A Charming Day

It seems I have found a few simple projects that have got my mojo flowing a bit.  I spent the day making charms for one of my favorite little Yahoo groups.  The first set is for a Springtime in Paris swap.  I have a few more tiles that need jump rings still, I ran out and for once, I was not in the mood to shop. 



These were simple altered Scrabble tiles.  A bit of 7 gypsies paper, a French stamp, a smidge of ink and some glossy accents made for a cute little charm.  Stay tuned for another set, I have these really wonderful acrylic discs I plan to alter. 

Check out these little embellishments made from a vintage necklace.  It was so simple to take this apart and just add a jump ring to the existing loop.  The caged ones are so neat.  I wonder if I could tuck something inside.



The set above, as well as the ones below are for another charm swap.  This one is themed around junque jewelry.  I had a ton to sift through and I managed to find a few treasures.



Some of these charms are made from the strangest little bits.  High school pins, broken earrings, clasps, chain links, cuff links make up this motley little crew of junky bits. 



If the other participants in this swap have as eclectic charms as I do, this will be an interesting swap indeed!

Cheers,

Rhea

A Charming Vintage Valentine

I had intended on getting this post up on Valentine's Day, but alas, I have been under the weather and whatever I have is really lingering.  Today I pushed through and mustered up the energy to snap some shots of a really cool collaborative project.  The chunky book pages are the results of a Vintage Valentine swap over on All Things Tim. I made a simple cover and back with really pretty paper I picked up at Altered Art Addicts.



An interesting addition to this chunky book, are all the wonderful art charms.  I was lucky enough to win a contest in my art charms group and received this lovely set of love themed charms.  It arrived as a necklace, but I knew it would become journal jewelry as soon as I realized I had the perfect opportunity to combine all of my Valentine loot. 





I used several of Tim Holtz's charm clips to add my charms to my books.  These are the perfect tool for doing this task, I am saddened that they are discontinued.



I really love the page shown above.  The little bunting is just perfect and the imagery and embellishments are just darling. 



I have to say that our group is a really talented one.  Each page has so many elements, I see something new to enjoy each time I flip through the book. 

 

This page is interactive.  The little paper doll can be removed and her closet on the back of the page opens.  I really appreciate this kind of work as I love art that engages the observer. 



Here is another page with a tuck in.  You can pull the little Valentine out of it's cute little envelope.  I also love the rosettes and pretty trims. 

I am going to enter my little book in this week's challenge over at Simon Says Stamp and Show.   Two weeks ago, I was lucky enough to win their weekly drawing for a $50 gift certificate.  I had a blast shopping and I can't wait to use the goods I purchased with my winnings. 

Cheers,

Rhea

Steampunk Journal with Jewels

This is another one of those projects that has been rattling in my brain for a while.  Although it pained me to do so, I used up most of my Graphic 45 stash of Steampunk Debutante paper.  At least I have a pretty book to show for it!  I used a lot of items from the G45 line in this project.  The policy envelope book was one of those things I saw online and really wanted, so when I found it at Altered Art Addicts in Jackson, I was super excited. 

One of my favorite tricks on the cover, was how I altered the key.  I used a patina product on just the key part of the embellishment, helping the clock and wings to stand out.  I also cleverly lined up the key to mimic the pattern on the paper. 





Early on in my creating process, I decided to add lots of embellishments and metal.  I love to use jewelry techniques in my mixed media projects, as this is where my creative roots lie. 



The orientation of this book also makes it unique.  I thought my use of space allowed me to use my papers in a more effective way.  I adore the wings I attached here with Tim Holtz's charm clips.  It was a happy accident but they move perfectly as you turn the pages. 

Here again I used a charm clip to attach my jewelry.  On this art charm I have a pendant I made with resin, watch parts and tissue tape.  It has been lying around for a while, I was glad to find it a proper home.



Inside of each envelope page has a little something tucked inside.  This tag was fashioned from the packaging that the Graphic 45 trims came on.  You can see the trims used through out the project too.  I love to repurpose things in my art, especially if they were meant for the trash can.  A few of these supplies also came from Dillon's Scrapbook Center, another local shop. 

Here is another shot of my favorite gal.  I just love this sheet of paper. I made a pretty big error on this page, and I will let you in on my secret.  The framed butterfly is totally crooked.  A little bit of texture from the ribbon and a successful distraction takes the eye away from my mistake.  The wings were colored with a bit of acrylic paint and some rub and buff. 

I used consistent or complementary background papers on each spread.  It helps to unite each set of pages.



I actually also mixed in some other Graphic 45 paper in this project from the Botanicabella line.  They are so smart to keep their palates similar as they blend seamlessly. 



I love the little vintage "souvenir" metal embellishment.  It was given to me by a colleague who picked it up for me after seeing some of my assemblage art. 



I love all the butterflies.  They were each fussy cut one by one.  I used them throughout the book, again bringing in some continuity.  Another tiny detail I added for fun, a women peeking out behind the keyhole. I wish you could see the other side of the key, there is the most amazing natural patina on there. 

  

I love the little metal pull tag here.  This was done by gluing two of these little metal things back to back.  I have no idea what they were for, but they worked for this.  The background of this pull out is actually the back of a paper pack. 

One of my favorite things about Graphic 45, they include faux postage in every line.  I adore all things postal.



I love how all the journal jewelry can be seen on other pages. This last page has to little tags in it.  Apparently, I was on a roll!

Another tag with my "gear gal" on it.  Oh how I adore her!  She looks better with real gears in her hair though. :)



I hope you enjoyed checking out my little exploration in Graphic 45.  I had a blast creating this from all those things that are so hard to use. 

My original intention for this post was to make a video tour of this book, however it proved difficult given the orientation I chose.  That was something I did not think of before assembling!  I used a lot of photos to try and assist.  My apologies to those with slow computers!

Cheers,

Rhea