Holding 3-D Items

From left: a Connamara Worry Stone from Ireland, a stone from Beachy Head, England, and a shell & pine cone from Portmeirion, Wales

These three items were in a travel journal I made about my first overseas trip but they were so bulky, I removed them from the pages. It took me a long time to decide how to use them. Accordion book? No, it would still need more room.

I glanced around my studio and saw my little Altoid tin shrines and a light bulb when off. A great solution! 

From left: Childhood is but a Day, Artifacts, and Disconnect

Selecting a tin that once held spices, I saw how nice and deep it was inside. I cut up some acrylic paintings on watercolor papers into rectangles and used eyelets, Irish linen thread for the first two items, and tiny brads for the clear acrylic medium holding the pine cone and shell.

For the outside, some Tim Holtz numbers and a "Remnants" word band.

The inside front inside lid has part of my acrylic painting that adorns the travel journal, tying it to my 1982 Journal as well as hiding the brads.

The 1982 Journal (bound in April 2018)

Altering Reality

Why be content with reality when you can change it?

I was disappointed with photos I took with my new camera last fall but changed one using a simple technique. The river in the park had turned muddy brown from recent rains and the focus were off in other shots. I cropped the image and printed it but it was less than exciting.

But there is a feature in Microsoft Word called “Artistic Effects” under Format can change the look of any graphic or photo.

Bring in your photo, double click on it and the Format menu will appear. Now you can have fun and be an Andy Warhol making variations on the same image! Click on Artistic Effect Options and you can fine-tune the color and saturation.

I played around with the Plastic Wrap, Cutout, and Glow Edges. And then, I changed the color temperatures and found many images I liked.

Fabric Roll-Ups

A few months ago I found a pattern for a make-up roll-up in a sewing book and thought I could adapt it to use to carry utensils for lunch. My first template, for myself, used the 18" one I used for the denim pillow.

Using fabric I bought intended for a tote bag, I made an acceptable and useful product.

But thinking about making some for gifts I learned a lot making four more and changed the original size to 16" square. These are not perfect by any means, but handmade is always better than perfect, don't you think?

I found single servings of utensils and straws and tucked a note about the materials in the largest pocket.

Having a Christmas deadline made me push past the set-backs and problems I encountered. When the clock is ticking and when you are focused, you can finish projects. I need to remember this!