Book Class Preparation

I am teaching a new class on Saturday on Fabric Books for the Edmonton and District Quilters Guild . I called my class Story Telling Fabric Books. I have my finished sample on the right there. I was very careful to make the end of all my pages a folded end so the back of the book looked good. For the class I am going to show the ladies how they can hind the end of there pages if they want to. The two book binding with no pages on the left are samples ready for class. I have a tag on my samples to tell me what I did, then I know what I did and a student can repeat it.

I have a kit for the class and I now have them all packaged up ready to go to class. My dad cut and finished the wood for me last month and then I had to get Chicago screws for the posts.  I had planned to get some from the local scrapbook store but we found out the ones I had used in my sample were discontinued recently. I had to order from somewhere else at the last minute and panicked they would not get here in time and hoped that what I was ordering would work. I lucked out. They got here and they work just right. I now have two sizes of screws so the books can be thick or thinner with a different number of pages. A good friend's husband was good enough to track they down for me. I did not know the posts I was buying were called Chicago screws. The scrapbook posts were simple called Album Posts.

Now back to my class notes and get those proof read again before I print. You may have noticed I sometimes rush my typing and do not get all my spelling or grammar errors corrected just right. Sorry about that. I found writing very hard in school and just writing a blog is a big deal for me. Sometimes spell check is not always the best thing and I get the wrong word.

Gel Medium Photo Transfer Class

I am teaching a Fabric Book Class for the Edmonton and District Quilter Guild on Feb 25/12. There is still room if you live near Edmonton and want to join us.  For the class the students need to come with at least some photos (4 or more) already transferred onto the fabric and the paper rubbed off. They should be dry and ready to sew into place. Please use what ever way you would like if you prefer another method. I will try to show you here today the gel medium transfer that I like to use.  I will be bring the supplies and demo in class too but the photos will not be dry and ready to use for two or three days. If you want to get them placed on fabric professionally or with bubble jet or TAP(Transfer Art Paper)  please do that. This method has a plastic feel and is not easy to sew though. I would not hand sew or plan to quilt thought this photo. I still like it.

First gather all your supplies. Colour ink jet photo printed onto plain (the cheaper the better not the glossy or heavy paper) copy paper. You may need to flip your image on the computer if you want it to transfer correct direction. Flipping your photo will be very important if your image has any text or has a direction to it.  Wax paper, rolling pin, Soft gel medium ( I have Golden brand), paint brush and fabric white and cut about 2 inches larger around the outside. I like to trim my photo down to have a white edge of 1/2" or so. I like my fabric to be larger than this photo paper size by about 2" around.  My book has very old photos and I used cream muslin with cotton flecks in the fabric. I feel it added to the old look. I also wanted Black and White photos and did print some with my toner black and white printer and not the jet ink. You can try both printers. Both worked well for me.

Use a large piece of wax paper under your fabric. Do not stir or shake the gel medium you do not want to add bubbles into it. Using the paint brush ( I really dislike foam brushes here, they do not let me put enough medium on) brush a good layer on to your fabric. Go left and right and up and down. Make sure the gel is on an area larger than your image. If you do not use enough some areas will not transfer. If you use to much you can get a wrinkle - I used some of mine like this it added to the old folded look. 

When you have enough gel down on your fabric place your image face down. I like to lay down from one corner to another. See photo. Sorry it is out of focus a little.

Do not lift or shift the image around. It may start to move the colour around. Place another wax paper on top and roll very gentle up and down then left and right with the rolling pin. Not much pressure here. Just once or twice and just enough to help remove any bubbles. Some gel is going to swish out on to the wax paper, that is OK.  Set the sandwich of wax paper (2 pieces) and fabric and image with gel aside to dry. Leave them in a place were they can remain flat for the next few hours. Do not stack many sandwiches or it will take longer to dry. I sometimes remove the top layer of wax paper after several hours. It may help speed drying time. If you see wrinkles developing you may not be able to save this image but next one use a little less gel medium.

When your sandwich is dry (not cool to the touch) it may take 24 hours or longer, it will be time to remove the paper. When you are sure the gel is dry you can start to remove the paper. How, you ask, do we do that?  Remove all wax paper by pulling it off the best you can. Then I use warm water, soak in sink for just a few minutes. You will see the paper get watery. Then take it out of sink and rub off paper with your finger tips. Soak and rub. Soak and rub. It may take 15 min or more to rub off paper. You may find the paper come off when the image is more damp and not real wet. I have a towel close by. Keep rubbing. When you think you have all the paper removed dry with towel and check it a a few minutes of air drying. If it is looking white and cloudy you may need to rub more with a little dampness again.  Some ink from the printer comes off more than other brands or printers. You will have to be the judge as to when to much ink is coming off and when to stop.

