The Craft Barn Fortnightly Challenge - Books

I've made a little notebook (4.5ins x 3.5 ins) as my entry into the current Craft Barn Fortnightly Challenge which is "Books".

I started by using a Bind-It-All to punch the holes for the wires in copier paper to make the pages and some card (rescued from a used board backed envelope) for the covers. Then I painted both sides of the card with Nougat PaperArtsy Fresco paint and brayered over the top with a selection of  Fresco's paints. The inside of the covers were stencilled using a script mask - luckily I remembered in time that the inside cover needed to be t'other way up when stencilling other wise the script would have been upside down when the cover was opened! The outside front and back covers were stencilled using my latest mask which I bought with my prize voucher won recently in the Craft Barn Alpha/Dictionary Challenge. I then added some Treasure Gold around all the edges of the covers before binding the book.

Now at this point I had intended to add a frame around an image of an elegant lady reading a book but realised I would cover up the the prettiest part of the stencilling. So that idea was dismissed but I felt it needed something else. I rummaged around in my ribbon collection feeling sure that I had some brown ribbon but no, every other colour but, so I dyed some seam binding with Distress Inks.

Notebook Recipe
Card
Recycled envelope
Copier paper
Paints/Inks
PaperArtsy Fresco paints - Nougat, Chutney, Tikka, Seaweed, Snowflake
Distress Inks - Rusty Hinge, Crushed Olive, Walnut Stain, Peeled Paint
Treasure Gold - White Fire
Stencils 
The Crafter's Workshop - Mini Art Is 
Tim Holtz Layered Stencil: Doily Item Number CA1705
Other
Seam binding
Bind-it-Wires 5/8"