Mini Books revisited!

 Hi, today I am showing you some little books that I made for a show last year when all the gorgeous MINI BOOKS were launched by Tando Creative.  I don't think these have been blogged before which was very remiss of me.
 

 
So here we have 2 of the rounded end ones and 1 wrap round.
 

 
Although the curved end looks like it make it difficult to make the pages all you need to do is to draw around the cover.  Both this one and the Christmasy one have patterned paper pages with a light layer of tinting base.
 

 
This one I turned into a Post-It Note holder...just the right size!!!!! It would have had a pen or pencil included but I couldn't find one small enough in the time I had.
 

 
I hope you enjoyed this little look back, come again soon,xxx
 
 

ATC BOX

Hi people xxx
 
Do you ever wonder what to do with all those gorgeous ATC's that you have?  Tando Creative have designed a couple of lovely ATC boxes?   The lid folds right back and to close the front just tucks behind where I have put the book plate!  Plus they hold around 50 undecorated ATC's!!!! Oh and there is one for ATC COINS as well.   Here is the one that I did.....
 

 
After daubing on paint with a sponge I added some *weathered wood* through a stencil.  When it was dry I added some white over the tops. 
 

 
To neaten the circles up which were a bit messy, I added dots with a brown Posca Pen.  At the front I added a *mini book plate* with the lettering inside.
 

 
I painted the insides plain.
 
Thank you for taking a looksee x
 

Love this little concertina binder!!!!!

Hi everyone, It has been a long while since I posted.  I have been taking a break to concentrate on a few art courses.  You may have seen a few pictures on FB.  There won't be many as I am quite shy at showing them.

But I have been doing a little Tando work still. 

Who can resist this gorgeous and useful concertina binder?  I know I can't!!!!!  Apart from the obvious rings, it has a little holder to place the mini clipboard in or you could add a little book if you like.

You can use this one for all sorts of thing...as a holiday journal, an art journal or just a place to put your lists :-D.  Plus its handy enough to fit into a handbag!
 

 
I added chalk paints randomly to the bases and then decided it was too bright and gave them a covering of gesso!  The lovely leaf spray has been made using the new layering stencils.  I used two of the layers with modelling paste, painting each as it dried.
 
Open one side of the binder and you have a holder for the mini clipboard! Its deep enough to be able to hold a lot in your clipboard.
 

 

 
I used paper to cover my page dividers and to decorate the clipboard.  I also added a few quotes for inspiration!
 

 
The finishing touch was to add the 'ART' letters and wrap some lace around to hold it neatly.
 

 
The team have decorated this in so many ways.  Keep a look out for more inspiration
 
Karen xxx
 

Featured in Craft Stamper - Post-It Note Holder

Hello everyone!  The Tando team are delighted that we are featured in November's issue of THE CRAFT STAMPER!  We were all sent the same substrate to work with so it will be very interesting to see how different they all are!  To be honest it doesn't have a name (as yet) but it is a fun piece!!!! 

I am kicking off with mine and I have turned it into a Post-It note holder, although they are diddy!
 

 
Lots of Weathered Wood Crackle going on! And open....
 

 
The two little Post-It note holders...
 

 
Thank you for looking . 

Take care , Karen xxx

Twinchie #10

Hellooooo!!!!!  It is colour theme week and here I am with another *twinchie* for you!  This time I have added a *domino* and some *mini keys* to my little square.
 

 
Thank you for popping by, take care, Karen xxx

Wallet/Magazine storage

Storage is always a problem, especially in a craft room :D  So...how useful is this one??????  I have made up this very-easy-to-do *WALLET STORE* .  It is incredibly sturdy and will hold magazines easily and because you decorate it yourself you can really go to town!
 

 
Once joined together and painted I added some painted embellishments.  Who can resist the *WHIMSICAL HOUSES *  and those *CURLY TREES* are so pretty!!!!!  Had to add a few little *BIRDS* to finish off. 
 

 
 
At the moment this wallet store is only available with the Round Box which looks like this...
 

But still a very good price for the two.

Thank you for coming by xxx
 
 
 

Twinchie #9

Hi,  here is this months *twinchie* using the colour combo provided.  This really does look far better in real life :-D
 

 
I have used the *mini mask - numbers* to add the '9' in the centre of this.  I also used some coloured modelling paste through a stencil to create the bamboo effect (sadly this is now out of stock).
 
The colour palette...
 

 
Thank you for taking a look, take care, Karen xxx
 

Note/Photo Holder from Scraps

Hello there!  For my 'stand alone' piece I have used up some left over pieces from the pretty *TRIPLE ARCH FRAMES*  I have done a few of these now and was left with several of the insides.
 

 
I glued some small and large ones together before decorating with stamping and paint effects.  Before I attached the smaller arches to the larger ones I glued a piece of card behind the smaller one to create a gap.  Then only attached a section of the smaller arches to the larger ones.  I added a heart to the top.
 

 
 Thank you for taking a look today.  Please pop back to see how more of the DT interpreted this theme.  Hugs Karen x

Tando Creative's Paint Saint!

😊😊Hello lovely crafters!  As my paint stash grows more and more I am finding space to be an issue in my craft room.  Ever late to the party as I think most of the Tando DT already have one, I have decorated a *PAINT SAINT*.  If you haven't seen one of these you will be amazed that storage with a 5inch square base can hold 32 1oz pots of paint!!!!!!!! It will also hold the next size up but not so many.

This comes with instructions and is very easy to put together and easy to decorate if you use a brayer, which I did :-D I softened down the *media paints* (Primary Magenta, Cobalt Teal Hue & Dioxazine Purple) with *tinting base* to make pastel shades before randomly brayering them on all the surfaces before putting them together. Then I added some white spots and some stamping.

