Art Journal Page

I have a messy craft day once a week and paint backgrounds. I use the gel press and mop up the excess paint afterwards. So that when I'm in the mood to create I'm good to go. This page is one of those backgrounds. As the gel press concentrated the centre of the paper, I use distress inks or oxides in the same colour family to fill in ant white areas. In the one above I used stormy skies distress oxide and then mustard seed to stamp the borders ( dylusions stamps) and then heat embossed. I then stamped the sentiment ( TH) and the cat from Dylusions Puddy tat set. After cutting them out and placing in position I added die cuts ( rainbow, splat, umbrella and star) I then drew on some raindrops with white gel pen. 

Artist trading cards

I make artist trading cards ( atc's) that act as business cards. I place them in the envelopes of the cards that I sell on my friends Etsy site. They needed a home. So, I made a holder to keep them in, a simple gatefold affair with a series of pockets glued together at the back to create a concertina. 

Upcycled book...

We live next to the community centre here in Cotgrave, and obviously, things from time to time get tossed. This hardback book was destined for the bin. So I rescued it ripped the pages out using a Stanley knife ( being careful a few pages at a time) 

Once the binding was free I covered the whole book in Hessian style Fablon. After that, I screwed in a two-ring binder mechanism. Then came the fun part I used the bigz filament die by Tim Holtz (TH) on some kraft board and some Centura pearl card, this bit made the bulb which I then embossed with the crackle 3D folder ( TH) after adhering this to the book, l set about rummaging through my die-cut letters ( I always keep a plastic wallet with some in) to make the word IDEAS underneath the light bulb, Final touch for the front was the small curved die cuts to emphasize the brightness of the bulb. I also repeated the design down the spine but with a smaller light bulb die from my stash. 

Magnetic Bookmark

My brother in law's birthday is this week. As well as a card I wanted to add a little gift in with it. We are taking him and my sister for a weekend away, instead of gifts this year, but I wanted to give a little something as you do. He reads voraciously and I thought bookmark. So I set about looking for something a little different. After reading a few posts on Pinterest I decided a magnetic one. I took some mottled card stock 300gsm ( folded in half) and the two tags bigz die by stamping up and Sizzix. I cut the stitched "frilly" edged one leaving a gap at the top so that it wouldn't cut the tag at the top and extend it so I had a back and front. 

I then took some adhesive  magnetic tape (a and b) and cut a little strip of each. I stuck one bit on the front and then placed the other bit onto it as if the bookmark was already closed. I then removed the protective film from that piece and pressed the top of the card over that. I then set about decorating the tag. I used Sizzix under the sea set ( the turtle and the crab, along with the bubbles) finished bookmark in the pictures below.