Master Detective Zine (Graphic 45)

Just a disclaimer here: Most of the artwork in this little Zine is from the Graphic 45 paper collection called Master Detective. Because I am such a fan of Sherlock Holmes, I made this Zine for me and it will not be copied for any kind of distribution. I feel that would infringe on copyright because I really did not change the artwork significantly. But I did want to share it as an inspiration for other Zines and themes.

When this collection of paper and ephemera was released last year, I could not resist it. I have way too much paper but sometimes something comes along that just hits you in the fandom. I am happy to report that I have used it and am not just hoarding it.

Master Detective:  If you are unfamiliar with a Zine, it is a short term used for a Fanzine, which is a small production magazine usually devoted to niche topics.(Typically so small in production that they are just one step above a newsletter in size and distribution.) But in the art world, a Zine is also your own little book made from a single piece of paper. The above photo shows you how it looks unfolded. This is how you work on it. The paper is an 8.5 X 11 folded in half three times then cut down the middle of the two inner panels. It's way easier to see it in action. Just look it up on YouTube, if you're interested in how to craft one. I don't think the folding is anything new. What's new about it is how it's being used. Once the Zine is complete in this form, it can be color copied and then distributed/sold. So you make an original and then you can sell copies. (Ergo the disclaimer at the top.)

The next two photos show you what it looks like when it's folded together. I like to add a touch of double stick tape in between a couple of the pages for stability. This is also why I like to use paper as the base rather than cardstock; it's way easier to fold correctly. But if you're making copies, it doesn't matter too much as the copies can be made on thinner paper and easily folded. So the above photo would be a finished product.

One of the nice things about not making copies of a Zine is that you really can embellish it in grand style. I don't usually use 3D or thick embellishments because they are hard to copy. But in a personal Zine, it won't matter. I didn't use thick embellishments here but I did add a hinge so one of the ephemera cards could form a lift-able flap as seen above.

I also added little bits from the Tim Holtz Idea-ology line. (His Halloween ephemera pack to be precise.) That vintage look worked seamlessly with these papers and colors.

Besides the little door in the back, it also has an eye-spy game based on some of the artwork from Graphic 45. Again, it's all in the paper collection and it was great fun to put together.

I'll be sharing some Halloween Zines in October so be looking for them in my Etsy store soon. For the upcoming ones, I do have copies as none of the collaged elements is copyrighted. I do really like to make these Zines and I hope to make many more.

So just in case, you thought it was too early to start making things for Halloween...think again!
-Wy

Lindy's Challenge: Mystery Lady

Every month at Lindy's Gang, they host a new challenge on the blog. The above color palette is for the month of October. Just click that link and you can find all the information about joining in this month. And check out the Facebook group for the particulars and to upload your projects!

I made an Art Journal page.

Mystery Lady:  I used Lindy's products in the background and on the flower in the corner. I used both Hag's Wart Orange Magical and Freaky Frankenlime Magical powders. Both are from the Halloween set of magical powders. These powders are a pigmented powder with shimmer in it. I used them as a powder. I dropped the dry powder onto spots on my paper then spritzed them with water. Once I had them wet, I added Black Orchid Silver Starburst Spray to swirl them around the page some. I used this color more as the gray of the color palette as it isn't dark enough to me to be a true black. It also has a slightly purpley hue to it which makes it a very nice choice for a mysterious layout. You can really see the great effect of the magical powder at the top of the page. You can see the deep color of the pigment that wasn't too wet as well as specks of blue and yellow which are the components of the powder. That same separation of color can be seen on the flower which I colored with Hag's Wart Orange. There was a variety of red and yellow in this powder which lent for an assortment of light and dark hues.

I used papers from the Graphic 45 collection, Master Detective, to arrange a nice collage. This image of the lady holding a skull had such a perfect blending of my background colors that I made it my focal image. The rest of the collage are various papers from the set cut up to support the focal.

I added little orange rhinestones for a pop of orange to balance it out. I really wanted to make this page in order to preserve some of my favorite papers from this collection without hoarding them. (Oh, don't worry, I still have a hoard of them. But I'm trying to use them so I can enjoy them rather than just leaving them stuck in a pile where I never see them.)

You can also find Lindy's Challenge on the Facebook Group where you can see many wonderful creations inspired by this month's color palette. I forgot the extra assignment which was to add embossing. I'll have to remember the little extras next time.

Thanks for checking out my post.
If you're crazy for Halloween, like me, check out my many posts from this month. For the month of October, I'm posting a new project every Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday!
So I'll see you back here tomorrow for another new project!
-Wy