There are only two rules for this challenge series: the blog cannot reveal the technique (that's why you need the book!) and the product used for your creation must be the one specified on the challenge page. This week, it's the Collection Folio, a portable and interactive folder, which is perfect for displaying your memorabilia and photos of your family. The large version of the folio measures 9.25" x 12"; the small is approximately 7" x 9".
I had both the large and small folios in my stash and have done a small one before (at the class taught by Tim at the Simon Says Stamp "Create" event last summer, so I was leaning toward the large one. However, I wanted to memorialize our cruise in January and I didn't feel I had enough ephemera or enough time to do it justice in the large folio. [That cruise is dominating my thinking these past weeks. Not only did I do an entry to this challenge series and a card for the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge, but I also made a beaded crazy quilt block for a journal challenge! Perhaps this folio will satisfy the need to make things Tahitian and let me move on to other subjects!, But I digress!] So I went small after all, and even then, there was room for more in the folio! These things are fabulous!
Anyway, it's difficult to not reveal technique with any discussion here since Page 34 is so thorough. So I will only describe my approach to the mini-cabinet card I used for the cover.
I painted it first with Abandoned Coral Distress Paint and then randomly smeared Fired Brick and Ripe Persimmon Distress Paint over the top. I let it dry and overpainted with a light coat of Picket Fence Distress Paint and then went back with more Fired Brick and Ripe Persimmon. Then I outlined the opening with my Marvy Uchida Liquid Gold Pen.
I sewed three white silk flowers to a silk leaf (maker unknown) and used Crystal Glaze to attach it to a corner of the cabinet card. More crystal Glaze in the center of each flower and some yellow Czech Glass Beads (size 11/0) dropped onto the wet glaze. Now I have three reasonable representatives of the Tahitian Gardenia, or "tiare". I then inserted an atc-sized photo of our waitress (dinner at the Fare Nui Restaurant at the Intercontinentall Resort & Spa Moorea, our last night there!). Beautiful, isn't she?
- Card Stock (two patterns) from the Die Cut With a View "Summer Glitter" Stack.
- Paper: (two patterns) from the Die Cut With a View "Summer Stack"
- Idea-ology Mini-cabinet Card
- Alphabets: small black-and-white (maker unknown) and larger Industrial (Idea-ology)
- Stamps: Stampin' Up! "Paint Prints" set (circa 2005)
- Distress Paints: Abandoned Coral, Fired Brick, Ripe Persimmon, Picket Fence, Broken China
- Distress Markers: Abandoned Coral
- India Ink Black
- Marvy Uchida Liquid Gold Pen
- black micro pen
- silk flowers and leaves,
- Czech Glass Beads, size 11/0
- miscellaneous tags (some were the luggage tags used by the two hotels we stayed in to ensure bags got to the right rooms!)
- ephemera gathered on our cruise (boarding passes, brochures, ferry tickets, etc.
- and select photos form the over 900 taken over 14 days (thanks to my husband who selected the ones I used).