A Garden in Every Childhood Journal

Have you seen all of the wonderful journals using Eileen Hull's Sizzix Journal die over on Eileen's blog this month?  The Inspiration Team has been on overdrive!  And today I'm sharing mine.

Front

and back

And if you'd like to see "how" there are lots of photos to come!

I die cut the journal out of Cream Little Sizzles Matboard using Eileen Hull's Sizzix Journal die.  Then I started inking the sides by rubbing Distress Oxide Inks onto my craft mat, spritzing with water and then dragging the journal pieces through it.  

The first color was Worn Lipstick.

 The second color was Spiced Marmelade

The third color was Fossilized Amber.  I inked all sides using the same mix of colors. 

(sorry the lighting was slightly different on my work table when I took the 3 photos below)

 To add a little shimmer to my covers - I sprayed them with Wendy Vecchi Buttercup Mica Spray. (not sure you can see it here?!)

I also inked some white card at the same time wiping up left overs on the mat figuring I might use some on my inside pages.

I assembled my journal gluing the two edges together being sure the holes lined up.  I looped 2 pieces of gold elastic cord through the top and bottom holes knotting them on the outside. These will hold the pages inside the journal.  I pushed two pieces of wrinkled seam tape, folded in half, through the middle hole, knotting it inside. 

(I had to punch the middle hole a little bigger to fit the double ribbon) 

These will be used to tie the journal shut.

Here's the knot of ribbon in the center between the two signatures. 

(Since the pages are tissue the bulk of the knot in the middle doesn't affect the pages.)

Now to choose what kind of pages I wanted inside my journal.  I decided to use some of Tim's Tissue Wrap in varying sizes.  I colored some Tissue Wrap Terminology using the same Distress Oxides I used on my covers.

And I used Brushos in Ultramarine and Orange to color some Tissue Wrap Melange.

I started by cutting the pages 7 1/2" wide by 9 1/4" tall - I cut some to 7 1/2" x 5 1/4" as I like to mix the size of papers in my journals.  

(I adjusted the width again after putting the journal all together as the pages extended beyond the edge of the cover a little bit!)

I got out some more of Eileen's Sizzix Dies to use in decorating my journal and it's pages.  I cut flowers using Stitchy Flowers and Leaf, butterflies from Birds and Butterflies out of Kraft Core Cordinations, made some pockets using House/Pocket Stitchlets cut from white Paper Leather from Sizzix, and cut the word SUNSHINE on one envelope using Word Stitchlets.  I colored around the SUNSHINE cut-out using Distress Crayons in Scattered Straw and Shabby Shutters.

Then I turned my attention to the cover.  I stamped this lovely There is a Garden stamp from Stampotique onto a piece of Sticky Back Canvas.  Then I die cut it along with a piece of Terminology Tissue Wrap using Tim's Arch Frame.  I adhered the sentiment to the tissue and the tissue to the cover.

I had cut all the flowers out of Kraft Core Cordinations paper - so I sanded each piece a little bit being careful not to tear the petals.

I layered several sizes and colors of petals together, joined them with an orange brad and layered them onto the cover using foam dots.  I also added some Botanicals Remnant Rubs, Design Tape, and Small Talk/Occasions stickers - all from Idea-ology.

Then I started adding things to my pages.  The Being Happy stamp on the inside cover is from Wendy Vecchi's Forever Art set, the flower is a Botanical Remnant Rub. 

On the right side - I made this panel by running a leaf from a Solomon's Seal plant in my garden through my Vagabond.  I learned about this technique on Splitcoaststampers - called Duoprinting with Chlorophyll  (a modern version of pressing flowers!)

you need:

  

Plants from your yard (practice to see which ones work best - some are too wet, some too dry)

Die cutting machine

Paper towels

Printer Paper

Cardstock or watercolor paper (I used white cardstock)

Fold the copy paper in half. Build the following sandwich: cutting plate, paper towel, folded copy paper (open), piece of cardstock, plant.

Place a second piece of cardstock on top of the plant. Close the folded copy paper (so the cardstock pieces and plant are inside the copy paper like a book), and place second cutting plate on top. Run through die cutting machine on the normal setting you use for thin steel dies.

I stamped over the plant print with a stamp from Stampotique and added a bird Remnant Rub.  I sponged the edges of the panel with Distress Spiced Marmalade and adhered it to the page with double sided tape. 

Here's a close up of the 2nd print I got from these Solomon's Seal leaves that I used on another page of my journal with A Little Garden stamp from Stampotique.

Another page - this is a leaf from my Bleeding Heart plant and Living is not Enough stamp from Stampotique.

One more page using Geranium leaves

and a sentiment stamp from Wendy Vecchi's Forever Art set.   I die cut a butterfly from the Tissue wrap with Eileen's Birds and Butterflies die set adhering it on the left page.  

A close up of the geranium leaves.

I stamped this sweet Agatha Flower stamp from Stampotique onto one of the panels I inked when making my covers.  The sentiment is from Wendy Vecchi's Trademark Art set.

I used the pockets I made with Eileen's House/Pocket Stitchlits die on two pages.  

On this one I added a die cut layered butterfly from Birds and Butterflies, attaching it to the envelope with an orange brad.  I used a strip of Idea-ology Design tape across the top and sponged the edges with Distress Spiced Marmalade ink.  I adhered it to the page with double sided tape.  I die cut 2 wildflowers using Tim's Wildflower dies and inserted them into the envelope adding a Big Chat sticker beside them.  

As stated above - I colored around the SUNSHINE cut-out using Distress Crayons in Scattered Straw and Shabby Shutters. Since I didn't embroider the word I needed to color it to be seen)

I put another die cut pocket on the inside of the back cover inserting some feathers found around my bird feeder into the top of the envelope.  I added a Clippings sticker (if they were let to fly away) and Small Talk Occasions sticker (nature's wonder) as well as a die cut butterfly.

A final finished view!

I hope I have inspired you to try creating your own journal! (and not put you to sleep with all my photos!)  I appreciate any and all comments left here!  Remember to check out Eileen's blog to see all of the July posts about Journals using her wonderful new die!  Happy Journaling!

I'm also linking my garden journal to:

Stamps and Stencils

Inspired by the flowers

 Country View Challenges

Things with Wings

(Birds on front and back covers, bird and butterflies and bird feathers on inside pages)

Stamps:  There is a Garden, Living is not enough, Girl with flower, A little garden - Stampotique, Being Happy and Don't Wait from Forever Art set, Remeber This from Trademark Art Set - Wendy Vecchi Studio 490.  
Paper:  Cream Little Sizzles Matboard - Sizzix, White Paper Leather - Sizzix, Kraft Core Coredinations, Natural Sticky back Canvas - Ranger.
Ink:  Ranger Distress Oxides Worn Lipstick, Spiced Marmalade, Fossilized Amber,  Ranger Distress Ink Spiced Marmalade, Archival Jet Black.
Accessories:  Eileen Hull/Sizzix Journal Die, House/Pocket Stitchlets, Stitchy Flowers and Leaf, Word Stitchlits, Birds and Butterflies; Tim Holtz/Alterations Arch Frame, Wild flowers die; Distress Crayons Shabby Shutters and Scattered Straw - Ranger, Idea-ology Tissue Wrap Melange and Terminology, Remnant Rubs/Botanicals, Design Tape, Small Talk/Occasions, Big Chat, Clippings Sticker, Brushos Orange and Ultramarine, gold elastic cord - Michaels, Mica Spray Butercup - Wendy Vecchi/Ranger, foam dots, wrinkled seam tape, double sided tape, Gel Medium - Ranger, Mini sander - Ranger.