A little FALL book

This is a long posting... but it is for a lot of  different  Challenges...  I don't really have all the time I normally have during a weeks time... so I have to combine...  I have a huge basket class coming up on Saturday...  and need to pay attention to that...  gather up supplies, etc...  so please forgive the length of this... but each challenge is very important to me.. 

Fall is here and I love the fall season... it is so beautiful and the changing of the leaves and all the wonderful smells... the first wood burning fire is so divine and then someone is burning leaves... (really not allowed, ) but it smells so good too... and then the music... the music in the air... the fall music that plays only in the fall months...  so delightful...  light and airy... and swirling and colorful... can you hear it... maybe you will by the end of this blog...  I certainly hope you will be able to...  it is do GREAT...   

Here is the book I created that is all about the music and smells and sights of FALL....   (and I will tell you all about the challenges as we go along...) 

Card and Envelope from Wall paper 

 

I had a lot of fun making this little booklet… it just kept on adding and adding pages… one after the other… not really sure how this happened.. but it did..  Anyway… this is how it all happened… sort of anyway… 

 

The front cover and back is one piece of paper that I created using the distress ink on the worksheet and then spritzing with water… love that technique…  my favorite past time of all.. LOL… I can make so many pretty pieces of paper in an hour that my studio runs out of room to dry them… truth.. 

 

Anyway… I made this piece of paper and then used a stamp I created from the butterfly die cut of Tim’s little butterflies..  How to do this… simple… die cut a piece of foam…(the shape you want to make the stamp from)  and then glue it onto a piece of scrap plastic…  voila… a new stamp…  so very much fun…  anyway I used archival black ink to make these butterflies…  I had this paper in my FALL TO USE pile of papers… and took it out to make something for this particular challenge… and all of a sudden this little booklet starts to build and build..

 

 

 

So the first challenge that I addressed with this, was Frilly and Funkie… and the theme is“It’s all about HEARTS”  so I cut  a heart out on the front… knowing that I would make something appear in the center of the heart… 

 

The second challenge was Hels Sheridan’s Sunday Stamper… and her theme this week is Music… music, music…  so I took some tissue wrap and cut one inch strips and glued it around the heart edge…  making a ruffle for the heart… oh it went way beyond the edge of the card.. oh well…  I don’t’ mind… I have a nice big envelope for this one… 

 

 

I put a butterfly on the ruffle and then added a piece of raffia and a button… thinking that this week was the Kraft theme of buttons and bows… oooops… not a big deal… I love it anyway… 

 

 

 

Tucked a kraft glassine oak leaf under the bow… and thought wow.. I love that… 

 

The last of the butterflies.. a fall butterfly is on the music... singing it's heart out...  "see you next spring... I love you" 

 

Can you hear it??? 

wow...

I love butterflies.. they are so very special to humans also.. 

 

Well now did you think a crow was going to appear there??? 

If you know the mood I am in... YES...  it had to be a crow... 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sugar Creek Hollowhas a theme this week of putting a sentiment on your project… (#95 Word Play… )  so I kept that in the back of my mind… and also a few others… like Compendium of curiosities volume 3 challenge #11… has effect powders as the theme… so I was also going to add some effective powders to my project too…  maybe… maybe not… all depends…  well… I kept on playing… and before you know it…  I have a whole little book… 

 

on the inside cover… I found this really neat crow stamp… what a surprise…  lots of crows… and a moon…  oh I have to use that… and then a single pumpkin and a little crow… have to use that… 

 

I won a $15 gift certificate over at Kraft Journal… and picked out some really nice things…  not really sure if I would really use them or not…  oh dear me… more stuff… and Craft Hoarders Anonymous really had me doing so well… oh dear me… but when I got my package… I was totally excited… and started to use all the things as soon as I could.. 

 

 

 

The first thing I used was this little Kraft Brown envelope… how cute is that…  and check out this great washi tape… black with white dots… love it… going to have to get a couple of them… love it a lot…  anyway…  added a page with this fun crow… so that it would look thru the heart… but then I added this little envelope… can you feel the pages starting to collect in this simple little card??? 

 

 

 

 

 

 

some close ups...  Love these little kraft brown envelopes... wow. .and I only got 10... need to use a few more... then re-order... 

