Sue Smyth October post

Meg's Garden 

Mini Diary 

By Sue Smyth 

Hi All 

Here is my take on the Sherlock album kit. Just to 

show you can covert it to a feminine look too.

I have used trinkets from the kit and

added a cheap gold frame. 

To make the pages I have adhered all of the journal pages

to a trimmed down manila folder. I have distressed the edges and

rubbed gold paint on the outsides, like the old

leather bound books.

I have then adhered all of the pages together on the manila

folder side. I have trimmed sturdy chipboard to fit the 

front and back and covered it with paper for the covers.

Then adhere a piece of ribbon over

the folded book before you affix 

the covers.

Materials List 

The Sherlock Book Kit Designed by Watson

Megs Garden White flowers

faux lock

trinkets and metal

german scrap

ATC Vintage ladies with flowers

Happy Crafting 

The Gentlemen Wallet/Brag Book by Margaret Mifsud

Hello everyone and welcome to Meg's Garden!  Hope you are having a wonderful day!

It's my turn again and this time I would like to share with you a Wallet style Mini or 'Brag Book' made specifically for the men.
I must point out that this is not my design.  I first saw this style of Mini Book on Astrid Maclean's blog 'Astrid's Artistic Efforts' and she actually got the instructions for this design from a video on You Tube made by Dawn's Inspiration.  I really loved this design and thought it would be perfect for the 'Gentleman' papers.
I should warn you that this will be a long post as there are quite a lot of photos so I hope you won't get bored.  Perhaps you should grab yourself a cuppa before we begin!!  LOL!

Here is the front cover.

For this wallet I used the strips from the bottom of the 12 x 12 Gentleman's Collection papers and also some sheets from the Mini paper pack.  On the cover I used the strip from 'A Gentleman on Time' page.  Roughed up the edges with a distressing tool and inked them with Gathered Twigs Distress Ink.  I then scraped some Clear Rock Candy Distress Paint in the top right hand corner and, when it was dry, swiped some gesso  around the corners as well.  The inkwell and quill was fussy cut from the 'Letter from a Gentleman' strip and the labels are from the 'Cut & Create' page.

The clock was cut from the 'Old World Time' Transparency and the cute little metal clock and key are also available from Meg's Garden.  As you can see, I wrapped some wire around the twine to hold the clock and key in place, but I need to practice that a bit more so I can make it look a bit tidier.  LOL!

Unfortunately the crackle paint doesn't show up very well in the photos, but you can see where the gesso cracked as well.  The metal gears are the Idea-ology Mini Gears from Tim Holtz.  All the papers (with only one exception) and embellishments used in this project are available at Meg's Garden.  Below is a closie of the fussy cut inkwell.  I used some foam dots  underneath to pop it up off the page.

When closed the whole booklet measures 4" x 7" but there are lots of flaps to open and some pockets as well for holding tags and journaling spots.
Here it is with the top flap open.

This flap has one of the pockets.  The tags were cut from the 'Create & Cut' page.  I inked the edges and backed them with some kraft cardstock so they can be used as journaling spots.  Stenciled a flourish on the pocket itself with some translucent texture paste and, as an embellishment, I cut out the small graphics from the mini pack and trimmed them with  some fancy scissors.

On the flap below there is space for a photo and you can see some more of the labels from the 'Cut & Create' page to which I have added the small metal clock and a piece of Tim Holtz's Mini Film Strip.

The page above and some of the following pages were stenciled with either the Lattice work Stencil or the Burlap Stencil from Tim Holtz using Gathered Twigs Distress Ink.

All the removable tags and labels were mounted on kraft cardstock.  The clock can be used as a journaling spot and the tag beneath as a photo mat.

The page above opens to the right to reveal a photo mat ...

... and opens to the right again to reveal a pocket and tag ...

... and another photo mat.  The coffee stains and splats were made with Bobunny's Stained Textures Stamp.

The tag was stenciled with 'Black Soot' and  'Gathered Twigs' Distress Ink and some circles created with a bottle cap dipped in gesso.

I hope you are all still with me.  I did warn you about the photos didn't I???

 This page opens to the left ...

... to reveal another photo mat and opens to the left again ...

... to reveal a pocket and tag ...

... and another photo mat.

More stenciling and stamping and circles.

Here is the middle of the wallet with both sides open.  The belly band was made with paper from Prima's Engraver Collection.  I simply attached it with some eyelets.  The gorgeous Filigree oval trinket is also available from Meg's Garden.

The tags and calendar were cut from the 'Gentleman's' papers.

Don't despair people, we're nearly finished!!!  Hope you're still with me!! LOL!
These photos show you what the whole piece looks like.
It was very difficult to photograph the whole wallet so I elected to do one side at a time.
This is the front left side ...

... and the front right side.

The back left side ...

... and the back right side.

I didn't add much in the way of three dimensional embellishments because in the first instance, guys don't really go for that and in the second instance, the wallet would have ended up way too thick.  Besides, this paper collection is awesome all by itself and doesn't really need too much embellishment.

