A Gift from the Netherlands

I have a project over on IndigoBlu today that relates to this tulip photo.  To see the project and learn the story pop on over and check out my post.

Private Journal

It is time for a new challenge at Frilly and Funkie and this time Kathy is our hostess.  She is calling it Put On Your Inking Cap and here is what she has to say about it:

Create a vintage or shabby chic mixed media project without using patterned paper of any kind. You may use Distress Inks, Sprays, Paints, Stencils, Stamps, Embossing powders or any medium you choose but NO patterned paper allowed!

I had fun doing this one on many levels.  First, all the Design Team members were given journal covers and accessories from Eileen Hull's fantastic new HeARTfelt journal die for Sizzix to work with.  Secondly, I decided to turn it into a private journal for my pre-teen Granddaughter.

The colour palette of this journal matches the colours she chose for her new bedroom when they moved last spring.  The room now has had some finishing touches and is definitely a room for a girl who is going to be a teenager in a couple years and it looks so good - she and her Mommy did a wonderful job.  She is a super kid - smart, pretty, funny and a talented synchronized swimmer (we are convinced that she inherited a fish gene like her Mommy).  She has a wonderful brother as well so we are blessed.

Now on to my project and here are the instructions for creating it along with a few photos that I actually remembered to stop and take since I was having so much fun:

1. Assemble the journal covers according to the instructions provided and then cover both inside and out with crumpled up tissue paper using matte medium.

2. Add a narrow strip of burlap to the front cover.
3. Cut a small hole in the back cover at the mid point vertically and about ½” in from the outside edge.

4. Coat the tissue paper and burlap with white gesso followed by a coat of Craftsmart Silver Gray acrylic paint.

5. Using a natural sea sponge add DecoArt Purple Pearl Metallic paint in random areas, dry brush white gesso randomly over the sponged paint and then add Hickory Smoke distress ink randomly.
6. Thread the covers with three lengths of round elastic to hold the inserts.
7. Thread a ponytail elastic through the hole in the back cover and back through itself to act as a closure around the shank button on the front.

 8. Alter the lock and key with a combination of Silver Mixative alcohol ink and blending solution.
 9. Alter the metal leaf, medallion and frame with a combination of Purple Twilight alcohol ink and blending solution.
10. Paint the wooden embellishments with DecArt Purple Pearl Metallic paint.

11. Die cut multiples of flowers from crinoline using the Shabby Posies die by Tammy Tutterow and colour with Shaded Lilac and Picked Raspberry distress inks. Crumple up each flower and allow to dry before opening up and layering.  Use as many layers as desired (In the end I used two of each of the largest size) and add a button for the centre.
12. Create the word “Private” on the computer, print on a piece of white card and cut to fit the frame. Ink the card with Hickory Smoke Distress Ink and adhere to the back of the frame with Glossy Accents.
13. Glue all the embellishments to the front of the cover with heavy gel medium. Glue a large shank button to the front at the mid point vertically and about ½” in from the outside edge.  If the shank is not big enough to glue evenly or to allow the elastic to loop around it, just cut the shank off and replace it with something to act as a spacer, such as wood, chipboard or mat board layering until you get the required thickness.

14. Create a number of bead dangles and add them along with charms to a length of silver chain using jump rings. Add the completed chain to the outside on the spine by attaching it to the middle elastic.

15. Create signature inserts on the computer and sew to gray card that has been painted in the same manner as the journal covers.

This photo shows just three of the inserts I made but there are a couple more with blank paper. I made pages where she could document her thoughts and feelings, do a little drawing or doodling, and practice cursive writing, which is not taught in the schools anymore and is something she is interested in.

So that is what I did with my first Sizzix Eileen Hull Journal and it was so much fun that I plan to make more journals.  There are so many possibilities and they can be personalized in so many ways and for so many purposes - planners, bullet journals, travel journals, junk journals, special occasion albums, just to name a few.

I hope you are inspired to make a journal but for this challenge it is not a requirement - just make sure you follow Kathy's theme.  You have the chance to be the Design Team's top pick and join us as a Guest Designer at a future date or you could be a random winner and receive a $25 gift certificate to The Funkie Junkie Boutique.

Lots of Time

It is my turn to show you my shared project for IndigoBlu this month.  The theme is called Tell Me A Story and I was asked to create a story about my project.  I thought rather than weaving some sort of tale around what I have done (I am not that good at fiction anyway) I would be a little cheeky and state the obvious.  Most of us, me included, are always complaining about not having enough time so my story is that I have made lots of time for myself - in the form of a canvas full of clocks.  Now if only I could find that extra time and still do everything I wanted in a day, that would be a story.

I started by stamping multiple copies of stamps from the Good Times set using Wendy Vecchi's Tree Branch Archival Ink.  I fussy cut all the clocks and then also cut a blank outline of each clock.

Next I added some texture to a dollar store canvas in the form of some canvas ribbon and some drywall tape.  I decided I needed more texture so I used some texture paste through the Texture stencil.