You can see that they form two trenches (for want of a better word haha) onto which you lay the pots.

To finish my Paint Saint off I wrapped some *Bakers Twine* around the handles.

Thank you for coming to take a look today.  Take care, hugs, Karen x

Twinchie #8

Hi!  here I am again with my latest *twinchie* using the monthly colour themes.  It's hard to believe that its the 8th one of 12 already!!!!!

and the colour palette....

For this one I dabbed all the colours but the blue onto the substrate and used blue on the *corner flourishes* .  Some *crackle glaze* gives a bit more interest!

Thank you for looking xxx

Decorating with fabric

Hellooooooooo!  I am rounding up this week with a *BOX* decorated with brightly coloured fabric!  The box itself is around 8x8inches square and about 2inches deep.....a really handy size for all sorts of things!  Its a great box for stash storage as well as for putting a gift in.  I have made up a few of these over the years now and this time I have added some internal storage!

The box kit comes with a grid for the top, some tic-tac-toe pieces and 10 rounded squares.  I have disgarded the play pieces and used the squares which I covered in fabric and put into the grid on the top of the box.  I added fabric to the sides of the lid with some daisy braid.
 

 
I also added fabric inside the lid and the bottom.  For the box insert I used 3 *SMALL CUBBBEYS* which were glued together and then wrapped in fabric with fabric in the bottoms.
 

 
I didn't glue them down in the box so that I can move them around.
 

 
Not sure what I will use the box for, probably beads!!!
 
Thank you for taking a look.  Please leave a comment as I love to hear from you , take care xxx
 
 

 

Domino Frame

Hellooooo, I am kicking off this *Domino* week over at Tando Creative with an altered photograph frame.  One of those cheapy 5x7inch wooden frames!  With the greyboard domino's being so reasonable priced at 10 for £1.40 you could afford to do this with lots of frames as gifts.
 

 
The wooden frame was painted in a matching colour before I glued the domino's to various matching papers.  They were cut out and glued around the frame.  You could leave it at this point and pop a photograph in :-D  But I decided to make it into a picture so I disgarded the glass into the recycle bin.
The card that was behind the glass was painted in blues and greens before adding *weathered wood* then white acrylic to form the lovely crackly finish.  The stamp has been paper pieced and painted before attaching.  I then added the word *Reflect* which is one of the many words that Tando cut.
 
Thank you for looking today and do leave a comment as I do love to see them, take care, Karen xxx

Twinchie #7

Hi, it's Karen here with another in my set of 12 twinchies using this months colour theme.  I have kept it very simple and just made an abstract pattern.  This will sit nicely with the other more complicated twinchies that I have done.
 

 

and the colours...
 

 
Thank you for looking, take care x

Unexpected!

Hellooooo! Here with my interpretation of this weeks prompt from Tando - "Real or Faux fabrics".  I chose to go with real fabric on my project.  I have decorated another of Andy Skinners Fish, this time using bright scraps of fabric which I frayed a little around the edges.  Not sure if you can see that in the photo though, sorry.
 

 
 
The fish was mounted on a large tag which had been painted in different blue's and then treated with Weathered Wood.  (I am loving this stuff at the moment hahaha) When it was dry I added white acrylic which, when nearly dry, I wiped back to reveal more of the blue underneath.
 
Thank you for popping by today, take care, Karen x
 

Twinchie #6

Hello!  Here is the colour theme for June from Tando and my little twinchie!  I have added a little row of flowers this month.
 

 
Here is the palette...
 

 
Thank you for taking a peep, hugs, Karen x
 
 

Ring my Bell!

Hello!  Its brilliant when we get a 'Same but Different' theme over at Tando as its always amazing how varied our projects are using the same substrates.  Here is my offering...
 

 
 
Thank you for taking a look today and do pop back to see what the others have done with their little kits, Hugs, Karen xxx
 

Ring Binders

Hellooooo!  My project for this Anything Goes week over at Tando is a pair of *folders*.  These are especially designed to fit the newer masks/stencils.  They have really clever bendy spines which make them so much easier to decorate!  I have kept mine fairly simple....adding bold colours to the big flowers.
 

 
Here they are laid out flat... they do look a bit yellowy but are white backgrounds!
 
The smallest one...
 

 
The tall one...
 

 
They are similar on the inside.   For the base I laid down a few bright colours and then a layer of *Weathered Wood*  adding white after it was dry.  The flowers have been stamped onto thin card and coloured with watercolour pencils.  A touch of clear glitter was added to them.  I added Velcro to fasten and some beads for more colour!!!!
 
Thank you for taking a look, take care, Karen xxx

Pretty Mini Book

Hi there!  I have gone all pretty pretty for my embossing folder project.  I have decorated the tall mini book from the *mini books mega pack*.  This is a great little pack as you get 10 mini books in 2 types and 3 sizes!!!!!  Here is my offering... its only 12x6cm...
 

 
Firstly I covered the blanks with tinting base then ran it through my Big Shot with an embossing folder (by Cuttlebug).  You need a bit of muscle but it will go through! For some reason (I have no idea)  I didn't emboss the whole of one side but that will be covered anyway!
 

 
I painted the covers and the spine in Titanium White.  Then I made a wash with some purple and just dipped the pieces in. I love the way it settle randomly.
 

 
All the pages were cut from 100gm copier paper and attached to the spine by winding the thread around as shown.
 

 
To attach all the pieces together I cut some firm card 12x6cm, roughened the edges and marked the centre.  This enabled me to line up the spine. 
 

 
Once the covers were glued down I scored down the card close to the spine.
 

 
To finish off I added some lace over the binding to make it stronger.  Then I added some beads and buttons and a quote.
 

 

 
Thank you for stopping by today, take care out there, hugs, Karen xxx