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1716 posts

Junk Journal July

Since I am on a creative roll currently I decided to join a challenge I saw on Instagram. There are three hostesses, none of which have a blog presence. If you’d like to follow along with the challenge or learn more about it I suggest you follow #junkjournaljuly on Instagram.

I counted the pages in this handmade journal I created over a year ago.

I’m 3 pages short if I do single sides. I figure I can create a fold out to compensate for my missing pages.

I’m thinking I’m going to do my pages in order of the book. Using the prompt and dealing with each page as it comes.

I’m really excited about this new challenge.

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Secret place

I’ve had the idea for this page knocking around in my head for a while. I wasn’t sure how I was going to make it work until I realized that using die cuts would be the answer.

My neighbor borrowed me her massive stash of dies and a motorized version of a Cuttlebug….more on that on T Tuesday… In the stash were the perfect dies to bring my vision to life.

I went through my scraps and picked out warm Fall colors. As I set the die cuts out on the page I realized that they needed to blend with each other better to give more cohesion to the page.

I used 4 different sprays to achieve the mix of colors you see here over the top of the already different papers. Now I was feeling better about how this page was coming together.

The words I used came from my thought of this magical place, deep in the forest. A place where the dense forest gave way to a place with smaller saplings and bushes, A place for the lovely creatures of the wood to gather.

My word stack consists of rusted fabric, torn lace, bundle of green thread and the mop-up paper from the earlier sprays.

 

I think this is the very last spread in this journal. It’s getting too thick to close and increasingly difficult to work in. Of course its my own fault…I tend to use lots of bulk on my pages. I can’t seem to help myself. I love texture and fabric!

Won’t you join me in the final days of Words to live by at Art Journal Journey?

Art Journal Journey

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I knew where

Time is ticking away so quickly for June. My Words to live by challenge on Art Journal Journey is almost over. I figured I’d add a page…and maybe more…before the month comes to an end.

I got a little carried away with texture on this one. I just kept layering it on. The background got so wrinkled and wonky that I had decided to tear the sides in and stitch it to a piece of kraft card stock.

I’ve been really into orange this month I’ve noticed. It definitely is one of my favorite colors.

Stacking layers of fabric and paper is also big on my list lately. I just love the look of it.

And of course the found text. It was the perfect phrase. I could really go for a relaxing warm day at the beach…staying all day to watch the sunset.

I know you can’t join me at the beach but won’t you join me for Words to live by at Art Journal Journey.

Art Journal Journey

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T Tuesday: mini vacation edition

Hello and welcome to another edition of T stands for Tuesday. Last week I had mentioned a mini-vacation was on the schedule. We left Thursday morning and were about 20 mins from our finally destination when it started raining…pouring really.

It was cold and rainy pretty much the whole time we were there which was a really big bummer. Mini-me and I passed the time by doing a puzzle and playing pictionary. Neither one of us slept very well that night so we got up before 5am…

I made some coffee and picked up my knitting. Evidently I was tense or just out of practice because it was so dang tight I couldn’t continue. I pulled it all out and grabbed a crochet needle…

I made three dishcloths in short order to leave at the cabin.

Just as the weather was starting to clear, we headed out for a college visit that was almost an hour away.

Mini-me had missed the tour I took J on a couple years ago. I knew right away that she’d love this college.  After hearing about it she wanted to visit on her own. I think its at the top of her list of schools.

After our visit at Morris we headed back to the cabin. That evening we got to enjoy time with family and PUPPIES!

I only have this one picture of the smallest of the dogs…all huskies. At one point I had two puppies on my lap and one of the big huskies trying to climb up too. Just call me the husky whisper I guess. It certainly was entertaining with 4 dogs running around.

We headed home on Saturday morning since had other things going for Sunday and Monday…more on that next T stands for Tuesday.  As well as a garden update. It was off to a slow start but has really come a long way in the past week or so. Hopefully I’ll have some photos next week. Raining like crazy…again…as I write this.

This week has appointments for me and a Costco trip with the neighbor. I gave up our membership to Costco when I started working since going on the weekends is less fun than poking your eyes out with a rusty fork. Lucky for me, I have a sweet neighbor who is willing to take me along or pick up a few items as needed. I honestly haven’t missed Costco as much as I thought I would and likely don’t spend as much when you figure waste and impulse items.

I’m still working on reorganizing my craft area and supplies. Purging some stuff I’ll never, ever use. I’m sure over time there will be a thing or two I will have wished I saved…always happens. I just feel like we have too much stuff in general. I’m attempting to get rid of the extra; the clutter, the un-needed, un-wanted and un-loved. Not Marie Kondo style…that’s a little intense for me. But at my own pace with the end goal in mind…less stuff.

