Hand Painted Gift Bags

I made the bags from A3 sheets of paper. They were painted with brusho, stamped [candle stamp]. A couple of them had wax resist [candle] stars drawn on before painting. The cord for the handles was what I had in my stash saved from gifts etc.

I used them to carry the baubles I have shown previously for gifts.

Book with Blue Cover

I've had a stack of pages ready for book binding since November and now I've actually bound them at last. For the cover I used a hand painted, stamped and embroidered piece of fabric.

I had done a little hand embroidery but it was so stiff to stitch I decided to use the machine instead. The tension wasn't right but I quite liked the effect so I stuck with it.

I put pages together in groups of three before stitching.

The pages are a mixture of hand painted, printed art work, music, envelopes, maps etc

This was the book before covering with the fabric. I used the cover of an old hard backed diary for the end pieces.

Button Book

I've finished my button book and am just starting to sort out the photos so here are the first three.

All the pages are round, like a lot of buttons.

The top cover is made from hand painted and stamped paper, I used handmade button shaped stamps amongst other things. The letters were made from fun foam with art work stuck on top. these were stitched to the background. The 'o's in the book are art buttons, made from clear buttons and my art work. I used blanket stitch around the edges, this joins two pages together and hides all the backs of pages.

I used music and the excess paper from a sheet of postage stamps which I coloured slightly with an ink pad. I created all the different buttons. See the top of the page for an art button tutorial.

Pink Book [part 3]

I've just noticed that there are 4 pages [8 sides] that are not stitched around the edges, these are just stuck together so I will probably take the book apart to stitch them. I guess it is a good job I didn't do a book binding technique as the pages would have to stay like they are but taking a book like this apart is very straight forward.

The page above - painted, stamped wallpaper, dyed lace, fabric flower with stitching and sequins [recycled from an old t-shirt]

This one is a fabric page, the art was done on the fabric, dyed laces, the little fabric hearts and beads.

Textured layered papers painted with acrylic paints and metallic crayons, stamped paper. Appliqued paper bird [the spotty paper was wrapping paper, googly eye and she is holding a string of beads.

Painted and stamped paper and glitter. Dyed lace [net curtain], large gem and beads.

Layered and textured paper, painted, with metallic threads incorporated, part of a doily and hand stitching, glittery ribbon and hand stitching, heart beads and beads on metal string, secured with cross stitches.

painted wallpaper, the fancy paper, hand made fabric trim - flowers under net with free style machine embroidery and beads, decorative machine embroidery

Pink Book

My new book, the pink one. I thought a heart shape would make a change and I have used book rings to hold the pages together.

The front is covered with vintage fabrics, reversed applique.

I actually made a trouser suit in this fabric when I was a teenager [flower power was the rage, showing my age, eh?] I used the leftover scraps for the book [and other things]

The inside cover - this is hand painted and stamped paper [a handmade rolling stamp]. The butterflies and dotty bits were found in a magazine.

I made the decoration on this page with texture plates made from textured wallpaper [I blogged about it on the 17th]. The trim down the centre was a gift from a friend [it was actually a big square of sticky backed paper, I cut a section off to make the trim]. Three check buttons with hanging threads and a recycled metal flower with gem.

All the inner pages have been stitched around the edges - each page is back to back with another page, which hides any messy bits underneath. I found glue was not strong enough to keep the pages together but the stitching does.

This mum page is on the other side of the one above. Also textured art work, some in smaller pieces which have been zigzagged stitched together like crazy patchwork . There is a painted ATC with decorative machine stitching. The fabric flower with beads was from a previous project and the mum letters were cut from a greetings card.

Handmade Texture Plates

We have been decorating recently and we got lots of samples of wallpapers because we couldn't agree on one. I thought I should use the samples in some way so I have made texture plates out of the textured ones. [we chose a patterned wallpaper for the walls in the end]

Basically I stuck pieces of wallpaper to card. Below are some of the papers I made using the plates. Recycled laser prints - the paper is thin and started curling up but they will be used for collage.

I made the first texture plate on day 2 of 30daysofcreativity.

The Colour Purple - [Pages 23,24 End]

Page 23 - Background - painted, stamped, decorated layered papers, stitched edges.

Painted doilies, art button, large handmade card button with embroidered fastening.

Hand embroidery [girl], beads, recycled bird from card, text.

Page 24 - Background - painted, stamped, decorated layered papers, decorative machine embroidery, stitched edges.

Postage stamp, dyed lace and machine embroidery, arrow covered in sand, two altered tags - dyed lace and brads.

Dyed lace and machine embroidery, two art buttons, pleated 'quilt', paper rabbit, dyed lace, brads.

Inside back cover - a patchwork of vintage fabrics and recycled painted/stamped wipes, decorative machine embroidery, stitching.

                   

The Colour Purple [Pages 20 -22]

Page 20 - Background - painted, stamped, decorated layered papers, stitched edges.

Card discs, mini buttons. Reindeer are from  a paper napkin. Tag, one side butterfly stickers, the side musical note stickers. Purchased handmade paper with metallic gold decoration, beads on each side, paper flower.

Rows of hearts and flower are from a napkin. Gems. Small sample of digitally printed fabric, my design. Decorative machine stitching.

Page 21 - Background - painted, stamped, decorated layered papers, stitched edges.

Painted wooden butterflies.

Recycled postcard [layer of] text added. Postage stamp. Wooden painted flower and bead.

Page 22 - Background - painted, stamped, decorated layered papers, stitched edges.

Beaded trim, dyed lace, handmade washi tape.

Three handmade buttons [shrink plastic]. Ribbon, dyed lace, beads, paper flower.

Click on the images to enlarge.