4 X 4 Mini Journal

I've just completed another of my mini journals using My Minds Eye Life's Journey scrapbook paper and some of my own journal pages. The pages are punched with the Zutter Bind-it-all and bound with ribbons and coffee dyed fabric. This is a thank you gift for a friend.

Cherish All Your Moments Journal

Well I did it again, I made another journal with the Zutter Distrezz-it-All and the Zutter Bind-it-All. This one is made with Deja Views Global Treks scrapbook paper that I found in the clearance area at Michaels and Recollections Spice Market cardstock and is 4 inches by 6 inches. I've added pockets, journal cards and some rubber stamping. After taking the photos I added a few more things, but since this is a gift I will leave that a mystery to be discovered by the recipient. I just love the look of the distress pages and using ribbon to bind after punching holes with the Zutter.

Creative Escape Journal

Well here it is, the 5.5 X 8.5 journal I mentioned I had all ready to distress. I have done the distressing with the Distrezz-it-All tool on both the page edges and the chipboard covers. I used a chipboard tag with brads to form part of the title and the word journal is rubber stamped on watercolour paper, cut with a Nestabilities label and embossed with clear embossing powder. The piece is coloured with Fired Brick Distress Ink. I used Memento Rich Cocoa ink to rubber stamp Hampton Art Passport/Woman Collage near the binding edge. The piece of branch from my yard is stitched on with jute cord. I glued a silk flower in the lower right corner and included one of my faux postage stamps. The binding edge is punched with the Zutter Bind-it-All and tied with torn fabric, lace and ribbons. The top fabric is dyed with beat water and the bottom one with coffee. The back cover has a chipboard Sizzix die cut flower covered withvarious papers. "This belongs to" is from Cornish Heritage Farms Ledger Me rubber stamp set and ny name is the signature line from "Follow your dreams" quote stamp from Quietfire Design. I love this journal even better than "Cherish Every Moment". I guess that will last until the next journal. For now it's time to start filling some of these pages.

Some Pages From Creative Escape Journal

These are a few of the pages in the journal. The pink pages are watercolour paper coloured with beat cooking water and the brown coloured are tinted with coffee. Other pages are some of my photos printed on watercolour paper. I've added silk flowers to a few pages and the rest are awaiting journaling. Most of the pages are Kraft cardstock.

Distressed Journal

I am so excited about my new toy, umm art tool. Just about a week ago I saw the Zutter Distrezz- it All and thought it would be a great tool for me. I just got it yesterday from Cherish The Thought and I have a nice 5.5in X 8.5in journal all ready to work on, but figured I better try the tool out before using it on that journal. I cut Kraft cardstock into 4.25X5.5 in pages and took 5 pieces to try distressing by running the cardstock in the direction of the cutting wheel. I then tried 5 more pages going in the reverse direction of the wheel, this gives a bit more distressing. Last I took 5 pages and went back and forth to get another look. Now after doing all these pages I figured I better do something with them, so this little journal was born. I used the cardboard from the back of a watercolour pad for covers and distressed them. Next I made dividers for the three different styles of distressing. I punched all this with the Zutter Bind-it-All and used black wires. Now I have this very nice shabby chic but naked journal. Well I need to do something about that, so I rubber stamped a border just in front of the wires, found some silk flowers I could use. They needed a little bit more so I cut some cardstock with a Sizzex die and rubber stamped and curved the petals and edged them with sage green pigment ink. The final touch is the corrugated tag with a vintage image and Cherish rubber stamped on a scrap of cardstock. Every Moment is computer generated text on a piece of the same cardstock I used for the die cut flowers. I love the journal and will enjoy working in it. I love the Distezz-it-All too, it's a great tool and the first time I've gotten one so new on the market.
Note the link to Cherish The Thought is now directed to their new website.

