Collaborative Book

I was invited to take part in a collaborative book project recently and here are the results! The book was themed 'Nature' and was to be a paper bag book. 12 participants made 2 pages each so that the resulting book would be 24 pages. All the pages were sent to the hostess who sent them back out to participants with the necessary number of paper bags. All went smoothly and the pages are gorgeous! However what hadn't been anticipated was the depth of the resulting book and how best to bind it!

I recently took an online class with Mary Ann Moss where we made a journal. I really enjoyed this class and heartily recommend it - it also teaches a fab way to use up all that paper you've bought or saved and can't get rid of. The cover technique seemed perfect for this project so off I went. I don't feel I can go into too much detail regarding the process because it was someone else's class but the basics are to create a lightweight cardboard template sized to go around the pages, including a spine deep enough for them and then to create a fabric slip cover. All this is machine sewn. The pages are then attached using a standard pamplet stitch - I did each of mine individually so have 6 signatures.

Book closed (sorry this one is a bit blurry - the rest are better)

Inside front cover and page 1 by Hilda

Pages 2 and 3 by Liz and Adrienne

Pages 4 and 5 by Annie and Annette

Pages 6 and 7 by me and Linda

Pages 8 and 9 by Hilda and Teresa

Pages 10 and 11 by Debbie and Wendy

Pages 12 and 13 by Linda and Wendy

Pages 14 and 15 by Rachel and Margaret

Pages 16 and 17 by Debbie and Annette

Pages 18 and 19 by me and Liz

Pages 20 and 21 by Teresa and Rachel

Pages 22 and 23 by Adrienne and Annie

Page 24 by Margaret and inside back cover

These pages are really lovely as you can see - they are even better in 'real life' - loads of different techniques, depth and layers. Thank you all.

Tag

Made this today. Background is Distress Inks and all stamps used are from The Artistic Stamper including the flower which is stamped onto tissue paper and cut out.

More ATCs

A few more of my ATC collection - copies of various swaps - most include some stamping which I love to do.

Blog Candy

Great giveaway over on Kristin's blog - free copies of this

Go and take a look

Tag

I needed a large tag today and came up with this.

I have stamped directly onto some vintage paper. The woman is stamped in Ranger Black Archival ink and the swirl in Dusty Concord Distress ink. The patterned papers are glued on afterwards and finshed with rows of stitched beads. I have embellished further with chipboard hearts covered with patterned paper and have glued some micro beads onto the larger one. All stamps and inks are vailable from The Artistic Stamper

Faux Lace

I made this card for Mothers Day using the new lace stamps from The Artistic Stamper. They are really lovely stamps. I have stamped the lace 'square' behind the flower and the two lace strips along the bottom of the card with versamark ink on vellum paper and then embossed with white embossing powder, cut them out and then added to card. The flower is also made using the same technique and stamps from The Artistic Stamper and is finished in the centre with a cluster of beads.

Remains of the Day Journal

I signed up for the Mary Ann Moss 'Remains of the Day' Journal online class and have finshed my first one. I really enjoyed making this journal - no stamps (I might add a few later though), inks, paint or glue - just scraps of material, paper and a sewing machine. Even if you are a complete beginner with the sewing machine I think you would manage this - Mary Ann is a great teacher and her videos are really easy to follow. So here are my pictures - the cover first and then a selection from the 39 pages that are in my journal - all ready to start journaling on!

There are loads of pockets and places to add pictures including clear inserts and envelopes. The idea of this journal is to use up 'stuff' you already have and I did exactly that.

ATCs

I love making ATcs and have many made and not blogged - so here are a few. Most of these are duplicates of ones made for swaps.

Most of the photographs are bought images but the lady in the top row in the centre is my Great-grandmother, Anne-Marie Yardley. She was very poor and I often wonder where she got the smart hat from to pose for this photograph. She worked as a silk weaver hence the sewing connection and the photograph was taken around 1913.

Art From The Heart Workshop - Day 2

This two day Dina Wakley workshop in Harrogate was 'the best'. Day one was all about preparing, masking, painting, stenciling and a bit of journaling. Day two took it a bit further and was all about the layering process. The aim was 20 layers - a layer was any change e.g. colour, technique, direction etc and 20 'layers' was easier than it sounded. Here are my 3 'practice pieces.

Notice there is still no journaling - I have a big issue with my handwriting and plan to practice a bit more first. Well after these 3 pieces a bigger piece of paper was called for to get to the 20 'layers. Here's mine:

I rather liked this! You'll have to trust me re 'The 20 layers' - they are there - well 15 at least! This could be a finished piece of art or it could be turned into a mini book which is what I did. This worked amazingly well - not just for me - all the booklets were fabulous - each little page had a lovely coherency that was hard to believe. I can't wait to make another. Here is the booklet - I especially love the back page and hope you can see the texture which is modeling paste spread through a stencil - I will journal in it too - just need to get that handwriting better!

Art From The Heart Workshop

I just got back from fab two days at Dyan's Art From The Heart where I took a journaling workshop with the wonderful Dina Wakley (all the way from USA!). Everyone was lovely and there were a couple of 'famous' bloggers there too! Check out Sue's blog and Sarah's!

Dina was lovely - very encouraging and generous with her knowledge and comments.

Here's what I produced on the first day although none are finished yet - they will be though - I LOVED this class.

Unfortuntely the colours have not photographed great - they are more intense in real life.

I will be back later with the second days pages.