THIS PROJECT USES COIN ENVELOPES FOR POCKET PAGES FOR TAGS. I PLAYED AROUND WITH VARIOUS IDEAS FOR MAKING A DIFFERENT BINDING SYSTEM AND THIS IS THE RESULT.

THE COIN ENVELOPES ARE MANILLA COLORED AND MEASURE 3"x5 1/4". MY BOOK HAS 5 POCKETS AND TAGS BUT YOU COULD MAKE ANY NUMBER YOU DESIRE. CUT OFF THE TOP FLAP OF THE ENVELOPES ~ THE FLAP WITH THE GLUE TO CLOSE.

USE AN OVAL EVOLVING IMAGES TEPLATE AND AN EXACTO KNIFE TO CUT OUT A BIT OF THE *FRONT* *ONLY* OF THE ENVELOPE SO IT WILL BE EASIER TO SLIP YOUR TAGS IN AND OUT.

I USED MEMORIES MISTS (MANGO LEMONADE, ORANGE JUICE, STRAWBERRY DAIQUIRI AND JUST A VERY SCANT BIT OF PLUM SAKE) TO COLOR THE COIN ENVELOPES AND THE SMALL CREAM TAGS (1 1/4"x 2 3/4").

I FOUND I GOT BETTER RESULTS (LESS LARGE DROPS) IF I SPRAYED AT AN ANGLE AND FROM A DISTANCE. HOWEVER! THIS IS MESSY SO BE SURE TO HAVE A CLEAR AREA TO WORK IN AND HAVE PAPERS UNDERNEATH YOUR ENVELOPES AND TAGS WHEN SPRAYING.

PLACE EACH BATCH OF ENVYS OR TAGS OVER AREAS THAT ALREADY HAVE COLOR SO THAT YOU END UP WITH A USUABLE BONUS BACKGROUND SHEET. SET ALL ASIDE TO DRY OR HEAT SET UNTIL THE ENVELOPES AND TAGS ARE THOROUGHLY DRY.

MEASURE UP FROM BOTTOM AND DOWN FROM TOP 1" ON FRONT AND BACK OF ALL ENVELOPES AND LIGHTLY MAKE A MARK.

COVER AREA BELOW HOLE REINFORCEMENT CIRCLE OF SMALL TAGS WITH A STRONG DOUBLE-SIDED TAPE. I PREFER THE TAPE FROM QUIETFIRE DESIGN AS IT IS THE STRONGEST I'VE FOUND AND TWO PIECES OF THE 1" TAPE FIT PERFECTLY.

LINE UP TAGS WITH YOUR MARKS SO THAT THE BOTTOM EDGE OF THE HOLE REINFORCEMENT CIRCLE JUST COMES TO THE EDGE OF THE COIN ENVELOPE. PLACE TWO TAGS ON THE FRONT AND TWO TAGS ON THE BACK OF EACH ENVELOPE, ALLIGNING ALL.

CUT 12" LENGTHS OF RIBBON AND LOOP ONE LENGTH THRU EACH PAIR OF TAGS. WHEN YOU HAVE ALL THE RIBBONS THREADED THRU ALL THE ENVELOPES START SETTING UP THE "BOOK".

DIVIDE THE RIBBONS ON THE BOTTOM HOLE INTO RIGHT AND LEFT RIBBONS. REPEAT WITH TOP HOLE. STACK NEXT ENVELOPE ON TOP, REPEATING STEPS WITH RIBBONS. REPEAT UNTIL ALL ENVELOPES ARE STACKED AND ALLIGNED.

GATHER BOTTOM LEFT RIBBONS AND THEN RIGHT RIBBONS AND TIE TWO KNOTS. REPEAT WITH TOP RIBBONS. THE REASON FOR DOING IT THIS WAY IS TO AVOID THE STRESS OF TWISTED RIBBONS SO THEY WON'T WARP THE BINDING.

CUT A LENGTH OF BAMBOO, A NICE STICK, CHOPSTICK OR DOWEL ROD TO FIT. ATTACH TO BOOK BY KNOTTING TOP AND BOTTOM RIBBONS AROUND IT TWICE.



