Remember Life Lessons - A Journal by Lynne Moncrieff

This is a complete journal which I made as a sample for when That’s Crafty! appeared on HOCHANDA.

It could be viewed as life lessons, wise words that adults share with us when we are young or this could be an adult, looking back to their tender years and what words they would share with their younger self.

Each time I work with That’s Crafty’s white/greyboard surfaces, I am always impressed by the quality. On each page I applied book pages, glue stick, Gel Medium, Gesso, Infusions and lots of water and I do mean, lots of water and yet no buckling of the pages.

For the acrylic cover, I had fun with ICE Resin and Rust Finish. I appreciate ICE Resin is not easy to source in the U.K., you could achieve a similar effect by printing book text onto transparency sheet, adhering to the acrylic cover before applying the Rust Finish. 

Supplies

That's Crafty! Clear Stamps:- Lynne’s Affirmations Sets 1 and 2,Inspirational Quotes Set 1, Textures Collections 1 and 2

That's Crafty! Surfaces White/Greyboard A6 Journal with Acrylic Cover

That's Crafty! Surfaces Acrylic Shapes (an arrow)

Staz-on Jet Black

Infusions

Plaid Folkart Painted Finishes Rust Effect

Gesso – White

Gel Medium

UHU Glue Stick

Foam Brush and Old Paintbrush

Idea-ology Tim Holtz Ball Chain

Black Watersoluble Pencil

Black, White Acrylic Ink

DecoArt Media Liquid Glass
Mister Bottle

Sharpie Fineliner Pen Black

Craft Mat

Scissors

EXTRAS:- Collage Images – Red Lead, Resin Paper (and ICE Resin), Vintage Book Pages, Old Button

Instructions

Acrylic Cover & Arrow

Remove protective layer from what will be back of acrylic cover. Apply ICE Resin onto this quickly followed with vintage book page coated with resin. Gently press into place before laying aside to cure. 

Also create pieces of resin paper and apply resin to a scrap of vintage book page, painted with Gesso.

When cured, remove the protective layer from front of acrylic cover. Adhere piece of resin paper with Liquid Glass. 

Stamp word “remember”, from one of the Inspirational Quotes, onto the prepared piece of resin paper (the Gesso painted book text). Adhere to rear of arrow with Liquid Glass before adhering to the front cover. 

With an old paintbrush, apply Rust Finish onto front and rear of acrylic cover. 

Lay cover aside and focus on white/greyboard pages.

White/Greyboard Pages

The instructions are for how I simply approached the pages, overall, not specific instructions for each page.

Adhere torn pieces of vintage book text to each page before applying Gesso. Some of the Gesso can be pushed back by wiping with a baby wipe. Some of the book text can be torn off at this stage, I like to do this to create surface interest. Next apply Infusions, misting generously with water. 

Stamp sentiments onto book text painted with Gesso. Sentiments do not always need to be stamped as a whole. 

Fussy cut images of children from collage sheets. Plan placement of child and sentiments. The coffee stain style Texture stamp makes a wonderful halo for a child. 

Build up background by stamping the Texture stamps (those stamps quickly became Must Haves for me!). Now, adhere the child and sentiment, working with the pages as double page spreads. Ground the children by placing fragments of stamped papers beneath their feet or have a child sitting atop of fabric scrap.

Create definition around children and sentiments with watersoluble pencil/fineliner pen.  Also doodle around sentiments. Add further interest by stamping onto book pages, including pieces stained with Infusions. Give one of the children wings by stamping the butterfly from Affirmations set, cutting into two and adhering behind girl.

Stack the pages together, with the prepared acrylic cover, binding the book with ball chain. Finally, attach old button to cover.

Until next time,

Wishes

Lynne