T stands for Tuesday
What are you doing today?

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Warm in the summer

Today, since it’s the first official day of summer, I thought I’d share a salute to summer journal page.

The page began as so many do with a piece of what I like to call mop-up paper. Basically copier/printer paper. I have tons of it in various colors that came in a lot of scrapbook supplies I acquired several years ago. Working in loose sheets allows me to use thinner substrate knowing that it will be adhered to an existing page in the final journal.

For background interest I glued book text in random places before covering the whole sheet with tissue paper. I love the texture tissue paper provides plus it softens the background.

I used gelatos to colorize, blending with a baby wipe.

After the background was settled, I chose a photo I had taken while on vacation a couple years ago. After resizing by tearing, I used my trusty sewing machine to stitch it into place. While I was at it I created a stacked fabric and paper collage embellishment for the top edge of the page.

Next it was time for the words…the oh so important and vital part for me. Warm in the summer jumped out at me. I layered the words over script stamped tissue and fabric.  At this point I thought I was done, until I noticed a tiny pinwheel charm in my box of bits. It was the finishing touch that the page needed.

Won’t you join me for Words to live by on Art Journal Journey?

Art Journal Journey

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T Tuesday: AJJ edition

Since I’m guest hosting over at Art Journal Journey this month I thought I’d make this a twofer post.

The journal page I created for my theme of Words to live by completely fits the bill.

I wish I could remember exactly who gave me the stamped handmade paper piece but I’m not sure.

I have an idea but maybe if she recognizes it she can speak up and I’ll know for sure.

I have quite a bit of coffee themed items that were collected and traded for long ago to create an altered book. With that book complete, I now have lots of fun items to use in other creative ways.

The background for the page was layered with random papers from my scrap bucket. Over the top I spread red, turquoise and cream with my fingers in a loose fashion…almost giving the appearance of peeling paint. The colors were a bit to bright so I first used some distress paint then glimmer mist to tone it down. Now I was at the color I was searching for.

I added washi tape with my sentiment boldly across the page then softened it with some torn washi in a complementary color. I then added a stacked button flower embellishment from my stash for a bit more interest.

This is another loose leaf journal page sized for a new art journal I’m working on. I love working in loose leaf. Being able to add stitching, eyelets or brads simply anywhere frees my creative process. Of course this page is not an example of that.

My new journal is an old recipe binder. I cut pages to fit out of black card stock and will adhere each completed journal page to the card stock.

The binder is yet undecorated as I’m not sure what I want to do with it. I was thinking about giving it some gorgeous texture but now I’m leaning more towards a fabric slipcover. Indecision at its best.

I’m not even worried that the journal pages I create are an exact fit for the pages.

This page from my previous post will leave a bit of black page showing on both sides. I almost prefer this look to the fit of my coffee page.

This week has a college visit tied into a mini-vacation for Mini-me and I. We are both super excited for a little time at the lake. Hopefully the weather cooperates with us!

T stands for Tuesday
What are you doing today?
Art Journal Journey

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Retro feel journal page

I was playing around in the craft room since I had actually cleaned up a bit…always happens that way. Can’t leave a clean space. I saw a strip of scrapbook paper that completely matched the yellow piece of mop-up paper next to it. I knew it was meant to be.

I folded the copy paper in half and used a glue stick to adhere the page together for a bit more substance. I’m in the beginning stages of creating a new journal and this size is perfect…more on that in a later post.

I layered the chocolate and mint scrapbook paper with book page then added a faded piece of last years garden bunting fabric…which incidentally was black background with red cherries with green stem and leaves.

Next I knew I had to use some of the lace trim I scored while out at garage sales yesterday morning. I got a ton of fun stuff…

Like all of this for less than $2 at one sale! Tons more stuff but likely not of interest here on my blog so I won’t bore you. Anyway…the lace was $0.10 per roll. Do you have any idea how much is on those rolls?!?! I’ll never run out.

Back to the journal page…

By this time my page had a very retro color scheme. A quick search through my scraps revealed a sewing pattern with the perfect colors. Don’t you just love her fist…like she’s shaking it at those darn kids. My words came from her expression. I happened to have some ransom letter rub-ons again with the perfect colors to highlight her emotions.

Last but not least I used black pen to draw around the words and border the page.  I think I killed two pens before finally getting one to work properly. Paint or gesso and pens are not a good combination. I really need to remember that.

This page is yet another for my theme of Words to live by over on Art Journal Journey.

Art Journal Journey

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