FIND A TIN - MAKE A PURSE

THIS is a small tin that I recently found at a local market.  There wasn't a handle but I could see potential.

As it is quite small it needed to be kept fairly simple.  It is also in very good condition so I wanted to keep it as original  as possible.

 The first thing to do was attach the handle.  
I did this by threading the ribbon through the two holes and taking the ribbon around the outside of the tin (to get my spacing right) before pushing the ribbon through some plastic tubing to form the handle. I  used some double sided tape to keep the organza ribbon in place.

  THE inside of the tin I lined with pink leopard print felt.  This looks lovely and covers the ribbon that showed inside the tin giving a nice clean finish.

 With the inside of the purse finished it 's time to decorate the outside.  For this I found some fabric flowers the same colour as the flowers on the tin.  I sewed the flowers onto the organza ribbon and gave them french knot ribbon centres.  
I also attached a tiny butterfly charm to a string of beads to hang on one side. 

ALTERED BOOKS - how hard can it be?

Last autumn inspired by a magazine article I purchased a couple of old, very boring looking hardback books with the intention of altering them.  They didn't cost very much and meant nothing to me.  I liked the idea of secret drawers and little compartments hidden within the pages of a book.  I read and re-read the article several times, found some matchboxes of the right size and shape for the drawers and time past by.

Last weekend I decided to make a start altering the first book.  I drew in the two areas that I needed for the drawer and the compartment.  Then it was time to pick up the knife and start cutting.  I cannot describe how painful it was to deliberately damage a book - it really felt wrong.  I don't know if this is just me, did the designers in writing books about ALTERED ART or for magazines feel the same way the first time and if I decide to make another one will it be easier making the first cut.



It would have been easier if I had remembered to cover the book before starting to glue the pages together and I think I made my home made MODGE PODGE a little to runny but on the whole it is going to plan. Starting from the back - I have stuck one group of pages together at the back of the book for some journaling, then carried on glueing pages togther around the matchbox and onto the compartment. I am going to have another page further foreward to decorate. The outside of the backcover has been covered, I just need to edge the cover before glueing down the back pages of the book and I think that I will cut a hole in the front cover before covering it.