Hello Dear Reader,

Welcome to the Lab. I hope you are cozy, comfortable, and warm. Is your New Year off to a roaring start?

Are you working full speed ahead toward your dreams and goals? Or do you feel like you have already slipped off track?

I always feel a malaise this time of year. Do you know what I mean? It’s not quite depression, or at least not how I think of depression. But something is off. There is not enough outside activity.

The days are still short, and snow patches linger in all the wrong places, for example, where the dogs do their business, making clean-up nearly impossible. As a result, the backyard consists of dirty snow patches and mud. At least I tell myself it is mud. Which the dogs, for their part, happily track through the house.

We are all restless. The weather is cold, and although the dogs keep checking for spring, they quickly determine that it hasn’t arrived yet and conclude they would rather be inside lying by the hearth. OK. Unfortunately, we don’t have a grand fireplace with a hearth. We have a cheap electric fireplace, but the dogs don’t know the difference, and this is my story, so anyway… where was I? Oh yes, dogs by the hearth and “muddy” footprints throughout the house and me feeling restless and blaa.

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My excitement for the New Year always wanes toward the end of January and drags through February. The holiday festivities are over, and the sameness of the day-to-day takes over. I feel foolish and tired. My big dreams for the new year are already fading.

This year I have had the added bonus of being sick for the better part of January. A week or so ago, the hubby tested positive for covid, and as I followed his ailments by a day or two, I am assuming the bug caught me as well. I am not a social butterfly. But the quarantining is getting to me, almost as much as the lingering cough and sniffles.

But enough of my whining.

The best way I know how to fight the winter blue is to make something. To use my mind to imagine and my hands to create to transform some useless or unattractive item into something useful, unique, and beautiful. Being creative is the best way I know to push back against the dreariness of winter. Well, that and having a clean house, but that requires cleaning. So crafting usually wins.🙃

I also dream of spring and growing things. I picture my flower pots with bright blooms and the crazy upcycled projects I might make for my yard.

So when my yard looks like this.

I picture this.

and this

and this

I know from experience that this feeling will pass and that life is a series of course corrections, times of high productivity and enthusiasm followed by droughts of the same. And so, I try to portion out my self-care and self-criticism fairly. I want to jolt myself out of this fog and pump up my productivity level without too much self-recrimination. It is a tricky little dance to choreograph.

So if you are fumbling a little bit as I am, take some deep breaths with me and carry on. Let’s remind ourselves that slow progress is better than no progress. And keep putting one foot in front of the other.

Alrighty then let’s make something.

If you missed part one of this project you can get caught up here.

Step 1 – Seal Alcohol Ink

There are many products you can use to seal alcohol ink. I chose to brush on a coat of gloss mod podge because it was available. However, this method does not protect the ink from UV fading, and using a brush sealer on alcohol ink does move the ink a little bit. So depending on your project, you may opt for a spray sealer and UV protector.

Step 2 – Fill Back of Embossing

This step is optional, and again I just used a product that we had on hand. There are many other options to use, including waxes and additional putty’s. Be sure you choose a product with the appropriate flexibility.

Since my pieces will be attached to a hard book cover, I didn’t need any flexibility in my filler. Generally, fillers are used for deep embossed areas to support the area. I didn’t have a lot of deep embossed areas, but I wanted a smoother surface to glue to my book cover. Once again, you may choose to skip this step.

You can use the application recommended for the product you select. For example, I used a putty knife to smooth a thin layer of joint compound over the entire back surface of each aluminum sheet.

Step 3 – Assemble Inside Cover

To make the inside cover, I used a piece of cardstock covered with crinkled aluminum foil. To attach the pieces, I sprayed them with adhesive spray.

Step 4 – Suede Strap Closure

I wanted to have a closure on my art journal, so I used a piece of hardware called a fixed staple safety hasp combined with a scrap of suede to make the strap.

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Step 5 – Attach Cover

I used Gorilla clear glue to attach the aluminum sheets to the front and back of my art journal.

Step 6 – Finish Book Edges

To finish the edges of my art journal, I used some HVAC aluminum tape.

Step 7 – Cover Binding

To cover the binding of my art journal, I switched back the suede fabric. The fabric was attached using a combination of E6000 or Gorilla glue and Fabri-Tac glue.

Step 8 – Attach Inside Cover

Then I used double-sided tape and Fabri-Tac glue for the inside cover.

Step 9 – Finish

The final step was to add the other piece of the fixed staple safety hasp to the front of the cover.

I found this old key to use as a pin for the clasp.

You can find more detailed instructions in the attached video.

Thanks again for stopping by.

Happy Upcycling,

Cindy

Additional post you might like:

Art Journal Tour

Tin Can Yard Art

Advertising Disclosure: Upcycle Design Lab may be compensated in exchange for featured placement of certain sponsored products and services or your clicking on links posted on this website.