A Luminary to Light the Night

This luminary project was inspired by the Club Scrap Holiday Weekend of Workshops box.

I'm still trying to decide what to place in the brass holder on the front of the base.  I want to put a word there, but the right one hasn't struck me yet.  The paisley stamp is stamped on translucent paper and I watercolored it on the back (hence the wrinkles!).  The paper is loose, so I can take it out and swap it with another piece.

If you haven't checked out a Club Scrap project kit, I'd encourage you to take a look at the Girls' Night Out Event coming up in May.  You'll get to participate in a chat, receive some great (original) supplies, and learn techniques through the videos.

One of the things I really like about getting projects with instructional videos is that I can watch someone make the project, and then decide how I want to alter it.  In the original kit video, all of the base pieces were painted, and the luminary part was an open sheet of die cut paper.  I can also incorporate my own embellishments - those little spools are so cute!  I wrapped linen thread around them to make them look "real."

In a modification by Kay, the designer of the project, she wrapped the base in paper.  I liked the look of that, so I wrapped mine - twice - once with a solid paper, and a second time with a translucent paper.

I also cut four board panels for my luminary, so I could cover the top of it and decorate the top.  The board pieces are painted and then stamped with a musical note background from Purple Onion Designs.

Hope you enjoyed this peek at my project!  I had a lot of fun making it.

An alternative cover for a shaped book

So, as we learned in my previous post, I don't like raw chipboard edges in my projects.  In my last book, I used pigment ink to color the edges.

I cover so much bookboard with paper, I thought this might be fun to try.  I ripped up some pieces of text weight paper (you need something pliable that can wrap easily), applied glue to the paper (see the upper right of the photo), and folded carefully over the book edges, starting with the corners.

By applying glue on a magazine, I have a clean surface at all times.  Use a different part of the page to apply the glue by brushing over the entire piece.  When one page is messy, rip it off, and use the next page.

I continued around until the whole edge was covered.

I covered the center portion of the cover with half of a die cut shape, and pressed this overnight in my bookpress.

I wasn't 100% happy with how this turned out.  No matter how hard I tried, some glue transferred to the project, and didn't really have the crisp look I wanted.  There are no mistakes, however, only opportunities to embellish!  I coated the whole cover with acrylic medium (a mixture of gloss and matte) and I now love the final result.

I assembled the book the same way as my previous book and wound up with this finished product:

I can't decide if this needs more embellishment or not at this point.  I'm thinking of adding something sparkly, but time will tell. What do you think? Is it finished, or could it use a little more bling?

Most materials are from Club Scrap.  Hope you enjoy this alternative way to create a finished edge on a chipboard book!

Scrap your stash - March report

This month, I focussed on making some projects and trying out some new ideas.

I made these cute little shaped books (tutorial earlier in the week, and tomorrow!):

I also started to work on a luminary project I received last year (full reveal when it's completed!):

I also participated in a card challenge:

Which helped me use up an entire card kit:

Finally, I taught a class this month where I was able to share my stash with some great students.  It's fun to share - especially when it makes room for new goodies!

I did place one order with my favorite scrapbook company, Club Scrap.  They were having a fabulous sale on some supplies and projects I've had my eye on for a while.

Check out Lala's World for more inspiration on using your stash.  Join us next month and take a month to use your stash!

Tutorial: Make a book with shaped pages

This cute little shaped book is so much fun to make.  Let me show you how I did it!

First, I used my die cutting machine to cut several pieces of thin chipboard and two pieces of cardstock for the cover.  I used the spellbinders label 8 die.  Use bookbinding glue or PVA to glue the chipboard pieces together.  I use glue from Club Scrap.

Fold one die cut page and use it to trace where the cover will be trimmed.  The folded edge will be flush with the cover, and there will be an even reveal around the other sides of the cover.

Use the first cover to create a trim line for the other cover.  After trimming, you'll have a front cover (left), back cover (right), and a little strip of chipboard in the center that is scrap.  I use a utility knife to cut my chipboard.

Ink or paint all of the exposed edges.  I like to use pigment ink, and these spot ink pads from Stampin' Up! are great for solid coverage and getting into curved areas.  I inked the edges several times until I was happy with the color coverage.

Glue a piece of the die cut cardstock to the cover and trim.

Glue the remaining part of the die cut to the other side of the cover and trim.

For the inside of the book, cut as many pages as you would like and score them in the center.  I like to use a scor-it board for easy positioning and a crisp crease.

Pierce hole in the fold of each page.  I'm sewing over the green ribbon, so I'll have six holes along the spine.  See my "Getting started" link on the left side bar for links to videos for stitching together a book.

Glue the finished book block to the front cover.  Let dry until sturdy.  I usually dry overnight in my book press or with heavy weights on top.

On the back cover, punch two evenly spaced holes for eyelets.  I like my crop-a-dile for this.  Put elastic in one hole and set an eyelet in that hole.

Repeat on the other side, cutting the elastic to a length that will wrap snugly around the book.  (I have a longer tutorial on the elastic closure in an earlier post.)

Glue the back cover on the book, and embellish as desired.  I used some paper flowers and punched leaves.  To give the flowers a bit of gloss and make them a little more sturdy, I coated them with gel medium.  For a little extra pop, I used some self-adhesive pearls from Stampin' Up! in the centers.

I tried something a little different for wrapping the cover, and ended up with this:

As you might guess, I'm a bit obsessed with covering the edges of chipboard any way I can!  Hope you enjoy this project.  I'd love to see what shapes you can use to make books.

Quick Look: Versamark and chalked cards

While the glue is drying on my latest shaped book (tutorial coming soon!), I thought I would share some cards I made.

I made the background with a single stamp on both cards.  I love how I can get a totally different look for each of these cards with different colors.

I stamped the background with versamark ink, and then dusted with a variety of chalks.  A simple focal image on a tag or matted scrap and some ribbon finished off the card.  Sometimes, limiting my supplies and choices really opens up my creativity.  These cards were the result of a skiing trip where I was limited in how many supplies I can bring.

This is also a bit like my last post - once you have a design for one card, try it again with a slight variation.  We can all use a few more cards and little more time!

What is your favorite technique to do with limited supplies?

All stamps, paper, and embellishments from Club Scrap.  Chalk from Stampin' Up!