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I've been making a lot of bookmarks lately.  Every year I like to give a token gift to my co-workers for Christmas.  Last year it was plastic candy canes full of candy and this year it's going to be bookmarks. I'm making a lot of them so that each person can choose a design that they like best. All of these bookmarks came from one paper pad by Prima.  It has designs in several earthtones so they all play really well together. There are pages in this Prima Life Time paper pad that have tiny elements and they work beautifully on small size projects like bookmarks, tags and ATCs. After matching up backgrounds to color card stock, I tried out several layouts on each one until I found the looks that I liked best. The images below are in sets of two.  Each bookmark in the photo has the same background paper.  I posted them together to show the different looks you can get using the same set. Many of the images stamped here are available here ...

Hello Altered Pages and DIY Design Studio Friends and Fans.  It's Danie here coming to you with a Thursday Throwback Post acknowledging the approach of Thanksgiving.  Although we don't celebrate Thanksgiving in Australia it is at this time of year my thoughts turn to being grateful for all that I have in my life.  Being Grateful is always a great thing to do when things don't go to plan and you get a little bit stressed which to be honest was a little how I was feeling today when I realized my project was due and I didn't have anything done for it. So rather than rush and chuck something together I paused and have chosen to do a throwback Thursday Post.  It does happen, sometimes life can cause us to loose focus and be a little bit distracted and we find ourselves caught out so to speak.  In my case today I was unorganized partly because I had been away last week and left things to the last minute like I often normally would do, the difference however this tim...

It feels good to see the seasons change.    You have so many options for creating at this time of year.  Halloween, Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, and Christmas.   Read on for the pickle recipe you can give as a gift with our festive mason jar lids....     and rings Enjoy these pickles all year round..... Easy Refrigerator Dill Pickles Ingredients 10-12 pickling cucumbers 4 cups water 2 1/2 cups white vinegar 2 tablespoons kosher salt (or more to taste) 1 teaspoon sugar big bunch of fresh dill is best, but you can use dried 1 head of garlic skins removed, cloves smashed (less if its a strong garlic) 10 peppercorn kernels Instructions Slice cucumbers into 1/4 inch slices or spears. Set aside To make brine, combine water, vinegar, salt, and sugar in medium sauce pan. Bring to a boil and swirl to make sugar and salt dissolve. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature. ...

This week I have been playing around with color.  Fall is inching closer and Michigan will be a flood of reds and golds in a few short weeks.  I love Fall colors and that's what I've used on this canvas. I started with a layer of gesso.   Right after the layer was complete, I dipped my brick stencil into the wet gesso to leave an impression. To better show the texture of the dried gesso, I smeared on a few light spots of Gelato to highlight the ridges. The entire canvas was covered with Dixie Belle's Grunge Glaze.  Since I was going with a Fall theme I felt like the brown in the glaze would be a good fit. The glaze interacted with the Gelato and gave me some different undertones.  Gelatos are water soluable so they are activated with paint just as easily as with water. I chose a few more Gelatos that reminded me of fall and used my finger to apply them in random spots on the canvas. Now to add some fun texture!...

This month we are celebrating the Fall, with our Colors of Fall Theme and given it is actually Spring here I also wanted to celebrate the time of the year I emerge from my mini hibernation into the beauty this time of year has to offer.  It's a time of Adventure and Travel, in fact I am heading away to the beach in the coming weeks for a little R and R and collaboration with a few of my art sisters. The lastest ATC Trading Coins Background Collage Sheet caught my eye with its colorful Harlequin Designs some of which are perfect for all your Fall and Halloween creating also. But I decided to team them with some Gypsy Themed Collage Images to signify my Free Spirit that comes forward in Spring, looking for more adventures and simply to enjoy life and all that this time of year has to offer. Danie xx

Colors of  Fall are coming to  DIY DESIGN STUDIO! Please share our news and visit often. AlteredPages and DIYDesignStudio  are one and the same.    

Please share a moment of Silence  for all the People affected on 9-11 2001. People all over the world suffered in so many ways.  Those who looked to American as a beacon of hope, those who loved this country, those whose lives were changed forever. Peace and Love to all

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I created this canvas on the spur of the moment.   I felt like the air would leave my body if I did not c reate. It started with an 8 x 8 canvas stretched on a wood frame.  I then added a decor paper to the entire piece with watered Aleenes glue as an adhesive medium. If you have ever used Golden Fluid Acrylics you understand my love for them.  This piece uses Quinacridone Nickel Azo Gold and Interference Oxide Green.  The transparency allows an awesome depth of layering.  I also added Art Anthology Imperial purple allowing some to remain untouched, some with the interference overlay.   My fingers are always in use when creating and I love the uneven marks I can make.  I also used a jar dipped in the Azo gold for random circles.   I am not sure which context I like best.  I used an original stencil cut by me painted with a brush which gave me irregular coverage, allowing for more play ...

  Fall Colors & Upcycle - yes please!  So here we have a Dollar Store foam pumpkin...  Give that a coat of Dixie Belle Chalk Paint... I used Dried Sage, but you can use any muted color,  we are just covering that Dollar Store orange.  This Dixie Belle paint is key...  no priming, no sanding and 100% coverage!  Next decoupage onto foam pumpkin  vintage text and music sheet... found  here .    Apply fall colored fibers... Found  here. Add a "stem" using tree banch or twig. Embellish with DIY fall colored Tyvek flowers  (featured in previous blog post) These  Prima Aria Blooms would also look amazing!  Wrap more fall inspired fibers and ribbon  around a rusty candle holder and place "vintage" pumpkin on top.   Secure if necessary.  Thanks for joining me!