Catching Up

This weekend I finally caught up with my pages and covers for the Creative Soul Book Challenge for the Art Retreat NEXT weekend!!

The picture at the top is the front cover of the concertina style book which I have made out of lovely Fabriano paper. The one below it is the back cover. For these covers I used some graph paper that I had used the back of when I was doing a large painting/colour wash project. It is lovely thick paper and the splashes and over sprays made it quite attractive so I have just embellished it a little further with stamps, stencilling and glimmer sprays and a stitched collage and book plate for the front.
Next are a couple of the pages I have finished off. The first one is for the challenge theme "all things French". I tried to avoid doing the Eiffel Tower for a change although it was rather hard as I, along with many others, really love that iconic image. I love that image of the woman posing in her floaty wraps and for some reason it always make me think of "things French" so I printed it on fabric and stitched it to a stamped and painted canvas page. The stamp at the bottom is a lovely corner "Poste Francaise" clear stamp by Prima (and their stamps are just divine - I have two of the "Build a Frame" sheets and love love love them!

The second page is for the theme "my favourite things". As my favourite things are many and varied, I decided to go for flowers as my main favourite thing but bright paint colours, texture paste, stencils, text stamps and canvas are some of my favourite art items as well. I have stitched all the skinny book pages onto the concertina book pages and I have wrapped the book with gorgeous vibrant recycled sari yarn (which is more like a twisted cord and which is worth every cent of its rather high price!) to keep it altogether.

Now, as I am on holidays as of today, I am off to pack for the Art Retreat (and do all the hundred other things I have left to the last minute).