Holiday Project: Paperbag Journal

Hi everyone,

Well, I hope that you are all enjoying the school holidays and great to have the Easter break to look forward to this weekend.  If the kids are driving you nuts, or the weather isn’t what it could be, I have a little project that you can do with them.

If you are like me, you collect brown paper shopping bags – I just can’t seem to throw them away because, you know, they might come in handy, recycling etc, etc. 

This project uses paper shopping bags that are different sizes (bonus if they come with pretty patterns), to make a paperbag journal that the kids can go mad in with paint.

As an added bonus, this project uses supplies that you should have lying around the house.

Supplies

• ·         Paper bags – I used 4, but you can use as many as you like.
• ·         Glue
• ·         Scissors
• ·         Bulldog Clip
• ·         Twine
• ·         Needle (that can fit the twine)
• ·         Awl or other ”pokey” tool
• ·         Masking Tape
• ·         Washi tape(optional)

Step-by-Step

Step 1

Here is the collection of paper bags I used for this project:

Take the largest bag as this will be the cover, a cut to be flat as follows. Please note that the sides of the bag will become the front flaps / cover of the journal.

Fold the edges of the bag so that the sides slighty overlap at the front, and snip the bottom edges(where circled) to ensure that the covers can open and close completely.  Score folds.

Step 2

For each of the other paper bags, which will become the “pages” in the journal, do the following:

Cut the bags along the fold lines to separate the covers and sides.  Do not cut the bottom of the bag. In this instance have both the sides attached to the “back” part of the paperbag, but you can also trim so that the front and back each have a side attached.  These “sides” become fold-out flaps on pages that add interest, and additional areas on which to paint in the journal. 

Fold the bag so that the top edges of the front and back pieces of the bag meet – this means that the bottom of the bag is folded in the middle lengthways.  Score, or if very creased give it a press with a dry iron.

Glue down any of the internal fold flaps that might be sticking up.

Step 3

Arrange the prepared bags in the order that you want them in the journal cover, laying them all out flat, with the score lines meeting at the bottom.  This will become the “spine’ of the journal.

Once happy with your arrangement, secure them all with a bulldog clip.

Step 4

We need to make 5 holes along the spine to bind the journal pages together. Measure between the edges of the journal covers and mark the centre.  Mark 2 holes either side of the centre mark roughly equidistant from the centre (in my case I was able to do 5 & 10cm from the centre mark, but this is dependant on the size of the paperbag you have used for your cover).  Use your pokey-tool to pierce holes on your marks through all the paperbags.

Step 5

Tie a knot in your twine, leaving a long tail. Starting from the second hole on the inside of the journal spine run twine through the spine, come back through the middle hole.  Repeat to the last hole on the far side from where you started.  Your twine will now be on the inside of the spine.

Repeat the “running stitch” back through the holes to the last hole on the side that you started.  Tie off the twine with the tail that you started with.  Your binding now looks as follows:

Step 6

Fold your journal signature back over and score heavily, ready to trim the bag handles off completely. 

Turn the journal so that the back is facing upwards.  Mark against the top edge and trim.

This is how your journal now looks right way up with the inside covers open!

Step 7

To decorate the cover and create a closing mechanism, cut a piece of twine long enough to go around your journal 3 times + a little bit to spare.

Take one of the handles / paper bag tops that you cut off in the previous step. Secure the twine to the back of the handle with masking tape, so that approximately 40cm  of twine  is sticking out on the handle side of the paperbag top.

Glue the paperbag top to the left hand flap of the journal cover, ensuring that the handle is facing to the right.

Fold over any excess and secure on the inside. Add washi tape to hide any uneven cuts. Reinforce both the inside covers with masking tape.  I reinforced the outside edges, and the folds. 

To close the journal, run the longer piece of twine around the back of the journal to the other side of the cover, loop through the handle and back around again to the front.  Tie twine in a bow at the front with the 40cm overhang piece.

Leave the journal under some heavy books for a few hours for the glue to completely dry and to flatten the journal.

Then you and the kids are ready to paint away.

Till next time!

~ Liz 

Limited Edition JOFY in a Tag

Hi everyone,

This is Joan and I have been playing with the new Paper Artsy products for Crafters Cupboard. I really enjoyed playing with the new products and I have just completed a tag using the new JOFY stamps,  new stencils (yes, great for the stencil addict here) and  new JOFY paint set.  I  am now working on a class using all the new bits and pieces.