Students Please email me or call me if you have any questions. Your supply list sheet should have my home phone number and email address. Non students I would be happy to help you too please send me a message or comment. I hope you have enjoyed this.

Local Scrap Book Store Sale

I did some shopping this week. My local store had a sale before they go to CHA 2011. All 30% off. Got black glossy paper, brown lace, Red roses, die cut alphabet set, fabric images, tissue tape, paper, mini misters, Tim's seasonal stickers, and two stamp sets.



I love this stamp set. I have plans for some Sea pages and mini books. My grandfather was a fish boat captain as a young man, from Newfoundland.

More 12 days of Christmas tags

Here is a tag for Tim Holts 12 days of Christmas. He has finished all 12 now. I am a little behind on them. I did the deer this past weekend. I think this was number 7 or so.


I did the one on the left at a local store this past week. I then made the other two at home after wards. My deer are made with two layers of hand dyed fabric that are fused with heat and bond. I then cut it out with the die cut and then added the embossed snowflakes.


Sorry for the side ways look. It just happens now and then.
This is a tag from earlier. I am not sure but maybe tag 5. I like the red of Christmas. I still have plans of making many more tags this next week or next. After Christmas I may try a make some tags that have the Valentines theme or make them in the form of a card. I love the vintage look with the many many layers of techniques.

Tim's Christmas Tags

I started to make some of Tim Holtz tags last year. This one here is the tag he posted on his blog Saturday the 4th, Tag #4 for this year. I did not use a commercial paper but instead still spent time making the tag background. I did not have glossy paper last year but I do this year. So for this tag I used the alcohol inks and glossy paper. I then stamped the Santa face and an embossed scroll. In Red I stamped Believe. I also used this nice thick trim and sewed it on with my sewing machine. Tim's 12 days of Christmas


This tag needed some bobbles and I have not purchased Tim's package. I have many beads and jump rings for making jewelery so I just did not want to buy his. I have made my own bobbles of beads. I am sure most of this years tags will get one or two bobbles. I also used a small mini ornament that I make from last years tags. It has a Graphic 45 paper in it. The white ribbon I have used is a good silk ribbon, I think it is 20mm wide. Finally I also added the bling to the tag.


This is tag #2 for this year. I made this one on Thur the 2nd at one of the local stores. Treasured Memories in Edmonton is doing up kits and mini classes for Tim's tags. I was in the store Thur and did this one and the Tag #1 below. I did not like the ribbion in the kits so I coloured my own silk with Tim's Ink pads.


Here is tag #2 with a snowy white house. I do not have the die to cut the house or the fence. So I took the mini class on this one too. I changed my ribbon again.


Here is one of the tags I did last year. I really love this one. I drew my own tree on grunge paper using the clear embossing pen and then using the green distress embossing powered. I did not have a tree stamp. I did however have the little truck. Love it. I tied the tree to the truck using a linen thread I had. I also loved gluing the paper on the tag and taring the edges, then inking and blending the edges. I used this one on many of the men presents I wrapped last year for Christmas.


This tag is not one of Tim's but it does use some of the techniques that he should in last years tags. I made this one myself. I stamped on vellum. I stamped and used the distress powder on grunge paper to make the Eiffel tower. Then I finished with a flower.


This is the snowman tag from last year. I did not have the snowman stamp that Tim used but instead I painted three balls on the grunge paper then cut it out. This was the first time I did so much to the background. Ink and dry ink and dry a few times. stamp. Added the snow on the top edge. The scarf is two ribbons and a wire all taped together. This way you can bend the ribbon to show the blowing wind, oh so cute.


Here is the inking of the ribbons. So far I am doing really good on this years tags 3 of 4. Did you notice I do not have a number 3 done yet. It has a sweet bird on it and I do not own the die cut. I think I might draw out my own bird on to grunge paper. I have a red ribbon for it ready to go. I must go and get started on #3 and take a look at #5 today. I also have to get some quilting done too.

Betty Swap 7 Cards

I am doing a Betty Swap on Two Peas in a Bucket. We had to send in a soup recipe on a 6 by 6 Page with some embellishments. Here is my card on a pull out tag and pocket page. I think there are 20 of us so I will get back 19 other recipes cards that can be made into a book.
There are a second part to this swap. I am to send a list of things to a fellow Betty. I Christmas movie, Christmas story, Christmas CD of music, A winter hat scarf set, Some scrape book stuff, A reading Book, I would have to check my list twice. I have made a few things for my partner. I will be getting a package from another Betty partner too. I did this swap last year around Dec. It was a lot of fun.

