Things that money can't buy

I've made this for my friend Hel's weekly pocket challenge. I've decided again to stamp onto patterned paper for this one, and I'm enjoying that aspect of these, it's not something I've done much of in the past.

I've had a few briefcase closures in my embellishment box for the longest time, with no idea if or how I'd ever use them. This project was a perfect opportunity!

After cutting out the pocket shape in white card, I covered both sides with PP (from Costco). The ruler stamp was applied to the outer edge with black versafine ink, then tinted with fired brick distress ink. I printed the title text from the computer and then fixed the bookplate and fastening in place and sanded the edges of the pocket.

All the stamping inside was either with black versafine, fired brick or aged mahogany distress pads.

I won't go into detail regarding most of the stamping, there's nothing out of the ordinary about it. The text on the loose paper below the american "quarter" coin was stamped onto PP, then I used white acrylic paint, applied with my finger, to "knock back" the green-ness of the paper.

The coins were fixed in place with glossy accents, and the "mum" was written in my own fair hand :o)

Not much else to say really! I hope you like it, click on the images for a better view.

Catch a falling star and....

This is for a new challenge on my friend Hel's blog, called "In my pocket...". Each week, there will be something different in the pocket, this week it's buttons.

I started out having a bit of a play with this one to be honest. No firm idea of what I wanted to make, or what it should be like. I knew I wanted to try another of the lovely (and so cheap!) PPs I got from Costco recently, and to try out some new stamps that were burning a hole on my desk.

I started out cutting a blank pocket from white card (it has to measure 7" x 3.75", and it's folded at the 3" mark). I decided not to trim the corners in any way, but to leave it rectangular.

I then covered it in the PP, using a double sided sheet, so I knew the two patterns would co-ordinate together well.

After that, it was a "just" a case of decorating it! The ribbon was stamped in black versafine, and one of Tim Holtz's journalling tickets was stamped and coloured with white acrylic and fixed into place. The "52" was stamped, and the edges were sanded with a glass file. Finally the "lock" was fixed into place and the inside was painted black.

The inside of the pocket was stamped in black versafine. One of the flowers on the Anna Griffin background stamp was highlighted by hand-painting. The chrome "J" and button brad were painted with a mixture of black and copper acrylic paint and dried with a heat gun and fixed into place. The Tim Holtz "dream" adage ticket were distressed and fixed into place. The buttons were stamped onto the reverse side of a piece of PP, cut out and fixed into place. The receipt was stamped, distressed and held in place with a copper clip. The buttons block stamp was painted with a yellow wash, and the photo turn was fixed to the card with a brad.

Phew! I think that's it! I hope you like it, click on the images for a larger view :o)