Eileen Hull Heart Felt Journals - A Garden Record

Today I have another journal to share that I made using Eileen Hull's new Sizzix Journal Die.  The Creative Team has been sharing journals all month over at Eileen's Blog.

I love to garden in my yard and every year I tell myself I'm going to document what was growing that year and where everything was planted and I finally made a Garden Journal for myself to do just that!

 And I've used Eileen Hull's wonderful new Journal Die for my project!

Here are some photos of just how I put this together.

I die cut two covers out of grey felt using Eileen Hull's Sizzix Journal Die.  I cut two pieces of lace and pinned them across the top and bottom of what will be the front cover. 

I cut two more journal covers out of Black Paper Leather (which is pliable, sturdy and light weight) and folded them along the score lines.

I layered the felt and Paper Leather pieces together (to give the felt cover a little sturdiness) being sure the holes matched up.  I sewed along the top and bottom edge of the front cover piece and I sewed just along the binding edge of the back cover to hold the felt and paper leather together.

Here you can see from the back side - the lines of stitching in white.

I added a little glue to the binding edge of the front cover just to hold the pieces together.

Then I glued the two covers together at the binding being sure the holes were lined up.  I held them together with a couple of clothespins while it dried.

I added a tie closure of Fringe Edge Linen Ribbon using a brad through the hole in the center of the binding, using enough ribbon to wrap around the journal twice to accommodate extra thickness as I added garden photos and journaling notes.

I threaded two 16" black elastic cords through the top and bottom holes on the binding to hold the signatures in the journal tying the knots on the inside.

I made two signatures - using 6 papers 7 1/4" x 8 1/2" folded in half to make twelve 7 1/4" x 4 1/4" pages for each signature.

I slipped each signature under a cord in the middle of the signature making it easy to add more pages if I need to.

I die cut petals out of several colors of felt using Eileen Hull's Heartfelt Stitchy Flowers and Leaf Thinlit die set.

I layered several of the petals and leaves together to make 3 flowers.   I stamped sentiments from One With Nature stamp set onto a piece of canvas and adhered it to the cover.  I adhered the flowers onto the cover adding flower gems to the centers and one to the sentiment.

A side view showing the black elastic cords and double wrapped closure ribbon with the brad.

A view showing the tied ribbon

A view of the first few pages I've started to document different areas of my gardens.  These photos are from last year.

One of my patches of Brown Eyed Susans.

A big geranium on our side steps accompanied by a statue.

And also some of the animals (a giant raccoon and Mr. and Mrs. Mallard) that have wandered into our yard attracted by our bird feeders!

And a beautiful Red Tailed Hawk looking for a meal and then preening his feathers in the sun!

Our Rose of Sharon Bushes -  one with pink/purple blooms and one with white blooms even though they grew from shoots off of the same white bloom bush!

I can't wait until my garden starts blooming again this year so I can add new photos and notes to my new Garden Journal!  I love the earthy feel of this felt journal when I hold it in my hands!

What will you make your journal for??
You can pre-order Eileen's Sizzix Journal die over at The Funkie Junkie Boutique!

I'm also linking my journal to the following:

Inkspirational - Spring

Stamps:  One with Nature - Simon Says Stamp
Paper:  canvas sheet from stash, Black Leather Paper - Sizzix, Lined cardstock - Amuse
Ink:  True Black - PTI
Accessories:  Eileen Hull Sizzix Dies - Journal Die and Stitchy Flowers and Leaf Thinlits Die, Grey  felt - Kunin,  Blue, Green Orange, light Green felts - PTI, Fine Linen Ribbon - Funkie Junkie Boutique, Idea-ology Fasteners/Dapper, Black Elastic Cord - Dritz, flower gems, Sewing Machine.