Joggles Art Journal Adventure ~ week 18 ~ the letter G

Hi everyone! This week, it's my turn again to choose the prompt for the 2018 Art Journal Adventure. For Week 18, I have chosen the theme, the letter G. I was inspired by the bits and bobs on my desk, including vintage book and music paper, from another project I was working on. I liked how they looked side by side and was inspired to create a grid background which ended up being twinchie size ( 2 x 2 inches).

I cut 3 twinchie backgrounds from French text, sheet music, and coffee dyed paper and then alternated the papers shifting them over one space with each row. Thin black washi tape with gold dots was used to divide the squares, camouflage any bad cuts, and emphasize the grid pattern. Then the fun began, as I auditioned elements for each of the squares, deciding upon colour scheme, placement, and textures. I made sure that I scattered a little bit of red in each row to create that visual triangle I love so much.

I added some Tim Holtz ephemera, some handmade elements, buttons, bits of metal, wording, and a darn good poker hand of miniature cards to fill the grid with things that make me smile. I also made sure that I added enough string details for a second visual triangle and a little extra texture as well as repetition, all of which helps the design flow and work as a cohesive whole.

This was such a fun page to complete. I love playing with tiny little pieces of art and for this page, I had 9 to fiddle with. Thanks for joining me here today. I hope you will visit the Joggles Art Journal Adventure Facebook group to see the wonderful responses our members are making to the weekly prompts. I'm excited to see where the Letter G takes everyone.

Life is good; so is art.
Bonnie

Sweet little junk journal library pockets

Hi everyone! I've been playing with creating junk journal embellishments again to use up my stash and decided to feature some small images cut from old Graphic 45 papers. I have bits and pieces and pages with smaller elements left over from long ago projects created with these papers and I decided to look at them with a junk journaller's eye. They are wonderful for small clusters and collages.

I re-sized a Mirkwood Designs template for the library pocket itself until the width of the pocket once folded was 2 7/8 inches. Then I traced it onto kraft cardstock and fussy cut the pockets. They were then scored along the folds, the thumb semi-circle was punched, and they were glued to close the flaps.

Each pocket was inked with Coffee Archival Ink around all sides. I chose to add faux stitching with a black pen around all the outside edges , both because I like the look and because I enjoy doing it :) Real stitching, or a simple doodled border...or nothing for that matter...would also work.

A torn scrap of vintage book paper was inked around the edges with Coffee Archival Ink and then adhered across the tag to begin the background layering. One of the Graphic 45 images was chosen for each pocket and then other scraps of designer paper or cardstock which had been embossed as well as small Tim Holtz ephemera pieces were auditioned to add detail and layering.

Bits of cheesecloth, small charms, and small buttons were included for added dimension and texture.

Wording from TH Big Chat and Chit Chat Stickers plus other ephemera packs was inked around with Black Big Brush Pen and added to each pocket.

Because I am a fan of black details and outlining, I used a black pen to outline each of the layers of paper on the pockets. I like the contrast with the kraft background and how it frames each element and unites the design. It also ties in with the black faux stitching.

I think these would be so cute glued onto the inside cover or one of the pages in a junk journal. If I was to leave them as floating pockets, I would definitely edge the backs with Coffee Archival Ink and also would faux stitch the backs so they looks more finished.

For the inside library tag, I resized a free image of a library card to just under 2.5 inches wide and printed it onto cream coloured paper. I cut the card front out and adhered it to plain designer cardstock which looked coffee or tea stained. The card was then trimmed again to the library card size and inked around the edges on the back with Coffee Archival Ink to become a future journalling spot.

Thanks for visiting today. I definitely see more of these library pockets in my future...they are so fun to play with that I can't just stop at one batch...LOL.

Joggles Art Journal Adventure - Week 16 - the # 6

Hi everyone! We've been bearing the brunt of some very un-spring-like weather in my neck of the woods these past few days so I was delighted to have the next week's Joggles Art Journal Adventure prompt to keep me inside and occupied yesterday. The prompt for Week 16 is the number 6. For some reason, this prompt stumped me for quite a while. It's funny how sometimes the simplest theme will do that. Anyway, I decided to create a cat pyramid featuring 6 examples of Carabelle Studio Simple Elegance art stamp.

The 6 x 6 inch background was created by spritzing Sassy Sapphire, Tibetan Poppy Teal, and Delphinium Turquoise Lindy's Starburst Sprays onto my craft sheet. I then mopped up the inks with my background layer until I had the coverage that I wanted and let it dry. Forget Me Not Archival Ink was applied to Joggles Nonsense Latin Text stamp and rolled onto the background in several places to add texture and interest. Black gesso was slightly watered down and added in the form of rings using the lid of a bottle.

