Just Breathe

This page in my mini junk journal was

heavily inspired by France Papillon.

In particular this journal on Monday

video - 171 Brave

I wanted to emulate the texture that

France created, but using all I had.

Namely heavy gesso, brayer & PaperArtsy

Fresco Chalk paints.

This page is the reverse of the image

transfer & it was a tad fragile at the edges.

So I had adhered torn scraps of brown paper,

magazine paper & old tea bag paper in a

collage fashion (having learned from LorriMarie)

I watered down a little gesso to coat it all,

applying it heavier on the darker browns.

 I then began lightly brayering my colours;

PaperArsty Cherry Blossom,

Sugar Plum, Orchid & Pansy.

I added more gesso heavier in places & added a

frame of Spanish Mulberry using a brayer technique

Leandra had taught us in  the PaperArtsy videos.

I have several of the brayer ones in my playlist, here. 

I added stamping with some script images, which

I then knocked back with gesso.

I added gesso through this Circle Squared stencil

by Mike Deakin Art. 

I copied Frances technique of blending Inktense pencils

around the circles as I love my Inktense.

I journaled around them & then added a 

little black & grey for more definition.

Finally, as I loved the texture so much,

I just added the Prima Finnabair words.

30th Birthday Commission

This card was commissioned by Lorraine,

an ex colleague, for her daughter, Rhianne.

The brief was;

sunshine, tea, Harry Potter, otters,

squirrels, meerkats & brightly coloured.

I think I managed to fit them all in!

  

The box itself was made using the free die with

Die Cutting Essentials - 51.

It started life as a plain piece of white card

& I made backgrounds on each side.

I kept the inside relatively subdued, but

the outside was a riot of stenciled, Dylusions paint colours.

I made a tiny book to place the 30 on so it wasn't too "in your face"

& put two quotes Lorraine requested onto tea cups.

(Dies by Simply Cards & Papercraft magazine issue 176)

I spelt out her name using Tim Holtz Alphanumeric dies.

I was careful to use free Harry Potter images from UI-Ex.com

 

 

Fran's birthday card

Our neighbour, Fran, had her birthday

last week. Being a keen gardener,

I like to create something floral.

This card is from Dad & myself.

She lives across from me, but next door to him.

Here is what I made.

Front panel is Spellbinders Botanical Bliss.

Flowers - Altenew Crown Bloom.

Inks - Altenew crisp inks;

Andromeda / Wisteria / Hydrangea / Sea Glass

Ocean Waves / Frayed Leaf & Forest Glade

I 💓 that Sea Glass in the centre of the front bloom.

Inside, I wanted a surprise!

So I made a box of flowers.

Box & balloons - Honeybee stamps 

Flowers - Papercraft Essentials issue 171

Label with greeting is stamped using 

Papercraft Essentials issue 173

 

Happy Birthday Tracy!

It's my sister's birthday today.

I know she likes minimalist cards

&  the colour purple, so I created this.

The background is Spellbinders cover die Venise Lace.

Flowers are - Altenew Build a Flower Cattleya

Stamped in two different purple combinations.

Front Flowers;

Altenew crisp inks - Andromeda / Wisteria / Hydrangea

Rear flowers;

Altenew crisp inks - Andromeda / Deep Iris / Ultraviolet

Greeting is from Creative Stamping issue 29

Exotic - Mini Junk Journal

This is page 8 of the journal.

It is the reverse of Mildred,

with the cut out window & gold fretwork.

The page was covered with PaperArtsy Twighlight.

I added some lighter blue strokes in places

to give light & texture.

I then applied gold paint by Colourcraft,

through TCW Circle Doily stencil.

Because Mildred had a royal theme I wanted something equally 

opulent, luxurious, exotic for this side, so felt the

blue worked with the existing gold screen.

I added this stamped Altenew Build A Flower Cattleya

in shades of oranges as I felt they matched

the golds closer than any other colours.

The words are part of the meaning I found for

Cattleya Orchids. The rest got torn!

So I added luxury & exotic near the flowers,

because this is what they represent.

Here is an image of the page showing

that the page can been seen through to the other side.

You can just see my French Gentleman

from the London / Paris insert.

"Each of us." Mini Junk Journal

I wanted a textural, vintage look for this page & so

I added torn die cutting off-cuts

to create a textured background.

