The Letter is H

April 9, 2020
A to Z Challenge H = Heart to Heart Soul Creations

Today the letter is H. After thinking about the theme I chose for the challenge, I thought about the name I chose for my crafting creations. It starts with the letter H and there is significant meaning behind the name. 

HEART TO HEART SOUL CREATIONS

As a teenager, I began clipping words, phrases, and pictures out of newspapers and magazines. Tha'st was how I crafted back then! I've always loved art - but I was never good at painting, drawing, or much anything else until a very dark time in my life...

In 2005, I went through a very traumatic ordeal in life that created a great deal of mental, emotional, and physical pain and angst. This ordeal changed me inwardly and outwardly. I was lost. I didn't even know who I was anymore. I was in the darkest place of my life that I had ever been in before. It was an abyss. 

I had seen some mosaic crosses made from broken tiles and I thought to myself, "wouldn't that feel good to be able to break something and not be looked at a certain way". I acquired some tiles, grout, paint, and, some boards and I went to breaking. Before I knew it, I had created something beautiful from my heart and soul that had hidden meanings in them. After all, I wasn't trying to make anything special, I was just piddling around in order to get my mind off the dire situation so that possibly, I could break the cycle of pain and despair I was feeling. 

When my husband hung up one of the boards - I stared at it and suddenly the word, "HOPE" jumped off of it and I started yelling, "do you see that"? The word, HOPE is on the board...in that very moment, I knew my God had not forsaken me during this dark time and He was so ever near to me. A few days later, 3 more boards came to life. FAITH, LOVE, and DREAM. 

one of the crosses I made

After the boards, I started making mosaic crosses. I found joy in breaking the tiles and creating beautiful pieces of art, even if I, myself felt broken. I put the newspapers and magazines away because I just experienced a new form of art - Altered Art/Mixed Media, whatever you wanted to call it back then. To me it was new and it was art! 

When I started crafting many, many years ago - it was from a place of pain. Both mental and emotional. I used crafting to cope with the pain I felt internally. Today, when I craft, I create from my heart and soul - whether it's happy, dark times, sad times or full of joy and laughter - thus - Heart to Heart Soul Creations (H2hsc2020) came into existence. 

Whether it's scrapbook layouts, tags, cards, mixed media, altered art, pocket letters, loaded envelopes, or junk journals of any theme imaginable - I craft for enjoyment. I craft from my heart and soul - I give life to something as simple as a paperclip. 

H2hsc2020 was founded on the Word of God. God IS the reason I live and breathe today. I learned a long time ago, the true meaning of forgiveness. I learned resilience through abandonment. I learned how to survive when others said I wouldn't. It was ALL because of God's grace, forgiveness, protection, guidance, comfort, and loving me just the way I am. I won't apologize for my faith and when I craft for others, I speak blessings into everything I create for them. It is from my heart and soul to theirs. 

Today, H2hsc2020 has many more meanings than just crafting. I enjoy walking with my ancestors by way of Genealogy. I guess you could call me, the family Genealogist! LOL - I enjoy visiting cemeteries, taking photographs of the headstones, learning of the history and meeting new family I never knew I had by way of DNA testing. I love perusing the photos of yesterday in hopes of possibly finding a family member who I have yet to know. 

Through crafting and genealogy, I decided to begin a blog in order to share my interests with others of my passion through these wonderful outlets. I live today from a place of resilience because of my life experiences. My motto is, "if I can instill hope to another human being who might be mentally or emotionally hurting, living in a dark place internally, feels they are unlovable, dealing with depression or another mental health issue, going through a traumatic experience, and thinking life isn't worth living anymore - then I've done what I'm supposed to do."  

I'm the evidence that things do turn around for people - - BUT, we must put the work into it. We can't expect a different result by doing the same routine day in and day out...we MUST shake it up and flip that switch called life"! 

Heart to Heart Soul Creations

H2hsc2020

Facebook - H2hsc2020

Twitter - #H2hsc2020

Instagram - Heart to Heart Soul Creations

#AtoZChallenge, #truestory, #life, #meaningbehindthename, #theletterH, #mixedmedia, #alteredart, #mentalhealth, #recovery, #resiliency, #forgiveness, #blogboost

G is for GLUEBOOK

April 8, 2020
A to Z Challenge

G is for GLUEBOOK

Continuing with my theme of CRAFTING - today, I'm going to talk about 'Gluebooks'. I had not ever heard of glue books until a young lady introduced them to my Crafting/Swapping group that I adminned last year.

