paper bag | DecorablesArt

Kids away at university? Even though they are all into texting, most still appreciate letters or packages sent from home.

All of my daughter’s mail still comes to our home address and she manages to get mail rather frequently. I know she wanted me to ‘send her something’ but I wasn’t really sure what to send and with her birthday coming up on Sunday, I was already going to be doing something.

So

I gathered her mail/items of interest and a few photos, and decided to make a modified Paper Bag Album for her.

I stuck little surprises inside the various pockets, including a few personalized bookmarks and inserted her mail items into the pockets.

…and I had a lot of fun making it!

~Roberta

If it’s Wednesday, it must be STAMP RELEASE DAY at Addicted-to-Stamps. I loved working with my image this week; it is called Hunting Time by Heather Kilgore. If you are interested in purchasing this image, you may find the details HERE.

I like to print out my image using my laser printer, onto card stock. To be honest, I often print out several and experiment with the first and usually complete the second, but just in case, I have a backup readily available.

Using markers and pencils I coloured in the image. I used chalk for her face.

SPECIAL TIP – When I use watercolour pencils (like Inktense or Staedtler Aquarells) and if I am working in a ‘small space’, instead of water, I use a fine blending marker.(Martha Stewart has one). It gives the same effect, without water, and I maintain total control.

Once my colouring was complete I sprayed my image with a fixative (Grumbacher matte). This gives me the added confidence to proceed enhancing my image without fear of destroying it! lol

To prepare the card stock I was gluing the image to, I decoupaged some ephemera and distressed with inks. Taking a small piece of cooper sheeting, I used my Cuttlebug to emboss it with gears and used Mod Podge to attach it.. The image was then decoupaged onto the card stock.

To enhance the belt , which had a spiral look, I grabbed a spiral brad and stuck it through her stomach!

I think the little ‘gears’ in the bottom right corner nicely balanced the picture. The gears are washers from Harbor Freight, which I enhanced with copper ink. A few extra brass hardware stickers were also used.

My final touch was the clear stone I placed over her eye. I wanted to really emphasize her eye while also giving the appearance of a monocle. — I know: I’m strange.

There are 2 different scrapbook pages used for matting, and the final touch: attaching the whole thing to a brilliant pumpkin spice coloured gift bag. which will be the front cover of a new paper bag book!