I then built up my colour in stages,

using glazed layers. I love this technique!!

I usually only do it on canvas, but fancied a go

in an art journal.

I am very pleased with the results.

 Over the torn pages I applied a layer of Liquitex Heavy Gesso,

followed by a painted layer of Acrylic Titan Buff.

Once dry, I applied Prima Finnabair Art Basics Clear crackle paste

through a mini Tim Holtz numbers stencil.

I also added the pste with a palette knife to add other texture.

For my glazes I used;

PaperArtsy French Roast / Toffee

Daler Rowney Burnt Umber / Red Ochre

To emphasis some areas I added Dylusions Black Marble

paint & a little PaperArtsy White Fire.

I die cut the Xcut Cogs & applied gold embossing powder,

I then reheated the powder & sprinkled on salt.

This gives a distressed look.

I computer generated the words.

My thinking behind them was that we are all a mass of

tiny parts, which when working together in harmony,

create a happy world. The cogs symbolize the working together.

Not as in the most commonly used phrase, cogs in the wheel.

Happy Birthday, Kim

Kim worked with me for 10 years.

Since my redundancy, we have kept in touch.

She has two Labradors,

Bailee, her little lady is yellow & Bo,

her boisterous boy, is chocolate.

So, I made her this using the free stamps from

Creative Stamping issue 68

All stamps used were free with the magazine.

I used copics to colour the dogs & dog bed.

I used prismacolor pencils for the bones & toys.

Inside it reads.. Have a Fur..ry happy birthday.

 

Centre Pages of the Mini Journal

Having watched even more videos on

YouTube of LorriMarie Jenkins,

I just HAD to try her image transfer technique!

It turned out FABULOUS!!!!!!!

Seriously, if you have never seen her Altered Book

videos, go check them out.

She is based in Vallejo, California,

teaches in a really easy to understand manner

& is a really lovely human. 

In the past my transfers have been very much

hit & miss, with a whole load of miss.

This turned out perfect.

Granted it is a magazine image, but I am going

to try my hand with an inkjet print.

I have already learned how to get a coat of 

gel medium on them before they smear.

I saw the idea of putting a coat of medium

down on the gel plate & then placing images face down

& brayer them. It worked in the video by Artzology, here 

As this is the very centre of my mini junk journal,

it made sense to make a double page spread.

I prepared my image as per LorriMarie's instructions,

then after applying a coat of heavy gesso over my page, 

I applied a coat of PaperArtsy Smurf (blue) 

Once the image was prepared & dried,

I added a coat of Winsor & Newton Galeria Matt Medium

to the page & brayered down my image.

I then walked away for 48 hours!! 

I think this was the crucial thing, to let it dry.

Once dry, I added a little water & the backing literally

all came off leaving very little behind!!

The light blue underneath helped the image

to appear light. I added a white gesso border

all around as a vignette. I also added

some texture paste with a TCW well rounded

mini stencil to look like moving water/spray.

All I added to this were the stamped seabirds,

free with creative Stamping issue 72

& Tim Holtz words. I wanted the image to shine.

In hindsight, I wish I had added light green

in the areas where the cliffs are.

Magazine image was from Daphne's Diary.

 

More about the bees

The houses are getting quite full,

but the last week of rain has held them back.

The Tree Bumble Bees that are nesting

in my soffits, are very busy gathering

pollen & don't appear phased by the rain.

I have had a job on my hands

reviving them. 😢

They do not have a long life cycle

but they are so pretty close up.

here is one enjoying a sugar water snack.

It's little tongue was out, lapping for all it was worth.

They never seem to stop, then suddenly they can't fly.

When they get really bad, they just run everywhere.

Sadly some are dying now.

 

This image shows three different types of bee

heading into the houses.

The bottom furry one is a mason bee,

I am not 100% certain what the other two are.

They are all solitary bees regardless & they

all have eggs tucked away now until spring.

 

Remember to Play.

Mini Junk Journal page.

I stumbled upon the YouTube channel,

of a lady called LorriMarie Jenkins.

She makes all kinds of Altered Books,

a subject dear to my heart.

(although I never tried a "true" altered one yet!)

What struck me was how she applied collage to

most pages for background texture.

It isn't something I do often.

I wasn't intending to make this page, it just sort of happened.

I was searching for something entirely different,

but during my search, 3 pieces of paper fell

onto my lap & I was surprised by how well

they appeared to go together.

