The Craft Barn Song Challenge - I Can't Stand the Rain

The current song title in the Craft Barn Song Challenge is "I Can't Stand the Rain". Not one that is on my song radar so "You Tube" had to come to my rescue. Of the various videos I watched the disco version by Eruption was my top choice.

I started my postcard (my chosen format for this challenge) by spraying the base card with Distress Spray Stain. The window was stamped on to a piece of card and cut out and then the window pane areas removed. The window was then stamped again on acetate and cut out and then stamped with a raindrops stamp. On a piece of card I stamped the country landscape and watercoloured the image with Distress Inks. I glued the acetate window to the landscape and then attached the frame over them.

The little girl with attitude is from one of my favourite and very well used Crafty Individuals sets. I think she has been told she can only go out to play in the rain if she changes her clothes and put on her wellies. I'm sure she has stamped her feet a few times and said "It's not fair!". I stamped the girl on to a piece of white card, cut her out, coloured with Copic markers and paper-pieced her dress. I completed the postcard with the song title and artist's name.

 Postcard Recipe
Card
Anna Marie Super Smooth Printer Card 200gsm
Anna Marie High White 300gsm
Acetate
Downloaded background paper
Inks
Distress Spray Stain - Mermaid Lagoon
Memento Tuxedo Black
Distress Inks - Forest Moss, Peeled Paint, Hickory Smoke, Mermaid Lagoon
StazOn Jet Black
Ranger Archival - Watering Can
Copic Markers
Stamps 
Scenery - Stamp Addicts
Window - Stamp Addicts SA-5026 Window Dressing
Girl - Crafty Individuals CI-277
Raindrops - Designs by Ryn Water Effects 1 UM-M1
Other
Song Title – Computer generated “Please write me a song” font
 

The Craft Barn Twelve Month Challenge - April

I'm finding the Craft Barn Twelve Month Challenge just that this year and I've just about made the deadline again.

The  Twelve Month Challenge is based on the poem by Sara Coleridge "The Months"  and April's verse is "April brings the primrose sweet, scatters daisies at our feet". Our finished piece has to display the verse and this month must also include daisies and primroses.

For the background of my page I used a piece of background paper by Crafty Individuals which I glued to a piece of card to give it some rigidity.The die cut leaves, branch and primrose leaves were all coloured with Distress Inks. I sponged some PaperArtsy Fresco paint onto a piece of card and then stamped the primroses and painted the centres with a darker Fresco paint The daisies were stamped onto white card and the middles then painted. The flowers were then cut out and glued to the page with just a small blob of glue to give just a hint of dimension. The excited little blue tit (I think he has just learnt to fly!) - was a lovely freebie from Craft Stamper a couple of years ago. I stamped it onto watercolour paper, coloured with watercolour pencils and then blended the colour with water. I completed the page with the computer generated verse. 

Page Recipe
Card/Paper
Background paper – Crafty Individuals -Book 3 Springtime
Anna Marie Super Smooth Printer Card 200gsm
Watercolour paper
Inks
Paperartsy Frescos – Haystack, Banana
Distress Ink – Frayed Burlap, Walnut Stain, Dried Marigold, Forest Moss, Peeled Paint, Twisted Citron, Picked Raspberry
Ranger Archival Watering Can
Versafine Smoky Gray
Memento Tuxedo Black
Watercolour pencils
Stamps
Flowers - Crafty Individuals CI-445, CI-206
Leaves - PaperArtsy JM12
Bird – Freebie with Craft Stamper
Other
Die - Memory Box Woodland Branch 98187
Die – Spring Greenery Tim Holtz 659573
Verse - computer generated with "Papyrus" font

The Craft Barn Song Challenge - Blowin' in the Wind

The third song in the Craft Barn Song Challenge is Blowin' in the Wind. Although Bob Dylan wrote the song and recorded it on an LP (that shows my age!) it was Peter, Paul and Mary who had great success with it as a single and who I first heard it sung by.

For my postcard I have stamped a piece of black card with feather stamps and then embossed the feathers with embossing powder before mounting the piece on white card. I chose white feathers for their association with pacifism and because they relate to the song lines "How many seas must a white dove sail............."