The elegant cat was stamped onto white cardstock 6 times using Jet Black Archival Ink. These guys were then coloured with Prismacolor and Polychromos pencil, keeping all but one normal cat colours. The exception is the pink one with the bright glasses and the Tropical Tangerine Stickles on his bowtie as well as Icicle Stickles on his fur. I wanted him to feel free to express his individuality and take the advice of the quote to heart. All of the cats were fussy cut and then tacked together with glue where they overlapped to form the pyramid. Foam tape was used to pop them up and Glossy Accents was added to their glasses both for the dimension and shine. Below, you can see both the Stickles and the Glossy Accents a bit better.

Before the cat stack was added to the background, I wanted to add washi tape to look like they were sitting on tiers or shelves. I liked the accent of the black and white washi, which I adhered to strips of white cardstock so the background colours didn't show through the transparent crosses. It also grounds them so they aren't magically floating...they aren't that kind of cats :)

The wording was computer generated, printed onto white cardstock, and cut into individual words. These were then matted with black cardstock, and popped up with foam tape. To emphasize the two words, blue gel pen was used to fill in the open letters. Black splotches were added with Jet Black Archival Ink and a Paper Artsy stamp. A black pen was used to doodle a simple border around the outside edges. To finish off the page, Forget Me Not Archival Ink and Black Big Brush Pen were used on the four edges and Pthalo Green Pan Pastel was applied around the cats to help them stand out against the busy background.

Thanks for joining my feline friends and me today. We are all grateful for that. I hope you will join in the fun at the Joggles Art Journal Adventure Facebook group. It's an awesome place to hang out, make new friends and get inspired. I'm always excited to see what people create :)

Life is good; so is art.

Bonnie

Fishtail Flag Tuck Spots

Hi everyone! A while ago I made those cute fishtail flag paperclips which everyone has seen by now. I love the fishtail shape and have seen these cute layered and overlapping junk journal tuck spots on Junk Journal Junkies, YouTube, and Pinterest although I can't give you any specific links. Anyway, I decided to try my hand at making some using designer papers as the base and then embellishing the heck out of them...'cuz that's what I do :) These will attach to the top of a page by either gluing or sewing the top of the flags to the page in the journal. That leaves the bottom free meaning I can tuck things under it and they will stay put.

I cut the flags using MFT Fishtail Flag Stax dies on pairs of coordinating papers. The flags were all cut at around 3.25 inches in length but the width varied depending upon which die I used. The edges of both flags were then inked with Coffee Archival Ink and one was adhered to the other one along the edge where they overlapped.

Bits of lace, scraps of vintage book paper, and elements from several TH ephemera packs were used to create the focal clusters bridging the two flags.

Buttons, tiny crocheted doilies, die cut tickets, and punched stars, hearts, and butterflies found their way onto these tuck spots. Even a rusty safety pin was used as a butterfly body.

Coffee dyed mulberry flowers, long neglected brads, and part of a paper doily helped the layers become interesting and add dimension.

Tim Holtz Chit Chat and Big Chat stickers also came into play to add a single word on some of the clusters. These were a lot of fun to play with and a great way to use up scraps and left overs. You certainly wouldn't need to use the dies. A simple template could be cut from cardstock to give you the fishtail shape and keep them uniform if that's a look you like.

Thanks for stopping by today. I'm so glad you did. I hope that if you make some of these tuck spots, that you'll tag me so I can see what you have done. I can never get too much inspiration :)

Life is good; so is art.

Bonnie

Tiny pockets stuffed with Tiny Tags :)

Hi everyone! Because my hands don't like to be idle, I've kept them busy lately making some tiny and tinier pockets out of vintage music or book text paper and then stuffing them with tiny and tinier tags. These will go in future junk journals but would also be super cute on art journal pages or cards. The smaller of the two pockets is only a 1 1/8 inch square and the larger of the two styles is 1 3/4 x 1 1/2 inches. Again, I was inspired by Jen Miller's Junk Journals and her fabulous videos. I didn't have a punch to make these so I drew and tested a few samples and then constructed cardstock templates from the two I liked best.

All of the pockets are made from two layers of paper glued together for added strength. The edges of the pockets and inserts were inked with Coffee Archival Ink and stencilling was added to several with the same ink. Little scraps of stickers, vintage papers, and the smallest elements from Idea-ology ephemera packs were layered on the fronts of the pockets.