I was drawn to create something immediately,

& this is what I came up with.

The torn wallpaper lining had a torn

piece of paper already glued to it.

The red with white scribbly flowers & button pieces

just fell out with it. 

I tore around the flowers & buttons,

attached them all together & then created my background.

This had some titan buff & glazes left over

from working on the adjacent page

(number 14, not completed yet)

it peeled off so I added a spot of Burnt Umber

& Red Ochre & blended them with gesso.

I then added burnt umber with a palette

knife around the frame & with an old gift card.

In fact the thing that took longest to

create was the word "collage" which

was cut from 7 different words in a magazine.

The final touch was the Tim Holtz phrase

"Remember to Play" 

I couldn't resist adding the little ladybug.

If nothing ever changed

Another mini junk journal page,

I have never been so prolific!

24 pages in approx. 2 months.

It's the power of the smaller surface,

works it's charm every time.😉

This is another cheerful page,

but with a more muted tone as I used gesso

to turn the colour more pastel.

I began with a coat of gesso, then added stenciling

using the same Julie Fei - Fan Balzer mini patterns

stencil with Dylusions paints.

Once dry, I added the images from Tim Holtz

stamps Fairytale Frenzy in Onyx Black

Versafine ink & heat embossed clear.

I added colour using brushos, keeping each

colour separate to prevent mud.

I used a brush to help them move.

Once dry, I stamped my quote which was

a free stamp set with issue 160

of Simply Cards & Papercrafts. 

To finish, I added texture paste through 

Art is - stencil TCW.

I love how it has soaked up colour in each section.

The texture paste I use is;

Golden Gel Mediums Light Molding Paste.

I bought the 946ml (32 fl.oz) size & it lasts.

 

Happy Father's Day

After last year's moving

lawnmower, I knew I would have

my work cut out this year!

Still, thanks to Sam - Mixed Up Crafts

I came up with this! 😉 

 Birds - RSPB Garden Birds

free with Simply cards & Papercraft 187

Die cut watering can - Papercraft Essentials 173

Tools/Wellies/sign - Dovecraft Secret Garden

 Elizabeth Crafts - Susan's Garden Flowers;

Primula / Marigolds / Nigella

die cut frame from my stash.

Stamped Images from;

Papercraft Essentials 173

Sentiment - Creative Stamping 70 

Flowers created with coloured cardstocks by Gina K Designs.

Inked with Distress Ink (original)

The Gina K Designs card cuts like a dream.

Sanctuary - Mini Junk Journal

This page was a map with a bird on it.

I so wanted to keep the bird but short of

tearing paper scraps & sticking them all over,

I had no idea where this page was going.

So I left it a while & did other pages in the journal.

Then I had an idea & came back to it.

This is actually page 6 - Sanctuary.

I thought the outlines of all the torn text

pieces looked like old castle walls or some

similar old building.

So I used PaperArtsy Fresco paints to

colour them using several greens, browns & grey.

I then added more colour to the bird & gave it some

sort of nest/ ground material. 

I fashioned the arch rather too perfectly

for real life, but it could really be

a small window in a castle.

I used my Inktense pencils to add further colour

& to highlight the "stone work".

Finally I added a sentence & some words from

an old RSPB magazine. It was an article about

birds seeking sanctuary in the urban cities of UK.

Memories - Colour Journal

This is another multi-coloured piece,

but with a black outline around my images.

I was watching some YouTube videos by

Niamh Baly & Inkyfairy design 

& I had forgotten how effective this technique

can be. Some really great examples on

YouTube are by Nika in Wonderland 

I decided to use the technique here.

I made a multi-coloured background,

added stenciling, gold leaf, all the same as

my Open Heart mini junk journal page,

but I added black marble paint over a die cut 

as a mask (Tim Holtz Bigz Sewing Room)

I added a lot more black than I liked &

when I tried to remove it, the colours smeared

losing the stenciling everywhere.

But, it is very visible in the mannequin silhouette

so I am extremely happy.

I added a Tim Holtz Mini Blueprints 2 image 

(Sewing Machine) & as my gold pen ran out,

I did my journaling in silver on the mask

(Cardboard die cut) & stuck it overlapping 

the silhouette. My words are about my mum.

she was a self taught seamstress & was bloody good.