Step 1. I was so excited when I made this tag that I forgot to take a photo of the first step, so I had to redo it.  Needless to say it involves doing a wash with the new JOFY limited edition colour set.  This involved a lot of water with the chalk and lolly and then adding a little of the teal and amethyst

Step 2. I then stencilled with a new stencil (No. 7) in the oh so fabulous, chalk coloured paint - it is a white but a soft white and not so stark.  I just used a sponge which worked well

Background following the wash and stencilling - I loved this result

Step 4 Colour in stamped images with Paper Artsy paints

 Step 3 Stamp images from new JOFY
range No.23 & 24 (& 11 butterfly)

Step 5.  Mount tag, add embellishments and ribbon

Card & Matching Tag Set

Hello! Teresa back with a card and tag set I made with one of the new Paper Artsy stamp sets. Here's JOFY 022:

I grabbed a piece of white cardstock and made a swatch sheet using the new Limited Edition Eclectica paint set:

Then I stamped on it with brown ink and cut bits and pieces out:

I stamped the stems on some beige hessian, and assembled all the cut out pieces to make this set for a friend's 50th birthday:

Thanks for looking. All the products I used can be found at Crafters Cupboard now.

Birdhouse with a difference

Hi it's Holly here with my newest project for Crafters Cupboard.

This is a beautiful birdhouse with painted metal flowers and embellishments that has been decorated with book pages.  I used the following products:

Kaisercraft birdhouse

A yellowing book

Paper artsy fresco chalk paint pumpkin soup

Treasure gold in onyxite, emerald, ruby, royal amethyst and florentine

Prima, cinnabar vintage trinkets small and large metal flowers

Metal beading, additional metal flowers, metal owl and leaf charms

Small wooden plaque and a few brads.

A brown distress ink like frayed burlap

I started by putting the birdhouse together using PVA glue - the trick is to use elastic bands to hold the item together while drying!

I then painted the whole house in white gesso and then anywhere I thought might me seen with the fresco chalk paint.

I then ripped into small pieces my book pages making sure there weren't large pieces of blank paper. I used PVA glue to glue all the pieces down all round the walls of the house

Once all the walls were covered I let it dry overnight and started the roof. The bottom of each side is a squarish piece of book paper but each row after that is handcut and the edges inked with distress ink to look like a strip of tiles. Using the same method as with the walls I used PVA to glue the strip down making sure I left the edges of the tiles without glue so I could bend them up a little.

Once the roof was complete and dry I used the distress ink to make the walls and roof appear old and a little more rugged.

I then started to decorate the front of the birdhouse. I gathered a collection of metal flowers and charms together and worked on the placement for the front of the house. I absolutely love the new Prima Finnabair vintage trinkets range and couldn't wait to use them and adjust the colour using the treasure gold colours.

I took each charm in turn and painted using the treasure gold with a paintbrush. I used many colours on each flower and painted the colours on with the same brush not worrying too much about cleaning in between. I used the purple colour of royal amethyst to make the owl stand out. I glued all the charms and beading down once painted using helmer 450 glue.

This is a lovely project which was really fun to do. It would be perfect as a gift for so done who loves the garden, birds or a little vintage bling!

Bye for now

Holly

Creating a Nicho

Hello again, Liz here bringing you a project using some of the fab new PaperArtsy products that have arrived at Crafters Cupboard. 

Today I have decided to experiment with a nicho. A nicho is an object of Latin American folk art. Nichos are made from mixed media and traditionally combine elements from Roman Catholicism, mestizo spirituality, and popular culture.  

Nicho art originated as a popular adaptation of the Roman Catholic retablo tradition of painting patron saints on wood or tin. Unlike the large, flat panels of retablo, nichos are small and built in shadow box style. Within the box there is a key object or central figure for whose honor or memory the nicho has been created. Nichos are usually painted with striking colors, often contrasting bright and dark, and tend towards garish.  What I love the most is that nichos are made of objects that can be easily purchased or scavenged in the home or community.

Here's an example of a real nicho...and here's my Paperartsy Sardine Can Nicho:

In the interests of full disclosure I should point out that this piece was heavily influenced by the work of Michael DeMeng whose workshop I was lucky enough to attend in 2008.

So here's the step by step to create your own Paperartsy nicho.

First your 2 main ingredients - a sardine can thoroughly cleaned and dried, complete with the ring pull, and Darcy mini No7.

Make sure that you curl the lid of the sardine can over nice and tightly to really add dimension to the nicho.  Glue the ring pull to the bottom of the can so that the round part of the ringpull sticks out the back.  This way the can will stand up.  I used superglue from the $2 store. 

Next give the can a coat or 2 of gesso to get a good coverage.  I heat set the gesso onto the can just to make sure that it will stick.

