Happy New Year's Day to all my wonderful crafty friends! xox
I hope this new year brings you all peace, love and a mountain of creative inspiration. I have had wonderful holidays and I am here to share my latest journal inspired by the icy cold winter and William Blake's poem 'Little Lamb'.
I started with a lovely bundle of gorgeous fabrics from my crafty bestie, some things that I would never have bought myself, including several gold fancy trims. I found a piece of vintage midnight blue velvet and lots of cream lace and fabrics, and I love how this turned out. I happened to find a navy blue Indian shirt with gold embroidery, which looked perfect with the navy velvet, and I also found a small vintage pillow at an estate sale that was made with a silk blue and cream oriental pattern of a little garden scene. I used tiny swatches of this bright dainty fabric throughout the journal.
As I am daydreaming of my journal in the beginning stages, choosing fabrics and trims etc., I place a small dish on my desk where I start to collect little bits and bobs that I can add to as I go.....broken bits of colourful jewelry, vintage charms and pendants, old keys and buttons. I also save all the little scraps of lace and velvet and ribbon left over from my signatures to make a few collaged tags at the end of the project.
Although I have already added many embellishments to this journal, I tried to leave a few spaces where I can go back and do some hand stitching and embroidery. It's something I desperately want to learn how to do.....there, I have my New Year's resolution. I love to create collage but with textiles, the next endeavour will be to take the time to learn how to embroider and add some tiny flowery details to the signatures. I will tuck inside the back cover a small swatch with embroidery needles and thread so I can pick it up at any time to add some hand stitching.
I always try to include many secret pockets in my journals, to tuck away a few mementos and little bits of ephemera.....you can add hand written notes, letters from a friend, prayer cards, programs for services you attended, a few tea bags to perhaps enjoy the next time you pull out this journal, or some photographs of Christmas's long ago. Here I sewed a wide piece of lace to a backing of soft white cotton and it made two large see through pockets for some antique postcards. I always include strands of ribbons in the center of the two signatures to use as place markers that I decorate with little findings.
Towards December I start to listen to my favourite carols, and this alone is what really begins to make me feel the start of a Christmas mood. I mostly enjoy King's College Choir at Oxford singing the advent carol service, there are absolute gems of this service from the eighties that are on YouTube.
One carol I listen to above all is 'Little Lamb'. If I am busily crafting, I will completely stop and listen to every note of this enchanting piece, and it moves me deeply.
I will include a link to go and have a listen, so you also can enjoy the quiet reflection of Christmas, the birth of our savior.
The Lamb
Little Lamb who made thee
Dost thou know who made thee
Gave thee life & bid thee feed.
By the stream & o'er the mead;
Gave thee clothing of delight,
Softest clothing wooly bright;
Gave thee such a tender voice,
Making all the vales rejoice!
Little Lamb who made thee
Dost thou know who made thee
Little Lamb I'll tell thee,
Little Lamb I'll tell thee!
He is called by thy name,
For he calls himself a Lamb:
He is meek & he is mild,
He became a little child:
I a child & thou a lamb,
We are called by his name.
Little Lamb God bless thee.
Little Lamb God bless thee.
Thank you for looking, I hope I can share a little inspiration to gather the fabrics and and papers that you love and create a book of your own. There's nothing quite like the joy of capturing the spirit of the season in a journal. Something so pleasurable to hold and to cherish.
Love, Lisa xoxoxox
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