Since September is fast approaching and I didn't have an insert for my Chic Sparrow traveler's notebook, I decided to make one for it using papers and stamps from
Stamp Simply.
This week has been a rollercoaster of emotions since Hurricane Harvey hit Texas (including where I graduated from PT school in Galveston) and then turned to make its way right over my brother's home in Westlake, Louisiana (next to Lake Charles). The devastation was so widespread and so literally close to home and heart that it was completely overwhelming, although seeing the rescue operations and the way strangers have worked together to help each other has really bolstered my faith in humanity!
As I sat down at my studio desk to create, these stamps practically cried out, "Use me! Use me!" Certainly in times like these we can all use reminders to be thankful and to not grow weary doing good.
I didn't want to have to choose between verses, and so I decided to make a little "least of these" up-cycled paper bag tag album to go along with my TN insert, adding extra sentiments to the tags inside the pockets and leaving some extra writing room in case I decide to document some of what I've been feeling. (I am broken-hearted over what Texas is experiencing, and so relieved that my hometown did not also get the heavy, flooding rains that were predicted, especially since the storm passed directly through it.)
This designer paper has so many cute cut-apart pieces and coordinating prints it is really fun to use. I tore this one in half so I could use it on the front and back, adding verses to each half. For the front I added a die-cut flower.
To the back I added a cluster of enamel dots to mimic the floral/berry clusters printed on the paper.
This pre-printed strip was the perfect size for the center fold.
These are the tags that slide inside the pockets. This is the verse that really spoke to me in the midst of this tragedy, inspiring the entire project.
The actual TN insert is very simple, with few embellishments because it makes it easier to write when things are flat!
The pages inside this particular insert are cut from Strathmore mixed media paper, and I used a lace stencil and some distress oxides to dress the first one up a little. This paper is ok for journaling and light artwork, but I would like to have another insert made with watercolor paper so that I can do some more extensive watercolor should I get the notion. The mixed media paper absorbs differently and doesn't hold up to a lot of water the way real watercolor paper does. This TN has four elastics, so there is definitely room for another insert.
Art has a way of helping to express and diffuse those painful emotions, at least for the moment! I'm grateful for that, and also very encouraged by the outpouring of compassion and help for Hurricane Harvey victims. I would like to encourage everyone to contribute to the relief efforts and to keep them all in your prayers!
Here are the Stamp Simply stamps and supplies I used:
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