Happy Haunting Large Album

Hiya folks! I have a new album to share with you. It's a large one at about 10" x 11" and can hold 45-50 photos. I've used Graphic 45's "Happy Haunting" papers throughout. I will apologise in advance that there are so many photos. There's just no other way to show what I've done and perhaps give you an idea or two! (For larger photos, please click on the image.)

Front cover details -- There are many layered elements throughout the album, with ribbons and beaded elements tucked here and there.

You might be surprised to see page 2 without any photo mats or pockets. I quite love this page in the "Happy Haunting" collection so I embellished and layered it to show it off.

Page 3 has 3 photo mats on the front of the pull-out, while the back is one large mat. See the stitching around the pull-out? You'll see random stitching on mats or pull-out pages.

There is a hidden -almost camouflaged- tag on the side of page 4. It was so well hidden I forgot to take it out to photograph. It's on the right with all the fibers. *wink* There are two photo mats on this page.

The top mat on page 4 flips open, with space for 4 photos on the front of this pull-out page. 

There are two additional mats on the back!

Here is a peek at some of the layering details on the first few pages.

Pages 5 and 6.

The pull-out on page 5 has two mats on the front and a single large mat on the back. Page 6 has 4 wallet size mats and 2 folded mats - space for 8 photos!

The back mats on pages 5 and 6 - loads of room!

Page 7 has two green mats and 4 mats inside the ribbon.

Page 8 has two pull-out pages.

Here are some details of these last two pages.

This album is a large one and ready to be purchased in my Etsy paper shop. It comes with a black gift and storage box.

Thanks for visiting today. In the next few days I'll share a Halloween-themed mini album I'm finishing up now. I'm winding down my album-making. There are a few already in the works -including a matching one to this large "Happy Haunting" album- but after that I am moving on to different media and more shadow box styles. I love new challenges!

Cheers,
Susan

Halloween Shadow Box

Hiya folks! I shared a photo of this project on Facebook a while back but haven't shared it here in the blog. How did that happen?!?

This is a 12-inch high wood house I found at a second hand shop. I dusted it out, sanded edges and painted it black. The roof shingles are chipboard painted black then run through the Sizzix with the Tim Holtz Scallops die.

Can you see the ball and chain around the skeleton? Poor guy couldn't escape even if he wanted to leave this collection of fabulous finds.

Thanks for visiting today. This shadow box has just been listed in my KillamCreativePaper Etsy shop. It comes with a solid black box, perfect for gift giving and storage.

Cheers,
Susan

Fairy Garden Box

Hiya crafty folks! I participated in a swap on Craftster called "Invite Your Partner". Since my sister Lora and I have never been paired in a swap together, I decided to ask her to swap with me. Luckily, she said yes!

I made her a fairy garden, complete with twinkling lights!

The garden is in a former cigar box. I sanded the varnish off and left the wood bare.

The background is an older Pink Paislee line, to which I added upside down raindrops with a stencil and molding paste mixed with paint. I also added a few fairy-themed torn bits from a dictionary.

The poem was scanned from a poetry book by Robert Louis Stephenson.

The fairy lights!

Thanks for stopping by today! I hope you are feeling creative, too.

Cheers,

Susan

Something Wicked This Way Comes

Hello folks! Even though it isn't evident here on the blog, I *have* been puttering around in the studio all summer. It's just been puttering, though, so there are a number of unfinished projects.

I do have something to share today!

I found a cool 7 Gypsies chipboard triptych at Tuesday Morning and put it together with Graphic 45's Steampunk Spells line. I'll be honest and tell you I'm not a huge fan of this collection because of all the orange in it. It does have some great graphics perfect for fussy cutting, though.

I've used G45's hinges to hold the triptych together. There are bits of metals from Finnabair and Tim Holtz on the panels, too. 

 I used Mod Podge to glue the roughly-cut bats to a thin scrap of cardboard. Once dried I cut them out and inked the edges with a black marker. I'm trying to stop using foam dots on projects I want to last a really long time so the bats are popped up using 3D Zots. I had to trim the super sticky Zots to fit - use nonstick scissors if you do the same... once they stick it's hard to get them off from anything, including fingers.

The cat is cut from one of the journaling cards. One thing this collection has is a great selection of journaling cards (hint: mini album just might be in the future for the rest of my Steampunk Spells!).

