All Things Altered Fall/Halloween 2013 Blog Hop!

Welcome to the "All Things Altered" Fall 2013 Blog Hop! You should be coming to me from Nicole's Blog. If you are lost, see the list of blogs at the end of this post to make sure you visit everyone!

Once again, Pam at Scrapbook Flair has organized a group of crafters for an altered art blog hop.She has put together an amazing line-up of designers, all making some sort altered project for you to use for fall or Halloween inspiration!

And there are PRIZES! Pam, our hostess (Scrapbook Flair), is giving away an AMAZING prize! Plus, some of the designers are also giving away prizes!

I am giving away a grab bag of Graphic 45 products!

To be entered to win the prizes, leave a comment on all the designers' blogs (include your contact information).  I would love for you to Follow me as well, but it is not required.

Disclaimer: This is a set of older projects from a few years ago. Due to my back injury, I am not able to make a new project, but Pam assured me that "my audience" would not care! {wink} 
I did update the project information for you.

This first project is an altered journal that I created using papers from many Graphic 45 collections.

I enjoy creating mini albums "from scratch." For this one I cut covers and pages from heavy weight chipboard and covered each chipboard page with Graphic 45 paper prior to decorating. I used the Cinch binding tool to punch the holes into the pages, and then bound it with an O-wire binding.

One of my favorite types of mini albums is the "waterfall" style of album. What that means is that each page is approximately 1/2" longer than the preceding page, creating a waterfall effect. To create your own album cut the following from chipboard (use heavy weight for the covers and lighter weight chip for the pages):

1. Two covers 5 1/2" x 7 1/2" 

2. One page 5 1/2" x 4 1/2"
3. One page 5 1/2" x 5"
4. One page 5 1/2" x 5 1/2"
5. One page 5 1/2" x 6"
6. One page 5 1/2" x 6 1/2"
7. One page 5 1/2" x 7"

Once you have all of your pages cut to size, you can begin to decorate! Gather your papers, journaling spots, stamps, and other embellishments and have fun! Your album does not have to look like mine! It's the STYLE of album that you are going for!

I created a fall bouquet from floral picks purchased at the craft store. I added paper leaves and flowers. The little bouquet is the perfect accent for the cover. (I confess, I love to haunt the floral department of my local Michael's and find fun items to alter for my crafty projects.)

I decorated each page of the album with journaling spots and tags. You could use this journal to record your own thoughts and memories, or pass it around the table at Thanksgiving and allow everyone to jot down a few words about what they are grateful for this year.

I have a huge collection of stamps, and I made good use of them here. Don't be afraid to pick through your stash and see what you have that will work for a journal album. You may be surprised at what you have! (A full supply list is at the end of the post.)

I combined some premade items with items that I fussy cut from the papers I used.

I used elements from different size paper pads - 12x12, 8x8, 6x6. 

This sheet of Graphic 45 Bontanicabella Eden's Symphony paper contains postage stamp elements. I covered them with images from the G45 Place in Time November Cut-Apart sheet. The larger postage stamp is from the 12x12 pad and the small one is from the 8x8 pad. See, even my paper is ALTERED! {grin}

Several of the older Graphic 45 collections have "fruit themed" papers. I sorted through my stash of papers and picked out all of the papers that either had the color palette I wanted or contained fruit images. If you are like me and already have a vast hoard of papers, use them! Don't go out and buy more - just because a paper is "retired" does not mean that it is not pretty and useful. {said the woman who keeps buying more paper!}

I used some number stamps to create a journaling card.

One of my favorite older papers is this cherry print from the G45 Times Nouveau Collection (Bee's Knees). This is a retired collection, but I have lots of this paper in my stash. I think it was one of the very first Graphic 45 papers I purchased!

The cherries on this sheet of Times Nouveau Copacetic paper matches perfectly with the Place in Time August Cut-Apart sheet. I love how G45 repeats their themes, making it easy to use the older papers.

I also stamped onto the postcard. I used a dark brown ink, rather than black. Black can look harsh sometimes.

I used an envelope to create a pocket for tags. I cut the envelope down to size, then used a circle punch to cut out the notch. I filled it with some tags. 

It is no secret that I love postcards and postage stamps! {wink}

I also love bingo cards. I think this one is a Jenni Bowlin card. 

Mini albums are wonderful canvases for adding your lumpy embellishments. Since you don't need page protectors or need to worry that the album will lie flat when closed, feel free to "lump it up"! I used a bunch of Petaloo flowers for this page. The journaling spot is a sheer card - from Maya Road I think. It's pretty old. I have several sets of these guys.

I created a side pocket from this image from the G45 Place in Time September Cut-Apart sheet. Simply add adhesive to three sides of the image panel and slip the tags into the pocket.

More bingo cards. These are cut from Simple Stores paper, I believe. Note: clear glue works pretty well for attaching clear and frosted journaling spots, sorta. Love the G45 chipboard tag!

Oops, blurry! Sorry about that. The background paper is from G45 An ABC Primer. Love!

This is the back cover. You can see the wire binding. To finish off the binding, I tied a few lengths of ribbon into a big bow. 

I also created a fancy tag with the leftovers from this project.

I always have the G45 packaging "tags" (and now they make the tags in kraft! See HERE.)

I just altered one of the packaging tags from one of the metal doorplates. (This is "all things altered"!)

Like I said, visit the floral department of your local craft or discount store. You never know what you can find there to cut apart and use on your papercraft projects! One of the floral picks may cost $2.59, but you can cut it apart and get 2-4 projects out of it!

