Journal -The first signature

Well I have almost finished the first signature - and have sewn it in, which fits in very nicely with this weeks Lots to Do Challenge, which is 'stitches' - take your pick they are all stitched!

I have never spent so long making something arty crafty!

Inside cover/first page

 A scrap of old curtain material from a charity shop years ago, bits of torn paper, and material sewn on top - note not a straight line in sight and lots of scraggly bits.

There is a transferred french postcard image onto a bit of old pillowcase (ripped) all held together with some buttons.

Next page - there is lace between the two

A bit of old net curtain cut around the shapes to make a pattern

Lucinda's embroiderd vintage handkerchief from Kate in France

Its tucked into a pocket at the start of the story - which it typed onto paper, and I have painted and stamped on it, the sewn it onto cardboard to make a pocket for the hankie.

You can see that the next page of Lucinda's thatched cottage has changed somewhat!

The ghost is still there!

These pages look a bit more severe , with Lucinda staring out into the distance as Kate's ship sails off to France.  The pouch for the vintage map on the right is flamboyant

As  you would expect from France at the time.

The first page of this signature centre is in a posting below (the ornate letter from Kate) together with some previous pages made.

And the above is the other - where she spent a weekend with French aristocracy in one of their Chateaux

Sadly the story is too long to make a page for each part of it, so I am going to type that up when I have finished and include it in the journal as a little booklet.

More scraps of pages salvaged from a fire - one of Lucinda's this time, and one of her paintings for Kate, together with a painting of where she sat to write her letters

She loves to illustrate her writing paper too - just as I used to years ago when we used to write letters!

Phew only 28 pages to go, plus the cover.

But I have other more pressing things to do unfortunately

All the fabulous lace came from Very Mary the wonder Mary's Etsy shops has to be seen to be believed!

 

Scissors were banned, so too any other colour than black thread - and no measuring with a ruler either - you should try it - it's liberating!

I have been using all my 'skills' new and old, improvising, inking, painting, experimenting, transferring, printing, lots of tearing, sploshing, gluing, and a fair bit of head scratching - and it's amazing what you make with a stash of 'junk'.  And I got to rediscover my old sewing machine - and once I worked out how to thread it and use it again - we have become quite good friends.  I doubt I could sew a straight line - but those were banned too - so it suited me down to the ground.

The leaf print above on the watercolour page - that was a bit of fern that was hanging in the way of my craft shed door - so I snapped it off and laid it on my desk.  The next day I picked it up to throw away and there was a perfect layer of brown dust - must have been from the seeds - so I dabbed ink on the fern, and just lay it on the page overnight -and hey presto - an perfect print!

I am taking a break from this for a week or so - I also need to get some supplies of French 'pretties' to go in it!  And I want to track down some paper serviettes to use in it too.

28 pages and the front cover yet to do - that's 2 signatures.  Lots of adventures to 'travel' on - great places to visit, and there's going to be a bit of romance too of course - and a tragedy - every good story needs a bit of both - not quite sure about a happy ending - who knows - I don't!

Thank you so much for looking

Earlier pages in the posts below.