloring metal with Copics HERE.
- Fussy Cutting
To add depth to your images try printing out multiples of the same image and cutting out key areas to layer on top of each other. Here I have cut out the Unicorn to layer over the frame. * The Unicorn is not available as a Digital stamp since it is part of The Octopode Factory shop logo. Maybe Lily will grace us with a full-bodied Unicorn someday in the future…X fingers crossed X
- Trusty Mod Podge
This time around I have used Black chipboard as a mount for my images to give them a nice dark edge. You can use a variety of materials to add depth to your images anywhere from Grunge Board to Card board. Once again, Mod Podge is my weapon of choice for mounting images.
- Mod Podge Sparkle
Using a small paint brush I added some Mod Podge Sparkle to the Hooves, Horn and hair of the Unicorn. Lay it on thick to give it texture and shine. I also added a little bling to my images….you can find a tutorial on how to add bling to your art HERE.
- Inkssentials Collage Glue
I have fallen in love with Inkssentials Collage Glue! It works wonders for adhering tricky papers such as glossy magazines and book pages. It’s nice and tacky, creates a strong bond and will leave your finished piece virtually wrinkle free!
- Silver Sharpie
Out of all the Sharpie’s in all the world the Silver Sharpie Metallic is my absolute Favorite! Here I have traced around the Octopode Factory lettering to give it a shiny border.
- Stick on Stones
- STEP 11 Adhering Embelishments: When working with rhinestones I like to use Glossy accents. They are light enough to get a strong bond from it and if some of it leaks out the sides it’s no big deal since it’s glossy and will blend. For the larger stones I used E600…this will create a cool amber glass effect once dry.
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Adhering Images
Using E6000 Adhere the rest of your images to the cover. For larger images you will want to keep pressure on them for about 30 seconds. They won’t bond right away but you just need to make sure everything is positioned the way you want it. Once you are satisfied with the placement of your images place a piece of wax paper over your work and place heavy books on top of it and let it dry overnight.
The first page of the book will be coming up this Friday on TOFF so stay tuned for that. I would give you a hint but I’m not quite sure yet how this is going to go. It will be a surprise for us all!
Have a creative day!
Amy*
Alice in Wonderland Dresser
Alice in Wonderland Dresser
I have not even seen it put together this way as I always have the drawers pulled out to work on them. It was a glorious day indeed, to be able to see all those months of work come together.
- Alice in Wonderland Dresser Before
This is what the Dresser started out as…an abandoned project from many years ago. Last August inspiration struck during the early days of my creative journey with Plucking Daisies. Before I go on I just want to thank The Altered Alice, The Octopode Factory, Linda Ledbetter of Studio L3, Simon Says Stamp and Show, and Tim Holtz for keeping me inspired with challenges, techniques and products used in the creation of The Alice in Wonderland Dresser.
Now on with the show!
Alice in Wonderland Mirror
Our challenge this month at The Altered Alice is Splendidly Dressed. The design team is using the new Wonderland Set from Stampendous. A “Wonderful” set indeed! As soon as I saw the lovely Alice in her Sunday best and the “Sorry I’m Late” sentiment I knew I wanted to create a mirror for the dresser. I am ALWAYS late and it’s usually caused by staring into the mirror fixing my hair and face. Ever get Alcohol ink on your face? If you have then I’m sure you can understand why I’m continually late
Whatever shall I alter today?
I frequented my local thrift shop for a few weeks before I found this beauty! The book in the corner of the photo has been altered for another project that you can see HERE. The Mirror was painted with a mix of Krylon Glitterblast and Martha Stewart Acrylic. Alice and the sentiment were stamped and embossed with Ranger Archival ink. Colored Pearls were added along with stamped Mosaic Mirror pieces on the sides.
Mosaic Mirror and Metal Trim
Here you can see the stamped Mosaic Mirror pieces showcasing stamps from the Stampendous Wonderland set. The hearts are playing cards cut with the Fiskars Funky Heart punch. Crystals and rhinestone hearts were added for sparkle and shine. Hey did you know that E6000 applied to the back of a rhinestone will create an amber glass effect?
Make your own Rainbow
I created the trim along the inside of the dresser using craft metal and alcohol ink…a Tim Holtz technique…and stamped a repeating pattern of Stampendous stamps.
Embossed Feet
The Feet were painted and embossed using a resist technique from Tim Holtz that you can see here.
Alice in Wonderland Characters Stage Left
The same resist technique was also used on the lip of the dresser using Indigo Blu stamps. The Rainbow striped sides were hand painted with Martha Stewart Glitter Paint.
If you haven’t seen all the details on how I created the individual drawers you can read all about my process, products and Tim Holtz Techniques I used in these posts:
Alice in Wonderland Characters Stage Right
The checkerboard trim was created using Core’dinations Gemstone and Glitter cardstock with an EK success square punch and of course Mod Podge to adhere and seal (I have probably used at least a gallon of Mod Podge on this project).