I LEFT MY BAMBOOK STICK UNTREATED IN ANY WAY BECAUSE I THOUGHT THE NATURAL LOOK CONTRASTED NICELY WITH THE GLITZ AND SHEEN OF BOTH THE RIBBONS AND THE PEARL EX MICA POWDERS USED ELSEWHERE IN THE BOOK.

TO ADD A BIT OF INTEREST AND/OR SUBTLE BACKGROUND ON THE ENVELOPES I STAMPED WORDS ON THE TAGS AND ENVELOPE EDGES USING BRILLIANCE ROCKET RED GOLD INK.

IN SOME CASES I DIDN''T HAVE THE SINGLE WORDS I WANTED SO I INKED UP INDIVIDUAL WORDS IN SAYINGS STAMPS. HEAT SET. ON THE COVER I STAMPED THE 4 BACKGROUND CIRCLES (FSSK-5a - Accents) RANDOMLY A COUPLE OF TIMES.

I STAMPED THE WORDS AFTER AND BACKGROUND CIRCLES AFTER I HAD ASSEMBLED THE BOOK. HOWEVER, YOU CAN DO THIS BEFORE ASSEMBLY IF YOU WISH. THERE IS ENOUGH PLAY IN THE BINDING SO THAT THE ENVELOPES CAN BE FLAT FOR STAMPING.

I PUNCHED A SCALLOPED SQUARE OUT OF CREAM CARDSTOCK AND EDGED IT WITH BRILLIANCE ROCKET RED GOLD INK. HEAT SET. TURN SQUARE ON POINT AND STAMP SAYING (FS-7lai - Live as if...) WITH RED GOLD INK AND HEAT SET.

TAP RED GOLD INKPAD OVER BRONZE METAL CORNER EMBELLISHMENTS. HEAT SET. ATTACH TO CENTER DETAIL AS SHOWN WITH DOUBLE-SIDED TAPE TRIMMED TO FIT CORNER EMBELLISHMENTS. PLACE A POP DOT IN EACH CORNER ON BACK AND ATTACH TO COVER OF BOOK.

OK, ON TO THE TAGS. ALL OF THE TAGS WERE DONE USING PEARL EX BACKGROUND TECHNIQUES. PEARL EX IS VERY HARD TO PHOTOGRAPH OR SCAN WELL. IN SOME CASES THE FOCUS ISN'T AS SHARP AS I WOULD WISH BECAUSE THE CAMERA WAS HAVING A HARD TIME FIGURING OUT WHAT TO FOCUS ON.

ON THE BACK OF EACH TAG I'VE DONE SOMETHING THAT WOULD TRANSLATE WELL INTO SCRAPBOOK BACKGROUNDS. I KNOW MANY OF YOU ARE ALSO SCRAPPERS SO DON'T FORGET THAT YOU CAN MAKE YOUR OWN BACKGROUND PAPERS USING STAMPS.

LIFE IS A JOURNEY TAG



THIS TAG IS DONE WITH INTERFERENCE PEARL EX POWDERS - THE HARDEST OF ALL TO SHOW WELL.

WHEN WORKING WITH PEARL EX OR ANY MICA POWDER YOU NEED TO HAVE YOUR JARS OPEN AND PAINT BRUSHES HANDY. DON'T HAVE A FAN ON OR KIDS/PETS NEARBY. AVOID RAISING ANY "DUST" (OR WEAR A DUST MASK).

COVER TAG WITH BRILLIANCE GRAPHITE BLACK INK. SPACE OUT SMALL DOTS OF PEARL EX INTERFERENCE POWDERS (RED, BLUE, VIOLET, GREEN & GOLD). USE A LARGER BRUSH TO SWISH AND SWIRL THE POWERS AROUND.

AGAIN, WORK ON ANOTHER SHEET OF PAPER SO THAT ANY OVERSTAMPED INKS AND EXCESS POWDERS ARE CAUGHT ON A BONUS BACKGROUND SHEET.

STAMP FAERIE (FSVW-1 - Luna Pixie) AND SAYING (FSSK-3lij - Life is a Journey) WITH BRILLIANCE GRAPHITE BLACK INK. COLOR FAERIE'S HAIR, DRESS, SHOES AND BUTTERFLIES WITH PEARLESCENT CHALKS. SPRAY WITH WORKABLE FIXATIVE.

