Meet My 2 Fancy New Journals

Once I started eating and living more responsibly, for a healthier life, I learned how journaling can be a powerful tool in staying successful in your journey.  I believe that this is a journey that never really ends, you just make a lot of stops along the way and ... how you live determines how much fun those experiences can be.  I've always thought that journaling should be an important part of your life, but I cannot tell you how many times I've cleaned out drawers, bookcases and shelves only to find many, many journals that I started ... and ... that was it ... only a start.
A good friend suggested that I combine my love of art into my journals.  Wow!  What a fabulous idea.  Now, I've started and actually filled up many, many journals.  Journaling has become an important part of my life ... and I need a great journal to do it.  Here are the last 2 journals I recently finished.  I love them!

This first journal cover is one that I made up as I went along.  I couldn't tell you how to do it, even if my life depended on it.  It involves a bit of Pearl X Powders and a lot of gold embossing powder, with a bit of stamping at the end of the process.  As I heated the embossing powder, I kept adding more powder, a pinch at a time.  It was an incredibly messy and wonderfully fun project.

The inside pages are edged with paints and/or watercolors, with random stamping throughout the journal pages.  By the way, I ordered my journals from Amazon.  They are called Dylusions Creative Journals.  These are a 5 X 8" size.  I've tried several sizes and like this size the best.

The pages in the journals are made from sturdy papers specifically designed for mixed media projects, so they are perfect for watercoloring and/or stamping.  You do not need to Gesso the pages before using them.

I added just a snippet of ribbon to the elastic closure on each of my journals.  I love how they turned out!

I loved the first one so much that I started out trying to recreate it for my second journal.  However, this time, the more embossing powder I added, the smoother it got.  (The first one is wonderfully bumpity.)
I soon came to my senses and realized that I couldn't recreate the first journal ... and ... why would I want two the same anyway?  So ... off to a new design plan.  Remember, these are 'make it up as you go along' journal covers.

After I'd finished all the embossing, I decided to use 2 of my favorite butterfly dies.  One die is designed to fit over the top of another.  It wasn't quite long enough, so I added 2 more to the lower part of the journal cover.  The larger die cut piece fit perfectly around the elastic closure.  I cut them from watercolor papers, to give more depth and texture.
TIP:
To adhere pieces like this, I make a puddle of glue on my craft mat and use a piece of sponge to dab the glue onto the die cut piece.

Once the glue was dry, I spritzed them with water and sprinkled on some Brusho.  I hadn't gotten my hands all colorful with Brusho for a while.  It was great!  I love and will always love Brusho.
After the Brusho dried, I embossed with clear embossing powder, to make sure the butterflies were secure, adding in a few pinches of gold embossing powder here and there.  I absolutely love the end result.  It will be hard to top this one, once it's full.  This was a messy, time-consuming project and well worth the effort.  I can enjoy this one for months to come!

It's amazing that you can start out in a similar way and end up with two completely different projects.

In the past, I created journals for several of my favorite journaling projects ... art, quotes, scriptures, funny sayings, inspirational ideas, daily tracking of eating and exercising ...  Now, I combine them all into one great journal.  This is a better system.  I mean, after all, how many journals can you juggle at one time?  I'll probably eventually convert the other partially started journals that have separate topics and areas of focus, all into one - like these.
Have you tried creating a journal, using art as a part of it ... or even a journal that is all art?  Give it a try.  I think you'll be glad you did.

UPCOMING CLASSES / EVENTS …

SALE-A-BRATION (SAB) PREMIER EVENT / 2:00-5:00 / $18.00

February 2 / Pay to register by January 26.

It’s a party.  It’s a class.

REGISTRATION CLOSED.  My class table is full.

I have a few kits available, while supplies last.

SCRAPS AND PRAYERS / 5:30-7:30 / $18.00

February 10 / Pay to register by February 3.

We’ll be making some fun cards at this class.

PAPER PUMPKIN CLUB / FREE FOR MY LOCAL PP SUBSCRIBERS

February 18 / 1:00-3:00 / BRING YOUR KIT.

SCRAPS AND PRAYERS / 5:30-7:30 / $18.00

March 9 / Pay to register by March 2.

Project TBA.

PAPER PUMPKIN CLUB / FREE FOR MY LOCAL PP SUBSCRIBERS

March 17 / 1:00-3:00 / BRING YOUR KIT.

MORE CLASSES AND EVENTS - - - TBA

That's it for now.  

