Moleskine Journal Adventure in Pinks

I can't believe it's Thursday tomorrow already... and I've not got half of the things done that I wanted. I did  however get an order on Etsy for one of my textile collaged books. After a bit of bantering I finally opted for moleskines as a base for further journals and ordered a letter sized cahier to see how they looked. 

I've also got some Volants coming soon, in an A5 size.

Pricing is always difficult- if I added up how long I actually spent working on the books and cover minimum wage, I'd have to charge upwards of £70.00- not going to happen! I might have to up them a little bit though... £30.00 doesn't cover the first days work. Oh the trials of being an artist.

Anyway, here's a peek at the Book of Shadows, created for Karen. 

 I'll be shipping it off to the US tomorrow, I hope it doesn't take too long to get there, and I hope she likes it.

I spent some extra time today making a title page for another journal, in blues and orange, I'll make the cover tomorrow and list it on Etsy as a ready-made, hopefully someone will snap it up for Christmas.

Creating a Book of Leaves

Last month Ruth began a prompt in our Hinges group on Milliande's to create a book of Leaves using a coptic binding technique. It's a very simple and effective technique and we've added some great little books into the discussion.

Here's mine so far- it's not filled up yet, but not too far to go. I've used a few techniques and am having fun...

The cover is a 3mm layer of plaster on MDF. I've scratched into the plaster and washed it with acrylics, added a few pics, then waxed over the whole thing. I drilled the holes before painting.

This is the endpage so far. I used several different papers to give me some variation in work... Leaves is an ink doodle highlighted with pencils.

The text is by an unknown author, but it resonated with me so I've used it over stamped texts and swirls. The leaf is a cutout with 2 pages stuck together and a bit of colour added.

This double-spread is an ink drawing, highlighted with coloured pencils.

Another unknown author, but given the time of year I thought it highly appropriate, and fun! Written in ink and highlighted with coloured pencils. The image is a tracing of a brassy leaf charm I have.

As I was working on the book an ATC arrived from Barbara in Canada, so I had to find a quick use for the funky tape she'd used... sometimes simple is just best! The brassy leaf used previously highlighted on a bronzy textured paper.

A printed paper is used as a background for an embossed and painted pattern on foil. I love macro so had to create a cellular pic of a leaf using copics and pencils.

Try as I might I cannot improve with my calligraphy. I love using it, but hate my writing... this is a well used quote by Camos, but I like it so have added to the long list of users.... Inked text over stamped texts and florals. Embellished with a paper flower rather than use a word, trying to add a new element.

More doodling... I love hearts and they can very easily be adapted into leaves. Coloured with copics.

There are a few more that I've not taken a pic of yet... collage and acetate windows... and a few more to fill up... so I'll update when I've done some more. 

Maybe you'll take a look at the prompt and have a go? If you want a similarly easy book to make take  a look at my tutorial here. Have fun and let me know how you get on!!

ART DOLL FUN...

My word, I can't believe I haven't posted for so long... I should have posted last Saturday but it was a nice day and with Father's Day on the Sunday and my parents being away for my birthday later, we went out for a special meal. A very nice time was had by all and the weather stayed remarkably sunny too- a blessing considering our recent wet trend.

I spent a couple of days last week getting on with one of the Elements dolls I'm creating for a Doll Challenge on Stitchin Fingers . We are only supposed to do one, but if you are doing one element, you should really make the set- I think, anyway! If you have followed my previous posts you will have seen I spent some time cutting fabric and designing/ painting symbols on the body pieces last month.

I've been hung up on finding suitable fabrics for the rest of the bodies in the set, but I found some rather nice pieces eventually so I've had to continue with the "Earth" doll.

Here she is complete... I'm not entirely happy with her face, and I plan on making a clay mask that I can paint up for each doll.

She has little suede pixie boots and bag, her own elder wand, and funky earthy dreads. As I said earlier, I want to create a mask for her and at the same time I still want to make a mold for clay hands, which can be smaller and more detailed. So I'm not too displeased with her, all in all. 

She'll be perfect once I make the adjustments.... and then on to another element, with my new sewing machine that should be arriving within the hour... goodbye to my 20 year old Toyota, and hello to my QE404. I'm so nervous it's killing me- I hope it's a good one, it does everything I want but I don't know the make... but for my budget it looked the best- so we'll see. I shall keep my Toyota as backup, no computer bits to go wrong there- it just doesn't do what I need nowadays. I'll be posting some textile work soon I expect- wish me luck!!!

Book covers in 3D

That's my weekend finished with bubbled gesso projects. I was determined to do  couple that could be used as book covers so while using the same technique I chose different accents... 

here they are-

-

I shall find some nice papers now and bind them into books for sale. I might even get them onto Etsy- I've been planning putting work on for sooooo long, but just not looking forward to writing all the texts.

I've also taken lots of pics through the stages, and have posted a tutorial in the Craft section.

Butterflies are definately in this month...

A few days earlier I posted my heart for June's prompt... the material featured this month is gesso, highlighting "fossilised" shapes and textures. The heart turned out really well, and I enjoyed creating it so much I decided to do some more...

Here's the first one... on a spare piece of mountboard. I don't often use green but I thought it would work well for this. I shall probably frame this one, but I decided to create a set and have them proud of the frame so I'm collaging onto 6 x 4" canvas boards. It will be a set of four, one for each season... I'll post once they're done.

Fun with Botany

I've just finished photographing my swaps for Palma's Botanical matchbox swap ... I wasn't sure whether to do some of my botanical painting, or mix it up a bit... but as it is a completely new experience for me I went with the mixing it up a bit!!

I used this template  for the matchbox... and googled matchboxes to get some ideas as to how they are usually decorated...

I wanted to do something really funky as well, and as I'm not really vintage or steampunky I don't have much in the way of suitable embellishments for those styles. I did think a pop-up box would be fun though, and as I'm not allowed to send natural materials to Oz I felt a fake tree was in order!! I know how you love trees Mel!

I cut my boxes, little base inserts, found some pen springs, and dug into my wire and crystal collection.... the results being 3 little landscapes, complete with river, flowers and overhanging tree... wish I could find a small enough fairy to pop in there too...

Blues

Golds

Greens

These are for Mel, Dawna and Susan, but I'm not going to say who's is who's... that'll have to be the suprise! xx