” Finished Altered Book”

Hello there,

I am having a bit slower week and I have managed to call my Altered Book Project finally finished!! Last year I did a journal class with Johanna clough for photos of unknown people. I had some leftovers from this class, so I decided to make a smaller version of this journal.

You can see how I prepared this book for the embellishing here https://thejunkjournalist.wordpress.com/2020/10/10/revisiting-an-altered-book/

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As you can see above, I have had some fun embellishing my book with Tim Holtz Photo Booth photos, (unknown to me) trims, lace, stamps, inks, gesso, tags, tuck spots, tabs, envelopes, journaling, tea/coffee dyed paper and all sort of other papers from my stash.

I hope you may be inspired to make one of your own!

Have a great evening

Kerri x

“New Scrap Space”

Hi Friends,

We are slowly getting back to “normal” here, whatever that is at the moment 😉  We moved on the 3/8 to our new home, just as Stage 3 Covid-19 Restrictions hit us in Regional Victoria, in Australia. I haven’t seen my oldest son for about 5 weeks and I do miss him…… We are nearly all unpacked and able to see the floors!!! Life is really busy with work etc, and its nice to be finally getting settled!

I have had this weekend off so I thought I would share with you what has been keeping me so busy!

I thought you might like a little peek of my new scrap space which is wonderful. We have a living area that is not being used, as I have a dining area in the kitchen 🙂 So, it is all mine!!! I was going to use the third bedroom, but not big enough lol!!! 😉 Noooo…. I don’t have too much stuff 😉  This is looking from the kitchen door into the living area then down to the lounge room.  Yes, I had some helpers!! Trishka on the left and Nitro on the right…………….. There are lots of windows and natural light. I am just waiting on my new blinds to be made which will be awesome!!!

To give you and idea, this door is the entrance from the front door/hallway.

LOUNGEROOM SIDE BEFORE…..

AFTER………

I tried to do one area at a time. This is my desk where I will mainly create. I wanted to use as much wall space as I could do get the maximum storage. I sorted and did a bit more de stashing as I went and it did take a bit more time, but well worth it.  I have my shelf storage and my Raskog Cart well used.

I have two of these shelf units. They are smaller and the best size for storing my ink pads, punches, stamps, tapes and extra supplies I have used Velcro to attach the ink blend foams near the inks, so they are there to use and I don’t have to search for them.

Here I store on my desk my most used supplies. I have my larger tools, watercolour pencils and hand sewing items on the top. There is mainly stamps and cardstock on the second shelf and on the shelves below is paper, adhesives, embellishments and all easy to access. I have a large non stick mat and a small cutting mat to the side.

Right behind me I have my sewing machine set up on my white desk, with my Photo Printer on there as well, ready to go.

KITCHEN SIDE BEFORE…….

AFTER…….

The kitchen side wall is made up of built in shelving and my book cases. I have used all the same furniture that I had. I like using see through storage for as much as I can, plus baskets. The large case I have had for at least 15 years, the light coloured one probably about 10 years and Jj bought me the tall slim one last year. It fits 12×12 storage perfectly.

My large bookcase on the right holds albums on the bottom then smaller albums and Junk Journal books I use. The ring binders house quite a lot of my red rubber and cling stamps. There is also my Stampin’ Up! Paper and cardstock plus other A4 size supplies.

The middle book case shows some of my Journals down the bottom with my spray inks on the left. In the baskets, I have stamps, stickers, ephemera etc.

My tall think bookcase holds 12×12 storage that has paper and junk journal supplies. It also homes my larger cardstock and pattern papers. The light coloured book case holds my smaller 6×6 and 6×8 paper and pad on the top. JJ supplies, paint, my cardmaking supplies also.

I have this area across the room near the window with my Die Cutting Machine set up. The cube shelving house my dies, emboss folders, washi tapes, ribbons and flowers, plus other tools and things. The lovely big window looks out onto the side lawn area. We have a gas heater in this room and the lounge has a split system.

My Ikea Raskog cart which I think I have had about 5 years is the handiest storage. At the moment it has my mixed media supplies (brushes, stencils, paints etc) on it and the magnetic tins are great for holding anything you need.

I may change a couple of things as I go along, so it works for me, but as a whole I am really happy with my set up. It hasn’t happened overnight and I was thinking I was never going to get it sorted again. I plodded along a bit each day in between work and life and finally got it done!!!

I hope you have enjoyed my first post back, even though it was a bit long! Stay tuned as I have a couple of storage solutions to show you next…………..

Happy Crafting

Hugz Kerri x

 

 

 

 

“Prompt 7-10 – Junk Journal”

Hi Friends,

I am feeling a lot better today than I have the last week or so. I started back to work this morning which was nice, as my client said he missed me 🙂  Yesterday, I went for a drive with my son and it was great to get outside.

