A Notebook of Joy and Gelli Prints for Bee Crafty

Hello!

It is my turn today to share a project with you on the Buzzy Goings on at Bee Crafty Blog and as it is almost the end of the school holidays here I have started to think about gifts for my son's teacher and assistants at the end of the year.  So I decided to get ahead of the game and created a notebook with decorated pages...

I started by cutting the covers and spine from mount board using a die that I have and then coated them with gesso, white for the covers and black for the spine.  I used 3 colours of Dylusions paint brayering them on in layers (polished jade, fresh lime and lemon zest) and then used white ink to stamp the multi mini distressed diamonds and archival ink with the XL script stamp...

The wildflower 2 stamp was added using grey and green archival inks as I wanted them to look quite soft.  Then I added some streaks of crackle glaze to both covers (you can't really pick it up in the photos) and stencilled through the distressed harlequin d'inkable using glass bead gel.  When these mediums had dried I added some gold gilding wax.  Next I stamped one of the small butterflies onto the cover then again onto card and coloured with aqua markers and clear sparkle pen, then coated with glossy accents.  The sentiment was stamped in watering can archival ink as I wanted to continue with softer tones then coloured the pieces with distress oxide inks...

I didn't want plain pages for the notebook so after cutting them from mixed media paper I used my gelli plate and distress oxide inks to colour them.  Then I placed the d'inkables on the gelli plate and reprinted the pages to create extra pattern...

I used the same coloured inks to stamp some of the beautanical images onto the pages.  The colours used were twisted citron, peeled paint, cracked pistachio, peacock feathers and fossilized amber...

To complete the notebook I used my crop a dile to add eyelets for an organza ribbon closure.  The pages were added to the book quite simply by tying a piece of elasticated cord round the middle of them, then sliding the cord around the spine.  I have seen lots of notebooks and journals with pretty dangly charms attached so made my own using some beads, jump rings, chain and a head pin (from my jewellery making days!) and attached it to the cord.

Here are the links to the products used...

* Beautanicals - Wildflower 2, Teasels, Dandelion, Ground Elder
* Art Stamps - Birds and Butterflies Set 1
* Backdrops - Multi Mini Distressed Diamonds, XL Script
* Wordage - Joy Is a Flower
* D'Inkables - Distressed Harlequin, Circles, Metal Alpha, Hexagons
* Dylusions Paints
* Distress Oxide Inkpads
* Archival Inkpads

I now need to make another two in different styles and I will be well prepared for July!!

Thank you for looking and happy crafting,

Jane xx