I used a Sizzix "Branch Tree" die for the  barely-visible tree and the Sizzix Movers and Shapers die for the branch sticking through the window. 

The clock was cut from a Sizzix die - both in plain cardboard and black. Can you see the black shadow behind the red one? The first layer of the red one is Barn Door Distress stain. Ater that dried I used a crackle gloss *then* re-stained the back with Wild Honey Distress Stain to orange it up a bit. As it turns out, Barn Door is really really red. :)

The blue swirly is a Dusty Attic vine and spritzed with a brownish sparkly spritz. (Does anyone remember Tattered Angels?) That was too brown so I painted over with a blend of Lumiere blues and greens. It helps carry that teal color across each panel nicely.

So that's it. I'm going to put this in the Etsy paper shop shortly. thanks for visiting today!

Cheers,
Susan

Halloween Spool Project Swap

Hiya folks! I made this Halloween project for an Altered Spool Swap on Craftster.org.

On one of my spools I used a little Gathered Twigs Distress Ink on a sponge. I didn't want to cover the text on that end so the ink helped to age it a little more. (A spool of thread for 29 cents? Wow!)

I used little wood caps as for Scrabble letter bases. My favorite adhesive these days is a matte super heavy gel medium. It works for just about everything and sets up quickly. Total drying time is longer, but it does set up so you can set things aside to dry without worrying - the Scrabble tiles never threatened to fall off as it dried.  

The banner was made from bits of cardboard with Halloween paper on top. I poked small holes and used jump rings to connect them and teeny tiny eye hooks attached to the dowel rod and spool.  

The raven is a Dusty Attic chipboard painted with black satin acrylic. I wanted to find black feathers for a wing, but no luck.

The bats were originally going to be solid black. I have an older paper with bats all over it but I wanted to make them a little more durable. I found a kraft paper with swirls on it and thought it would look fine as the backside so I glued them together. Once I colored a tiny bit with a black Copic  the swirls had a resist effect. Neat, huh?

Thanks for visiting today!

Cheers,

Susan

London Souvenir

Hiya folks! Today is my birthday so I'm celebrating by spending the whole day in the studio. I put the finishing touches on the project I'm sharing today, will start an altered spool thingy I'm kicking around in the noggin, AND working on an ongoing 12 Days of Christmas piece. 

That's the plan, anyway. Oh, oh! It will all be done guilt free, too! Yes, I'll let the doggy out as needed, but otherwise my butt is in the studio guilt free.

So, on with the sharing!

Last year I took classes at The Queen's Ink with Anna Dabrowska a/k/a Finnabair. I was thrilled to be there and learn about mediums I've never used. One of the classes was supposed to use a (supplied) chipboard rocking horse, but I knew I didn't want that... so I gathered bits and pieces along a theme. It turned out -as the only one who struck out on their own instead of copying Finn's project- I swam upstream in that class. No worries. I have a thick skin and am proud of this meaningful project. 

 The Husband and I went to London for our anniversary. As we waited for the management company to bring us our Covent Garden flat key, we hung out next to this row of phone booths.

The "Keep Calm" ATC is one of a bunch I made to trade. Of course I kept one for myself. I used an Artistic Outpost Union Jack stamp with Lumiere Pearl Blue and Crimson paints. The Keep Calm panel was made to look like crazed china. 

The phone booth in the project is from Jolee's. I'd been hoarding it for years, waiting for the right project. The metal clock and a lot of the metal pieces throughout were supplied with the class. I bought a huge lot of clock hands off Etsy for very little money. I think it will be the best $12 I've ever  spent!

In her classes, Finn guides students in using an assortment of adhesives, molding materials, paints and sprays. None of which I'd used in this way before, so it was good for me.  

The lion knocker was a perfect find in the store. The handles moves! I brought the crown in the photo below; all other bits were class kit supplies.

This last photo is my favorite detail of the piece. I used Scrabble tiles and Dominoes to show it was our 15 year anniversary. The wee little lion was from my sister ages ago.

Thanks for visiting today!

Cheers,

Susan 

French Country Treasure Box

Hello friends! I'm here today to show a little altered box. It started out as one of Graphic 45's Mini Book Boxes and was covered with G45's French Country. Ooh la la!

Thanks for visiting today - see you soon!

Cheers,
Susan