A glue book literally can be any type of book you want to use. It could be paper in a binder. It could be an old or new book that you convert over to a glue book. You might choose to use an old magazine. You can even use composition books. 

I'll be showing you several of my glue books in this post. It's funny, in all reality of things - when I went to pull the books I was going to show you, I've actually had glue books in place for years! Just never called them that. 

Gluebooks - what are they? One definition is, it's a type of journal, created by gluing down everyday items such as magazine images, labels, tickets, cash register receipts—whatever paper inspiration falls into the artist's hands. Another definition is a glued collage journal. Both definitions are correct. 

There really isn't a right or wrong way to create a gluebook. It's the creator's perspective of how they see things. 

I have several different gluebooks in progress now. I get my words, phrases, letters, pictures, and other random stuff - from everyday things that come in the mail. You know, those junk ads that usually find their way into the File 13 bin!!! I also tear and cut things from magazines, too. 

where I find things for my Glue Books

I look for things that can be put with other letters and phrases. For instance, see the image on the left and on top of the pile is the word, "Thanks" and something else written with it - I might take that and put in on the top part of a page I'm working on and then add to it...in fact, that particular phrase will more than likely end up in my Gratitude gluebook.

Inside cover of my Gratitude gluebook journal

The inside of my Gratitude gluebook journal is a work in progress. It actually started out as something else and after working on a few pages, I realized it was a book of things I'm thankful for, so I switched up the cover. The book I used for my Gratitude gluebook was an old devotional. On the bottom of the pages, are inspirational quotes for a particular day. I'll leave those in place as I use them as inspiration for the page I create. 

Here are two pages from my Gratitude gluebook. The one on the right has a Project Life card on it. I'm actually still working on that page. I'm going to add more color and a few things I've torn out of magazines. 

 Another one of my creations is...

This particular book is actually a watercolor book that has about 100 pages in it. It is bound with a metal wire and is rather large. In it, I use napkins, inks, colored pencils, colored markers, and torn out letters or phrases. I love crafting with napkins. Here are a few of my pages in this gluebook.

On the background of the next four pages, I used distress Inks. Then I placed napkins on the pages and added the extras. (words, a cluster of flowers, eyelash fibers, tags, etc.) The one that says "dream BIG", I incorporated washi tape.

 The page here I used several different quotes to make my page. I used colored pencils in the background. Looking at these pages, you can see there really isn't anything to it. If you think back to my post for the letter F (Franken Pages), I talked about using up scrap pieces of paper. Those could definitely work in gluebooks as well! Fill those pages with color by using scrap paper, then add a quote or a few letters to make a unique collage! Just have fun...after all, that's what crafting is all about. To me anyway...

On the picture above and the one here, I painted the pages using acrylic paints that were watered down. 

napkins and chipboard letters with painted background

napkin pieces, die cuts, distress inks, and scrap paper pieces

this is a Rice napkin

negative use of the doily

A gluebook that was started and sent to me was this next one. It is an altered composition book. I work in it from time to time...

 Another composition book that incorporated a napkin on the cover. This one too was sent to me. I'm going to write in this one and from time to time, add a few glued items to the pages.

The last gluebook I want to share with you to show another way to make them is one that was sent to me by a friend who lives in Washington State. She used a regular book and turned into a journal type gluebook. She started a few pages and I will finish the book out as I can.

Below is the cover, to the left of the book my friend sent to me. She covered the existing cover with a napkin, added the rosette, and a piece of lace and put the closure on it.

The page to the right here is a vintage greeting card. She incorporated it because of my love for violins. I was an accomplished violinist back in the day! I have crafted on a few of the pages in this Gluebook journal.

These are my gluebooks! So you see, they aren't hard to make and anyone could do them. Young and old alike.

I hope you will try your hand at creating one, two, or even three...I think I have 10 different ones just waiting to be finished. I don't work in them all the time, just when I feel like it. I find pulling out the bag of letters, words, and phrases I've cut out or torn out, grabbing one of my gluebooks, and sitting down to work on a few pages from time to time is very relaxing and therapeutic. We can all use a little relaxation these days, right?

Grab you a book, a magazine, some glue, and a paintbrush and start your very own gluebook.

G is for GLUEBOOK. 

