Celtic Knot Journal

Celtic Knot Journal

I have always been drawn to Celtic designs and have wondered if it is due to part of my heritage being Irish. I have a special niece who is a collector of Celtic knots, any shape size or kind. I think she will love adding this journal made with the wonderful Rinea® metal to her collection.

Supplies:

 6 x 8 Black journal 

 Black pen

·         One sheet Rinea® G-CPGL Glossy Copper metal

·         Chipboard 5 x 7”

·         Scrap of Black card stock and Rinea® Copper metal (for pen holder)

·         Embossing folder: Spellbinders^TM  ESD-012 Celtic Knot

·         Various cords, threads & fibers in Black & Copper

·         Various sizes & shapes of Black & Copper beads

·         Tonic Studios™ Tangerine die cutting and embossing machine

·         Tonic Studios™ paper trimmer and scissors

            Beacon® QuickGrip® adhesive

·         Sanding block with fine grit

1.    

Instructions:

1.  Center a 6 x 8” piece of Copper Rinea® metal in the Celtic Knot embossing folder.
2.  Run it through the Tangerine® die cutting and embossing machine.
3.  Open up the folder,leave the metal in the folder and lightly sand the design.
4. Remove the embossed and saned metal from the folder.
5. Wrap the embossed metal around the piece of 5 x 7” chipboard. 
6. Center and attach this to the front of the journal with QuickGrip® adhesive.
7. Cut a piece of cord approx. 24”.Thread it through the spine of the journal, tie it in a knot leaving tails.
8. Tie more fibers, cords and threads onto the spine using the above cord.

        9. Thread various beads onto the fibers, threads and cords, knot in between the                         beads.
       10.  Attach the scrap of Rinea® Copper to the scrap of Black card stock with 

            QuickGrip® adhesive.

      11. Place this around the pen and crease it, leaving tails to attach the holder to the

            Journal.

      12. Leave the pen in the holder. Glue the tails together. 

      13.  Attach the pen holder to the inside back cover of the journal.

                    

Nutty Over You

© Michele Emerson-Robert 2017

My dad loves nuts! It doesn’t matter what kind, shape or flavor. He will sit in the evening watching an old western movie cracking nuts and eating them. The last few years my mom has decided that she too likes nuts. It is delightful to watch him crack them and every other one is for mom. Guess that’s true love…..smile. With Father’s Day just around the corner I thought this small box full of nuts and new “tools” would be the perfect gift to remind him he is the best Dad in the world!

The Squirrel by U-Paint® Metal Crafts that I painted makes the box of nuts even better!

Materials:

·      Squirrel by U-Paint® Metal Crafts

·      Americana® Acrylic Paint by DecoArt®:

    (DA259) Cocoa
    (DA08) Ocher
    (DA271) Espresso
    (DA067) Lamp Black
    (DA239) Warm White
    (DS17-3) Multi-Purpose Sealer™

• ½ “ flat synthetic paint brush, small round detail brush
• Make up sponge, sandpaper
• Container for water, soft towel/cloth.
• Beacon® Adhesive: QuickGrip™, or Power-Tac™, or 527™
• Hinged natural wood box: 7 ½ wide x 4 ¼ deep x 4 ¼” tall

Instructions: 

1. Lightly sand the box if needed.

2. Remove the sanding dust with the soft towel.

3. Apply a light coat of DecoArt® Multi-Purpose Sealer™ to the box. Allow to dry.

4. Use the sponge and Americana® Espresso Acrylic Paint to apply light shading on the box edges.

5. Wash the Squirrel with hot soapy water.

6. Dry thoroughly with a soft towel.

7. Seal the front and back of the Squirrel with the DecoArt® Multi-Purpose Sealer™. Allow to dry.

8.  Create a lighter shade of brown by mixing Americana® Cocoa Acrylic Paint with Americana® Ocher Acrylic. (it does not have to be a solid color)

9. Base coat the Squirrel front and back. Allow to dry.

   10. Refer to close up photo for placement. Load the corner of your flat brush with Americana® Espresso Acrylic Paint and apply shading where indicated. (Remember shading goes behind or underneath.) Allow to dry.

