Friday 25 August 2017

Eileen Hull Travel Journal

Eileen's HeArtfelt Journal die has been shipping around the world and I thought it was time to make another, this time to take to America with me when we tour around California starting in Garden Grove just outside LA, Arizona - Sedona, New Mexico - Albuquerque. Colorado - Mancos, Utah - Monument Valley (Goulding) and Kanab - Bryce Canyon, back into California and Mammoth Lakes, Sacramento and San Francisco before driving back to the LA area. It's gonna be a 'mammoth' drive and we have allowed ourselves just over two weeks to do it in.



First die-cut two journal covers and take some tissue wrap and cover them both. I used decoupage glue and when dry I sanded the edges of the covers to get a good clean cut and smooth finish.


Adhere the spines of the journal together - I used red line tape ....


.... and use modeling paste and stencils to add texture - I chose some stars and stripes stencils from DecoArt.


So I chose my paints, mixed the blends of colours one at a time and then spritzed, dripped and dribbled them through the texture drying before adding the next colour. Knowing we will be visiting canyons and seeing some amazing scenery I chose to use neutrals with browns and greens, It looked horrible!!!! So I made a vintage orangey red and brayered all over it and then brayered and sponged white gesso to bring it back to a surface I could work with. I liked the orange so I brayered that over the stars and mixed a vintage blue and brayered over the stripes - now to think what next?
I sealed it all with matte medium


Next layer some washes of similar blues and brown/orange colours and stamp words/text and when dry I again sealed the layer in and this time used decoupage and when dry applied a coat of clear crackle glaze not too thickly.


Start to gather some embellishments together. The two images are free downloads from the Graphics Fairy and printed on an ordinary inkjet printer. I used one of Andy's techniques of applying a coat of matte medium and when it's dry apply a coat of transparent crackle glaze. I think I probably kept it too thin as there wasn't much crackle but just enough to help age the two pieces.


Here are some other bits.


Having left the cover to dry and the crackles appear apply a layer of white and raw umber antiquing cream, leave for a while to dry ......


..... and then wiped it back with a wet wipe and paper towel and sealed with ultra matte varnish to remove the sheen and make the antiquing cream permanent.


Add the embellishments ......


..... use layers of paint dabbled and dripped. a brayered layer of white titanium and some stamping to start the inside covers.


Then brayer a deep vintage blue and add some white to lighten it for another layer ....


... then make watery washes of the blue dip and dry and repeat with titanium white before stamping with a crackle stamp to echo the front cover crackle glaze.


Lastly I made some signatures, added the elastics and a closure. I love to tie tactile, torn fabrics to mine.


I think I may change the tie I don't think it is in keeping with the design and probably seam binding ribbon would look better, but there's still time.


Thanks for stopping by today and for all the lovely comments that you leave.

Take care.

hugs Brenda xxx