On The Wings of Summer / Paper Flower Tutorial

Happy Wednesday Everyone!

Today I'm sharing with you a "junk journal" I've made for a swap over at Junk Journal Junkies on Facebook.  This is actually a swap event that I am hosting.  If you'd like to join in, come on over and join the page and then check out the events tab.  You'll find all kinds of fun stuff there.

So the theme for my swap is On The Wings of Summer.  My idea was for folks to think birds, butterflies, dragonflies, bees, etc.  All the things of nature we see flying about during the summer months.

I actually started this journal several weeks ago, but I hated the cover so very much that I had to walk away from it for a while.  To be honest, I didn't actually STOP hating it until it was done.  I guess that says something for having perseverance.

This particular journal started life as a box of off-brand sweetener packets.  I covered it with some tan packing paper that had come in something I ordered online.  I then gave it a coat of gesso, attached part of a tea-dyed doily, and then set about adding color.  (I have several of these covered boxes going at the moment.)

I used primarily Gelatos for my color, but also kicked it up in places with my Derwent Inktense Blocks.  I'm still new to mixed media and to these products, so this was very much a learning process.  Maybe that's why I hated it so much!  My thought with the concentration of yellow on the doily was that this is representing the sun shining on my cover.  I didn't say it was a good thought.....

After I was done messing around with satisfied with the color I had layed down, I moved on to adding texture.  I took some light modeling paste and mixed in some champagne shimmer acrylic paint.  In hindsight, I wish I hadn't done this.  I think it made the paste too thin, and as you can see, I had some "bleed" under my stencil resulting in some smooshy looking butterflies.  Again, it's all a learning process!  To me, this kind of came out like some nasty baby food color.  But as you'll see in later photos, I added a bit of color and shimmer here and there to try and make them look better.

See that strip of purple glitter butterflies at the top of the pictures?  I end up cutting one of them off and painting it to add to the cover later.

In my warped little head, I figured if I kept adding stuff to this journal cover that it would get better looking and I would like it more.  Not so much.  Anyway, I stamped some butterflies on plain old tissue paper with StazOn ink.  I then tore some of them into pieces that I attached to the cover with matte gel medium.  I thought they were way too stark, so I tried to fade them out with a gesso wash.  I'm so glad I had the sense to not put any on the front of the cover.

Next up -- adding more stuff in the hopes I'll like it more!  This time I took that champagne shimmer paint and a stencil.  I dabbed the paint through the stencil with a makeup wedge.  This paint is translucent and shimmery and it did ultimately add a nice effect to the cover.  I stayed away from the baby food butterflies and the doily sun.  Oh boy.

At this point, I realize I need to stop fiddling with the cover.  It's not going to get any better and I am NOT going to like it any more than I do now, which is not at all.  So I move onto to embellishments.  I took some Recollections paper flowers and, rather than cutting their wires off, I used my paper bead tool and coiled them.  Neat, huh?  I then took my Prima Color Bloom Spray in soft teal and dabbed some color on.  I later go back and add a bit of the sorbet spray also for some golden yellow highlights.

I also took some of the ruffled scallop flowers I made (tutorial below) and spritzed them with my homemade shimmer spray.  Unfortunately, I think I need to tweak my formula on this stuff because it never sticks as much as I want and it rarely shows up in photos.  Bummer.

Now I realize this has been a very photo-heavy post.  So in the interest of sparing you five bazillion more pictures, I made a few collages.  First up...the finished cover.  Guess what?  I like it now!

Next up, the interior signatures, pages, pockets and tags.  I always seem to keep the stamping and embellishments very minimal in these journals.  I know they are going to someone else, and I want them to have the freedom to add and personalize as they see fit.  I could have maybe added a signature or two for this one.  Instead, I like to think of it as having left LOTS of room for embellishments and other goodies for its future owner!

Up last, that paper flower tutorial I promised.  If you follow the pictures around from the top right to the bottom left, that's my process in order.  Very simply put, I punch some pretty papers with my scallop circle punches.  In this case, I made three different size flowers, each with six layers of paper.  Scrunch them up and then flatten them out and pierce them in the middle, then add a brad.  I chose sparkly yellow ones for these flowers, but it doesn't really matter because most of the time you can't see the brad anyway.  NOTE:  If you use heavy papers or card stock, it helps if you will spray them with a bit of water before scrunching them up.  After you attach the brad, start scrunching up each individual layer around the brad as tightly as you can.  When you've finished that, you can open it up a bit and situate your layers like you want.  At this point, you can spray with color sprays or shimmer if you want, or even add a bit of ink or glitter to the edges.  It's totally up to you.  Voila!  Ruffly scalloped paper flowers!  You're welcome.

