Tuesday, August 8, 2017

How to Create a Flowering HeARTfelt Journal

I am so very excited to share with you my Flowering HeARTfelt Journal featuring a die created by one of my craftiest friends, Eileen Hull!

My HeARTfelt Journal cover was actually a craft fail.  Painting over my ugly faux wood grain with black saved it from the trash bin!  Add bright pops of color by hand coloring a fabulous flowering die cut card stock, then accent with doodling to create my Idea Journal.  A special place where I can draw and write down all my inspirational ideas and thoughts.  I hope my journal will get your creative juices flowing!




Materials:
HeARTflet Collection - Sizzix® ScoreBoards™ XL Die - Journal by Eileen Hull™ #661906
Sizzix® Little Sizzles - 6" x 13" Mat Board Pack, 6 White Sheets
Americana Paint by DecoArt Lamp Black and Graphite
Decorative Scrap Book Paper – 12’ x 12”
American Crafts - Amy Tangerine Oh Happy Life Die cut cardstock: Much Love
Pencil
Waxed Paper
Elastic Cord – black – 48” length
Grid Paper – 48 sheets
Assorted Ribbons – 8” lengths
Pearls – self-adhesive in assorted colors

Tools:
Sizzix® Big Shot with Multi Purpose Plate and Cutting Pads
Paint Brush – Flat wash ¾”
Paper Trimmer
Corner Rounder Punch
Tombow Xtreme Permanent Adhesive
Tombow Dual Brush Pens – assorted colors of choice
Ruler
Tombow MONO Drawing Pens 01, 03 and 05
Scissors
Tombow MONO Aqua Liquid Glue

Instructions:
1. Die cut a front and back cover for your Journal.

2. Paint the inside and outside of both covers lamp black, let dry.  Dry brush the outside of both covers horizontally and vertically with graphite to resemble linen, let dry.

3.     Measure and cut two pieces of scrapbook paper 4” by 8 ¼” then round the two outside corners.  Attach to the inside front and back covers of your journal with xtreme adhesive.


4.     Measure two 4 ½” wide by 8 ¾” tall rectangles onto the die cut paper Much Love.  Color with a variety of dual brush pens, leaving the words white.


5.     Doodle over the hand colored paper with permanent pen, using the bullet and fine tips to give dimension to your design.


6.     Rough cut colored and doodled rectangles with scissors.  Flip over, and on a protected surface apply liquid glue to the back of the first paper rectangle.  Carefully apply to the outside front cover of your journal, layer with waxed paper and press down to adhere.  Gently lift up waxed paper and discard.  Press down in additional areas needed with fingers.  Repeat with outside back cover of journal.  Let glue dry.


7.     Once dry, trim any excess paper from edges of journal covers with scissors.


8.     Overlap the spine of the front and back journal covers and attach with xtreme adhesive.  Make sure to line up the top and bottom sets of holes on the spine.


9.     Thread the elastic through the holes in the spine creating four long loops.  Secure both ends of the elastic with knots.


10. Measure and cut 48 sheets of grid paper 8 ½” wide by 8” tall.  Make four groups of 12 sheets, then fold each group in half to create four signatures 4 ¼” wide by 8” tall.


11. Insert each signature through each elastic loop to create the inside pages of your journal.


12. Tie assorted ribbons to the elastic along the outside spine of the journal.  Embellish the front cover with self-adhesive pearls.


I hope that you will use my Flowering HeARTfelt Journal as a jumping off point to showcase your creativity using Eileen Hull Dies from Sizzix.

Thanks for stopping by!
Creatively, Beth