2021 Topic 15: Journaling Gratitude with ELB {by Etsuko Noguchi}

  2021 Topic 15: Journaling Gratitude

Sunflower fireworks, different seasons, crackle glazes and hinge ideas...there's a tonne of techniques and some really beautiful pages as Etsuko explores 4 different seasons and what she's thankful for.
~ Keren

Hi everyone, it's Etsuko My favorite things with you today, and I'm here to share with you that I like to use stamps and stencils by my favorite artist Lin Brown (Yours Artfully) I hope I could express the beauty of nature in the Four Seasons. Lin's work is innovative, with great ideas and techniques that have always inspired. As the Corona pandemic has now almost passed two years, I would like to say a big thank to Nature for giving me courage and PaperArtsy for giving me the joy of creating with them as my subject.

Today I worked with some of my favorite materials, vellum and acetate, as well as some basic techniques.

The Cover

I made the cover using Fresco Chalk Acrylic (Dirty Lime, Cerise, Cerulean, Tangerine Twist and Electric Violet).

 

These colours are then randomly applied on the Smoothy (Heavyweight) A4 white card 

 

 

 and then layered with Lin Stencils PS003 and PS024 in the same colours.

 

Finally stamped with Eclectica Everything Art Set (EEA05) and Tracy Scott's Mini 57 (EM57) in Ranger Archival Ink (Jet Black) to reduce the vibrancy. I like this technique.

 

 

 

 Page 1

On the background of the first page, Fresco Chalk Acrylic (Cerulean, Crackle Glaze and Fuzzy Cactus) in that order over Smoothy (Heavyweight) A4 white card to create the cracks.

 

 

When it was dry I stamped Lin's Set 29 (ELB29), the dotted circle stamp, with Ranger Archival Ink (Fern Green) I then used Lin's PS043 stencil with Grunge Paste.

I embroidered the daisy that Lin sometimes used when using embroidery in her art and added it to the layers.

Using vellum, the flowers are embossed with gold and platinum powders then the flowers were cut, and placed with the sentiment. A white card was added to the underneath of the first page card then both card edges were distressed. Then I stuck it to the cardboard base of the book pages. Here I have expressed the joy of spring.

Page 2

 

For the background of the second page, I used Fresco Chalk Acrylic (Banana, Cerise and Cerulean) randomly dripped with rubbing alcohol in some places..

 

 

 and then stamped Lin's Set 29 and 34 (ELB29 and ELB34), then splattered with Cerulean.

One of the most popular events of the summer in Japan is the fireworks display, but most of them have been cancelled due to Covid-19. To remind us of this, I made a sunflower that looks like a big firework in the night sky.

I stamped Lin's Set 24 and 26 (ELB24 and ELB26) with Ranger Archival Ink (Jet Black) and cut them out.

 

The sunflower was made to take up the majority of the card by adding lots of petals to create a gorgeous firework display. Smoothy (Heavyweight) A4 white card with Tangerine Twist, Tango, and Banana painted in a gradient of petals sized circles.

 

 

I also embossed some ELB26 images on Vellum with white powder, cut them and used as outer petals to make the large sunflower.

I added Alison's wonderful quote from the Alison Bomber Set 21 (EAB21) to finish it off.

 

Page 3

The third page is the collage of book papers and tags, over which I used Grunge Paste with a painting knife to create a little texture. I then sprinkled Infusions Terracotta and The Sage on top and sprayed it with water.

 

I stamped the ELB29 corrugated cardboard stamp on top of a slightly thicker layer of Grunge Paste and embossed it with various autumnal coloured powders before the Grunge Paste dried.

 

This was used as the base for the leaf. I stamped Lin Brown's Set 30 (ELB30) leaf in Snowflake with Stazon Pigment Ink on acetate and fastened it over the base.

 

 

I added Alison's Set 01 (EAB01) quote.

 

Page 4

 

The last page is the winter card. I used Fresco Chalk Acrylic (Venice Blue, Crackle Glaze, Snowflake) to create the background with a winter atmosphere.

I stamped Courtney's Set 03 (ECF03) script in Fresco Chalk Acrylic (Snowflake) on the Fresco Chalk Acrylic (Double Denim) painted paper.

I covered it with the acetate stamped with the Lin's Set 22 (ELB22) flower in white to create a winter flower and the focal point.

 

 

I made a small frame for Lin's Set 31 (ELB31) sentiment and glued paper stuffing painted with white gesso between it and the white background.

 

 

Finally I made hinges to bind the four cards using ELB34, embossed with copper embossing powder on paper painted with Fresco Chalk Acrylic (Little Black Dress).

This is my last post for 2021 and here I would like to thank all of you for visiting and commenting so warmly, as well as all the staff at PaperArtsy for giving me this opportunity. I really appreciate it. And I wish that 2022 will be a wonderful year for all!!

Etsuko xxx

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