How to Bind Single Sheets Into an Album

I've been using mat board as a base for my mixed media projects.  (You can find it near the framing department in your local craft store or ask a framer if they have any trimmings you can have.) I like the mat board because it's sturdy and because it has a background color on at least one side. I have some that are metallic that make really cool backgrounds without needing to paint!

Here are a few of my first attempts...

I wanted to bind some of my projects into a book, so I worked on both sides of the mat board.  When I had around eight to ten "finished" pieces, I tried to figure out how to bind them into a book. I knew that sewing the mat board with traditional book binding stitches wouldn't work because the board is too thick and rigid.  I found a tutorial on YouTube by My Creative Spirit where she binds chipboard pages into a mini album. It didn't look too difficult and it seemed to fit what I was looking for.  I made a larger album with my first mixed media art pages and really liked the result.

Here's a flip through of the first book I made.

I cut some of the mat board into quarters and made some more art on those. I decided to record the process of binding these into a mini album. Instead of using cardstock to bind the mat board, however, I tried using fiber tape (wall board tape) to connect the pieces instead. It turned out okay in the end, though I think I would glue the tape down the next time as it is so flexible that the book isn't square.

Hope you enjoy tutorial!

The bound album!

New YouTube Video

Here's a flip through some of the mixed media index cards I made for the 2014 Index Card a Day challenge from  Daisy Yellow. I hope to show how I bound the album in another video...

Mixed Media Art Tutorial - Index Card a Day (ICAD) "Green"

Here's a little video I made showing how I interpreted mixed media artist, Daisy Yellow's, index card a day prompt, "Green."

I've decided to document my experience as a newbie to the mixed media arts. I will be posting videos and pictures in the coming months and hope that you will follow along as I learn! Please subscribe to my YouTube Channel and click the "thumbs up" button on my videos so that I know that someone is enjoying what I'm sharing. Please also leave comments/questions/critiques for me! I love feedback! Happy crafting!

Improvements

In my last post, I talked about how discovering mixed media art, in particular art journals, had "saved me" from feeling stifled and just plain, "not me." I gave you a peek at some of my early mixed media attempts as well. I was feeling like my attempts were looking very amateurish so I searched YouTube for tutorials and inspiration.

Here are some of my favorites so far:

The Frugal Crafter - Lindsay is the epitome of artsiness! She offers scrapbook, mixed media, watercolor, drawing and tools and technique tutorials and posts almost daily. Plus, she's a bubbly free-spirit who is just plain fun to watch!

Jennibellie - A self-taught mixed media journalist, Jenni not only demonstrates techniques but also gives inspiring talks about creativity and building self-confidence. Plus, her English accent is fun to listen to.  I'm also following her free art journaling class, Inspiration Station. You should definitely check that out as well.

Sea Lemon - A graphic designer by training, "Sea" has lots of tutorials on all sorts of crafty projects. She has some great lessons on book binding. I've already bound some of my projects and will post them soon!

Mixed Media Jen - I like Jen's videos because there's usually no talking... she has fun music playing in the background and shows you what she's using. Plus, it's in fast-forward, so you get the end result in ten minutes or less, usually.

I'm a visual learner, so the YouTube videos have been so awesome! Just search, "mixed media tutorials," or "mixed media", or "icad," or similar. By the way, "icad" is Index Card a Day. You can find out more here. These are so freeing. I'll post some of mine soon!

That's all for now! Thanks for reading and Happy Creating!

Mixed Media: The Perfect Art for a Creative in Withdrawal

After closing my eBay and Etsy stores, I found myself feeling out-of-sorts. Something was missing in my life... I was enjoying my marriage and new baby, but I didn't feel myself. While browsing the internet, I stumbled upon The Documented Life Project, an art journal group offering weekly prompts to help you "document" your life through art. It's a really cool project! Here are a few pictures of the pages I made following the weekly prompts:

Week 8: Add a flap to your flap

 This was a really "tame" attempt... all stamping and paper scraps. I do like how it turned out, though...

Week 9: Collage something you recycled

A little friend!

I collaged a cake mix box from a cake I made for a co-worker's retirement party. It was also my birthday, so I made a little "Happy Birthday" scene on the other page (I can't find a picture of that right now).

Detail Week 9

Week 11: Draw, photograph or collage a bird onto your page

I used some name-brand 3-D items I had purchased (I don't recall the brand though, sorry) for the cage and the red bird but I drew the other bird and cut the word, "Chirp" out of decorative paper free-hand.
There is a light coat of white gesso on top.
















I followed along for a few months, but I found myself creating/experimenting in-between the weekly prompts. So, I decided to attempt to make an art journal on my own, no prompts, just whatever came to mind.

I went to the second-hand store and found an old sewing book from the 1970s. I used a pen knife and cut out every other page or so (and kept these for the awesome vintage pictures and fonts) to make the book more manageable and to create room for the dimensional objects I was planning on incorporating as I built my art journal. Note: If you want to create an art journal out of an old book, you'll have to use one that is bound, not glued. When you start cutting pages out of a glued book, your journal won't hold up and you'll likely lose pages you don't want to lose!

Here are my first attempts...

I don't like how the yellow and purple look on this page. The whole thing looks amateurish to me. Of course, it was my first attempt, so I should be nicer to myself...

 My next attempt... I like how the sewing book's original pages show through. I didn't really have any "mixed media" tools at this point so I used scrapbook paper, acrylic paint and mixed acrylic paint and water to make the green spray. The radiating circle stencil is actually one of those plastic picnic plate holders from the dollar store!

Page left

I don't have a good picture of this two-page  put together. I really like how it turned out. I used gesso, scrapbook paper and paper cut-outs of birds. I used watercolor pencils to draw the branches and leaves. The lattice work was accomplished by using a stencil and a compound made for creating a "snow" look for dioramas. I think I used some teal acrylic paint, too.

Page right

Texture detail

My sewing book journal really got me excited! I've been a busy girl and will post more pictures soon! Hope you enjoyed a peek at my beginner's attempts at an art journal!

New Board on Pinterest

Hello again! It has been awhile! Lots of news in the past year or two... got married, had the most adorable baby in the world, moved to a house we had been remodeling, am trying to sell my old house and finished
the final requirements for my therapy license! On the Life Stressors Rating Scale, I'd be scoring at the top!

I'm still not ready to fire up my Etsy shops yet, so you won't see anything in the shop links on this blog, but check out my gallery of sold items here.

Today, I thought I'd take some time to share some of my favorites.  Today, my newest board on Pinterest ... Children's Mental Health Helpers.  Check it out and let me know your favorites!

Good Bye & Hello

I have mixed feelings about my bead shop closing.  I'll be sad and miss it as I love beads, beading, counting beads, looking at beads, sorting beads. thinking about beads.... and I've had the bead shop for almost 15 years.  On the other hand, hopefully, I'll have more time to create jewelry and to continue to delve into the paper-crafting world!

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I recently listed almost thirty new items in my Artsie Designs shop on Etsy.

These adorable heart earrings sold within minutes! They're on their way to a wonderful customer in Denmark.

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I've been meaning to list these pieces for quite awhile.  I love the graphic/comic quality of them.  A super hero meets nature kind of feel. Each is hand-painted on shrinkable plastic then baked for durability and finish. 

Super hero, maybe, vroom vroom motorcycle mama?  Definitely!  

 I feel like shouting "fight the power" with this one.  Maybe just a "fist bump"?

Reminds me of a circus ... or candy ... or a petri dish experiment gone awry.

And this one is just plain pretty. Love the lyrical quality of the ribbons.


I'd love to know what you think of these!
-Gretchen