Folio Junk Journal

 I really love the Tim Holtz folios, I used the hinge to make 4 individual folios and glued them together to make a junk journal.  I used some my favorite funky chipboard designs and AB studio paper pack "In the Past", "Love for Old Things" along with a floral paper cut outs.

I used file folders to make the folios, once they were all glued together made a closure flap with elastic strap.

Open folios.

AB Studios paper pack come with great cutting elements, tags, frame, poloraid cards and sayings.  Makes them great to use for a junk journal, lots of varies shapes and sizes for added interest. I used old photos i purchased off etsy since i find it easier to scrapbook with photos since i like to layer on top.

I went through my stash and used up a bunch of odds and ends.  I had canvas sticker letter, chipboard letter, and metal bits these were used for accents.

New chipboard design- chess pieces

I used my pipe chipboard to make pipe cluster around photos and sayings.  Love how these turned out.

I like how with the folio hinge you can see the layers underneath,  you do need to be aware of the front and back since you can see both.  Luckily most of the papers were double sided.

This is one of my favorite chipboard designs, the bone frame of ribs, spine then behind the organs and major blood vessels.  The floral paper cut outs behind really add to the final look.

Here is a couple other chipboard designs I love - dressframe with lungs and Bowler and Apple (Portrait "Son of a Man")

I also found the key to the folios is to start with smaller pages/clusters and work your way up to larger pages/clusters

This will be a kit sold at Treasured Memories in Edmonton- should be in store at the beginning of July.

Rusty Bird House

Treasured Memories asked me to come up with a kit for Finnabair Rusty bird House,

So continuing with my fascination with tiny houses here is my take.

I made a turret on top, complete with window, flat roof and rounded shakers.  I recently re-discovered my bendy straws so I added a steampunk edge with piping and gears.

The cut outs are Mintay paper elements, fuzzy cut and inked.

I kept two sides simple (because i love simple) then two sides busy for those that believe more is better.  This is also my favorite blue- Tiffany blue as i like to call it.

The straws are painted with black gesso, then Art Academy metallic Steampunk Copper.  You can still scrape off the paint but unless you make a effort to remove paint you will good.

Layer on the gears and cut outs to make clusters on two sides.  I used the smaller gears to hold pipes in place,  this needed to dry overnight.

The Close Ups- Happy Victoria Long Weekend!  Enjoy the sunshine (finally we had snow this week)

Chipboard is available on the etsy store

Boozybear

Wizard Way

Completed a new book nook, i am obessed with tiny houses and window shops.  The buildings are a take on Harry Potters Diagon alley- funky, curved windows with a magical flare.  It is really hard to take pictures and see all the details and i of course forgot to take pics before i glued all together.

I didn't make a brick background instead made a textured wall using thin foam sheets (from the dollar store) to hide wires.  Next I smeared on modeling paste to give texture and paint with highlights and lowlights to showcase texture.

I made the left building curve around the corner, absolutely love how this looks.  The building didn't lay flat against the wall so i added the pipe detail, which i love.  Here i just used a straw, painted with black gesso, then metallic brass and antiqued with brown.  I put piping on all three walls.

Added a little bird and nest on building roof.  I made 4 different types of windows to add around buildings.  My favorite are the round ones.  Painted them all colorfully.

More piping and tiny windows.  Some of the windows have shingles like the building peaks.  I painted shingles with a green hue to have them look old and mossy.  The straws i use have an extra long bendy section which are fantastic to shape around windows.

The signs are made with 0.25" MDF on a laser engraver then i hand painted- not my smartest idea.  But they look amazing and fit the whole theme.

Made a bracket out of 0.25" MDF put a bird in a dome and hung off building.  I painted the foam bird to look like an white owl, this detail just adds some charm.  Also made a broom with twig and twine, glued into apothecary with a plastic skull purchased at halloween.  

This Wizard Way street sign is one of favorite details, again a pain to paint but love the look.

Working on York Shambles street next.

You can purchase this piece at my Etsy Store Boozybear

Circus Canvas Art

 This project is 3 months in the making, I have been working on it off and on since Christmas and have finally finished.  I started really strong, build the ship right away make the circus tents but then I slowed...  The painting needed to be completed in several stages to allow for drying time, figuring out construction of sails etc...  Finally I stopped procrastinating and got it done.  And the final product

Canvas Size 24"x36"

The ship sticks out approx 6" from the canvas.

I added texture with light modeling paste and painted the canvas with acrylic paint.

Lots of layers of paint.