Postcard Recipe
Card 
Black card
Anna Marie Designs Super Smooth Printer Card 200gsm
Anna Marie Designs Super Smooth Printer Card 250gsm
Inks 
Versamark
Black Soot Distress Ink
Stamps
Artemio Ref:10001192
Other
Cosmic Shimmer detail embossing powder "True White"
Song Title – Computer generated “Please write me a song” font

The Craft Barn Twelve Month Challenge - March

It's taken me three weeks to think of a way to illustrate this month's verse for the Craft Barn Challenge which has to include daffodils and hares. Inspiration seems to have eluded me, no middle of the night light bulb moments, so I've gone for a clean and simple page.

Both the stamps I've used were freebies with Craft Stamper magazine. The daffodil must be years old when the free stamps were red rubber on a foam backing. I started by dusting Distress Inks over a piece of card and then stamping the hares and birds. I die cut an aperture in my main piece of card and brushed ink around the outside edge and the inside of the circle and then glued it over the picture. The daffodils were stamped onto card and cut out before colouring with watercolour pencils. These were attached to the page with silicone glue to give some dimension. My page was finished with the computer generated verse from Sara Coleridge's poem "The Months".

The green around the outside is much more vibrant in real life.

Page Recipe
Card
Anna Marie Designs Smooth Stamping Card 300gsm
Anna Marie Super Smooth Printer Card 200gsm

Inks

Distress Inks - Twisted Citron, Broken China, Faded Jeans, Weathered Wood,

Versafine Onyx Black

Watercolour pencils

Stamps

Hares and daffodils - freebies with Craft Stamper magazine

Birds - Stampscapes 302A

Other

Verse - computer generated with "Papyrus" font

The Craft Barn Blog Candy

 

Want to win a set of the 12 new colours of PaperArtsy Infusions? You have until Sunday 19th March to pop over to the Craft Barn Blog for all the details.

The Craft Barn Song Challenge - Somebody to Love

The next song title in the Craft Barn Song Challenge is Somebody to Love by Queen.

A simple entry from me this time around as family life has intervened in my crafting activities over the past few weeks. I started by brushing Distress Inks over the base card and then used the same ink to stamp the crackle effect over the top. I drew the heart freehand on another piece of card and brushed it over with same Distress Ink as the base but applied a lot more ink to get a deeper colour and then sponged around the edge. The image and hearts were then stamped with Versafine inks. I completed the postcard with the song title and group name.
 

Postcard Recipe
Card
Anna Marie Designs Smooth Stamping Card 300gsm
Anna Marie Designs Super Smooth Printer Card 200gsm
Inks
Worn Lipstick Distress Ink
Versafine - Onyx Black, Satin Red
Stamps
Crackle effect - Kaisercraft CS876
Main Image - maker unknown
Hearts - from a magazine freebie set Molly Blooms Happy Times
Other
Song Title – Computer generated “Please write me a song” font

The Craft Barn Twelve Month Challenge - February

The month thief has been around again and stole January! I can't believe we are now half way through February already and time to complete the next page for the Craft Barn Challenge. The verse to be illustrated from Sara Coleridge's poem "The Months" is "February brings the rain, thaws the frozen lake again." but to make it more challenging we have to add a cherub and a heart! 

I don't have any lake/large expanse of water stamps so my raindrops are dropping into a lake which is just out of view! I started by stamping the raindrops over the base card with Archival Ink and then brushed over the top with an Ink Duster using Distress Ink (DI). The branch was die cut from a piece of wood grain embossed card and then Walnut Stain DI rub over to darken it a little. I downloaded the cherub and after cutting it out covered it with red glitter. The umbrella was cut from an Umbrella Man die-cut, watercolured with DI and then painted with PaperArtsy Gloss Glaze. It was stuck to the page with silicone glue to give it some dimension. The heart was painted with acrylic paint and a piece of fine string threaded through before gluing it to the page and the bow added. I finished off with the computer generated verse.