All words by Tim Holtz.

Background stamps - Attic Treasures (TH)

Open Heart

Another mini junk journal page.

This began as a page from Daphne's Diary,

covered with clear gesso.

I added a couple of spots of Dylusions

paint in Vibrant Turquoise & Fresh Lime

& brayered them together lightly.

I added white, then more green.

Once this layer was dry, I added stenciling.

I used Mini Patterns - TCW

designed by Julie Fei - Fan Balzer 

I used more Dylusions paint

Lemon Zest/ Squeezed Orange

& more Vibrant Turquoise. 

 Once that layer was dry, I added Bubblegum Pink

through Swatton Flowers v.2 - Stencil Girl

Over this layer I added stamping in Archival Black

& Hero Arts Raspberry Jam inks.

The next layer was to add glue through a stencil

I used a UHU gluestick for ease.

Once tacky I added gold leaf.

I stamped Dina Wakley's Handwritten Heart Collage 

& then added heavy gesso around the edge to

white out the page & also the heart centre.

I then added Tim Holtz words.

This was extremely layered & colourful.

Way out of my comfort zone, but not now! 😀

I find myself loving this technique

& must try again ... SOON!!

"She Was" - Colour Journal

This page was all decided in my head,

except for the colour. I knew I wanted girly,

bright & happy because the quote itself

is not happy really.

The quote is by author Anna Funder & it says

"She was brave, strong & broken.

All at once."

I had planned to use three Mechanical Dolls,

digital stamps by A Day for Daisies, free from the

Simply Cards & Papercraft website.

However, I realised I would need to use

one doll, three times for the quote to make sense.

I didn't use limbs.

I added underskirt/bodices using brayered paper

& die cut flower heads for the skirt of the dress.

 Materials:

Background is a card front die cut

Spellbinders Emmeline Treillage

Venise Lace - Becca Feeken.

Cut from fun foam & torn.

Script & number stamps -

Prima / 49 & Market

Tim Holtz - Flower Garden

Colour - Brushos Colourcraft Ltd;

Computer generated words.

 

Bee Update!

The bees have been extremely busy!

They are so clever! They know that female bees

hatch later than males & so they lay

the female eggs right at the back of

the tubes, put a bit of food in, then partition

it off with mud, before laying the next egg.

They continue this to the front of the

tube where the male eggs are laid & then

they seal up the entire tube.

This is the new house.

They have already filled about 20 tubes in

this photo. The actual number is 27 today.

This is the original house,

it is almost completely full.

Good job I saw sense & bought a second house!

This is totally new to me & absolutely fascinating!

I adore my little families, even if they are only eggs.

Sadly the bees fly off to die once the tubes are finished 😢

I ❤ Mason bees 🐝🐝🐝

Two Junk Journal mini pages

As this page is a folded piece

of Kraft packaging, I decided to 

create a single theme but over each side.

Side One - London

 Side Two - Paris

Each side measures no more than

4 3/4 inches tall x 2.2 inches wide.

London - was made using torn fragments of

Tim Holtz French Industry paper.

I sprayed Dylusions inks in browns,

Stamped Big Ben & the word London

then lightened the background so

you could see the design.

I added the stamped guard (Tim Holtz)

Paris - was made by painting the page buff.

I then adhered used tea bag paper over the top.

I added a little colour before stamping Notre Dame

& Eiffel Tower (Elusive Images stamps)

I then added the stamped French Man (Tim Holtz)

I thought it would be a struggle to create on such a small area, 

but as soon as the London/New York/ Paris 

phrase popped in my head, I had a light bulb moment.

Birthday Card for Lorraine

who I used to work with at Bluefin.

(now Jelf)

I wanted something a little more 3D as this is

the first card I haven't made for others to sign.

Card front  is created using lilac cardstock by Gina K Designs

White card is Neenah Solar White card

Die cut is Woodland friends,

free with Die Cutting Essentials issue 32.

The inside is based on Jennifer Maguire's Spinner card,

but minus the spinner & with the grassy hills.

 

 The card was made exactly to the size of her card,

but I added the die cut grass by trial & error.

Materials used;

XCut Woodland Build a Scene dies

Stamps; A Walk in the Park

(free with issue 150 Simply Cards & Papercraft)

Die cut creatures; from the woodland friends die

used on the card front.

