Ladybird Journal

Hello Friends

I have been wanting to create a journal with the beautiful Ladybird stamp by Tracy Evans for a while now and this week's project for AALL & Create gave me the perfect chance to do so.

The 'medium' sized Ladybird is the perfect size to fit Eileen Hull's latest (wonderful) journal die.

This is possibly the quickest and easiest journal I have ever made.  I simply die cut the journal from some mixed media art board (by Daler Rowney) and stamped the part of the image I wanted to show on the cover.  I stamped in two parts, masking off the back section to stamp the front and then masking off the front to stamp the back.

I used watercolour pencils to colour the ladybirds.

I carefully watercoloured around the bugs in a lovely sky blue watercolour paint.

I had a piece of alcohol ink coloured mica sheet left from a previous project.  It was not quite big enough to cover the whole bug but I quite like the effect and so attached it with some Glossy Accents.

I continued the blue colour on the inside of the journal and added a pocket to the left hand side in black card mat and layered with some co-ordinating blue card.

I created two signatures, the first of which you can see above.  The cover measures 3.1/2" x 4.7/8" folded.  I used a Tim Holtz die to add some interest to the cover and stamped, coloured and fussy cut one of the ladybirds for the cover.

The second signature was created in the same way as the first.

A view from the back.

The journal will fit two or three signatures comfortably and I used black elastic to hold the signatures in place and also as a closure for the journal.

To finish off I stamped and cut out some of the words and a heart from the same stamp set and then attached a couple of Ladybird charms to a bulldog clip as decoration.

You can find a full list of suppliers who sell AALL & Create stamps, including the beautiful Ladybird stamp HERE.  You can also purchase the stamps direct but we prefer, where possible, that you support your local suppliers.

Thanks so much for your visit, I hope to see you again soon.

Hugs, Anne xx

Ladybird Stamp by Tracy Evans

Hello Friends

I am sharing a project for AALL & Create this week, one that I made a few weeks ago

for the Hochanda shows.  I love Tracy's Ladybird stamp (AALL & Create #161) and I had also acquired some Mica sheets and so I combined the two.

I had some MDF left over from another project, it was in the shape of a frame, approx 6" x 4",  I couldn't throw it out and so I decorated it to use it to frame the Ladybird.

You can see the 'frame' above.  I also cut some plain Kraft cardstock to fit behind the frame.

I covered the frame with some Builder's scrim and painted over the whole frame with some dark brown paint.  Next, I applied a layer of embossing ink and embossed the whole frame with embossing powder (clear powder).  I stamped and embossed the image onto the Kraft card,  then coloured the Ladybird with alcohol markers.

I coloured a Mica sheet with Tim Holtz Alcohol Ink, on both sides.

I cut the Mica sheet to the same size as the Ladybird body.  I stamped and cut the heart and I also embossed some brads, which would later be added to the Ladybird to cover up the glue after attaching the Mica sheet.

Since I wanted the Mica sheet to be raised, I glued some jump rings over the spots, applied more glue and then attached the Mica sheet over this.

This is a view with the final brads attached to the Mica sheet.

Finally, I added the frame, the heart and a stamped word 'Ladybird' to the finished frame.

If you wish to purchase the Ladybird stamp set (A4 sized) direct from AALL & Create or you can visit HERE, where you will find a list of worldwide stockists.

Thanks so much for your visit, I hope to see you again soon!

Hugs, Anne xxx

Ladybird, Ladybird, fly away home....

Hello Friends

I was so thrilled when Tracy Evans brought out a Ladybird stamps set for AALL & Create (Stamp #161).  I was immediately reminded of the rhyme I learned in childhood, there are many versions of the rhyme but my favourite was:

Ladybird, Ladybird fly away home,

Your house is on fire and

Your children are gone

All except one and her name is Anne

And she hid under the baking pan

I know, not the best rhyme but anyway, thank you Tracy for designing such a beautiful stamp!

I made two projects but this one was my favourite.

 I stamped onto watercolour cardstock with Ranger Black Archival Ink.

I stamped two more Ladybirds, coloured them in with watercolour pencils, and then split the wings on the larger one and mounted them with silicone glue to make her look like she is about to fly.

Each Ladybird was coated with Glossy Accents to give them a lovely sheen.

Next, I coloured the stamped base with Distress Inks in Mermaid Lagoon and Gathered Twigs, dropping a little water on top to create some watermarks.

I used some Ranger Texture Paste, mixed with some Gathered Twigs Distress Reinker and added some stencilling to the right hand side, using AALL & Create Stencil #51 by Autour de Mwa.

To finish off the top of the tag I added some Vintage Seam Binding coloured with Gathered Twigs Distress Ink and some rusty wire.

I thought the bottom needed a little something and so I added a Tim Holtz Bingo marker.

The stamp and stencil I used can be purchased from AALL & Create Boutique here, where you will also find a list of worldwide stockists.

Thanks so much for your visit, I hope to see you again soon.

Hugs, Anne xx