BACK

USE A SEA SPONGE THAT HAS FAIRLY WIDELY SPACED KNOBS OR NUBBINS. TAP ON BRILLIANCE GRAPHITE BLACK INKPAD AND TAP OVER SURFACE OF TAG.

PLACE SMALL DOTS OF PEARL EX INTERFERENCE RED AROUND TAG AND USE LARGER BRUSH TO SWISH AND SWIRL POWDER AROUND. REPEAT STEPS, INKING AND ADDING OTHER COLORS OF INTERFERENCE POWDERS, UNTIL TAG IS COVERED.

KEEP WORKING THIS UNTIL YOU GET A MIX OF POWDER COLORS AND FULL COVERAGE ON THE TAG. SPRAY WITH WORKABLE FIXATIVE. INK SHOOTING STAR (FS-7ss - Shooting Stars) WITH BRILLIANCE PLATINUM PLANET AND STAMP REPEATEDLY OVER TAG BACK. DUST WITH PEARL EX MACRO PEARLS. SPRAY WITH FIXATIVE.

THE QUIETER YOU BECOME THE MORE YOU HEAR.



STAMP RHIANNON IMAGE (FS-5109 - Rhiannon) WITH VERSAMARK INK AND DUST WITH PEARL EX REFLEX VIOLET. USE BRUSH TO LIGHTLY SMOOSH POWDER IN OVER REST OF CARD SO THAT IT TAKES ON A SLIGHT LAVENDER CASTE. SPRAY WITH FIXATIVE.

COLOR VINE AND LEAVES WITH GREEN METALLIC GEL PEN. COLOR CENTER OF FLOWERS WITH PURPLE METALLIC GEL PEN. ALLOW TO DRY. FILL IN FLOWERS WITH WHITE GLAZE PEN. ALLOW TO DRY. COLOR LEAVES WITH GREEN METALLIC GEL PEN.

COLOR DOVE WITH STARDUST GEL PEN. DOT IN DETAIL ON SIDE OF DOVE WITH PURPLE METALLIC PEN AND GO OVER THAT WITH THE STARDUST GEL PEN TO MIX THE COLORS.

STAMP SAYING (FSSK-5qyb - Quieter You Become...) WITH BRILLIANCE PEARLESCENT PURPLE INK. HEAT SET. TRACE OVER LETTERS OF SAYING WITH STARDUST GEL PEN.

BACK

STAMP PINWHEEL IMAGE (FS-2p - Pinwheels) REPEATEDLY OVER BACK OF TAG USING VERSAMARK INK, OVERLAPPING IN PLACES. DUST WITH PEARL EX REFLEX VIOLET. SPRAY WITH FIXATIVE.

FOLLOW YOUR DREAMS



INK UP TOP OF TAG WITH BRILLIANCE MOONLIGHT WHITE. DUST WITH PEARL EX PUMPKIN ORANGE. INK BELOW THIS AGAIN WITH MOONLIGHT WHITE, SMOOSHING UP INTO THE EDGES OF THE TOP SECTION. DUST WITH BRILLIANT YELLOW. REPEAT WITH BOTTOM SECTION, DUSTING WITH SPRING GREEN.

I USE THE DEWDROP MINI-INKPADS WHICH MAKES IT EASY TO WORK IN SMALL AREAS. IF YOU HAVE FULL SIZED INKPADS YOU COULD USE A COLORBOX STYLUS TOOL, COSMETIC SPONGES, ETC.

I KNOW MANY OF YOU ARE REELING WITH HORROR AT THE IDEA OF CONTAMINATING YOUR INKPADS. IT'S VERY EASY TO CLEAN YOUR INKPADS. JUST STAMP THEM REPEATEDLY ON CLEAN PAPER AND REINK.

I THEN WENT BACK OVER THE TAG AND PLACED RANDOM LINES OF INK USING THE SIDE EDGE OF THE DEWDROP INKPADS AND DUSTING WITH THE PEARL EX POWDERS. SPRAY WITH FIXATIVE.

