Remodeled Stamping Room

I still have lots of boxes to go through and bring in the iris carts and mounted stamp cabinets. 

My vintage cabinet is getting new paint and different knobs and will go in space below shelves. 

Here is my vintage cabinet with fresh paint and vintage glass knobs from my stash. 

Top of cabinet has my Tim Holtz dies 

This is my table with Genesis trimmer and Vagabond. I made my little rabbit. He is watching over my stamping room. 

I noticed my floor started dropping in center of my crafting room, my hubby thought it was due to too many stamp supplies and my large solid oak school desk. It took us over a month to remove everything including that heavy desk because I have a two bulging disk and pinched nerve in lower back and just recently had laser surgery on both legs.

After we removed everything and started opening up the floor down to the joist we noticed it was near an outdoor faucet we had cut off three years ago. This was the reason the floor gave away, not my stamping supplies. A contractor replaced 6 joist and put in a new sub floor on April 7th. After they left my hubby and I put down wood laminate floor.

A few days later I gave my stamping room a fresh coat of paint on the three walls and shelves. The  commercial wall grid brackets didn't have to be removed so one wall was left as is. On three walls, I used a soft gray/green latex acrylic paint. I used buff latex acrylic on all the shelves.

It's going to take a while to get things back in my studio.

12 Tags of 2015 ~ April

It's been over a month since I've got to set down and do any stamping. We had to remove everything in my stamping room to make way for new floor from the joist up. After the contractors left, my dear hubby and I put down the laminate floor.

Many of my supplies are still in boxes but I knew where these Tim Holtz supplies were; distress inks, distress markers, distress stain, a kraft tag, water brush, distress spritzer, craft sheet, distress tool, heat tool and craft sheet. Also this flower stamp and my sewing machine. My word beautiful was painted with black soot distress stain.

I love Tim's tag this month:
http://timholtz.com/12-tags-of-2015-april/


Update May 1:  I was one of 12 winners on Tim Holtz blog for April! Thank you Tim and Mario!

Update May 8: My prize package arrived; Mario went the extra mile with an inner envelope made with tissue wrap, inside  the tissue wrap; TH stamp set, a layering stencil and some bingo pieces all of which I didn't have.
Thank you Tim and Mario!

Booklet Tutorial

Many of my stamp supplies has been boxed up and put away while waiting for a new floor. 

So, I thought I would share something I made several years back. 

I love to make handmade books.

The cover, spine and pages can be adapted to make any size book.

I designed and made up my own instructions.

My daughter owns and operates an antique shop in Southern Kansas. She brings me things to use in my artwork. This is how I came about using game boards for the base of my books. 

Supplies:

Distress ink (vintage photo)

Kraft Paper

Rubber stamps

Archival ink (black)

Glossy Card stock

Zutter Bind-it-All

5/8” Owires

3M Spray Mount Artist’s Adhesive

White card stock or 14pt file folders

White 2" masking tape

Paper trimmer

12” Tim Holtz ruler

Studio Multi-Medium 

 (adhesive)

Martha Stewart score board

Cutting Rotary Mat

Craft mat knife

Game board or heavy duty cardboard

This booklet was made for my #8 finished tags; 3 1/8” x 6 ¼.” 

Instructions:

1. Cut scrabble game board into two pieces down the center fold with a craft knife. Set one aside for another booklet. Each piece is now seven inches by fourteen inches long. Place one piece down on rotary mat. Use mat cutter with metal edge of ruler to cut front and back book pieces. I cut one piece from left finished seam and one piece from the right finished seam, and then the seam binding and spacers from remainer of game board. 

These measurements are:

2 pieces 4” x 7”

1 piece 1 & 1/4” x 7”

2 pieces of game board as spacer

Set aside for now

Note: For safety, please use a new blade when cutting the game board or thick book board.  

2. Cut a 10” x 14” piece of Kraft paper; crumble the paper with your hands (try not to tear the paper as you crumble,) smooth out, crumble several times and then smooth out. Spray one side of Kraft paper with adhesive outdoors or in well ventilated area. Leave outside for a little while, bring in and place down on craft table adhesive side up.

3. Place the pieces of game board down over the adhesive. Allow an even space between the front, back and spine using the spacer pieces. (As seen in photo)

4. Use scissors to cut all four outside corners on a diagonal.

5. Crease and fold all edges inward.

6. Measure and cut one piece of masking tape 2 inches by 7 inches, cover the inside of spine. Cut another piece of white masking tape 2 inches by 9 inches long, add to outside of spine and continue to inside of spine. Press down until smooth.

7. Cut two pieces of Kraft paper and glue on inside to cover up scrabble game board.

8. Use Vintage Photo distress ink direct to color the book cover and on the inside. Or finish as desired.

9. Use paper trimmer to cut two pieces of card stock 4 3/8” x 6 3/4.” This will be the inside front and back face cover.

10. Use Bind-it-All tool to punch 12 holes in these two pieces as directed on instructions.  

11. Next, use score board to crease a valley folds ¾” on front and back pieces. 

12. Cut 12-15 pages of card stock 3½” x 6 ¾”

13. Use the instructions from the Bind-it-All to punch hole into each page

14. Make a stack with one page (mountain fold) 4 3/8” x 6 ¾”, 15 cardstock pages 3 ½” x 6 ¾” and then one page (mountain fold) 4 3/8” x 6 ¾” together.

15. Use tool to cut 5/8” Owires 6 inches long. (12 wires)

16. With the stacked pieces of cardstock place them in the Bind-It-All and then bind together.  When you have the owires and paper together they will look like the photo below with valley fold of front and back pieces and pages in the middle.

Note: The ends of wires will not be seen they will be under the card stock next to spine.

17. Insert the pages in center of center spine.  Close the booklet and check that the Owires are at the center of booklet. Open carefully and glue one side at a time, and center the booklet with even spaces on both sides with valley folds at folds of spine. 

Note: Glue the inside front and back pieces with the valley folds in center of booklet, I used a credit card with Studio Multi- Medium as an adhesive. Smooth with Speelball 4" Baren until it is smooth and applied to book. (Rubbing with your hand will do as well to get a smooth finish)

18. Final step: Embellish your booklet! 

Have fun making your booklet!!

Comments Aprreciated!!