Junk Journal July Day 8 - Wallpaper

 Coffee/Tea of the Day - Highlander Grog coffee (rum and butterscotch flavor)

Hello again! back with another project for Junk Journal July. for more information about the challenge, go to this post.

front page, front of flip

today's prompt is 'wallpaper, ' and I have used actual wallpaper to create my project. it's been years since we last had this wallpaper hanging in our house. I think we bought it when we first moved in, more than 20 years ago. it's always been one of my favorites of all the wallpaper we put in the house. now I think the kitchen is the only room in the house that has any. 

front page, back of flip

the colors in my photos are all off for some weird reason. the background of the wallpaper is actually a lovely soft green. in the photos it shows up as a grey. some of the papers in the background appear blue when they are actually green. I have no idea what was going on with the camera on my phone, but I can't seem to edit to get the colors closer to real life. please bear with me...

back page, front of flip

I took a strip of wallpaper, folded it in half, sewed around the edges, and created an over the page flip piece. the poems are by Robert Louis Stevenson and come from a book I purchased on Amazon. it's terrible quality and poorly printed, so perfect to rip apart for crafting!! :) all of the other elements are by Graphic 45. the fold over piece sits on some coffee dyed paper. this is actually green, but looks blue in the photos. 

back page, back of flip

a few ribbons, a postage stamp, and vintage buttons were all it took to complete the project. it will be perfect in the baby journal! the journal uses almost all Graphic 45 papers. several of their collections were perfect for a woodland animal theme. of course I have also added some fairies, because we all know that they live in the forests, too. :)

thank you for stopping by! I hope you have a wonderful day!

Jennifer

Junk Journal July Day 7 - Bouquet

 Coffee/Tea of the Day - Caramel Vanilla Hazelnut coffee

Hello and welcome back to another project for Junk Journal July! let me know in the comments if you are playing along. :)

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

Today's prompt is 'bouquet.' I may have stretched the theme a bit. there ARE flowers though. :D

I have created a tag using a junk mail postcard covered in coffee dyed paper as the base. I make up quite a few of these at a time so that I have them on hand. this is for Tyler and Danielle's baby journal.

papers are from Mintay Papers Joy of Life collection. I fussy cut pieces from the elements page and added a little fairy baby in a nest image. since their nursery is in a woodland animals theme, I am convinced that creatures from the fae world are in the forest, too. :) some dried flower pieces were added in addition to a bit of doily, ticket, and vintage button.  the word 'baby' is a die cut. my colors are a bit off, but it was cut from a piece of pastel pink cs.

I should also mention something regarding the quality of my photos. they are not the best, I know. with my tremors it is very difficult for me to take photos of decent quality. I shake so much that it is a challenge to take a picture that isn't blurry. my time on the computer is limited because of my seizures, so I can't always work on editing for as long as is needed. the basics are about all I can accomplish. I appreciate your understanding.

See you tomorrow! have a most amazing day!

Jennifer

Junk Journal July Day 6 - Symmetry

 Coffee/Tea of the Day - Cinnamon French Toast coffee

Thank you for stopping by my blog for another day of Junk Journal July. I hope some of you are participating in the challenge or getting ideas for other craft projects. let me know in the comments. :)

For more information about Junk Journal July, please visit this post.

Today's prompt is 'symmetry.' I confess that this one had me stumped for a bit, so I went online to see examples of symmetry in nature. turns out it is all around us! :)

card front

butterflies, moths, dragonflies, leaves, seashells, and starfish are just a few examples. so I decided to create a journal card for the baby journal I am still working on. yes, still.  Tyler and Danielle are using a woodland animals theme in the nursery, so a nature inspired card will be perfect for the journal.

card back

I have added fussy cut flowers, butterflies, and a dragonfly from several digital artists - Luiise Heinzl, Vectoria Designs, and Shawn Petite (digital papers are by Shawn). I will add links to either their blogs or stores.  the base is a coffee dyed blue index card. the coffee seems to turn anything blue to a greenish shade. pretty!

crochet trim, floral fabric tape, and a vintage button complete the card.

I hope you each have a most amazing day, taking comfort in just how much you are loved. :)

Jennifer

Junk Journal July Day 5 - Fold Out

 Coffee//Tea of the Day - Lemon Lavender Mint tea

It's another fun project share for Junk Journal July!