I have completed a few more prompts on the JJ I am following along with Linda Israels January challenge on Youtube and in her FB group.

PROMPT 7 – Find a Poem that inspires you and create a page with inspiration from the poem you found. Journal about why the poem inspires you.

Prompt 7 video “HERE”

I used some watercolour paper and painted some ink on to it. I then added water droplets for some texture. I stamped the butterfly, with Stazon ink so it wouldn’t bleed, with my Stamparatas twice and cut one wing out, to use for the journaling. I attached it at the body so it would flip up. I added the poem and a smidge of embellishment.

PROMPT 8 – Write a compliment to yourself abut something you accomplished recently. Centre your journal page around that.

Prompt 8 Video “HERE”

 

I made a tag and covered it with a napkin. I just added a coffee dyed doily and a quote. I bit trim to finish it off.

This prompt was a little out of my comfort zone………..

I journaled that I do receive a few compliments from my friends usually about my hair or something I am wearing. To me, it feels a little funny and I think I get a bit anxious.

The compliment that I would make to my self would be…………….” that I am a good friend”   A couple of friends have been through rough patches and they were there for me when we lost mum and dad, plus my broken arm. It was nice to return the favour and be around for them to talk to if needed. I am pretty easy going and I feel most people can open up to me and feel at ease.

PROMPT 9 – Pick three colours for your journal age and only use them to create your page. Write about your favourite colour or why you picked these colours for your page.

Prompt 9 Video “HERE”

For this prompt, I picked the colours gree/pink/cream. I have been a blue girl all my life and I still love it but thought I would do something different as I  made a complete Blue Journal last year.

For this page, I wanted to make a flip out so I used some napkin with sealer over and under it to adhere it to a piece of cardstock. I then added a bit of lace trim when dry.

I then added taped to a small folded section on the left so it would open up to my journaling. I just added some pattern paper in those shabby chic colours that I liked. The paper under the journaling will stick out of the journal but that is just a fun element, like tabs you can use n your journal.

PROMPT 10 – Use an image from a book or magazine. Use it on your journal page and write about something that happened today that made you feel good………………

Prompt 10 Video “HERE”

I found this cute little kitty image in one of my Daphne’s Diary magazines and I thought he would look nice on the front of the little pocket I made for the journal tag. I just layered a few diff papers underneath and stamped the quote on the bottom. I journaled about the lovely day I had out with my son.

I hope you are enjoying the Prompts as much as I am. Hoping to get a few more done this week 🙂

Have a great Monday

Kerri x

 

 

 

“Prompt 4,5 & 6 – Junk Journal”

Hi, my friends,

“HAPPY VALENTINES DAY”……………………

Today, I am a still a bit under the weather, with some sort of buggy thing I have. Been back to the doc Wednesday and I have an infection.  I am off work the rest of the week and on Antibiotics and Ventolin. I haven’t been unwell for a long time and there goes my great record of no sickies in our house…………………..

Anyway…………… I thought I would post a couple more of the Prompts for my JJ I am following along with on Linda Israel on YouTube Channel and Facebook Group.

Prompt 4 –  To make a pocket and another tag/journal card to write about something you would like to change about yourself.

This Prompt is “HERE” for you to watch her video.

I had a denim jeans pocket from one of my kids’ jeans and I decided to use that for my pocket. I did a bit of hand stitching and added a few buttons. A doily and a bow in the middle to finish it off. I used the other tag I made, to journal about trying to change my fast-paced life and slow down and “enjoy the moments”  I am doing ok with this most of the time………….. to look after ME!!

Prompt 5 – Use a rubber stamp on your journal page, to your satisfaction. then on that page write about someone special in your life…………………. You can see the video “HERE”

For this prompt, I used a notecard from a paper pad and folded it in half. I used a leaf stamp and stamped off the page all around to create a border. I then used the notecard to journal about my sister Alison, who is a very special person in my life……………………

 I thought to hold it, I would make a belly band from a piece of pattern paper and slip it underneath to hold it in place. as it is personal I didn’t want it showing on the page. I used a piece of copy dyed paper and some washi tape to embellish it.

Prompt 6 – Paint some Junk mail and use in your journal as a background.  Journal about a Goal you want to achieve this year.  The video for this one is “HERE” 

I don’t as a rule get much junk mail, as I do most things now on line.

I had an older BHG magazine, so I tore the back cover of it and use half for my page background.   I used Gesso over the top to cover up the writing and pictures then I sprayed some mist through a stencil. when that dried I add some ink through another stencil to soften the look of it. I used a calendar card I had to journal on and just baked it with a piece of plain cardstock and inked the edges.

