I hope everyone is enjoying their weekend so far. I meant to make this post earlier this morning, but I got a little sidetracked in the stamp room. I posted back on April 7 about my sister’s birthday. I hadn’t seen her then to give her the present I made, and didn’t want to spoil her surprise by posting it here until she had received it. Not only was this her birthday present, but it was also my Project of the Month for Lizzie Anne Designs. Now that it has been posted on the Lizzie Anne Designs website, and that my sister actually has it in hand, I can finally show you.
I started with 7.5″x5″ Zutter Craft Covers. Both covers were painted front and back with Cermacoat Antique White Acrylic Paint. Once the covers had dried completely, the edges and some of the top finish were sanded with a coarse sanding block. The covers were then painted, inside and out, with Ranger Tim Holtz Scattered Straw Distress Crackle Paint and left to dry overnight. Taking a Shabby Shutters Distress Ink Pad directly to the covers, I wiped the pad across both covers, inside and out, working the distress ink into the cracks of the Crackle Paint. The acrylic paint acts as a resist to the distress ink, and where the finish was sanded lightly, the paint picked up a very light color of the distress ink. The edges of both covers were then sponged with Vintage Photo Distress Ink.
The inside pages of the journal are from a Top Flight 6″x9″ 120 Sheet Ruled Writing Tablet. The pages were trimmed down to 4-3/4″x7-1/4″ to fit inside the journal.
The image was inked with Peeled Paint and Fired Brick Distress Ink, misted with water, and then stamped three consecutive times on 120 lb. Canson Watercolor Paper. While the ink was still wet, a paint brush loaded with water, was used to blend the distress inks. Once the image was dry, the edges were distressed with scissors, and then sponged with Old Paper Distress Ink. The background panels are BasicGrey Infuse. The edges of the bottom panel were distressed with a distressing tool, and the edges were lightly sponged with Old Paper Distress Ink. The edges of the top background layer were sponged with Old Paper Distress Ink, and then both pieces of the designer paper were sewn together on the sewing machine. All three panels were then adjoined together.
The sentiment was stamped in Vintage Photo Distress Ink on Canson 120 lb. Watercolor Paper and punched out using a large oval punch. The edges of the sentiment were sponged with Old Paper Distress Ink, and then placed in the hardware. The hardware was attached to the image panel with a brad and the right and ribbon on the left, wrapped around the panel and taped to the back. An additional piece of hardware was attached to the top right corner and ribbon tied off in bows.
To assemble the journal, the covers and pages were punched with a Zutter Bind-it-All. Using a 3/4″ O wire, the journal was assembled in the appropriate order, and then fastened with the Bind-it-All. The image panel was then affixed to the front of the journal.
Stamps: In the Meadow by Lizzie Anne Designs
Paper: Canson 120 lb. Watercolor Paper; BasicGrey Infuse
Ink: Ranger Tim Holtz Shabby Shutters, Vintage Photo, Peeled Paint, Fired Brick and Old Paper Distress Inks
Accessories: Zutter Bind-it-All, 7.5″ x 5″ Craft Covers, and 3/4″ O Wire Binding; Sewing Machine; Tonic Scissors and Tim Holtz Distressing Tool; Tsukineko Sponge Dauber; Ranger Tim Holtz Scattered Straw Crackle Distress Pint; Cermacoat Antique White Acrylic Paint; Top Flight 6″ x 9″ Ruled Writing Tablet; Sanding Block; Hardware; Brads; Ribbon; Paint Brushes
I hope you enjoy the rest of your weekend, and I’m heading back to the stamp room. Too much to do and so little time!
THAT is just GORGEOUS! Wow–awesome journal!
Fabulous! Love how you created the background and the ribbon on the book plate…tres cool!
Beautiful stamping, love the painted bg, and distressing!
Sherry, your photo on your blog shows this up even better than on LAD. I so love this book and would love to try and case it myself. I love every detail. Who knows….I may actually get one of my two sewing machines out and make a few stitches.
Sherry, this is gorgeous! I’m wishing I was your sister! It’s just beautiful! TFS 😉
Can I be your sister, too? This journal is absolutely beautiful. Love the colors, the cracked paint, the way the stitches don’t quite catch all of the paper edges — really love this style. What a great gift! TFS!
This is absolutely beautiful to me! I love it. I have to case this for sure.
Thanks so much for sharing your talent with us!!
FABULOUS! Thanks for sharing how you created the background for your journal. It’s totally awesome! And those flowers….beautiful! I know your sister must have loved receiving such a wonderful gift!
This is gorgeous, Sherry! I love the crackle painted background. The ribbon reminds me of celery. The sewing, distressing — everything is beautiful!
This is gorgeous, Sherry. I love that flower and the crackle background.
OHHH MY Sherry ~ I absolutely adore your Wildlife Journal creation 🙂 It is stunning and I can’t get over how professional and artistic the front cover turned out by just using a few of YOUR daily products. I’m sure your sister was over the moon when she saw this unique and one-of-a-kind creation.
A true work of art Sherry!!**!! BRAVO
Sherry, I am glad you posted this on your site. I do absolutely love it. The picture still does not do it justice. I am very fortunate to have such a talented sister, because I got no talent at all. I can cross stitch with a pattern. Again thanks for making my birthday such a special day and for giving me my only birthday present, it is really just gorgeous!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sherry this is really very pretty. I love the colors you chose and the main stamped image. This flower just speaks to me in a way that others do not. I am not sure if it is the jagged edges or what, but it works perfectly with the shabby look of your journal. I hope your sister loved receiving this, I can’t imagine not.
I saw it on LAD last week! This is gorgeous! I love how you use the distress paint and distressing on the journal, beautiful!