Get together a selection of bits that you think will be good to decorate your nicho with. Here's my selection - I didn't use all of the pieces in the end, but this is what I started with.

Get out your grunge paste and build it up in the places that you are going to add your bits.  Don't be too neat in slapping the paste around... the more rough bits and nooks and crannies you have, the better the finished paint effect will be!

I set the grunge paste with a heat tool so that it developed a "skin", and then left it aside overnight to dry and harden.  When I came back the next morning most of the pieces were firmly stuck in place.  The transistor in the middle of the can (pictured) needed a little more reinforcement, so I added superglue to the back to ensure that it couldn't move around.

To finish the elements of the nicho, I added some rusty nails by hammering them through the sides of the tin. (I have a container of rusty stuff in my craft room, and I periodically rust a heap of things and add them into my stash for use later). Don't worry if you don't have pre-rusted nails, use normal nails but sand them before you hammer them in so that the paint finishes will really "stick".

I also added some jewellery findings to the top of my nicho with superglue, utilising the fold in the sardine can and a jig (ie a mini bulldog clip) to hold it until it was dry.

The great thing about superglue is that it dries really fast!  Just be careful not to glue your own fingers together like I seem to do all the time.  Here is what my nicho looked like from the front at this point:

Next, stamp your image into transparency with black archival ink & heat set.

(I stamped a couple of other images from another plate that I didn't use in my nicho- but don't worry, they will be used in another project!).

Cut the image out leaving a good edge all the way around (say 1cm). Go to the kitchen and "liberate" your butane torch (they are not just for creme brulee you know) and burn the edges of your transparency.  The heat from the torch will create a fantastic edge (if it catches on fire just blow it out quickly), and the image will warp beautifully!  If you don't have a butane torch, a lighter of some description will work too.

 

Flip the transparency over and paint key elements of the house. I used Chutney for the roof, Zesty Zing for the window frames and London Bus for the door.

Put this aside to dry, while you start on the paint finish for the nicho.  For these paint finishes I build up paint in washes, heat setting each wash before starting on the next.  I didn't repaint the entire surface with gesso, as I wanted the effects of different metals peeking through the paint.

So, my base wash was a mixture of Yellow Submarine, Chartreuse (in equal parts) and a touch of Little Black Dress to dull this down. I add at least 50% water to the paint mix.

Coat the nicho with a wash, heat set the paint on the raw metal parts as you go (it cooks it into the metal making it set), and coat again.  Wherever possible, let the washes of paint puddle in all the grunge paste nooks and crannies.

(Nicho from the back after 2 coats of wash #1).

Add a wash of the same onto the back of the house transparency, and put to one side to dry.

Next add a wash of 2 parts black, 1 part chartreuse and 3 parts water. 
Then add a wash of 2 parts Tikka, 1/2 part black and 2 parts water.
Dry thoroughly.

Then I added a wash of Blood Orange (equal parts paint to water) onto elements of my nicho - the transistor in the middle and spots on the jewellery findings at the top.  This was to stop the entire of the nicho looking "samey".

Lastly I added a wash of Golden's Quinacrodone Yellow Azo Gold and another wash of Little Black Dress.  I find that the Yellow Azo Gold makes most of my projects really pop.

At this point the main elements of colour are done. Time to add your painted and crumpled transparency into the nicho.  I secured it with Matte Accents, but glossy accents would work just as well.

Now it's time for the additional decoration.  I used Nougat, Little Black Dress and Chartreuse Fresco paint to add swirly, dotty and stripey design elements all over the nicho.  I used off-white (Nougat) rather than white paint as I felt that stark white paint would be too much for such a little tin, and could distract from my house element.

Almost there!  We need some words on our nicho as well. I used some Ranger glassine paper (but any brown paper would do - even kraft) and black archival ink.  I used the sentiment from the Darcy Series 6 Plate (EDY06) which says "Be unique Be beautiful".  I masked off the "be beautiful" with post-it notes and just stamped "be unique".  Tear around the edges.

Secure to the front of the rolled edge of the nicho with matte medium, sealing over the top as well.  To balance out my composition I also added a "fence" to the front of my house by roughly rolling up some rusty wire and securing it with matte accents. I used a tiny bit of my darkest wash to blend it all in.  

Coat the entire piece with a gloss varnish to seal.  Using a gloss varnish will really make the texture on the nicho pop, but if you only have a matte seal (like matte medium) that will be fine. 

Viola - a finished nicho, made with love from a sardine tin.
Front view:

Side view:

Back view:

I hope you give this project a try.  It's great fun to play and create a 3D mixed media piece of art!

'Till next time!

Liz