Hello

Book Closed

The accordian book by StudioLight was wonderful to work. As always, nature inspired, featuring a mixture of my new Nature's Gatherings stamps along with a few from the That's Crafty! Textures Collection and scattered throughout I have used the Scribbled Words stamps. 

That's Crafty! Clear Stamp Set Nature's Gatherings Set 1
That's Crafty! Clear Stamp Set Nature's Gatherings Set 2
That's Crafty! Clear Stamp Set Lynne's Scribbled Words Set 1
That's Crafty! Clear Stamp Set Lynne's Scribbled Words Set 2
That's Crafty! Clear Stamp Set Lynne's Wildflowers Set 2
That's Crafty! Clear Stamp Set Textures Collection Set 1
That's Crafty! Clear Stamp Set Textures Collection Set 3
That's Crafty! Surfaces Bits and Pieces Greyboard Sheet Large Feather
That's Crafty! Surfaces CraftyBoard Circles 
That's Crafty! Teabag Paper
That's Crafty! Medium Walnut Ink Crystals
That's Crafty! Medium Acrylic Liquid Wax
That's Crafty! Pearl Inks Bronze, Copper
That's Crafty! Multi-Surface Paints Black, White
StudioLight Art by Marlene Art Accordian Journal 
Craft o'clock Junk Journal Extras Beauty Restless
Archival Ink Pad Jet Black
Idea-ology Tiny Attacher
Extras: tags, muslin, re-cycled packing paper

Working only on one side for this project, after applying clear Gesso and allowing to dry, walnut ink was applied with large soft brush, I don't want a uniform application. To bring texture, sprinkling a few crystals onto the surface.

The Pearl Inks were splattered with stamping in the form of the smaller sized circle from Nature's Gatherings. 

To this, with Fluid Acrylic paint in Fine Line Applicator bottle, some free flow journaling spread across the length of the book. 

Laying the book aside. I struggled to move forwards at this point, I was over-thinking. I stepped away from the book, dipping into paper pieces, some stained with walnut ink and decided to go with the flow creating wee bundles with stamped focals.

When I stain papers, tags, I always stain batches and store so that I have to hand when required. This bundle onto a stained tag, with machine stitching to adhere but also to bring textural and visual interest.  With Pearl Inks, making marks on scrap piece of cardstock. 

Here the beginnings of another cluster with a Textures Collection leaf stamped onto handmade paper. Re-cycled white packing paper misted with walnut ink before stamping one of the larger Scribbled Words and the third piece of paper in the photo is teabag paper stained with walnut ink. 

More than any other project, I find that books are the perfect home for all the pieces of papers I have floating around, allowing me to bring various layers and textures. For this gathering, stamping the flower onto the handmade paper and then again onto a piece of torn teabag paper. More of the stamped Scribbled Words appear above and below the flower. 

I wanted to show this photo to display that I make changes as I go along. I would paper clip the individual bundles but there is always room for changes as I progress. The bundle to the far right of the photo, with the envelope, you will see that the envelope was later ditched. I always will play around with such gatherings, removing and adding as I progress and it might seem time and energy consuming but I find it restful to work in this way.

Photos of the bundles as they appear in the book now follow.

A small tag stained with walnut ink and then a Scribbled Words stamped before layering with re-cycled paper and stamped square.

Marks with Pearl Inks onto scrap piece of paper. 

Lifting the upper layer to reveal layers below.

I repeated this for the leaf stamp.

A Wildflower stamped onto Craft o'clock tag, layered to a piece of eco dyed fabric and more Scribble Words stamped paper. 

A large greyboard feather painted with the Multi-Surface paints and a touch of walnut ink tops another element from the Craft o'clock package before layering to more paper scraps and finally a tag. 

A few more details from the book. 

The butterfly stamped onto the handmade paper and then also onto a walnut ink stained tag. I often like to turn a tag upside down.

A stamped feather with lots of Scribbled Words. 

For the cover, I reached for a length of the teabag paper which I had previously stained with walnut ink and then applying Acrylic Liquid Wax which brings the most beautiful texture. A scrap of painted cardstock layered to a Craftyboard circle and to this the stamped image, simply layering to torn pieces of more teabag paper. 

Photos showing the book opened.

Thank you for visiting this very lengthy blog post!

Wishes

Lynne