Once the stenciling was dry I laid down all sorts of bits and pieces using the blank clocks as markers for where my stamped clocks were to be placed later.  I used Super Thick Slap it On as my adhesive and once it was dry I gave everything two coats of Gee-Sso Good White Gesso to unify the colour.

The next step was to paint the canvas, which I did randomly and in layers wiping back some of the paint with a baby wipe in certain areas.  I used Townhouse Teal, Kingfisher Blue Metallic, Pantry White (that was mixed with some Kingfisher Blue) and Pheasant Bronze Metallic.

The clocks were coloured next by inking them with Antique Linen and Tumbled Glass Distress Ink.  Then they were coated with Crazing Distress Collage Medium.  Once they were dry they were painted with Bronze Luscious mixed with some water and then carefully wiped where the distress inks with a baby wipe to remove some of shimmer.  Once the clocks were dry they were glued on top of the blank markers on the canvas.  Finally I used a bit more of the Luscious randomly on the canvas to add even more shimmer.

I will be back next week on the IndigoBlu blog with another project and this one really does have a story to go with it.  In the meantime pop over to IndigoBlu and check out what my team mates Solange and Ksenija have created.

Friday Focus at Frilly and Funkie

It is my turn to present the Friday Focus at Frilly and Funkie so pop on over and see what I have created.

April Showers

It is the start of a new challenge today at Frilly and Funkie.  Suzz, our hostess is calling it April's Showers and here is what she has to say about it:

Create a shabby chic or vintage project inspired by the word showers. Think rain, storms, umbrellas, baby showers, wedding showers whatever comes to mind and start creating.

When I saw the theme, my mind immediately went to that old spring adage April Showers Bring May Flowers so I decided to make an umbrella and fill it with flowers.  We have had the April rain here along with a little snow so let's hope all that moisture brings some flowers because right now the only thing spring-like around here are the robins, the very confused robins.

I started with some card stock from Recollections for my blank and then added a background panel of one of the papers from Graphic 45's Gilded Lily 8"x8" paper pad.  Next I added some torn papers from Graphic 45 Secret Garden and Once Upon a Springtime collections.  I also made chevrons from those papers.  Bits of different venise laces were tucked here and there on the torn edges.

The umbrella was made by using a Nellie Snellen scalloped circle die with one of the Secret Garden papers.  It was folded into 8 sections and then one of the sections was removed before shaping it into a semi circle.  The wooden handle was cut for me by my husband on his laser cutter.  Once the umbrella was added to the card, I filled it with shredded paper and then added all sorts of flowers from Wild Orchid Crafts.  Some seam binding dyed with Tea Dye Distress Ink was fashioned into a simple bow and added to the top of the umbrella.

The sentiment is computer generated and cut out before it was inked with Antique Linen Distress Ink.  The butterfly from Hero Arts was stamped onto a scrap of card stock with Wendy Vecchi's Tree Branch Archival Ink and "painted" using Tumbled Glass Distress Ink.  Some gems from The Paper Source were added to the body and the antenna was made from Artistic Wire.  Finally a few sequins from the dollar store were added to the card.

I guess now I will have to make a box for this card because it is so dimensional it will never fit in an envelope.

I hope you will join us for this challenge - you have until 11:55 pm on April 25th.  The Design Team will pick one project as their favourite and the creator will have an opportunity to be a Guest Designer.  They will also pick 3 Top Picks and finally one randomly chosen winner will receive a gift certificate to go shopping at The Funkie Junkie Boutique.

I think I will enter this card in the following challenges:

Avenue 613 - Anything Goes with a Twist (Spring has Sprung)
Crafty Calendar - April Showers/ or Spring

Stars

It is time for new monthly challenge at Stamps and Stencils.  Branka who is our hostess for this one calls it Lucky Star and describes it this way:

For this challenge I would love to see a mixed media project that has stars in it somewhere. You can create anything you like as long as you include a star. Don't forget to use stamps or stencils or both! Can't wait to see what you create!

I decided to make a canvas and this is what I have come up with.

I started with a flat canvas from the dollar store and added some texture - torn pieces of old book paper, Tim Holtz Tissue Tape, bits of drywall tape, bits of lace and some stenciled words with an Americana Decor stencil and Golden Light Molding Paste.

Next I added a bunch of wooden stars that my husband cut for me on the laser cutter.  At this point I gave everything a coat of Liquitex White Gesso.  Then I painted the canvas with some Lake Wanaka and Space Cadet Fresco Finish Paint but forgot to take a photo of this step.  About this time, the sun disappeared for over a week and I got sick which meant I could have cared less about crafting and all that goes with it so the next lot of photos are marginal at best - my apologies.

I sprayed the canvas with a variety of ink sprays - Dylusions Crushed Grape and Tim Holtz Shaded Lilac, Hickory Smoke, Tumbled Glass and Chipped Saphire Distress Spray Stains.

Once the canvas was dry I used some of Wendy Vecchi's Cornflower Blue Archival Ink to stamp random bits of text from the Tim Holtz set called The Chemist.

Finally I painted the tops of the wooden stars with some DecoArt Shimmering Silver acrylic paint.

I hope I have inspired you to make a project with stars and enter the challenge.  Don't forget to use some stamps or stencils, or both.