The Book of Trees.......

.... is finished for the moment.  This course was  by Roxanne Evans Stout  for the Jeanne Oliver Creative Network  and I have really enjoyed it.  It was good too to be able to apply some of the things I learned from Seth Apter earlier this year, Go check Seth has some new embossing posers coming out in the New Year that look absolutely gorgeous.

But I digress.  I loved the way this opened up Trees as a thought process, so many ways to go. Roxanne suggested that we wrote about trees which had a special meaning for us.  This I did and put them in a safe place where they still are.  I suspect they are in the same place as the leaves me good friend collected for me. So both to be added at a later date.

Here are some pictures just in case the video doesn't work as I've never posted one before.
The cover, it is a combination of pieces I have had for ages and ages. The girls will recognise the sticks made ages ago(Seth inspired)  and the silk piece is from the embellisher days. The actual cover is a piece of bark cloth I acquired at an Embroiderers Guild meeting  and have hoarded ever since. Love it when that happens.

So many textures and  techniques.  My own photographs, digital alteration, painting, gelli plate prints,drawing,collage,  rubber stamping........so many other things I could have done.  Best fun.

I have a smeaking suspicion that a junk journal might be made from the leftovers from this book.


My best wishes for Christmas to everyone. 

The Winter Journal........

.... finished I think, only every time I look at it I add a little more.  I made it as a journal with plenty of space for writing and I have tried to use my own photographs and "artwork"

This is the cover,

it actually came about by accident.  The letters and tree are made out of plain old kids foam sheets The cover is scrim adhered with Golden Matte medium which I am discovering makes a wonderful glue. (Late to the table I think).
This is the first page and I may still add another pocket on the cover

 The card in the pocket is made from a happy swoosh and the first stamp I ever bought on my first trip to America many years ago.

 

A few of my favourite pages.

The ponies  are a photograph I was lucky to snap and the leaves are a digital collage/

Distress Oxides on the tag (did I mention how much I love them) and the grasses are printed onto tracing paper.

Another serendipity page, a gessoed book page which I had used to make some die cuts  and then used to try out some paints.  Turned into a tuck spot.

  

End of the first signature. One of my photos and an old encaustic wax experiment plus a bit of paint play.

Just a few more.

Loved making this one, though it has taken a long time.   Now for the Book of Trees, As I mentioned I have started the backgrounds but I am finding it difficult to move on, I selected some of my photographs (who knew just how many photos of trees I have) but I want it to be something more than pictures stuck on a page so I will take it slowly and hope. In the garden yesterday.

Right.........

........where was I?  I have just spent a lovely long weekend with my sister-in-law.

We took a trip to the ICHF supposed Stitching, Sewing and Hobbycraft show at Excel.  Never again. The "free" Christmas show consisted of a woman demonstrating a £400 exercise board and some very dubious foods. The rest was mediocre to say the least.

Monday we went up to town to "see the lights", on the whole the Christmas windows lacked imagination. These were probably the best at Ralph Lauren in New Bond Street.

Am I wrong or were the Christmas shop windows designed to delight children(eg ME) as well as sell.
We had a little adventure when we were invited into Southeby's to look at Winston Churchill's last painting and four Lowries which are about to go on sale.  I explained to the charming doorman that I didn't have Southerby's kind of money but he explained that these exhibitions are open to all  Who knew?

My next journal is nearing completion, pictures soon and I have started my "Book of Trees" workshop with Roxanne Evans Stout here

So far I have only had time to prepare my pages.

 but I am looking forward to filling them.  I love trees (the only thing I can draw) and this time of year makes them even more appealing with the colours and the falling leaves.