Book and Paper Arts Archives - Page 7 of 15

Unbundling Autumn Leaf Ecoprints

November 14, 2020 / by Kelly

One of my favourite times of the year is autumn and one of my favourite ways to hold onto the beauty and mystery that the season holds is to make ecoprints, steaming leaves I have foraged on my hikes into paper that I then make into cards, framed prints, or book covers. Dying with plants is an inexact science but I have been doing this one for years and here’s hoping that some of these pointers will steer you in the right direction with your attempts. So here is video that is short but will hopefully give a visual of some of the more hard to visualise parts about making your own ecoprints.

If you (like me) enjoy a tutorial that is printed as well as the video, here is a post to get you started:

Ecoprinting with Autumn Leaves

To see an older video that also has lots of fun details, here you [read more]

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How to Use Text, Print, or Handwritten Pages in Your Work

November 14, 2020 / by Kelly

I sell quite a bit of vintage paper from my studio, from letterpress text to handwritten letters to just plain old antique book pages. Sometimes the happy new owner of these pages is off and running with using it her work but other times I get emails saying that it is beautiful but what do I do next? Can I really use it in my pages?

The answer is, you bet. Let me show you some of the ways you can incorporate old papers into your work. As usual, I am going to show most of these methods using my altered book but remember, you can do the same in your art journals, junk journals, collage, or any other mixed media project.

Full page coverage. Using handwritten documents or letters is one of my favourite go-to ways to start a layout. It is fun and atmospheric and allows your focal points to shine, all at the same time.
A variation on the full page cover is to mix and match it with the original underpage. I like to rough tear a letter in an irregular way and then glue it to the base so that you can see some layer. [read more]

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What’s in My Portable Art Studio: Travel Art Kit

October 30, 2020 / by Kelly

This video is the first in a series on keeping a stay at home travel journal because just because we are not traveling these days doesn’t mean that we can’t keep a creative, cool record of our days, especially these crazy days. I want to start by talking about supplies, the tools that I carry with me to work on my illustrated journals, on the road and at home.

When I first discovered illustrated journal keeping I was told that the first, number one rule was – never go anywhere without your portable art kit on you. If you do this, if you are ready to work at any time. I am rarely without my supplies which means I can make pages in coffee shops, dr’s offices, parks, wherever I find myself. So let me introduce you to my portable art studio.

Waterbrushes (I use Pentel)
Variety of fineliner pens
Pencils
White gel pen
Bamboo dip pen
Scissors (mine are Cutter Bee)
Pencil sharpener
Eraser
Palette
Portable watercolour kit
Bag with pockets

Here are the links to some of the items I rely on. Note, I am not paid by any of these companies.

LIHIT Lab bags

https://www.cultpens.com/c/q/brands/lihit-lab

Gallo Watercolour kit

https://www.agallocolors.com/

Derwent Inktense Sticks

[read more]

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Journal Prompt for Jump-starting Your Diary

September 30, 2020 / by Kelly

Basically, this is my semi-regular reminder that keeping a journal can change your life. Now more than ever I rely on a handwritten diary to give my life context. It’s partly the virus and the way we live now. Partly my fears and confusion about aging and what I mean to do with what’s left of my life. Partly trying to figure out the best way to use my creative ability to make the world a better place. Identity. Infinity. Vocation. Vision. Regret. To be honest, I don’t see how anybody figures this stuff out – or even makes a stab at it – without a written journal.

These are painful days, and writing out your pain and fear and rage is powerful. It can also be terrifying – some of us are just managing to Hold It All Together by squinching our psychic eyes shut and I understand: admitting this pain (and anger and feelings of helplessness) could be taking a hammer to the dam in our spirits – the one that is holding back despair. Or. It can be a tool. As the earth seems to crumble under you, your writing can be a rope that [read more]

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Tudor Queens Free Downloads

September 12, 2020 / by Kelly

Hello there. Today I have some truly gorgeous downloads of some Tudor queens and other badass female royals to use in your journal pages, collage, or other mixed media work. You need these. Please be inspired by their attitudes and their outfits, then if you like, click for a larger image, copy, and off you go. Let me know what you make with these and as always, just get in touch if you have any [read more]

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Art Journal Page Process and Ideas

September 11, 2020 / by Kelly

Please join me for lots of layers, paper scraps, water soluble techniques, blending, smudging, colour, and some tips on composition as we go through the process of creating an art journal page.

My art journal is where I can do anything I want. I don’t have to ask if it will sell or even express my Greatest Creative Vision. It is just for the heck of it and it is a great joy to just play around with bits of whatever. And stuff. Today I am going to explain some of the whys and ways I choose what goes on a page and what comes after that.

While almost everything on this page is from the scrap pile, I do use Derwent Chunky Graphite Sticks to pull it together at the end. (I use these A LOT.) You can find them here:

https://www.derwentart.com/en-gb/c/professional-products/drawing/xl-graphite-blocks

I also use a Caran d’Ache Technalo watersoluble graphite pencil. See them here:

https://www.carandache.com/us/en/graphite-pencils-c-1501-tp-1503.htm

Please subscribe to my online newsletter (on any blog page here) to receive a twice monthly missive with free tutorials, downloads, pep talks, and other whatnot in your inbox. Feel free to leave me a comment or let me know if you have any questions I [read more]

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Coming November 2021: French Ephemera Boxes are Back!

