Recycled Denim Journal Project

Recycling is what I do best. Here is a great project which can give a journal or drawing book new life, and a great way to recycle old, ripped or discarded jeans.

The first recorded use of indigo as a color name in the English language was in the year 1289. There is something so magical about the color of indigo which has a mix of blues and violets embracing it. Indigo is a color which has many facades. It can be romantic, mysterious, and mystical. It can call on fairies, goths and bohemians. Its vintage and modern all wrapped in one.


Materials:

-Jean/Denim pocket and scraps
-Discarded hard cover book, journal or drawing pad
-Ribbon
-Large metal safety pins, Michaels Crafts Line
-Adhesive page flags, Michaels Crafts Line
-Paper stickers, Flora and Fauna, Brenda Walton for K & Company
-Acrylic paint, ink spot color, Folk Art Paint
-Glues: hot glue, sturdy craft glue
-Tools: scissors, hot glue gun
-Other: metal tags, metal flowers, tiny metal cabochons, rhinestone bow, rhinestone pieces, jewelry findings

Directions:

1. Using the jean pocket scrap I covered my book's front cover and spine. hot glued in place. It fit perfectly around the front. I then folded the uneven edges over the cover and onto the other side.

2. For the back cover I added left over jean scraps from my scrap bag and hot glued in place. I layered a cut piece of muslin fabric to the inside covers to finish it off.

3. Now add decorative page tabs to the inside pages.

4. Tie a large ribbon around the center of the book, attach metal number tags to the ends. These are the book marks.

5. Embellish the cover of the book with large metal safety pins, paper stickers, tiny metal cabochons, rhinestone bow, rhinestones and metal flowers.

6. Enhance the book pages with ink spot color paint, ephemera, images and your fave mementos.






Tips/Tricks:

-Cover a blank journal or drawing pad and carry on your travels. Fill it with your adventures.
-Dye your jean scraps for more color choices.
-If you don't have jeans cover your book with fabric and make your own pockets.









This journal I created represents, friendship, love, and the magic of life. It will be filled with mementos that I acquire along my journey in creating a wonderful life.

I hope you enjoyed this project and come back for another visit.

xoxo

Lisa

DIY Vintage Transfer Pillows

For a few months I have been wanting to make DIY Vintage Transfer Pillows. I turned muslin fabric craft totes into vintage pillows w/ black/white copies, wax paper, heat and stuffing! Whole project cost $10 for 4 pillows!

This project can be done a variety of ways. Instead of wax paper, you can use stencils, stencil brush and black paint. Try a black and white photocopy, transfer paper, stylus and a black sharpie. Iron on transfer paper works as well.

Materials:

-Wax paper

-Printer paper

-Ink jet printer

-Image or lettering of choice

-Bone folder or painting scrapper

-Muslin fabric craft tote

-Pillow stuffing

-Paper spray adhesive of choice

-Tools: scissors, sewing needle, sewing thread, heat tool

Directions: 

1. Choose a few images or lettering labels you want to print. (visit my flickr gallery for a bunch of free collage images) 
2. Cut a few pieces of wax paper to 8.5 x 11 inch sheets. Attach the cut wax paper to the same size computer paper using spray adhesive. Load into your computer printer. Make sure the wax paper part is the area that gets printed on when it comes out of the printer. (Doing this makes printing the wax paper easier) 
3. Before you begin printing, make sure you switch your printer settings to mirror images, so that the wording or images print in reverse. 
4. Carefully remove the printed sheets from the printer, making sure to hold the ends, away from the ink, as the ink stays very wet. 
5. Place the wet side of the wax paper onto one side of the muslin fabric craft tote, then using a bone folder or painting scraper, press/rub down onto the paper until the ink has transferred to the fabric. 
6. Remove the paper and using a heat tool or blow dryer, add some heat to set.
   Cut the tote straps, fill with pillow stuffing and stitch close. 
   
   
   
   

    Iron on Paper Transfers:

1. Replace the wax paper and printer paper with iron on transfer paper and print. (remember to click on the mirror settings on the computer before printing)
2. Then iron onto the fabric, stuff, stitch.

For Transfer Paper and Sharpie:

1. Print your image on regular printer paper. No need to mirror image.
2. Place a piece of transfer paper onto the fabric and layer the printed image onto it, with printed side facing you (Blank side down against the transfer paper).
3. Trace the image onto the fabric using a stylus or pencil. Remove both papers.
4. Fill in the transfer with a black paint pen or sharpie. 
   
   
   
   

    Stencil and Paint Transfers:

1. Buy paint stencil online or at craft store.
2. Using a stencil brush and black fabric paint, stencil on the fabric.

Tips/Tricks:

-Try color images

-Photocopy ticket stubs such as a first movie date, wedding table number, broadway or sport tickets for a fun memory pillow.

-Create fabric banners, or print on wood.

Hope you enjoyed the tutorial, so many possibilities, Love to see what you make. I have my pillows on the couch and sitting chairs.  I've even used them to showcase my jewelry wares. Now onto the next crafting adventure.

xoxo

Lisa

Wizard Soiree Necklace

 

Wizard Soirée! A new necklace I created using muted distressed gold findings, chains, beads, rhinestones and pin. I photographed this piece on my favorite dichroic stained glass boxes and books!

All the findings are from Bead Landing and the beads are from Halcraft USA, all available at Michaels Craft Stores.

Long ago there was a Magician named Oliver who believed in magic, he believed that he was a direct ancestor to Cornelius Morvette.  Cornelius was a wizard from Brush Hollow, a city which some how just disappeared, just as OZ did.

Oliver recently discovered a trunk period under heaps of copper scraps while fixing his flying air machine. He dusted the top of the trunk and opened it with the gleaming key still inside the trunks key lock.

They a puff of golden light sprinkled some glittering powder and the contents were made clear. An old large ornate book, some smaller books, journals, potion supplies, bottles, jeweled amulets and a map. What was all this stuff? he wondered. Could it be, could it really be true, was he the great great grandson of Cornelius Morvette. Afterall they shared the last name and finding this trunk just proves it.
Now Oliver must go on a journey to find the truth about his ancestry and see if he is really the great grandson of Cornelius Morvette. Also what happened to Brush Hollow? How could a town just disappear?

Are the disappearances of Brush Hollow and Oz a coincidence?or completely separate? Oliver packed the trunk and map on his air ship and set sail with his friends Miranda Sicklesby, Doey Muddstone and his pet Owl Puffs.

 Where will their first stop be? I'm thinking Jaggerville or Tuckerton. Who knows, as soon as I find out, I will let you know. In the meantime enjoy one of the necklaces from Cornelius's trunk.

 I hope you enjoyed the necklace and its story.
xoxo
Lisa