Crystal Lacquer Embellished Book Covers

Hi everyone!
Dale here, with my final DT project.  THANK YOU to Sakura Hobby Craft, Terri Sproul and the whole DT for a LOVELY experience.

As I have stated before, I enjoy shopping at thrift stores.  When I see old unloved books, I usually bring the real sad ones home.  I can use the pages for collage, or art journaling or make into paper fabric.
The book covers sometimes are falling off and that is where this week's project originated.

A set of book covers (sorry forgot to take photos right at the start) that I gessoed, then added all kinds of chipboard or textural embellishments with gel medium. I let them dry completely then gessoed the whole cover again.

This is where the FUN of 3D Crystal Lacquer and all the Terri Sproul Mixers comes in.

I put a blob of 3D Crystal lacquer onto my palette in 6 areas, then added the Mixers and mixed well. I, then, painted the areas on the book covers that I wanted with the bright colours.

Any leftover mixed 3D Crystal Lacquer/Mixer I painted on all the other areas, then used a baby wipe to rub off so it was a faded look.  Then, I cover the whole front and back covers with a layer of 3D Crystal Lacquer.

The coating of 3D Crystal lacquer made the covers more durable I think.
I added a hairband with a brad to the back cover, then used duct tape to make a centre binding (2 layers) before gluing thick scrapbook paper to the inside covers.

 I had a few sewn pages left from another journal, so I added plain copy paper (2 signatures) inside the 3 already sewn up pages and took them to the sewing machine. I set the stitch length longer than normal so it wouldn't tear the pages and slowly sewed thru all the layers.  Because of the duct tape, you will have to toss the needle after as the glue builds up on the needle.
To the front cover, I tied one of the bezel fobs to the hairband.

Now is a great time to try a project like this or one you like it, because you can get 20% off your entire purchase at Sakura Hobby Craft for the month ofAugust.  Just enter aug08 at checkout!

Heart Lifts spool

Hi everyone - Dale here!

This week, I would like to show you my little heartfelt reminders to myself....

This "Heart Lifts" has some of my touchstone words, & a couple quotes printed & glued inside to remind me on those days when life seems hard.

I started by choosing which glass tile shape I wanted. I found the right words in a unloved large print book, glued them to a circle cut to the right size from cardstock.  I added the red hearts with a gel pen. I used 3D Crystal Lacquer to adhere the cardstock to the bottom of the glass circle tile.  Set it aside to dry.

In my stash of wood pieces, I found the thread spool that would give me the room for the canvas once rolled up. I added lace trim to the bottom & top, covering the bottom with a piece of cardboard. Set aside to dry.

I had a scrap of heavy weight canvas leftover and cut it to a roughly 1 inch wide and had to sew the two pieces together to get the length of 11 inches.  I added the same lace trim on the edge of the canvas, once I had zigzagged the edges.

I glued my touch stone words - EMPOWER, STRENGTH, LOVE YOURSELF and a couple quotes to the inside of the canvas, leaving about 1.5 inches at the start so that could be glued to the wooden spool. I glued (I know I should have sewn it down, but was creating as I went along & didn't think of the ribbon until the canvas strip was already glued onto the spool) the vintage seam binding ribbon on the end. I added 3 sizes of paper flowers with a brad on the top end, covering the glued area of the ribbon.

I had FUN creating something different using the lovely glass tiles from Sakura Hobby Craft, hope you will attempt to make something similar for yourself, using touchstone "Heart Lifts" that mean something to YOU.

You can find all the jewelry findings, including glass tiles at Sakura Hobby 

AND

During the month of July, you will receive an additional 20% off your entire order simply by using code Summer07 at checkout!

Celebrate Box

Hi everyone - Dale here!
Hope your holiday week - CANADA DAY here in Canada and 4th of JULY in the USA are AWESOME for you!

I am always telling people to CELEBRATE their accomplishments, whether small or large. So, my first project for July is a little CELEBRATE box, where I can put a note in there for each achievement, goal, etc. through out the year.

