LESSology Challenge #1: Creative Projects of Audrey Pettit, Kirsty Vittetoe and Yvonne Yam! :)

Today we are sharing the creative projects of Audrey Pettit, Kirsty Vitteto and Yvonne Yam.

Hi everyone! It's Audrey, excited to be here today sharing our very first challenge at LESSology. For my project, I created a nursery rhyme/ABC board book from a recycled kid's meal toy. Although cute before, this bright and happy learning book is now sure to bring a smile to any young child.

Here is how my book originally looked. Cute and sweet, buy waaaaay too young for anyone at my house. And with the fast food company logo on the front cover, not a good candidate for gift-giving, as it was. But with a little upcycling, this board book becomes a charming gift for someone with a small child.

 Since the pages were slick and glossy, the first step to altering it was giving each page a light sanding. Roughing up the surface a bit will make covering the book with patterned papers easier and more durable. Without this step, your newly glued-down papers may peel right back up.

I’ve learned that for me, it’s easier to create a cohesive mini album by coming up with a “formula” that you repeat for every page. For this album, I used papers from one collection, October Afternoon's Ducks in a Row, for a unified look. Each facing page got contrasting papers, with the right page getting the addition of a strip of scalloped paper from the left page. I mixed the papers up on each page, but repeated them throughout the album for balance.

Nursery rhyme and alphabet cards dress up each page. I added manila shipping tags behind the alphabet cards, along with upper and lower case alpha stickers. A simple and fun way to learn your ABC's.

The cover is embellished with more patterned papers, a bit of trim, and a fun kitty journaling card. Large shipping tags covered in vintage dictionary pages and washed with white paint are wrapped around the front and back covers and act as the closure for the book. The string from the back tag, wrapped around a fabric brad on the front, quickly and easily holds the pages shut.

Enjoy!

  Hi, it's Kirsty! I am super excited and I am sure you are too, that our very first challenge at LESSology is finally here!!!

LESSology is all about recycling and upcycling, if you are "thinking green" or a thrift store junkie like me, you are going to love love love LESSolgy.

I bought this book for 0.50 at a local thrift store, I just love the color of the cover.

and I "borrowed" the lovely tulle from a birthday gift sent to me by my bloggy friend Lauren

TaDa......

here's my Paris Book....

One of my dream in this lifetime is to live in Paris for at least 6 months...

(waiting for my husband to retire)

We will be missing our friends and family by then..... and I will need lots of notecards to send to them.

cards with matching envelopes....

dream on....

now I can't wait to use my first note card from my Paris Book....

I am inviting you to join us for LESSology very first challenge, I promise, you will have more inspiration than ever to warm you up for this challenge and guess what? We have 2 prizes this round, thanks for our wonderful sponsor - Creative Charms (you should definitely check it out!!!) 

Hello friends! Yvonne here to share my altered book project. I turned an old board book into a decorated frame for a vintage photo of my parents' wedding.

I started with an old board book (5.5 X 7.5 inches). What I did was to cut windows on the cover and inner pages (approx 4X6 inches), leaving the last page intact. I sanded on the surfaces to make it easier for elements to adhere.

I adhered old music paper to the back page and coated it with vintage mod podge which aged the paper evenly. I covered the cover with soda can panels which I embossed with an embossing folder. Yes, don't throw out those cans! I then applied alchol ink in copper to match the tone of the music paper.

Then I embellished with some found items around the house, inking and staining them with distress and alcohol inks. I also added crackle paint in rock candy for some subtle cracks on the base. Once I was happy with the placement of the elements, I glued the pages down for a sturdy frame.

Inspired to try out The Altered Book Challenge for yourself? We would love to see your entries! :) Please leave some comment love for our designers!