I have again been absent from blogging, owing to home duties [read cleaning/tidying my terrible mess], and preparing lunch for long time friends who decided to pay us a visit yesterday. Thankfully, I had finished fiddling with a new journal cover, and have another interesting surface to share with everyone. This was made using recycled teabags, coloured in various ways after being fused to a piece of pelmet vilene. The odd looking trim on the front was created by using PVA glue in a embossing mould. It looked like a clear skin after the glue had dried, and simply peeled off the mould, which is plastic. I painted it, rubbed over that with some Treasure Gold, smudged that a little with White Spirit and then quickly sprayed on some Moonshadow Mist, which left it looking a little bit second hand, but that is the look I was trying to achieve!! I learnt about this PVA skin making via online lessons from Lynda Monk. The three little brads are a copper colour, quite bright compared to the rest of the surface.
I hope the back view will show some more of the teabag treatment. There are a couple of layers, going in different directions. I added some simple running stitch/quilting lines in a Papillon metallic copper thread. The whole piece was given a coat of Mod Podge to seal it. It looks and feels a little like leather, but definitely smells like glue......LOL.
The PVA skin trim was initially attached with craft glue, and then I added some uneven straight stitches. I was afraid to stitch the outer edge with very close machine satin stitch, as I feared the whole surface may tear away, so I used a very large, open zigzag to attach the lining/sleeve to the outer surface.
I hope this view will show the inside lining fabric with the very open zigzag. This lining was fused to the back of the outer surface, and hopefully that fusible webbing will help hold the fibres and prevent fraying - after all, it won't be laundered.
This view should show everyone how I finished the outer surface. I started with a piece of tea stained fabric, fused to pelmet vilene cut to the required journal dimensions. I allowed the teabags and fabric to protrude over the edges of the vilene, and after all the surface preparation was completely dry, it was pressed back, with corners mitred. The lining fabric was then fused to this, making sure it was taken to almost the very edge. I feel this has given me a neat and serviceable finish.
This did take quite a time to make, but it is rather a unique surface, and I'm already preparing more teabags for use in some other way. At night, instead of knitting, I am picking teabags to pieces!!!
15 comments:
thanks Linda for sharing your tea bag journal cover with us. It certainly looks a lot of hard work but WOW it really was worth it.
I would come a bit unstuck as I drink loose tea!
I throughly enjoyed reading how you went about making it.
Oh Linda, this is great. I know we discussed the method on the phone but I had no idea of how it would turn out. Will you do that pva skin again some time? It seems fiddly but the effect is really cool.
Linda, your journal is wonderful, the way you have made it is unique and looks wonderful. The time it took to make was well worth it.
Thank you for your comments on flickr, I hope you have caught up with all the things you needed to do.
hugs
Looks brilliant! I do admire the work that you and Dian do with all these layers of glues, paints, vilenes etc.
Good Day Linda, What a very unique and beautiful personal journal. I admire how you create so many lovely things using so many varied techniques. Hugs Judy
Wonderful journal cover and such an interesting surface. You are a very creative girl! Take care.
Linda this is just brilliant. Your cover is so unique and original. thank you for sharing the process I have never used any of those things except drinking tea from the teabags. You make such wonderful things and are so creative.
Linda, i do not know where you get all of your inspiration from! this looks great, and what a great idea to use the PVA glue and let it dry. Brilliant.
By the way, fiddly stuff like picking teabags to pieces is a job saved for the grandkids I think!!!!
Well Linda,that's my lesson for today...i'll think of you each time I have a cuppa!! You are so inventive..I wonder what you'll come up with next??
I so look forward to being really retired with no 'nannying' then I can really get down to some adventures in the craft line...at present am just beginning a quilted wall hanging..the subject..Pineapples..it's using a kit of batiks from Hawaii..the colours are gorgeous..
As I have said many times, there is no end to your talent! Looks great!
Love the journal - what sort of PVA did you use? I have had mixed success with that technique, but I like it a lot. I am doing a lot of catching up of blogs, love the toys you both acquired on your trip away! Will write soon. Cheers
Ahhhh, back to the bilabong, thanks Linda.
Your book cover is again a piece of art, I loke very much the square design - and I can hardly believe that it should not smell like leather as it looks like leather. The colour is so good. And here a question: How big are Australian tea bags? European ones are about 1 1/2 " x 2 " and this double, so when I unfold them they are 3 " x 4 ". We are herb tea drinkers!
The things we do!!! Sitting around unpicking tea bags! I am not ridiculing as I have always thought about doing this too. It looks amazing and I would love to feel it. You are really having fun experimenting with all these different surfaces, Linda, and thanks for sharing your techniques. Di.
Wow - your teabag book cover looks fabulous! I drink tea everyday and have never thought of recycling and using them to make something. Very, very neat :)
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