I started with a little chocolate box that has been kicking around my stash of boxes for awhile.  The box measures 2.75 X 3.5 inches and is 1 inch deep.
I covered the lid with a scrapbook paper, and gessoed the print on the bottom of the box. The inside of the box was untouched.

The hardest decision - which one of Sakura Hobby Craft’s glass tiles and matching bezel cup.
The glass tiles are available in rectangle, square and circular shapes.
I decided to go with the bronze round one for this project.

I cut the word - "CELEBRATE" from a large print book, then added it to similar colour of paper, then used my only border punch to add similar paper as the box over & below the word.  I used 3D Crystal Lacquer to glue the glass tile over the word.
I tied the organza coloured ribbon through the bail at the top of the bezel cup.

I added a piece of vintage lace over a document seal sticker and a teal paper scrap, then used 3D Crystal Lacquer to glue down the bezel cup. Used it also to glue down the 5 beads around the bezel cup.

I added more vintage lace all around the side of the box top, then added the teal trim over the lace.

For each goal, or achievement that is reached, I will be adding a little note inside. At the end of the year, will record all those achievements in my journal and then start again in January 2014.

July is the perfect time to order all your Sakura Hobby Crafts products, because for the month of July, you can get 20% off your total purchase from Sakura by entering coupon code Summer07 at checkout!

Sequin Topairy

For my second milk tin project, I wanted to try a Topairy.
Topairy has been on my list of want to try for awhile.

I had used sequins in my other milk tin project, and since I had the sequin storage tote out, I decided to use more of my stash.  I selected these larger floral sequins and starting attaching them to a 3 inch styrofoam ball using 3D Crystal Lacquer (so if there was a space between them, it would be covered with the lacquer).

For the milk tin, I cut one of the styrofoam in half and formed it to find in the top part of the milk tin.  I covered the styrofoam with some dyed fibres I had received from a friend.
I, then, used double sided adhesive to add the rows of ribbons (vintage Stampin' Up) around the bottom of the milk tin.

Once the sequins were completely dry, I wrapped the stick part with fibres, and forced it into the styrofoam inside the milk tin.  I added the corrugated fence after it sat on my shelf for a couple days and I thought it needed more.  

During the month of May, you can get 20% off your total order at Sakura Hobby Craft.  Now is the perfect time to try Crystal Lacquer and Sakura’s other great products!  Just enter the code “Sakura05” at checkout.

Also, Sakura is hosting a blog hop on May 18^th!  The theme is “Fantasy” and Sakura’s Design
Team is dreaming up amazing art to share with you on that day!  There will be prizes, too!  So be sure to check back here on May 18^th!

Page by Page

Garden Mini Album

This month I really wanted to experiment with my products from Sakura Hobby Crafts. It really didn't matter what I created, this project was going to be all about techniques and that black chipboard album I made years ago. I knew the colours would pop off this chipboard and I was right. Every page is made using only the following products.

3D Crystal Lacquer

Metallic & Pearl Glitter Color Set

Jewel Effects Mica Powder

Metallic Glitter Pens

Rub-Ons

paper flowers

ribbon

On each of the pages I painted a simple base coat of Mica and 

3D Crystal Lacquer. About 1 tablespoon liquid lacquer to a 1/4 teaspoon of mica powder.

 For the front cover I used an old sticker sheet and cut turned it into a template. I applied coloured lacquer to the cut out parts.

 The flower below was made by twisting together dried lacquer. It looks so pretty in person.

To this butterfly page I added my base colour first. Then I added some wax drops to the page and melted them on. I painted over them and then removed the excess wax. This turned out great. I love love love the take away effect.

 This butterfly was made with a rubber stamp. I then outlined the image with my Metallic Glitter Pens. I filled it in with the 3D Crystal Lacquer, don't you just love how it highlighted the colours from underneath?

 You know that extra stuff you can't use and gets left on the table to dry up? Well I reapplied the leftovers to the page above. Then I put a rub-on on top of the leftovers and Crystal Lacquered the hell out of it. Its shiney, it should have attracted a crow instead of the pretty bird I drew, cut out and applied to this page. Giggle!

