Tag Archives: Upcycling

Gingham Foundry Upcycled Waterfall Folio Tutorial

My Mind’s Eye Gingham Foundry Upcycled Waterfall Folio Tutorial with Reneabouquets

Hello, Friends! It’s Throwback Thursday and I’m here to share this My Mind’s Eye Gingham Foundry Upcycled Waterfall Folio Tutorial with you. Do you have a well-loved paper collection that is down to just a few small pieces and a pile of little scraps? Well, this post has some great ideas to help you turn them into a really sweet waterfall folio.

I actually used the product packaging from the 6″ x 8 1/2″ paper pad to make the cover for this sweet creation. It already had a scored 1/4″ spine, and the cardstock cover was really sturdy. Rather than toss it in the recycle bin, I decided to give it a new life with pretty spring papers and a gorgeous Beautiful Board Parasol from Reneabouquets.

The twine-wrapped spine has a sweet dangle cluster with an umbrella charm, Reneabouquets Trinket Fairy Globe, and an enamel daisy charm. The ribbon closure is Smoke Blue Taffeta ribbon from Really Reasonable Ribbon. It is a perfect color match for the blue in the spine, but the camera makes it look bright blue. It is not.

Simple Design with Sweet Surprises

I love the simple design of this folio. The left hand side is a nice slash pocket with photo mats and a journaling card. A lateral waterfall feature on the right has room for 16 photos. Each section of the waterfall measures 4 1/4″ x 5 3/4″, so you can fit pretty good sized photos in there. A magnetic closure keeps everything neat and tidy.

We had to get creative with our scraps, my friends! So we used the bits and bobs to make our own designer paper! Every other page in the waterfall is a simple gray mat dressed up with a little washi tape border. You could easily put this folio together in an afternoon, so it’s a great design to have in your tool box for those occasions when you need a really quick gift.

Gingham Foundry Upcycled Waterfall Folio Tutorial on YouTube

Now let’s get down to the good stuff! You can see the entire folio and learn how to make it over on my YouTube channel. I hope you enjoy!

Now I need to go pack my suitcase and shift gears into Mother of the Bride mode! I have a heart full of happy right now, and I will have lots of fun stuff to share with you when I get back.

You can find a linked supply list below this post.

Thanks for stopping by!

Cheerio,

kathy

SUPPLY LIST

Reneabouquets
- Dreamer Shaker Globes
- Victorian Umbrella/Tiny
Smoke Blue Taffeta Ribbon
Shades of Chambray Shaker Mix (discontinued, but sub THIS)
Acetate Sheets
1/4″ Foam Tape
2 shades of blue cardstock
65# gray cardstock
My Mind’s Eye Gingham Foundry (retired)
Prima Capri Roses (discontinued)

Vintage Hollywood Born to Be a Star Photo Display Box

#UpcycleG45: Vintage Hollywood Born to Be a Star Photo Display Box

Hello, G45’ers! Have you joined the fun #UpcycleG45 challenge yet this month? Since I love to turn trash into treasure, I could not resist playing along. I dug out some G45 packaging, a salvaged ribbon spool and gorgeous papers from Vintage Hollywood and went to work on this Vintage Hollywood Born to Be a Star Photo Display Box. I have loads and loads of photos and tips to share with you today, so go grab a cuppa and a snack and we’ll get started!

My mom loved the old black and white movies. I can remember spending many a Saturday afternoon snuggled up on the couch watching Tarzan and Jane, Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn or Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall movies with her. The Vintage Hollywood collection captures all the glitz and glam of that wonderful era of classic movie making, and I tried to create that same feel in this Born to Be a Star Photo Display Box.

Born to Be a Star Photo Display Box: #UpcycleG45 Supply List

This was such a fun project to pull together. Here’s what you’ll need to make it.

