Purple Journal

I was lucky enough to be a member of the January journal design team using the beautiful Purple Jenndi digikit from melodimade.com. In addition to the lovely papers in the kit I used the Artisan Design Butterfly Background and Spotted texture stamps, Laurel Burst, Sycamore and Daisy Burst stencils, gelli prints, and some floral and bird images from the Graphics Fairy.

The cover is a rich pink and silver fabric and the journal is Traveller's Notebook size with 3 removable signatures and there are silvery bells on the spine tassel. There are lots of journalling spots and tags throughout and I'm really pleased with how it turned out.

Here's a quick flip through of the pages:

Thank you for looking!

Christmas Tree Tag

I've learned how to make an origami Christmas tree for a tag swap - very simple but I liked the technique so I made another one to go on the front of a card too. The background of the tag is an embossing folder from Couture Creations and the card background is the Snowflake mask from Artisan Design Group UK.  The papers were magazine cover mounts from my stash. I learned from a video on the Newbie Junk Journal Facebook group, but there are instructions on YouTube and Pinterest if you search for origami Christmas tree. Do have a go, it's very easy to do.

Tag

Card

I'm in print!

I was so excited to see that there's an article about me and my crafting in this month's WI Life magazine.  I was interviewed and photographed a while back and finally I'm in print!  Thank you Chloe Davies for writing the article and Rhondell from RELM Photography for the great pictures, and to everyone from NJJM and FJJP who have sent me the RAKs and swaps in some of the photos.  Look closely and you may spot some of your work!

Halloween Stuffed Pocket

I don't normally do much for Halloween but this is a stuffed pocket I made for a swap on the Newbie Junk Journal Makers Facebook group.  The basis is a 9" x 12" strip of paper, folded lengthways to make a 4.5" x 12" strip and scored at 5" from the bottom to make the first pocket.  The middle pocket is 4.5" wide by 3" .  I made it double thickness for strength so I cut a piece 4.5" x 6" and folded it in half.  The third pocket is 4.5" x 1.5" so I cut 4.5" x 3" and again folded it in half.  You could of course make them 9" wide and fold them in half the other way, it depends what size your scraps of paper are. Just be careful of using one-way designs: make sure they are the right way up when folded.

The pockets all line up at the base. I made them all top-loading so glued both sides and the bottom. I trimmed the top of the largest pocket with lace, the middle with gold ball chain and the bottom one with spotty ribbon.  I also added a parade of spiders from some Halloween table confetti.

I used the packaging from the confetti to make a couple of pockets on the back as well.  The idea of the swap was to add plenty of Halloween ephemera, so I printed some tags and journalling cards from Calico Collage and the Graphics Fairy, and added some elements from a Halloween bunting.

One well and truly stuffed Halloween pocket. I hope the recipient will enjoy it.

Authentic Soul journal embellishments

I was lucky enough to be a member of the design team for the Authentic Soul Boho digital kit from Melodimade.com in September.  I have made various embellishments from the kit, including tags, envelopes and a library pocket, and I've had some fun with altered paperclips, a ticket strip and even a giant piece from a child's jigsaw puzzle.

It really is a beautiful kit with a great boho feel, do check it out.  I just love those fairy doors!

Pocket Tag

The April RAK Challenge on Newbie Junk Journal Makers was to make a pocket tag using a number of randomly selected prompts: whimsical/humorous, the colour blue, using a punch and recycling a tissue box among them.  I thought, pocket tag - what has pockets?  Inspiration came in the form of an apron, with some whimsical tags, and I managed to use all the prompts.  

Trifold Tag

 This trifold tag was made for the #NJJM Crazy 8 swap - we were given a number of prompts to and I managed to include them all.  Lace - is used to tie the tag.  Butterfly - there are some on one of the papers and I added a sticker to one of the tuck spots.  Purple - there are some purple touches to some of the cupcakes.  Glitter or foil - I used glitter card for the diecut on the front and as part of one of the smaller tags.  Washi tape - used to adhere the journalling section. Ink/paint/marker - I've edged with Distress Ink.  Book paper - covering the back. Eyelet/brad - on each of the main tags.

