Stamperia Patchwork Mixed Media Album for Frilly & Funkie

Hello, Friends!  Today I have a Stamperia Patchwork Mixed Media Album to share with you.  It’s the start of a brand new challenge over on the Frilly & Funkie Blog, and our lovely hostess Sara Emily has chosen a wonderful theme for us.  Can you guess what it is?  OK, I’ll help you out!  Here’s what Sara Emily has to say about this fun challenge.

Challenge Theme: Home, Sweet Home
Whether your house is grand or modest, neat or messy, there’s no place like home. Houses get bought and sold, but home stays with you forever. For this challenge, I would like to see how you interpret what home means to you on your vintage or shabby chic project.

Stamperia Patchwork Mixed Media Album: Home is Where the Tea Kettle Is

You just never know when or how or where inspiration will strike.  For this challenge, I was breaking down a box of Trader Joe’s Irish Breakfast Tea.  It comes in a nice big box with LOTS of tea bags for this tea drinking girl.  As I was about to toss it in the recycle bin, I realized it already had a really nice area that would be a great spine on a mini album.  And that’s how it ended up as the album base for this project.

The finished album measures 5″ x 4 7/8″  with a 2 1/2″ spine. I paired up Stamperia Patchwork papers with the Tim Holtz Elegance 3-D Embossing Folder and a supporting cast of mixed media goodies for this production number.  Let’s take a look at that process.

Stamperia Patchwork Mixed Media Album:  Step One/Preparing the Base

Sadly, I forgot to take a photo of the original tea box.  Thank heavens I found a photo on the internet.

• Begin by carefully opening the box.  Cut off the left and right hand side end panels.  Then fold the box flat, and cut off one side along the scored lines.
• Flatten the box and trim to measure 5″ x 4 7/8″.  Be careful not to cut off the one box side, as that will become the spine on your mini album
• Now, lightly sand the entire surface of the box, front and back.  This will help it to accept accept a coat of paint later.
• Use a damp sponge, baby wipe or paper towel to wipe any dust from the box surface.
• Next, place the box in the Tim Holtz Elegance 3-D Embossing Folder.  You won’t be able to fit the whole thing in there, and will have to run it through your machine following the sandwich recommended by the manufacturer.
• Keep shifting the position of the box until the entire surface has been embossed.

Stamperia Patchwork Mixed Media Album:  Step 2/Mixed Media Mayhem

Now that the box is embossed, it’s time to pull on your Mixed Media Boots and get messy!+

 

• First, paint the album base, front and back, with grey chalk paint.  If you don’t have grey chalk paint, just use Pumice Stone Distress Paint.  A light layer is fine.  Heat dry.
• Next, dry brush the embossed areas of the base with Antique Linen Distress Paint.  This layer will act somewhat as a resist to the Distress Oxide Ink layer that comes next.
• When the paint is dry, apply Picked Raspberry and Fossilized Amber Distress Oxide Inks with a blending tool.  You don’t have to cover the entire surface as we will be coming back in with more colors.
• Once you’ve laid down the amount of color that looks good to you, spritz with water and let the ink move around a bit.  Then heat dry.
• Repeat this with Twisted Citron and Spiced Marmalade Distress Oxide Inks.
• Follow this process for both sides of the album cover.

Stamperia Patchwork Mixed Media Album:  Rosy Gold Accents

The top photos shows what my album cover looked like after I had finished applying the inks, spritzing and heating. While beautiful, it was brighter than the finish I wanted for my album.  I also wanted to add some metallic accents.  So I tapped on some Rose Gold Mixatives using a felt pad and blending tool.  That’s the bottom photo.  Pretty, but still brighter than the finish I was going for.

To remedy this, dry brush the entire cover a medium coat of Ivory Chalk Paint.  Let it sit for about a minute, then spritz with water and lightly wipe the surface with a paper towel.  I repeated this process until I reached the level I was happy with.  Then I coated the entire cover, inside and out with Clear Gesso to seal everything.  I’m very happy with the final result!

Stamperia Patchwork Mixed Media Album:  Cover and Spine Details

Now tear some images from the Stamperia Patchwork pad and layer them up on the cover.  Not too many, though!  You want that glorious mixed media background to be seen.

TIP: Lay the edge of a ruler along the area of paper that you wish to tear.  Then pull up along the ruler edge.  This leaves a nice distressed edge, but gives you better control over where the paper will tear.  I use a metal ruler, and place it upside down on my paper for better control.

Layer on some flowers and metal embellishments to add texture and dimension.

This brass door plate and door knocker are both Graphic 45.  I had them in my stash from my time on the team.  They have been aged with Cracked PIstachio Distress Paint and Seth Apter Mediterranean Baked Velvet Embossing Powders.  More about that in the video below.

Stamperia Patchwork Mixed Media Album:  The Closure

The closure for the album is made with the left over side from the tea box.  Alter it just as you did the cover.  Measure it, and score flaps on the ends.  Adhere one flap inside the cover.  Punch two holes in the other flap, and add grommets.  Line this up with the cover, and repeat the process.  You will loop jute cord through these holes and tie a bow to close the album.  Simple, but effective.