STAMP FAERIE IMAGE (FSVW-1WY - Would You Be My Friend) AND SAYING (FS-9fyd - Follow Your Dreams) WITH BRILLIANCE GRAPHITE BLACK INK. COLOR FAERIE WINGS WITH STARDUST GEL PEN. COLOR IN CLOTHES, HAIR AND FLOWERS WITH METALLIC GEL PENS. COLOR EYES GREEN AND PUT A TINY DOT OF STARDUST GEL INK TO GIVE A GLEAM TO THE EYES.

BACK

STAMP FLOWER (FS-9pf - Petite Flower) REPEATEDLY WITH BRILLIANCE MOONLIGHT WHITE AND DUST WITH SCANT AMOUNT OF GREEN PEARL EX. VERY LIGHTLY SPONGE ON A SCANT AMOUNT OF VERSAMARK INK AND VERY LIGHTLY DUST WITH A SCANT AMOUNT OF BRILLIANT YELLOW. RUB IN WITH YOUR FINGERS.

SPRAY WITH FIXATIVE. DOING IT THIS WAY GIVES A VERY FADED, DISTRESSED LOOK. BE SURE TO WASH YOUR HANDS RIGHT AFTER RUBBING IN THE POWDER. IT'S A GOOD IDEA TO WASH OR WIPE YOUR HANDS OFTEN WHEN WORKING WITH MICA POWDERS SO YOU DON'T GET STRAY SMUDGES, ETC.

WONDER TAG



SPONGE VERSAMARK INK AROUND EDGES OF TAG. DUST WITH PEARL EX TRUE BLUE. SPONGE VERSAMARK IN CENTER OF TAG AND DUST WITH PEARL EX SKY BLUE. SPRAY WITH FIXATIVE.

STAMP FAERIE IMAGE (FS-3080 - Camilla) WITH BRILLIANCE GRAPHITE BLACK INK. HEAT SET. THE FAERIE IS A LARGER IMAGE SO I JUST INKED THE PORTION I WISHED TO USE FOR THIS TAG.

STAMP WONDER (FS-8wo - Wonder) WITH VERSAMARK AND DUST WITH PEARL EX TRUE BLUE. COLOR BUTTERFLIES AND FAERIE WINGS WITH METALLIC GEL PENS. COLOR FAERIE'S DRESS WITH STARDUST GEL PEN.

BACK

SPONGE VERSAMARK INK ON BACK OF TAG AND DUST WITH SCANT AMOUNT OF BOTH PEARL EX TRUE BLUE AND SKY BLUE POWDERS. SPRAY WITH FIXATIVE. STAMP BUTTERLY TRIO (FS-8bt - Butterfly Trio) REPEATEDLY WITH BRILLIANCE AURORA RAINBOW INKPAD. HEAT SET.

FULFILL YOUR DESTINY TAG



I USED A SPONGE TOOL FOR THIS TAG. THIS IS THOSE ROUNDS OF BLACK LOOSE SPONGE ON A WOOD STICK. YOU CAN FIND THESE IN STAMP STORES AND SOMETIMES IN BIG-BOX CRAFT STORES).

TAP SPONGE TOOL ON VERSAMARK INKPAD AND THEN PRESS AND SWIRL ON TAG. DO SECTIONS AT A TIME AS THIS DRIES VERY FAST. DUST WITH PEARL EX DUO RED-BLUE. STAMP FAERIE IMAGE (FSVW-1RB - Riding the Breeze) WITH BLACK INK. HEAT SET. RUB OFF ANY PEARL EX ON FAERIE'S FACE. SPRAY WITH FIXATIVE.

COLOR FLOWER WITH HOT PINK METALLIC GEL PEN. COLOR WINGS WITH STARDUST GEL PEN. COLOR DRESS AND HAIR WITH PEARLESCENT CHALK. STAMP SAYING (FS-5fyd - Fulfill Your Destiny) WITH BLACK INK. HEAT SET.

BACK

REPEAT STEPS USING SPONGE TOOL BUT USE PEARL EX DUO BLUE-GREEN. SPRAY WITH FIXATIVE. STAMP DAISY FLOWER (FS-9d1 - Daisy Face) REPEATEDLY USING BRILLIANCE AURORA RAINBOW INKPAD. HEAT SET.