Let Nature Be Your Calming Breath: A Handmade Journal by Lynne Moncrieff

Please join us in welcoming guest artist Lynne Moncrieff to Somerset Place! Today, she’s sharing a peek inside her handmade journal process to spark some new inspiration, including a quick video to give you a closer look!

Eco dying/tea staining, naturally has me leaning towards creating nature-themed projects with the stained items. It is such a satisfactory process, especially when utilizing found/re-cycled papers; although other favorites to dye/stain include rice paper, unperforated teabag paper, and large, self-fill teabags.

The dyed/stained items can be incorporated into a wealth of projects — a particular favorite of mine is books/booklets. The book I created for this post is simply constructed from an A3 sheet of handmade, sugar cane paper which was dyed/stained. A very humble structure which, with the addition of flaps and folds to tuck mini booklets inside or stitched paper pockets where a tag can nestle, makes a simply constructed book into an art adventure, with an abundance of areas ripe for journaled thoughts or possibly sketches relating to nature.

Deeply inspired by nature with my Lynne’s Wildflowers stamps, alongside stamped Affirmations influenced by my thoughts on nature, this is a book to slip into its pouch, with a favorite pencil or charcoal stick. As musings are jotted into the book, enjoy some quiet time and let nature be your calming breath.

Materials:

• Acrylic Stamping Block: (That’s Crafty!)
• Bone Folder
• Corrugated Cardboard
• Handmade Paper: A3 sheet Sugar Cane Fibre 210gsm (Khandi)
• Ink Crystals: Walnut
• Ink Pad: Tuxedo Black (Tsukineko – Memento)
• Kraft Envelope: small
• Mister Bottle
• Muslin
• Old Book Pages
• Old Cooking Pot
• Packaging/Brown Packing Paper
• Rusted Items assorted
• Sewing Machine
• Sari Silk Ribbon (YarnYarn)
• Spray: Flat Matte Basil (That’s Crafty!)
• Stamps: Lynne’s Wildflowers Sets 1 and 2 (That’s Crafty!); Lynne’s Affirmations Sets 7 and 10 (That’s Crafty!)
• Teabag Paper: unperforated (Mixed Media Paper/Card Pack – That’s Crafty!)
• Teabags: assorted fruit tea, black/breakfast
• Teabags: self-fill, large
• Vinegar

 

Process:

Brew several teabags in an old cooking pot, and add corrugated cardboard, packing paper, kraft envelope, old book pages, self-fill teabags, muslin, and sari silk ribbion.  Do not include unperforated teabag paper. Remove items, collecting them into bundles, and clip some items with rusted book binder clips or rusty tin wire. The rusted items and vinegar will create variation. Leave outdoors for several days, exposed to the elements, before bringing indoors to dry.

Fold A3 handmade paper in half horizontally before creating four vertical folds. Misting paper with water and using Bone Folder will aid in creating crisp edges/folds.

 

Stamp selection of Lynne’s Wildflowers and Lynne’s Affirmations onto variety of papers.  Utilize fragments of papers by only partially stamping an Affirmation.

 

Organize stacks of mini booklets by layering various papers stamping them with Wildflower or Affirmations, or tuck a bundle of stained, self-fill teabags inside a piece of folded cardboard paper. Create several variations. (Tip: attach mini clips to bundles as you prepare them for machine stitching.)

 

Begin machine-stitching, adding interest by stitching book pages to edges, and layer with stamped Affirmation.

 

As you progress, create variations for each page. Machine-stitch folded book page to create pocket for tag.

 

Stitch one end of dyed sari silk ribbon beneath flap at front of book, this will wrap around book to bind closed.

 

Prepare unperforated teabag paper by staining with Flat Matte Spray Basil and dissolved Walnut Crystals. Mist paper with water before applying color with brush.

 

Once dry, fold paper into simple pouch, machine stitching left and right sides. Machine-stitch muslin with Affirmation stamped onto rice paper, to flap.

 

 

[evp_embed_video url=”https://blog.stampington.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Video.mov”]

Lynne Moncrieff lives in Scotland, creating stamped art and beyond for several stamp/craft companies, amongst them, That’s Crafty! She relishes this creative life, including designing stamps for That’s Crafty! Lynne’s stamps are available directly from thatscrafty.co.uk (contact directly for any shipping queries). Follow That’s Crafty! on Instagram at (@thatscraftyuk) and on Facebook at (@That’s Crafty). Lynne welcomes visitors to her blog, Adorn at lynnesbowandbelles.wordpress.com. Follow her on Facebook (@lynn.moncrieff) and on Instagram (@stampingandbeyond).

Don’t miss Lynne’s upcoming feature in the November Issue of Somerset Studio. Reserve your copy today!

[This giveaway has ended.]

Congratulations to Montie, our winner!