Happy Valentines Day

It has been a busy weekend. I made one large journal, five mini journals and six dozen cookies. 

Friday,  before driving up the mountain to work, I stopped at an art store downtown to purchase bookboard. I can't resist browsing through the paper section. I purchased one sheet that looks like a wood grain. I haven't used it yet, but I have a book in mind for next weekend. The store also had several sheets of paper reminded me of a painted process I've dabbled with in the past.  So, on Saturday morning I started to make my own painted paper from brown paper bags.

Brown Paper Bag Creation
Take a large piece of brown paper and crumble it into a ball. The more wrinkles the better. Place the crumbled ball into a bowl filled with warm water and a teaspoon of white vinegar. I'm not sure of the purpose of the vinegar. I suppose it breaks down any coating that might be on the brown paper and allows the water to soak further into the paper's pores.

Allow the paper about 10 minutes to absorb the water. Remove the paper from the bowl and squeeze out all excess water. Carefully lay paper flat on a surface, but do not press out the wrinkles. The paper is vulnerable, so be very careful unfolding it.Allow the paper to dry about 30 minutes.

Using a sponge and acrylic paint, dabble the paint to the paper. Start with a dark color. Once you add the first layer, allow the paint to dry about 30 minutes before applying the next layer. Do not try to cover all of the surface. The effect you're looking for is a spackle look. The groves and peaks of the wrinkles will pick up different bits of paint creating highlights and low lights. Here's my finished piece from my Saturday project:

I used browns shades, a light yellow and some gold acrylic paints. It's a fun process and you can be as creative as your mind's limitation. After the last coat of pain dried, I applied two coats of matte medium to give the paper a little shine and to add stability to the paper.  Of course, after the paper completely dried, I used it to cover this journal:

Tiny rivets and a leaf designed ribbon complete the outside of the book.

The inside cover compliments the leaf ribbon. The handmade paper that binds each signature together is colored with a yellow napkin and dried red wildflowers were added as inclusions during the paper making process.

Years ago my mom and I visited a Christmas store and I purchased a tiny book that contains the Night Before Christmas story. I love that book. With the book in mind, I decided to create "mini" journals. I made five total that measure 3 inches by 4-1/2.

The red journal is smaller than the mini's I made Saturday. It's fun to make the minis. I can imagine a little child using the journal to write thoughts or draw pictures. The mini could fit in someone's purse or pocket to keep thoughts or random notes.  The minis take less material, but the same amount of time to assemble and sew.

My regular journals are 8-3/4 by 5-3/4. The pink mini is 3 by 4-1/2. The red journal measures 2-1/2 by 3-3/4. I really like the feel of the small red journal, but the challenge is that there is so much cutting involved and there was a great deal of wasted paper that was too small to use. The pink journal involves cuts in a sheet of paper, but there is no waste. Once sheet of paper will produce the four pieces necessary to make a signature.

A 3 by 4-1/2 mini journal filled with pink handmade paper and smooth white paper offers 100 writing surfaces for thoughts, special moments and once in a lifetime memories.

The other method to use on brown paper bag is the simple ink and stamp method. Chose a favorite color and a theme of rubber stamps. After creating a random pattern, cover the artist work with a minimum of matte medium, allowing the medium to dry in between coats.

I embellished this stamped brown paper bag cover with some purple scrap booking stick-ons.

It was a busy weekend. I spent it with the love of my life, doing the things in life I love to do. I'm exhausted but look who took the nap while I worked on my blog:

Happy Valentines Day....celebrate everything and everyone you love. I know I do...