Working in journals has become such a favourite of mine and when selecting That's Crafty! Journals then I know that no matter the amount of media I apply, the boards will withstand it all.  

I know many are able to jump around and have differing styles, themes, etc appear within one journal but for me, at the moment, I like it to be a co-hesive project at the end of the day, whether with imagery or a message I am trying to evoke.  I suppose I approach it more as a book.  I was getting too tied up with labels for a while, is it a book or is it an art journal and can it be an art journal if no written journaling appears but I've decided to shake off those thoughts, what does it really matter anyway.

Normally I share the complete journal but I will share a few pages this week and a few the following week. A video of the full book will be shared on my social media.

That's Crafty! Clear Stamp Set Lynne's Affirmations Set 8
That's Crafty! Clear Stamp Set The Language of Trees Set 2
PaperArtsy Eclectica Cling Stamps ECF05 Designed by Courtney Franich
That's Crafty! Surfaces Journal Round 6" White/Greyboard 8 pages and 2 bookrings
That's Crafty! Surfaces TeaBag Paper
That's Crafty! A4 Stencil Circles TC40002
That's Crafty! Medium Walnut Ink Crystals
That's Crafty! Acrylic Liquid Wax (available in different size jar)
That's Crafty! Medium White Gesso
That's Crafty! Multi-Surface Paint: White, Black, Grey
That's Crafty! Pearl Inks: Black, Tree Bark, Bronze
Archival Ink Jet Black
Extras: twigs, black sewing thread, black sari ribbon scraps, old book pages

Instructions

Preparation

For all the pages, first white Gesso was applied, doesn't have to be precise, just a general covering of the pages, in fact more interesting results are achieved when the Gesso is applied randomly.
Working quickly, spray with water before applying the paints and pearl inks, also spraying with walnut ink.  Allow to merge together, manipulating by rotating the panels. If outcome is too dark, apply more white paint. I've also mixed white paint with Fluid Medium and at other times, simply diluting with water, decanting into a bottle and shaking thoroughly before applying to panels.

Allow all panels to air dry.  

Front Cover

Ink up one of the text stamps from The Language of Trees set, cutting into strips before adhering to front cover of journal, simply edging with Stabilo ALL for definition. Above the words, rescuing waste from one of the holes of the journal. To embellish, two twigs wrapped together with simple black cotton sewing thread. 

For this spread, the palette is more towards grey with the walnut ink. I achieve the texture, I work by applying some of the media, in this instance White, Grey Multi-Surface Paint and quick spray of walnut ink, to one panel, then lifting the second panel on top and pressing down, before lifting the panel away again. This tends to be my preferred method when working in journals.

Once dry, it was a matter of stamping the background image with Archival Ink but to give a grungy outline, the A4 Circles was placed over the stamped image and with mix of Black Pearl Ink and Stabilo ALL, blending with damp, fine paintbrush and then removing the stencil, slightly blending with my finger. 

I try to keep a batch of stained old book pages... here cutting circles out, again using the A4 Circles Stencil, before adhering to the page and finally, a dried leaf, embellished with scrap of teabag paper, stained with walnut ink and then with an application of Acrylic Liquid Wax...this is why I keep a box filled with such scraps. A final step of adding simple primitive stitches to the leaf.

Right Side one of the tree stamps dominates the page.  Firstly, adhering stencilled and cut out circles and then inking one of the tree stamps with Archival Jet Black, stamping onto the background and then scribbling with Stabilo ALL to give it a sketchy appearance. 

Another dried leaf and again, a teeny scrap of the walnut ink stained teabag paper, again with Acrylic Liquid Wax, with a single stitch and layered upon fragments of the very same paper.

For page 5 ....

Working with PaperArtsy ECF stamp set, inking up and stamping onto page, simply with black ink.

I really do like this stamp so much and was happy to have it as the focal, with only a circle and fragments of stained book text, it  was also a means to have the background breathe. 

Thank you for visiting this post, Part II will appear next week. 

Lynne