More Recycling

As you know I am always being given odd things that I usually find a home for. For many years I have had a few  cutlery holders you know what I mean, wooden containers to go into a drawer. Well I have been using these as a means of keeping buttons tidy. That was one use, but as I had several and the buttons were being sorted and some  given away I needed to find another another use for an empty one.

After painting with some old emulsion paint mixed with artists acrylic paint I lined the inside with some wrapping paper from my stash and hey presto a neat little display shelf just right for small items. Ta Dah…..

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Is it another Bag ?

No it’s a Journal….made using hessian wallpaper that was used in our first conservatory 30 + years ago and found in the loft. Lined with some found old linen fabric and the pages are 1000 grade lining paper washed with water colour paint to age them. The buckle was found in my stash box and is goodness knows how many years old. So using all old materials I have created something that perhaps looks new but feels and smells old. I am going to use this journal to record lots of textures that I find in and around the garden, using mixed media to replicate, eg hand stitching and french knots to look like moss, maybe painting, torn paper who knows  …..watch this space, this might be a full years project.

Beach Finds …..* Project 1 *

Rainy days are here again, so the workroom beckons.

After drying some of my beach finds I have decided to make a small boat from some of the bleached wood.

    Measuring just 16cms by 20cms and using recycled carpet tacks, old linen twine and tea dyed muslin. To finish I gave it a coiled rope made from a piece of string that was attached to a key belonging to a 1930s sewing machine and a flag from tea dyed silk.

    Think it will go to Mr Malc as an early wedding anniversary present.

 

 

    Happy Early Anniversary Mr Malc……xx

 

 

 

 

Butterfly Boxes ..Tutorial

You would be forgiven for thinking I was going to give you a tutorial about how to make a butterfly box for the garden.

But no.

I often find in the charity shops old books that are a bit past their best, a bit raggy but the contents interesting all the same.

Now I don’t discard these after I’ve read them. I will often find another use for them.

A simple but effective end product.

This started life as a small flat box measuring 14.5 X 12.5 X 2.5 cms.

Cut out the centre section with a scalpel leaving a border of about 1.5 cms.

Glue all the openings closed.

Using your chosen paper, this could be wrapping paper, old book paper, magazine paper. Start to tear, not cut, strips and glue them all over the centre piece that you have cut out.

Turning this over and neatening the edges.

Next do the same with the box, but just fold and glue the paper around the back as you will be putting one bigger sheet on the back to neaten.

Make sure the front edges are neat.

Here I have used part of a whole sheet to cover the back.

Don’t you just love some of the names and dates of the roses.

Box made ready for the butterflies.

For the butterflies I found a sheet of wrapping paper.

Carefully cut out 3 butterflies and gently fold up the wings to give them some shape.

Align the butterflies and glue.

Glue the card into the box and hay presto you have a butterfly box.

The box on the left has been wiped over with a damp tea bag at the point prior to placing butterflies, the one on the right is untouched.

Here are a few more things that I have done with old books and card.

 I hope this inspires you to look at old books in a different way, and I hope it gets your creative juices working….