Pink Altered Book Revisited

A couple of years ago my friends and i started an Altered Book Swap with a colour theme.  

I chose pink.  You can see the book and how i got started HERE. 

The book looks like a pretty handbag!

I got the book back this summer and added the spread above when an image in a magazine caught my eye.  With altered books you get to play at being a advertising creative - adding a new background, text and embellishment.

Here are some of the spreads done by my friends:

 I guess perfume is a popular theme!

 I had a trip to Paris planned when my friend created this spread - Paris in the snow with apple blossoms.

 For french themes.

 you know i love me some birds.

 and more birds

 and panthers?

 This spread went on for many pages filled with flowers.

 and this one features ATC cards done in a colour theme swap.

Thanks to all who participated in this altered book!

Pink - Altered Book Revisited

 As part of our 2014 altered book swap - we each got our books back this summer to work in - "mid swap".  My little pink book (see it HERE) is getting nice and fat with lots of clever, pretty and fun pink inspired spreads.  There was a little kitten on this page - so i decided to colour it in with pink paint and simply covered everything else with ivory acrylic paint.  then added some balls of yarn, highlighted with black sharpie.  A bit of robin's egg blue for shadow lines. I cut a couple of phrases from another page with said "where are the mice?"

For my second spread i searched through my paper stash for something pink to jump out at me.  Some wrapping paper filled with Russian nesting dolls filled the bill,  I glued them to the page with some floral scrapbook paper for a change of scale. I accented the page with some pink flowers and washi tape text.

Pink Altered Book

 Are you ready for the cutest altered book project, like, ever?

This year's altered book round robin swap with my artsy friends has a colour theme. We each chose a colour for our books - and we will send them around twice this year to our group of 5 ladies. As you might have guessed - i chose PINK! My covers were done with a floral print paper with gold foil accents.  I added some wicker handles from a gift bag and painted them pink.  Then i added a bauble and some ribbon for a "closure".

 I used to have a wicker purse with flowers on it that was so cute, everytime i put it on the checkout counter in a store to pay for something - the sales associate would say, "what a cute bag!"    It got to be so common that my husband started talking to us like we were girlfriends. 

"Are you and 'what a cute bag' having wine with dinner?" 

 "Would you and 'what a cute bag' like to go for a drive?

Well i think this altered book is just about as adorable as that bag.

 For my inside front cover i created a collage with scrapbook paper, some hand painted and stamped deli paper and some french dictionary pages.  I chose the page with "rose" - which is the French word for pink.  The bird was originally yellow - so i painted it pink.

 For the title page i used dictionary paper as a background, and discovered i have lots and lots of pink postage stamps.  I sorted my stamps by country and genre once upon a time, and had a lot of queens and kings i just grouped together.  the big pink letters were from a punch out scrapbook sheet.  I sprayed them with pink mist to add more colour.

 For the next spread i used some random stuff i found in my stash.  The page on the left was from a class i taught - where i demo'd walnut ink and gold foil, and water colour pens.  I added some washi tape and glitter tape to the edges.  The image transfer on the right was on a pink cardstock card that i never finished.  I added the bow and the word pink.

 Inside the card i added my intro and instructions to the art group.  Anything goes in this book - so long as it is predonimantly pink! 

For the next spread i started with a cool marble paper for the background and then added pieces of napkins - applied with slightly diluted matte medium.  Remember to remove both back sheets from your napkins in collage - so they have an ethereal transparency.

And finally here is the sign in page at the back of the book.  I used an Italian map with pretty pink and green printing as the background.  then some tall narrow vellum envelopes. An assortment of pink paint chip samples cut from a full deck will be used by each artist to decorate and sign.
I always love the process of "birthing" a new altered book. It is fun to create something from nothing.  And like sending your first born off to college - this book must now leave my protective nest and journey around to my friends to add their own interpretation of PINK!

Christmas Papercrafting 2013

My dear friend K had another one of her magical crafty play dates yesterday - our third annual christmas card making extravaganza.  What's a play date without a theme?  K chose Pretty Pink Shabby Chic Holiday Papercrafting Affair.  She dressed up her house is all sorts of pretty vintage pink adornments for our pleasure.  (just about making her husband run screaming from the house!).

No - this is NOT a pink tree.  it is a WHITE tree with pink feather boas.  How pretty is that?  Seriously - her husband did run screaming - in search of a football game...

 Here kitchen was set with places for us 6 ladies to play and chat.  With blue statin, and pink organza and bling decorating the railing and windows.

The family room was laid out with our afternoon tea and a roaring fire greeted us. The TV was tuned to the christmas carol channel.

This cute little tree IS pink!

 I prepared little goody bags to share with the girls.  Each pink striped bag was garnished with a vintage Paris postcard, some grey seam binding ribbon tied around a gunmetal clip.

Inside were some papers from my stash, plus a vintage christmas card, some birdies and jewels, and a pretty woodcut angel doll from Artchix.

 K also gave us all some new toys.  at each of our place settings was a glue roller, some die cuts, some jumbo pop dots and some BLING!

 

K put out some of her supplies for us to use - i took advantage of some of these little coloured pearls you can see below.

 After a morning filled with a frenzy of 6 ladies making cards and decorating envelopes it was time for lunch.  K set a beautiful table with pink and silver accents

 Each of us received a mini shoe ornament as a memento of our girl bonding.  At last year's event we got a little "glass slipper".

