Saturday 16 November 2013

Make a List!

Welcome to Magpieheaven where I'm sorry to say I haven't made very much progress with my Christmas cards! In fact I'm beginning to feel a bit overwhelmed with all that remains to be done for the festive season! Our kitchen still lacks work-tops, a new sink, half the cupboards and it needs to be decorated. Delia Smith in my favourite Christmas cookbook advocates lists and more lists about this time of year, so I decided to create a special Christmas notebook to take my mind off the chaos and to help me feel organized, even if I'm not!
I should like to enter my wintry list book for 2 challenges and it's my first time entering both these!
'Arty Inklings Christmas Challenge' where anything Christmas themed is welcome!
'Simon Says Got Ink?' where a project has to use ink in some way! Both these challenges have provided lots of inspiration for those who want to get into the Christmas spirit and get inky and painty!
I made my notebook by stitching five folded 'signatures' of sketch book paper between two thin canvases. I used cream coloured wax thread and Coptic stitching. For the background of my front cover I painted with Gesso, applying it very thickly in places. I then  used Grunge Paste coloured with Fresco Finish Lake Wanaka through a Crafters' Workshop stencil. I created a lacy, frosted appearance by adding lots of frantage in Shabby blue and accenting the centres of my flowers with pearls and gems. I also used die-cut snow flakes and punched leaves to frame my central image - The Frost Frond Queen.
Now we come to the first example of how I used ink on my project. Followers of my blog will know that the other day my son unearthed some stamps a friend of mine once had made of my designs. The image above is the only one I have mounted on Ez Mount so far, so I have used her a few times now. This time I stamped my 'Leafy Princess' onto a stencilled background on an oval of card. I used black Ranger Archival Ink, which I then clear embossed. The crown, which is from a Paper Artsy Lynne Perrella plate was stamped onto card painted with Fresco Lake Wanaka and Mermaid and then stamped with Wendy Vecchi Archival ink in Cornflower and clear embossed. I used a Posca pen to add white highlights to the crown and a thin layer of Frosted Lace Stickles to the leaves in my Princess's hair along with a snowy dollop of frantage. I picked out some of the background in White Fire Treasure Gold and then went to the ink again, this time Distress Inks by Tim Holtz to edge the tips of my snowflakes and corners of my book with Walnut Stain. I stuck some white lace with a blue glitter on the inside edge of the front cover.I used the snowflake 'On the Edge' Tim Holtz die on the inside edge of the back cover, painted with Lake Wanaka and sprinkled with Shabby Blue frantage.
I Gessoed the back of my notebook, slathering lots around the sides, top and bottom to look like snow. For thisback cover I used my favourite Clear Snap stencil of winter trees and a strip of ribbon with a design of bare trees that I really love.
Here I was really pleased with the effect of using Distress Ink through a stencil I made from the card left when I had die cut the snow flakes on the front of the book. I like the 'barely there' look of the snowflakes, which are sponged Broken China Distress Ink.
Going back to the front of my book, I die-cut this shape, which I painted with Fresco Mermaid. I then stamped with Wendy Vecchi Cornflower Blue Archival, a sentiment from a Lynne Perrella Paper Artsy plate, which I clear embossed and then highlighted with a white Posca pen. I edged with Wendy Vecchi Potting Soil Archival and some more Shabby Blue frantage.
I splodged some Gesso over the stitching and highlighted in places with Treasure Gold and some Shaved Ice Mica flakes and it's all ready for some serious organization - but am I!? Thank you for stopping by today as the days grow busier. Have a wonderful day wherever you are and whatever you have to do!

25 comments:

  1. Gorgeous! You know, I'd do something like that, but if it turned out even half as lovely as this, I'd never actually use it! I have a problem with writing in pretty notebooks. I always want to save them for "something special"... And yes, I have a HUGE stash of "too pretty" notebooks that have never been used, lol. x

    ReplyDelete
  2. I too wonder if you can bear to use it... it does look gorgeous.

    ReplyDelete
  3. This is soooo pretty Julie Ann and very wintery, lol! I do know from your tweets that you have actually written in it now so congratulations because I too would have wanted to 'preserve' it.

    Hugs
    Lesley Xx

    ReplyDelete
  4. Ooh this is gorgeous and that front cover looks so delicate. Hope you do use it then more peeps will get to see it.

