Some of you may have visited Ephemera's vintage garden before and seen and played with the digital paper kits that Debbie-Anne creates. This was my first time playing and I had fun!!
I wanted to create something different than the ten journals sitting on my desk and looking at me with guilt in their eyes!! I need to finish them, I know I do but, but , but I had an idea and I had to follow it.
A super simple mini album made with two file folders. It is quick and cheap and decorated with Steamtown spring papers from Debbi-Anne, it is oh so pretty.
I made a video show and tell of the mini album
and I made a tutorial of how easy it is to make
I hope you enjoy it and visit Ephemera's Vintage Garden at
I have been working on another guest book and it was perfect timing to work in with this weeks challenge at Simon Says Stamp challenge of Lace Love. I wanted to use some of the paper doilies I had tea and coffee dyed and of course added a little distress ink!
This big fat guest book cover is made from good old cereal box cardboard and covered with Kraft card. I played until my fingers turned brown with Distress stains in Walnut stain and vintage photo and then glimmer misted with tattered leather. I ripped up three coffee stained doilies for the base layer and then added kraft and corrugated card with some of my rust embellies that I have made with my new Tim Holtz die - Tiny tag and tabs. Lots of my favourite distress inks in Walnut stain, Vintage Photo and the new must have and my new favourite Gathered Twigs (I love this colour!!!) I wanted the cover to be flat enough that it is easy to write in the book.
The inside pages are made with My Minds Eye papers that I have tea dyed, baked and then ironed. It gives a fabulous pattern and texture to the paper and it is a fabulous grunge look which is what the recipient wanted. Easy binding with a running stitch on the spine and it is ready to be written all over by guests at the party - this party is a 21st birthday for Josie - Happy 21st Birthday Josie.
Lots of gorgeous Lace Love inspiration over at Simon Says Stamp
Happy New Year to you and yours.
I cannot believe that it is already the 16th of January. It is probably because I am already behind and I am in a state of anxiety and dread. This month is not one I have been looking forward too. My lovely son has just celebrated his 21st birthday and last weekend we partied. I am thrilled to have a gorgeous and fabulous young man as my son, but I wish it had taken him a bit longer to get to be grown up!! The second part of the dread is that in two weeks we will be helping him move 9 hours away to Film School for the year. Any Mother who has reached the dreaded empty nest will know exactly what it is like. Yes tissues are needed.
As a distraction I needed a guest book for my son and another one for his girlfriend and I realised that I had not shared a few photos here of things that are currently in production. This time the blog comes first. I have not yet videoed these projects.
Let the photos commence....
Ethan's 21st Birthday guest book
Good old cereal boxes provided the base and then I created a mosaic of texture with metal tape from the hardware store and Tim Holtz texture folders.
I created a fabric covered art journal. The inside is filled with tea stained papers. The details don't really show here but this is deliciously tactile.
Pink and Brown Journal with My Minds Eye papers - Cover
Pink and Brown Journal with My Minds Eye papers - Inside is nearly finished
On YouTube tripledogdareu is having a challenge. This is where I am so far - lots of paper flowers
This is the link if you would like to join in the fun.
Today I am working on this guest book for a party girl this weekend. It is another 21st and the lovely lady wants grunge with favourite colours of red and green.
cover - doesn't look very good
Starting to look better with distress stains and glimmer mist
tea dyed papers, lots of distress ink and some home made envelopes - Hoping this will equal a gorgeous book by Friday!!
I will hopefully be able to post some completed photos and videos soon. In the meantime I hope everyone has a fabulous January, here in NZ we are in the middle of summer. I hope you are enjoying whatever season of the year you are in!!
Here in New Zealand we are getting ready for New Years Eve. In preparation for the New Year I have started to create an altered journal for myself.
I have prepared an old book by ripping out some of the pages and glueing them to create a solid base of various sizes and a few pockets, of course!
The cover is started with the TH Cabinet card die and the baroque die and a selection of letters and numbers from various packs including some very cool grunge numbers. I have gessoed the cover and will be adding ink and other gorgeous stuff as I go.
I think I will use this to journal January and prepare myself for the year ahead. Plans and hopes and lots of dreams.
Hope you and yours have a totally fabulous New Year and I look forward to meeting again in 2013.
Merry Christmas to all who celebrate it. Santa has been to my house and we are getting ready for a day with extended family. Here are a few shots of Christmas at my house.
I made the tree above many years ago and it still comes out every year.
The Kaisercraft advent calendar was made last year, and the Rocking horse is a treasure that is much loved.
The roses and sweetpeas were picked from the garden yesterday.
Christmas day in New Zealand - hats and sunscreen required!!
Wishing you all a Beautiful day wherever you are and whatever you are doing.
Yes I did get a new toy - an iPhone. I wanted Instagram. It looks like fun when other people do it, but of course it took me weeks to figure out how to get the photos off the camera and onto the computer. I am now going to try something very clever (well... for me!) A few snapshots of what I have been making lately.
I have lots of photos on the proper camera but I have organised the cord away somewhere very safe and since I cannot find it now, I cannot show you those photos.
I made three Christmas books and gave them away. I have the paper cut out for my Xmas book but I think that will be for 2013 now!!
Random photo of the the cutest puppy - Gypsy style - Ruby
I made a Recipe Album and that will be given to the Beautiful Bride shortly. I have a video to upload later today to show a quick flip through. The colour is a surprise for me. It is the favourite colour of the recipient.
Been busy learning new binding styles.
The journals are filled with my tea and coffee dyed paper.... Yum
New Journal - layered the cover of the Journey Journal from Marion Smith. Covered with various tissue tapes and then mod podged a layer of dressmaker tissue. Ready to leave home next year. Perfect size for the hand bag - it is 5 3/4" x 3 3/4 "
The latest download from Marion Smith ... the Grand. Very rich and lush. I covered one of my binder albums with the paper and embellies from the line. Love it - Thank you to the lovely Ellen Bee of the Womens waiting room for spoiling me. xxx
Ruby got a haircut for Christmas
and looks pretty happy with it
All over my desk and currently obsessed by
Taking my first course on book binding with Mary Ann Moss and loving it!
Hi and welcome to my blog. My name is Michelle Mooney.
I love paper, stamps, inks, paints, stationery, altering things, book making, pinterest and lots of other things yet to be discovered. This blog is a record of the things I make and learn on my creative journey.