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

for today's prompt of 'fold out', I used an image from the free collage sheet offered by Gecko Galz for newsletter subscribers.  This provides the cover for the fold out journal ephemera, created with a sheet of coffee dyed copy paper. 

Tim Holtz rubber stamps and actual postage stamps decorate the various sections.  it's hard to post the photos of inside the fold out because they are so long. to see the details more clearly, just click on each photo. it will take you to another larger image. you can then navigate back here to the main post.

the last page, actually the back cover, has a little side pocket into which I have inserted a vintage train ticket. seems appropriate for a travel themed journal ephemera piece. Tim Holtz tiny metal clip keeps the piece together. I think it would be fun to jot down places to visit and then later check them off. :)

thank you so much for stopping by!

Jennifer

Challenges:

Gecko Galz - wanderlust

Junk Journal July Day 4 - Transparent

 Coffee/Tea of the Day - Melted Marshmallow coffee

Welcome back to another project for Junk Journal July! more information about the challenge can be found at this post. I may start jumping around for the prompts as one inspires me, or doesn't ;)

Superman front of flip

Today's prompt is 'transparent.' I have made two projects recycling junk mail envelopes. (photo heavy post.)

Superman inside of flip

When I make journals, I like to incorporate multiple types of papers, book pages, ledger sheets, doilies, etc. almost all of my recent journals have pages from Little Golden Books. they were a favorite of mine from childhood, and I enjoy using the pages. some of the books I use are old and some brand new. 

Superman back flip

Superman inside of back flip

the theme of the journal for Ryan and Elizabeth is Family Fun. I incorporated activities that they enjoy doing together - cooking, games, movies, books, trips, and so on. Ryan is truly the king of comic book knowledge. I was a big comic fan growing up, so passed that along to the boys. Superman is his absolute favorite character and Elizabeth likes Dr. Strange. so it was an easy choice to add elements from both to the journal.

Dr. Strange front flip

I used blue painter's tape on the Dr. Strange envelope page flip. hubby has the tape in several colors, and he very nicely shares with me for my crafting. :)

Dr. Strange inside of flip

I took junk mail envelopes with windows to create page flips. each envelope hangs over the page. photos show both sides as well as the flips. I usually add tags to the window portions, but this time decided to seal them shut. 

Dr. Strange back flip

once I have completed all of the signatures, I will add a clip of some kind so that the envelopes attach to the pages. for now I have used paper clips, but will add something fancier on my last go through. I tend to add the finishing touches then, such as word art, postage stamps, labels, clips, and fibers. 

Dr. Strange inside of flip

sending out Happy July 4th wishes to all of you in the USA! have a safe and fun time celebrating!

Junk Journal July Day 3 - Layered Tag

 Coffee/Tea of the Day - Caramel Vanilla coffee

Welcome back to another Junk Journal July post. I hope that some of you are participating or getting new ides for your  journals and other craft projects.

More information about Junk Journal July can be found on this post.

 Today's prompt is 'Layered Tag'. I created a tag for the nautical journal I am updating for Tyler and Danielle. the base is a paint sample card. lots of layers here, even though they are not all apparent at first glance. there are snippets of coffee dyed copy paper, tissue paper, and paper towel layered with some neutral scrapbook papers.  the ship digital is from Gecko Galz and part of their stamp challenge for the month. their challenge is to color the image, but I instead chose to print it directly on this gorgeous paper from Asuka Studios. I tore around the edges to add a bit of grunge and shabbiness. 

some netting from an onion bag was adhered behind the ship and to the tag with staples. vintage buttons and striped ribbon finish the tag. I thought it was neat that one of the paint colors on this card is called Shimmering Sea. :)

I hope everyone is having a great weekend! 

Jennifer 

Challenges:

Gecko Galz - wanderlust

Junk Journal July Day 2 - Reinvent

 Coffee/Tea of the Day - Maple Nut coffee

Hello and welcome to day 2 of Junk Journal July! 

You can learn more about Junk Journal July in this post.