  
Page Recipe
Card
Anna Marie Designs Smooth Stamping Card 300gsm
Anna Marie Super Smooth Printer Card 200gsm &250 gsm
Brown wood grain card
Inks/Paints
Ranger Archival Ink -  Cornflower Blue
Distress Inks - Walnut Stain, Faded Jeans
Red acrylic paint
PaperArtsy Gloss Glaze
Stamps 
Raindrops - Designs by Ryn "Water Effects" UM-M1
Other 
Branch die - Memory Box Woodland Branch No 98187
Umbrella from Tim Holtz Umbrella Man die-cut
Cherub & heart image from internet
Red glitter
Fine string
Verse - computer generated with "Papyrus" font

The Craft Barn Song Challenge - Let It Snow!

Another challenge has started on the Craft Barn blog and it's based on song lyrics.

I am going to make my entries postcard size (6 x 4 ins). I used this size in 2014 for the Craft Barn Lyrics and Quotes Challenge with all my entries being portrait orientated and then again last year for the Alpha Dictionary Challenge but in landscape.  I also made them as flat as possible so they could be posted - although they wont, as I intend one day to collate them into books. This year I'm not going to make it so difficult for myself and will use the best suited orientation each week and add texture and embellishments.

The first song in this challenge is "Let it Snow!" and I have taken inspiration from the first line "Oh the weather outside is frightful"

I started by brushing Distress Ink (DI) over the postcard to create the wallpaper and then using the same ink stamped a pattern over it. The hills and trees were stamped onto watercolour paper and then masked off and DI brushed over the sky area. The trees and hedges were painted with watered down DI and then covered lightly with white paint. Using an embossing tool dipped in white paint I made dots for the snowflakes. I then added glitter lightly to the hills, trees and snowflakes. The window was stamped onto white card, cut out and glued to the view before gluing the two pieces to the postcard. The curtains were stamped onto scrapbook paper, cut out and attached with silicone glue along the outer edges to give dimension. I computer generated the song title and who sang it using the font "Please write me a song" which seemed appropriate!

Postcard Recipe
Card
Anna Marie Designs Simply Card High White 300gsm
Anna Marie Designs Super Smooth Printer Card 200gsm
Watercolour paper
Scrapbook paper
Inks
Distress Ink – Shabby Shutters, Pine Needles, Stormy, Sky, Faded Jeans
Memento Tuxedo Black
Versafine Onyx Black
PaperArtsy Fresco Acrylic – Snowflake
Stamps
Hill scene – Stamp Addicts
Window & curtains – Stamp Addicts SA-5026 Window Dressing
Pattern on wallpaper - Judikins CM350E
Other
Stickles - Star Dust
Song Title – Computer generated “Please write me a song” font

The Craft Barn Twelve Month Challenge - January

A new year brings a new challenge on the Craft Barn blog. It's a twelve month challenge based on the poem by Sara Coleridge "The Months".

So for January we start with the lines "January brings the snow, makes our feet and fingers glow" and to the illustrate those words our entries must include a bird in a wellington boot!

I'm going to use a square format for my monthly entries - 5.75 x 5.75ins. I started by stamping the tree on a piece of 4.50 inch square card and then masked it. I tore a piece of card to form hills and used the torn edge to sponge ink lightly along. The sun was then stencilled and masked off and the sky area was brushed over with Distress Ink before the masks were removed. I stamped the deer and added some shadows with a Copic marker.

The boot die was the very first I owned (it come free with my first die-cutting machine - a Wizard) but I've never had occasion till now to use it. As luck would have a sales magazine from a local estate agent popped through the door and there inside was the sweet little robin perfect (if not a little fiddly to cut out)  to fulfil the challenge we had been given. I attached the computer generated
verse which has to be included and added a little glitter sparkle to the tree.

When I was in our local charity shop the other day I spotted a set of unused stamps that had been a freebie with a magazine. There were a couple of stamps on the sheet that I felt might well be useful so I couldn't leave them behind and the snowflake in the background on my piece was one of them. I finished by attaching my smaller square to the background one to complete January's challenge.

