Recycling Day

Actually it is recycling day today, but as I was rummaging around in the garage for something that at the time was really important I got a bit sidetracked, and found a box of text books from days of yore.  Well they were just screaming out to be given a second chance in life, so I now have a nice supply of books to use for journals.

I think it is pretty unlikely that I will ever read what was a rather dry volume in the first place about the Roman Republic again, but it is going to have a new life as a journal for me to put stuff in that makes me happy.  I'm really bad at making covers for my journals, so thought that I'd have a change and make the front cover first, using some of my favourite summery colours of turquoise and green.

Having collected various bits of paper and images I messed about for a bit before deciding that I should just get on and Mod Podge everything down. If you peer very closely you can see a little cat peeping out of a window, I had to put this in because it looks just like one of my beloved moggies.

Next I added some Titan Buff fluid acrylic paint using a credit card and then a baby wipe, to soften all the images, and added some colour around the collage elements using Neocolor watersoluble crayons.

As this journal is going to be for happy stuff, and I love butterflies, I used a fantastic stamp by Christy Tomlinson for UnityStamps as a focus for the cover.

Then a bit more doodling with Neocolor crayons and Faber Castell Pitt pens, and some Liquitex acrylic ink drippage, and I thought I'd stop for the moment, though I suspect that I may do a bit more fiddling before I'm through.

I've got quite a few ideas about what I'm going to put in here. Stuff that reflects happy memories, places and times, lovely people in my life, and bits about music, art and literature that have personal and special meaning for me. Some of it will be for sharing and some will be too personal. Actually the next bit is a bit personal and I've deleted it four times, but finally decided to leave it in.

This is about coming out of the fog I've been wandering around in since my husband, David, passed away, nearly two years ago.  The past few weeks have been so much easier and it's so great to wake up and look forward to what the day has to bring.

A Curious Configuration

Normally at this time of year I get a bit of a guilt complex about lurking in my little room of stash, but, as they say, every cloud has a silver lining, so I had an enjoyable crafting day here in rain lashed Wiltshire yesterday. And it's the same today, so the Pimm's Party that I'm going to this afternoon (this actually is a fancy name for a group of us sitting round the telly and watching the Ladies Singles Final at Wimbledon) will not be a very summery affair, although doubt we will still enjoy the Pimm's.

Having been lucky enough to go to one of Tim Holtz's amazing workshops last year I have got a Configurations box that I made then, and, as you do, then bought three more boxes, which have stayed in their packaging until now.   Here's the box I made last year.

I had always intended to make a Christmas one, but just never got around to it. So a huge thank you to Linda at Studio L3 for giving me the push I needed to actually make one with Challenge Number 11 and 12, which, by the way, has a fantastic prize that has been donated by Mario.
I decided to use the medium size Configuration Box, and having found it at the back of a cupboard, turned to pages 33 and 34 of The Compendium of Curiosities Vol 2, where you will find some very clear instructions for this project.  Now having re-read them the instructions are very clear, but for some reason it took me several false starts before I got the paper measuring thing right, but eventually the penny dropped!
My box of Christmas stuff came out, and I put a little heap of things I thought I might want to use on my desk.  And I had made one of those lovely little paper rosette Christmas trees that Tim showed on his blog last year, so I thought this might have pride of place in my box, because it is just so cute.

The box is covered with papers from Tim's Seasonal Paper Stash, and I've used the Christmassy tissue tape for the edges.  Walnut Stain DI has been used to give a slightly used look to the box, and as you can see there are various bits of Ideology, plus some other little Christmas things, some of which are cake decorations. These are the perfect size for a Configuration Box and often seem to have that lovely slightly kitsch retro 50's look.  I also made some little pine cones using my Tattered Pinecones die, and the Ideology wreath at the top is coloured with Alcohol Inks.
Here's the finished box. I think it will look quite good in my front window when Christmas comes around.

Now it's off to the kitchen as I'm contributing some mini goats cheese, leek and red pepper quiches to this afternoons gathering, so I better get busy.