All Squared Up- A Vintage Journey, July 2017 Challenge

Hi Everyone and Welcome

How you all doing? Hopefully all's good with everyone and you have enjoyed the first week of July.
Today sees the start of our new Challenge over at A Vintage Journey and this month lovely Tracy is our host for the Challenge
'All Squared Up'
Whether a frame, embellishment, die cuts, drawn squares, doodles or windows lets see where inspiration takes you , lets get all squared up and show how creative those right angles can look! Show us your Squared up pieces in a vintage; shabby; mixed media; art journaling; industrial; timeworn or steampunk style.
 

I've 'Squared up' a mini Note Journal and created geometric patterned covers embellished with 'squares'

The mini book itself is created using Eileen Hulls Journal die.
I die cut 2 of the journal covers and kept the width of them the same only adjusting the length to make the journal covers square. As the die cut has rounded corners and I wanted definite right angle corners I started my measurements from the point where the curved corner meets the straight side. I also accounted for the precut holes in my measurements so worked around the bottom 2 holes and the centre hole of the die cuts.

I love geometric patterns so opted to use Tim Holtz Blocks layering stenciling with acrylic paint to decorate the covers. I positioned the stencil in place and drew through the stencil with a pencil to create an outline of the pattern, repositioning the stencil where necessary to achieve a continual pattern on each of the two covers .

I then painted each of the of the individual squares of all the blocks (back and front cover) with acrylic paint working in classic monochrome shades black, grey and white

outlining each of the blocks with a black Archival ink pen. (pic below is the back cover)

Warning: due to the pattern being a grid illusion you will, after painting two covers, end up completely boggled eyed !!


The inside of the covers are lined with black card stock and finished off with Tim Holtz tissue tape

The spine is painted with black acrylic paint, embellished with a square nut over a black gem bead

.and the lacing holes are covered with silver eyelets

The signatures are made from artist sketch paper, writing paper (grey and white)

and in keeping with the challenge theme square graph paper.

The front cover embellishment is a Seth Apter robo square die cut that has been textured with small squares using Tim Holtz linen layering stencil and texture paste. Nestled into two of the corners are two square beaded nuts to compliment the one on the spine

and mounted on top of the textured square is a Tim Holtz  Ideology Quote chip.

Now with my mini journal complete I'm all good to start making notes and as I am a 'notey' kinda girl (I said 'notey', not 'naughty' 😉) I can see it getting a lot of use. 'Note to self' I'm sure will be a regular entry .

I hope my 'All squared up' project has offered some inspiration and you will join us in our Challenge.
At the end of the challenge there will be one lucky winner chosen by Random Org who will receive our Sponsors prize which this month is an MDF Package generously donated by Tando Creative.

The Creative Guides also choose 3 Pinworthy winners who will win a Pinworthy badge to display on their blog and an invite to join us as a Guest Designer for a future Challenge.
Be sure to hop on over to A Vintage Journey to see some of my fellow Creative Guides fabulous projects.
 

Before I sign out today I would like to offer my grateful thanks to two of my lovely teamies Anne and Brenda who very kindly sent me some journal die cuts before my die had arrived . I didn't use them for this project but will be using them soon.
 
I would like to enter this into the following challenge 
That's Crafty- Anything Goes Challenge
Mixed Media Monthly  Challenge #38- Altered Embellishments

Many thanks to all of you too for stopping by today . 

Your visits, comments and follows are very much appreciated . 

Wishing you all a lovely weekend 

Take care 

and 
keep on the happy side 

Amanda 

xxx