Graphic 45 By the Sea

I am so thrilled that By the Sea is back as as a Deluxe Collector's Edition!  I'm going on a cruise the end of March so I made this Traveler's Journal styled mini to preserve my vacation memories.  

The Collection includes a page of cut-aparts printed on both sides.  I used these to embellish the front and back covers of my journal.  Layer up the cut-aparts with other design papers for a stunning presentation  Tip:  Give your cover that "extra" look by popping up the cut-apart with dimensional foam tape.  Or, to save on supply costs, use cardboard as a backing to pop it up.

Another cut-apart tip: This collection includes design paper that is printed on both sides with the same sized cut-aparts.  Just cut the paper in half horizontally, fold accordion style and you have an instant pull out page.

This journal is wider than many at 1 1/2" wide.  I started with Eileen Hull Designs by Sizzix journal die and cut two journal covers.  Instead of assembling using just the two covers,  I made a spine by cutting a piece of chipboard 1 1/2" wide and the same length as the journal covers.  Then I glued the two journal covers to the spine side by side. (The spine should fit perfectly between the outer score lines where the covers fold.) Cut another piece of thin (like shirt packaging) cardboard and glue to the inside of the spine.  This makes the spine nice and strong. Use a Crop-a-dile to punch holes in the spine using the already die-cut holes as a guide.  At this point string the elastic as you do for an Traveler's Notebook styled journal.  Here's a link to a traditionally made Traveler's Notebook using Graphic 45's Imagination Collection.  

I've recorded a video flip through of the mini so that you can see all of the pages.

I used a simple design on the back cover, using another cut-apart, so that the journal would store easily.

 Instead of wrapping the journal with an elastic band, I used long lengths of seam binding.  You can either wrap ribbon around the journal as I have done in the above photo, or simply tie it and let the long ribbon tails dangle as in the top photos.

 This journal will hold 4 signatures but I have only included 3 so that there is lots of room inside.  The signatures are the individual books inside this journal and they are quickly bound inside with elastic thread that is secured to the book's spine.

Tip:  If you don't want the elastic to show on your outer spine, cut a piece of chipboard to fit the spine, cover with design paper and glue to fit over the spine.  Add a fun chain of charms as an embellishment.

I am so crazy about Graphic 45's new Rose Bouquet Collection!!  The ones I used here are Bon Voyage & French Blue, aren't they just fabulously gorgeous and so perfectly matched to G45's colors.  The flowers also come with the greenery you see underlying the roses. 

Graphic 45 Supplies:

Graphic 45 By the Sea Collector's Edition
Staples ATC Tags Kraft
Staples Large Tag, ATC Tag and Flower Dies
Staples Rose Bouquet Collection—Bon Voyage & French Blue
Decades Ink - Bon Voyage Blue, Triumphant Red

Other Supplies:

Eileen Hull Designs by Sizzix Journal Die
Chipboard
Snug Hug Rust Seam Binding
Metal Charms - The Funkie Junkie Boutique

Boo! Book, a Junk Journal

This was just crazy fun to put together! I used Eileen Hull's Journal Die by Sizzix I got out all my old Halloween paper collections, printed off a bunch of vintage Halloween images and just started having fun!  Check out my video flip through below to see all the pages, tucks, tags, flip outs, ghouls, witches and goblins from yester-year!

Here's a few photos.  I'm entering my Boo! Book in the current  Tis Near Halloween challenge at the Frilly and Funkie Challenge Blog.   Their challenges are always fun!  And I'm entering this on a new challenge blog, Mini Album Makers challenge.

Thanks for stopping by today!!!

My Personal Traveler's Notebook!

I will admit that I am seriously addicted to making these fun notebooks!  The one I'm sharing today is  special though, as I've made it for my own use on an upcoming vacation.

I recorded a video walk through of the entire journal so that you can see all the pages, tucks and tags.

I used Eileen Hull's Travel Journal die by Sizzix to cut the covers.    I love the size of this at 4.5" x 8.5".  In addition to papers from Authentique's Explore collection and a 6" x 6" pad of Authentique's Pastime, I used a lot of scraps from my scrap bin to make pockets, tucks, and tags.

