Custom Envelopes and Paperclips

Some of these are entirely my own design, and some were made with digital paper kits from Etsy. I’ll try to remember to link the shop when I have a moment to look it up. I got some envelope templates from Shutterstock, and used them to create my own easy to use Photoshop templates for customizing with my own artwork, for adding to journals and such. I tried to divide them by source to avoid confusion.

This first set is entirely from the digital kit, with the bottom one using an effect from a separate kit.

 

This set is a combination. The Ouija board with planchette is from Shutterstock, the moonwater bottle and dish are my own art (watercolour) but the background is from the same digital kit as above. You can see it’s the same as behind the owl.

I really like the shape of this money envelope. The bottom tab on the back has the same shape as the top flap, so it looks pretty from the back as well when it’s closed up.

You’ll see below that I use the extra space on the printed pages to make faux stamps and postcards.

These envelopes feature my own artwork. Bastet is from an acrylic painting that still hangs on my wall. I think one day I’d like to give her a tail, but this is it for now.

The other is called Sunbathing, and it’s my most popular design on Cafe Press! It makes a cute envelope I think. The seashell on the flap came from Shutterstock, and it’s just there to fill up space and make the back pretty when the flap is shut.

I really love how these came out.

Next we have some paperclips using the stamps and postcards I made. The first set are from the digital kit. The moth got lots of play here, but also a dangling moon and star. You can also see the dangling moon in my moonwater envelope.

Lastly are the ones featuring my own artwork. Bastet, Sunbathing, and a triple moon candle are joined by the Ouija board and planchette from above.
You’ll notice that the large moth on the right as well as Sunbathing are both printed as postcards, and I think they came out nicely. The moth is a bit dark to see the postcard markings, but they’re quite clear on the catfish because of the lighter colours.

All in all, I’m really pleased with how these came out. I might create some specifically for a book of shadows printable or something like that. I really enjoyed making them! And digital products are much easier to manage for online sales. Time to update my Etsy!

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Christmas Gifties

So, because Canada Post offered free Tuesday shipping within Canada, I needed to make some things for Mom’s birthday and for Christmas. Here are a couple things I sent along to her.

First I made these greeting cards, based on some popular photos and art I’ve seen online lately. I think the first one with the green background is my favourite, though I love the starscapes on all of them.

These are all acrylic on kraft card, and include matching kraft envelopes. Quite nice to work on.

Next is a surname sign they can hang wherever works for them, since they have high winds living in Newfoundland near the water. It could be screwed right onto a fence or door, if desired. I think that might keep it safe. Otherwise it can hang inside.

The lighthouse is a real one (though with fewer outbuildings) from Newfoundland, but I can’t remember the exact name and location.

Last of all, some adorable gnome ornaments made from felt and fun fur. I saw a bunch of these online too, but wanted something smaller and easy to display rather than the larger sock plushies I was coming across. So I drew myself a pattern and sewed them up, lickity split!

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Inktober Start

So I decided I need to do more drawing as my skills are feeling rusty. Inktober would be perfect, right?

Naturally I’m a little behind, because there’s always so much to do even when you work from home. I had a couple editing clients in the middle of it all, but that’s good, right? I picked and chose my prompts from several lists I found, so that I could be working on things I’d like instead of feeling frustrated.

So these are a Midnight Unicorn, a Sugar Skull, an Elf Queen, and Cattitude.

I also needed to draw a couple characters from a future book I’m writing, because the image to me of a busted-nose bouncer type bodyguard looking after a 3 year old Genomo kid seemed adorable. So say hi to Sasha and Bijoux, who is the daughter of Hyacinth.

Yeah, the perspective is a little wonky, but at least I got it out of my head and onto the page. I’ll try to re-do it some time when I have the attention to spend.

So I haven’t continued with my drawings as yet, but I did record all my prompts so I can mess with it when I feel in the mood to take it up again.

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HUGE Lapbook In the Works

So I got started on my giant lapbook made with the books mentioned in my last post. I’m loving all the lapbooks I’ve seen online lately.

First I took out the pages, and then made a spine to connect the two books together in the middle so they fold out nicely. The spine is 3 inches across, and I reinforced all the spine hinges with Tyvek for strength over the long term.
On the front I pasted the labyrinth design I wanted to use, and traced it out with wool and glue to make it 3D. Over that I Mod Podged black tissue paper to keep everything in place. The idea is to smooth it out so that you can use it as a finger labyrinth when it’s done. There will be a lot of smoothing to do!

The entire book has been covered in tissue, and I’m working on a writing board and fold out envelope section for the far right side. I’ve installed the silk ribbons to tie in notebooks in travelers notebook style, and the ribbons to keep the whole thing closed.
I intend to have a usable Ouija board and Pendulum board inside, as well as a section for incense sticks, a pen, and other needful things. Basically, I’m hoping this will be useful as a take-along book of shadows or ritual workbook with places for all your basic gear and references or notes.

I’m loving it so far! More pictures to come as it progresses.

