Largest Journal to date

Back to journal making. I've just completed another one to upload to my Etsy. This is the largest one I've made. They just seem to be getting bigger, not in height, but more pages. SOLD. Thank you.



This is the front cover, it has a piece of copper that I embossed with a poppy seed head then coloured with inks. This is enclosed in an old slide holder.





This page also has a piece of embossed and coloured copper. I added a metal element to this piece too.

More of this and that

It's been one of those weekends, out all day Saturday and inside Sunday. The weather keeps threatening rain as you can see in the photo from my studio below, but it just can't quite make it. The sun comes out then, when you go out into the garden the rain threatens. I gave up in the end and came inside to my studio. I feel for such an interrupted day I've achieved quite a lot.

The image above is a sketch I drew and coloured of pomegranates, or they could be poppy seed heads. I intended them to be pomegranates but they aren't sure.
I scanned them into photoshop, put some of my decorated paper behind them then added a layer of grungy brush marks. I was quite pleased with the results. Once I saved the file I changed the hue and saturation so I now have four different colourways. I'm printing these onto 160gsm laser paper to add to my journals.







Above is an almost completed journal for my etsy. I still have to add a few more bits and pieces and then bind it into one of the new covers I made below.

I hope to hold a decorated papers/hand made journal workshop either on Saturday 26th or Sunday the 27th of September, I need a minimum of five to make it viable. If you're interested in attending please email me for details.






Below is a technique I'm experimenting with for journal covers. I've covered heavy duty watercolour paper with pre-mixed polyfilla, a product used for filling holes or cracks in walls. You can buy it in a tub pre-mixed so it has a very spreadable consistency.
I carved into it and added texture will it was wet, then when it dried I added a few different combinations of paint.






I also dyed some more lace and ribbon doilies for journals. I just cut out little sections of the lace to stitch into my books.








Finally I picked these lovely daffodils from our garden on one of my trips outside. They are definitely my favourite flower.

Thanks also to Sylvia for awarding me the MeMeAward. I can't think of seven things that you don't already know about me (or that I'm prepared to tell) that I haven't already said from earlier awards.
Thanks again Sylvia.

Hand made journal and disintegration project

I have been busy assembling another journal for my etsy site. My journals are very time consuming but I love making them, adding lots of details and artwork. I have also added some more collage prints to my shop too.

Below are some of the pages and covers.
There's lots of fabric and pieces of hand dyed lace doilies, sari silk, buttons and collage work, old clothing labels, prints of my artwork and original cut out pieces of my art.













DISINTEGRATION AT LAST

Finally I've made something with the disintegration project that was conducted by Seth from the Altered Page blog. We hung or buried papers and fabric etc outside for six months to see what would happen. Mine went through drought, bush fires and eventually some rain and lots of wind.

Below are the stages and results of my bundle.

There was very little change, just a touch of rust.

I've decided to add some of the papers, including the gum leaves, rusty washers and raffia that I used to tie the bundle with, to some of my textured papers and use them as future journal covers.
I don't seem to be able to get away from journals at present.

Journals and Melbourne

I'd like to thank everyone for their lovely comments on my blog over the last few weeks, I try to visit your blogs or send emails to thank you all, but I don't always get around to everyone. Please forgive me if I haven't contacted you and I do thank you very much, your comments are always appreciated. Thank you also to everyone who just drops in for a look, it makes blogging all worthwhile knowing there are people out there who take an interest in what you do.



Above are some components for my next necklace, I can't seem to get away from the sewing theme, I've even enclosed an old wooden cotton reel with cotton still on it, inside a very fine wire mesh tube. This piece may end up on my etsy when it's completed.







I've been busy during the week finishing off a journal for a lovely lady, Joanne for a very special birthday. The book is made from fabric and has some prints of my art, pieces of jewellery and lots of layers. Joanne has taken all of the different workshops I teach, she also opens up Hann Made for us on the third Thursday of the month so that we can all get together and
'do our own art thing'. Happy Birthday Joanne.






Today we took a trip into Melbourne for the Dali exhibition at the National Gallery, there was so much of Dali's work on display, it was amazing.



I love Melbourne's mix of old and new, this is the clock tower on our main city train station, and below is the station with our tallest skyscraper, the Eureka Tower, dwarfing it in the background.




This is the tower standing in it's own right amongst the 'new' side of town. We have some lovely old buildings and so many of the little lane ways are wall to wall with cafes and restaurants, with tables spilling out onto the street in a very cosmopolitan fashion. The atmosphere is wonderful as is the food and the coffee. It's still lovely to come home to our mountain retreat though at the end of the day.

Papers

I can't seem to get away from paper art at present. I've created a collage sheet of some of my canvas paintings and a collage sheet of close ups of some of my work. These are laser prints on good quality 160gsm paper. They can be used in journals, altered books, card making etc. They are now in my Etsy store.




These are some of my decorated papers I made over the weekend ready to assemble into more journals. I ended up with quite a stash by the time I'd finished. The brown sheet was on water colour paper, I've created a few pieces on heavier weight paper to disperse through the journals.




This is the paper all cut and stacked ready to have more decorations and fabric added before they are assembled.



I hope to have my disintegration project ready to show over the coming weekend.