 

 

How can you put an envelope into a book and not put a tag in it… ( which happens to be the challenge this week at KRAFT JOURNAL Challenge...  )  TAG You are IT... 

So in went the tag… and an extra leaf…  love it… had to stamp on the envelope and decorate that too… couldn’t’ leave it empty… a little double butterfly never hurt anything … 

 

Also... this week for Shabby Tea Room Challenge there is a picture of a pile of pumpkins... white, orange, white, orange... so I created this orange and white border... using a spellbinder border... I popped the pumpkins out... colored them ... and then popped them back into the border... they are raised though...  okay... the picture also had some Bittersweet around the pumpkins... so I didn't have a stamp small enough... so I thought I would make some small leaf stamps... and also draw some bittersweet... 

 

This week at Simon Monday... it is to ROCK THE TECHNIQUES.... so here is my technique... 

 

 

How to make your own simple stamps... I love leaves... and forever need MORE and MORE...

 

So I grabbed a piece of foam...  color and thickness do not matter..

Cut the simple shape out... as you can see above...

 

 

 

Using an old credit card, or a piece of repurposed plastic from shipping products... glue the foam onto the plastic... 

 

 

Treat this as you would any other stamp...  use ink and stamp away... I did it twice here... 

 

 

Then drew the lines for the bittersweet and added some berries... 

 

 

 

 

Another technique that I use when needed is to cut the paper to allow something special to happen... like this crow holding the leaf...  You might never notice on line.. .but in real life you need to make it seem as real as possible... I love this...  I use an exacto knife and carefully cut on the top and bottom and slip the leaf into position... 



On the back of the tag... 

 

The Mighty Oak trees FLOWER

THE ACORN

 

This week at the PAPER GIRLS... they are showing a technique style they call Watercoloring...  it is fun and easy... I used it like this...

 

 

 

The acorn was then cut out and put onto the back of the crow tag... I just love the crow tag... it has so much going on... and yet was so very easy to create... love it...  it is only 2.25 inches by 3 inches tall.. a small little thing to have so much on it... 

 

 

 

 

 

The back of my little kraft brown envelope is covered in a pumpkin print...  and of course a double butterfly... 

 

Finally the CROW page...  with some pumpkins... I used the Challenge for Compendium of Curosities challenge #11 for this one...  it is really wonderful in real life.... if interested in knowing more... please check this site out... other than learning... and meeting all kinds of wonderful people there... it is FUN... love it..

 

 

 

The back of a page is just as important as the front in a book... you look at both...  and so this came out of the pile... TO USE LATER..  a leaf that I made on white paper, using my Textured paste...  used a whole jar the first day I got this stuff... now I have been using all the things I created...  LOL.. am I silly or what... just like a kid having fun in the candy store... 

 

I also zentangled a heart... again for the Frilly and Funkie challenge...  I told you that I was going to cover a lot of challenges... didn't I??? 

 

This is another one of those leaves... but I turned this one into an envelope... Love these envelopes... you can put so very much into them...  like an ATC...  and if you look close enough ... a chicken feather... Our feathers are black and white... perfect colors for this little FALL book... 

 

There is that eye looking at YOU... 

A stamp from the past... at least 10 years old... 

and tim's eye stamp... love that too... 

 

The FALL letters are from tim's line of ideology...  great to use in a flash... 

 

 

 

Turning the ATC envelope.. this is on the back... and low and behold... another envelope!!! in black and white stripe...

 

I think I told you that this little book just started to happen... and it all because of this great black and white dot washi tape I got from The Kraft Journal Store... check it out... anyway... all the book is held together with it.. 

 

On the back of the envelope.. 

 

I had to tangle some more..  CELEBRATE THE COLOR

And of course a pumpkin...  you see these things just sort of happen when they are suppose to happen... 

 

Actually I stamped a lot of things about a month ago... trying to get into the fall mood... but the mojo wouldn't allow it to happen earlier than it was suppose to... 

 

So I just had to pick and choose what I wanted to use...  this pumpkin was embossed with orange and then highlighted with yellow... and the leaves were embossed with GREEN... 

 

 

 

I didn't tell you about the challenge over at Craft Hoarders Anonymous... 

