Altered File Folder - start to finish

Yes I know I promised this a couple of months back BUT life got in the way ... so now I have deleted that post and this is one that goes from start to finish...

1. I used old manilla file folder with tabs but you can use any of them that don't have a plastic coating ... I took my spray inks and spray box out to the garage and did it up good ... I didn't like the splats it produced and didn't leave much solid coverage so I got a gauze rag I had and started kind of spreading the ink around ... I kind of splatted it also from my re-inker bottle ... I wanted an aged look, you could also do coffee spills, rings and such ... then spray for a more antique look

OH, I have used several images of folders they are NOT of the same folder going thru all the stages ... as always click on the image to enlarge

2. Then take the dry folder to the paper cutter and cut it in half ... yes only one side will have a tab unless you happened to use the folder with the middle tab

3. Now take these to your craft sewing machine and sew around the edges so you make a pocket out of the 1/2 folders ... I chose to use zig-zag and straight stitches ... because the bottom was a fold I didn't stitch around that and I left long strings on both ends for my stitches ... then I did the edges with more ink

4. I pulled out things I thought would make me happy and started arranging them to please my eye and glued them down to the front of the folder ... I ended up making 4 of them they are so much fun to make and I used up lots of my extras from other projects ... I put a long envelope that I cut the end off of and put a notch in it to have a place for other things, down first then built on that ... 

Now go make some that you can enjoy .... oh the lady that is on all of them happens to be from a deck of cards I got several years ago from ArtChix and not sure you can get them anymore ...