eP blog hop and challenge

Welcome to eclectic Paperie’s ePlay Challenge – Push Your Boundaries!  We’re altering our challenges in 2014, creating one, month-long challenge, increasing the prize drawing, holding a design team blog hop, and including a product discount with each new challenge!  Check out the details below:

·         We’ve combined our two challenges into one, announced on the first Thursday of each month.  This gives the design team more flexibility with challenge topics and projects and allows you more time to enter! 

·         We’ll also feature a product each month, and during the first day of the challenge, you’ll receive a discount on the featured product….be sure to check for the special code! 

·         Our prize drawing is increasing from $15.00 to a $25.00 gift certificate and the winner of each challenge will be announced on the last Thursday of each month and will be featured on the eP blog. 

·         Each month we’ll hold a blog hop featuring the beautiful artwork from our design team…just scroll down to the bottom of the post for all of the links!  Talk about inspiration!!

Our challenges are about encouraging you to explore your creative journey and inspiring you to step outside of your comfort zone.  When you submit your artwork, share a unique card, scrapbook or journal page, a canvas, home décor project, or anything that you’re excited to share!  We’re looking forward to crafting with you!

Today’s special is on Liquidtex Gesso and for one day only, you can save 10% on a bottle of gesso…perfect for all of your altered projects!  Simply use code GESSO03 when checking out.

This month’s challenge is altering a book.

It was just my luck that I had purchased a book from the restore while pursuing with my crafty friend last winter. I had this little gem sitting up in a cupboard just waiting to be unleashed into something fantastic...and this challenge was it!

I was chatting with said same crafty friend regarding this challenge and it struck me...I would make a tablet cover!!!

The first question is...can this book cover a tablet. If you go online to check dimensions you will find that tablets come in EVERY size under the sun. IS NOTHING STANDARD ANYMORE PEOPLE?!

*composes herself*
Anyway...I found that my book was too small to cover any sort of apple tablet and too big for a kindle...but the Nook was JUST RIGHT :)

I started by removing the innards of the book. Just take a utility knife down the inner edge on the inside of both the back and front cover. The entire book should come right out of the cover. Mine was glued in a couple of spots so I did have to slice through the glue.

Then I covered the entire outside in gesso. This is to get a really good seal on the book so the spray will cover nicely as well as create a base. Gesso can be used as a paint but was originally intended as a base. Ever notice the canvases that you purchase are white? (or sometimes black) but when you purchase canvas material it's cream colored and raw? Well, those canvases that you purchase on a wood frame have been pre primed with gesso (oooooo...and the light bulb goes on)

Anyway...enough with the art lesson...moving on

I then flipped to the inside cover and measured and sketched what I needed and where I wanted everything. Here's a bit of a note...I created a spot to attach altered ribbon in order to tie the 2 halves together but decided instead to go with magnets as a closure. If you don't have magnets, use an awl to punch holes through the book cover and attach your ribbon as a closure. Super cute and you can make it coordinate too.

Once I punched my unnecessary holes (haha) I then began to adhere pieces to my cover in layers. I decided the front would be much more decorated. I added lots of washi tape, a doily, and some adorable embellie pieces from eP. Check these out:

Petaloo Color me crazy silk
Petaloo Color me crazy straight cut
Maya rd wooden ruler
Maya road flower centers

I know the title may seem a little cheesy but hear me out. So I called my girlfriend and found that she had a nook. I said "great...You are getting a handmade gift." She replied "I love gifts for no reason" to which I responded "it's not for no reason, it's because you're my friend". So, cheesy yes, but it has meaning.

 

From here I sprayed the entire piece with Dylusions sprays in Calypso Teal and Vibrant Turquoise. Yes...I realize I use turquoise a lot, but when I decided to make this for my girl I called and asked her what her favorite color was...guess what she said. *sigh*  If you look closely in the above picture you will see little pink flower gems. This is one of my most favorite techniques to do with Luminarte glazes. Because they are a glaze, they are see through which means you can color rhinestones any color you want! Isn't that great?! Since my color scheme was going to be varying shades of blue and teal with orange accents, I decided to color the rhinestones with Spiced Pumpkin silks glaze in order  to turn them orange. 

Here is my final cover:

I also used Tattered Angels glimmer mist in Patina and Aquamarine for the added shimmer to the misted portions. The glazes were applied in layers starting with Teal Zircon, Guatemalan Green, and finally Sky Blue. 

You can really see the iridescence of the silks.

After coloring with sprays and mists I added a large rub on to the back and binding that was in my stash.

I wasn't expecting the orange. It was a nice little surprise.

I used a Prima stencil for the back

I hope this inspires you to make something super awesome with your altered book. I had so much fun with creating this cover that I ran out of time to cover the inside with paper. LOL

Make sure you hop through the other DT blogs to see what fantastic creations they have come up with. 

And don't forget to hop over to the store to grab your discount on gesso (along with a few other mooooost have items of course) so that you can play along for the chance to win $25 in the store.

Hugs

Andiepants