THE ALTERED FLEA: altered art

Showing posts with label altered art. Show all posts

Tuesday, January 6, 2015

New Year: New Calendar

Happy New Year! Let's ring in the new, and throw out the old. No, wait! Don't throw out the old. Instead, "upcycle" it.

As I near the age matching the year I was born (mid-50's), I find this creative phrase a metaphor for life. Instead of grumbling about all those things that we mid-50 year old women find astonishing (like hairs on the upper lip, a body in need of toning, and grumpy teenage children, just to name a few), it is time to upcycle ourselves: limit the sugar and white flour, exercise for life, share a smile more often, and stop being so hard on ourselves. The super-Mom syndrome of the past few decades is no longer acceptable. Instead, it is time to find a gentle balance on our continuing journey called life. That being said, here are my Top 10 resolutions for 2011:

1. Donate un-used craft items to Girl Scouts.
2. (Continue to) volunteer at senior centers.
3. Organize (i.e., toss out) expired coupons, old receipts, and newspaper clippings that I saved to read (but didn't).
4. Spend more time reading novels and non-fiction.
5. Take a class to expand my computer knowledge (which will benefit my blog).
6. Take vitamins regularly.
7. Add a day of tennis to my bi-weekly tennis schedule.
8. Hide the chocolate--from me (i.e., don't buy the stuff anymore).*
9. Enjoy spending time (instead of arguing) with our younger daughter for the next eight months before she goes off to college .
10.Think outside the box (i.e., my comfort zone) and expand my crafting repertoire.

*This is going to be tough!

Let's start with Resolution #10: expanding my crafting repertoire; thus, I present my first altered art project for the new year:

Calendar & Photo Canvas

Material List:

9" x 12" and 6 x 8" canvas panels

coordinating scrapbook paper cut 8-1/2" x 11-1/2" and 5-1/2" x 7-1/2"

acrylic paint & foam brushes

Mod Podge (glossy)

Binder clips

Buttons

Spiral paper clip

Hemp cord

Calendar, cut to fit smaller canvas (I found these for 50 cents at Michael's)

metal label holder & brads

4" x 6" acrylic flat photo frame

photo (which is interchangeable)

double-sided foam tape

assorted ribbon & ric-rac

silk flower (cut from stem and backing)

number stickers

hot glue gun

If you would like a tutorial, leave me a comment and I will be happy to email it to you. Also, if you like this bright color combination, click here to see the matching mail & note holder I made last year.

Now onto Resolution #9: enjoying my 17-year old--that is, after she yells at me for waking her...Happy New Year!

Editor's Note: This is a repost of my 2011 calendar. Time to update it for the new year!

Doreen

Linking to these fabulous party blogs:

Wake Up Wednesday
Silly Pearl Project Inspire(d)
A Dose of Paige Create & Share
Project Parade Link-Up
Domesblissity

Monday, November 11, 2013

"Giving Thanks" Journal

Today I'm sharing an altered art project just in time for Thanksgiving, a "Giving Thanks" Journal.

Thanks.

Hopes.

Actions.

Noteworthiness.

Kindness.

Sincerity.

Giving Journal.

Giving Thanks. Thanksgiving. Any way you say it, it's important to recognize and appreciate everyone and everything you have to be thankful for: your loving family, best friends, your cuddly little puppy dog, your favorite teacher. You get the idea.

A great way to remind yourself about all the wonderful people and things going on in your life is to create a "Giving Thanks" Journal.

First, gather your supplies. Select your paper, and then go through your craft stash, choosing embellishments you may want to use in altering your journal including ribbon, buttons, brads, metal findings, flowers, tags, chipboard, etc.

Next, measure the front of your notebook, and cut the paper to size.

Since my notebook has a spiral edge, I used a spiral punch down one side of the paper and carefully decoupaged it onto the notebook cover, gently sliding the paper underneath the spirals. You will get a better seal if you apply decoupage to both surfaces. In this case, I coated the front of the journal as well as the back of the paper.

After a few minutes, you can then decoupage the top of the paper. This will help the surface resist wear and tear.

Now comes my favorite step: Embellishments!

I am a self-appointed ribbon queen. I just love how ribbon adds so much color and texture to a project. I cut 7" lengths of eight different ribbons, and tied them around the spirals.

I added a metal frame and coordinating cardstock. I typed out "GIVING THANKS JOURNAL" using my label maker (which I have owned since the 1960's!), and centered the labels inside the metal frame.

Then I punched out six divider tabs and glued them to the journal pages, creating six sections.

I added the words,
Thanks, Hopes, Actions, Noteworthiness, Kindness and Sincerity.
When you put the first letters of each word together, it spells THANKS.

This journal has a pocket on the inside front page which I embellished with paper, ribbon and a metal heart paperclip. I tied ribbons through manila tags, which will be used as bookmarks). If your journal does not have a pocket, you can add one to the inside back cover.

A few more embellishments including extra ribbon, sunflowers and brads complete the journal.

This would be a great time to start a new tradition in your family. Pass around the journal at the Thanksgiving table, and ask everyone to jot down who and what they are thankful for, their hopes, their actions, etc. Bring it out every year and add to it, read the previous year's notes, and continue adding to it year after year.

Wouldn't this be a great journal to pass down to future generations?

I hope this altered "Giving Thanks" Journal inspires you to add something special to your Thanksgiving traditions.

And here's a quick and easy Thanksgiving project:

Thanksgiving Hostess Gift

Put your party hat on at:

Delightful Made

Tikkido

Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Using Book Pages for Collage

While on vacation, and having a few hours to myself one day, I googled thrift stores in the area, and found a local Salvation Army. After [only] three u-turns, I finally found it. It was a bit disappointing. However, I did pick up this wooden caddy for 99 cents.

When I got it home, I realized it came with its very own dead moth. Ewww! I don't want to know how long it's been hiding in there.

After a thorough cleaning, I painted it in my current go-to color, Behr's Clear Pond, which I had

on hand.

Ahh, it looks better already!

For creative inspiration, I turned to a vintage children's book called "The Bobbsey Twins on Blueberry Island." I fondly remember reading many books in the Bobbsey Twins series in my early reading days.

Using book pages and my stash of paint chips, I began altering the wooden box into a handy desk caddy.

For those of you familiar with my altered art, you know I prefer clean lines. For this project, I'm going to go c-r-a-z-y and try my hand at collage! [My friend, S, will be glad to know I'm using her favorite art technique.]

Paint chips.

Torn pages [eek--don't tell the librarian!].

Twine.

A collaged clothespin on each side--to hold notes.

A vintage measuring tape cut around the 56" mark -- happens to be the year I was born [and, uhh, also my current age, at least for one more week], a stamped image and a rustic metal tag.