a new art journal is born...

my new embossing powders inspired me to create a new art journal...

today, I'll share the outside front & back covers...

 the front cover started like this...

I used the etched art parts art journal, 

without the etched frame this time...

it's about 5 ¾ inches square...

I like this size because it's square & I've not seen square art journals in stores before...

I also like to create my own journal, so that I can choose the surfaces that I want for creating the pages & I can make them any size...

I also enjoy working on one flat page at a time...

that makes stamping & stenciling easier for me...

I also find it very freeing...

if the page turns out butt ugly, in the trash it goes with no evidence whatsoever...

I like that!

this journal can be a top opening or side opening orientation...

your choice...

this one is a side opener...

I used the blending tool to add some cornflower blue archival ink to the front cover & purposely did not add ink all the way to the edges...

while the ink was wet, I sprinkled on the cornflower blue embossing powder, then heated it to melt the embossing powder...

next, I added potting soil archival ink to the edges & partially over the blue embossing powder to age it...

I used watering can archival with the checkmate stencil to fill in the empty areas around the perimeter...

the white dots were added with snow cap white pigment ink, using my spatter background stamp...

this creates an authentic graniteware effect...

I used watering can archival to stamp the text you see...

it's from LCS066 & it's titled "remnants of art"...

the large art parts heart was inked with red geranium archival ink, sprinkled with red geranium embossing powder & heated to melt the powder...

again, I used potting soil around the edges & a tiny bit of tarnished brass distress paint to add a worn gold edge on the heart...

I used watering can archival with the vintage mesh background to stamp over the heart...

the art parts words ART & FOR were painted with black soot distress paint...

to create the art parts geranium, 

I inked the flower portion of the art part with red geranium ink, sprinkled on the red geranium embossing powder & heated it...

then I covered the leaves area with fern green archival ink, fern green embossing powder & heated it...

next, I inked the geranium stamp with jet black archival & pressed the art part onto the inked stamp & gave it a quick dry...

***REMEMBER***

the embossing powders are opaque when melted, so if I stamped first, the stamped image would have been completely covered up by the powder...

make sense?

so add the embossing powder first, melt it & then stamp on top with archival ink...

the little art parts flower was finger painted with an uneven coat of salty ocean distress paint & a tiny bit of wild honey distress paint was added to the flower center...

I used multi medium to glue the art parts to the front cover...

it looks like this...

with a little pen stitching around the heart...

here's a look at the geranium detail...

I used the black glaze pen to add dots to the flower centers...

 decisions...decisions...

I had planned to make the back cover red & use something blue as the focal point...

just the opposite of the front...

but 

then I spotted the watering can embossing powder & decided to use that as my background...

I followed the same steps as I did on the front cover...

the art parts bird was inked with forget-me-not archival ink & then I sprinkled on the cornflower blue embossing powder, making sure to wipe the powder from the edges to create a worn effect...

after the powder was melted, I added potting soil to his legs & the un-embossed areas...

I used watering can archival to add the polka dots to the bird & the wing...

I test drove the bird placement & before gluing the bird to the cover, I used jet black to stamp the flourish that appears under his wing...

he needed something to stand ON, so I used 

the art part bow with the coordinating stamp...

I inked the art part with brushed corduroy, then used the coordinating stamp (LCS097) with jet black...

if it stands still in our house, 

it just might get heat embossed...

see the star?

it's one of tim's mirrored stars...

easy to alter...& it can take the heat...

I used the blending tool to add some tree branch archival ink & then sprinkled on the tree branch embossing powder while the ink was wet...

a little heat & the powder melts...

I added a tiny bit of potting soil to darken it a bit...

idea-ology adornments are fun to alter too...

I used the perfect mediun embossing pen, inking the leaves first, then sprinkling on the fern green embossing powder & melting it...

the I added the embossing ink to the flowers & gave them a dose of orange blossom powder...

when the powders cooled, I lightly swiped the red geranium archival pad over the raised areas of the flowers to add some shading...

it looks imperfect, vintage & crusty...

just what I wanted...

***be very light handed with the embossing pen***

it takes very little ink to add the embossing powders...

adding too much embossing ink will cause the powders to chip off or peel off metal & glass...

I'm excited to have a new journal to work in...

pages this size can be completed in a short play session...

good timing for the busy holiday season...

did you hear that Santa delivered early?

I'm THRILLED that...

the matte finish 

GLUE N SEAL is back!

this is 

BY 

FAR 

THE 

BEST 

paper adhesive in the 

whole universe!

seriously...

T H E  B E S T...

whenever I want to adhere paper to any surface, 

like chipboard, art parts, grungeboard, wood or card stock

I choose Glue N Seal...

why?

because it doesn't warp paper...

even vintage dictionary pages, which are very fragile & don't do well with any moisture...

my favorite use is to paint a thin layer of Glue N Seal onto a sheet of

 my clearly for art (CFA)...

add the dictionary page, brayer it & give it a quick dry...

NO BUBBLES!

then I'll either stamp on the paper side & 

cut it out with tim's scissors or

 use a Sizzix die to cut the CFA...

to create a strong dimensional embellishment..

that's reason #1 why 

I LOVE Glue N Seal...

reason #2...

if you add a thin layer to a glass bottle, when it's dry you can then add tim's rock candy crackle paint & it STICKS, CRACKS & stays securely attached to the glass like MAGIC...

rock candy crackle paint over glass without 

Glue N Seal doesn't stick...

it flakes right off...

it needs tooth to grab onto...

the most cost effective way to buy Glue N Seal is to buy the small jar...

it's super convenient to have the brush built right in the lid...

no mess...no cleanup...

and then get the large jar to refill the small jar 

or you can use it with a larger brush for larger projects...

you get lots more glue that way & 

it's a much better value than buying 2 small jars...

THANK YOU RANGER

 for listening to our request 

to bring back GLUE N SEAL!

that's it for today!

THANKS so much for stopping by!

I hope you'll get out a journal &

make art!

wendy