Stamperia Patchwork Mixed Media Album:  Staggered Pages and Simple Binding How To

Create staggered pages and a simple stacked binding for your album by following these steps:

• First, cut (3) 11″ x 4 3/4″ panels of 85 pound kraft cardstock.
• Page 1
  • Score on the long side at 3 3/4″ , 6 1/8″, 9 7/8″
  • Fold the small flap on the right hand side to the back side of the panel
• Page 2
  • Score at 4 1/4″ 6″, 10 1/8″
  • Fold the flap to the CENTER of the panel
• Page 3
  • Score at 1 1/2″ , 5 5/8″ and 6 3/8″
  • Fold the Flap to the back side of the panel

• Now you have 3 pages with center spines of varying widths.
  • The first page has the widest spine at 2 1/4″
  • The second page has a 1 5/8″ spine.
  • The third page has a 3/4″ spine.
  • Stack the spines together so that they are evenly spaced on both right and left hand sides.  Adhere.

This is the simplest way to create a book binding that I know of.  Now you can decorate your pages however you desire.  This is always the fun part

Stamperia Patchwork Mixed Media Album:  A Peek Inside

NOTE: if you are short on time, just scroll on down and watch the video walk through.  But if you want tips and details on how I put these pages together, read on.  

The inside cover is a simple book plate.  Again, I did not wish to cover up the mixed media background.

The first page is an accordion pull out page.  Cut your paper 12″ x 4 5/8″.  Score every 3 5/8″.  Adhere the small flap under the base page.  Add the altered butterfly as a pull out tab.

Computer journal quotes and lines of poetry about home, then tear out and add to the album as you like.

The next set of pages is a collage page and a fun fold down flap.  To make this, cut out the tall house from the paper collection. Score and fold.

The next set of pages is a pocket with tag insert and a flap page.  Create a tuck spot on the flap page by adhering just the bottom edge of the Tim Holtz Paper Dolls to the page.

Stamperia Patchwork Mixed Media Album: The Pop Up Page

This pop up page is my favorite.  Fussy cut along the tree/house line of a 12″ wide page.  Adhere about 1″ of the page on the right hand side of the album base.  Now, fold your paper so that the back side ends up on top.  Place adhesive here.  Close the book.  Instant pop up!

TIP: Practice this before you add the final adhesive.  You can hold things in place with a paper clip.  Adjust where necessary.  Once you have it as you like it, add glue.

Stamperia Patchwork Mixed Media Album: More Pages

This flap and flip up page is easy to make.  The flap on the left is the one you scored onto the base.  Create a turn tab with a circular element cut from the paper pad.  For the flip up page, tear your paper with 1/2″ extra on the top.  Score this and adhere behind the base page.  Then tear paper from the collection to make the little house icon.

The final page is another flap page.  This time, adhere the image to the scored flap on the base page.  Then cut or tear paper that is the width of the page plus the back side of the flap.  Score, fold and adhere as you did with the pop up.  Fussy cut elements from the paper collection to decorate the page, and the inside back cover.

Phew!  If you hung with me through all of that, you deserve a cookie!

Stamperia Patchwork Mixed Media Album Video Tour with Tips

Now it’s YOUR Turn

What does home sweet home mean to you?  You are cordially invited to create your own vintage or shabby chic home themed project.   Then link  up on the Frilly and Funkie Challenge Blog before 11:55PM EST on Tuesday, July 2nd.

The winner will earn the chance of a Guest Designer spot  at Frilly and Funkie, and everyone who enters and follows the rules will go into the draw for the chance to win a $25 spending spree at The Funkie Junkie Boutique. In addition, the Design Team will select three further outstanding entries and those creators will receive a Top Pick badge to display on their blogs!

I can’t wait to see what you make!

A Fond Farewell

I need to let you all know that this will be my last Frilly and Funkie Challenge.  Being on this team for the past 3 1/2 years has been pure joy.  I love my beautiful and talented teammates, adore Linda, the owner of The Funkie Junkie Boutique, and have grown in my art during my time here.  But my work schedule has become a bit unwieldy as opportunities with The Button Farm Club have opened up for me. ( While I don’t sleep a lot, I do need to get at least a few hours a night.)  So the difficult decision to step down from this amazing team had to be made.  My deepest love and gratitude to Linda, Jenny, Cec, Maggi, Suzz and Sara Emily for inspiring me with your beautiful artwork.  You are the BEST!

I hope I’ve shared some tips, tricks and ideas that you can use in your own crafty adventures.  If so, I’d love to hear from you in the comment section below.

Thanks for stopping by!

Cheerio,

kathy

SUPPLY LIST

From The Funkie Junkie Boutique

• Stamperia Patchwork 12×12 Pad
• Tim Holtz Elegant 3-D Embossing Folder
• Idea-Ology Paper Dolls (out of stock)
• Distress Inks
  • Oxide Inks
    • Picked Raspberry, Fossilized Amber, Twisted Citron, Spiced Marmalade
  • Gathered Twigs Distress Ink on all cut/torn edges
• Blending Tool
• Distress Sprayer Bottle
•  Paint
  • Pumice Stone, Cracked Pistachio, Antique Linen
• Seth Apter Baked Velvet Embossing Powders/Mediterranean
• Clock Charms
• Keys
  • Dream Key
  • Vintage Keys
• Prima Clear Gesso
• Distress Collage Medium
• Jump Rings

From my stash

• Flowers (retired Petaloo, Little Birdie )
• Jute cord
• Resin Butterflies
• G45 Metal Staples