Bound - Project 1 - Art Album

I received this book Bound - 15 Beautiful Bookbinding Project by Rachel Hazell for review just before my crazy craft sale season started in October so I am just getting around to making my first project from the book.

I have been looking to develop some photo related products. After some research, I found several handmade Instagram Albums which I thought were a good idea.  We need to get those pics off our phones.

It paired well with the Five Hole Pamphlet project in this book so I moved forward.







I needed square pages to accommodate the 4x4 Instagram photos.  Of course, I am very familiar with that format as I used it all the time in my photo calendars.

I started with a piece of paper 4.25 x 11 inches which is half of a letter sized sheet of card stock.

After printing a bit on it I scored it at .5 in, 5 in, 9.5 in.

I created holes on the spine at the center 2 1/8 inches and at .5 from the top and bottom edges of the 4.25 inch. The book was too small to have 5 holes as the project in the book.











I chose color thread to provide some interest.  The half inch flap on the left helps to keep the pages in and the large flap on the right provides place to document the 12 pieces inside the album.

The stitching is start from the outside through the center hole, go up to the top hole through to the outside again, down the spine to the bottom hole and then through the center hole to the outside again.  Before making your knot make sure the 2 threads are on either side of the length of the spine.  Pull taut and double knot.  I left the thread long enough to tie the album closed.

Version 2.0
I decided that I could improve on the design so I took another stab at it.  By cutting the card stock in half the other way 8.5 x 4.25 I could get a cover that was 4.25 inches square when folded.   I decided to put the index on the inside front cover.  The pages are cut just a smidge under the 4.25 inches to allow for the stacking of the pages. Still plenty of room for the 4 inch art.

I embellished the thread lengths off the knot with E-Beads.

I produced a tag which provides the buyer with how the album can be used.  It  can be filled with Instagram photos, Mini Paintings (watercolor or acrylic), Poetry, Comic Strips, Drawings, or Everyday Pics

It can be used for: A Photo Album, Flip Book, Portofolio

Makes a great gift for: Bridal Party, Grandparents, Clients, & Friends.

The Craft Kingdom - Project 3 - Toilet Paper Roll Flower

I was inspired to try this craft after reading a book called The Craft Kingdom.  You can check out the website and the toilet paper roll wall decor video is featured there.

I did not want to do home decor so I decided to do a flower.  I will share my up and downs on making this project.
Of course, collecting toilet paper rolls just happens.  I stored them until I had enough. I thought I was going to make 3 flowers but in the end I did not. More about that later.















I flattened the rolls then I cut my pieces 1 inch wide which generally gave me 4 per roll.  I discovered later that they don't all have the same diameter so pay attention if it will matter for your project.  You will see that my flower petals are longer than my leaves pieces.  I was lucky I noticed before I painted.

I elected to paint my pieces and decide they should be under coated so my yellow would be vibrant.  I used white paint for the first coat.  Be careful how wet you make these because they can fall apart when wet.  I painted the outside and the inside.

Once dry, I painted them again.
I then applied 2 coats in the same way in yellow for the petals and green for the leaves.

The challenge came when I assembled my flower. Hot glue does not stick to acrylic paint very well so the flower would not stay together well. I had to add some double sided tape to have it hold. Next time: Either assemble with hot glue then paint it OR assemble with double sided tape.  I mounted my pieces to a green bamboo skewer. I glued a brown button in the center of the flower on both sides.  I loved using sand in a small vase to have it stand.

On the left is the introductory page to this craft in the book.

This wall art in the book is very pleasing and the color comes from the different brands of rolls which are used.  In some the cardboard is darker and others lighter.

She has used that to her advantage in the placement of the pieces.  For me color did not matter as I painted them.

I hope you are having a great summer and enjoying craft time with the kids. Try this one out for a good time and a super cute project in the end. 

The Craft Kingdom - Project 2 - Decorating Rocks

This is my second project from the book - The Craft Kingdom.  Check out my second post.  Find a link to the book here.






I hope that you are inspired to do art today. Check out the book at your local book store.
 
I chose Decorating Pebbles on page 32 of the book.
 

First I picked my rocks.

I chose smooth rocks with flat surfaces where I could paint.

I wanted to make one a Thank You one and others to just paint something interesting.

Pick shapes that appeal to you and sizes that fit with the art you are planning to paint onto it.

I chose a turquoise color named Laguna, a green called Yellow Citron, my favorite Cadmium Yellow and Kelly Green.

I chose acrylic paint in a variety of colors and brands.  Make sure you have an opaque paint.  I have glazes and semi transparent colors.

I did not prime the rocks with white but it may have been a good idea.

I  did make a couple coats of color so that turned out okay.

I chose a plastic lid for a palette for the dollops of paint.  The middle rock is a mixture of the dollops once I was done with the others.

I chose a medium sized paint brush.

You have to plan because you will have unpainted spots where you are holding it.  Two times by 2 coats.  The acrylic paint dries very quickly.

Check out page 32 in the book titled decorated pebbles.

As you can see a pile of rocks was included in the book.  Lots of color and pattern was used.

Here are my rocks.  Spattering paint with a toothbrush is always a easy process for anyone to try.

I used a smaller brush to paint my flowers.  I love the shape and color in the turquoise one!

The Craft Kingdom - Project 1 - Geometric Painting

This is my first project from the book - The Craft Kingdom.  Check out my first post.  Find a link to the book here.


I hope that you are inspired to do art today. Check out the book at your local book store.
 
I chose Geometric Painting on page 14 of the book.



















You will see that I chose a second hand canvas.  Many of these are showing up at thrift stores now that painting nights have been the rage.

I primed the canvas with plain white acrylic paint.   It took 2 coats to cover the previous color.  I made sure that I switched the direction of the brush strokes to make a nice even end result.

I used washi tape left over from previous craft sessions.  You must press the edges of the tape very carefully to ensure the paint does not bleed under it during the painting.  I placed my tape to ensure there was a natural focal point where I will place my flower accent.

I chose acrylic paint in colors that worked with flower accent I had selected.  For painting the smaller spaces I chose a small paint brush.

You will see that I added a few pieces of washi tape as I started painting.

Once the painting was complete I let it dry some before I added the gold.  I had a gold flower in my accent so I decided to add it to the painting too.
I use gold acrylic and spattered it onto the canvas by rubbing an old toothbrush against a old butter knife.

Once spattered I let it dry completely.

Once dry, I removed the tape and revealed the wonderful design.

I created the flower accent with 6 silk flowers held together with a black brad.  The I added a piece of 3D foam tape on the back and adhered it on the focal point I had created.  Remember to sign your art work.

The Craft Kingdom - Book Arrived

I was contacted a while ago asking if I would do a blog post featuring this wonderful book.  If so, they would send me a copy of the book, The Craft Kingdom.

I was contacted on June 10 for contact details so after some consideration I trusted and sent off the information.

Yesterday, a neighbour let me know that I had a UPS notice at my mail box.  I quickly checked it out and dropped by the UPS pickup place and brought the book home.  Exciting!!!

I will read the book and decide which project(s) I would like to feature on my blog.  Keep an eye out here for more details in the upcoming days.

A quick perusal of the book leaves me wanting to dig in!