 It has 3 signatures held in place with elastic bands.  Using elastic bands to hold your pages is a real time saver when making this style of notebook or mini as you do not have to individually construct and adhere each page.  I love that I can take a piece of paper, score, fold and then place it in my book!

 Usually I either sew or staple the pages in my signatures but sometimes I do not.  That allows me to easily add and subtract pages.

A Traveler's Notebook for Creative Embellishments Sept challenge

Here it is September, can you believe it? Time for another Creative Embellishments challenge and time for the kids to go back to school.  Here's the inspiration photo for this month's challenge.  The twist this month is to use stamping on the background.

I made another traveler's journal as my inspiration for the challenge and I used Creative Embellishments' Distressed Brick Stamp on the background of the cover.  I was inspired by the artsy look of the inspiration photo and of course the numbers remind me of back to school time, so this is more of an art journal to gift to a young budding artist.

The cover was cut with Eileen Hull's journal die from Sizzix and then covered with Prima paper that I can't remember the name of.  😃 Then for the front cover, I added a 2nd layer of paper that I distressed and inked.  I used the Metal Stencil mask and Prima Vintage Gold Metallique wax underneath the artist's stand.  I really didn't like how the wax worked for stenciling so I only did that liitle bit.  I switched over to the Distressed Brick Stamp and liked that much better!

I used the chipboard Rose Leave Spray to trailing down the cover and topped it off with a couple of flowers.

I love the little chipboard artist's easel from the Artist Create Collection!  I colored it by rubbing on various colors of Prima wax.  In the center and at the top left,  I've used Creative Embellishments flair buttons from the Art set.  The flair buttons have such a pretty bright white background, but, for my purpose I needed a  vintage look, so I just dabbed on some alcohol ink to age them a bit.  That worked fantastically!

These are the 3 inserts I made to go inside the journal.  You can see the inside details by viewing my video flip through.

Here are photos from one of the insert signatures.  Another of the signatures contains mixed media paper for art journaling and the last signature contains lined note paper for writing.

I made a Prima Julie Nutting doll and her poodle.

I made this signature with Prima paper and just added some rub-on flourishes in the corners.

Creative Embellishments Products Used:

Metal Stencil

 Distressed Brick Stamp

Rose Leave Spray

Artist Create Collection

Art Flair Set

Eileen Hull's Sizzix ScoreBoards XL Die - Journal

Here are the challenge guidelines:

• Create a NEW project layout, mini album, tag, card, canvas, etc….as of  September 1st, 2017.
• Please add your entry to our InLinkz box on the Creative Embellishments blog  to be eligible for the prize. You have until the last day of each month 11:55 pm eastern time to enter.
• It is required that you mention in your blog post that you are playing along at Creative Embellishments together with a link back to our blog. Please make sure to reference our challenge. Please, no back linking. (meaning projects from previous months that may fit the challenge) Please link only new projects.
• Combining with other challenges is permitted.
•  We would love to see you USE AT LEAST 1 OF  CE products on your projects but it isn’t required to play along. However, everyone that does will get an extra chance at winning.
• WINNERS will have 2 weeks to claim their prize. The winner will be announced on the Creative Embellishments blog the day after the challenge ends. Keep an eye out to see if you are a winner of a great gift certificate to the store!

Thanks for joining me today, I sure do appreciate it!!

Junk Journal and how to use up your stash!

Hello cyber friends! I have got the answer for that BIG question, how do I use up my ever growing stash?  Ok here it is, make a junk journal!  Doing so, will provide you with hours of entertainment as you sort through your stash and wonder what on earth prompted you to buy some things and with other things, you'll be so tickled that you finally got to use that special item!  Those bits and pieces of leftover paper collections are perfect in a junk journal.

These journals are so easy to make if you use Sizzix's XL journal die designed by Eileen Hull.  You just cut out two chip or mat board covers, add your favorite design paper inside and out and then assemble with elastic bands.  The process is so easy, I am guessing that if you give it a try, you will be addicted as am I!!  Though this is my 1st junk journal, it's my 4th journal using this die, in less than a month. Can you say addicted?!

