Leather Notebook - But Is It Real?

Today is the start of a new challenge at The Funkie Junkie Boutique Blog and I am the hostess this time.  I am calling this challenge "It Looks Real" and here is how I describe it:

There are so many ways to make something look real when it isn't. For this challenge, make a vintage or shabby chic project with one or more faux elements. Those elements could be faux rust, leather, stitching - to name a few. Make sure you tell us what the faux element is and how you made it because it will look real.

I decided to make a tiny notebook with a faux leather cover. I was actually inspired by a TV commercial that features a folded butterfly.

I have made faux leather a few times in different ways but this has to be the easiest way yet.  When you get an order from The Funkie Junkie Boutique you find some of the products wrapped in brown paper.  I always threw it out until Jenny Marples told me she saves it and uses it in her projects.  I realized what a mistake I had been making so I started to save it as well.

To make my faux leather I inked a piece of the brown paper  completely with Vintage Photo Distress Ink (Tim Holtz).  Then I crumpled the paper into a tight ball and then spread it out again.  I did this a few times to give it lots of wrinkles.  Next I rubbed the Coffee Archival Ink pad (Ranger) over the top to hit the highlights.

Because I wadded the paper up so many times, it softened quite a bit so I stiffened it up by coating it with Mod Podge.  Voila, faux leather.

The base of the book is just heavy card stock cut  9" x 5 1/2" and scored on the long side at 4 1/4" and 4 3/4".  The outside of the book was covered in the faux leather and then I added a piece of brown card stock cut a bit smaller to the inside.

I made two holes side by side at the top and bottom of the spine and strung the book with round elastic.  I didn't like the stark white elastic against the brown so I inked it with some Vintage Photo DI.  Next I made two signatures from tea and coffee dyed copy paper that I had in my stash and added those to the inside of the book.

I realized that I need a closure so I cut a piece of card stock 1" x 5", covered it with some of my faux leather and bent it around the notebook using a magnet snap (Basic Grey) to keep it shut.  Tip: If you want to stretch your magnet stash, use a purchased magnet on one side and a steel washer on the other side but you need thinner paper over it because it may not be strong enough under card stock.

The next step was to decorate the front cover around the area where the magnet sits.  To do that I made all sorts of leaves and branches with the Fall Foliage and Skeleton Leaves dies (Tim Holtz) using paper from the Abandoned and Metallics Kraft Stock pads (Tim Holtz).  The die cuts from the Fall Foliage die set were inked on the edges with Vintage Photo DI.

To decorate the closure I folded paper from the Abandoned pad to make a butterfly and then added an Idea-ology pen nib (Tim Holtz) that I altered with some Ginger and Gold Mixative Alcohol Inks (Tim Holtz).  Tip:  To glue the two sections together bend the bottom section so the sides almost touch in the middle, apply the glue in a narrow strip and use a paper clip to hold the two sections together while the glue dries.  I used a bit too much glue and didn't bend the bottom enough so I didn't get as much gap between the top and bottom sections of the butterfly as I wanted - lesson learned.

There you have it, a simple but handy little notebook.  This one would be great for a fellow but if you use different inks and more feminine embellishments you will be able to create something lovely for a female.

The challenge is open through Tuesday, November 5th at 11:55 pm EST and you have a chance at being chosen as a top pick.  The overall top pick will have an opportunity to be a Guest Designer at a future date.  One randomly selected winner will receive a gift certificate to shop at The Funkie Junkie Boutique and with all the wonderful new products coming in and the great prices and customer service Linda offers, you won't want to miss this chance.

Supplies list with links to The Funkie Junkie Boutique:

Tim Holtz Idea-ology Mini Paper Stash, Abandoned TH93962
Tim Holtz Idea-ology 8 x 8 Metallic Kraft Stock
Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pad - Vintage Photo TIM19527
Ranger Archival Ink Pad - Coffee AIP31451
Sizzix Thinlits Die Set 14PK - Fall Foliage by Tim Holtz 660955
Sizzix Thinlits Die Set 5pk - Skeleton Leaves by Tim Holtz 663094
Magnetic Snaps, Large MET522
Tim Holtz Idea-ology Pen Nibs
Ranger Adirondack Alcohol Ink - Ginger TIM22046
Ranger Adirondack Alcohol Ink - Gold Mixative TIM22053
Ranger Tim Holtz Alcohol Blending Solution
Ranger Inkssentials Alcohol Ink Applicator With 10 Blending Felts TIM20745
Scor-Pal Scor-Tape 1/8" x 27 Yards
Scor-Pal Scor-Tape 1/4" x 27 Yards
Scor-Pal Scor-Tape 1/2" x 27 Yards

Halloween Pop-up Shop

It is time for the new challenge at The Funkie Junkie Boutique Blog called 'It's Halloween' and Sara Emily, our hostess this time, describes it this way:

I love Halloween! With Halloween just a few weeks away, I challenge you to create a vintage or shabby chic project with a Halloween theme. Your project can be as silly or creepy as you like, but just have fun!

