Stamps Ahead

 Yesterday, I had a play with sticky tape and alcohol inks....making tape that looks old! In the photo above you can see where I have used on a quick collage - look top left and up from bottom left. There are lots of videos on how to do this out in social media land, this how I created mine: You need to ensure you use in a well-ventilated area. 1. Layout your sticky tape (any size - I used regular sized) onto baking paper, either close together or apart as I have done. 2. Using alcohol ink - you can use one colour or 2 or even 3 if you want (I used 2) apply over the tape, several times if needed. 3. Allow to dry (remember it is alcohol ink so won't take long) 4. Use.  A hint if the sticky part of the tape is not so sticky when you use on a project just add some glue behind to stick down. 5. You can see what happened when I removed the tape to use on my collage - perfect to be used on other projects. Thank you for looking.  Margaret

Back in Australia from my UK holiday and jet lag is “the pits” up early early this morning so why not start Day 1 of #jjiioutwithabang with Junk Journal Ideas and Inspiration over on Facebook. Here is what I created. Inspired by You Tube video by Junk Journal Joy I have made a small and quick accordion fold journal. The joys for me are incorporating fabric and paper into my projects and that I can add extra pages as I record some of my travel happiness this year. Opened showing front and back pages. Opened showing centre pages. Thank you for looking and thank you to Junk Journal Joy for inspiring me.  Margaret "A joy that's shared is a joy made double" Unknown.

I recently completed an on-line course with Laly Mille called "A book of whispers".  Here are the photographs of each page.  It turned out a bit more 'clunky' than I intended but I love it. First time doing the book binding - don't think I will be coming out of retirement to be a book binder! Have you read the novel - Bookbinder of Jericho by Pip Williams? To quote a blurb on the novel "The Bookbinder of Jericho is a story about knowledge - who makes it, who can access it, and what is lost when it is withheld. In this beautiful companion to the international bestseller The Dictionary of Lost Words, Pip Williams explores another little-known slice of history seen through women's eyes. Intelligent, thoughtful and rich with unforgettable characters." Thank you for looking, Margaret

I recently viewed a video by  Shanouki Art  that she had posted in Junk Journal Ideas and Inspiration. I was instantly inspired by the video that I decided to 'have a go' as we say here in Australia. This is a long post, so please enjoy my creations. I did not have a large ice-cream container so started with this container - I would say medium sized.  I then took the bits and pieces of paper (including coffee filter paper and old sales tags) and bits of lace that were on or near to my table.   I then went out with brown paper to cover the outside table. Here I am ready to start - notice the small pair of tongs I have put to good use.  The next step was to spray inks of all sorts into the container and 'smoosh' around, adding drops of ink as I went.  I used old sprays I purchased years and years ago and some alcohol inks.  Continue to mix together and used heat gun, to dry, when it became soggy and then continued to add inks.  Now by this time...

 Week 3 of the postcard challenge over at Junk Journal Ideas and Inspiration on Facebook. The prompt "Change can be beautiful".  Here is my postcard. I have used collage and used pictures from various sources of fashions over the years, unfortunately most of disappeared under the layers I have used....I'm not worried I know they are there! The words are from old stickers I had in my stash - still not sure about them so have not as yet fully glued them dow...I will wait a few days and see if I come up with anything else. I did think of adding a lace and fabric cluster but it just did not work!   Thank you for looking, Margaret.

For the next 3 days I am participating in Laly Mille online retreat - Art Journal Dream. At the end will be a completed double art journal page. Here is my Day 1 layers - more to be added in the coming days. Here is my process - I hope you get a sense of what the retreat is all from this starting point. I first selected the first 2 pages in my art journal - I usually move all around the place. I chose it because it had marks from previous entries down the centre line.  Laly's usually encourages writing for first layer - she uses marker pen I was not so brave I used pencil.  I am seriously thinking about travel to USA next year and so I wrote down some of my thoughts about this.  Don't worry they are covered up eventually.  In past workshops I have been reluctant to write and did move to putting a few words down but today more words than I have incorporated. The next layer was to take colouring medium of choice and create deeper colour at bottom of pages. I went with ...

Here is a snippet of what I have been up to over the past month or so.  So please sit back and enjoy this rather large post - a visual record, for me, of what I have been creating. Small tags, lace, ribbon, fabric, stamps, buttons, pearls and tag pins.  Clusters and one way to use them, top left - create a pocket and put on the front. Base was a small piece of old and old quilted place mat with lots of free-style embroidery. Can be a brooch or decoration for a bag. Reminds me of crazy patchwork that I used to do. Snippet rolls created on a fabric base. The one in the middle is yet to be embellished. To the left is a cluster I made using piece cut off the embroidered one and I added paper to back. Doesn't it look great on this cotton reel I got from my sister.  More can be added to this roll ready to be used for clusters, belly bands or anything my heart desires. Small notepad made with off-cuts of paper with fabric and header.  2" squares often call twin-chies. ...