 

Well they have really helped me get my studio in order... and also gotten me into trouble... and others I might add...  but hey.. it is all in fun... 

Since I joined there, I have cleaned my studio of all the junk that I wasn't using... have given it to others that NEEDED it... and also didn't have much... I also have stream lined things... so that I really know where 99% of my STUFF is...  and can find it pretty quick.. that is a miracle in it's self...

 

BUT I have a huge stash of flowers now... never have enough of them... and now the fall stuff is getting out of hand... so I need to work on those areas... 

 

so I had to use some things here ... for no other reason

than just to USE THEM... 

Craft Hoarders Anonymous this week, is asking to use office supplies... 

I use them all the time... but I did use some staples, and also a few paper clips...  so I hope you have seen them...  I also used some tape on the back of the leaf that the crow is holding... LOL..

gotta think of everything these days... 

 

 

 

 

This black and white striped envelope was holding a tag... 

This fall... I have fallen in LOVE with using

Pickled Raspberries...
(what a name... but I love it... )

using this color with the other fall colors is just perfect to me... I love it...  

 

The pumpkin is again done with Effect Powders for CCC3  challenge #11...  and the Sentiment for Sugar Creek Hollow... 

 

I made the paper using my favorite method stated above... I actually have about 5 sheets left over from making this book.. but you know they are going into the USE LATER PILE...

I hardly ever throw paper out... it has to be really messed up... but then again.. I use that too.. so ????  throw paper away... not at all.. 

 

 

 

This broom wanted to hang out... so I let it...

STAPLED onto the back of the tag... and hanging out.. .LOL. 

 

WOW coming around to the end of my FALL BOOK... 

Flipping over the black and white envelope you see the final look...  a huge maple leaf... using the method that The Paper Girl challenge is showing how to create.. .and then the last page...  a sentiment

which I love...  and a leaf and a smiling pumpkin... 

 

May the bounty

of the SEASON

fill your

Heart and HOME... 

 

I wish that for each and every one of you... with all my heart... 

 

Not forgotten, but in all the excitement of today I had a wonderful honoring surprise of winning yet another challenge from Frilly and Funkie... I am so very thankful and love it... 

 

here is what I created for the challenge of

 

A SUMMER GARDEN

 

 

The inside of the tri folded card

The front of the card 

white on white...  

 When you open this card... you see this and much more...

Check out the entry for August 27th... 

 

Thank You Frilly and Funkie... I love you all and thank you all very much for your vote of confidence and love. 

 

Hope you have enjoyed this long winded blog...

and have a happy Fall season.. enjoying it all.. 

 

Thanks for stopping by for a visit...

Love, Light and Peace...Bonnie 

Growing Flowers on paper

Monday's are always so full of fun and delights... I love them... a lot of challenges and also a lot of fun things always going on around the farm...  Monday of this week was a root day, which meant that the sweet potato beds were going to be looked after... and they are doing great... the deer love to eat these, so we have to always have protection around the beds to ward off these critters, that will eat them all.. looks like we will get a good a crop after all... what a relief that is... The deer had eaten the beds down a few times... and it was dismal looking that we would get any... now it looks like a GREAT CROP...  Good news for us. 

Anyway.. .I had all these really GREAT Challenges and wanted to do something special for each one...  BUT... I also had something artistically that HAD to be created... could I combine them all...  ????  YES... I was going to give that as another part of the challenges...  and could I use all the challenges on one project...

NO...

 after much deliberation I decided that I would do two projects.. but this one got done first... had to get this out... I had been journaling a lot recently and one of the things that kept on coming up, was PODS... guess it is just that time of the year for pods to be in floral arrangements etc... and so they had to come into my mind for  art....  I wanted to put some stems and have the flowers at the end of the stems...  but also on the edge of the page... weird... but I wanted to do it... 

ALSO the other day, I had one of the tissue tapes roll get all messed up... and I worked on it and finally got it all rolling out again the way it should... but I had taken off so much... and wasn't going to throw that away.. so I put it onto a piece of paper and would figure something out with it...  ??? 

Well it was on my work table... and I started to draw my stems on it... and then some bricks... it was just laying there...  I started to play around with using that for my background...  and this is what came of it...

 

My Final piece... 

