Tutorial Thurday (heavy photo tutorial post)

 19 (cause 19 is a fun odd number) things about me that might surprise you: Just to share.. hee hee, this is a long post... guess what..... it's good for you to learn more about the people you read each day... hahaha I often wish I knew more about people I read each week. haha

1. I love yoga pants, and have never owned a purse!!!

2. I haven't been in a bathing suit in public for almost 10 years, even though I weigh 120 pounds I hate the idea of being exposed in public. In fact first time I was married I cancelled wedding ceremony due to the same thing!

3. I had my son at 15, graduated HS at 16 and have 3 degrees

4. I at heart believe all people are good no matter what they've done

5. While at scrapbooking stores I sniff the paper, there's something all too wonderful about the smell of paper.

6. I met my boyfriend online, when I'd pretty much lost all hope in love or a relationship that would last forever. I waited 2 years before moving in with him. And have never been more in love then I current I am after 3 years with him.

7. I have a 11 year old lab and a rottweiler pup.

8. I haven't had a family picture taken in 5 years. I know I know, but I just hate them!

9. I don't eat sweets, okay on occassion, and I mean rarly I'll have some chocolate, but I do not eat honey buns, chocolate, donuts or anything sweet every for breakfast, not even pancakes unles stheir cold, a slab of butter and no syrup. I'm not big on cake either, even when we have it at work, I don't eat it. I do love some pumpkin pie though!

10. I haven't eaten ketchup since I was 12. I haven't had a soda since I was 15 (lol I know I'm odd. I stopped when 15 and never found a reason to return)

11. I've never eaten at an Olive Garden and until a few weeks ago had never eaten at a Applebees. LOL I prefer to find the hole in the wall awesome find places.

12. I've never gambled, at a casino or lottery or anything. I'm saving it until I'm 98 to play and win and then die the next day.. thank you alanis morsette.. hee hee

13. I've never been in any type of accident.

14. My children have never been to a doctor for being sick (since my son was 18 months and my daughter ever). not sure why just lucky I guess.

15. There's a donkey statue about a mile up the road on this gal's porch that I secretly wish I could steal. Ok not steal but i want it soo bad, saw it the day i moved here and now it almost mocks me! Trying to work up the nerve to go to her door and ask her to buy it. lol Haven't made it thus far yet.

16. I'm currently addicted to the following shows" House, the Voice, Army Wives, parenthood, happy endings, The new Girl, Modern Family, storage wars and Whitney.

17. If it has bacon, cheese or potato's or better yet all 3, I'll eat it.

18. My favorite color is yellow.

19. The most important!!!! I am a artist!  I try everything, even if I fail or the outcome isn't what you expected you will learn alot! Hence the name craft donkey. I'm a fighter and believe there is nothing I can not do! I can do it, may take many tried but I can!

This is a testimate to number 19. I'm not saying this was a fail at all. Because it's not at all, it's a great learning process. However, the outcome isn't exactly as I had planned. Still wonderful in it's own way! Learned alot  and can't wait to experiment more! I thought I would share with all of you as you're my people. I share my success's and my not so great moments with you all. I recently have been following tim Holtz and his announcement that he'll no longer be doing the 12 tags of Christmas and instead will be doing the 12 tags of 2012. His first tag of February inspired me to create other than a tag. he used a wonderful heart on it and it inspired me to try some of the wonderful book art I have seen. Here is my tutorial on it and some hints to help you if you wish to try. Following it, are some of my inspirations to try this task! I have tons of ideas for it in the future!

Post a comment on this post and have a chance to win................... these great Prima flowers!!!! Winner will be announced on Friday morning! And don't forget to check out how to win the fab February giveaways by sharing about my blog as well as sharing your craft space.

Get a book and then strip the cover from it.

Trace a shape. I choose something simple to start and did a heart shape. I then took my craft knife in combo with scissors and cut through the book pages. Please remember to be frickin careful if you try this. A slip of a page or anything and you can seriously mess yourself up SO PLEASE BE CAREFUL! I'm sure those long time followers remember last year when I cut off the the tip of my finger and it was stitched back on, of course I still found a way to craft, none the less it took 6 months before I had full use of it and feeling to it! So the next images are frickin nasty but I only show them because I love every one of you and want you to always be safe!

OK WE ALL GET TO BE SAFE NOW RIGHT... ok good. Lets move on!

Keep cutting the shape out in sections, little by little.

Don't worry about how rough it looks we'll address that later.

Now you have it all cut out. A piece of advice from my learning. Choose a nice fat thick book. I found mine wasn't as thick as I had desired for the effect I wanted.

Be prepared for a hella mess.... as seen here.

I then took the whole piece and sanded it against a very gritty/coarse sand paper. This will help alot with the uneven edges. it help then doing sections of it to also clip it to keep its shape as you sand.

Not take the cover. I added masking tape layers to the spine as when I pulled the book pages out I tore alittle too much. So I used the tape to reinforce it.

I then applied gessi to the entire book, front and back.

I then covered one side of the book in Helmar 450... hello happiness in the most amazing glue ever! What you haven't tried it? Remember you have a chance to win some this month!

I then crumpled some 7-Gypsies tissues paper.

Then applied it to the book cover, below you will see what it looked like when I flipped it over and glued it down as well. Trim excess pieces and make it work how you want to.

What it looks like.

I then covered all of the tissue in extra heavy gel medium.

I cute and distressed up some left over paper from my wine layout.

I glued the center pages together to ensure it didn't have the gap in the center from images pages I had pulled, in retrospect, I would not have glued these together if I could do it again and would instead put smalled heart book pages inside of this set.

Glued to the spine of the book.

Glues down one side of the heart and then the other.

Smoosh and clamp.

Now like I said this was a learning experience. As you can see it's not really great looking. Now the book itself is not done, however I can't really tell it's a heart unless I'm looking at it the right way. Live and learn. None the less I'll be doing it again!

Here were what inspired me to try this task. Amazing right? Now I do understand these books are mostly bent pages but well lets say i was pretty sure cutting would be easier.. lol