Florence

Altered Book – Mariposa

Morning Everyone

This is our final challenge in the Christmas in October with the Hatters.  Thank you so much to everyone who has entered the challenges and very generously shared your ideas with us.

This months seems to have flown by and I have to confess, with concentrating on Christmas,  I do feel a little disorientated as to what month it is.  Really strange.

Anyway, back to this weeks challenge.  We are asking you to create a Christmas present or stocking filler.  As always with the Hatters challenge themes, they are open to your interpretation.

I have made this for my friend’s husband.  He asked ages ago if I would make something for his study so this is what I went with.  I am going to give him this and a bottle of something at Christmas.  The domino is the year of his birth?  Depending which way around you look at it! he he! Not telling any secrets.  Whats a few years between friends!

I started this by cutting an aperture large enough to take the butterfly. The aperture in the book cover needs to be slightly larger so that you can see the pages.  I then just kept cutting away at the pages until it was the depth I wanted.  I then distressed the book cover using crackle medium, paint and gold wax. I then used a corner stamp and black archival ink to stamp the corners.

I used a piece of the board, which I had removed from the cover, to make a little plaque.  I roughly cut a shape, covered it with paper, gave it a coat of one step crackle and distressed it.  I stamped the sentiment and edged it with gold pen.  I attached the die cut to the book cover and then glued on the plaque over it using hot glue.

I added some chain around the book and attached some embellishments.  Just to share with my crafty friends over here in Spain, this chain is available from any hardware stores and costs a few cents a meter.

For the butterfly.  I stamped the image twice onto glossy card stock, cut it out and coloured it.  I coloured the back of the butterfly with black ink.  I attached it to the book, inside the aperture using diamond glaze.  Stamps used: Butterfly – Creative Expressions. Corner stamp: Chocolate Baroque.

Thank you to everyone who joined in last weeks challenge. Fabulous projects as always.  We hope you will join us again this week.

To see full details of this weeks challenge, Janet’s, Chrissie’s and Sandra’s inspirational pieces please click here

Happy Crafting everyone.  Tat tar for now!

Best Wishes Florence x

44 comments

  1. Florence sorry am very very late getting here have been a little unwell. this is amazing and the domino well how clever of you to use it fr his age. A stunning creation and as always a beautiful piece of art.

    Marie

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  2. Wow Florence! Your coloring on the butterfly is outstanding! I had no idea you stamped it and colored it in! So vivid and beautiful! I love your style on all the creations you make! You are very talented and this idea to use a book as artwork is fabulous! This is a wonderful Christmas present for your friend! I would love to have this in my home!!! ~Vanessa

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  4. I love it when you work with books, your lucky friend.. i have done nothing at all about christmas, goodness it is still october.. you have made great strides into your lists..beautiful work. c

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  14. Wow, loving your work Florence, I’ve just scrolled through to see what I missed while I was away.. Your altered book is special, Been having a few hiccups with my lappy which is why I didn’t comment sooner
    hugs loy xx

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  15. Hello Florence!
    Your proyect is gorgeous, really. 🙂 Do you speak Spanish? Puedes creer que en todo este tiempo no tenía ni idea de que vives en España…y eso que está escrito llí en tu about page…soy un desastre!! Viendo tus fotografías y trabajos, asumí que vivías en un bonito pueblo de la campiña Inglesa o Francesa… ¡Qué bien tenerte tan cerca! 🙂

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  17. Awh Florence, this card is so beautiful.. I really love the butterfly 🙂
    (I really love everything about it, actually!) Have missed you, but uni semester’s come to a very very close end, just an exam and presentation to go and I’m free to enjoy the summer blogging and commenting all I like 🙂 Can’t wait to see more of your cards! 🙂

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    • Hi Fatimah, Pleased to hear Uni is going well. Can’t wait for you to start blogging again and to see your amazing recipes. I have missed you to. Hope you and your family are well.
      Sending you all my good wishes.
      Florence xx

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  19. Love your altered book and am sure he will as well. I love making these but the cutting away is hard going but worth it in the end. Smashing make Florence and one am sure will be appreciated. Annette xx

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  24. This is fantastic! Once again your colouring skills are stealing the show. The butterfly is so vibrant and beautiful, Florence. This will definitely be an added little treasure to your friend’s study! Tracy:)

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  26. Such a wonderful looking book, Florence. The butterfly adds dimension and brilliance nestled in its spot. Your friend’s husband will certainly appreciate this lovely piece.

    Oh, yes, time is flying by…I cannot believe that October is almost over and I have nothing to show for it…sigh…Oh, well, it’s not over yet…col..

    Blessings,
    Marianne xo

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  28. wonderful – I just love the niche opening ! I have wanted to do one myself and now am inspired on by yours. I am sure your friend will just love this piece – lucky guy!

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  30. Gorgeous! I have to say altered books are my faves, I know there’s lot of time involved, just to start, cutting the pages to size, gluing etc. And after that the fun part of painting and altering.
    I have to steal that domino tile idea! 46..I suppose 🙂

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  31. What an absolutely gorgeous project, Florence! Such a beautiful alteration… love the stamping on the cover, and the butterfly looks wonderful surrounded by the text, and glowing with colour. I absolutely love it! Going off to find some more books to play with… thank you for the inspiration.
    Alison x

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  35. Wow, a fantastic alteration. The butterfly looks ready to fly off the page, colours are stunning as well. Great idea to use the domino instead of numbers.
    Yvonne x
    .

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  37. I have to agree with you about feeling as though it is December after all the Christmas things that have been on my mind the last month but I have enjoyed it all –thanks Florence.

    Love this book and I’m sure your lucky friend will for sure.

    Best Wishes Chrissie xx

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