Altered Bottle

I made a little gift for a friend, and now that she's received it I can share it. First, I made a card. I loved the bird image, and saw the bold polka dot paper sitting on my scrap table. They were meant to be together.

I added a scrap of fabric and trim and typed a sentiment on my old typewriter.

I sent her a box full of goodies, including this altered bottle. I added a soldered top and band around the middle. Then I embellished with old sheet music, text, old lace, jewelry pieces, rusty key, and a jingle bell.

On the reverse side, I added an old crochet piece, tiny millinery flower, and cameo image.



I really liked how it turned out. The muted colors and simplicity of design seam to fit this old glass bottle perfectly.

 

Back to School

I just received my September issue of Cards magazine. There's a card on page 108 that I'm quite fond of :)

This card was inspired by my friend Julie's love of vintage pattern girls.

Vacation Mini Album

I've started making mini albums for our vacation photos because I can complete them so much quicker than a regular album. I finally finished the mini book for our trip to Savannah and Charleston. Here are a few photos of some of the pages.

For the cover, I used a combination of vintage and new patterned papers. I cut the gate from a piece of Prima paper I've been saving. It echoes the ornate iron work that we saw throughout Charleston. I tied antique lace trims to the binder rings.

Inside, I kept the pages soft and romantic. I used a color scheme of pinks, greens, and beige. I went through my paper stash and pulled out all my favorites from Prima, Webster's Pages, Basic Grey, Creative Imaginations, and K&Co.

I tucked journaling in here and there and used vintage pieces throughout.

I typed all of the journaling on my old typewriter. Here I am at lunch at Paula Deen's The Lady and Sons in Savannah.

We also visited a few old plantations outside of Savannah.

We took a bike ride through historic Charleston, which allowed us to get up close to the beautiful homes and architecture.

The cities and towns in Georgia and South Carolina have beautiful cemeteries. Lush foliage and flowers, old stones, and ornate statues.

Because the pages of my book are 8"x8", I had minimal space for multiple photos on a page. I made flip-up and pull-out pages where needed. Here's an example of one.

Upon opening the photo, I have another photo and the journaling.

On this page, I used paper that reflected the iron work of the gate in the photo.

Lifting the photo reveals a secret garden, which is exactly what the real garden felt like.

I love old architecture, especially churches. I put together a compilation of the photos of historic Charleston churches that we visited.

Opening the page:

And opening again:

I also kept the embellishments on each page to a minimum since I was relying on the paper's patterns to blend with the photos and feel of the locations.

I made this background by combining several scraps of vintage papers. It had the "assembled" look that I wanted. I secured the photo using masking tape, to further reflect the assembled feel.

I made the last page using a piece of printed canvas, which I cut to size, allowing for the bottom to fold over to create a pocket. I placed postcards, brochures, tickets, and other mementos from our trip in this pocket.

We had a wonderful time on this vacation and now we can finally reminisce about our trip while we look at the photos.

 

A little of this and that

Here are a few things I made when I was getting bored at a crop. I'm not the type that can sit and craft for hours, so when I got bored with the project I was working on, I switched to a few little projects to pass the time.

I made this tag with scraps from other projects, including old sheet music, ephemera, and a scalloped oval punched from a watercolor experiment. I added the pattern girl and a Jenni Bowlin banner sticker. A piece of lace to match the girl's dress finished the tag.

Next, I made an ATC with a bird image and more scraps. I was pleasantly surprised to find the little scrap of sheet music with the perfect phrasing for this little bird. I made her a flower nest to rest in.

I made a card using a printed mini file folder, more scraps, and another pattern girl. Again, I found the perfect text for the card.

 

Pencil Box Paper Doll

Last Saturday, I took a class taught by the talented Roxie Poe. We made a paper doll scene in recycled pencil boxes. We started by selecting a "nude lady" drawing and then dressing her up. Then we needed to create a scene to display her.

My paper doll became a Parisian Fairy. I used a map of France to cover the back of the tin and then found an image in a magazine of the Eiffel Tower.

I made a fabric dress and hair for my doll, and a pair of paper wings. She carries a rosette balloon. I added the shell and pearls to give the display more dimension.

I haven't decided if I'm finished embellishing her or not. She may need a little fairy hat and the banner is crying for some text.

Recent Treasures

I went to a couple of estate sales recently and came home with some loot.

Vintage linens, including an old baby gown.

Dress patterns, cards, and Christmas seals (one of my favorite collectibles).

An old Scrabble game (I'll use the letters for projects), jewelry box, and buttons.

I also found a few old books, including a very old Webster's Dictonary.

I've been busy working on a few projects. Hopefully I'll have some photos to post soon.

 

Christmas in July

I participated in Michele's Christmas in July swap. We had to send our partner a handmade ornament and a vintage ornament. Here is what I sent to my partner, Debbie - a vintage ornament (with the soldier) that I found in CA, one of my handmade stocking ornaments, and some other vintage goodies.

Debbie sent me a big box full of goodies! Here is what I received - fabric, candles, tins, Santa light covers...

A fabulous apron, postcards, and cocktail napkins. These are marked Tammis Keefe - a very collectible linen designer.

Birdsong Tags

Back on this post, I shared the tags I created for Karla's Birdsong Tag Swap. Here are the tags that I received.

Karla created a beautiful cover for each of the tag books.

This tag only has initials to identify its creator. I think it says "GW."

This tag was made by Kimberly Laws:

And this one is from Karen Hess:

Karen also decorated the back:

This colorful tag is from Sabrina:

Mary Kahler made this tag:

This one is my favorite - I love the turquoise background. And the lace nest. And the bead eggs...
I think the signature reads Alison Crerd.

Alison also decorated the back:

And lastly, this beautiful tag completes my book. Unfortunately, I can't read the signature. It looks like L---- Legge.

Thanks to all the ladies who created such beautiful tags for my book!