Seventh Little Book

Well I needed another quick book yesterday, since I am also working on ATCs for this month's swaps. I hadn't planned on doing one so similar to a previous one, but what can I do? My daughter saw the book made from tissue boxes for the covers and came out with some boxes that she really likes, shoved them in my hand with the request that I make her a book. I encouraged her to have different pages, but it had to be the same pocket pages. So here is the April 7 book.
I'll be posting the ATCs soon.

April 5 Little Book

April 5 Little Book
Originally uploaded by okanagan_spirit

Another purse style book for ATCs made from paper from a gift bag. The trim on the bottom I knit from Red Heart Twinkle yarn and 5.00 mm needles. The pages are double-sided scrapbooking cardstock and there is a beaded handle and buttons and heavy thread for a closure on the bottom. The trim on the top is a labels 4 Nestabilities die folded over the top to the back. This one also holds ATC "hockey cards" and will probably go to my niece. I like the contrast of a girly purse book holding hockey photos.

Today's Book and ATC Backgrounds

So today being a holiday, I needed a very quick project so I used cardboard cut from a tissue box for the covers and double-sided scrapbook cardstock. This is very similar to the first Zutter ATC book I made some time ago. One of the papers had a nice stripe on one side, but a very bright pink floral on the other side, so I sponged gesso on and wiped off to tone it down.
I just scanned the ATC backgrounds I made yesterday with alcohol inks and canned air. These are precut ATCs with the aqua stripe down the side and I have a huge box of these given to me at the March swap.

Three Days, Four Projects

I showed you the first 2 books I made on April 1st and 2nd, so on April 3rd I got the inspiration from Charmane over on Tweedcurtain Productions blog to alter a watch box I've had for awhile.
This little cardboard gift box had an insert glued inside and the manufactures name on the lid. I pulled the insert out and lined the bottom with peal and stick black felt and the sides with black and white scrapbook paper. On the outside of the lid I used Nestabilities Label 4 and cut one piece of the scrapbook paper and a smaller piece of white cardstock which is rubber stamped with stamps from the Altered Art mini set. It's the perfect size to hold ATCs.

So now for the third book and fourth project I've wanted to try alcohol inks and canned air for awhile and this seemed like a good time. The long piece of shiny cardstock is 3.5 inches wide and has a black stripe on one side and a reddish stripe on the other. I dropped the inks on the black stripe side and blue it around with the canned air. On the reverse I dropped ink on the applicator and dabbed it on the used alcohol to blend it. I cut 2 pieces a little over 4.5 in for the covers.
For pages I folded 4.25 X 6 inch envelopes in half and punched the folded edge with the Zutter
Bind-it-all The envelopes were in my stash from when Ruby Dog's Art House had a bulk section and made pocket pages that will hold ATCs or tags.

Little Books

After spending the weekend at the hockey tournament in Richmond I came home and decided to start some little books. The first one I made is a small purse book made from a hotel brochure and holds ATC "hockey cards" of photos of my niece playing her hockey games. Her team had a good tournament and won or tied all their games and made it to the finales and won silver. It sure was great to see the games as this is the last year she plays in minor hockey. The pages are double-sided scrapbook cardstock and is pamphlet stitched with a beaded purse handle.
The next book is covers made of coasters that are covered with paper from a gift bag. I took the bag apart, misted it and crumpled the paper. I rubbed white pigment ink on the high points and edge. The inside of the covers is black cardstock rubber stamped with white pigment ink. The pages are brown and black cardstock rubber stamped with bleach and coloured with stamp pad inks. I added card sleeves with double-sided tape. This is bound with the Zutter Bind-it-all.

Queen of Heart Journal Page

Queen of Heart Journal Page
Originally uploaded by okanagan_spirit

Judy, one of the byhandartists members proposed a challenge to do a project on the theme of Queen of Hearts so I did a page in my journal. I used fired brick Distress Ink to colour the page, found a vintage Queen of Hearts playing card image on-line, and inked the edges with Memento rich cocoa ink. I ran the image through the Xyron and added Sugar Beads. The frame is the piece left from the Watercolour Card I did a couple of weeks ago. The words "Queen of" and "heart" are Quietfire Design stamps rubber stamped with Blazing Red StazOn ink on thick cardstock, cut and attached with double sided tape. The lace along the bottom of the page is a piece of edging I knit from red no. 10 cotton and 2.25mm needles.

