Paperclip Embellishments for Junk Journals

Hello Blogland, let's make paperclip embellishments for junk journals! This Mixed Media Monday on Topflight Stamps, I just want to add to my stash & have a play with my supplies. These clips can be used to add fun to an envelope, your planner pages, a tag or an art journal page. They are so eclectic & versatile.
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Here is the fun addition to my stash. I have used one main technique on these, but really the sky is the limit. I was feeling very out of sorts the last few days & I am sure I am not alone. Too much to do, school around the corner, the world in a shambles, it is easy to lose ones bearings. I cannot tell you how much just pulling out supplies helped! Easy to finish the project too which is just a bonus. 

Let's Make A Paperclip Embellie!

I started with an embossed stamped image using the My Stamp border. This was just regular card stock. Pull out your embossing powders & randomly emboss the images. Faux postage stamps are perfect for paperclip embellishments! Funny story I forgot to use them! However they are ready for my next play.

 

 

Hot Tip: I made a bunch of extras, as I already had my supplies out. So mentally relaxing to have a fav movie on and just emboss away! I keep the Carabelle "My Stamp" system stamps together, so I always know where they are. It was easy to just pop these prepped backgrounds in the container so they are ready to go.

Inky Time

As these embellishments need to be a bit sturdy Using watercolor paper seemed a good way to go. I put some die inks in fall colors on my palette & spritzed a bit of water. Using a paint brush randomly to spread color on the paper. I did a whole strip to give me options.

 

Using some of the Carabelle Studio "Great Outdoors" I did a combo of stamping on white card stock & stamping on the paper I had just colored. 

 

 

A few were also painted using water color paint. These are the ones I ended up using. You can also use the Prism Inks for this technique.

Embossing Time

To give the stamped images that coated epoxy look, clear emboss was added. This will also give the images some protection from wear & tear. I like using Eileen Hull's Glistening Glass as it is chunkier that regular clear emboss & looks just like the name. It also really pops the images.

Making The Paperclips

Now that the covers of my clips are made it is time to add the clip. You will want to use a strong glue for this so I went with Redline. Place your clip on a piece of paper so you get an idea of placement. This also prevent gluing the paperclip shut. I am working on the lady image here so the stamp is vertical. Simply add a few strips of Redline on the back & push the clip into the glue. Back your piece with scrapbook paper or card stock. Add more glue- I used ATG & glue stick then adhered it to some scrapbook paper.

 

Voila done. I love how simple this was to do. Bonus photo...I spent some more time today playing! Embossed a die cut piece from AALL & Create using Seth's embossing powder.  Then backed it on paper with some stencil work. Also made one with words from Darkroom Door Sentiment Stamp. So relaxing! Thanks for joining me today, remember to hop over to Topflight Stamps blog to see photos of most of the products used today. Hope you have a chance to get inky!

Supplies:

• Carabelle Stamps- My Stamp, Fantasy, 
• The Great Outdoors
•  Eileen Hull Embossing in Glistening Glass
•  Prism Inks in Cinnamon, Ground Coffee, Fire Coral, Peacock Green
• Seth Apter Weathered Gold Emboss by Wow 
• Darkroom Door Dream Big Sentiment Strips
• "            " Grunge Border Stencil

Planner Pages with PaperArtsy

Happy Mix Media Monday on Topflight Stamps, today we are going to play with planner or journal pages using PaperArtsy. Do you write in a journal? If you do is pre-prepping your pages something you do? Sometimes I do like to prep so I thought we could have some fun seeing some inky steps I like to use. 

I tend not to need the page to match the days events. I just want to add some fun & color to my writing. I journal almost everyday. I like to have the stories written down for the photos I take. That way if I decide to work on a mini album or planner page the story is already documented. Do you ever look back at a photo & wish you remember why your kids were laughing? This is a great way to keep track.

Let's Get Inky!

Step 1: Pull out a stencil & some paint. I used Fresco Finish Paint This paint has a matt finish, dries quickly & is easy to write on top of. That makes it pretty unique in the world of acrylic paint. I like to use a cosmetic sponge to dab paint through the stencil. Less is more if you want a crisp image. 

