Monday 2 February 2015

Notebooks - Unzipped


Before we start, I need to tell you this is a very long post - mostly pictures - So, let's get on with it then. I bought some of these A6 notebooks from the Range as it's just opened in our town.


Gave the backs a thin coat of white DecoArt media modelling paste and stamped into it.


Close up some the stamping.


And another one.


Once thoroughly dry (I left them over night), I gave them all a coat of paynes grey media paint.


Close up after the layer of paint had been applied.


And another of the back covers.


I added stenciling and modeling paste onto this cover and painted with DecoArts Americana chalky paint, the colour is treasure.


I added script tissue paper to this cover and painted the triangle with transparent yellow iron oxide.


More stencilling with modelling paste and white crackle paint, texture sand paste was added and coloured with a wash of quinacridone violet.


I edged this cover in DecoArt black gesso. I love this stuff, it's one of my fave products of the range.


Emma kindly sent me some micro beads in a variety of colours, so I covered the triangle with a thick layer of DecoArt liquid glass and sprinkled four colours of beads in and left it over night to dry. It will dry clear.


I added some spellbinder cogs and the zipper die from Die-Namics which I had to order from the states. Using the chalky paints I painted everything, colours are rustic, and timeless, the silver is from the DecoArt media paint range.


I tore up some tissue paper and applied it over the stencilling using a wash of ultra media matte varnish and water, it makes a great glue!! Once dry gave it a washed out coat of cobalt teal media paint and the zip is phthalo blue and the silver again.


These are the five that I ended up with.


In more detail. The heart is stencilled in white crackle paint and coloured with red gelato. Spell binders cogs and the zipper die added. Cover given several coats of soft touch varnish for a soft spongy finish.


Dry brushed the cover with white gesso and also used silver metallic lustre. As you can see, the liquid glass has dried clear just leaving the micro beads visible. 


I rubbed champagne ice metallic lustre over the front cover to bring out the stencilled parts.


Modelling paste was used on the bottom of this cover and then silver spark metallic lustre was applied over the top. The background tissue paper is coloured with watered down quinacridone burnt orange and the zip in heritage chalky matte paint. Texture sand paste was applied in the triangle and swooshed over with the silver lustre. 


All the covers have been given a few coats of the soft varnish. The zip was painted with rustic chalky finish paint.


These are the metallic lustres, they are really soft and creamy and extremely easy to apply to any textured surface. There is only one problem with it, because it is so shiny, it's really hard to photograph!


These are the back covers of all the books.


For this one I firstly used the black shimmer, let it dry, which doesn't take long, then added some silver spark.


This is a close up. Hope you can get an idea of the shimmer.


And this one is the black shimmer and then the orange flicker.


It probably looks gold, but in real life, it really is orange!!!

DecoArts products were used on these projects.

17 comments:

Unknown said...

Absolutely gorgeous. What size are they? Would they be any good for an art journal.

There is one of those shops about 10 miles from here, so I wondered if it was worth the trip.

Karen Petitt said...

They are stunning! Love the texture, the blue one is my favourite - a lovely fresh turquoise and warm sea. I finally got my US order for DecoArt gesso and fluid media products and I'm planning to play a lot. Now I've found out that I need the black gesso too and some of those gorgeous lustres - thank you for the inspiration! Karen x

Corrie Herriman said...

Gorgeous, Sam !
Corrie x

Julie Lee said...

These are great Sam. Thank you so much for showing how they were created. What a fascinating process! xxx

massofhair said...

Fantastic size for your handbag Sam hope you are going to sell some of them on one of your craft stalls they will fly!

Some wonderful techniques and loving the Lustres must get some of them in my next order :-) xxx

Claire said...

These are great, love all the textures and those lustres look beautiful x

Helen said...

they are gorgeous!! so nice to see the steps to them being created.

jojo79 said...

Beautiful Sam x

Amanda said...

Oooh Sam these are lush!!
Love
Amanda x

Sid said...

Great books Sam !! That lustre looks brilliant !

hazel said...

Fabulous notebooks Sam, I love the zipper.
xxx Hazel.

Ann said...

All gorgeous Sam, they're stunning!! Hope you're keeping good. Hugs Ann x

Sue said...

These are really fab Sam, the zipper die is brilliant, and you have some lovely colours and textures here xx

Hazel Agnew said...

These are tremendous Sam. missed them earlier. like the dark grungy finish best. Zipper die is well cool! xx

Lin said...

Don't know how I missed this Sam..great step by step piccies!! they really did turn out brilliantly!! Need some of that soft touch varnish and lustre in black and orange!! xxx

Kirsten said...

I don't know how I missed this post Sam. It's great to see all the steps you took to create these, they're wonderful. And I agree completely about black gesso, it's completely fab.

Ruth said...

Brilliant, absolutely brilliant!! Love them, the zip, the texture...fabulous work Sam! Ruth x

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