Having fun with BlueBird Chic Design Flair

Hello!
Today I want to share a quick clean and simple page I made with flair from Blue Bird Chic Paper on Etsy.

Blue Bird Chic owner, Leah Farquarson, designs for Jenni Bowlin, American Crafts and Hambly amongst many others- swing by her blog Amusing To Create and check it out- her work is amazing.

I love the cool tones of this set!
The light purples look fantastic when paired with the warm tones in the Amy Tangerine's "Ready Set Go" line which I have been using on everything lately- the patterns are so perfect.

I wish AC had taken the vellum theme in this line further and put out matching vellum tape and vellum pie chart die cuts- I can never get enough of vellum- especially if it's bright.
I wanted to make something a little more complicated but when I saw this configuration I loved it just like it was.

Here are some detail shots:

Everyone loves the My Minds Eye enamel dots. I'm SO on the
bandwagon and playing the tuba! They are AWESOME!

Leah's pins are unique in that they have flat backs so a bit of double-sided
tape sticks them right onto your page- easy peasy.

Swing by Blue Bird chic and check out the beautiful hand made camera straps as well.

Have a great day!
Michelle

What I learned: A travel themed mini book

Hello everyone!
I've been holding this project back for over 3 months but I decided it was time to share it and get your feedback.

I've made mini books before- my December Daily project from 2011 is an all time favorite of mine.
But this mini about our family road trip from New York to Salt Lake City was a challenge.

Here's a look:

I found you CAN spray Hambly transparencies!
Just let them dry out over night.
Materials: Hambly Screen print cover, Maya Road Tangerine mist, washi tape from Target,
American Crafts layered embellishments and Ormolu journaling spots.

I wanted try out two things with this new book:
1. A transparent Hambly Screenprints cover with a machine stitched spine
2. Border sewn and gessoed interior pages for an art journal look.

I used brittle vintage travel magazine pages for the inside of my book so
I covered most of them with gesso to guard against breaking.
The resulting pages are a joy to turn!  

The sewn spine became a challenge when I tried to run the finished pages through my sewing machine.
As I quickly found out, hand sewing a couple of stitches to keep the pages together BEFORE you run the whole thing through your machine is a very good idea- especially when working with slippery transparency material.

The mini quickly became an art journal project. Here I'm using a chipboard stencil from Retro Cafe Art.
 I also tried to make a confetti page with a glassine envelope but the resulting look was down right ugly so I ripped half the envelope off and just left one side. 

I made three false starts and punched holes all over the place before I got anything resembling a straight line.
Washi tape now covers the holes.
Unlike fabric, paper does not recover from a missed seam.

The gesso also provided plenty of journaling space for my travel memories. I really wish Hambly hadn't gone out of business- I love their products so much! A left over piece of their "Uncharted" design holds two of my favorite photos from our family vacation.

Stitching the gessoed page edges together made them sturdy and gave them the flexibility of fabric.
I no longer worried they would crumble apart and HUGE bonus- it feels great to touch and turn the pages.

Also, Hambly transparencies don't bend very well.
I used my Martha Stewart Score Board to make the spine but the material is so thick it resists permanent bending and doesn't close properly.
I used a piece of washi tape to hold the book shut this time but next time I plan to make a little fabric button hook for the closure.

Jenni Bowlin Studio kraft tags and Studio Calico car veneers-some of my favorite CHA summer 2012 items. The quote snippets from from a Glitz print from 2011- I wish I had gotten an extra sheet because the quotes are amazing.

Photographing the book was a dilemma as well. 

Since it doesn't lie flat I had to hold it while shooting.

Next time, I will use a knife to score a line on the transparency which should get it to lie flat for photos (and reading!)

The mini has very few actual embellishments. I used a pack of October Afternoon die cuts, Hambly camera rub-ons and  an arrow from A Flair for Buttons. The compass stencil on the right-hand page is from Prima. Stamps are from Studio Calico, Studio AE and Viva Last Vegas Stamps (which is awesome- check out their website)

Here is the back cover- I loved the texture from the stenciled gesso so much I left it mostly blank.

The Greek coffee cup was such a New York City corner deli thing!
It's not really available anymore so this stamp from Viva Las Vegas has major nostalgia factor.
The bubbles stencil from Studio Calico is AMAZING- I just reminded myself I wanted to try it again on another vintage paper project- the writing shows through the borders and looks really beautiful.

So what do you think?
Any tips?

Lots of tape used in this mini. Most of it came from Target and the Recollection's
brand sold in Michael's but I also used American Crafts Amy Tangerine tape and
Tim Holtz NYC subway tape (FAVE!!!!)

I'm very glad I pushed my technical limits with this project. 

I loved working with gesso even if I had to wait 48 hours for it to dry evenly.

And the final take away? Never be afraid to make mistakes while making what is essentially a "memory" project.

You can always go back and fix those mistakes.

Or you can decide- like I did- that the mistakes are part of your process.

The next book will be better but only because I took so many "risks" with this one.

Halloween cards made with Paper Source die cuts and stamps.
(Someone's been having fun at work!)

MuChoS SmOoChEs!
Michelle

Get messy and kick start the mojo!

So it's 5:22pm on May 9th. Really.
Already.
I feel like I'm on a moped speeding down the highway over here!
Only it's more boring than that- like maybe it's an electric bike- not a Vespa which would be awesome actually.
My husband would take offense at my electric bike dig.
Electric bikes are apparently the sliced bread of motorized mobility.

Been on a "so many ideas, so little results" down swing lately.
I have the motivation and the inspiration but it's all going to pot on the page right now.
Last night- at around midnight I might add-
I made this.

Materials:  Red punchinella, plastic white embroidery grid and washi tape from Gauche Alchemy,
Crate Paper Storyteller paper, "I love" pin from A Flair for Buttons on Etsy, Heidi
Swapp "Epic" photomat, 7 Gypsies tape, American Crafts star border punch, Studio Calico wood
veneer hearts, camera, arrows and stars. Mister Huer in Schoolhouse red and Cream, Prima
Chalk ink stamp pad in cream and yellow.

Just trying to get over the hump and get cracking.
It's probably due to the piles and piles and PILES of crap on my desk.
Seriously- piles- it's not remotely fun to look at it since it's begging to get cleaned.
I'm starting to show on my pages.

 Here are some detail shots:

Creepily accurate map!

Perfect for Project Life or for those who prefer smaller embellishments on their pages.
I bought a "choose your own mix" pack of 12 flair buttons and got to mix and match.
A Flair for buttons- Etsy.

I've had these GCD Studio paper strips since last summer but they were hidden away in a
random flower pot I was supposed to alter. I found them while searching for my bag
of sewing machine thread which has been missing for over a month. 

I watered down some neon yellow paint and spilled it on the page.After it dried, I sprinkled some black Mister Huey mist on it but everything ran together. I finally realized I don't need to buy black staples. I can just use a permanent marker on the ones I already have. Brain? Where have you been?

GRATUITOUS CUTE TODDLER SHOT!!!!

May 7th- Wants to walk the dog but refuses to take the hat off. It's 70 degrees out.

UPDATE!!! Studio Calico just released it's Summer 2012 collection!! HEXAGON MASK!!!! Mistable fabric Ali font Thickers!! SUNRAY STAMP! And typewriter wood veneers! It's gonna be an AWESOME June!!!

MuChos SmOoChEs!
Michelle