Page Recipe
Card
Anna Marie Super Smooth Printer Card 200gsm &250 gsm
Green card 
Inks
Distress Ink - Pine Needles, Tumbled Glass, Dried Marigold, Barn Door, Faded Jeans, Broken China
Ranger Archival - Coffee
Stamps
Tree - Crafty Individuals CI-462
Deer - Crafty Individuals CI-257
Snowflake - maker unknown
Other
Boot die - Spellbinders
Robin - junk mail
Stampendous Multi Ultra Fine Crystal Glitter

The Craft Barn Alpha/Dictionary Challenge - Letter P

It's the end of the Craft Barn Alpha/Dictionary Challenge and I'm so pleased with myself that I've kept up even if I did skid in by the seat of my pants some weeks. For the final letter which is P,  I have chosen the word peace, something we all hope will come in the world in 2017. I turned to Mr Google for some help this week for images - the map and hands. After printing off the map I stamped and embossed the sentiment over it. The hands were then cut out and glued onto the postcard. The Dove of Peace was stamped onto a piece of card, embossed, cut out and attached. I finished with the dictionary definition which was edged with a gold pen as was the postcard. A simple postcard to conclude the year's challenge - if only world peace was as easy. Not a great photo but it's a very dismal day here.

Postcard Recipe
Card
Anna Marie Designs Super Smooth Printing Card 200gsm
Inks
Versamark
Gold detail embossing powder
Stamps
Sentiment - Crafty Individuals CI-446
Dove of Peace - maker unknown 
Other
Map and hands downloaded from web
Dictionary definition - computer generated with "Typewriter" font

I would like to take the opportunity to thank the Craft Barn for hosting this challenge and also the weekly challenges. I have thoroughly enjoyed taking part and a special thanks to Mickie and her predecessor Jane for their work put into keeping the blog running and the ideas to challenge us. Thank you also to everyone one who has visited my blog during the year and to those who have left comments - it is very much appreciated. Finally, I wish you all a very happy and peaceful 2017.
 

The Craft Barn Alpha/Dictionary Challenge - Letter M

Here we are at the penultimate Craft Barn Alpha/Dictionary Challenge and the letter M.

It seems to be an annual event - my mojo heads off at this time of year and it disappeared when halfway through making Christmas cards, so making my postcard for this letter was a struggle and I'm not particularly enamoured by my efforts. I have chosen the word  music.

I sponged Distress Ink over my card and dabbed off some of the ink with a baby wipe. I randomly stamped over the background before stamping and embossing the music. Finally, the treble clef die cuts, punched bird and dictionary definition were added. On scanning the postcard I've just noticed that the bird on the left looks as if it has a worm in it's mouth!

Postcard Recipe
Card
Anna Marie Designs Smooth Stamping Card 300gsm
Anna Marie Designs Super Smooth Printing Card 300gsm
Black card
Inks
Distress Ink - Wilted Violet, Twisted Citron
Versamark
Detail black embossing powder
Stamps
Music - Kaisercraft Sheet Music CS757
Background - Stamp Addicts Grunge 1 SA-6062
Die-cuts
Treble clef - Marianne Creatables LR0167
Bird - Tim Holtz punch

Thank you for visiting my blog and I wish you a...................

The Craft Barn Alpha/Dictionary Challenge - Letter Y

The latest letter in the Craft Barn Alpha/Dictionary Challenge is Y and as I have finally got out my Christmas stamps in readiness to make a few cards, I have chosen the archaic word for the Christmas season - yuletide.

I brushed Festive Berries Distress Ink over my postcard and then over-stamped using the same ink with a variety of stamps. The main image was stamped with Versamark and embossed with gold sparkly embossing powder and the berries coloured with a bright red Copic marker. I edged the card with part of a pine needle stamp and finished with the dictionary definition which was computer generated.

Postcard Recipe
Card 

Anna Marie Designs Smooth Stamping Card 300gsm

Anna Marie Designs Super Smooth Printer Card 200gsm

Inks

Distress Ink - Festive Berries, Pine Needles

Versamark

Embossing powder - Personal Impressions Gold Sparkle

Copic marker

Stamps

Script - Crafty Individuals CI-058

Tree - Crafty Individuals - CI-257 

Snowflake - Crafty Individuals 

Main image - Crafty Individuals CI-141

Pine needles - maker unknown 

Other 

Dictionary definition - computer generated with "Typewriter" font

The Craft Barn Fortnightly Challenge - Bling It Up

I'm really not a bling and glitter sort of person, so the fortnightly challenge on the Craft Barn blog to use "super sparkly, shiny, glitzy bits" in colours of purple, turquoise and green was indeed a challenge.