Scraps of lace and punched paper borders, as well as punched and stamped layered butterflies, die cut arrows, and tiny buttons also were included in the mix. 

Cheesecloth and tiny crocheted doilies, ranging from .5 to just under 1 inch in diameter, also layered up to make embellishment clusters. All those tiny left overs finally found a home and a purpose. Have you noticed that all of my buttons have thread through them? I have a thing about naked buttons...no idea why...just one of my many quirks :)

I tried to make each one different, including what I used for inserts. Some have little decorated tags, others have ephemera from the TH packs, including tiny photos, letters, and ledger pages.

I had a great time puttering and creating these tiny pieces of art...so much so that I decided to make the smaller ones, too.

Given the small size of these, they had less real estate to decorate but I didn't let that slow me down at all. I just used tinier scraps and punched pieces and shorter Chit Chat words. The tiny white button ain the flower center is a brad with the legs cut off. I had to get a little creative...and the holes don't go right through the button brad so it IS naked...EEK!

You can see on the pocket with the hearts that I found a place for a little scrap of tulle. The punched tag shows an example of the type of embellies I used although this one is less decorated than some. I only made five of these babies.

Thanks for popping by today and special thanks to Jen Miller for the inspiration for these sweet little pockets and tags. They were pure play to create and I know there will be more in my future...they are addictive.

Life is good; so is art.
Bonnie

A variety of JJ Tags

Hi everyone! This week, I've kept my little fingers busy creating random tags of various sizes for junk journals. I had a piece of cardstock from the 12 x 12 Recollections Vintage Country Paper Pad which I wanted to use as a background. It was a series of different papers all combined on the same sheet in stripes and made it look like I did a whole lot of collaging of paper scraps. Shh! Don't tell :) I used it for all but the tag below which was created with a scrap of burlap paper cut into a 1 3/8 x 2 3/8 inch tag shape. Both the tag above and the one below feature fussy cut digital butterflies, one with a rusty pin body and the other with a black button head. The one above has Tim Holtz Remnant Rub stars as a border and the one below is layered with French book text paper and cheesecloth.

Still following the butterfly theme, the tag below is layered with a scrap of edge punched mixed media paper and a scrap of book text both edged with Coffee Archival ink. This butterfly was matted with black cardstock, topped with a threaded button, and popped up with foam tape. Before adhering it to the tag, a piece of cotton lace was glued to the bottom edge of the tag. A TH mini paper clip, a kraft paper reinforcement, and a cheesecloth topper were added to finish the tag.

The final butterfly tag of the bunch features a rusty safety pin body, a Chit Chat sticker matted with torn black cardstock, and a rick rack topper. Cream coloured embroidery floss was used to stitch about 3/4 of the way down the tag just to add texture. This tag as well as the next 4 were cut from the same paper using a Marvy Uchida tag punch. All were edged with Coffee Archival Ink.

On this one a scrap of TH Glassine paper was adhered across the bottom and a book paper scrap layered over that. A piece of woven cotton ribbon was used to separate the top section from the bottom of the tag, and a tiny beige threaded button was adhered to the right side of that. The digital and fussy cut heart is edged with Coffee Archival Ink and popped up on foam tape for dimension. A cheesecloth topper and a Chit Chat sticker matted in black finish the tag.

Lace adhered across the bottom edge and stitching about 3/4 of the way down the tag are details repeated from previous tags. The black flower or asterisk is a chipboard piece and has been accented with a black faceted gem. The topper for this one is looped and knotted twine.

The final two tags from this set feature one of my folded, inked and sewn music paper "ruffles" adhered to the bottom edge. The one above has a cork leafy vine included in an ephemera pack. On top of that, I added some layered punched flowers with enamel dot centers. Before layering the flowers, the punched shapes were cupped by running a stylus around the center area of each. A Chit Chat Sticker outlined with black pen was added to the top left corner.

The final tag of this group was layered with coffee dyed cheesecloth and then a stuffed dog from another ephemera pack. A tiny black jewel was added for his eye. The topper is a length of tan dotty ribbon with an open heart button adhered where it meets the tag.

Thanks for stopping by today to see these 8 little tags. I hope you got an idea or two and are feeling inspired to create your own. Be sure to tag me on FB so I can see what you make. I'm always looking for new ideas :)

Life is good; so is art.