Today's prompt is 're-invent'. It took me a bit to come up with a project for this one, but thankfully one of the people I follow on YouTube recently had the perfect solution! Margreth of  SevenPlaza shared a video in which she creates a faux envelope pocket.  I adapted this idea to the family fun journal I am working on for Ryan and Elizabeth. 

I used papers from the Carta Bella Family Night collection as well as paper from the Simple Stories Family Fun collection. I am so impressed with how well these 2 collections blend. an old game marker was added for a touch of whimsy. The 2nd photo shows the back pocket, which I adhered to the journal page. also shown is the journal card I made using a digital of an old map cover as well as a car clip art piece. the other side of the tag is more map paper.

and here is the pocket on the actual journal page. I added a vintage Coca Cola receipt along with the map tag.

I hope some of you have a chance to play along in the challenge, or even adapt it to whatever crafting you are currently doing.

have a great weekend! :)

Junk Journal July Day 1 - Begin

 Coffee/Tea of the Day - Spiced Hazelnut coffee

Hello! 

Sorry I have been away for a bit. life got crazy, as happens to all of us from time to time. I have been sick, kids and grandkids have been sick, you know the fun stuff that keeps life interesting. ;)

anyhow, today is the start of Junk Journal July, a challenge event started by Meg's Junk Journals. I am not on most social media, so the link is for her YouTube channel. there you can find more information about her and her other social media links.  Here is the link to subscribe to her newsletter.

Today's prompt is 'begin'. This is perfect since one of the journals I am working on is the Family Fun journal I gave Ryan and Elizabeth for Christmas a few years ago. I am re-doing the journals that I gave to everyone that year. not only was I unable to include all of the signatures, but the spines were too small. it's been bugging me since then, so I asked for the journals back so that I could fix them. I love how crafting, or anything really, is a process in which we learn from our mistakes, understanding that each of us has a beginning. :)

'Begin' to me, in the context of this journal, brought to mind the start of a game - picking your game piece, learning the rules, etc. So I made a tag using the game board image from Carta Bella's Family Night collection. I have this in both the printed and digital forms. the checkerboard paper (digital) is from the same collection, as is the game piece sticker (sticker sheet). I can't remember if the little sentiment piece is from this collection or Simple Stories Family Fun collection, as I am using both. I have all of my cut out pieces in one container, so didn't get them labeled as to which collection each item is from. (I tend to lump like items together so they are easier for me to use. ) the game instructions are vintage ephemera. I like combining the old and the new. :)

I don't know that I will get to upload a project every day of the challenge, but I will do my best. I hope some of you play along! there are some fun prompts that are helping me think outside of my comfort zone.

all of you have a wonderful weekend! :)

Jennifer

Happy Mother's Day!

 Coffee/Tea of the Day - Lavender Lemon Tea

Happy Mother's Day to all of the mothers, aunts, grandmothers, and great-grandmothers out there! :) I hope you are truly celebrated for the amazing women that you are!

I made cards for my MIL and aunt using some neat digitals from Shawn Petite. these can be found in her member's resource library. it's free to register, and she shares some neat printables, both things that she has created as well as vintage ephemera. she is a very talented artist, and I am always inspired.

I have used her gelli plate image as the base, printing the beautiful vintage floral image directly on top. some matting, lace, tickers, and butterflies to embellish. still trying to keep everything that I mail fairly flat. I don't remember if the butterflies are from Shawn's printable or from another artist, possibly Artymaze, Shabbydabbydoodah, or Mad Paper Crush. I have been cutting out so many pieces for the baby journal that I can't remember exactly who did each one. maybe some day I will be better organized! ;)

each of you have a most amazing day, knowing that you are loved and cherished!

Jennifer

Sending Love Sunflowers

 Coffee/Tea of the Day - Pumpkin Spice coffee

Good morning and happy weekend! :)

I needed a thinking of you type card to someone who is going through some struggles. that is all of us from time to time, and I know how much it meant to me to receive some encouragement in the mail. 

Recently I purchased the Sunflowers for Ukraine digital image collection from Gecko Galz on Etsy. 100% of the proceeds go to Samaritan's Purse Ukraine relief efforts. I thought the bright happy sunflowers could hopefully bring a smile to the recipient. 