If you've made it to the end of this post, you deserve a gold star for sure!  So what did YOU work on today?

Thanks for looking at my blog. I appreciate all the wonderful comments everyone leaves. Happy Crafting!

Tag It Tuesday Link Party For March

Happy Tuesday Everyone!

Are you wearing your green today?!??  I don't know how that tradition got started, but I know I always made sure to wear something green when I was in school.  I definitely did NOT want to get pinched!

In addition to being St. Patrick's Day, it's also Tag It Tuesday Link Party day!  Happy dance!!

This month's theme was steampunk/grunge/industrial.  How did you do with it?  I had a blast, and tried out a new product in the process.

As I'm doing every month, I started with a #5 manilla shipping tag that I coated lightly with gesso.  I also had attached a small piece of scrapbook paper with matte gel medium.  Then I used my Derwent Inktense Blocks to lay down colors, selecting browns, greens and blues.

To give more depth and add shimmer, I added more color with my metallic gelatos.  They add such a pretty shimmer and are so easy to work with.

I then did some simple stamping with a script stamp and black Stazon ink.  To add texture and interest, I used the Sunrise Prima stencil and light modeling paste on part of the tag.  After it dried, I then spritzed that area with the soft teal Color Bloom Spray.  It was just enough color and shimmer to knock down the white of the modeling paste.

I used a new-to-me fun product on this tag.  I had recently gotten a sample size of Prima's Art Extravagance Gold Crackle Texture Paste from the Kraaft Shaak.  It has AMAZING shine and shimmer.  I used a palette knife and smeared some on, building it up a bit where I was going to add the clock and butterfly charms.  It worked pretty good as a "glue" for the clock (which is NOT its intended use), but not for the butterfly, which popped up as the paste dried and cracked.  I simply squirted some Glossy Accents under it to stick it back down.  I think the reason the clock charm stayed put is because it is flat on the back.  However, I feel pretty certain if I flexed the tag enough in that area, the clock charm would pop up as well.  I wish you could see the shimmer better in my photos.  It's just beautiful!

For a finishing touch, I added some seam binding that has been colored with the Prima Color Bloom Sprays and a bit of hemp twine to tie on a skeleton key charm.  What do you think??


Now it's your turn to link up your tag!  Be sure to visit everyone else who links up and say hi!





Thanks for looking at my blog. I appreciate all the wonderful comments everyone leaves. Happy Crafting!

Shabby Chic Roses Junk Journal

Happy Thursday Everyone!

***WARNING -- Lots of photos so it may be slow loading***

I hope this post finds you well and cozy.  I know many areas of the country are still experiencing severe effects of Old Man Winter.  So I hope you are bundled up and warm if you're in those areas!

Today's post has been several weeks in the making.  My friends over at the Kraaft Shaak have issued a Design Team Kall.  Against my better judgement, I decided to apply.  As many of you know, I am a paper crafter/rubber stamper at heart.  However, with the wide popularity of mixed media, I've been trying to branch out and learn those techniques.  I decided to combine a bit of each into my project.

I took several empty packaging boxes and covered them with some kraft packing paper that had come in something I ordered online.  It was a bit thin, but when applied with matte medium and/or Mod Podge, I got a nice wrinkly effect.  This is probably the one and only time that I was happy I always have trouble with a Mod Podge application not being smooth for me!  After they dried, I gave them a light coat of gesso inside and out.

These boxes -- now journal/album covers -- sat like this for days.  I simply could not figure out what I wanted to do with them.  It was almost like the prospect of mixed media on them had paralyzed me with fear.  If I were just covering them with pretty paper like I normally do, they would have been done in a flash.  It's funny how stepping out of our comfort zone can impact us.

I finally decided to go with a shabby chic/pink/floral theme since those things are right up my alley!  I wrapped a pink paper doily around the spine, overlapping onto the front and back covers.

I then took Prima Color Bloom Spray in Peony and spritzed the entire cover.  I wiped it all over to give a somewhat even color wash.  This spray is an amazing color with a gorgeous shimmer to it.  The Kraaft Shaak carries this spray in several fantastic colors.

From some of the inspiration papers I had assembled, I tore some beautiful roses and script pieces to adhere to the front and back covers.  I used Liquitex Matte Gel Medium for my "glue."  After drying the paper pieces, I added a light wash of gesso to tone them down and also prepare the surface for other applications.  I added color/shading around each piece with gelatos, blending with my finger.  You'll be able to see this process more clearly in the video below.