The Goal I journaled about, was about getting my mental and physical health back on track, exercising and I have even started running. I finished the page off with a couple of wood embellishments, twine and washi tape.

I hope you are enjoying these prompts if you are playing along with me, as I am.

Have a great ValentinesDay

Kerri xx

 

 

 

 

 

“Altered Composition Notebook Junk Journal.”

Hi, there my lovely friends,

I hope you are having a nice start to Feb. I am busy as usual but finding time to walk and do a bit of Craft. I was looking for a bit of “INSPIRATION” for my next JJ project and I came across a lovely channel by Linda Israel who is a wonderful mixed/multi-media artist. I have watched a few of her videos and I found a JJ series she started Jan 2020 called “Altered Composition Notebook Junk Journal” and I had a peek!!! I was hooked straight away to create a JJ and follow her daily prompts.  I have also joined her Friendly Junk Journal People group over on FB.

This is Linda’s first video to create the cover “HERE” Linda used, what we call in Aus a students exercise book, but I decided to make mine using a biscuit box 🙂  I cut it open and used the spine as is and then collaged some music and book pages over the front and back. When dry I sprayed some mist over it and then let that layer dry.

I decided to paint the spine black and I added some washi tape to both sides of the spine and also at the top for a bit added strength.  The front cover I sprayed a watercolour tag with mist, then collaged the Eiffel Tower image I found in a magazine. I used some die cuts as well.

To finish the cover I added a scrap of lace to the tag at the top.

For the inside pages, I made two signatures. I collated some sheet music, book pages, magazine pages, scrapbook papers, and a few botanical pages. These will be the pages I work on each day I do one of the prompts. I used the same cream lace, to bind the two lots of pages in.

If you are looking for a challenge, hop on over and have a look at the FB group, or Linda’s YouTube channel for lots of inspiration…………………..

Have fun playing

Stay Tuned for the 1st Prompt – Using fibres and creating a Book Mark…………………

Kerri x

“2020 Memory Journal”

Hi, my lovely followers…….

I apologise for my absence, but I have been very busy work-wise and I have started walking/running most mornings now, to help my fitness and also hoping to drop a few kgs…… I either go with a friend, on my own or with my “personal trainer” (my son :). I am now on leave, which is wonderful not getting up at 6.30 every morning. Hoping to get a few things done around the house and garden this week 🙂  Plus the Australian Open is on, so a planned weekend with my sister 🙂

Anyway…………………..in between everything else I have been making my 2020 Family Memory Journal to use this year.

I decided on a larger journal and it roughly measures, 8×11″. I have not bound the pages in it as yet to make it easier to work in. The pages will lay flat for me with no binding.  I made the covers from an old garden book and I made a new spine. so it was wider.

I received a lovely thank you gift from Alicia in a FB group I am in, for Hosting a Junk Journal tutorial. It was the Mintay Old Manor papers that I used on the cover, and some in the journal as well. They are just gorgeous and I knew I wanted to include them.

As this journal is bigger, I have more space on the pages to play with, I decided to not just have 15cm (6″) wide pages. I cut two papers @ 27 cm then I scored each one at 18.5cm. I then stuck them together to make the large pages you see above. I can use the folded piece as a page extension or use as pockets for extra photos or journaling. I used other papers from my stash as well.

I then went through them to see what pages I wanted showing to use then I stuck them back to back to make a sort of book.

You can see them here, they are glued on top of one another and they will sit nicely open over the spine of the journal to use. I will use a piece of seam binding through the middle of them, tied to the spine keep them secure when it sits on my shelf.

You can see how they are sitting in my journal with no binding. Mostly I use the “Easy Twine Binding Method, which is “HERE” on youTube.

 

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Above in the slide show is a few different bindings I have used. I am not a patient person, so I don’t sew my signatures (groups of pages)  in and also not everyone can sew. I have used twine, ribbon, lace, elastic, fabric, ribbon, sari silk and seam binding to put my journals together.  They hold securely and they enough give for the pages to turn nicely.

I would love to hear how you are scrapping this year. This is starting my Year of Inspiration.

I hope you have a great week and you can manage some craft. Stay tuned as I hope to start creating in this Journal while I am on leave 🙂

Hugz K x

 

“Altered Rolodex Project”

Hi Friends,

Anyone know what a Rolodex is? Well, it was used in offices to keep track of names and addresses or business cards, back when I was a teenager in the ’70s and ’80s. Yes, no computer or smartphones when I was at school or working lol:)

This is what they look, and they have divider tabs. They move around the spool, to find what you are after.

