Handmade Vintage Style Wedding Journal

Hi Folks,
Today I'm  posting from the South of France where I have started making my first Wedding Journal Book and on which I'll be working for the next number of weeks during my stay here.

This book/journal-making is quite addictive, once you start making them you can't stop and I mean that literally.  You just keep adding and adding until it is bursting with tags, pockets and embellishments.

This one will be no different - I know it - even though I keep telling myself I am going to try not to fill it too much.

Anyway, here is the cover and first pages, hope you like it....let me know what you think by leaving a comment below and don't forget to check out FunkyJunk on Youtube for my videos and tutorials (coming soon).

You can click on the photos for a larger view.

Bye for now

Fabulous Christmas Decorations

Hi Guys,

I've just finished the second batch of these gorgeous clay decorations which are découpaged using ricepaper and napkins.

This time I used a very lightweight clay and of course moulds which made a big difference to the finish as you will remember my last lot were done freehand and were a bit on the rustic side.  For the round decoration I just used the lid of a pringles box as a mould as I couldn't get my hands on a round one anywhere. These are super easy and really fun to make.  I added some bows and glitter and aged the edges a bit with patina for effect.  You can click to enlarge the photos.

There are lots of ways you can finish these off.  You can add flowers, ribbon, use stamps or even a 3D effect - like snow paste or 3D acrylic paint to enhance the finish.  The sky's the limit and you will have your very own unique design.  These lovely decorations make fantastic Christmas gifts for friends and family .....or teachers etc.  Why not try some of your own?  You can even present them in little boxes for a really posh look - even better if the boxes match the decorations, and you can do that using the same paper to découpage them. 

I hope you enjoyed my post, like always if you would like to ask me any questions please do so by emailing me (see the 'Send us a Message' form on the top right of this page) and I will be happy to help.

Bye for now

Gwen 

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Clay Christmas Tree Decoration DIY

Hello everyone,

Clay is a thing that I never had any interest in using for craft projects as I always imagined that it had to be baked and that it was just a whole lot of hard work......until I came across air drying clay - this stuff is great!  It comes ready to use in small or large packs so if you are just doing a few decorations like I was, you don't have to go buying a great big bag full.  I would recommend visiting CottageChicInteriors for great craft supplies from Stamperia.  You will be able to get your moulds and pre-cut decoration papers there including a multitude of other craft supplies.

To make your decorations, you just have to break off a piece of clay that's big enough for the project you have in mind and soften it up in your hands for a while.  When soft enough you just press it into the mould that you want to use (you can get moulds especially for making decorations), scrape off the excess and while still wet, remove it from the mould to dry on a non-porous, flat surface.  At this stage it is important to add a hole for your ribbon/string using an orange stick or something similar.  Folks, this is the correct way to do it, however, I did not do this.  Why?  One, I didn't have a mould and two, I was impatient.  Result = very rustic, rough and ready clay decorations!!

Using moulds means you obtain the correct clay thickness for the decorations you are making, whereby, when you are rolling it out yourself and using a cookie cutter or a glass to shape it (like I did), it can result in a more uneven finish or if it is rolled out too thin it can cause the clay to curl up when drying (like mine did).....lesson learned!

So, they weren't perfect, but I'd come this far so I decided to go ahead and decorate them anyway.  For the decorating I used napkins and découpage paper which I cut to size and stuck on to the dried clay decorations (mine took 48 hrs. to dry out completely).  I darkened the edges to give an aged look and coated them with varnish.  Finally, I fed some ribbon through the holes that I had made earlier for hanging and also added some bows for the final touch......and that's it, easy DIY clay Christmas tree decorations.

I hope you enjoyed reading about my Christmas tree decorations, as always, if you have any questions please email me (on the right) or use the comment box below.  I am always glad to help.

Bye for now

Easter Egg Decoration

I can't believe its that time of year again, it came around so fast!  I love the spring and this year I decided to add to the cheer by decorating some eggs and making my own Easter wall-hanging decoration.

The eggs were part of an Easter art gift set to my son last year which he never got around to completing so I felt obliged not to leave them there another year undone.

There was already drawings printed on the eggs and for two of them, as you can see, I just painted the eggs and coloured in the drawing using some felt tip pens.

For the second two however, I covered over the drawings with some chalk paint and decorated them using ribbon and some fancy silver sticky tape.  I added some coloured ribbon for hanging and then made the Happy Easter plaquette.  I added some hooks for hanging the eggs and a chick which I painted yellow.  I'm really pleased with the way it all turned out and this little decoration can be used year after year!

Thanks for dropping by, I hope you try some of your own - its easy!

Bye for now

Ribbon Roses

When I first came across these satin hand made roses I was struck by how lovely they were and how real they looked and immediately wanted to try to make my own. The only ribbon I had to hand was an inch wide which was half the required size but I was eager to try it right there and then so that's what I used.  It was quite tricky to maneuver the small sized ribbon but eventually I got there ending up with this small sized rose...

I will be making bigger versions of these lovely ribbon roses once I get some 2 inch ribbon stock and I will be posting details on how its done, so keep a look out on the blog.  Hope you enjoyed reading this.

Bye for now

Birds on a Branch Vintage Style Plaquette

I love bird designs especially vintage style bird designs so I couldn't resist making this lovely plaquette which I am so tempted to keep for myself.  The pink base is a mix of red, white and cream paint that I mixed up myself to create this great colour.  Of course, I didn't write down the amounts so it will be a challenge trying to make the same colour again!  I think the pink is a great match and at the same time, contrast to the blue and I will definitely reuse this design - maybe next time I will try it with an orange background.  I hope you enjoyed my post, I'd love to hear what you think or answer any questions, so don't forget to comment below or on my Facebook page.

