Hello!

This week I'm sharing the journal that I created with the gorgeous new nature silhouette stamp designs from Lynne Moncrieff. The stamps are so versatile I just know they'll never be far from my art table!

You may need a cuppa before reading as there are quite a few page spreads to see!

I don't really have a step by step for this project as it was a kind of go with the flow creation so it will just be the basic background information and then what I embellished each of the pages with. I've gone for a spring feel with pretty bright shades to give a cheerful look to the whole journal.

All of the pages including the covers were coloured by swiping a couple of contrasting shades of slightly diluted multi surface paints on with an old store card. I chose colours that would blend well if there was any overlap.

I then added stamping and/or stencilling to create my backgrounds for the main elements I chose for each double page spread.

This spread uses lavender and lime paints and I stamped on top choosing VersaFine Clair inks to tone in with the paint shades using stamps from Lynne's Scribbled Words sets. The blossoms were stamped on white card with Clair inks and cuts out. The bird was inked up with deep purple ink and before stamping, I stamped a sprig directly on the stamp with dark brown ink. This gives a different look to the bird. I added text from the Nature's Gatherings set.

This one uses Teal and Apricot Multi Surface Paints with a touch of Orange. I then used a bubbles stencil with Light Blue paint to add a pattern. I added stamping with blue and orange inks and images from the Scribbled Words sets. The sprigs were stamped on white card with toning inks and cut out. The diamond shapes are rice paper misted with Orange Flat Matte spray and then the squares image was stamped with deep blue ink. Text from the Gathering's set was stamped on white card with blue ink and grunged up a little with inks.

These pages have Light Pink and Lime swiped on them and were then stamped with images from the Scribbled Words sets again using co-ordinating Clair inks. I then painted a Craftyboard ATC a very light pink and stamped on script with orange ink. I painted the tree Craftyboard Overlay by dabbing on various shades of Multi Surface Paint and glued this on top of the ATC. I stamped a blossom and some text with brown ink on ink spray overflow scraps and added these to the pages.

This spread has a slightly stronger background created with Yellow and Light Blue paints and I stencilled on top with the squares stencil and Teal paint. I swiped on a little diluted Chestnut Brown. I painted a Craftyboard ATC with Blue and Green, stamping on it with Green and Orange. I added stamping to the background with the lines image and orange ink. I stamped a large bird as before using shades of brown and a small bird as a brown silhouette. I also stamped some small sprigs with orange ink and some leaves on ink spray overflow with orange on using shades of blue ink. I added text stamped on more of the overflow paper.

For this spread, I returned to pastels using Apricot, Light Pink and Lime. I overstamped the paint with various images from the Scribbled Words set with orange and green inks. I stamped a variety of sprigs and blossoms to contrast with the background together with a bird as before, a leaf on overflow paper and a hand cut circle stamped with orange ink on green and blue inked paper. I finished off with the tag stamped in brown with the text stamped in it using masking to make it fit.

This spread is the most striking and was coloured with Lime and Teal paints. I then used the Brick Circle Dinky stencil to add a pattern with Teal paint - it looks stronger as it's not diluted. I took a couple of scraps of orange shaded overflow paper and stamped on text with brown ink. I tore the edges for a distressed look. I added some blossoms stamped on white paper with brown ink together with a couple of leaves stamped on orange inky paper with blue ink and the text stamped in brown on the same paper.

The front and back were painted with the same colours using Light Pink and Lime Multi Surface Paints, slightly diluted as before. I then stamped on some leaves (an image from the nature's gatherings set I chose to work with using cracked pistachio Distress Oxide ink. I stamped on further images from the scribbled words set with Crushed Olive and Vintage Velvet Oxide inks. To make the leaves on the front cover stand out a bit more, I inked the image lightly with Picked Raspberry and pressed it over the stamped leaves to add some contrasting colour.

The front cover was embellished with some rice paper circles misted with Rose Flat Matte Spray and stamped with a brown circular scribble image. I added some leaves stamped on green inky paper with deep green ink. Over this I placed a tree Craftyboard Overlay painted with sepia and gold pearl inks, a purple bird stamped with a brown sprig as before and text stamped on pink inky paper.

The back cover is simply embellished with a brown bird which was glued on top of a sprig stamped directly on the surface with dark brown ink.

Plain Rice Paper

Old Store Card

Scraps of Ink Spray Overflow Papers etc.

Have a great weekend and see you next week.