To make these bows you only need about 12-18 inch lengths of ribbon. I cut 2-3 different colors and styles and glued the bows together to make one fancy bow. For this one, I glued one of the postage stamp images to the top of the bow.

The Place in Time Collection has some great sentiments printed on some of the papers. I trimmed them out to decorate my tag. These fabbie flowers are from Petaloo.

Because I love my Readers, here is one last project. 

The smallest Graphic 45 Matchbook Box is only 3 x 5x 1.5 inches, making it a quick and easy alterable item.

I decorated the matchbook box with paper and a few embellishments then enclosed three tea light candles in "fresh from the oven" scent. A perfect little hostess gift for the holidays!

To create your own gift box, first spray, paint, or ink all surfaces of the matchbook box.

I sprayed my box with ink mist, and then spread the ink with a foam brush. The effect is a soft, watercolor look. After the ink or paint has dried, use a gel medium to adhere your paper to the box. You may choose to cover all the sides or just a few and allow your inked or painted surfaces to show.

Use contrasting papers for a more interesting look. This is a great way to use your small paper pads or scraps from your 12x12 papers. I used papers from Graphic 45 An ABC Primer and Happy Haunting.

Use a few simple decorations for the top of the box, allowing your gift to peek through the hole. If your gift is small, you may wish to add a piece of acetate to the inside of the box, covering the whole. That will keep your goodies from falling out.

I trimmed a postcard from the G45 Place in Time 8x8 collection and decorated it with a few "fussy cut" images, a button, and some twine. 

The little girl is fussy cut from a sheet of G45 Happy Haunting paper. I used foam dots to pop her off the paper.

Stamp your sentiments onto some scrap paper, then die cut them and attach them to the box. The "Scent with Love" sentiment is perfect for a gift of scented candles!

I could not find any clear acetate, so too keep my candles from falling out or moving around, I just attached them to the inside of the box with some glue dots.

This little project is a quick and easy way to give a small gift (or even a gift card) for the holidays. Use up those paper scraps! To print a tutorial for this project, click HERE.

Hope you enjoyed my "from the vault" altered items. I am praying to be able to be crafting again soon. 

Now, hop on over to Jennifer's  Blog!

If you get lost during the blog hop (so sad to get lost!), here is the list of participating Designers! Make sure you leave a comment to be entered in the drawing!

Pam

Christine

Barbara

Jessica

Nicole

Gloria - YOU ARE HERE!

Jennifer

Pinky

Irit

Betty

Eileen

Altered Journal:
Graphic 45 paper: Place in Time November, August, September, cardstock stickers, chipboard; Botanicabella Botanical News, Eden's Symphony, Summer Sonata; An ABC Primer An ABC Primer; Le Cirque Greatest Show on Earth; Times Nouveau Copacetic, Hot Tomato, Sitting Pretty, Bee's Knees; Old Curiosity Shoppe Butterfly Specifics; Bird Song Shanghai Girls; Steampunk Debutante Victorian Transformers

Ink: Clearsnap Colorbox Fluid Chalk Ink Chestnut Roan, Yellow Cadmium, Blush Rose; Memento Rich Cocoa
Other paper: Simple Stories Harvest Lane paper and bingo cards; Basic Grey Basics Manila
Die cuts: My Favorite Things Sentiment Strips, Fishtail Flag Stax; Sizzix Tim Holts Alterations Ornamental; Papertrey Ink Button Card
Stamps: Papertrey Ink Gratitude Journal; Stampin' Up!; Unity Harvest of Memories; JustRite Autumn Blessings
Flowers, Leaves, other Floral: Petaloo; Prima; Craft Store
Ribbon: Really Reasonable Ribbon
Journaling spots: Jenni Bowlin Brown Memo Book; Maya Road; My Mind's Eye
Tags: Office supply store
Tools: Cinch
Bulk chipboard: Grafix
Adhesive: Scotch 3M tape; Heidi Swapp Scrappy Glue; Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L foam squares; Ranger Glossy Accents

Gift Tag:
Graphic 45 papers: Place in Time November; Botanicabella Summer Sonata
Tag: Packaging tag from Metal Door Knob Staples
Ink: Clearsnap Colorbox Fluid Chalk Ink Rose Chestnut Roan
Die cuts: My Favorite Things Fishtail Flag Stax; Spellbinders Asian Accents border
Flowers, Leaves, other Floral: Petaloo, Craft Store
Ribbon: Really Reasonable Ribbon
Tools: Bow Easy
Adhesive: Scotch 3M tape; Heidi Swapp Scrappy Glue; Beacon Fabri-tac, Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L foam squares

Altered Box:

Graphic 45 Papers: Place in Time October Cut-Aparts, November Cut-Aparts; Happy Haunting Enchanted Garden, Jeeper's Creeper's; An ABC Primer An ABC Primer

Matchbook Box: Graphic 45 Altered Art Matchbook Box Staples (small)

Candles: Hobby Lobby

Twine: Really Reasonable Ribbon

Button: Buttons Galore and More

Spray Mist: Ranger Adirondack Color Wash Sunset Orange

Ink: Memento Rich Cocoa; Clearsnap Colorbox Fluid Chalk Tangerine, Creamy Brown

Stamps: StampingScrapping Fancy Accents, Label Accents

Die cuts: Spellbinders Back to Basics Tags

Adhesive: Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L foam squares; Heidi Swapp Scrappy Glue; Liquitex Matte Gel Medium; Beacon Fabri-tac

Tools: Foam brush (Michael's Crafts), Grand Calibur (Spellbinders), Microtip scissors (Fiskars)