The circus tents are made with thin chipboard, cut, bend and shape into tents.  I wanted the tents to have a fabric look so I covered them with light modeling paste to add texture.  Paint the tents.

To highlight the texture on the tents, painted with watered down brown paint allow to dry slightly then wipe off the excess.  The brown settles into the grooves, nooks and crannies.  Finally dry brush with white paint, the white hits the high edges and highlights the texture.  You now have highlights and shadows.

Love this photo, the shadow the tents and string make on sails.

All tent bases are made with large chipboard gears.  The chipboard gears have two purposes, they look fun!  And the center holes are the same size as the wood dowels so the act as the anchor on masses top and bottom.

Same goes for the gears on the top of tents.  The center holes are the same size as the small wood dowel (flag poles) and used to anchor flags to the tents.

Sails are made from thin foam sheets you can buy at the dollar store, cut to shape then covered with light modeling paste also to give a fabric look.

This part was challenging, positioning the masses just right so there isn't too big of a gap between masses and canvas.  

I wanted the ship to look like it was flying away so it is build with a 6" depth at the back and flat at the front.  This helps when constructing ship because you can see the construction so it doesn't need to look pretty.

I think my favorite part is the rope from sails to railing, creating fun shadows, and that final finishing touch.

This piece is FOR SALE on my etsy store

Used this reference photo from Eve Skylar, loved the tents.  Also used this video from Creative mom to make the ship, my pattern didn't work as good but i made it work.

Steampunk Train

 

How great is this steampunk train home!!  I figured I could make that, so I did.

It looks more complicated than it is, I started with a box then added the balconies, turret, staircase, and porch.  The key is to look at it as pieces of a puzzle.

Side B

The staircase hurt my brain, it wouldn't be the easiest staircase to walk up but no one will be using it.

The pipes are rolled cardstock, with brads along the seam.  I really wanted the megaphone things but just couldn't figure out how to make those.  So stack pipes it is.

All the "wood shakes" are made with cardstock, I cut 0.5" long strips then cut slits every 0.25", finally trim the corners on slits. Layer on , done- simple right lol

The album pulls out from the back.  I used Stamperia Vagabond collection.  I ended up using 3 pack of 8"x8" paper- 2 Sir Vagabond, and 1 Lady Vagabond.

Lots of pockets, flips and flaps.  I used striped and harlequin cardstock as accent.  It takes alot of paper to make an 3.5" thick album with pockets, flips and flaps.

This is a really fun paper line, I used Basic Grey magnetic discs to hold flips closed.  This is my first time using them- I have to say I love them.

Lots and lots of room for photos, journaling, keepsakes etc...

Now to make the instructions and pack the kits.  This part sucks!

Happy Family Day!

Victorian Christmas Advent Calendar

 Good Evening all,

I am obsessed with building little houses lately, I love making 3-D projects on canvas or substrate.  Right now I am all about Victorian storefronts, here is an advent calendar I made to look like a scene right out of Dickens Christmas Carol. Enjoy!

The finished size is 30"x17" and 2" deep.  The frame is made with MDF and the boxes are 2"x2".

The storefronts are made with chipboard that i bend, shape and layer into a 3-D form.  I use 3M Scotch glue quick drying tacky glule to hold everything together I found this as the best product for crafts.

The doors have black cardstock behind the window, then i fill them with Mod Podge Dimensional Magic, makes it look like glass window.  For the storefront windows I used clear acetate, this protects the inside decor and keeps dust down.

I printed some toy Victorian images, cut them out and stood them up in the window to look like a window display.  I wrote the shop names on with a paint pen.

The curved window are my favorite!!  Everything is painted with acrylic paints.  I start by painting the base color, add some distressing with light gray, then add brown especially in the edges and corners.  Finally i bring in highlights- a lighter base color.

All decoration are the smallest items i could find a the craft store.  The garland and wreaths are made with green matte pipecleaner, I twisted two together so they were fullier.  I had to trim the pipecleaner otherwise it was too thick and long.

The bay window is removable and behind it is the battery pack for the mini LED lights.  The LED Lights are in the storefronts, lights up the decor.

The bricks are made with 1" insulation foam that you can buy from the hardware store.  I distress the top of foam with scissors then carve the bricks into the foam with my hot knife pen used on foam.  Layers and layers of paint make it look old and worn.  Start with dark and work up to light.

I used matte gel medium to adhere fake snow to the windows and garland.

Boxes are made with thin (think cereal box thickness) chipboard and covered with paper.

I am very happy with the final result.