Handmade Mini Book

This months paper swap theme is 'mini books' and I was partnered up with Amelia Critchlow of 101 Bird Tales. Thanks LaWendula (of Woven Letters) for all that you do to organise these monthly swaps! My linky thing isn't working right now so I will have to come back with the links!

Here's the book I made...

The cover is made from recycled papers glued together with a watery mix of PVA, stained with some coffee and then sealed with a sheet or 2 of sewing pattern paper. I'd forgotten how much I love pattern paper! The colour, the markings, the texture, the quick drying time and the fact that it's recycled!

There are 20 pages in this book which are made up from old book pages like the ones shown and blank pages which my partner can use if she wants too.

The page above is made from a paper big and features a tradtional Maori Tiki and the Kiwi. I knew I'd saved this bag for a good reason! I also added a small board book to my parcel for my partner to alter and it's all on it's way to the UK today.

Using some more of my 'layer' paper I made these 16 inchies for a yahoo group swap. I'm pretty happy with the results and I love the layer paper which was inspired by Debrina's fabric paper. I wanted to make fabric paper but didn't have any muslin so I came up with a different version to suit the same purpose!

That's all from me folks! Hope your all well and enjoying the new season! 

Autumn Inchies

Hand painted paper backgrounds, recycled bird images from encyclopedias, words from NZ house and garden (mostly advertising text.)

20 inchies for a NZ Mail Art Swap, Autumn themed. NZ Mail art is now international and just based in NZ so if you want to join let me know and I will get an invite sent to you:)
Autumn for me is about delicious warm colours- orange, copper, browns, deep reds and the rusty tones of the them all mixing together.

The birds were making a real racket in these trees! One of the trees had berries that were obviously considered to be very delicious by the wide variety of birds that had congregated there. Little wax-eyes, native Tui's and common Thrushes are 3 that I spotted. (Unfortuntely with my zoom you will have to take my word for it!)

Happy Autumn or Spring to you wherever you are!

Inchies and ATC's

These "Inchies" are for this months with NZ Mail Art and the ATC's are for ATC-NZ's monthly alphabet swap. These are 'Copper Butterflies" for the letter C. The text behind the butterflies has information on the Coppers.
Inchies are literally 1 inch x I inch square and usually have a background, image and a word although if you don't mind the fiddling around you can also add embellishements like buttons and brads...anything goes really as long as it's small and glueable!
Can you tell I recently scored an illustrated butterfly encyclopdia at the 2nd hand shop? lol I am going to get a lot of milage from this 50 cent book!

PS: Artful Eye...I have tried many times to comment on your blog. I can't seem to get it all working ok although I am trying and I do visit!