Junk Journal July Day 26 - Memento

 Coffee of the Day - Bourbon Pecan coffee

Only a few days left of Junk Journal July. it's hard to believe that it is almost over. I have had such a good time creating! I hope you have been able to use several of the prompts in your own craft projects. :)

for more information about the challenge, please visit this post.

today's prompt is 'memento'.  I am sharing the cover for Ryan and Elizabeth's Family Fun journal. the finished journal ended up being so big that I had to separate the 5 different signatures and cover them individually. I am waiting on more fabric to arrive. we are also going to build a small open box type cabinet to hold all of the pieces. once it's completed I will share photos.

I used fabrics from Tim Holtz and vintage game cards & pieces. lots of sewing. Ryan's very favorite game is 'Life.' so it seemed appropriate to use a card from an old game. We all enjoy playing Wordle every day, so some Scrabble tiles were a close bit of ephemera. so while not exactly mementos, they are still poignant. the journal does have many old postcards and first day of issue envelopes, as well as movie tickets and comics. none of those projects seemed very exciting to post for this prompt, so I thought I would share the cover instead.

I hope you have a most fabulous day! thank you so much for stopping by! 

Junk Journal July Day 19 - Tucked Away

 Coffee/Tea of the Day - Coconut Hazelnut coffee

Hello and welcome to another day of Junk Journal July! for more information about the challenge, please see this post.

Today's prompt is 'Tucked Away.'  I decided to make a side tuck for Ryan and Elizabeth's Family Fun journal. using Elizabeth's comic super hero, Dr. Strange, for my inspiration, I created a side tuck and tag.

pretty simple for the most part. I found some comics online. (p.s. I also have quite a few in my stash, so I guess that adds to my geek factor. ha!) I sewed around the panel for some extra texture and interest. a fabric ruffle tops the tag. this fabric is the same that I used for the cover. not sure if I will stay with it since this journal is becoming so large that I might need to make a new cover. we will see what happens. 

I added a little flip out piece to the tag. because I didn't want washi tape to cover any part of the comic, I used paper medical tape. this stuff is great! it is somewhat translucent, and super sticky. I always add a bit of glue stick to any tape I am using. it just helps give that extra oomph and adhesion. 

I also tucked an envelope featuring Silver Surfer, one of Ryan's favorite comic super heroes, along with the tag. what serendipity to find that!

thank you so much for visiting my blog today! I hope your day is amazing! :)

Junk Journal July Day 16 - One Sided

Coffee/Tea of the Day - Melted Marshmallow coffee

It's another day of Junk Journal July. I hope some of you have been playing along, whether using the prompts for junk journals or other crafting.

for more information about the challenge, please see this post.

The prompt for today is 'One-Sided.' I had no idea what to do for this challenge, so I instead used the word 'side' as my inspiration - the pocket I made is turned on it's side. yep, not a brilliant use of the prompt, but I really couldn't figure out what else to do. ;)

I took a cute bag from my stash and sewed it into a pocket piece. not too much to the project, but it is a nice element to the journal for Ryan and Elizabeth. an old Monopoly game property card is tucked into one of the pockets. I thought it was fun because they live in Indiana. :)  the back pocket, created when the bag was adhered to the page, contains a vintage bridge rule book. other elements are from the Carta Bella Family Night collection (link to the digital version) and Simple Stories Family Fun collection.

Have a wonderful day! thank you so much for stopping by my blog. :)

Jennifer

 

Junk Journal July Day 15 - Texture

 Coffee/Tea of the Day - Turmeric citrus green tea

I have another project for Junk Journal July to share with all of you today. for more information about the challenge, please see this post.

Today's prompt is 'texture'. boy howdy, is this ever one of my favorites!  :) so I pretty much went all out for it.

I started with a brown paper bag, cut it to size, and then embossed with a Tim Holtz folder.  I stitched around the edges and at the bottom to seal. to this I added patterned papers and some coffee dyed tissue paper. some little leftover thread snippets were stapled to the corner of the bag. a patent drawing for a bicycle creates the focal point. some of the tissue paper covers the lower corner of the image, which helps it to blend. 

the tag was super fun to make.   I had washed a rug in Ryan and Elizabeth's room the day before. unfortunately it just shed these little pieces of fabric inside both the washer and dryer. not one to let anything go to waste, I sewed them to the top of the tag. isn't it such a cool look? the base paper was crinkled and inked to add more of a textured look. a tricycle image and chunk hemp rope finish the tag.

I hope you are inspired to use some of those fun little bits and bobs you come across on your craft projects. Have an amazing day!!

Jennifer

Junk Journal July Day 10 - Time Out

 Coffee/Tea of the Day - Peach Turmeric Citrus tea

Welcome back to my projects for Junk Journal July! we are a third of the way through. it's going fast, but I am having a great time. I hope you are as well. :)

for more information about Junk Journal July, please see this post.

Today's prompt is 'time out.' I decided to use a time card for a journaling tag and then stamped the phrase 'vacation time'. A suitcase cut from a Tim Holtz die decorates the bottom of the tag. a clock sticker was added to the actual page. I found a retro vacation type illustration online and have used that as a belly band. a star sticker and fabric ruffle complete the rag. I thought possible vacation destinations could be added to the back.

Thank you so much for stopping by today! :)

Happy Mother's Day!