    11. Wash brush.

    12. Add highlights with Americana® Warm  White  Acrylic Paint where indicated in the close up photo.

    13. Paint the eye with Americana® Lamp Black Acrylic Paint using the small round brush. Allow to dry.

    14. Wash the brush.

     15. Using Americana® Warm White  Acrylic Paint and the small round brush add a tiny dot highlight to the Squirrel’s eye.  

     16. Attach the painted Squirrel to the top of the box with Beacon® Adhesive.

Bighorn Sheep: On the way to the blue…

© Michele Emerson-Robert 2017

(note - this project is also published on the blog here)

Looking for a spot for a picnic while driving on Red Hill Road near Alpine, AZ, my photographer friend Gay Lynn Sullivan was delighted to capture on film several Bighorn Sheep. The opportunity to not only see them but be able to photograph them is a life time wish come true. When I viewed the framed photo that she was giving as a Father’s Day gift, I knew the U-Paint® Metal Crafts Bighorn Sheep that I had just finished painting would be the perfect addition!

Materials:

• U-Paint® Metal Crafts kit #UP_119 Western Wildlife (includes Wolf, Buffalo & Bears)
• DecoArt® Americana acrylic paints::
       DA164 Light Buttermilk
       DA143 True Ocher
       DA065 Dark Chocolate
       DA067 Lamp Black
       DS17-3 Multi-Purpose Sealer
• ½” flat synthetic paint brush, small round detail brush
• Container for water, soft towel/cloth
• Beacon® adhesive: QuickGrip™, or Power-Tac™, or 527™
• Matted 8 x 10” Bighorn Sheep photo, 11 x 14” Barn Wood-type frame (all available from Gay Lynn Sullivan at Alpine Area Artisans)

Instructions:

1.     Wash the Bighorn Sheep with hot soapy water.

2.     Dry thoroughly with a soft towel or cloth.

3.     Seal the front and back of the Bighorn Sheep with the DecoArt® Multi-Purpose
Sealer™. 
Allow the sealer to dry.

4.     Create a lighter shade of tan by mixing Light Buttermilk with True Ocher (it does not have to be a solid color). Base coat the Bighorn Sheep. 
Allow the paint to dry.

5.     Refer to close up photo for placement. Load the corner of
your flat brush with Dark Chocolate
and apply shading where indicated. (Remember shading goes behind or underneath.)
Allow paint to dry.

Wash brush.

6.     Add highlights with Light Buttermilk where indicated in the close up photo.

7.     Paint the eye with Lamp Black using the small round brush. Allow the paint to dry.

Wash the brush.

8.     Add a tiny dot highlight to the eye with Light Buttermilk.

9.     Attach the painted Bighorn Sheep to the bottom left corner of the frame with Beacon® Adhesive.

I am delighted to announce that I'm working with U-Paint Metal Crafts Co.!

I am honored to be the U-Paint [Metal] Crafts CREATIVE Team leader and a member of the team! 

U-Paint [Metal] Crafts is an arm of the Frank Morrow Company, and designed expressly for DIY craft persons. All UPMC products are designed and produced in their New England Factory here in the USA.

The UPMC line is the most detailed metal pieces I have ever seen, and I look forward to working with them, and posting the finished projects soon!

The UPMC Design Team is made up of some of the most creative people in the industry:

     Patt Bell/ NY
     Heidi Blankenship/ Minnesota
     Lorrie Greenway McCuller/ Geogia
     Yolie Burk? CA
     Cathy Norton/AZ
     Laura Brewer/AZ
     Michele Emerson-Roberts/AZ

For more info on U-Paint:

U-Paint Crafts, by Frank Morrow
www.upaintcrafts.com
www.facebook.com/metalcraftkits

129 Baker Street
Providence, RI 02905
sales@upaintcrafts.com
(401) 941-3900 | Fax: (401) 941-3810

He Leads me…….

© Michele Emerson-Robert 2016

Wild ferns grow in abundance in the White Mountains of Arizona. Picked and dried, they are wonderful to add to sheets of handmade paper. When I saw the small fern die that was the same as the wild ferns and the stamp from Impression Obsession™, I knew exactly what I wanted to create.

Supplies

·       Any of the Arnold Grummer® paper making kits

·       Arnold Grummer® flower press kit

·       Blender, cello sponges and soft towels

·       A sunny window

·       Scraps of off white and tan paper (think junk mail, etc.)