Halloween isn't a celebration that I get carried away with anymore because we now live in a neighbourhood with few children and my Grandchildren live out in the country so they don't even come by for treats. As a matter of fact, my Granddaughter who just turned 13 has decided she won't go trick or treating this year but wants to have a party with friends and watch a scary movie.  As a result, I was at a loss with this challenge until I was going to toss an empty cracker box in the garbage and a light went on in my head.  I could envision it becoming a pop-up shop and set about to make just that.

Leaving about an inch at the top, I cut one side of the box open to make the doors and then I covered the box inside and out with Black Gesso (Dina Wakley).  After that was dry I decided to add some texture by covering the outside and both sides of the doors with crumpled up black tissue paper (Dollarama).

I rough cut a piece of corrugated cardboard and coated it with Black Gesso to make the backing for the store sign.  The sign itself is just a piece of card stock with a computer generated name that has been cut out with a pair of deckle scissors (Fiskars) and then inked with Twisted Citron and Dusty Concord Distress Ink (Tim Holtz)

Next I inked over the tissue with some Twisted Citron and Dusty Concord DI but it didn't show up as well as I wanted to I went over it with some watered-down Lime and Blackberry Acrylic Paint (Dina Wakley).   After that I used my finger to rub some Starry Night and Lime Green Stickles (Ranger) to the doors and the sign backing.

The back of the inside was covered with a piece of patterned paper from the Abandoned paper pad (Tim Holtz) and then I added shelves, which are just pieces of wood covered with Black Gesso.

Some little pieces of wood were covered with scraps of faux leather paper (leftover from a previous project) to create little books.  The bottles were inked with Purple Twilight and Yellow Sunshine Alcohol Ink (Tim Holtz).  One was filled with water and the other with a bunch of googly eyes (Dollarama).   Computer generated labels were added to the bottles and the spines of the books.  The final shelf was filled with little skulls.

Some little pumpkins were aged with some Sand Acrylic Paint (Dina Wakley) and had bits of wood branches added for stems.

The tombstones are also pieces of wood cut and engraved by my husband on the laser cutter.  I coated them with Black Gesso and then sponged on some Elephant Acrylic Paint (Dina Wakley).  I made the witches brooms from wooden skewers and unraveled jute twine coated with watered down Mod Podge but wished I had had some of the Idea-ology brooms so I will link those for you.

The tent sign was also created on the computer and mounted on some card stock inked with Twisted Citron and Dusty Concord DI.  An Idea-ology Bitty Bat (Tim Holtz) was added along with another one on the store sign.  Some cheesecloth was dyed with Hickory Smoke DI and added along with some plastic spiders to the top of the Bootique and

The black cats were also cut on the laser cutter from heavy black card stock.  I coated some acetate with Sunshine Yellow and Sunset Orange Alcohol Ink and added bits behind their eyes.  Some Witch paper dolls (Tim Holtz) came to shop.

Tip:  Use florist gum, which comes in a roll attached to a paper tape, to make things stand up.  It can be removed to change positions or when you want to take everything apart.

If you are a fan of Halloween, this may not be the scariest project but I think the result is quite fun and since pop-up shops are all the rage right now, I am definitely fitting right in with this creation.

The challenge runs through 11:55 pm EST on October 22nd so you are just in time to make something for Halloween and share it with us.  We will choose our top picks with the overall winner receiving an invitation to be a Guest Designer at a future date and one randomly chosen winner will receive a gift certificate to go shopping at The Funkie Junkie Boutique.

Supplies list with links to The Funkie Junkie Boutique:

Tim Holtz Idea-ology 2018 Paper Dolls, Ancestors (Discontinued)
Dina Wakley Media Mediums - Black Gesso - 4 oz. Jar MDM41719
Dina Wakley Heavy Body Acrylic Paint - Sand - 1oz Bottle
Dina Wakley Media Acrylic Paint - Elephant, 1oz Bottle
Dina Wakley Media Acrylic Paint - Lime, 1oz Bottle
Dina Wakley Media Acrylic Paint - Blackberry, 1oz Bottle
Tim Holtz Idea-ology Mini Paper Stash, Abandoned TH93962
Tim Holtz Idea-ology Bity Bats TH93981
Tim Holtz Idea-ology Pumpkin Pieces TH93970
Tim Holtz Idea-ology Skull Fragments TH93968
Tim Holtz Idea-ology Broomsticks TH93965
Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pad - Twisted Citron TIM43294
Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pad - Dusty Concord TIM21445
Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pad - Hickory Smoke TIM43232
Ranger Tim Holtz Alcohol Ink - Purple Twilight
Ranger Adirondack Alcohol Ink - Sunshine Yellow
Ranger Adirondack Alcohol Ink - Sunset Orange
Scor-Pal Scor-Tape 1/8" x 27 Yards
Ranger Inkssentials Alcohol Ink Applicator With 10 Blending Felts TIM20745
Ranger Inkssentials Mini Ink Blending Tool - With 4 Blending Foams IBT40965
Ranger Starry Night Stickles
Ranger Lime Green Stickles
Corked Vials (Dollarama)
Cheesecloth
Plastic Spiders (Dollarama)