Journal Page "The Wedding"

Journal Page "The Wedding"
Originally uploaded by okanagan_spirit

The challenge this week over on the Created Byhand Challenge is "Times Gone By" so I did a journal page of by grandparents wedding photo. All rubber stamps are from Quietfire Design. The journal is filled with recycled paper from Ruby Dog's Art House and this page is brown cardstock with the cream vertical and horizontal stripes already on the page. I ran pale pink cardstock through the Cuttlebug Swiss Dots embossing folder and centered it on the larger square. The next layer is burgundy cardstock run through the Textile embossing folder and rubbed the high points with white pigment ink. The wedding photo is placed at an angle and the words are stamped on light brown text paper. Lace and ribbon are added to the cream stripes. The quote is stamped on pale pink caardstock and layered over blue cardstock. The corner flourishes are stamped with white pigment ink and the quote is added over this.

Red Journal Page Spread

Red Journal Page Spread
Originally uploaded by okanagan_spirit

I used the same design as for the "Thinking in Red" ATC for the focal point of this journal spread. I used as many images in the theme of red as I could easily fit on the pages. Many of the images came from paint sample brochure, the red pears are my own photo and the lady with red cloak is from The Lady's Closet free collage sheet. This is my journal made from assorted papers from Ruby Dogs Art House that I got from the former bulk section of the store.

"Tea" Fat Book Page

I recently finished my contribution to a collaberative book project with members of the Vancouver ATC Group on the theme of tea. For my pages I used tea dyed Distress ink on the paper, then glued images from paper napkins with matt medium. I added a bit of rubber stamping and a small piece of knit lace. There is also a few beads glued to the Lavender napkin image. I made an extra copy just in case so I was able to use it to tip into my assorted paper Zutter Journal. The holes were pre-punched so I wove some ribbon and used brads to hold the page to a cardstock tab in my journal.


This is the back of the page with more rubber stamping and an old coupon from coffee and tea products. The page forms a pocket for a "tea bag" tag with the other "T" technique used.
You can see this journal in my Flickr Photos.

Bead Soup Journal

For this little 4"X4" journal I started with coasters and painted out the centre logo, but left the fruit image around the edge. On the back cover I stamped a lime slice and covered the inside of the covers with scrapbook paper. The front cover has another piece of bead soup, taking the colours from the fruit image on the coaster. The pages are watercolour paper coloured with distress inks and the journal is bound with the Zutter Bind-It-All,

Journal Spread

Journal Spread
Originally uploaded by okanagan_spirit

I had some plus size inchies for ATCs and decided to save some to create a page in my journal. I had 5 of these fabric inchies and made the purple and green bead soup square which is 1.5 inches. I coloured the page with Portfollio Pastels and then blended and moved the colour with a wet paint brush. The squares are glued to the page. This is the journal that I made for the 12 Days of Christmas gift swap.

Created Byhand Challenge March 2

This weeks challenge is to create art using the word "Believe" and since I was already making this little journal for my blog candy it was perfect for the challenge. For the covers I used scrapbook cardstock and the front cover includes the word BELIEVE. I glued the cardstock to 4X4 in. coasters for the front and back covers, distressed with a sanding block and Vintage Photo Distressed Ink and rubbed the edges with Spun Gold acrylic paint.
The first page is a mono-print background I made awhile ago using watercolour paper and gel paints. I cut it to size, stamped the word believe with an alphabet stamp and Sage pigment ink pad. Next I stamped my favourite quote, which Suzanne at Quietfire Design has made into a beautiful rubber stamp, with Timber Brown StazOn ink. The rest of the other 11 pages are blank watercolour paper and the journal is bound with the Zutter BindItAll. This journal is part of the blog candy in the previous post so you might want to check that out.

100th Blog Post and Blog Candy

Post has been edited and the rest of the blog candy photos added.