Step 2: Add some stamping. I picked 2 colors of paint for these cool leaves. Green Patina & Magic Moss. Added a quick spritz of water & applied with a brayer directly to the stamp. Just a light coat works best. Then stamp, ink up, then stamp. 

I love the varied color this technique gives. Remember to wash your stamp immediately, you don't want dried paint on it. I use an old toothbrush to get the paint out of tiny grooves. 

Add a Focal Image

Once my background was dry it was time for some fun images. For this layout I chose the PaperArtsy Zinis 23 & 32, cute little tweetie type birds. To make fussy cutting easier, stamp the image onto the background 1st. That way the fun little dots & accents transfer. 

Next stamp with archival ink on card stock & color in with markers or paint. I used watercolor markers just for fun. Love this little guy!

I added 2 of the birdies they add so much!!

I still felt like it needed something so some watercolor paint was in order. I added the paint on the leaves. The acrylic paint acts as a resist so my image still shows up. A bit of a border ties it all together. Now my page is ready for me to add the day, a quote, some photos or washi tape whatever is the order of the day. 

 

How About Another Page?

 I made 2 more pages using the same stamp & paint technique. For this one I used a circle stencil & the paint Slimed & Aquamarine. I used the same colors to stamp using Seth Apter stamps. 

 

Infusions

Adding a title seemed like a good idea. Using a small tag and some Infusions for color was up next. Simply tap out some powder. Add a few spritzes of water- see the magical color. Spread color around. I made 3 tags using a different color for each one. Lemonchello, A Bit Jaded & Black Current. Options friends.

 

Once the tag was nice & dry Seth's title word Now was used with black ink, then embossed with Seth's Aegean Sea embossing powder which is translucent & makes the word pop. 

I still needed a little pop of color so this fun hand stamp was painted. Just love this look. Hot Tip: while you have paint out, grab some spare card stock to make extra pieces to have on hand of decorating other projects. I used Cerise & Smoked Paprika.

 

Once again ready for washi tape, photos and the super important journaling. Love how much that pop of color with the hand adds. 

Best for Last

I just love this big butterfly flower stamp by Tracy Scott. I knew I wanted to use it on one of the pages. Stamping it out 3 different ways so again I have images ready to go in my stash. From left to right. 1: use Infusions on card stock. Let dry and stamp. 2. Paint using water color paint randomly on card stock, dry & stamp. 3. Stamp 1st then color using Dylusions spray either in a water brush or with a paint brush. 

Quick pic of the Infusions. 1st- put powder on card stock, you can see a little goes a long way. 2nd- add water spritz, less water for more vibrant color. You can also add more powder if you need to. 3rd- move paper around to get paint to move & blend. Use a paint brush if needed. This paint has walnut crystals which give them the dynamic look. If you don't want as much of the brown crystal look you can dab them up using a paper towel. 

As you can see I went with the Brush Marker painted version. I just love how dynamic these colors are. Thanks so much for hanging in on this very long post!! I hope you get the chance to get inky today! Remember photos of all the products used along with their links are on my Topflight Blog Post.

Supplies:

• PaperArtsy Fresco Finish Paint
• "           " Infusions 
  
• PaperArtsy Zinis Stamps- ZN23, ZN32
• "          "    Eclecica3 ETS39 by Tracy Scott
• "           " Stencil PM006 by Emma Godfrey 
• "          "  Stamps by Seth Apter ESA15, ESA 13, EM50, EM37
•  Embossing Powder by Seth Apter on Aegean Sea.

Eileen Hull Pocket Notebook Junk Journal with Emerson Lane by Heidi Swapp!

Hello Eileen Hull fans! This month the Inspiration Team is playing with one of my favorite things to do... Junk Journals!!! It also gave me the perfect opportunity to use a kit I bought quite awhile ago. Luckily it is still available. One of my favorite designers that I hoard like mad is Heidi Swapp. I love her stuff and buy multiples and store it for like ever. I have an extensive collection! This is an important post as I also talk about Heidi's Light the Fight Podcast & why, if you have kids you will want to tune in. Grab a cuppa & let's go!