Thanks for stopping by my blog neighborhood.   

Have a beautiful day!

Brusho and Butterflies

Brusho and Butterflies?  Why, yes!  What a great idea!  Today's card uses the butterflies as a stencil and it's a ton of fun to make it because it uses Brusho.  We'll actually be making this card at my April 8 Scraps and Prayers class.  I can't wait! 

I love the random, imperfect look of the image when used this way.  I've used touches of blue, turquoise, a bit of green and a bit of purple. 

It's actually a pretty simple card to make.  I just placed the metal thinlit die over a piece of watercolor paper, sprinkled on the Brusho and then spritzed it with water.  The magic then happens on its own.  Today, I'm going to try this card with a few new 'twists to the plot' and see how it all plays out.  I'll share those results with you in a future post.

UP NEXT:

April 8 --- Scraps and Prayers / 5:30-7:30 / $18.
We're going to have a blast playing with BRUSHO.  We're going to make several beautiful cards using Brusho ... AND ... I'll show you how you could make your own Swatch Book at home, to highlight some of the many fun ways to use Brusho.
DON'T FORGET:
We're going to have a '25 Cents Sale' for anyone in the class wishing to participate.  Bring your stamping goodies in a box or container and we'll put a little cup in front of it.  We'll 'shop' on the honor system, dropping quarters in the cup for each item we wish to get.  We'll see if anyone goes home with anything left in their cup:)  You may still shop, even if you don't have anything you wish to add to this fun little sale.  It's a great way to build your stamping supplies.  You may want to bring a shopping tote:)

SAVE THE DATE:   

June 23 --- Summer Open House Party with our new catalog.

Butterfly Window Card

Let me begin today's post by saying how much fun we all had at my Spring Open House Party last Sunday.  I feel like I have the best people ever coming to my classes and events!  We enjoyed visiting, seeing displays (in my 'new' studio), refreshments, a fun game sheet, and - of course - creating together.  I'll share our 2 card projects in another post.  (You saw the Mini Pizza Box in my last post.)  My next party will be in June, so go ahead and put June 23 on your calendars. 

IN MY NEXT POST, I'LL ANNOUNCE THE PARTY WINNERS.  COME BACK AND CHECK IT OUT.

If you could not attend my Spring Open House, here is our Hostess Code.  It will be active through March 19.

HOSTESS CODE:  4PJMD44D

Now... on to today's project...

Sometimes you get a design idea in your head and, even though you know this will be an involved process to create, you just have to do it.  Thus, my 'Butterfly Window' card was born.  I love it and it was one of the class favorites at our last Scraps and Prayers class.  We had so much fun!!! 
And ... speaking of fun ... the Scraps and Prayers class is almost full already for April.  If you are thinking of signing up for this one (We'll be working with Brusho!!!) please pay to register ASAP so you won't miss out.  I can't wait for this one.  OK, back to the window card ...

Behind the oval window is a gorgeous, soft shimmer of Coastal Cabana.  It's Coastal Cabana reinker mixed with Frost White Shimmer Paint.  You just pour a little bit of the paint onto one of our Silicone Craft Sheets, add 2 or 3 drops of reinker, and mix them together with a toothpick.  It's quick and easy and you can probably get several card projects out of your mixture.  You apply it in a circular motion, using a Sponge Dauber.  I used watercolor paper for this part of the card, to give it just one more touch of texture.

The subtle texture added to the Coastal Cabana layer of the card just adds so much to it.  The TIEF is actually called Subtle.
TIP:
Lightly spritz your card stock with alcohol before embossing it and you'll get an even deeper texture when you run it through the Big Shot.  I just put some rubbing alcohol into a travel sized spray bottle.

UP NEXT:
If you could not attend my Spring Open House, here is our Hostess Code.  It will be active through March 19.

HOSTESS CODE:  4PJMD44D

April 8 --- Scraps and Prayers / 5:30-7:30 / $18.
We're going to have a blast playing with BRUSHO.  We're going to make several beautiful cards using Brusho ... AND ... I'll show you how you could make your own Swatch Book at home, to highlight some of the many fun ways to use Brusho.
THIS CLASS IS ALREADY ALMOST FULL, SO DON'T WAIT TOO LONG TO REGISTER.  YOUR PAYMENT HOLDS YOUR SPOT. 

SAVE THE DATE:   

June 23 --- Summer Open House Party with our new catalog.

CONTACT ME IF YOU NEED A CATALOG.