Before I get started, just a reminder that Lisa Volrath at Ten Two Studio is running a St. Patrick's Day countdown so do go check out the free images there after you finish reading my post.
Well this is finally it, my 100th post, well part of it anyway. I've had to keep quiet here for awhile because I wanted the 100th post to be about my latest prizes and they are not quite ready yet but I just can't keep quiet any more and I just can't wait to show you the third place blog candy. I will edit and add the first and 2nd. prize in a day or two. Now how's that for putting pressure or motivation on myself? In the meantime go ahead and post a comment on this post to be in the draw if you don't mind risking what first and 2nd prize will be.
This journal for third place is the third assignment for my course. The project was to use old book paper and a chipboard flower or other shape and paint with stamp pad ink and a wet paint brush. The ink is stamped onto freezer paper used as a palette and then painted on the book paper which is glued to the chipboard;, but instead of a flower, I decided to do the journal covers. This little Zutter bound journal is 4.25 inches by 5 inches with 12 blank watercolour pages just waiting for your art to be added. For the inside covers, I added some green cardstock that I had mono-printed with gold and pearl gel paint. The chipboard and wires are small pieces leftover from the 12 Days of Christmas Gift Journals. I used brads to add a decorated chipboard shape stamped with "Friends" in green Stazon ink. There is also a Quietfire Design quote stamp which was stamped on the blank white sheet from a paper napkin and glued over the old book paper and a bunch of ribbons tied onto the wires. This was a fun project, I hope you like it.

Well the pressure I put on myself worked, the prizes were finished in a few days. It has just taken me more time to get online to post them. Well here they are. Second prize is a 5X5.5 inch knit felted bag. It is bias knit in garter stitch with a self striping wool and soy yarn and then machine felted. This little bag will arrive empty just waiting for you to fill with tresures.
Now for the first prize, a 5.5X6 inch felt bag which I designed with a diaganal flap. This is again bias knit garter stitch from a 100% wool yarn and machine felted. Next I needed just the right button, so I checked out my collection and could not find just the right one, so I went to a jar of vintage buttons my Mom had given me and this one seemed perfect. This little bag comes with a 4X4 inch journal tucked inside and you can read more about it in my next post. Of course you could remove the jouranal and fill the bag with whatever treasures you would like. Now to win one of these prizes leave a comment on this post by March 28, 2009 and I'll draw 3 names on March 29, 2009. Please check back after Mar. 29 to see if you are a winner, I will then have instructions for claiming your prize. Good luck to all of you, I hope you have as much fun as I did.

The Last Group of Journal Gifts

These are more of the felt knit journals for the 12 Days of Christmas swap. Judy, Louise and mine are fastened to the o-wires of the Zutter journal with half hitch cords with shell buttons on the spine. Judy's has a garter clip fastener, Louise's is tied with ribbon ties, Wendy's is a crochet cord held in place with a button and wrapped around the journal and mine is also a crochet cord with a button that the cord is wrapped around to hold it closed. For fastening Wendy's felt cover to the journal, I let my rebellious muse out again and did free-form crochet chain loops. This is the first time I have done felt knitting and it was a fun adventure. The first part of the journal has some of my artwork and favourite quotes and the last half is blank or background pages for the recipients to add in some of their own favourites. I will show some of the pages in my next post and maybe some of the covers under the felt which are all done with handmade papers.

More of the Journals

This is the next group of the journals I made for the 12 Days of Christmas Gift swap and this time I had four finished at one time and was able to photograph the stack. Usually the gifts were mailed at different times in order to get to the most distant destinations on time. The journals for Linda T., Jane, Nicolette and Carolyn are more felt knit covers with half hitch cords or lace ribbon to hold the felt covers to the Zutter bound books. most have shell buttons on the spine, two have ribbon ties, 1 has a garter clip and one has a sleeve clip for a closure. I didn't keep track of which one was sent to each of them, so I hope these ladies will leave a comment to let me know. The last group will be posted in a while.