Last Sunday I along with about 30 other crafty minded people had an amazing time learning new techniques from the fabulous Anna Dabrowska aka Finnabair. This was my second year learning from her. She really is gifted.
CardznScrapz did an amazing job organizing and hosting the day so hats off to Rosary and Lia for all their hard work. I'm sure that everyone in their team were involved as it was a tremendous day and the shop was diverse and well stocked. Needless to say this hurt my credit card (I'm almost certain I saw tears in my husband's eyes when he left) as I picked up a staggering amount of Prima stock that I absolutely had to have!! (When I got home, I realised, that was not the case at all).
It was fantastic!!
Now, one of the classes involved was learning how to do a canvas collage which was something I had never done before so, when I got home that night to Waterford, I couldn't wait to do another one.
I thought well, what can I do this technique on that was not wall art yet sturdy enough to be a similar project? I know, I'll make a journal cover and I will make a Coptic bound book out of it. Woo Hoo!!!
That is exactly what I did.
I covered a piece of mountboard and chipboard with canvas and it measured 25cm x 25.5cm
I glued everything together and folded 40 A4 sheets to A5 and made 10 signatures and once the cover was complete I sewed it all together.
In respect of her wishes I won't tell you how to do it and how I did this but I will tell you about the little extra touches I did to make it more personal and more Me! LOL!!!
I added lots of molding paste to the lace and ribbon and created texture with lots of the new Elementals Stencils by Finnabair (naturally) from Prima Marketing. I also used, almost exclusively their wooden Icons and Junkyard findings.
I had taught my 6 year old daughter, how to do the 'caught in crystal technique' with tissue and acetate and then die cut the smaller Jewel Goddess from Spellbinders out of it. I let the purples and reds guide me in the colors of Luminarte sprays and silks I used.
The letters were done with the Martha Stewart White Clay and alphabet molds. I didn't want it to look all even and symmetrical so I glued the letters on slightly wonky as I wanted it to look a little more grungy. Here in Ireland you can get it online in CardznScrapz(follow the link above). If they run out they will source more for you if you request it.
Finally I highlighted a few areas with different gilding wax colours from Cosmic Shimmer from Creative Studios UK I wasn't able to find waxed thread so I made my own with a lovely lilac skein of embroidery thread and bees wax I got from Grubbs Framing here in Waterford City.
I love how all this turned out and it really challenged me to look at my projects in a completely different way.