Heart to Heart Soul Creations
H2hsc2020

Facebook - H2hsc2020
Twitter - #H2hsc2020
Instagram - Heart to Heart Soul Creations

#AtoZChallenge, #challenge, #gluebooks, #crafting, #papercrafting, #homeschoolmoms, #mixedmedia, #alteredart, #inspiration, #art, #creativity, #exploring

F is for Franken Paper

April 6, 2020
A to Z Challenge

F = FRANKEN PAPER

Franken Page I made a few years ago

Today's letter is "F" and that means Franken Paper. 

Have you heard of “Franken Paper”?  It is a technique where you glue or stitch random scraps of paper together to create new papers, tags. pockets etc.

As a paper crafter, I have an organizer full of scrap papers leftover from previous projects. When I scrapbooked, I wouldn't throw any size of scrap paper away. Life in my crafting room has since changed due to a smaller crafting space. These days, I don't keep any piece of paper smaller than a 1" x 1". 

This has always been a dilemma for me as well as several conversations with other crafters. When is a piece of paper too small to keep and too big to throw away? As I mentioned above, you can coordinate scrap papers to create new papers, tags, and pockets. Use them to make tuck spots or to even layer other projects. 

Any time I work with Mod Podge or other wet adhesives, I place a piece of wax paper down across my desk. I grabbed my wax paper today and I'm ready to start creating Franken Papers. 

I gathered the rest of the items I needed. Several paint brushes in various sizes (just in case I need them). Mod Podge. Scrap papers. I always have the wax paper underneath the paintbrushes. 

Next, what I do, is roughly make an outline for the size of the page I want to create. (You don't have to do this step). I outline a rough area with a sharpie - this way I know the exact space I am going to be working in. I'll let the papers go over the edge just a tad, then trim them down if necessary, once everything has completely dried. 

Franken pages are easy and if you are curious, there are YouTube videos that will show you how to make them. Honestly, just gather your scraps and start piecing them together. 

There will be two sides as you make your page. I like using double-sided papers if they are in my scraps, but you don't necessarily have to have them. The only thing I've found when using double-sided papers is sometimes the images will be upside down. That's why I work front and back at the same simultaneously. 

The images above show the progression of the front and back as I am piecing the scrap pieces together. 

I continue tearing and gluing pieces of paper, layering some of the pieces. Flipping and doing the same thing over on the opposite side. I like building my outer edges first because then I can color coordinate papers if I want. (kind of like putting a jigsaw puzzle together). 

 As you see, the page is starting to take shape although it looks like a mess! LOL

Flip it over, glue a few pieces, and turn it back over. Repeat as many as times necessary. 

 I continue to work, flipping over and over. Putting papers here and putting pieces there. I tuck papers up under other papers, flip it back over and do the same on the other side. 

I make sure there aren't any holes that need to be covered as I get closer to being finished with the page. Right now, it's just scraps papers on top of one another with no design, rhyme or reason. 

Remember, you can use larger pieces and sew them onto your page. It's your creation. Create it how you envision it. They can be cohesive, and they can look like a mess. Kind of like this one does. I could stop here if I wanted and add some words, some stamped images, or use a photograph. But I have something else in mind. 

I collect old calendars to use in my crafting projects. I'm going to finish out the front side with a page from an old calendar. I haven't trimmed the edges down yet and honestly, I kind of like how they look. 

The finished Franken Page using an old Calendar
This IS the front side

I'm not finished yet. But you will see, I took some of the pieces from the calendar and incorporated them into the backside. I'm going to pull this page together with some more with a few other things. I haven't decided what yet...to be determined. As you see, making Franken Pages is very easy and this would be a fun and exciting project for both children, teens, and adults alike. 

the backside of the Franken Page

In closing, here are a few other Franken Pages I've made in the past. 

This swap with Franken Papers was a themed one. We had to use green and yellow papers and make embellishments for the pages. I made an altered paper clip using a butterfly and as you can see in the circled photo, I incorporated the recipient's name into the paper. 

The next two pages are in the theme of Shabby Chic. I had fun making these two papers. We had to incorporate a bow of some sort when we wrapped them up. 

In closing, here is one that was sent to a friend of mine. It's in a Christmas theme. As you see in the photograph, the creator incorporated bling along the outside edge. 

So, you see, Franken Pages can be made in any way, shape, color, or, a theme you can imagine. Let's make some Franken Papers! Grab your scrap papers, glue, and a paintbrush...what are you waiting for? 

Heart to Heart Soul Creations

H2hsc2020

#AtoZChallenge, #challenge, #gluebooks, #papercrafting, #art, #creativity, #tags, #Frankenpages, #homeschoolmoms, #creativity, #inspiration, #funactivity, #homeschooleducators, #crafting