Travel Accordion Book

 This year is the 100th Anniversary of the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition and Alpha Stamps is Celebrating!

 There is just something about postcards that scream, historical fun events, to me.  So to help celebrate this event with Alpha Stamps I've created some postcards highlighting events from the Exposition.  When I was done making the postcards I felt like I hadn't done enough.  I've been itching to make a book accordion file so voila, the perfect way to store postcards!  

 The size/shape of the book was very important.  It needed to not be very thick and it also needed to be larger.  Mine measures 8 1/2 "long, 5 3/4" wide and 1" deep when it is closed.  

 The outside is decorated with papers from the Tim Holtz Destinations pack. The woman image is from the Travel Reading Collage Sheet.  The extra bits are some 2mm and 3 mm Brass Flat-Back Studs, Mini Striped Grosgrain Ribbon (which I wrapped around in case the accordion gets full),  and gold zig zag dresden boarders.

 I'm going to do a tutorial on how I made the accordion portion of the book.  I got the basics from Wings of Whimsy but ran into a few issues and have some tips.  

 Now onto the events postcards!

The store with Uncle Sam (at least that is who I thought he was) coming out the top is a watch store.  So I ran with that.  I used images from the Fun photos from the Fair Collage Sheet, Fun Vintage Pics Collage sheet, The 4th of July Collage Sheet and Tiny Vintage Letters and Postage Collage Sheet. Some of the other goodies I used were from the Tim Holtz Destinations paper pack, dazzles silver thin line stickers and tiny star sequins (all available at Alpha Stamps).

 For my second postcard I used a lot of the same things as I did on the Watch Postcard.  I pulled extra images from the Tiny Vintage Scrapbook Collage Sheet.  The letters/ numbers that are supposed to look like typewriter keys came from the Star Crossed paper pack. I also used some postmark paper tape along the bottom and my favorite, Liquid pearls in platinum. 

The folder and postcards are available to purchase together in my Etsy Shop.

Thanks so much for stopping by.  I hope you enjoyed.  Stay tuned for the tutorial.

Mermaid Altered Tart Tin Trinket Box

 Tart tins are so pretty.  You can do practically anything with them and end up with a gorgeous piece.   Because of this it is hard to think outside the box sometimes, but that is what I tried to do, use the shabby chic tins in a new way. 

 These tins came all shabby chiced up which left me with two ideas, vintage little girls or mermaids and y'all know how much I loves me some mermaids.  This image is from the Carribean Blue Mermaids Collage Sheet.

 Around her I added clear acrylic sprays, pearls, and leaf ribbon.  

To create the blue spray I took 22 gauge wire and coated it with hot glue.  While the glue was drying I mixed three different colors of micro beads - Aqua, White and Turquoise, in a small container. next I coated the dried (and bumpy) hot glue with  a thick fast drying glue and rolled it in the micro bead mixture.  Ever so gently I pressed the beads into the glue and set it aside to dry.  

 Because every jewelry box opening has something pretty by it I made some architectural flourishes with hot glue, so they would shape to the tin, painted them with coordinating paint to match the tin.  A few tiny read seashells and a brass charm finish off the opening. 

 Inside I covered the top and bottom with paper from the Star Crossed collection.  I know that someone someday will put something pretty inside these tins but until then when you open it a brass fish, bead filled glass vial and pearls decorate it.  

Thank you for stopping by.  

This piece is available in my Etsy Store.