Saturday 28 September 2013

Artistic Outpost - September Referral

Hello and welcome to Magpieheaven, followers and visitors, old and new. Last week at the big stamping and scrapbooking show at Alexandra Palace I bought my first plate of Artistic Outpost stamps. I had seen some wonderful examples of what could be done with these beautiful images and I had been wanting to own some of my own. I chose a plate with a spring theme, 'Birds of a feather' - not very seasonal, but I didn't think about that until I arrived home - I just loved the images, which I thought would be ideal for a project I had in mind: a handmade notebook for my daughter's twentieth birthday on October 4th. I should like to link this to the Artistic Outpost, September Referral Anything Goes Challenge.

I made my first one of these notebooks the other day and I used the same basic technique using two thin canvas boards as covers and drawing book pages as signatures, coptic stitching them in with waxed cotton thread, which I later gilded with Treasure Gold.
I stuck a metal cog charm and a die-cut frame to my front cover and then Grunge Pasted through a Crafters Workshop ledger stencil, after which I applied an initial coat of Snowflake Fresco paint by Paper Artsy, followed by Nougat. This integrated all the elements on my front cover. I then made up some sprays in little spritzers of diluted Vintage Lace and Lake Wanaka and randomly sprayed my canvas cover. This was rather nerve-racking, as I'm not very accurate with sprays and I did manage to squirt paint over the dining table and chairs! You can see why I tend to avoid CAS crafting!  But moving swiftly on...
I stamped the image of the two little girls onto pale yellow linen and then, using Frescos and fabric medium to aid the paint's flow on the fabric, I coloured them in. I aged the edge of my linen with some French Roast Fresco. I then took the stamp with the script and the eggs from the plate and stamped lightly with it over the canvas not using the acrylic block, as I wanted a random aged look. The space around the frame, I accented in copper-toned Treasure Gold, while I accented other raised areas with White Fire and Classic.
For the back of my book I stamped the page with the eggs on it onto the under layer of some napkin tissue, heat set and then fixed it with Claudine Hellmuth Multi-Medium. I then fixed on other napkin layers.
And edged the book with just-melted UTEE in gold. There is a beautiful flowery flourish on this plate, which I made into the image for my own Washi-tape edging.
For the finishing touches I added some handmade paper beads on pink ribbon sprayed with Wanaka Lake and a tiny fan charm.
Here is the front of the finished book resting on a selection of lace. I fixed some sprayed lace along the top of the inside page so that it peeps out, but it's probably too difficult to see this in the picture.
Thank you so much for stopping by today. It's really grey and miserable here at the moment, so I hope the spring images and blue skies of this little book will remind you that April - the month I started blogging in 2013 - is only  six months away!

11 comments:

  1. WOOHOO FIRST TO COMMENT,, you have made everything yourself even the sprays, you go woman, I love hoe you stamped on the linen, looooove that, the front with the script, all the texture, with the lovely gold, it gorgeous, I think the back is beautiful, love the random stamping and your gorgeous washi tape and the those beautiful napkins, with the touches of gold, BEAUTIFUL front and back, excellant job, we in the parliament are cheering you on, your daughter will looooooove it, thanks so much for sharing this special gift made with love, I can feel it from here, have a wonderful day.. Big hugs...

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  2. Glorious notebook covers, Julie Ann - what stunning stamping, spraying and gilding. The little girls look wonderful in their weathered frame, so beautifully painted too... and I just love the eggs and butterfly stamping on the back cover. What a glorious gift for your daughter! Thank you so much for playing along with us at Artistic Outpost with this beauty.
    Alison xx

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  3. Ooo -- another journal! (You're only worsening my journal obsession with your beautiful, handmade notebooks, Julie!)

    I will respond to your email soon (busy, busy day involving alpacas and farms and cookies and all sorts of fun things), but until then, let me just say that I'm glad you had a nice birthday and that I'm sure Mattie will love your gift to her as much as you loved her present to you!

    <3 <3

    Kate

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  4. Hello Julie Ann. What a stunning piece of work. I really like it....especially the blues and gold and the wonderful textures. Karen.x

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  5. Wow this is great Julie Ann! Live the colours and images. :)

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  6. Wow wow wow absolutely stunning and so beautiful, your daughter will love it. I so love the stamps and all the layering you did. I use an old box with the front cut out for spraying as I spray everything lol. Lots of love and hugs Kezzy :-) xxxxxx

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  7. This is a lovely notebook with so many gorgeous details! I love the blues and gold and all that texture! Lovely share with AO! Enjoy the week!

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  8. This is amazing, back and front. A truly beautiful combination of colours, light blue and gold, plus the texture and the lovely image. Bellissimo!

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  9. Congrats on your much deserved top 3 win - so thrilled to see your name!

    Lucy x

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  10. CONGRATULATIONS, I knew your work would be a winner, I'm so happy for you, hope your having a wonderful day...((( BIG HUGS ))))

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  11. CONGRATULATIONS Julie Ann on being a winner. Well deserved. Karen.x

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