botanicals – Basement Studio

BOTANICAL INSPIRED MINIS

It’s been a while since I last made a mini album. A tidy and organize of my basement studio revealed some pretty papers which in truth I’d been squirrelling. All crafters have those special things they want to save for a special project but then when the special project comes up it’s always an opportunity to buy something brand spanking new!

With the Summer coming to an end and Autumn making itself known, I’ve realised I need to get a move on if I’m going to have a stock of albums ready for sale. Those ‘special’ papers were just what I needed to kickstart me into album production again. Coupled with some equally special papers which arrived from Paper Pen and Plan recently I think they look super cute.

Both of these albums have the same basic structure of 12x12x4cm hard covers with flaps and pages inside to lift, open or pull out creating a possibility to add an amazing 26 photos.

I love making these interactive albums and just can’t decide which size is my favourite. If you’d like to buy one of these albums, any others from the shop or have something made to order you can visit my shop here just click on this link.

Have a great weekend and I’ll see you here next week.

Jaine xx

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More printing in the studio

There’s a definite change in the air right now. The garden has noticed it, the forest has noticed it and my attention has wandered towards my upcoming workshop in October, the first one in over a year. The workshop is based around printing with leaves and botanicals so every time I’m out with the dog I end up with a little bunch of interesting things to try out on my gelli plate.

I’m having so much fun printing and actually end up with alot more prints which I truly like. Of course when printing not everything comes out great but even the ones which were a bit of a fail have a place somewhere in my work.

I really think I’ve got the hang of it now, my printing plate is almost permanently out on my worktable and I love using botanicals.

From this latest session spread over a couple of days, I’ve ended up with 19 collage papers, 20 double sided A5 sheets and 29 postcard sized pieces. It’s becoming a bit addictive. The collage papers are ordinary copy paper which were used as clean up sheets or for taking the first print onto. These make great backgrounds or cut up for collage. Sometimes they look so much better when they’re cut up into smaller pieces or die cut from.

I’ll be back next week with news of another project involving gel prints but for now have a good week,

Jaine x

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A visit to Sicily

Villa Rica, Patti in Sicily

Our weather here in Luxembourg this Summer has been a bit up and down to put it mildly. We’ve had stunning sunshine prompting pool parties in the back garden to heavy rain and flooding on a scale not seen for ages. I’ve even resorted to putting on the heating a couple of times! So we were pleased to spend some time away in Sicily. It was roastingly hot even for the locals but like all mad dogs and Englishmen it didn’t stop us from getting out and enjoying some sight seeing. It’s always lovely to recharge and get a new perspective on things by getting away. I think the different culture, food, scenery and colours have freshened up my crafting which lately had started to become a bit stale.

I couldn’t help but be inspired by the colours around me but even though I took my sketch book with good intentions, sadly it didn’t come out once.

Coming home again had me all fired up to stop procrastinating and get on with something productive. As I have a workshop coming up in the Autumn I need to make a mockup for, I thought I’d sieze the opportunity to get started on it.

Gel prints with leaves

The workshop is based around gel printing with botanicals so I thought I’d have another go at gel printing with leaves and ended up with this little lot. I’m much more confident with how they’re turning out, I think I seem to have mastered it at last. I actually like what I’m managing to print. The idea is to make a small journal out of them ending up with all of these colourful backgrounds.

While I was out with the dog I found this pretty feather on the path, so tiny but it gave me an idea for the cover of the journal.

A little collage of scraps from my bit box and the tiny feather looks lovely againsed the calico cover and the little bird rub-on was a lost treasure from an old pile of forgotten rub-ons. Does anyone use rub-ons anymore?

Enjoy the weather and the end of the Summer where you are and find some new inspiration in the changing of the seasons.

Jaine xx

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