The images came from a couple of old birthday cards, I was inspired by Melodi Huey's live video where she was going through some old cards and I just got some out and found exactly what I wanted straight away.  Thank you Melodi!  If you don't know the Newbie Junk Journal Makers FaceBook group, please do go and check it out, it's a fun place to hang out and make new friends.

Day of the Dead ATC Coins

If you like making ATCs (Artist Trading Cards) you'll love the new Artist Trading Coins!  2 1/2" circles instead of 2 1/2" x 3 1/2" rectangles but the principle is the same.  They're great for trying out new techniques too!

These are my first Coins, made for a RAK Challenge on the NJJM Facebook recently.  The theme was "freestyle" but as I was making mine at the end of October I used a free cover stamp from Craft Stamper magazine and went with a Dia de los Muertos theme.

I printed off a distressed purple damask pattern background paper, die cut it into coins, added a glitter glue spider's web, some book paper and a strip of script washi tape.  Then I stamped and coloured my skulls, fussy cut them and popped them on the top.  They are now winging their way to Australia, but I made myself an extra one so I can keep one myself, as I realised that I hardly have any of my own makes as they are mostly swaps and presents.

Snippet Roll

The Newbie Junk Journal Makers Facebook group ran a challenge this week to make a snippet roll.  Yes I had to look it up too!  It's basically a long strip of fabric, embellished with lace, buttons, beads, ribbons - anything you like really.  I've never made one before, but seeing the pretty little rolls the ladies on the group were posting I felt I really had to have a go for myself.  I discovered it's also a brilliant way to use up some of those little odds and ends that accumulate on a craft table!

I cut a strip of fabric from a sleeve of an old blouse, dug out the sewing machine and just started adding lace and odds and ends of ribbon until it was covered.  I then added beading samples I'd worked up years ago,  a couple of keys, a brass filigree embellishment and some buttons and beads from my bit box.

It was great fun to make and I'd definitely do another.  This one had a size restriction for the challenge but I'd make a longer one next time.  Traditionally they are rolled round an old wooden cotton reel but I might hang this one on the wall instead

World Mental Health Day tag swap

The Newbie Junk Journal Makers Facebook group are running a tag swap for World Mental Health Day.  We had to make two tags with a positive mental health aspect (affirmations, quotes etc.) and swend to our swap partner.

These are my tags:

I blended several colours of Distress Oxides to make a blue sky effect.  For the first, I stamped a sentiment that I am very fond of, and added a book paper cloud with some tiny sequins as raindrops, a die cut sun and rainbow (coloured with Promarkers) and a tiny wooden bird.

For the second, I added a stamped and coloured image, some positive affirmations and a wooden butterfly.

These are the wonderful tags I was lucky enough to receive in return from my swap partner Kelly: simply stunning!

Quilt Block Tag

Another recent tag, also for the Newbie Junk Journal Makers Facebook group (NJJM) was for a challenge - the tag had to be an interpretation of a quilt block.  There were some wonderful entries, some were actually quilted in fabric, but I chose to use my favourite hexagon quilt patch in coordinating papers.  I stuck them onto a card backing and drew "stitches" with a pen, then used an embossing folder to add texture and highlighted it with a faint application of distress ink.  I then glued it to a slightly larger tag and added paper lace and a sentiment and then finished it off with an eyelet (I love my new Crop-o-dile!) and some fibres.

Woodland Journal Tags

I have recently joined in a tag challenge on the Newbie Junk Journal Makers group on Facebook. I designed three Woodland themed tags: I'd decided that was going to be the theme of my next journal and making these was a good way of getting started on sorting out the papers and stamps that I would be using on it.

The tags all use up scraps from my stash of offcuts and magazine freebies, on a base of blended Distress Oxides stamped with some cute little wildlife stamps. I've used a die-cut stag on one, and a skeleton leaf on another.

And here are the other sides, I have added a die-cut squirrel to one, a fabric and glitter ivy leaf and a stamped sentiment to the others:

The yarn is variegated in lovely soft autumn colours, with a super crimped texture, again it came free with a magazine and I will be sorry to see the end of it as it is so unusual.