Altered Album Swap

I hosted a Altered Album Swap on Two Peas in a Bucket this winter. I worked on this Vintage Christmas album for my partner Pam in CA. I started with on of my son's old children' board books. This book had a great shape with each page being a different shape on the left side. Note the hanging orniments I did. I got the idea for ornaments from Tim Holtz 12 days of Christmas tags on his blog. I also did many tags for inside the book. I used a few recycled things in the book. Tool from my poinsettia wrapping, some ribbon, some Canadian stamps.
I used mostly Graphic 45 Christmas Past line of paper.



Here is the back cover. I spent days and days trying out different paint options to get the old crackle paint that I wanted. I tried red on top of cream and about three different brands of paint and three crackle mediums. When I got the look I wanted, I then tried out the different ink options too. I used ink on all edges inside and out side the book. I think Pam was pleased with her book. I got a great vintage book - try to post soon.

Started Project 365

I have started Project 365. My plan is to take a photo every day this year and place it in one album. I have the first 9 days done. I like this so far. I am planning to make up a kit for the month with the paper I have on hand. I hope to do a two page layout for each week. I do have some sleeves were you can pop the photo in quick for those crazy weeks. There will be room to journal with those pages too.

I have a calendar to keep track of which photo I took and and to record some details about the day. It is turning out to be just as much about the journaling as the photo.
I have felt I needed to do this project because I am years behind in any kind of scrap booking. I know some days will be about work - customers quilts. I hope not to many. I plan to post some of my pages here when they are done.

Recipe Card Swaps

I have signed up for the Betty 5 swap on Two Peas in a Bucket. We are doing Christmas Side Dishes. One part of this swap is to send the hostess 16 recipe cards that are 6"x6". It has my recipe which is Barley Salad. My Mom, Betty started making it this summer and it is good. It uses Quick Cooking Barley and chopped Veggies. We were to add some embellishments to the card, so I have ribbon, flower and some snowflakes. I will get one of each person's back. There is more to the Betty 5 swap. I have a partner that I send a great box of goods and she sends me stuff too. More about that closer to Christmas.

I have two more recipe card swaps on Two Peas. Above is the appetizer swap. There are 16 of us in that swap. I have sent in Salmon Spread that my grandma and mom and I make.

Then below is the ABC Dessert swap. I have sent my Ginger snaps for the letter G. There is one person for each alphabet, so 26 or us. I expect that each of these will be home by Christmas. I can then make mini recipe books with each set of recipe cards.

Betty's Album

I made this album for my mom. I started the album in a class at my local scrapbook store. It is 6" chip broad cover and back. I added many more pages after the class was done.
The right side the photos are in behind the black page so that they are framed.
Left side has a pocket with a pull out tag for the photos. There are photos on both sides of most of the tags. The right side, the black page was punched out with a square punch and then the photos placed in behind.
I used eyelets and rick rack to hing the left page. The right is a gain pockets with tags.
More pages with eyelet hings and pockets.
The right side has the two larger pockets and four tags for photos. This pages was about Art photos.
More pockets and tag. I get a lot of photos on one page this way. It is fun to go though the book a pull tags.
Last page. I did a few other pages but many were copies of, just different paper used.

Cupcake Swap

I am in a swap on Two Peas in a Bucket that is a scrapbooker's cupcake theme. Above are my ACT (Artist Trading Cards size 3.5"x 2.5") for one of the groups.
These are my felt cupcakes. They can be used to embellish a scrapbook page. I have sewn the paper cup part and then needle punched the pink wool to make the frosting, added a cherry on top with a button. They almost look good enough to eat.
These are my pages for the 6" x 6" page swap group. I have Shrink Dink buttons on the left page and a tag in a pocket. Then the right side has is a band on the bottom using the Burnished Velvet technique. It is the first time I had tried this. It is double sided tape on a printed paper and then a transparent super fine glitter. You rub the glitter into the tape and it gets a smooth feeling and lots of glitter. A couple of Canadian girls are the creators - Deanna Pannell and Haroldine Wingfield. The photo does not show the glitter. The large cupcake is a stamp I made.
I made a stamp using Speed ball matterial. I drew a cupcake in pencil, on paper then rubbed the pattern onto the rubber. Then crave away some areas and not others. The stamp on the right is my used one and the stamp on the left is to swap. I think all the groups I am in have 10 people. So I have made 10 of each and will get back one of mine plus 9 other cupcake things.