    Sam xxx

    ReplyDelete
  5. That's gorgeous Julie Ann! Looks really frosty!! X

    ReplyDelete
  6. wow this is beautiful Julie Ann..reat texture and the colours are fab!!!

    ReplyDelete
  7. There would be nothing as delightful as holding this book, opening it to jot down notes for Christmas.
    I immediately recognised your own stamp and it simply looks astonishing gracing the cover of this beautifully frost book. It is almost as though I can hear the crunch of snow underfoot and the cold catching my breath as the way you created that icy appearance and texture is astonishing.
    Adore this!
    Wishes
    Lynne

    ReplyDelete
  8. Hi, Julie Ann, wow... this is such a gorgeous project! I love the beautiful stenciled textures and the beautiful inked colors. Thank you so much for sharing with us at Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge. Looking forward to seeing more of your great creations. :)

    ReplyDelete
  9. Gorgeous notebook, it looks perfectly wintry & frosty.

    ReplyDelete
  10. WOW...What a beautiful notebook...Love the textures & frosty colours...Hugs May x x x

    ReplyDelete
  11. Wow! What a stunning notebook! And hey- if this is the kind of gorgeous piece that comes out of the midst of your kitchen chaos, then I say be chaotic more often! It's amazing! You used so many incredible techniques and that color palette is so fresh and vibrant for the holidays. You have definitely done ink proud on this and I am so glad that you shared your creation with us here at the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge blog. I was truly inspired!

    ReplyDelete
  12. WHOOT, WHOOT, another GORGEOUS book, your perfecting your book making tecniques, that background all frosty and sparkly is divine, I'd like to feel it, my claws are itching :O).. Your stamp which by the way looks fantastic, it's perfect for our resident creating Queen in Parliament. EEKKSS the back is just as gorgeous with those fabulous trees... Organized or not, you will get everything done and do it SPECTACULARLY... We all feel that way this time of year, we all just do it and breath after :O).. Thanks for sharing, can you hear the Parliament cheering..... Hope you have a wonderful weekend Cuz.. (((( BIG HUGS ))))....

    ReplyDelete
  13. So frostily beautiful... amazing use of the diecuts, and that gorgeous lacy texture is simply wonderful. This is a really stunning piece of work, Julie Ann!

    Definitely think you should let yourself off the Christmas hook... sounds like you've more than enough on your hands with the kitchen etc. It's not a crime to buy Christmas Cards (especially charity ones)!! I'm sure the festive season isn't meant to be a source of stress.

    We're also looking for Christmas projects over at The Artistic Stamper this month, of course...

    Hope you're having a lovely Sunday!
    Alison xx

    ReplyDelete
  14. Wow, gorgeous note book! Love it! It's so pretty with all the layering and texture. Hope that the kitchen soon will be finished! Good luck! Thank you so much for joining us at Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge. Hugs, Sandra

    ReplyDelete
  15. Mmmm love this notebook must put this on my list of to do's lol.

    Crafty hugs from Shirl x x

    ReplyDelete
  16. Beautiful frosty note book Julie Anne, love the use of the frantage and mica flakes over the layers of texture. Hugs Mo x

    ReplyDelete
  17. Gorgeous cover! Just love the frosty textured look it has! Hope it's helping you get some of those lists done! Chrisx

    ReplyDelete
  18. A list book - now that is intriguing and I love yours - maybe I should do the same. I make lists and then lose them!!!!! Of course if I don't have time to make Christmas cards how in the world will I get time to make a list book!!!
    Sandy

    ReplyDelete
  19. Wow wow absolutely wonderful brilliant idea notebook. I love as always your background and all those details are delightful and your own stamp again she's beautiful :-) Kezzy xxx hugs xxxxxx xxxxxx xxxxxx

    ReplyDelete
  20. Yay!!!! Julie Ann, congrats on being on the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge Designer Spotlight!!! I m so happy for you! <3

    ReplyDelete
  21. This is gorgeous and so much detail! Thanks for the inspiration!

    ReplyDelete
  22. YIPPEE, YIPPEE, Julia Ann Lee!! You are a winner at Simon Says Stamp and Show for your magnificent work of art!! Congratulations!! Hugs, Darnell

    ReplyDelete
  23. Julie...congratulations on being selected as one our Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge Spotlight people. Your winter journal is such a lovely piece! Thanks so much for sharing with all of us! <3 Candy

    ReplyDelete

Due to high level of spam recently I have enabled comment moderation on this blog, so any comments will be moderated before appearing on the blog.