Guys from the Attic Mini Album - A project that makes me Happy, Happy Happy!

Happy Tuesday, Everyone!

I hope you are having a terrific day!   I am finally ready to share the project with which I have been teasing you with sneak peeks.  The project itself was very time consuming, but oh so fun to create!  It is a Playful Pocket Flip Mini Journal honoring the guys in the attic.  (Full disclosure:  These guys aren't really in the attic; just their photos and little bits of their stuff.)

This is the completed front of the album.  When working on the album, I found the giant washer in a parking lot. With some Remnant Rubs, it makes the perfect grungy charm to hang from my Idea-ology measuring tape ribbon "belly band". 

 All of the papers are from the Tim Holtz Idea-ology Lost and Found Collection.   Rather than uploading the 30 or so photos I shot and edited, I decided it would be more effective to share a video.  This is my very first craft video, so judge accordingly!

I kept things really simple, so that the photos and ephemera would be the stars.

Here are a few photos of the highlights:

 These guys like cars.

 

These guys are serious about their farm business.

 

These guys like rusty numbers.  (No wait, its me who likes rusty numbers!)

 

These guys like fishing. (I love my Wendy Vecchi Crackle Paste and Distress Ink.)

 These guys love their girls. 

 

These guys love train travel.  (I love that this album has pockets for extra ephemera, like this Distressed TH bingo card!)

 These guys love a road trip.  ( The atlas is a copy from an original from the attic. I shrunk it a lot to make it fit.)

 

 These guys love each other! They are brothers, cousins, friends, and it is clear that they love spending time together. 

 

These guys love looking spiffy!  The razor blade it is a bit less dangerous in its new custom holder than it was in the bottom of the vintage sewing basket I found it in.  (The ads are from the internet.)

 

These guys love their pets! ( I love this 1955 dog tag that I found in a button box.)

These guys love mail.  (I loved finding a spot for this pen nib  and stamps that I found in the attic.)

The theme of the current challenge over at the Frilly and Funkie blog is Happy, Happy, Happy!  Here is hostess Georgie's description:

So this is the theme :) This could be a project you love doing, a product you love using, or something that makes you so happy that it just gives you the inspiration to create something beautiful. It really is an anything goes kind of challenge, but remember to make sure you have fun!!
Oh boy!  This theme perfectly describes how I feel about my Guys from the Attic mini album.  From the surprisingly rewarding hours I spend sorting and organizing my family's attic, to combining the junky little bits that I collect there with my Idea-ology and Distress products, to making up stories for my own personal "found relatives", this is the best crafting "happy" I can imagine. 


I made the mini album base by following this video tutorial:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R9C6YAqjUvw

It's really quite simple to assemble, but it takes a bit of a commitment to fill all of the pockets and pages. 

Thanks for stopping by, and sticking with me (if you're still here!) through this rather long post.  I wish you all a beautiful week!

Elizabeth

Documented Life Project Week 2

Happy Sunday, Everyone!

I am back with week two of my Documented Life journal.

The challenge was to incorporate a "selfie", and my "one little word."   

(The gesso'd origami flower will have to wait for another project.)

My one little word for the year is Make.  It is a pretty versatile word, and works well with my other goals for the year.  I am going to make stuff, make use of my supplies, and make do with what I already own. 

I am also going to make myself post my pages, no matter how they turn out. 

Thanks for stopping by!

Elizabeth

Supplies and Tools used for this project include:

Moleskin weekly planner
Folk Art Acrylic Paint
Distress Paint
Distress Stain
Gesso
Tissue Paper
Vintage Papers
Liquitex Matte Medium
Paint Chip
water color pencils
Tim Holtz Stamp
Washi Tape
Darice Wood grain embossing folder
Sizzix Big Kick
Brayer
Ribbon Scraps
Recycled Envelope (this is the base of the "tip-in". 

My Documented Life Week One

Happy Day, Everyone!

Today I am sharing another of my goals for 2014.  I am going to be participating in the Documented Life Project, which combines Art Journaling, a weekly planner and a weekly challenge.  I thought that this would be a perfect way to rev my art journal engine, and complete a record of my year at the same time.  The idea is to use a weekly planner (I picked up the recommended Moleskine Weekly planner from Amazon.) and use it both as a planner and art journal.  The first challenge was to incorporate a photo of my front door:

So I wandered outside in the bitter cold earlier this week to take a photo of our front door.  I played around with Photoshop Elements a bit to add the artistic brush effect and the "cookie cutter" heart. 

I played around with layering some papers, ribbons, and a die cut letter (all fresh from the scrap bowl) on a piece of cardstock for a "tip-in" page. 

After using Mod-Podge to attach the papers, I added a Gesso wash and a few stenciled layers, using both Distress Inks and Dylusions spray ink. 

Here is the completed tip-in, attached to my planner with washi tape.  I'm not sure how securely this will hold.  I may have to reinforce it with some glue or stitching.  I think I may use the opposite side of the tip- in to note products and techniques, as well as critique my work, in hopes of improving it over time. 

If you would like to check out or join in on the Documented Life Project, you can click here to visit Lorraine Bell's blog.

Have a great day!

Elizabeth (who apologizes for the photo quality, I was too involved in other projects to dig out set up my "photo booth".)

Tools and supplies used:
Moleskine weekly planner
Distress Ink
Designer and self inked papers from my stash
Vintage Dictionary and book paper scraps
Mod-Podge
Paint brushes
Distress Inks
Dylusions spray ink
Stencils cut with my Black Cat Cougar digital cutter
White Jelly Roll and Sharpie pens

The one with the masculine birthday card....

Happy Day, Everyone!

Today I am sharing the birthday card that I made for my DH.  I had fun working with masculine colors and layering some Tim Holtz stamps. 