To get some more texture and for added detailing, I used Liquitex Light Modeling Paste and the doily stencil from Prima Elementals by Finnabair.  I thought this would be a nice touch to tie into the actual paper doily that I attached across the spine.  I also used this stencil on the inside covers and simply sponged some dye ink with a makeup wedge onto the papers I used to finish the inside.  I did not get a picture of this, but if you watch the video below, you'll see that little detail.  I like how it tied the doily effect all through the covers, inside and out.

I knew I wanted some actual 3D roses on the front, so I purchased a couple of cut files from the Silhouette store.  I selected a cabbage style/old fashioned looking one, as well as a rolled rose that I thought would resemble buds just opening.  Here is how they look on the finished product:

Originally, I had used the Prima Color Blooms sprays in Peony and Gold Foil to dye some white lace that I was going to use along the spine edge on the cover.  However, due to the gelatos I used, the cover actually turned out much more pink and the lace color ended up not being a good match.  So, like any good hoarder of craft supplies, I dug through my stash of ribbon and found a piece of grosgrain ribbon that worked perfectly.  I also added some vintage buttons I got from my grandmother as added detail on the ribbon.

I did spray everything, and especially the paper flowers, with my home made gold shimmer mist.  Unfortunately, the camera had a terrible time picking that up.  Hopefully you'll be able to see a glimpse of it.  I also hand cut some leaves and added veining detail to them with the end of a stylus/scoring tool.  I also inked the edges a bit.  

To dress up the spine and twine binding, I made some beaded dangles with gold plated findings.  I chose gold as a nod to both the shimmer in the Peony spray, and my home made shimmer mist that I sprayed over everything.

This journal contains six signatures.  They are made from a combination of scrapbook papers, tea dyed printer paper and index cards, printables and other fun items.  I added a few tuck spots/pockets for tags and memorabilia.  The journal is held closed with seam binding that I colored using the Prima Color Bloom Spray in Gold Foil.  I also used some of this seam binding on the tags included inside.

I have to admit that when I started this project, I absolutely hated the cover in its beginning stages.  I am happy to report, however, that I am tickled PINK (pun intended) with the finished result!

I hope you'll also take a few minutes to watch the video of the evolution of this project.

Are you interested in being on the Kraaft Shaak design team?  The deadline for submissions is March 9, so there is still plenty of time to apply.  Just head over to the Kraafter Kommunity on Google + and become a member.  Then go to the design team blog post, fill out the application at the bottom, and get your project made.  Even if you don't apply, please come join me in the kommunity.  It's filled with lovely, talented people who will welcome you with open arms!

Thanks for looking at my blog. I appreciate all the wonderful comments everyone leaves. Happy Crafting!

WOYWW 300 / Design Team Kall

Happy Wednesday Everyone!

I've missed a few weeks of WOYWW, but wanted to be sure to participate in today's milestone post.  300!!  That's amazing.  And it is all because of the lovely Julia at Stamping Ground.  Each week she provides us the fun opportunity to visit other creative souls all over the world.  Be sure to pop over there and check it out, ok??

Here's where I'm at this morning.  It's pretty much a hot mess.

I'm not showing any close ups today because I'm working on a design team submission that hasn't been posted yet, so it's still sort of secret!  I'm applying to the Kraaft Shaak's Design Team Kall.  It's an awesome opportunity and open to anyone who is a member of the Kraafter Kommunity and Kraaft Shaak Customers.  You should check it out.  The deadline is March 9, so you still have plenty of time to submit a project for review!  Even if you don't apply for the design team, you should definitely come check out the kommunity.  It's fabulous!!

I'm off to finish my submission project today.  Wish me luck!!

Thanks for looking at my blog. I appreciate all the wonderful comments everyone leaves. Happy Crafting!

Tag It Tuesday March Theme

Happy Tuesday Everyone!

Are you ready for another fun theme for Tag It Tuesday??  I bet you think I'm going to do something traditional to the month of March, like shamrocks, leprechauns and the color green.  Well, guess what?  I'm not!!

This month's theme is steampunk/industrial/grunge.  See.....I told you it wasn't what you would think!  Not sure what that theme entails?  My vision of it might include gears/sprockets, clock faces, antique cars and planes and trains, hot air balloons, top hats, monacles/goggles and so much more.  Other recurring items in the genre include butterflies and dragonflies, old fashioned bicycles, architectural elements and drawings, skeleton keys .... I could go on and on, but I think you get the idea.  Just do an internet search and you'll find a wealth of inspiration.  And don't forget my altered tags Pinterest board.  You'll find some ideas there as well.

Here's a little pictorial collage for inspiration.

So it's time to get busy creating your tag!  The actual link up post will be published on March 17th, so you have plenty of time to play and create!  I'm really looking forward to seeing what you all come up with!

Thanks for looking at my blog. I appreciate all the wonderful comments everyone leaves. Happy Crafting!