September 9, 2020 / by Kelly

NOTE: I will be selling all new box bundles in November 2021 as I am in France buying new, old stock at the moment! If you would like to pre-order, get in touch and let me know at kelly@bookandpaperarts.com.

At last! The return of the French Book Arts Ephemera Boxes. Each parcel is filled with vintage French treasure to inspire your art journals, junk journals, collage, altered books, or other mixed-media work. Each box is curated by hand and is filled with hard-to-find handwritten paper, post cards, cabinet photos, and French brocante, all authentic and little pieces of mysteries and unfinished stories that have been waiting to be found. Here is a video of an unboxing or if you prefer there are photos at the end of this post.

While every box is different, each contains:

Five yards French linen thread (unwaxed);
Vintage tin (distressed);
buttons;
Three handwritten cartes postales;
Edition of La Mode Illlustrée, a womans fashion magazine dating from the 1870s to the 1880s. Four pages;
handwritten legal documents (actes notaires);
French dictionary pages, 1842, four pages;
Signatures from various French texts, 1611-1878;
Three cartes de visites (photographs), circa 1880s;
Four playing cards (jeu de tarot), 1870;
Five vintage prayer/holy cards;
Edition of Bulletin Des Lois (1835 to 1854). Printing [read more]

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Using Misters and Spritzers in Your Mixed Media and Journal Pages

September 4, 2020 / by Kelly

Recently I showed some mark making techniques for our art journal pages and mixed media work and to make it clearer and easier, I used misters to deliver the ink without explaining about them and a lot of you said, hey wait, what is a mister anyway? Basically it is nothing more than a small spray bottle. When filled with pigment, it is a versatile tool for getting your colour into your mixed media and art journal projects. I keep several with a variety of colours and intensities both for starting and for embellishing pages. This video should make things clearer.

You can buy them premade or you can make your own, and in that way choose your palette. Ranger has a line of mini-misters. They are in most craft stores and you can also order them online here and also here. Another (and cheaper) option is to just use spray bottles, the size used for getting your liquids past airline security. You find at any supermarket, online, in Poundland or the Dollar Store, or in any chemist or big box store. They are inexpensive and should last for ages.

Usually I use ink but they may [read more]

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Let’s Alter a Sketchbook Cover

August 21, 2020 / by Kelly

I never go anywhere without a sketchbook journal; it’s the best way to make sure you are working in it, no excuses, and using small bits of time here and there. While I usually use a most substantial journal there are times when it is too heavy to be practical, and then I want a smaller, lightweight book. But – I want it to be noteworthy, so I decorate them before taking them out. (We want compliments, don’t we?) Here is a video showing how I altered the softcover sketchbook above. Below this are some written instructions AND some high-res downloads that you can use to reproduce this book yourself.

You can usually find these soft cover journals in craft, stationery, or book stores. First I put down a messy layer of gauze. If you don’t have gauze you can use cheesecloth or other light fabric, or tissue paper, or skip this step. Over that I added a page from an old French army record book onto which I had stamped a bird’s nest. Now, you can use any page of your own that you fancy but here are some high-res scans that you can download or cut-and-paste [read more]

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Mark Making for Getting Past the Blank Page and In Your Work

August 15, 2020 / by Kelly

Okay, fine, let’s talk about that blank page anxiety. Again. Look, you have enough to be anxious about without worrying whether that white page in your journal or diary is glaring at you, daring you to write or work on it. People, this will not do. Instead, today we are going to look at a variety of mark making techniques that will jumpstart your creative engines by making a nice, grungy, comfortable, welcoming space to create on.

Coffee cups

I keep a special tea cup dedicated to this technique alone. You can make messy circles using gesso. Or Ink. I like to combine a bit of colour to gesso. This makes a viscous medium that looks like chalk paint and also has remarkable depth. Add circles sparingly or go crazy and make bold patterns.

Blots

Drizzle or pour a small amount of liquid pigment – I am using my handmade walnut ink but you can use watercolours or acrylic thinned with water. Improvise. Smoosh it about on the page, then gently blot. You can now use this image as a messy, happy background, or you can draw into it, letting the blot tell you what it is meant to be. Alternatively, you can use [read more]

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Book and Paper Arts (page 7 of 15)

Unbundling Autumn Leaf Ecoprints

How to Use Text, Print, or Handwritten Pages in Your Work

What’s in My Portable Art Studio: Travel Art Kit

Journal Prompt for Jump-starting Your Diary

Tudor Queens Free Downloads

Art Journal Page Process and Ideas

Coming November 2021: French Ephemera Boxes are Back!

Using Misters and Spritzers in Your Mixed Media and Journal Pages

Let’s Alter a Sketchbook Cover

Mark Making for Getting Past the Blank Page and In Your Work

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