I do hope you managed to stick with me to the end and that you like my Gentleman's Brag Wallet and are inspired to try it, or something similar,  for yourself.

Meg's Garden Products used:
Gentleman's Collection 12 x 12 papers
Gentleman's Collection Mini Paper Pack
Old World Time Transparency
Filigree long oval
Tim Holtz Mini Gears
Tim Holtz Film Strip Ribbon
Clock Charm
Hardware Metals - Key Antique Chest

Thank you so much for visiting and I hope you enjoy the rest of your day.

Take care and God Bless.

oxox Marg

Timeless Memories : tribute to my parents by Irit

Hello my dear crafty friends!
Irit is here snd this is my very first post here on Meg's Garden blog featuring Kerry-Jean Watson new vintage and most adorable Correspondence collection (also I have as small piece form the same designer new Gentlemen collection too).
I made an altered box and a wooden tags mini album, but first let me tell you the story behind this project.
My dear parents were married for 57 year before my Dad passed away  two and half years ago. They were madly in love till  his last day. But then they didn't have too many photos at all. This old generation didn't have a camera  and later didn't think they need one.
So we just have a few old vintage scanned photos and I used  two of them for the first 2 pages and another  two, like 22 years ago were added to the last 2 pages.

So here is an overlook of this wooden tag album (I think it's Kaisercrafts, but I am not sure as it was in my stash for ages).

  

Each tag was covered with Correspondence paper, mostly form the 6*6'' mini  pack and then when I used all six designs I moved to 12*12'' papers and used just a few of them to cover the backside of the tags.
Actually I used just two patterns from this collection: Distress letter and Letter from Tucson 1909.
And now for the close- ups of all page. First the front cover again:

I used  this gorgeous Vintage  collage stamp set  for all my stamping over this project. Vintage collage saying was a perfect match for the cover page and I also die cut this Good old days sentiment from the same paper collection to make the title. Then over all pages, not just over the cover, I used bits and pieces from Cut and create correspondence paper. Over the cover I covered it with a frame cut from Frames 3 transparency, clocks cut out from  Old world time and a couple of butterflies from More butterflies piece. Then I added a few  Hardware metal  and Vintage Trinkets pieces 
( Handle/knob, Lion head with handle) and misted white Cherry Blossom  flowers with  light brown mist to make them more vintage. Finally a few " blood" drops were added, both misted and some blings too.
The back of the cover  was made just for the journalling made with old Prima stickers.

Now its a turn for the first  inside tag that was made with a lot of stamping from the very same Vintage collage set, some more clock transparency and some metal charms.

And on this tag's backside I added a  first photo of my Mom as a young 21 years old bride.

The second  inside tag is very similar to the main line of my book: same paper collection, same transparencies  etc.

And my dear parents  1955 photo on the back of this tag.

The third  page- front and back.

And the last one -  front and back again with photos of my parents just 22 years ago. 

And now for the second part of this project as I made an altered box to put this mini inside.

I used a very old cardstock box and covered it with the same two 12*12'' papers from Correspondence collection that I used over my tag book. 

I made my title with old stickers and some distress ink and with a die cut inked to the same brown color as all my inking on the mini book.

Here I used a piece (just one clock) from a very new and gorgeous Gentlemen collection and then just the very same Cherry Blossom flowers, one single fabric Ivory Heirloom  flower  misted again to fit the project colors,  Handle or pull  piece, transparent butterflies and  another clock and added some leaves from Flourish with a Bling and a washi tape to cover the box on the front . And then I added a Doily over the front  side of the box with a single metal  Filegree flower charm.

I hope you like my project as much as I do. It was made as a tribute to my dear parents and will be given to my Mom very soon. I also hope this was not  a very long post after all. See you soon again with another Meg's Garden project.

Linda creates a Gift Box

Hello Bloggers

'Hello Meg's Garden Fans, Linda back with you again today to

share a cute little gift box.

I'm enjoying created with the wonderful Megs Garden products, they truly are beautiful.

I started with the Dreaming in Lavenders paper from the Dreaming in Meadows collection and covered the bottom half of the box in the solid section of the paper, then cutting out a border piece from the flowers and leaves.

I glued the paper to the bottom of the box then added foam dots to the border piece to give it more dimension. I also added a few random leaves cut from the paper into the border.

Then I covered just the top of the box lid in paper, and added some lace and trim to hide any edge bits that may be showing.

I added a Drawer pull handle to the top of the box & a Lion head knocker to the side.

Topping the top with flowers and a butterfly then applied a small amount of purple ink to the lace & Gesso here and there all over.

Products used

Dreaming in Lavenders paper

Drawer pull handle

Lions Head

Green Tara flowers & lace

IKEA small gift box'

Calling this a 'cute' box is a total understatement - it is simply gorgeous & what a fabulous way to give a gift.
Well done Linda - it is beautiful & the photos are really great & show us all the elements of the project.  The top of the box is a wonderful collection of flowers & leaves topped with a beautiful butterfly.  Love the fussy cutting around the bottom. Wow!

Bye for now
Meg
www.megsgarden.com