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Books for Deconstructing

I got some awesome books at a yard sale this past weekend. 2 have already been taken apart to create a lap book. HUUUUUGE lap book, it feels like. The spine I added is about 3″, and I’m working on a finger labyrinth for the front cover. I’m excited!

This will be a pagan lap book, with all sorts of interactive features. I’m really keen to work on it, but I’m trying to finish up what I have going, so that when I’ve got editing to do it won’t interfere with any swap deadlines and such. I’m currently doing a spell book swap on Facebook, which I’m really excited about. I found a group that does ‘alternative’ junk journals, and I love the darker themes.

Plus these books have great illustrations for doing botanical journals, should I be so inspired. Or, you know, birds. lol I used one of each so that if I want to refer to the herb book, I’d have one intact.

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Birthday Haul

Got my birthday money and blew it at Michaels! I can’t wait to make planner and Book of Shadows stuff. Cosmic/starry night/purple is my jam lately.

Dark Rainbow is one of my most fave paper stacks ever so I got 2! The glossy cosmic cover on the left is a letter sized scrap book I just had to have (it says Don’t Forget to Sparkle). I’m thinking of making it into some sort of BOS project, because 1 (or 5) just isn’t enough for me. There’s also a mermaid/beach stack called Just Beachy (to the left of Dark Rainbow) which was too pretty not to bring home. Chipboard covers and rings (bottom right) are in a 2-pack which just called to be played with. A little fantasy sticker pack called I Freakin’ Love Stickers is near the middle; a starry notebook that says ‘dreamer’ is to the right of that, and a couple sticker wallets (black) with stickers inside are to the left.

Not pictured is a tortoiseshell plastic cover notebook from the dollar store, which I got because it reminded me of leopard print.

Anyhow, I broke into the paper stacks to molest the prettiness, but the rest will have to wait for now. I have a proofing client this week, now that I’m over pink eye again and can see the damn screen without ice picks seeming to jab my eye.

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End of #100Days

I realized that I accidentally finished the #100DaysOfShenanigans challenge, and I didn’t even stop to celebrate! OMG Below are my several last art projects, and the rest of my #100 days were spent writing and editing my book project currently code named L1.

An embossed plastic Happy Planner bookmark with a deer, and 3 Monster High paperclips
Woman Unleashed art journal project with Tamara Laporte
Painting with Shiloh Sophia about messages from your body.
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Writing and Crafting Shenanigans

3 days of writing a Christmas story for Phrixy brings me up to Day 87 in #100DaysofShenanigans! It may one day appear in an anthology, as I’m thinking of exploring the winter holidays popular in Lupercalia. We shall see.

Then some stamping and die cutting brings us to Day 88 on Dec. 25. No pictures, sorry, but I’ll have some next time.

Merry Christmas!

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Up to Day 84 of Shenanigans

4 days of Shenanigans!

Day 81: The first is a booklet with 20 pages and pockets on the inside of the covers. The cover and pockets are made with a single sheet of 12 x 12″ cardstock. The paper is Sugarblush by Recollections.

I’m not normally into pink so much, but I have to confess that my character Jaymi has infected me a little bit. LOL There are some really pretty papers in this collection, including a pink fur texture.

 

Day 82: Second is a decorated box–I coloured the kitties and diecut the D and the glitter paper fuscia plaque. I have to say, that glitter paper has a sort of coating on it to keep the glitter in, and it’s not so easy to cut with the thinlet dies.

The kitties were stamped and then coloured with alcohol markers in colours my friend prefers for cats.

The box itself came from a pack I got at Dollarama. She likes bright colours or I swear I would never put all those together…

Day 83: Third is a sloth ornament made of felt. It’s based on an image I found online. I just drew it out by hand. I’m not entirely happy with the face, but I didn’t have the right colour of felt to do the eye patches.  I’d also have preferred to use a low-pile fur on the hat, but whatever. It’s done and ready to go to its new home.

 

Day 84: And last is a folder in the custom biz planner/workbook I made. This uses the Across the Galaxy paper stack by Recollections, which I love.

I made the covers and 4 dividers with folder on the reverse. It’s assembled with MAMBI Happy Planner discs. The covers are laminated, and made a little wide to accommodate the divider tabs.

I’ll try to remember to add more photos. The front says Shine like the Stars in gold on navy blue.

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2nd NaNoWriMo Win

I managed to complete my NaNoWriMo story in time, but a little short on words, so I worked on another story to make my word count of 50k. Whew! I’ll be fluffing out the story later, as I tend to write a bit short on my first draft anyhow. I printed out my certificate for my biz plan book, for motivation. 🙂

I’m excited about the Black Dog story, as it has a lot of sadness and conflict that my partner usually has us shy away from in the past. Since this one was mine, I got to do all the horrible things I wanted to, once I had permission to kill someone off. It was sad and difficult, and one day far in the future if I’m ever invited to speak at a writers’ con… if anyone asks about it, I’ll probably cry.

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