Lunch was yummy with a persimmon and fennel salad with candied bacon to start.  then a pecan crusted salmon, green bean bundles, scalloped potatoes and a carrot jello mold. 

K was going for a recreation of this vintage looking meal!  I think she nailed it...!

Ok - yes - we managed to do more crafting after lunch.  I brought my suppies in a vintage wicker tote and a cute cloth bag from artfest.

I went to Once Around in Mill Valley to get some inspiration for my cards this year.  I picked up this assortment of teal and blue cards in two sizes.

Last year after the holidays i picked up these music cards from Pottery Barn on clearance.  I thought these could be the base for some cards.

I used jumbo scallop scissors to trim the edges and added some sepia ink.  i punched two holes near the top corners to hang from ribbon.  But that's as far as i got. 

 Next i took a bunch of blank cards and made these.  i used green scroll-y scrapbook paper cut to size as a base.  I added copies of vintage postcards with a bird theme and cut them out with scallop scissors.

 Here you can see those pretty little pearls - each attached with a tiny glue dot.  I also added some sequin leaves.

 Next i took a few little blue cards and added a sheet of soft printed scrapbook paper cut to size.  Something else will be added on top - just not sure what!

 For these cards - i took the same robin's egg blue blank cards and added a piece of flocked decorative paper.  I LOVE how these turned out - especially when paired with the deep teal envelopes.  They too might get a final doo-dad to make them a smidge more festive.

 For these i cut ornament shapes from a piece of scrapbook paper and attached them to the card with the large foam pop dots K gave us.  I think i'll add some string to make them really look like they are hanging.  a little stamp (from K's collection) adds a nice touch.

Among the toys K put out for us to play with was a embossing machine.  I used regular card stock to print a bunch of sentiments which i cut out and glued to some of the cards shown above.

 Around 4 o'clock we took a break for tea.  On one table was an assortment of cookies and scones.  Some of them were sugar free for anyone with dietary considerations.  How thoughtful!

For those of us with a sweet tooth, however, we were not disappointed with this beautiful and delicious coconut cake.  there was a lovely assoirtment of teas (i had pink rose velvet!) and dainty emboridered tea napkins to place on our laps.

After tea, we were each given one of these cute envelope bags. inside were a pretty notebook, a mini sewing kit (one we think we can sneak on planes) and a delightful vintage hankie with festive embroidery.

What a magical day we had.  And i made a good start on my christmas cards.  Thank you K!

 

Check out last year's play date HERE.
And here are my cards from 2011 HERE. 

Valentine Week Wrap Up

 Well, other than the unceasing rain and cold and bleak weather here in not so sunny California, it was a lovely week with Valentine's Day kicking it off.  And check out all the lovely little bits of joy i received in the mail!  I participated in a Valentine Card swap.  I showed you my cards HERE.  Here is a stunning orange and fuchsia card and matching envelope i received from Shelley.  Inside was a special treat - a Ghiradelli chocolate!

She did not participate in the swap, but my niece Erica made this card for me.  Click to enlarge - because that multi coloured heart is made up of dozens of TINY little hearts!  So nice to see Erica's beautiful handiwork.  Check out her blog HERE.

 This unique card was from the swap - courtesy of Alicia.  Don't you just adore the red crochet border? Apparently that Victorian lass is having steamy thoughts..!

 This was actually a RAK postcard from one of my online CAG buddies - Marie.  That's California Art Girls in case you were wondering!  Oh, and a rak is a "random act of kindness" - isn't valentines day a perfect time to send a happy little thing like this to your friends? Thanks Marie!

 This intense black, red and gold card was from my friend Karen, as part of the online swap.  The gold foil heart is removable.  Ya gotta love cards that are interactive!  Her husband is a car fanatic - do i see a checkered flag influence here?

 Here is another RAK - this one from Janene - another CAG buddy.  Isn't it adorable? Thanks Janene!  Note to self - postcards only require a 28 cent stamp!

 Here is another card from the online swap group - this one from Becky. The buttons are speared on a beaded pin and poked under the vintage postcard image - how clever! Love the soft palette.

This was my "bonus" card from Karen - have you ever seen anything so original? She got a little scratched in the post, but i think she is just as cute as can be!

  This was the first card i received as part of the swap - before i had even created my cards.  Let me tell you - this certainly put the pressure on to create something "worthy"!  Jen created this substancial heart with pleated ribbon and rosettes.  Love the red sparkly clothes pin!

This lovely two part tag and sleeve came in a matching envelope.  Pam must be a master with computer designed graphics - everything matched beautifully.  I love the little tag on the ribbon - it says Molto Bella.

 Thought i would throw this one in - yes  - it is STORE BOUGHT - but it came from my own sweetie.  One of FOUR cards he gave me after our yummy cheese fondue dinner and chocolate fondue dessert. Note to self: buy stock in Papyrus.

Here is a clever card from my friend Lucie, who also participated in the swap.  Lucie is French Canadian, and so the touches of French make a perfect accent on this queen of hearts card.  Inside was a special treat - lips shaped bath confetti!

I was going to say "last but not least" - but i am still missing a couple of cards from the swap.  One gal has had an illness so will get the cards out sometime in the near future.  And one card has gone astray.  Either due to the post office, or my pathetic pile of bills and junk mail might be holding it hostage!  So stay tuned....