I started by stamping snowflakes with Versamark on a square piece of card and embossed them with clear powder. I then sponged Peacock Feathers and Shaded Lilac Distress Inks over the card. Sandwiching the card between two pieces of copier paper I ironed over them to melt and remove the embossing powder to leave the white snowflakes. The tree was then stamped and embossed with a glittery embossing power and coloured rhinestones glued onto the branches. The square was then matted onto a piece of pale mauve card. A sentiment was stamped onto card that had also been sponged with the same Distress Inks and die cut and attached to complete another Christmas card. That makes a grand total of two!

The Peacock Feather Distress Ink on the background of my card has registered as blue in my photo but it is turquoise in real life and I haven't really been able to capture any of the sparkle. 😞

Card Recipe
Card
Base card - Craftwork Cards
Anna Marie Designs Super Smooth Printer Card 250gsm
Craft Creations Card - Morphing Mauve
Inks/Embossing Powder
Distress Ink  - Peacock Feathers, Shaded Lilac
Versamark
Wow Clear Gloss Super Fine Embossing Powder  WA01SF
Wow Little-Lou Purple Glitz Regular Embossing Powder WS17R
Stamps
Snowflake - Crafty Individuals
Tree - PaperArtsy Squiggly Ink Swirls & Curls SISC5
Sentiment - Crafty Individuals
Other
Rhinestones

The Craft Barn Alpha/Dictionary Challenge - Letter I

What has come over me? There are still nine days to go before the close of the Craft Barn Alpha/Dictionary Challenge for the letter "I" and I've finished my entry! Usually I'm just skidding in by the seat of my pants.

A long time ago I "won" a set of Leonardo da Vinci stamps on that well known auction site and then they just joined so much other unused stuff in my craft room. So it was time to give them some love and use them for on my postcard to illustrate my chosen word - intellectual. Another first for me this week was having a go at the retiform technique - crossing lines and interstices to you and me.

I started by brushing Wild Honey Distress Ink (DI) over my card  followed by a layer of Rusty Hinge DI. I stamped Leonardo' s head and then created the grids using Vintage Photo DI. I then masked off each section in turn and stamped with the other elements on the stamp plate. Ground Espresso was sponged around the edge of the card and then the dictionary definition added to complete the postcard.

Postcard Recipe
Card

Anna Marie Designs Smooth Stamping Card 300gsm

Anna Marie Designs Super Smooth Printer Card 200gsm

Inks 

Distress Inks -  Wild Honey, Rusty Hinge, Vintage Photo, Ground Espresso

Versafine - Onyx Black

Stamps 

Da Vinci plate - Judikins/Stamp Addicts

Other

Definition - computer generated Typewriter font   

The Craft Barn Fortnightly Challenge - Poppy

To incorporate a poppy into a project is the current Craft Barn Fortnightly Challenge  but the design must be monochrome with a splash of red.

It's been far too long since I used this Crafty Individuals poppy stamp and it is the perfect size for an atc. The flower head was coloured with pencils and the word "remember" stamped onto a piece of card and cut to size. A smidgen of Hickory Smoke Distress Ink was sponged  around the edges of the word and the finished atc.

ATC Recipe

Card 

Anna Marie Designs Smooth Stamping Card 300gsm

Anna Marie Designs Super Smooth Printer Card 200gsm

Inks

Versafine Onyx Black
Hickory Smoke Distress Ink
Coloursoft pencils
Stamps
Poppy - Crafty Individuals CI-210
Remember - Crafty Individuals

The Craft Barn Alpha/Dictionary Challenge - Letter U

It's the turn of the letter U to step into the limelight in the Craft Barn Alpha/Dictionary Challenge and my chosen word is uniformity.

I choose to use just two Distress Inks - Twisted Citron and Wilted Violet - which are my current favourites. I brushed my postcard with the violet and and then stamped it with the blotchy text. The butterflies were stamped onto card that had been coloured with the green ink and then cut out. The postcard was finished with a computer generated definition. No faffing around this week, simple and to the point!