So the next question is, what is a junk journal?  Well it's pretty much like its name, its a journal of junk.  They are often made from old music sheets, paper bags, maps, note papers, junk mail, really anything goes!  I chose to use scraps of scrapbook paper that I have accumulated over the years along with bits and pieces from my very old embellishment stash!  You can then use the journal for whatever you want.  I am using mine simply as a conversation piece.  It's filled with quotes and pictures and just fun "stuff".

I had so much fun searching for just the right "thing" in my stash of "stuff" that I haven't touched in years.  Sometimes I was wondering, did I really buy that, what was I thinking??  But, seriously, what a great way to use up my stash!

These journal dies have been selling like hot cakes and it's been hard to get your hands on one.  The Funkie Junkie Boutique has one in stock as I am writing this.  I made this book for me but I am also entering it in the current Frilly and Funkie challenge, Read Any Good Books Lately,  which is to "create a vintage or shabby chic project that depicts a favorite book or use book pages on your project, alter a book or even make a journal or journal page! "

I made a video to share my journal with you and hopefully inspire you to make your own junk journal.

Here are a few of my favorite pages.

I did age some paper to use in my journal.  I simply took copy paper, dipped it in tea and then dried in the oven for a few minutes.  That gave me gorgeous aged paper.

The fun thing about junk journals, is that there are no rules. Just have fun, be creative, put your imagination to work!

Thanks for stopping by and taking a look at my journal!  I really appreciate it.

A Cook's Notebook

 Yep, it's another traveler's style notebook, but this one is for a cook.  It's bright and bold, and has lots of my favorite color in it, RED!  I chose red because it is a hot summer color and more on that in a minute.

 I used Sizzix's Heartfelt Journal designed by Eileen Hull to cut the cover and papers from Graphic 45's Home Sweet Home collection.  The cover is cut from chipboard and I used matte medium to adhere the papers and seal them so that the cover could be wiped clean.  I assure you that I will slop something all over any cookbook that I am using!  Layers of design paper, pretty lace adorning the spine along with knife and spoon dangles (the fork is MIA apparently!), flowers and a gingham bow all work together to make this such a pretty cover with a homespun look.

I am entering this in the Frillie  and Funkie Blog Good Old Summertime Challenge that my friend, Kathy Clement is hosting.   The challenge is to create a project that shows what you love best about summer using summer colors (remember why I chose red?)  Well I must confess, I do not like summer.  I hate hot weather and I retreat to the AC in the summer.  In fact the neighbors have inquired of my husband if I was still alive.  Ha ha, he tells them if they will look in the garden at 6 am, they will find me.  Yep, I can be found most mornings in the garden up until maybe 9 am and then I am in the house for the day, as in enjoying the air conditioning!  However, in the spirit of meeting the challenge, I will tell you that I do love my garden and that is all that I love about summer.  The reason I love my garden is because I LOVE all the fresh produce that I harvest all summer long.  Baby butter beans, southern peas, potatoes, squash, zucchini, green beans, tomatoes, blue berries, peppers, jam, pickles, relish, salsa, I freeze and/or can as much as possible all summer long.  Eating all that "good stuff" is what I love about summer!

Inside the front cover, I wish you Bon Appetit (diecut with Cheery Lynn Designs die)!  On the right you can see the cover of the first of 3 signature inserts.

Inside the back cover.

I made 3 signature inserts for my notebook. 

  One has a collection of some of my go-to recipes.  They are mostly good old fashioned southern type casseroles.

I fussy cut some things from the design paper to decorate my pages.

Back cover of the 1st insert.

 The 2nd insert has just lined pages in it so that you can record your own recipes.

Pocket on the left to hold collected recipes, maybe torn from a magazine or jotted down on scrap paper.  

Back of the insert cover.

And the 3rd insert has pockets for recipe cards and I'll add some cardstock for saving photos.

On the left I've tucked in some blank recipe cards and on the right I made some tags that can be used for recipes or notes.

These journals are so much fun to make, I am loving them!  The die for this journal is selling like hotcakes and they are hard to find.  The Funkie Junkie Boutique had them in stock at the time of writing this post, so check there if you're looking for this die.

Ok I am getting this in just under the wire as the challenge ends tonight!  Better late than never I say. The Frillie and Funkie Blog has great fun challenges, why not check it out sometime?