More rub-ons (above)

 This page and the following page were made using a template that I painted the 3D Crystal lacquer and Mica mixture right over top of.

The butterfly above is actually the plastic backing of sticker that I painted right onto. I should have stamped on it, now that I look at it, LOL. Oh well, next time. I've come up with some fun new techniques and I hope to discover many more over the next few months. 

Don't hesitate to find me on facebook (Lee Brehon) if you'd like to ask me a question about any of the items I make using the SAKURA HOBBY CRAFTS

If you'd like to try the Crystal Lacquer for yourself (I know you do) you can get 20% off of this product for the entire month of April - just use the code Terri04 at checkout.

P.S. I have a couple of HOT TIPS coming this way shortly, so keep an eye on this site - bookmark this page or better yet, sign up for our emails. Its a great way to stay in touch with all of us!

Spring Finch Egg Shimmer Mica Jewelry Set

Materials needed

3-Finch Eggs     24” Necklace Chain     2-Ear Wires     Styrofoam square  

3 Swivel up-eye Caps     6” 1mm Faceted Chain     1 small jump rings

90-9ss Swarovski flatback rhinestones     Eggstra Special 5-Min Epoxy

Terri Sproul's Shimmer Mica Color Set (Purple Pearl)     527 Glue

Embellie Gellie     Toothpicks      Small glue bottle     Mixing pad of paper

The finch eggs are delicate, so take care in epoxying the toothpicks into one end of the finch egg for a handle.  5 Minute epoxy is easy to work with, just remember you have only 5 minutes before the two parts become rock hard AND the epoxy has to be mixed in EQUAL amounts.

Once the toothpicks are glued into place, stick them in the Styrofoam for 5 minutes, until dry.

Pick your color of choice from the package of

Terri Sproul's Shimmer Mica Color Set To order set click here

 Discount of 20% till 3-31-2013...code "Shimmer03"

 

I am using Purple Shimmer. 

Of each bottle of epoxy make equal 1/2" lines on your paper pad.

Use a toothpick to mix the two lines together and with the wet toothpick dip into the jar of shimmer powder.

Mix the powder into the epoxy mixture and do this two or three times to get the shade you want.

 

Use the mixing toothpick to carefully cover the entire finch egg.  Do not put pressure on the egg, coat with the shimmer epoxy and then turn egg upside down to let excess drip off.  Once excess has dripped off, turn egg upside right and it will self-level all around the egg.  You may need to turn egg upside down again if epoxy puddles near the toothpick connection to the egg.

 

Remember you have 5 minutes from the start of mixing till the epoxy is rock hard.  Do each egg separately and set into Styrofoam to cure....do all three.

Once all three are finished, start with the first one completed and cut off the toothpick close to the egg.

Mix a very small amount of epoxy together and epoxy the swivel up-eye over the area where the toothpick was cut away from the finch egg.  The egg is no longer fragile and you can handle the egg with out  worry of breakage.  The swivel up-eyes allow the eggs to freely turn when wearing so to see all areas of the finished jewelry.

I use 527 glue into a small glue bottle with a 9mm tip to get fine control for applying jewelry findings and flatback stones to the eggs.  For each egg eyeball the egg in half and glue on the 1mm gold plated ball chain to divide the egg in half.  Do this to all three.

Cut off the tip of a toothpick so it is flat on one end.  Apply a bit of Embellie Gellie to the end of the toothpick.  This is a wonderful product to pick up small items like rhinestones, beads, findings and place onto the glue.  Apply 527 to one side of the 1mm ball chain and glue down 15 9ss Swarovski flatback rhinestones to each side of 1mm ball chain.  Do this to all eggs.

Apply the ear wires to two of the eggs and on one attach the jump ring and apply to the 24" necklace chain.

 

The finch egg necklace and earring set, glues, Embellie Gellie, supplies or kits are available from Eggstra Special

or email Virgi Bondi Email