A slightly saucy pen pot!

I recently purchased a lovely pack of Do Crafts Kraft paper in 12 x 12. This is right up my street as it is patterned liked different stationery papers, squared, ledger etc and as anyone who knows me well will be aware, as well as having a serious stash habit, I am obsessive about stationery and especially love squared paper. I must be one of the few people I know who trawls stationery departments for notebooks with squared when I am on holiday in Europe. My poor OH is now resigned to it!

So, I decided my first project with the paper needed to have a stationery type theme and decided to recycle a baked bean tin into a penpot and here is the result.

I first painted the bean tin with black gesso and then added a panel of the squared Kraft paper that I had edged with a little Cranberry and Egglplant Adirondack ink. I added some gorgeous pointy black lace and some wooden scrabble tiles which were also from Do Crafts eons ago. I love these little tiles and will be very sad when I have finally used them all up. I made some roses from thinner kraft paper, inked again in Cranberry and Eggplant. The reverse of the pen pot hides a secret side!

Before I stuck the squared panel on, I used an X cut scalloped edging punch and added eyelets with my trusty Crop-a-Dile. I love using that tool, it is so sturdy and reliable! Under the gap, I stamped a piece of the plain card from the pack with a lace tag stamp from WS Designs. Then I added some lacing using a cotton fake leather cord. I realised then it all looked rather too Miss Whiplash, but at least her naughty side is generally hidden from view! Perhaps I can use some poetic license and claim it is speampunk!

I have to say the colour scheme and black lace takes much inspiration from the lovely project me and my CSQ pals did with Linda Elborne almost a year ago at our mini retreat near Bedford, which I posted here.

Elaine