Greeting Cards

About a year ago I learned how easy it is to make cards - like for birthdays, thank you, anniversaries etc. My favorite card is called an "Iris Folding Card", but I'm experimenting with rosettes and watercolors too. Just recently I've learned how easy envelopes are to make. Expect your next card from me to have a matching envelope. Here are a few recent creations...

Weekly Photo Assignments - February

DPS: "Beaches" 3rd Feb – 17th Feb Show us what a beach near you looks like this time of year. 

Bradford Beach - all I found were seagulls this time of year

DPS: Theme 6 - 10th Feb – 24th Feb: Home – Show us what the concept of home looks like to you.

Busy Hands; Quiet Mind

DPS: Theme 07 – February 17th through March 3rd: Reflections

Does this make me look fat?

DPS: Theme 08 – DIY Soft Focus Filter: February 24th through March 10th – Show us an interesting photo using materials to create a soft focus filter.

Reaching (used pantyhose pulled tight over lens)

I am also a member of a couple of Flickr Groups that have weekly assignments.  For the first time I've participated in a few of their assignments:

Flickr Friday Group Feb 21st - Precious Treasure

My Mother's Broach

Flickr Friday Group Feb 28th - My Favorite Movie Scene

Wizard of Oz Dorothy's Ruby Red Slippers

Casablanca (1942), Ilsa's letter

Active Assignment Weekly Group

February 10-17 - Textures

February 17-24 : GIVE ME AN "A" (word other than English)

Apfelsine (German for orange)

February 24-March 3 : "SEMEL IN ANNO LICET INSANIRE" (Festival/Carnival Time)

My carnival days are now distant memories!  This is as close as I get to partying these days!  Photo was actually taken with my Samsung phone while sitting at a bar.  Diet Sierra Mist is my beverage of choice!

Mardi Gras!

Photojojo's Photo Time Capsule

I don't recall how I got involved in this, probably because I'm a Flickr fan.  Anyway about twice a month I receive an email with a link to photos that are a year old.  It's such a nice surprise!

Photo jojo’s Photo Time Capsule

February 22nd to March 8th, 2013 A selection of carolea2012's most interesting photos.  what you see? Get your own Capsule!

Keep it simple Taken February 25, 2013 at 9:13 am 45/365 Buttons & Beads Taken February 26, 2013 at 11:43 am Navel half Taken February 27, 2013 at 9:33 am 9/52 White - My Mikimoto Taken February 28, 2013 at 1:37 pm LostInTheWoods March weather in Wisconsin Taken March 1, 2013 at 2:17 pm

Mosaic in the making

With bags and bags of costume jewelry and lots of hot glue I've started to make my first mosaic.  Not finished quite yet and don't look too close or you'll see all the glue strands!  Will share finished masterpiece when it is completed!

UPDATE:  It is complete - see last photo!

Found some inspiration!

Glued paper to cardboard; made a sketch and outline with beads

Not quite finished, but a good start!

The masterpiece!

Book making

How I made a book!  

Materials:

• Fabric remnants
• Paper for pages 
• Fabric and paper for book binding
• Cardboard
• Heavy Thread

Tools I used:

• Ruler
• Pencil
• Scissors
• Paper cutter
• Scorer
• Adhesive
• Needle
• Binder clips

Outside Covers: Cut two (2) pieces of cardboard 8 1/4" x 6" and two (2) pieces of fabric 10 1/4 x 8".
(Fabric is 1 inch larger than cardboard on all four sides)

Inside Covers: Cut two (2) pieces of cardboard cut 7 3/4" x 5 1/2" and two (2) pieces contrasting fabric 9 3/4 x 7 1/2"
(These pieces are 1" smaller than outside covers)

Cut paper for book pages 7 3/4" x 11".  Score and fold at middle (5 1/2" mark). Set aside for now

Cover each piece of cardboard with fabric

I started with corners

Fronts (right side) and backs (wrong side) of all four pieces of cardboard covered with fabric

Gluing wrong sides together - smaller fabric covered cardboard to larger one to make front and back book covers - see right hand side of photo for example.  You should now have two identical covers (one for front and one for back)

Inner binding created by cutting piece of material (or paper) - same height as book covers and wide enough to stick to both front and back covers with space in-between for pages to fit.  I decided on 1 1/2"

Glue inner binding to outside of book front and back leaving space between (for paper pages).
(Photo is of inside to show 1/2" space left in-between front and back)

Outside Binding:  Use card stock (or material that will not fray), cut to match height of book covers and wide enough to cover inner binding.  (I decided on 2") set aside for now

Assemble book with pages and book covers - clip ends to hold firm - poke three (3) holds through middle of paper and inside binding as shown.  Note:  Top of book on left and bottom on right in this photo.

Using heavy thread and needle, insert thread from outside book cover to inside pages in middle hole but leave a 1" tail or so. Go out through top hole; back in through middle hole; and out again through bottom hole.  Tie thread to tail and trim (this will be on outside of book)

Use outside binding, center and cover the thread and inside binding by gluing to outside of both front and back cover.

Finished book!

A book can be made with paper covers too and in any size you wish - even miniature size.  See this example!  It was made with paper covers and is actually a "book pin" as a small locking pin was glued to the back.