Vintage Sewing Machine and Photo Albums by Gladys

For her first June design with the 'Sew Pretty 5x7 Printable Journal Kit', Gladys has shared an amazing project, unlike anything I've ever seen.

You'll have to just watch this slideshow to see what I mean.

I was so tickled when I realized the antique machine's drawers were mini albums!  This project is exquisite and was entirely designed by Gladys.  She is offering a full tutorial of this project in her Etsy shop, so if you're interested you can purchase it here.

Thanks for sharing this amazing project Gladys, it truly is a work of art and looks really fun to make!

I hope you enjoyed this Creative Team project slideshow and that you'll keep checking in to see more from Gladys and the rest of the team :-)

Altered Book With Printable Journal Papers

I have a confession to make.  I'm a tree hugger.  So naturally, I don't like to see anything go to waste, especially paper.  That's why I got into digital art in the first place.  Downloads allow you to print only what you need instead of having to buy stacks and stacks of paper pads.  And even if you use printer ink, there's still more savings in printing on demand.

In keeping with my tree saving ways, I like to recycle old books and turn them into journals.  I'll be posting a tutorial soon for one method that allows you to make 2 journals with one book.  But for now, I want to show you the latest one I made, using the Sew Pretty journal kit, some die cuts and some papers and snippets from the Lucille collection by Basic Grey.  I am stretching my modest paper stash as far as it will go by using it sparingly and making good use of the book's pages. 

The book's cover and spine coordinate perfectly with the sewing theme papers so I didn't need to alter it at all.  I simply sanded the spine down to erase the metallic book title.

To allow for the added bulk of these extra papers and embellishments, I tore out pages of the book (which will then be used to assemble a second journal - hence the 2 in 1 idea I mentioned earlier!) and glued them all back to back.

I've sewn a zig zag stitch on some of the cards and printables to add interest.

On some of the book pages, I added background scrapbook paper (the Heirloom stack by DCWV) and pockets for tags, such as these button dresses.

I also added journaling paper from my tea dyed stash, and a small vellum bag and tag.  The washi tape is not only a great accent but also helps to hold the pages down and hide the book's title along the top.

The die cut tuck-ins are a great way to dress up the pages and hold extra cards or embellishments in place.

And finally, to decorate the book itself, I made a chunky charm out of an old chain, some old and new beads and a few buttons. It's attached to the book by some seam binding that I wrapped around the front cover and tied with a bow.

And there you have it, an altered book with a new purpose.  I will let you know when the tutorial is ready, so that you can try this project too.  Thanks for visiting!

Vintage Queen Bee Junque Journal by Debbie Buchanan

This month, my Creative Team designer Debbie has made a gorgeous junque journal with a composition book.  She used the Vintage Queen Bee 5x7 journal kit - and made it work for the standard dimensions of a composition book which measures 7.5 x 9.75 inches.  Here's what she said about this project:

'I wanted to show that even a 5x7 journal kit can be used in a larger format by layering the images.

For the front cover, I used one of the double images and placed them along the width of the composition book. Then, I did the same with a second page that I tore at an angle and added on the bottom portion, to create a pocket.   I did this on the back of the book, as well as on the inside covers.

I'm going to use this book as a junque journal, so it will get bulky from adding scraps of paper, etc. on the inside.  I've divided the inside pages equally and added twine around the binding for each section of paper.  This will allow my book to expand without the spine collapsing.  I also made a bead and twine closure to help hold the journal closed.  The tags hanging from the side were doubled up on cardstock to make them extra sturdy.

I don't like adding extra embellishments to my projects besides a few charms, and this paper is perfect because it has alot of interest on its own. The kit comes with many paper embellishments so there's lots to play with and the colors are soft; that's why it's a favourite of mine.'

I love how Debbie uses her signature 'torn' pockets on projects.  They just go so well with vintage, distressed designs!  The twine goes really well with the browns of these tags too.  I enjoyed seeing this project because she has shown that even if the kit is designed to be a 5x7 mini, it can be made to suit another size.

Thanks for sharing another awesome project Debbie!

Free Printable - Country Kitchen Recipe Cards

Hi and happy freebie day!

I put together some country cottage recipe cards for you this week.  They are the old standard 3x5 inches.  They would also make cute backyard picnic place cards or journaling cards too.

For Personal Use Only

I hope you're all having a wonderful, sunny week.  Thanks for stopping by!

Guest Designer Project - Garden Carnival Paperbag Mini by Ellen Bee

I'm really excited to introduce my guest designer for June and July.  Some of you probably already know her; she is well known and loved on YouTube for her amazing and unique journal projects.  She is no other than Ellen Bee!  Ellen will be working with my new printable kit, 'Garden Carnival' and she'll be creating three projects with this collection.  The month has just started, and she already has one to share with us.  It's a paperbag mini that you just have to see!  (Watch it here if you're reading this in your inbox.)





Aren't those bags from Michaels' great?  They make such a great backdrop for the papers.  And those tabbed cards are fabulous.

I hope Ellen's project inspires you to make a carnival paperbag mini of your own.  Be sure to visit her YouTube channel and check out all her fantastic creations.  Ellen Bee, thank you so much for sharing your awesome mini and welcome to the Creative Team!

Free Printable - Grungy Mauve Journaling Cards

Here are some journaling cards for you.  I've added paint splatter and other grungy elements, along with a pretty mauve butterfly.

For Personal Craft Use Only

Enjoy!

A New Big Little Book

This weekend, I finished assembling another journal and I wanted to share it with you.  This one is tiny, but very chunky.  It features some Kaisercraft papers and embellishments from the 75 Cents collection, as well as Prima Engraver paper.  These two collections go really well with my 'Vintage Queen Bee' collection, which I also included in the book.  The cover image is from the 'Enchanted Rose' mini book kit.

To give you an idea of the dimensions of this book, I used a granola bar box to make the cover.  It's about 4.5 inches wide by 5.5 inches tall, and just about 2 inches thick.  It contains 5 signatures of tea dyed paper.

The binding is a simple pamphlet stitch, through a spine covered in embossed scrap paper that I stained and painted and then accented with gold coloured Rub N' Buff.

I really love the 75 Cents collection by Kaisercraft.  It's just the right combination of vintage and florals for the journals I like to make.  And the teal, brown and cream colours are gorgeous.

I kept alot of pages blank for journaling, with a few scattered die cut accents.  On this page, a tiny tag is fastened with a brad and holds a Queen Bee journaling card in place.

I made pocket pages and 'tuck in' spots throughout, to hold more cards, ephemera or photos.

On this page, a label belly band holds a few cards in place.

The inner lining of the book is Atlas paper from the Engraver collection.

As you can see, I don't add alot of embellishments to my books.  That's just not my style.  I prefer to let the patterns, colours and textures of the papers speak for themselves and be the focus.  

Now I'm onto the next book, which will include some stitching and other dainty, but simple little touches.  I will be sure to share pics of that one too!

Thanks for visiting :-)