GROW!

in all ways.. just GROW...

I am not a religious person, but am spiritually minded... and I feel that now is the time to grow inwardly and to come to peace with out selves...  LOVE is very much part of this and then when we come to terms with it all we will have LOVE, LIGHT, and PEACE... that is why I sign my name like that... it is a reminder for ME... focus on these things...  and inner peace will prevail...  GROW... 

 

 

 

So the first challenge was Sunday Stamper... and Hels asked that we work on our backgrounds... so I put a lot of attention on it this week...  using the paper that I explained above.. I had my tape on it... and then had made these funny stems... would I be able to get flowers onto these stems???  and then my bricks... had to draw them... really would love a small brick stencil... but didn't have one so I drew them... and then used some Victorian Velvet Distress ink to color it with a water brush..  Hels also wanted a lot of stamping going on... so I started to stamp where I thought I would like these things... first off... words on the bricks...

 

FLOWERS ARE THE POETRY OF NATURE... 

 

and then words and a fun flair or two...  I also stamped a clock to be used someplace???  not really sure...  So this is what my piece of paper started out as...  I had cut the stems, so that they would look exposed...  hope I can get flowers attached??? 

 

Okay... a new challenge for me is called The Paper Girls..  and this week they are asking for us to design our own challenge...  they gave us 9 things to use/do and we could choose 3... well I liked 5... so I choose to use messy paints... Stitch, Washi tape... (tissue tape ?)  and Altered a store bought embellishment... and a pocket page...  phew... a lot on one piece of paper... but I could do it...

My paper... inked and messy and loving it...  I use three different inks and really didn't get messy at all...  but did have fun doing it.. 

 

Alter a store bought item...  a gold charm.. 

 

Altered to look a little vintage...  with paint and some inks.. 

 

Okay.. the paper... I used it for making my flowers...  and so I used a Tim Holtz die cut of Tattered floral small flowers... love that one... I get so many flowers cut out with a couple of strips of paper... I still have a little more than half of the sheet of paper left for more of something... LOL... 

 

I am working on getting to the final stage.. flowers are made.... and now... 

 

a BUTTON....

Craft Hoarders Anonymous...  the challenge is to use buttons...  I really wanted to use more... but will most likely use more over the next coming few days and will post that also... one button is not really enough... but it is all that I needed here...  just to make a points end...

 

 

 

After I made all my little flowers that I needed, I had all the larger flowers, left over...  so I used them to make one large flower...  love it...  and colored the edges with Walnut stain and it looks really pretty...   I love this and it is only a little than a 25 cent piece...  almost a 50 cent piece...  about 1 inch and quarter... 

 

 

 

Attached my altered charm... with some Remnant rubs from Tim's stuff... 

 

Okay... much ado... and finally got my flowers all glued in place... I love the way they look..  more pictures to follow... 

And my bricks... love them... 

 

Okay.. .the clock face.. I stitched that onto the tag and then ran a zig zag up the page... this piece is about 7 X 10... a good size piece...  and turned this into a pocket... 

 

for my little tag booklet to fit into...

I love this saying... 

DON'T JUDGE ME...

I am AWESOME...

NOT PERFECT!!!!

 

WOW... dont' you just love that... I do... anyway.. wanted to share that with you... 

 

looking at the top of the flowers..  how precious...  love them 

 

As you can see my flowers are growing...

 

side view of large flower 

 

I mounted the paper onto a sheet of grey paper and then KRAFT paper... as this is also for a color challenge at

THE KRAFT JOURNAL

 

 

The colors are purple, slate blue to a grey, yellow, pink and Green

 

I got them all..

I also have to say that I won the challenge over there with my Dictionary pages used on my seed savers... Thank you all very much... I cherish that you liked it that much.. THANKS... I am honored and put my BANNER of being one of the TOP THREE again this week...

I am thankful for these... 

 

I am also putting this piece into the Simon Monday challenge...

as it is

Anything Goes week again... YEAH!!!!!

 

So with all that said and done... I thank you very much for stopping by for a visit... and I do so hope that you have enjoyed yourself.. 

I had fun with this piece of art... and think I will have to play again this afternoon to get the other piece done... 

 

Have a great day... 

 

Love, Light and Peace...Bonnie