12×12 Vintage Hollywood Papers
- Star Studded
- Spotlight
- Vintage Hollywood
8×8 Vintage Hollywood Papers
- Glitz and Glamor
- Tinseltown
- 12×12 Patterns and Solids (Vintage Hollywood)
Vintage Hollywood Tags and Pockets Cardstock Die Cuts
Decorative and Journaling Chipboard
Vintage Hollywood Sticker Sheet
G45 Staples Red ATC Policy Envelopes
5×5 G45 Staples Kraft Mixed Media Box with Cardstock Photo Mats
Staples Washi Tape
Shabby Chic Door Plate & Knob
Staples Metal Packaging Tags from the Shabby Chic Door Plate & Knob
Empty Ribbon Spool with a 1.5″ core
Black Chalk Paint
Petaloo Red Anemones, Black Botanica Blooms
Gold Delicate Stitched Satin Ribbon, Black Satin Ribbon
1” diameter Bingo Chips for Bun feet (you will need 8)
Metal stars
Red Pepper, Terra Cotta Alcohol Ink to alter door plate
Tarnished Brass Distress Paint
Black card stock, Glue, Double Sided Tape, Glue Gun, Foam Dimensionals

Ready on the Set!

Before you start cutting paper for your Born to Be a Star Photo Display Box, you’ll want to do the following:

Paint the Kraft Mixed Media Box with Black Chalk paint. If you have a Black Mixed Media box, you can skip this step. My box was kraft, so I needed to paint. I like to use chalk paint because it is less “wet” than acrylic or Distress paints. Not only does it dry quicker, it is less likely to warp .
Paint the edges of the packaging tags and the mixed media box inserts as well as the ribbon spool.

Roll ’em!

One of my favorite features on this Vintage Hollywood Born to Be a Star Photo Display Box is the fun paper movie reels. To create this effect, cut 1.5” widths of the film strip ribbon on the reverse side of the signature page. Mist the paper lightly with water and gently wrap around a pencil. The paper will curl, and while damp, can be easily twisted and glued onto your project.

Star Power!

To create a dynamic background for this dimensional piece, I fussy cut these gorgeous vintage style stars from the 12×12 paper collection and edged them with Gathered Twigs Distress ink. I love the way these stars emphasize the Patterns and Solids paper that I used to cover my box, as well as the stars in the chipboard frame.

Makeup!

Every starlet needs a little scarlet lipstick, right? To add that punch of color to the shabby chic Ornate Door Plate and Knob, I tapped them with Terra Cotta and Red Pepper Alcohol Inks. Apply black chalk paint along the edges to really make them pop. Just tap it on with your fingertip.

Gorgeous Petaloo Red Anemones and Black Botanica Blooms add just the right touch of drama to this vignette.

#UpcycleG45 with Staples Packaging Tags

Here are the upcycled Staples packaging tags. Talk about a makeover! These tags are ready for the runway!

You’ll find a little folio on the back side of each tag.

The tags rest in a little open box that I built from waste chipboard. This is such a great way to add height and dimension to a project.

A Peek Inside

Dressed for Success

You can store photos on both the front and back side of the inserts that come with the box. Dress them up with ATC Policy Envelopes, paper scraps and fussy cut elements.

Layer images and fussy cuts over these ATC Policy Envelopes. You can add more photos inside the envelope, or use them as a hidden journaling spot.

Create a hinge from a 1″ wide piece of black cardstock and fold it in half. Glue one half to the back of the policy envelope and the other half to the photo mount. Now you can mount a full sized photo on each card. How cool is that?

Dress up the back side with Patterns and Solids. Glue just the edges so that you can slip photos behind. You’ll have plenty of room to store more photos in the box, too.

That’s a Wrap!

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

Oh, and don’t forget to play along in the #UpcycleG45 challenge this month! There’s a $100 prize package up for grabs! You can find all the details for this great challenge HERE.

Thanks for stopping by!

Cheerio,

kathy

Graphic 45 DIY Home Decor

Graphic 45 DIY Home Decor: CREATE! An Upcycled Project

Hello, G45ers! I love thrift shops…and flea markets…and yard sales, too! Nothing gives me more of a thrill than finding someone’s castaway, buying it for a song and turning it into treasure. That’s what I did when I made this Graphic 45 DIY home decor for my new studio. It’s being featured on the Graphic 45 BLOG today, and I hope you’ll pop by and take a peek at it.

This is easily the largest project I’ve ever tackled. It measures 3 feet long by 12″ high. The wrought iron finials make it even longer! I’ve hung this in my studio above my work desk, and I just love it!

Here’s a look at the piece before I went to work on it:

You probably cant see it in these photos, but lots of the paper had chipped off, and everything was really faded. But….it was on sale for half price, and I fell in love with the metal finials, so I had to bring it home with me.