AltAred Art Project: Grateful

I am presently working on an AltAred Art project for my nieces. They are the most AMAZINGLY, FABULOUSLY CREATIVE children! As many of you know, they and their dear mother (my youngest sister) and their daddy will be leaving the U.S. as missionaries. I cannot divulge where they will be ministering, but suffice to say it's enough to make this aunty want to abduct them ALL and squirrel them away in a secret room for safe keeping. I digress...

Remember T-H-A-N-K-S from my last post? Well, I am choosing to represent today's letter "H" with Happy Moments I've spent with the girls. Here are the "raw materials" I am working with:

You'll note the children's board book and the little coin envelopes? I am going to alter the book (7x7) by adding 24 coin envelopes to make an Advent Of Gratitude book for each niece.

Using the groovy colors from my Creative Memories Candy Kane Kit, and my most recent ETSY purchase

I will first cover each page of the board book (there are 4 pages or 8 sides to be covered including the cover) then, because the only coin envelopes I could find are the creepy "office gold", I must make them festive somehow. I initially thought I'd ink them, but each book requires 3 stacks of 8 envelopes each (24 for each day before Christmas) and that would have taken FOR-E-VER. So I decided to take a stab at painting them. It worked out wonderfully...I painted them red and then splattered silver paint to grunge them up a bit. I LOVE how they turned out...here is the book with the cover "covered" and the envelopes after painting:

My next step was to glue the coin envelopes, sides together, in 3 sets of 8. (I used hot glue...impatient, you know) The yellow insides of the envelopes are okay...they'll not be visible after they are all embellished.

Now, I must attach funky, fun ribbons to each envelope (by staple or hot glue).

I will show you my progress as I continue to work on each step of the book...ultimately, the book will hold 24 sticks of gum and 24 little "scrolls" telling each girl about 24 happy memories I have with them or things I love about them, or qualities I see and admire in each of them. I figure it will give them something to remember me by when they are thousands and thousands of miles away and "Aunty" can't get be there to remind them in person, how very much they are loved and appreciated. (I'd better stop while I can...if I start blubbering that's the end of the creativity for the evening).

Anyhoo, more photos, more progress next time! Blessings!