 Coffee/Tea of the Day - Ginger Peach green tea

Happy Mother's Day to all of the moms, grandmas, great-grandmas, aunts, and other significant women out there! :) Celebrate you today, and the many ways you bring love and contribute to your families!

I do know that this day is not always an easy one for those who have lost crucial people in their lives. to you, know that I pray you find some measure of comfort in the love of those nearby.

I haven't yet been able to craft the way I used to, but I did manage to make a few cards for my MIL, aunt, and new mom, Lauren. :)

They are all similar in style, with just a few minor differences. The lovely vintage woman image is a freebie on the Gecko Galz blog. The background paper and roses are from a post at the Graphics Fairy about cabbage rose wallpapers. I cut the flowers from one of the wallpaper images. 

I stitched around the main image and background papers after matting. The button and floral stamps are from my vintage stash, and the crochet trim has been avocado dyed.  a paper doily and sequins were added to complete each card.

Thank you so very much to all of you who have left comments or contacted me about our new granddaughter! you are so wonderful! :) her parents are asking that her personal details not be shared online or on social media, so we respect their desire for privacy. but oh my goodness, she is such a sweetie! we had a fabulous time visiting them for a few days. maybe one day we will all live closer to one another again. 

before I forget, those of you who follow my blog via email, I have received notice that this option will no longer be available after July of this year. I am absolutely awful about visiting the blogs that I follow, and I appreciate the convenience that email alerts provide. hopefully something else will come about so that we can continue to get notices in our inbox. 

know that you are all loved!

Jennifer 

Challenges:

Gecko Galz monthly ch - Secret Garden using a product from GG

A Few Journal Photos

 Coffee/Tea of the Day - Creamy Chestnuts coffee

Hello and happy weekend! 

I apologize that I have taken so long to get a few project photos to you. I haven't been doing very well this past week. Still rough, so will only share a minimal of details on these, coming back to update later. I hope you can understand.

The first is the cover and tassel for an entertainment themed journal I made for Ryan and Elizabeth. it is filled with game, movie, and music pages & ephemera. I believe the paper is from a Carta Bella collection. the fabric is some from Etsy. the game pieces and papers are vintage. the tassel hooks onto the bow at the spine. this was the only photo I took before mailing it to them for Christmas.

The next few pictures are of the handyman themed journal I made David. I took an old Reader's Digest book and altered it. many of the pockets and tuck spots in the journal are made from pages from the actual book. the spine is Tim Holtz fabric. I found the vintage handle and number placket on Etsy. the handle is screwed into the book cover. I was so happy that my Crop-A-Dile actually punched through the cover with ease. 

this is the inside cover. I added the verse that I have on my blog. I thought that was a perfect way to begin. :) this journal is filled with so many vintage items: first day of issue postal envelopes, pages from manuals, sales flyers, postage stamps, receipts, labels, and book pages just to name a few. I love including lots of actual vintage ephemera in these journals. .the papers used in this book are from Michael's and several Authentique collections. I will try to get more photos of this one later. can't even attempt holding a camera right now. ugh.

I believe I had mentioned that I had made a garden themed journal for Mick and one with a nautical theme for Tyler and Danielle. I still had signatures, or sections, left over from each journal because they just became too full of goodness. ;) so Mick has asked for me to make him another garden journal using the remaining pieces. I am also working on a baby journal for he and Lauren. yep, they are expecting a baby girl in April! hooray!!!I knew that I had a few extra months to get that one finished, so didn't push myself with the Christmas deadline like I did on the others. 

I am very much a novice when it comes to making journals, so please be understanding. I am really having fun with them though, and look forward to getting better with each journal I make. :)

all of you take care, stay safe & healthy, and have a great weekend!

Project Photos Coming Soon

 Coffee/Tea of the Day - Coconut Caramel Hazelnut coffee

Hello! I hope that everyone is doing well, staying safe and healthy. A new day, a new year, ready for blessings in abundance! New opportunities to spread love and kindness! :)

Thank you to all of you who have so sweetly left comments sent emails or cards. You are much appreciated and loved! :)

I will soon share a few photos of projects I worked on in the past year. yes, I am THAT slow! :D I have started making junk journals and love it! oh my gosh, what took me so long to try one myself? a perfect way to incorporate my shabby/vintage style with re-purposed items and a touch of sass & whimsy. ;) ha!

I made journals for each of our sons and their wives, but didn't get photos of most of them since I was racing to get them in the mail for Christmas. The journal I made for my husband for our anniversary is still a work in progress. he is so understanding! I was able to get his handyman journal finished for a Christmas gift, so at least he has one complete. (I am still adding bits and bobs to it, although I don't think he has noticed yet. grins!)

The biggest shocker to the family is that I am actually sewing in all of these journals! that is the first thing every single one of them noticed. ;)  it is no secret that my old sewing machine and I didn't always see eye to eye, pardon the pun. The repair man even commented that he had never seen a machine that gave someone such difficulties as mine. I was given an older sewing machine from someone who was cleaning house several years ago. Inspired by the many fabulous journal makers on YouTube, I decided it was time to get it out and make a fresh, new start. Lo and behold, I am having so much fun! I go through almost an entire spool of thread with each journal I make. Just goes to show you that we should never stop trying new things or exploring past ones!

My love and prayers to each of you. Stay safe and healthy!

See you soon,

Jennifer

*Update 01/14/21 - I apologise that I have not yet posted photos. I haven't been doing well this past week. Hopefully I can get pictures added over the weekend. Thank you for understanding.