Bathroom Decor

If you're a regular visitor to Funky-Junk you will know that I recently revamped my bathroom using little more than a some chalk paint.  If you missed the posts you can see them by clicking here and here.  After all the hard work on the floor was done, a few accessories and some wall decor was needed to replace the items that had been removed and I thought it would be nice to make a couple of plaquettes for myself (for a change). I had a beautiful floral vintage design napkin that was given to me as a gift and some of the flowers were orange - a perfect match for the bathroom and I was looking forward to using it for a découpage project.

First, I sponge painted the base of both plaquettes with two different shades of orange chalk paint.  I then découpaged one of them using the napkin with the orange flowers.  For the second plaquette I used a mix of napkin and paper découpage.  The Edges were given a distressed finish and a few coats of sealant were added.  Topped off with some green velvet ribbon, they're just what was needed as a final touch.

Click to make bigger

Click to make bigger

Click to make bigger

Key Hook Plaquette

It's always good to make something decorative but when it's useful too it's an added bonus.  This key hook plaquette has just been given its final touches and it's ready to hang in a nice hallway in someones house.  Découpaged lettering, painted key, some gold hooks and chain style braid completed this look.

Painted Bird Plaquette

I have definitely found my niche and my day job is getting in the way..........what to do?  A lotto win would remedy the situation but until then I will have to battle on with my blogging and creative work on a part-time basis i.e. nights and weekends!!

That said, I have a few new Plaquettes on the go and this here is the first of the batch.  It's great thinking up new ideas and designs, experimenting with colour and different textures and finishes and I am very happy with the results as my pictures are looking good.

This lovely plaquette is base coated with a dark grey chalk paint (my own mix) - I used 3 coats to get a more solid colour.  I then taped up a bouquet stencil with decorators tape just leaving out the sections I wanted to use on the piece and I taped it lightly to the dry painted wood.  I couldn't find a bird stencil that I liked anywhere so I made one. I found a bird outline on the internet, printed it out, traced it onto card and used a craft knife to cut it out.  Really handy as I can keep it for other jobs!

Be careful when painting over the stencils not to use too much paint.  I prefer to use a stencil brush but you can use a sponge if you prefer.  It's best if the brush is almost dry so blot it on some paper before applying it. Remember, you can always add more paint but you can't take it away.  I used a rhinestone for the bird's eye which I glued on.  I sealed it up with about 6 coats of sealant and then waxed it for the final coat.  I used some shiny silver ribbon for hanging it, which I found in my supply and which I thinks adds to the piece.

These make great presents for any occasion.

Time for Tea, Snowflakes & Floral Plaquettes

It's been a while since I posted my first lot of vintage style plaquettes which I am pleased to say, sold out quite quickly.  I have been busy preparing the next batch and have recently completed the three below, one of which was a commission and is now with it's new owner.  The two plaquettes with the frames can be used for clipping on a photo of your choice using the mini-pegs attached and seen in the pics below:

Floral Vintage Style Plaquette with Pink Frame €25

Snowflakes Plaquette with Green Frame €25

Time for Tea Vintage Style Plaquette €20

Plaquettes

I have been a busy bee for the last few weeks designing my lovely new vintage style Plaquettes. These beauties are mini wall plaques with a difference.  They are all handmade, unique and unusual and there are no two identical.  They are made using beautiful colours and designs combining découpage and various artistic techniques. They would make an impact in any room and would be great gifts for any occasion (don't forget mother's day on 15th March!).  The framed ones include a peg which allows the attachment of a photo of your choice if you wish but they are equally as nice just as they are.  There is no end to the colour and design choices that are possible in this range. Measurements approx. 20cm x 30cm in most cases.

Here are the first few and you will be delighted to hear that they are even nicer in reality than they appear in the pics below. Click on each photo to make bigger.

Pink Floral Plaquette (with photo holder peg) €25

Blue-Green Plaquette with photo attached 

Blue-Green Plaquette Pink Frame (with photo holder peg) €25

Grey Victorania Plaquette €20

Le Bain Plaquette €25

Dusty Roses Plaquette (with photo attachment peg) €25

Home Plaquette €15

Vintage Birdcage Plaquette €25

Vintage Birds Plaquette (with photo holder peg) €25

Pale Pink Vintage Plaquette

My plaquettes can be made to order. A specific colour scheme/theme can be requested and the lead time on this is 7 - 10 days. They are also for sale here on the blog and over on my Funky-Junk Facebook page.  If you see something you like, just fill in the form on the right hand side of this page or go to the Contact Tab at the top of the page and click on the link to email me.  Don't forget to include your email details so that I can reply to you. National and International shipping is available, contact me for prices.

Love them!!!

Cute Girlie Bags

When the weather is fine (which isn't often in Ireland) I always get a bit lazy with my furniture revamping and craft work and start spending my spare time in the garden usually still painting but instead of house furniture it's garden benches and the shed (which I won't bore you by talking about).  However, I started to feel guilty about not posting much on the blog recently and decided to make some of these cute girlie felt bags again which I've been meaning to do since Easter but just didn't get round to.

These kids bags are for sale on the blog here for €6.99 each and you can order them by emailing me at Funky-Junk Email or through Funky-Junk Facebook.  They can be made to order with your own choice of design/colour. As you can see, I'm still working on the pink one with the heart - the handles have yet to be attached (4th photo).  These are giving me the inspiration to make some grown up versions.....perhaps a vintage look?  Keep watching to the adult version in the near future.

Felt Bags

Yellow Bag with 3 Hearts

Yellow Bag with Coloured Stones

Pale Pink Bag with Heart