 
Postcard Recipe
Card

Anna Marie Designs Smooth Stamping Card 300gsm

Anna Marie Designs Super Smooth Printer Card 200gsm

Inks 

Distress Inks -  Twisted Citron, Wilted Violet

Ranger Archival - Watering Can

Stamps 

Background - Crafty Individuals CI-436

Butterfly - Crafty Individuals CI-437

Other

Definition - computer generated Typewriter font  

 

 

The Craft Barn Fortnightly Challenge - Fireworks

The current theme in the Craft Barn Fortnightly Challenge is fireworks, so glitter and sparkle are the order of the day.

I started my card by sponging a square of black card with Opalite Reflective Interference Ink (Nordic Blue) which I've had in may stash for years but keep forgetting to use! I then stamped the Visible Image swirl over the top with Versamark and embossed with silver sparkle embossing powder. The square was matted onto a a piece of textured silver card. The little girl was stamped onto white card, coloured with Copic markers and cut out. I added the stamped sentiment to the card blank and finished with rhinestones in the centre of the swirls.

Sorry about the quality of the photo, I had intended taking the photo in the garden but by the time I got round to it this afternoon it was raining hard.

Card Recipe
Card
Card Blank - Craftwork Cards
Anna Marie Designs Super Smooth Printer Card 200gsm
Black card
Silver card
Inks   
Opalite Reflective Interference Ink Nordic Blue
Memento Tuxedo Black
Ranger Archival Jet Black
Copic markers
Embossing Powder - Personal Impressions Silver Super Sparkle
Stamps
Swirls - Visible Image Universal set
Girl - Crafty Individuals CI-292
Sentiment - Crafty Individuals CI-449
Other 
Pink rhinestones

The Craft Barn Alpha/Dictionary Challenge - Letter V

I had a choice of words lined up for the letter V in the Craft Barn Challenge but finally plumped for "vase".

For the previous challenge I went with a vintage feel so this time around I thought I would go with a modern look and in doing so use a background stamp that I bought as part of my Craft Barn prize voucher I won recently,

I started by stamping the middle vase in Archival Jet Black and then stamped the other two in Archival Watering Can - I wanted it to look as if they were in the distance.  I'm not sure if I really achieved my aim. I then used the background stamp around the edge before colouring the dots and image with Coloursoft pencils. I edged the postcard with Distress Ink and then using glossy accents  filled in the main vase. The dictionary definition completed the card.

Postcard Recipe
Card

Anna Marie Designs Smooth Stamping Card 300gsm

Anna Marie Designs Super Smooth Printer Card 200gsm

Inks Card

Ranger Archival Jet Black

Ranger Archival Watering Can

Derwent Coloursoft Pencils

Stamps

Vase - PaperArtsy JM22

Background - PaperArtsy JM05

Other
Glossy Accents

Dictionary definition - computer generated Typewriter font

The Craft Barn Alpha/Dictionary Challenge - Letter E

The letter E has been pulled out of the hat for the current Craft Barn Alpha/Dictionary Challenge. My chosen word is "elegant" and I think my stamp fits the bill perfectly. I'm sure if this lady was a contestant on Strictly Come Dancing, Darcy would comment "Wow! your neck line is fabulous".

I started my postcard by stamping the image and masking it with an oval die-cut. Then I stamped the swirls with Versamark and embossed them with white detail powder. The card was then brushed with Distress Ink. I removed the mask and went lightly over the whole card with another layer of Distress Ink. The image was coloured with Copic markers, a Gelly Roll pen and pencils. I didn't colour the book area correctly so rather than starting all over again I covered it up with a flower and added another at the top to balance it. I don't usually add any embellishments on the postcards as although I will never post them I like to think that if I did they would arrive intact. However, on this occasion needs must!

Postcard Recipe
Card

Anna Marie Designs Smooth Stamping Card 300gsm

Anna Marie Designs Super Smooth Printer Card 200gsm

Inks

Memento Tuxedo Black

Distress Inks - Frayed Burlap, Barn Door

Sakura Gelly Roll Pen XPGB#725

Derwent Coloursoft Pencils

Stamps

Lady - Artistic Stamper 

Swirls - Judikins C351

Other

Paper flowers

Flat back pearls

Embossing powder - Cosmic Shimmer Detail True White

Dictionary definition - computer generated Typewriter font

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"