Hello

Monday saw the release of many products from That's Crafty! a few I incorporated into today's project which began life as a piece of watercolour paper prepared for the Journal Kit sample made for HOCHANDA. At that time I had stained, folded the watercolour paper, stitching a stained, calico tab. It had no place in the completed journal. Picking up that folded piece of prepared watercolour paper got the cogs in motion to make a wee booklet, it seems too much to call it a book!

Dipping into the Journal Kit I worked with: watercolour paper, rice paper, corrugated cardboard and calico and amongst the other new releases, Flat Matte Spray in Basil and new stamps.

Supplies

That's Crafty! Surfaces A5 Mixed Media Journal Kit (Watercolour Paper, Rice Paper, Calico)
That's Crafty! Clear Stamp Set Lynne's Wildflowers Set 1 - A5
That's Crafty! Clear Stamp Set Lynne's Affirmations Set 10
That's Crafty! Flat Matte Spray - Basil
Memento Ink Tuxedo Black 
That's Crafty! Multi-Purpose Craft Adhesive
Water Spray/Mister Bottle (HERE)
Sewing Machine
Black Thread
Eco Dyed Nettle Twine
Walnut Ink Crystals
Watercolour Brush (various brushes HERE)
Bamboo Dip Pen
Acrylic Drawing Ink - Black

Instructions

(Sorry, I don't have any stepped out photos - only lots of detail photos)

I started by mixing Flat Matte Spray - Basil with dissolved walnut ink crystals, this brings a more earthy tone which suits my particular style - this is when we love a product, when we can take it in different directions depending on the projects we are working on. The spray has a wonderful depth of colour.

My method is to spray water onto the watercolour card before applying colour with a watercolour brush, allowing the colour to drip. If required, I allow to partially dry (air drying - not with a heat tool) before re-applying more colour.

I deliberately stamped off the ink before stamping onto the bottom edge of the booklet, then with a bamboo dip pen and black acrylic drawing ink, I doodled over a few of the flowers.

All the papers I used in this booklet were already stained. Behind the "You have permission to ..." words, stamped onto scrap of eco dyed Rice Paper (rice paper from the Journal Kit) a mini booklet of cardboard paper, corrugated paper and rice paper, stamped with Wildflowers or sentiments.

Turn the booklet over and more Wildflowers, again stamped onto eco dyed rice paper, machine stitched to the booklet, with words from the same Wildflowers set. Sentiments were stamped onto cardboard paper.

Rice paper can be very fragile when wet, allow to dry thoroughly. If layering a couple of sheets of rice paper prior to staining/dying/wetting and leaving them stacked together until they dry, it can take on a beautiful textural effect akin to handmade paper - see stamped image below.

To bind the book, at one end, I stitched nettle yarn under the edge where the sentiment reads Secrets whispered in the secret garden, simply wrapping the yarn several times around the book to close it.
There we have it, a wee booklet!

If you have not managed to view the new products, they are available to view, for the moment at the What's New? category at the on-line store.

Until next time,
Wishes
Lynne