The images were printed onto linen paper for a little bit different look. one of the talented designers at The Graphics Fairy did this in a recent journal, and the look is lovely. a simple card with some distressing and fun little embellishments. the beautiful lace is from SU!

everyone have an amazing weekend! I am still getting the pieces together for the baby journal, all while recovering from the mump! yep. I had them when I was a young girl, but evidently my weakened immune system from long covid has left me susceptible to any and every little germ that passes my way. thank goodness for antibiotics. 

thank you so much for stopping by! enjoy your weekend! :) 

Challenges:

Allsorts - anything goes with scenic option

Creative Fingers - anything goes

Krafty Chicks - all occassions

Crafty Gals Corner - spring/Easter

Creative Knockouts - flower power

Anniversary Bears on a Walk

 Coffee/Tea of the Day - Toffee Nut Latte (Starbucks treat from hubby today!)

Hello! I hope all of you are doing well! 

I want to say thank you for the very kind comments and messages regarding my health and DIL. y'all are just the best! :) I have heard that many of you are dealing with health struggles in your families as well. know that I keep you in my prayers.

Today I am sharing an anniversary card I created for Ryan and Elizabeth. I once again used the fun Lily of the Valley simply prints available on Etsy. these cute bears are called Rosy and Cosy.  I cut out the bears twice and added some foam tape for extra dimension. the papers and flowers are from the new Carta Bella Flora collection. sentiment stamp is by SU! luscious purple silk ribbon and vintage buttons complete the card. simple, because I wanted to mail it with first class postage, so taking care to not add too many layers.

I am a huge fan of our postal service here in the States. they work so hard through all types of weather. I never have a problem when stamp prices increase, because these people deserve every penny. but hubby and I were taken aback when we mailed our grand-daughter's birthday card. I typically mail my cards in padded envelopes to give some extra protection to the layers and elements. it cost more than $5 to mail her card, even though it weighed less that 2 ounces. whoa nelly! that is almost double the price I used to pay. so I am trying to be cautious about what I send using the padded envelopes, not so much to avoid the postal service, but trying to be good stewards of our money. so from here on out I will save the fancy cards to go in larger packages that include other fun goodies. :) moms and grandmoms gotta spoil! :D

for the next few weeks, I will be sharing process photos of making the latest baby journal. Danielle has a baby shower at her parents' home several hours away over Mother's Day weekend. I would really like to be able to attend, so am working hard to get the journal finished by then. also hoping I feel well enough to go....

May you have an absolutely joyous weekend surrounded by the people who love you! :)

Jennifer

Easter Blessings

 Coffee/Tea of the Day - Turmeric tea with ginger and orange

Sending Easter blessings to all of you who celebrate the holiday. He has risen! :) oh, what hope lies in those three words! I am often overwhelmed by the depth of God's love and faithfulness. He never once leaves us. what comfort!

I have several cards to share today. I had to keep them fairly simple because I wanted to mail them through regular first class. 

Main images are found for free at Create with TLC. vintage fussy cut images are from The Graphics Fairy. Papers are from 49 & Market and Asuka Studios. 

Simple embellishments. Organza ribbon is from Really Reasonable Ribbon and little flowers are by Prima. Stamps are from Tim Holtz. inside of each card is decorated similar to the envelopes. 

 

This last card was made for a very special young lady. our youngest son, Ryan, and his wife, Elizabeth, have become foster parents to a 13 year old girl! she moved in this weekend. she is someone they knew from their church youth group. I wanted to send her a little something to say hello. :)

and lastly I ask for your prayers for our daughter-in-law, Lauren. she had a mini stroke several days ago. she is currently resting at home, with more tests to come in the upcoming week. We are so thankful that God kept her safe in the midst of all that happened. She is currently taking baby aspirin to help thin the blood. Our daughter-in-law, Danielle, who is pregnant, is also taking baby aspirin. She was told that mothers who have had covid, which they both have had, are at a higher risk of stroke. so lots of prayers and trusting in God's healing.

May you know how much you are treasured and loved! Happy Easter!

Jennifer

Happy 1st Birthday, Lyra!