Bonnie

Joggles Art Journal Adventure - Week 15 - For the Birds

Hi everyone! It's Week 15 of the Joggles Art Journal Adventure and it's Barb's turn to choose the prompt. This week the challenge is called For the Birds and she wants us to include a bird in the focal image for our art journal page. I decided to do that using a Carabelle Studio stamp as part of a collage and also one of my favourite colour palettes: blue from the summer sky, sand, and greenish blue for the sea.

I had previously played with the wrinkle free technique to add colour to my page although this time I used spray inks plus water to dip the card into. Lindy's Stamp Gang Buccaneer Bay Blue and Van Dyke Sepia Moon Shadow Mists as well as Heidi Swapp Ocean Color Shine were spritzed onto my craft mat along with a little water. I dipped several different types and sizes of paper into the mix, repeating until I had the coverage I wanted. This particular index card had a lot of white space left untouched. It was adhered to the 6 x 4.75 inch watercolour paper which is the back of an earlier page.

The collaged focal began with the stamping of Carabelle Studio Post Card Collage image onto coffee dyed cardstock using Jet Black Archival Ink. The post card was then torn around on all 4 sides and inked with Coffee Archival around the edges. The little bird was lightly coloured with Pan Pastel and Prismacolor pencils to achieve more of a tinted look. Scraps of coffee dyed parchment paper, stamped vintage book paper, and brown wrapping paper were edged with Coffee Archival Ink and layered under the post card so that bits of everything still showed. Once the post card was adhered over this cluster, coffee dyed cheesecloth and a folded, inked, and stitched strip of music paper were added across the bottom of the cluster, adding wonderful texture.

 I added still more texture to the background using Coffee and then Jet Black Archival Ink with Paper Artsy Splotches Mini stamp, making sure I added it over the collage paper layers, too. Then because I wanted a subtler (calmer) look, I pounced white gesso over the dots to knock them back. Stars were punched from book text as well as black cardstock. These were layered up and adhered in opposite corners of the page.

A black doodled border was added around the outside edge as well as inking with the Coffee Archival and black Big Brush Pen. Three black enamel dots were added to the lower left corner of the page and balanced with a black cardstock photo corner on the top right. The clip at the top left of the page was already there from the previous page's design.

Thanks so much for joining me and my little birdie friend today. We both appreciate that you came to visit. I had a great time creating this response to Week 15's prompt, For the Birds. I love creating collages. I hope you will join in the fun at the Joggles Art Journal Adventure Facebook group. I'm excited to see what people create :)

Life is good; so is art.

Bonnie

Altered Coin Envelopes

Hi everyone. I have a huge number of #6 coin envelopes, almost 3.5 x 6 inches in size. I can't even remember why I bought them but I have lots left from whatever that project was so I decided I'd better come up with Plan B. I also have loads of scrapbook paper pads in spite of having donated a large number. I think they mate and multiply when I leave them alone overnight. I might need to set up a nanny cam to prove that point. LOL

Since I intend to use these in junk journals, I only decorated the front because the backs will be adhered to pages on three sides to create an extra pocket or tuck spot.

If I was going to use these as a floating pocket or tucked into a belly band or corner tuck, I would finish the back side as well.

I covered the front and the inside of the flap with designer paper, I think from Prima's The Printery paper stack. The top of the envelope was punched to create easier access to the inside tag. The inside flap was cut long enough from contrasting paper to cover this semi circular opening once the tag was removed. I didn't want the kraft colour of the envelope to distract. All of the edges were inked with Coffee Archival and the same ink was used to stencil designs on the envelope front.

Stamping was added to the designer paper using both Coffee Archival Ink for the circular designs as well as Jet Black for the splatter dots.

A coffee dyed #8 manila tag was decorated for each with both stamping and stencilling and also inked around the edges to create places (front and back) for journalling. The backs have only a small amount of stamping in the one corner so most of that side is blank in case I get wordy and need the room to write :)

The tags were topped with this wonderful textured woven cotton ribbon which I tied with  a length of soft cream string. I wanted to keep the toppers neutral and simple so they complemented the tag and envelope rather than competing for attention.

The final detail to finish the envelopes and tags was to edge both with Black Big Brush Pen. I like the way this frames both and also pulls in some of the black from the paper design and the stamped splotches.

Thanks for stopping by today. I appreciate your fine company and encouragement. These were a lot of fun to create and I now have 7 fewer envelopes in the box of 250..haha! Look at me go :) I also know I have a box of smaller coin envelopes somewhere although I can't remember where I stashed them...some safe place no doubt. Stay tuned...you'll be seeing them once they are located.

Life is good; so is art.

Bonnie