Here are the Links for the other drawers:
In the Beginning....
I worked from the bottom up on this project and these are the drawers that started it all! You can view them here:
“Off With Their Heads!” Drawer
Alice in Wonderland Dresser Side View
Here is a side view of the Dresser I have one more side left to do. Don’t worry I have BIG plans for that side but you will have to wait and see The bottom trim has been left open for May’s Altered Alice Sponsor. Is the suspense killing ya’? Don’t worry we are almost there! For now you can check out the right side if you haven’t seen it yet…
I’m also linking this project to Five Days Five Ways…it’s a free for all…what’s not to love about that?
This month at LESSology the challenge is a “Chest of Drawers”. Is that not right up my alley? I think so! Nearly everything used to alter this dresser is an up-cycled item…including the dresser itself. Can you believe my former roommate from once upon a time was going to toss this baby at the dump? Neither could I. Consider it rescued!
I hope you will join us at the Altered Alice this month for your chance to win a Stampendous Wonderland set of your own! There will be 3 winners this month! Woo Hoo! You can find all the details about the challenge below.
If you would like to see more of the Stampendous Wonderland set check out my Wonderland Cinder Block Garden and my Tutorial on coloring metal with Copics using these “Wonderful” Stamps!
Stampendous made this
great blog blinkie for us,
grab it if you want!
Thanks again to all who have helped me along in my creative journey in altering this dresser, and to you dear reader for letting me share the journey with you!
Have a creative day!
Amy*
“After a time she heard a little pattering of feet in the distance, and she hastily dried her eyes to see what was coming. It was the White Rabbit returning, splendidly dressed, with a pair of white kid gloves in one hand and a large fan in the other: he came trotting along in a great hurry, muttering to himself as he came, `Oh! the Duchess, the Duchess! Oh! won’t she be savage if I’ve kept her waiting!’”– Chapter 2; Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
April has arrived, which (in the northern hemisphere) brings thoughts of wearing your Sunday springtime best and perhaps donning an Easter bonnet! So we want to you to show us your Sunday best; ruffles, ribbons, lace, frills; however you want to interpret the challenge!
Enter using the Linky Tool below by Friday, April 27. All entries are welcome but Alice in Wonderland entries are encouraged and will receive two chances at the drawing instead of one. Multiple entries are great but each must be on a separate post.
Alice in Wonderland Cinder Block Garden
I have FINALLY turned a “Pin” into a completed project! I saw a Cinder Block Garden on Pinterest via Alison of Remodelista and thought it would be the perfect solution to adorn the side of my Alice in Wonderland Garden. I purchased a variety of plants at my local Home Depot while buying the cinder blocks to ensure a perfect fit. Now I have a lovely wall filled with Anenomes, Forget-Me-Nots, Violas, Creeping Flox, English Daisies, Basket of Gold, Thrift, and Rockfoil.
Alice in Wonderland Cinder Block Garden
Select Cinder Blocks were embellished with Martha Stewart Lace Stencils. I used Krylon Glitterblast to spray on the design. The checkered sides of the smaller blocks were stamped on using the Wonderland set from Stampendous and Martha Stewart Acrylic.
Alice and the Anenome
The Alice image atop the checkered floor is also from the Stampendous set she is embossed on metal and colored with Copic markers. You can see my tutorial on coloring metal with Copics HERE.
Spray painted lace
For the larger blocks I used the Krylon Glitterblast to spray paint through lace I found at the thrift…along with these darling tea pots!
The White Rabbit
Here we have the White Rabbit who as usual is running a wee bit late! He is also embossed on metal and colored with Copics.
Garden Tea Pots
I have amassed quite the tea-pot collection over the years and have yet to find a double spouted one. I found these two tea pots on the same day of thrifting and was delighted to find that I could stack them.
I spy the Cheshire Cat...
You can’t have a wonderland garden without the elusive Cheshire cat. I have hidden him among the Creeping Flox on a sparkling garden stake much like his grin.
Faux Dichroic Branch Garden Stake
I discovered a new technique for creating faux Dichroic Glass using craft metal and packaging plastic…this was an accidental discovery. I hope to share a tutorial on how to create this look some time next week. If you’d like you can follow me on Facebook or Twitter to stay up to date on my latest creations and tutorials (See Sidebar). Next on my list of Pinning projects to be is one of those lovely Greenhouses made from reclaimed windows and doors We shall see how I fare at the Flea markets this season.
Thanks for taking a walk through my Wonderland Garden with me! Stop by the Altered Alice for a chance to win a Stampendous Wonderland set of your own. For more Gardening Goodness take a trip over to Censational Girl for even more garden delights!
Have a creative day!
Amy*