 Coffee/Tea of the Day - Hazelnut Spice coffee

Hello to everyone!  :)

Please forgive my long absence. I have what is now being called 'long covid', having been sick since Christmas. thankfully the vaccinations and booster shots prevented me from being hospitalized or being any worse than it has been, but oh my goodness, I am so ready to be over this. ugh.  

anyhow, on to crafty stuff! :)

our first grand-daughter celebrated her one year birthday last weekend. oh my heart! she is such a delight! because we live so far away, plus with me being sick, we weren't able to go to her celebration, but we did have a fun video chat after her big party. she doesn't just walk, she RUNS everywhere! :D  

because I haven't been feeling well, my inking and coloring skills are at a minimum right now. along to the rescue came Lily of the Valley pre-colored digital images! they are called Simply Prints in the Etsy store. so many adorable designs to choose from. (P.S. they currently have a BIG sale, so now would be an excellent time to add some of these cuties to your stash!)

for this card, I used the Birthday Fairy simply print paired with some of the pretty designer paper from the Backing paper collection.  I also added a pastel pink gingham paper, I think from either Carta Bella or Echo Park. it was a piece in my stash that no longer had the markings.  .A Wink of Stella glitter pen was brushed over the fairy wings, wand, antennae, and package bow. gotta have some sparkle! :) The image was cut with a Spellbinders die, pale pink seam binding and bright pink floral trim are topped with a flower from Wild Orchid Crafts. a small pink ticket butterfly & cupcake ephemera, and vintage buttons complete the card. 

I am trying to finish Easter cards so they can be mailed out tomorrow. I'll be back next week to show you those.

I truly hope all of you are well. I have missed sharing with you on my blog, but really am going to do better posting. I plan to start work on a baby journal for our newest grand-daughter, due the end of August! :)  I'll share the process of creating that, as I take a VERY long time to make a junk journal. 

much love to each of you! 

Jennifer 

Happy New Year 2022!

 Coffee/Tea of the day - Cinnamon Macadamia nut coffee

Image from 

Old Design Shop

Wishing you and yours a safe, healthy, and prosperous New Year!

More crafts to come in the next few months. Thank you for your support and sticking with me! :)

Ribbon and Fabric Banner for Bedroom

 Coffee/Tea of the Day - Caramel Vanilla Hazelnut coffee

Hello and happy Monday to all of you! sorry I didn't get this photo posted when I promised. With out of town guests and then a quick trip to St. Louis to see everyone there, I lost track of time. I do apologize.

This was a fun banner to make! I used ribbons and trims from Really Reasonable Ribbon, fabric strips from an old flannel sheet, and denim from some worn out blue jeans. I really do like to repurpose, can you tell?! ;) some of the ribbons and tulle were from Tyler and Danielle's wedding, so they were perfect to include in the banner for their room. the colors in the room are artichoke green, burgundy, and mustard yellow. 

my husband made the sign using word art from Hobby Lobby and some old fencing boards. he has made several signs like this for all around our house. one of his favorite things to do is take old windows and doors and turn them into neat wall hangings. we also have an old screen door as a trellis on the back of our barn for the passion flower Mick gave me last year. it's fun to take old things we find in antique stores and give them new life. :)

Starting the big craft room clean out this week. I will TRY to not get distracted by all of the wonderful things I uncover! :D 

much love to all of you!

Jennifer

Happy 4th of July and email followers

 Coffee/Tea of the Day - Spiced Hazelnut coffee

image by

The Graphics Fairy

Happy 4th of July to all of my friends living in the USA! I hope you have a fun as well as safe celebration surrounded by those dear to your heart. :)

I have been informed of a service to follow blogs via email now that feedburner has deactivated this tool. It is called follow,it. I believe that I have imported all of those email addresses who follow my blog this way. Please let me know if you don't receive notices of upcoming posts. 

I haven't been doing much papercrafting recently, but did make a wonderful ribbon and fabric banner to hang in one of our bedrooms. I will share that with you this week. We are slowly trying to redo all of our sons' bedrooms so that they are a bit more updated when they come to visit. So far we have two completed. Eventually we will tackle the entire house. my next big project is to get my craft room cleaned and organized. ugh. that is going to take a VERY long time. :/ 

so thank you to everyone who continues to follow my little blog and post such lovely comments.  :) I appreciate all of you!

much love to everyone and have a most amazing day!

Jennifer

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