Birds & Words

Friday, May 27, 2016

Wood..... a Word...... and Something Wild and Small

Golly, this has been a fun challenge, hasn't it?  I have SO enjoyed seeing all the different ideas you all have come up with, your own interpretation of the theme.  Especially "wild".  There's a BUNCH of ways to interpret that one!

I've had fun with my own project, too.  I did a little mini book made with playing cards.  Sometimes I like to just pour out my little mini bits of collected ephemera and work them into a piece.  I keep a small jar on my desk and collect little things in it that I just don't want to throw away.  Every now and then I just pour it all out and see what I can use.
This is a photo heavy blog, so grab a cuppa and enjoy.
Click on any of the photographs of my mini book to see an enlarged image.
For those of you who were around in the late 70's, you may be a aware of an important philosopher poet who is a favorite of mine.  I have been thinking of him lately while I've been designing some projects.  If you haven't thought about him in a while, go back and remember this:

Let's Get Small
My project is very small this month.  It's fun to work on this scale.  Every page spread of my mini book incorporates wood, a word and something wild.  It was fun to interpret the words repeatedly.


Most of the page spreads use the nature for the "wild" element.  Here I've stamped a tag using my favorite wood grain stamp from Tim Holtz. 


For this spread, I cut out the butterfly from an extra playing card and layered it in the same position over the painted butterfly.


Some very small layered bits of fabric and some embroidery.  


A picture of my little sister on a clip is my "wood" element.  Our maiden name is Wood.  Isn't she sweet?



The cameo is a wooden embellishment from Prima.  I painted her black and mounted her on a scalloped oval die cut from a Paper Loft page.



I'm obsessed with this saying right now.  I saw it on Pinterest and I think of it every day.  2016 is the year of letting go of some old habits for me and this is just the encouragement I need.  The little wooden bird cage is something I picked up at Hobby Lobby.  I don't know who makes it.



Such a tiny little feather!  We found a bunch together outside.  Some little bird must have met with tragedy, but we collected and saved his pretty feathers.  This spread is inspired by Emily Dickinson.
“Hope” is the thing with feathers - 
That perches in the soul - 
And sings the tune without the words - 
And never stops - at all - "



I LOVE this quote.  I saw it in Pam Carriker's book and copied it into my commonplace book.  I designed a stamp for it for B Line Designs.  The bird is from one of Tim Holtz Vellum Ephemera packs.  The twigs are from my yard.  ;-)


My last page spread got a heavy dose of my little "bits and pieces" jar.


That little label fell off a jar of perfume I bought when Linda Ledbetter and I were shopping one night after a day at CHA.  I kept it and put it in my jar to use sometime.  It always makes me think of her.


The last lyrics from a Beatles album.  I think I reversed the words, but I don't care.  I like them this way.

I absolutely love charms on the spines of books.


I layered over the cover with some vintage hand crotched lace.   I left the ends long so they hang over the edges.


There wasn't much technique to my project, but I will share this.  I used washi tape as the hinge between each card.  We love washi tape, don't we?  Yes, but sometimes its not very sticky.  I used a strip of adhesive from my ATG gun to help it be stronger.  I love that thing!!


I sanded and dry brushed some DecoArt Titanium White paint on the cards front and back.  Once dry, I assembled the cards into a book and made a Sticky Canvas spine for it.

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Many, many thanks to all of you who participated in this challenge.  Much, much encouragement to those who are watching but who haven't yet entered.  Maybe you still trying to figure out your project.  Maybe you are looking everywhere, searching for your mojo.  

Maybe your life is a bit crazy and creative time is hard to find.  (Can I get an amen?)  If this is the case, please know:  its okay.  Leave us a comment and let us know you are watching.  Believe me, we understand.  Sometimes life surprises us.  But we're gonna surprise it right back.  ;-)