I kept it clean & simple inside to show off

the scene inside the woodland.

Wherever you are planted... Journal Page

Back working in my 5'x7' colour journal.

Here is one of my favourite colour schemes,

Lime & pink!

 Not sure I am keen on the edited picture,

but this was the best shot.

I first stamped Hero Arts Vine Leaf stamp

from the top right side of the background.

I then stencilled over it in Dylusions

Fresh Lime using the Arabesque stencil,

by Mike Deakin Art.

Over this I stencilled Tim Holtz Blossom.

I used Bubblegum Pink Dylusions to

colour my texture paste before applying.

I toned it down with a gesso wash.

Once everything was dry, I added silhouette stamping

& then added black die cuts both Tim Holtz.

The words are computer generated.

They are a French Proverb.

"Wherever you are planted, bloom with grace. "

These words are very apt with regards my current circumstances.  

Find Your Voice - Junk Journal

If I thought I loved Mildred,

then I must have a lot of love as I

love this one too! 😁

This idea came to me while watching a video 

on YouTube by Mike Deakin Art.

Mike created this page last year 

& I wanted to revisit the background he made

after watching this other video by him;

Off with their - a whimsical journal page

I loved both background ideas & they 

inspired me to create this page,

Find Your Voice.

 

I used Distress Oxide Inks

smooshed onto an old ledger card.

I added clear gesso first to give movement.

The colours I used were;

Peeled Paint / Shabby Shutters

Old Paper / Scattered Straw

& hints of Peacock Feathers.

I added stamping in the same colours

using bubble wrap, a bottle cap

& some ATC border stamps

(previously loved Elusive Images Set)

along with Archival Sepia Ink.

I added the word phrase Find Your Voice

several times (Donna Downey / Unity Stamp)

Then stamped Inkylicious Birds

in two places & on tissue.

I attached the tissue just off slightly to give shadow.

I then added touches of paint in buff & red. 

This made them Swallows.

Finally I added some words from Tim Holtz

to make up a part phrase I had seen on Pinterest.

 Love this colour combination, thank you Mike!

Back with another Junk Journal page - Mildred!

Yes, I'm still so in love with my

mini junk journal, I can't stop

playing in it. 😀

Today's page is all about Mildred

& her desire to play at being Queen.

This page is an old business envelope.

I die cut a square from off centre

& added two die cut trellis square

pieces behind. It's gorgeous,

but I just can't remember where I got it!

 I painted them gold to give a regal touch.

I then set to work colouring the rest

of the page in purple using

Lindy's Stamp Gang Magnolia Magenta Gold.

Next I added stenciling with Original Distress Ink

in Dusty Concord & the Tim Holt Stencil - Gothic.

I stamped a dictionary quote about a Lady,

which was free with Creative Stamping issue 70.

The chair was free with the pets set in issue 68.

I used copic markers to colour it "throne" red.

I then sat my Tim Holtz Paper Doll "Mildred" on the chair

& gave her a pet dog (paper doll) 

I stamped crowns on the page (PaperBag Studios)

& Bird Notes by Crafty Secrets Clear Art Stamps.

(They were purchased, previously loved & I don't 

know if they are available now) 

Finally, I added a book text crown, a gold staff & words.

The words near her head were originally

from Tim Holtz but they disintergrated so I

had to hit the computer & type my own! 

The ones below were found poetry & only the two

words in blue stated intact!!

I am working on the back of this page,

trying to find something suitable to cover the chair (throne)

showing through from this side.

But, I absolutely LOVE this page.

Card for Liz

This birthday card was made for Liz in April.

At the end of April, it was announced that

she was leaving Queen Bee Salon in Scunthorpe,

but as i had already made the card, I sent it c/o

the new place.

Materials used:

Stencil - Mike Deakin Art

Arch - Hunkydory Crafts - 

Moonstone Arch Windows dies.

Stamp - Stamping Bella Oddball -

Day of the Dead

Greeting Stamp - Clearly Besotted

This was another design using the fabulous Hunkydory crafts,

straight edged nesting dies - arched windows. 

I die cut a paper arch, stamped my image in B&W,

Put down the stencil & masked over top of the image.

After I removed the mask, I put the die on

& drew round it in black pen.

I then added wavy lines to give a more hand drawn feel.

I coloured my image & added her on top to get all the

swirls in the hair etc. as I do not have a die.