I found this near new one on a trip to Geelong doing some op-shopping for Junk Journal books. As you can see it has little pockets where these business cards are housed.

I decided to put some of my small cling stamps onto this by adhering them to the clear acetate covered pockets. This way I will find them easier when I am making cards and other projects!

At the moment I have to go to the stamp sets to find them but having them divided and kept in their categories will be much better. I made the tabs using a punch and my Dymo labeler.  I just added a few small pieces of DSP to embellish the dividers a little.

The one on the left is the one I have now finished filling with my clear stamps. I have used the Dividers with the titles of Grunge, Winged Things, Words, Quotes, Foliage, Frames and Backgrounds. To the right is one I altered a few years ago and used up some leftovers and added photos to the cards,

I will now be able to spend less time looking for these stamps and more time using on my projects. I am now going to go through and cull some of my other stamps and put them together in a similar way into categorized journals. Stay Tuned!!

Thanks for popping in

Happy Crafting

Kerri x

“Quick Paper Dying Technique”

Hi Friends,

I have had a couple of extra days off this weekend which has been nice. I have visited my sister in Ballarat with my son, had the first part of my permanent tooth done yesterday at the dentist, got the rest of my porch garden finished today, which I will show you in another post and I am quickly coffee dying some paper for my Garden Journal! Phew!

If you know me I do my craft in between everything else and using my time efficiently is important. As much as I like using the “bath method’ (coffee in a container and soak your paper) of coffee dying my paper, it is mesy and time-consuming for me.

I can get quite a lot of copy/lined paper dyed in an afternoon by doing the “spray method” which is putting your coffee mixture into a spray bottle and spraying over your paper. This may seem messy also, but I use something to protect my work surface and as it dries I can spray more onto it if needed. I get some great staining effects on the paper doing it this way too.  I use A4 binder books which are really cheap, I take the staples out of them the spray a fair few at ta time. I move them around so they are at the top for a while and it helps them dry quicker.

Above is how it dries and I am not really particular with the end colour, but it depends on I what I am using it for. I wanted it a bit rustic but still able to journal on the pages. Sometimes I will sponge a bit of brown in on the edges.

These papers I have torn with my ruler to approx 7 x 9.5″ to fit nicely into my journal.

These are a few different pages I am adding to this journal. Book pages from a couple of garden books I have, a bit of this and that and some scrapbook paper also as I will be adding photos also 🙂  I have kept my plant tags etc to add to my journal etc.thanks for stopping by and I hope to have another post tomorrow for you

Happy Crafting

K x

 

“Masculine Junque Journals”

Hi Friends,

I am always planning my next project as probably most of you do too. I watch YouTube videos and get lots of inspiration and heaps of ideas going around in my mind. By blogging about it I get it out of my head!!

Lately, I seem to be doing more girly themed projects and I thought it was time a did something grungy! I have decided to make my two sons a journal each and scrap some of their outings, trips, etc which I haven’t done yet. They will have the same sort of content as they are always doing things together.

It is a beautiful Spring day here in Australia and I have been out with my sister. I had to take it a bit quiet yesterday as I had a bit of a fall.

I want the journals to have a masculine, grungy feel so I  am making them with soft covers and grungy themed scrapbooking papers and elements.

I used cereal boxes cut apart and I added some chipboard to the spines, I covered them using Colour Blast Graffiti Grunge range of papers. I used black book cloth tape and I have done a bit of embellishing on the covers to keep them grungy looking.

So, next I got out my Texture Paste and used a stencil to add a bit of texture over the pattern paper and then a few die cuts and adhered them to the front cover.  I painted over a layer of Gesso primer over the top and let it dry.

I glued down some cogs and gears chipboard and metal embellishments with Glossy Accents. I then went over them with Gesso also to prime for my next step. You can still see the layers of die-cuts and texture paste. you can let this air dry which doesn’t take long or use a heat gun if you have one.

As you can see above, I have played with some distress Oxide sprays and a few metallic ones also. I sprayed and splattered the colour and aso dabbed a bit here and there over parts to highlight them.

Here, I added some more colour to hight light some of the backgrounds using Nuvo Mousse Paste and some Metallic Distress Stain. I also added some Tim Holtz Crackle Paste in a few places for a bit extra effect!

Above is just a better pic of the crackle paste. I then glued some hands on to them also.

I wanted to add something just to finish it off and as I was searching I found some small watch parts that I forgot I had 🙂 They were perfect to group together, gesso over and colour!! I just sprinkled them over some glossy accents, then gessoed and painted with metallic spray 🙂

Both the journals are the same but different, just like my boys! Now to have fun putting some paper and stuff into them.

Stay tuned 🙂

Kerri x