I promised to show you some more of the books I made the last days.

The one that follows is a recipe book - hard to understand huh?- and is a commission. All the inside pages were decorated with kitchen-related stamps, painted with inktense pencils, but I did not shoot them. Instead I have sampled some flourishes because I like their vivid colors - I do not have kitchen related stamps for a 30 pages book, at least not yet. But do not despair -I always have a pending order for stamps!

Now this one is my favorite journal for 2011. Believe it or not , it was supposed to be the recipe book when I cut the chipboard covers. But I was a bit tired of the all these commissions with their bright papers and flowers and such, so I stepped a bit out of the path and I came up with this. It is a book that I really like - with blank pages ready to be filled, and a "strong" , meaningfull cover.

Don't mistake me - I love making merry books with fancy paper covers, with every other page stamped and colored. I love even more that they inspire people to write to them, journal etc, but I wouldn't know what to do with them myself. Never been really good in diary keeping. I prefer art journaling and this needs empty space.

AS it is my favorite book, I will submit it to the Stampman 3rd annual awards and SSS.

I think that the last fortnight I make nothing but books. And as soon as I finish the last, someone calls and needs " urgently" another book. Journals, notebooks, sketchbooks,recipe books - name it and I am sure I have one in my portfolio! I don' t complain cause I love making books, but Christmas is almost around the corner and I haven't even started Shimmelle's journal , no art journaling, nothing!

So, what am I going to show you today? Books!

These are 6 x 8 inches and are ment for everyday use. Their covers are somehow "flat" (not many 3D decorations) in order to be thrown in a woman's handbag without special handling. The inside pages are stamped and heat embossed as usual.

In the first one I embossed a metal plate with a Tim Holtz die and used alcohol inks to color it.

For the next two I had a free reign, and you know what happens when you give a free reign to the bookmaker... The covers are a mixed media project by themselves. Sprays, inks, pastes, embossing, collage and a touch of Inka-gold. Laquer and fixative to stabilise the color and that's it - two books I really enjoyed!



That's it for now, I will come back with more books in my next post (you thought you will get away-Ha!)

Today I want to show you a mini that my DD made at Zeffy's children crop. She was a bit scared of the whole concept - of new aquaintances, if she could follow the tutorial without messing up etc. But she came up with something that she can be proud of.

I will seize the chance to thank Zeffy again for her patience and for her good orgnisation skills that made a crop with 4 kids a happy experience!

And a card for two twin little girls that turned 1. Since I used the sketch from SSS I will submit it there.


See you soon with some last- minute gifts!

This is my table center piece. It is super easy to make and very very festive. It already sits over my sitting room table as you can see.

All you need is a florists' sponge, a bit of grenery (natural is better if you can find - smells better too!), a candle and several bits and pieces like cones, nuts, flowers and decorative balls. Stickles or any other glitter is highly appreciated.

You dig a shallow hole in the centre of the sponge and you "bury" your candle. You "nail" the grenery all around and when there is no empty space you place your embellies with bit of hot glue. Spread a lot of glitter and Voila- you are ready!

And one more 6x6 journal. It is a commission and I was informed that the recipient was very happy with it, so I can now present it . The inside pages are hand stamped and heat-embossed, but you have seen enough of my journal interiors already, to be worth posting photos.

Merry Christmas to all!

And something not for Christmas. It is a mixed media project with which I am rather pleased. I like its vintage style and depth. In fact I like it so much that I hanged it above my desk! For a person that loves bare walls and empty white surfaces it means volumes!

I will submit it to SSS&S that asks for something with depth and is my favorite challenge blog!

The Christmas lab is working overtime.

Today I have some altered IKEA frames and boxes. They are gessoed, stamped, painted with mists and stains and sealed with UTEE. A fun process with good results. I am not sure, however, that I will give all these empty. Perhaps I have to make their fillers also.

This frame is stamped with a favorite stamp of musical notes, so I will play at Crop-stop, for your inspiration challenge bacause I loved their picture.

This one is my favorite, so I play at SSS, Charisma Cards, Crimbo Crackers, The pixie Cottage

And this one- for my sister- wil play at SSS&S

The scrapbooking world' s heart is beating with Tim' s tags these days.

No, I will not show you another version of his tags - I am sure that you are fed up with Tims-to-be by now.

However my project today is on a tag. I challenged myself instead of cleaning my desk after making my last christmas cards(phew I finished them all), to use the leftovers to make something else. I managed to make a non-christmas tag with christmas leftovers. Don't ask....

And this is a tag that my little artist made for a scrapbooking friend - Natalia- of the same age that organised a swap. Details are here. She made her background using watercolor crayons, heat-embossed the sentiment and the space around with gold embossing powder and cut the ornaments with the Big-shot. She is evolving - don't you think?

To tell you the truth I was surprised by the color combo she made, as it is totally untraditional for a Christmas tag, but she justified her choice saying that everybody else will use green, red and blue and she wants her own to stand out!

So, I will submit it in SSS , Come and get it challenges , Gingerloft challenge, 2 sisters, Sugar Creek Hollow , Incy Wincy Design and cross my fingers for her.

And some Christmas charms I made for gift decoration for a shop. They look very festive when attached to the kraft bag they have.



Have a warm and happy evening!

And a little bit of art journaling. I have two pages: one bright and festive and one dark and pessimistic. Let's start with the bright one that marks the first day of Christmas festivities. I wish you everything happy and bright.

The second one has to do with the current situation in Greece and in Europe in general. It shows our Big Boss depicted as the scissor-hands. It is a cartoon from my favorite cartoonist E. Ksenou, published in a newspsaper.

If you like it please vote for me at the Memory Trends forum on Sunday the 4rth. (I hope I got it right as the vote is not open yet, but I will update my link...)

Thanks for watching!