·       Herbs, onion skins or dried grasses as inclusions

·       Scraps of Kraft card stock or chip board to die cut (I used the back side of a cereal box)

·       Scraps of tissue paper

·       Dies: Tattered Lace™: D667 Paradise Ferns, D466 Butterflies, and Unknown: Cross

·       CheeryLynn™ Big Sister™ die cutting and embossing machine

·       Westcott™ paper trimmer

·       Scor-Pal™

·       Beacon ZipDry^TM adhesive, double sided foam tape

·       ColorBox™ dark brown Chalk™ ink pad

·       Impression Obsession^TM stamp: C13489 “He leads me……..”

·       11 x 14” tan matboard, envelope for card, display easel

Instructions:

1.     Dry the ferns in the AG flower press kit

2.     Follow the instructions found in any of the Arnold Grummer™ paper making kits to create off white slurry with inclusions and create a sheet of heavy weight handmade paper with the dried ferns partially embedded into the sheet.

3.     Create more slurry with herbs or grasses and create one or more sheets of handmade paper.. 

4.     Allow the paper to dry..

5.     Die cut 4-5 of the ferns, 1 cross and 1 Monarch butterfly from Kraft cardstock scrap or tan chip board.

6.     Stamp the saying “He leads me beside the still waters…..he restores my soul” onto two pieces of scrap tissue paper.

7.     Tear, score and fold a piece of the handmade paper to create a 4 ¼ x 5 ½” card.

8.     Clip the corners on a 2 ½ x 4 ¾ piece of handmade paper.

9.     Glue one piece of stamped tissue paper to the left side of this piece.

10.  Attach the die cut cross to the right hand side with tiny pieces of foam tape.

11.  Center and attach this piece to the card front with small pieces of foam tape.

12.  Arrange and attach the ferns to the sheet of fern paper as desired.

13.  Attach the stamped tissue paper with ZipDry™ adhesive.

14.  Attach the butterfly with a tiny piece of foam tape.

15.  Attach the fern paper to the matboard with small pieces of foam tape.

16.  Place it on an easel to display.

Angel Bookmark & Card

© Michele Emerson-Robert 2016

“Stocking stuffer” gifts and cards are a snap with small pieces of handmade paper, some chip board and a couple of die cuts. It takes less than 15 minutes to complete these, when you have the components already made a head of time.

Supplies:

 

·       Any of the Arnold Grummer® paper making kits

·       Blender, cello sponges and soft towels

·       A sunny window

·       Scraps of off white paper (think junk mail, etc.)

·       Scraps of white card stock and tan chip board to die cut (I used the inside of a cereal box)

·       The PaperCut™ dark brown cardstock for the card base

·       Scrap of tissue paper

·       Dies: Creative Expressions™/Sue Wilson™ CED3016 2015 Christmas Angel, #CED3059 Illuminated Angel Mini Striplet

·       Tonic Studios™ Tangerine die cutting and embossing machine

·       Tonic Studios™ paper trimmer

·       Tonic Studios™ #804N Mother of Pearl Nuvo Embellishment Mousse

·       Scor-Pal™

·       Quiet Fire Designs™ stamp #5712 “Christmas is the day that holds all time together”.

·       Beacon ZipDry^TM adhesive, double sided foam tape

·       Tonic Studios™ Craft Tacky glue

·       ColorBox™ medium brown Chalk™ ink pad, Stylus™ handle and tips

·       ¼” round hole punch

·       9” thin Ivory satin cord 

Instructions:

1.     Follow the instructions found in any of the Arnold Grummer™ paper making kits to create off white slurry and create one or more sheets of medium weight handmade paper. 

2.     Allow the paper to dry.

3.     Cut, score and fold a 4 x 8 1/2” card.

4.     Die cut and emboss the trumpet Angel for the card from the scrap white cardstock.

5.     Cut the Angel for the bookmark from the tan chip board.

6.     Apply the Mother of Pearl Nuvo Mousse to both Angels.

7.     Use the Stylus to lightly apply the brown ink around the edge of the trumpet Angel.

8.     Stamp the saying onto the tissue paper. Tear the edges of the tissue.

9.     Tear a piece of handmade paper a bit smaller than the card.

10.  Tear a piece of handmade paper approx. 3 x 6 ½” for the bookmark.

11.  Punch a hole at the top of the bookmark.

12.  Insert the cord into the hole. Tie the ends of the cord together.

13.  Attach the Angel to the bookmark with ZipDry™ adhesive.

14.  Attach the handmade paper to the front of the card with double sided foam tape.

15.  Attach the trumpet Angel to the right side of the card with double side foam tape.

16.  Attach the stamped tissue paper to the left side of the card.