Saturday, 14 June 2014

A little book

Hi everybody!
The weather here was a bit cooler today, but great for walking, and I enjoyed watching the clouds. There are still a lot of tree trunks and branches lying around, but I hope that it will slowly be cleared away. I watched a dog today tugging on a twig, but the twig was attached to an enormous trunk and wouldn't budge, and he seemed to be rather frustrated that he couldn't take it with him - too funny!

I have made a little notebook (about 8x4") with some coated cardboard I got from a shop where they frame pictures. They often have a box outside with off-cuts of the cardboard they use to make the surroundings, and anyone who wants can help themselves - I wanted, so I did!  I distressed the background with DIs in wild honey and forest moss. I used some background stamps - a flourish, script, some architectural elements and diamonds etc to give a basis, before going on to the focal stamps, the clockwork birds, the eyes, the clock, the raven etc. The top layer of stamps has been embossed with clear EP. Some of the images have been coloured with water-colour pencils. I added some patches of gilding using my wonderful flakes, too. The inside covers have been covered with striped paper and stamped.  I used a mix of math and drawing paper for the pages. I am linking to Fashionable Stamping challenges, like clockwork, and a Vintage Journey, wings and things. The stamps used are from LaBlanche and Paper Artsy.










I love watching the clouds, always changing, and always impressive:


The apples are starting to get quite big in the park:


And I gave this giant Hercules plant a wide berth, as it is poisonous and causes dreadful allergies, as I experienced myself some years back- it is nearly three meters high.


I love this corner of the town walls - in the background you can see people on the roof, doing some necessary repairs to a roof after the storm.


One of the little lanes in our town:


And last but not least, the horses relaxing and feeding on their meadow.


Have a great day you all, take care, and thanks a lot for coming by, and for your support and encouragement.

34 comments:

  1. Dein Notizbuch ist absolut schön! Das nimmt man gern zur Hand <3
    Tolle Fotos hast du uns wieder mitgebracht - hier ist es auch kühler und heute sehr regnerisch - Zeit für Hausarbeit und Kreatives ;o)
    Ich wünsche dir ein schönes Wochenende, liebe Grüße, Dagmar

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  2. So great stamping work, Valerie. Your little notebook's covers are wonderful with beautifuly made images. Especially I love the bird/woman with a crown.
    Thanks for sharing your great photos, too.
    Have a lovely weekend, hugs,
    sirkkis

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  3. Love, love, love, LOVE this notebook, really beautiful! You have excelled yourself once again! Hugs, Sarah

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  4. ein traumhaft schönes Notizbuch!
    Tolle Fotos !
    Einen wunderschönen Sonntag liebe Valerie!
    ♥♥♥
    Susi

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  5. I love your book that you've made! That's so neat. I especially love the green eye. Beautiful photographs too, interesting about the Hercules plant...

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  6. Fabulous little book, love the images you used especially the blue bird.
    Super photos again.
    Yvonne xx
    Oops nearly forgot thank you for joining us over at FSC this time.

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  7. A fabulous little book Valerie, I love the green eye and the blue bird. Thanks for a lovely walk too! Xx

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  8. Wow...I love your altered book Valerie. Love your stamp collection. Great colors and embellishments make it all work so well together. Love this kind of art!

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  9. Lovely notebook Valerie and thanks for the photos!

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  10. Traumaftes Notizbuch,gefällt mir sehr.
    die fotos sind auch wieder klasse,sehe gerade ihr habt auch nicht so schönes wetter??Bei uns hat es dauernd geregnet,und unser ausflug ist ins wasser gefallen.
    schönen sonntag :-)

    GLG Jeannette

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  11. Just love your notebook - I especially like the "eye". Great color and composition. The stamp combination is fab. Thanks for joining us on A Vintage Journey.

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  12. Oh my goodness, Valerie, that was quite a storm! (Just went back thru your posts...so sorry for the losses...) You live in such a picturesque town -thanks for sharing it with us. Also love your little book!

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  13. Stunning work on your book Valerie. I love the way you joined it with a space in the middle-must try that.:)

    Great photographs of the calm after the storm. Nature bounces back and so do you :)

    Love Chrissie x

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    Replies
    1. An idea born of necessity - I only had small pieces of the o-wires, so had to get tricky!

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  14. Das Notizbuch sieht einfach super aus, Valerie. Mir gefallen die Stempel die du verwendet hast!

    Die Fotos sind wunderbar wie immer!

    Ich wünsche dir einen wunderschönen Sonntag!
    LG Gaby

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  15. Hi, Valerie! Really fantastic your little notebook. The covers are so great with wonderful stamps and images. The eye looks terrific.
    Hugs, Mar

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  16. Your book has a beautiful start! It is nice of the shop to put out the cardboard "waste" rather than just throwing it out! Love those horses!

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    Replies
    1. Yes, it's good for all concerned - they have less garbage, and others get nice stash!

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  17. Your notebook looks gorgeous. x

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  18. What a pretty little book. You certainly know how to collage various images for terrific results. Enjoy your day. It is rather gloomy here.

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  19. Beautiful little journal book, I love the eyes, magnificent how you colored them in, like big watery pools of light! It was a nice walk today, good to see that things are coming back to normal, be it bit by bit. Big hugs, ~Diane

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  20. I am so in love with your little journal!!! You did a great job with the covers. I love walking on cooler days. We've had a few of those here but the weather weather is creeping back in today. It is summer so warm days are to be expected :)

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  21. This is a fabulous book cover with all the images and backgrounds and the way you have used the colours. I enjoyed seeing the close-ups. I also like the way you have bound it and made the endpapers.
    I do like your photo of the narrow town lane.

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  22. Beautiful Valerie, you have some lovely stamps. I love your Raven. I'm glad everything is getting back to normal for you xx

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  23. Hi Valerie. Fabulous make with lots of lovely details and colours.
    Thanks for sharing with us at FSC
    Avril xx

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  24. Ein tolles Notizbuch hast du gestaltet. Ich hoffe du hattest ein schönes Wochenende und wünsche dir einen guten Start in die neue Woche.

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  25. Hi Valerie
    Isn't it wonderful you can put to go use surfaces that would have been just a cast off. You worked your magic and created beauty. Love your work
    Great walking pics. Love the little lane in your town.
    Hugs

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  26. Wow, wow, wow Valerie, what an amazing little book!! Both the covers and the inside too look absolutely fantastic, a truly masterful creation!

    Your photos are always wonderful too and I enjoy them every day!!

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  27. Fantastic project Valerie, love all the elements you have brought together in this book. Thanks for sharing with us at A Vintage Journey. Nikki x

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  28. Marvelous play on the bird imagery here. that hercules plant whose name escapes me at the moment is indeed a dangerous one. We have them too and I was always wary that the dogs would be curious...quote nasty rash just from touching it even I believe...xox

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  29. What a splendid little book - I love art books to keep all kinds of stuff and quotes in! Your Hercules plant looks a lot like Queen Anne's Lace which is not at all dangerous here.
    Sandy xx

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    Replies
    1. Queen Anne's lace is fine, we have it here, too, and it much smaller than the Hercules plant, which is often 3 meters high, and very poisonous.

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