 

I took this photo in my new photo booth set- up, just before tripping over one of the lamp cords and breaking the bulb!  I'm sharing it because it shows the ink colors much better than the natural light shots that follow.  I used my new Wendy Vecci Archival inks in cornflower and watering can.  I had fun masking and layering the stamps, as demonstrated by Tim in one of his recent Tags of 2013 videos.  The "ribbon" was stamped with Distress Ink in Weathered Wood with a Tim Holtz wood grain background stamp, and edged with Black Soot.  The washi tape is from my stash of Recollections tapes.  It reminded me of tire tracks and lane markings, and it is the perfect color! (Justification for having a big stash of supplies?  But of Course!) 

 

This is the completed card front with sentiment added.  I used my Black Cat Cougar from Sherri at That's Scrap, Inc. and my trusty pen tool to do the lettering with a Bic Marker.  So much better than my own handwriting!  I used my Sizzix Big Kick and a diamond plate embossing folder for the light gray background to enhance the automotive theme.

 

And because I recently took the "Insider" class from Online Card Classes, I jazzed up the inside of the card with some layers as well.

 

 

I used the Cornflower Archival ink again. I am loving these Wendi Vecci colors! 

 

Thanks for stopping by my blog today.  I wish you all a wonderful week. 

Elizabeth

The one with lots of photos... (and a free file)

Hi Everyone! 

Hope you are having a delightful day!  I am getting inspired by lots of cool stuff I'm finding online.  I have developed a serious craft blog addiction lately.   If you would like to join me in oggling some fabulousness, head on over here!  (Plan to get lost for an hour or so.  Don't say I didn't warn you!)

I was inspired to try out a boxed mini journal (also see here.)

Here are lots and lots of photos of my project:


Front



 

 


Front Detail



Top flap

Under the top flap (there is an ATC sized card in there)



Right Flap



Left Flap



Journal cover (center)



Bottom Flap (My friend Diane shared this terrific ticket file)



Journal inside cover (stamp from Jenni Bowlin)



Inside of journal inside cover



Journal pages



Journal back view



center back panel (The back flap of the journal is glued under this piece. 




 

 

If you made it this far, you deserve a freebie!  Click here to download the box file and decorative panels in SVG format for your electronic cutter. 

 

The base paper is by Bazzill, all of the printed papers are from Sassy Designs,and the graphics are  from the Graphics Fairy.  As always, I used lots of Distress Inks, and I cut my box and panels with my Black Cat Cougar from That's Scrap Inc.

 

Wishing you all a wonderful week!

 

Elizabeth

 

 



The one with the note pads...

Hey!!

Today I am sharing some simple note pads that I made to tuck into Mother's Day packages for my moms.  (And one that I made just for me!)

I finally got around to purchasing some padding adhesive from Amazon.   I cut scraps of copy weight paper to the size I wanted, clipped the pages with binder clips and glued one edge.  After letting them dry overnight, I made covers from scraps of cardstock and miscellaneous embellisments, and hot glued the paper pads in. 

 

The square blue brad and the round purple brad are from Making Memories, I think.  The plum flower is made from a bunch of random cuts that I throw in a box for just such occasions, and the salmon and yellow flower is one of my favorite Gerber Daisies from Royal Inspirations.   The background of the center notepad is made from Washi Tape covered cardstock.  The washi tape is by Recollections.  I'm starting to have a serious addiction to this stuff! 

 

To make the covers, I cut my scrap cardstock to 2 times the length of the pad, plus 1/2 inch. (I added about 1/4 inch to the width measurement.)  I scored and folded at 1/8 inch from each side of the center, for a spine that measures 1/4 inch.  I punched two holes in the spine, threaded ribbon through and tied with a bow.   I ran a line of hot glue down the inside of the spine and adhered the top of the pad.  Easy Peasy!

 

I'm  pretty sure my Mom and MIL will like these as much as I do.

 

Hope you all are having a great middle of the week!

 

Elizabeth

 

 



The one with the Mica...

Hi Everyone,

Hope your Friday is going well!  I made this project last week, and had to decide if I liked it enough to post it.  I think I do, so here it is:

This is my version of a bag journal that Heather Hudson shared a bit ago.  I just have pics of the front cover, since I haven't done anything to embellish the inside yet.  I recently ordered some mica from Ellen Hutson, and this seemed like the perfect place to try it out.  I stamped a Tim Holtz sentiment with Distress Paint, and cut it to fit the cover.  It cut easily with a rotary cutter, and it was also easy to punch the hole for the attaching rivet.  Here is a close up off that detail:

 

The ribbon and lace is from Really Reasonable Ribbon.  I used alcohol ink to color a pewter buckle gold.  The flower element is the little sunflower from the Pick a Pumpkin collection from SVG Cuts.  I love this little flower! 

 

 

 

For the binding, I altered the Abstract Ruffle file that I shared a few posts ago.  I thought it would be fun to find another way to use it. 

I hope you all have a fabulous weekend!

Elizabeth

Mini Journal with a fabric element

Hello,

Here is yet another Creative Jump Start inspired project.  This one is from CJS #30 by  Revlie Schuitt, using fabric and/or felt.  I fell in love with Revlie's projects.  Here is my version:

 

 

I have to say that this is one of my favorite projects ever! 

 

I used lots of Distress Ink, Gesso, Tim Holtz tissue tape, and the darling little bird charm from 7 Gypsies.  The real buttons were gifted to me by my friend Lisa, and they are layered over paper buttons made with a Martha Stewart punch.  I bound the journal using my Bind it All.  (love this tool!) 

 

 

Thanks for looking, and have a terrific week!

 

Elizabeth