Inspiration

It is time for the new challenge at Frilly and Funkie and this time, Nancy is our hostess and is calling it You're My Inspiration.  Here is what she has to say about it:

Find any type of image or photo that inspires you and create a vintage or shabby chic project based on that image or photo (you don't need to actually use it in your project). Please post the image on your blog along with your project, and tell us what it is you love about it.

While I have never entered any of my creations in the mood board challenges at Maja Designs, the mood boards do inspire me and so I thought I would use this one and create something with it in mind.  I thought I would make a little journal that is partly junk journal, partly mini album.  The colours are so soft and calm.

Warning - there are a lot of photos in this post and the quality is not always the best - thanks to the intermittent rain that we have been getting for weeks now.

I found a little 5 1/2" square chipboard album kit in my stash and decided it would be perfect for this project.  Here is how I turned it into a little journal/album:

1. Coated both sides of the chipboard pieces with white Gesso and then covered the front with some stenciling using a Tim Holtz Flourish stencil and texture paste.

2. Painted the chipboard with Bleached Sand acrylic paint from DecoArt and sprayed with Gathered Twigs Distress Spray Stain and Lindy's Starburst Saxifrage Olive Copper.

3. Altered the book rings with some Copper Mixative Alcohol Ink.
4. Embellished the front with the following elements:

• burlap panel
• tea-dyed venise lace
• paper doll from Tim Holtz inked with some Vintage Photo Distress Ink
• flower made from corrugated cardboard using Tim Holtz Tattered Florals, inked it with Vintage Photo DI and a carved coconut shell button for the centre
• bow from copper crochet ribbon with a little clock charm from xx
• Idea-ology pen nib altered with Copper Mixative Alcohol Ink
• copper button from the dollar store

5. Made some inserts from a variety of elements in my studio or that I found online and printed, inking edges with Vintage Photo Distress Ink.  I really wanted to embellish each page more but since I was running out of time, I had to suppress the urge so I would have a little something, something to show on the inside.

Left - Inside of Front Cover
Right - Front of page 1, which is a folded piece of paper topped by a vintage journaling card

Left - Back of Page 1 with a handmade coin envelope
Right - Front of Page 2, which is a vintage ledger card from The Graphics Fairy and a little ephemera tuck spot

Left - Back of page 2, which has been inked with Vintage Photo and Weathered Wood DI, stamped with a flourish from Wendy Vecchi using Tree Branch Archival Ink and another ephemera tuck spot added
Right - Front of Page 3, which is some old school lined paper

Left - Back of Page 3
Right - Front of Page 4, which is a folded envelope topped by some ephemera

Left - Back of Page 4, which is the fold on the enveloped topped with some venise lace and includes a vintage journaling card
Right - Front of Page 5, which is another folded paper from my stash topped with some Tim Holtz washi tape, a tattered floral cut from corrugated cardboard that was inked with Weathered Wood DI and a faux pearl cluster added to the centre

Left - Back of Page 5 topped with a vintage journaling card
Right - Front of Page 6, which is some old music paper folded and includes a vintage journaling card

Left - Back of Page 6 with a little ephemera added with a mini clothespin
Right - Front of Page 7, which is some old map paper from Far Far Hill with a doily tuck spot inked with Shaded Lilac and Vintage Photo DI and includes a tag made from Maja Designs paper and seam binding dyed with Tea Dye DI

Left - Back of Page 7, which has been inked with Weathered Wood DI and has an added pocket made from Maja Designs paper decorated with some Tim Holtz washi tape
Right - Front of Page 8, which is another vintage ledger page with an ephemera tuck spot

Left - Back of Page 8, which had some Maja Designs paper added along with an ephemera tuck spot
Right - Front of Page 9, more school lined paper

Left - Bank of Page 9
Right - Front of Page 10, which is vintage music paper, cut down with extra used to make a pocket

Left - Back of Page 10, which has some Graphic 45 paper added and a vintage note for a tuck spot
Right - Front of Page 11, which is more old music paper with a tiny journaling card added

Left - Back of Page 11, which has been folded to create a pocket and has a journaling card inserted in the pocket
Right - Front of Page 12, which is a sheet of Maja Design paper with an inked doily added as a tuck spot

Left - Back of Page 12 with a little piece of ephemera from Tim Holtz added as a tuck spot
Right - Front of Page 13, which is another folded piece of paper with a vintage journaling card added

Left - Back of Page 13 with a handmade coin envelope added
Right - Front of Page 14, which is another folded envelope with a strip of Maja Designs paper for a border and a stamped tag inserted

Left - Back of Page 14 with a vintage journaling card added
Right - Front of Page 15 - more school lined paper

Left - Back of Page 15
Right - Inside Back Cover

Back Cover

That was long - are you still with me?  If so, thanks for sticking around to see my little journal.  I know some of the colours from the mood board only appear on the inside but I tried to incorporate as many of the mood board ideas as possible.  This journal still has lots of room for pages but I ran out of time and I am sure you are happy that I did or you might have to grab another glass of wine. :)

I hope that you can find a photo that inspires you and you will share your creation with us.  The challenge at Frilly and Funkie runs until 11:55 pm EST on June 20th and you have the opportunity to win a Guest Designer spot or to be the random winner of a gift certificate from The Funkie Junkie Boutique.