I was determined to use this collection & this month was the time. While traditional Junk Journals have things like used mail, envelopes, book paper etc there are a lot that are also made with scrapbook paper or digitals. I will do a combo of that. 

My book was cut from mat board using the Pocket Notebook die. I just love the size of this book. The cover measures just under 4.75" x 6.75". 2 pieces of the kit paper were cut to fit the front & back. The edges were inked with Colorblends in Nutmeg. Same distressing for the ephemera which was layered- such a cool look! Those vellum pieces are nummy.

The spine of this book is 2" wide but you can adjust it by adding extra or cutting back the existing spine. I went with the die cut full size, which has room for 5 booklets or signatures.

The spine was inked with the Nutmeg & some water added to blend the color out. Really fits the paper of the covers. Inspiration struck to use Tim Holtz tissue paper over this. Really love the look & it was super simple. Just add Collage Medium on the spine working a third of the spine at a time adding the tissue, so the glue stays wet. I also added a coat of glue on top. Let that dry & re-punch the holes. You may want to do the same to the inside of the book.

I went with a hidden binding. Using elastic that is about 1mm wide, start with one of the middle holes and just thread through keeping the length of the elastic on the inside & threading across the holes on the outside. One of my favorite closures for these books is an elastic that can be adjusted as the book gets fatter. To make it even easier use a brad through the center hole to fasten the elastic to the spine. Add a fun chain with some charms, or strings of beads- whatever goes with the theme of your project.

Let's Make Some Booklets

I started making 2 booklets for my project & adding a 3rd lined notebook. This way I can add more books when I figure out what is needed. I cut the paper for my notebooks 6.5" tall by 8" wide. When the paper is folded the books are a touch smaller than the cover.

Light The Fight Notebook. 

This whole project was designed to have a place to hold my notes from Light the Fight. I have been meaning to social media this subject for ages. This is the perfect project to talk about Heidi Swapp's podcast, with therapist David Kozlowski. 5 years ago Heidi's son Cory committed suicide. It is one of the moments in my life that I remember exactly where I was when I read the news. Eileen & I were driving back on the Papertrail from Chicago. It was late at night on our 2nd day of driving. 

 

Photos shared with permission from Heidi Swapp

I read the so sad news. The killer that every parent raising a child today has to worry about. Heidi had decided to talk about how her son Cory died. As I read this post out loud to Eileen we were just devastated for Heidi. I had not met her yet but at the time I knew that somehow Heidi would turn this horrible tragedy into something important.

Cory & Heidi from Instagram

18 months ago the Light the Fight podcast was born. It is simply the most amazing resource for parents trying to navigate this crazy time in life with their pre-teens & teens. It is brilliant. The advice that David dishes out is invaluable. It got me though some rough times with my daughter improving our relationship immensely. It changed a lot about how I parent. I have a long way to go and a lot of the podcast still to listen to. Living in a world with Covid there is a lot to learn.

 

Meeting Heidi Swapp at Creativation 2020

Light the Fight has helped me to relate to my college age sons & understand better what their struggles were & continue to be. 

If you have kids- please take a listen & be sure to keep a notebook handy. The advice & explanations for kids struggles in this day & age are gold. 

Suicide is a family nightmare and the more knowledge on how to relate to & help our kids, the better chance they have. You have the bonus of learning with Heidi as she puts a human face on a lot of the situations with her own kids, being coached by David on issues we all face. The inside of this book is simple as it is for note taking. I filled the signature with random pages from calendar papers, agenda papers, lined etc. Added stamping, sticker & labels adds interest. 

Time to make more pages because I need more than 1 book. My 2nd book is made from papers from the collection. The cover has a lot of the Emerson Lane but also blasts from the past. The butterfly & arrow are vintage Heidi, colored with ink. Even the paperclip is from one of the older collections.

The inside cover of the booklet has room for notes & the other page has a pocket for one of the cards cut from the paper pack. I am not sure what photos I will add in here yet but capturing the memories is so so important. 

Re-Purpose An Envelope!

This is one of my favorite ways to add some fun to my junk journal. There are some Envelopes in the Emerson Lane collection as in the one on the right. I simply added some ink, back ground stamping & die cut leaves  as shown below. The other window envelope was made by recycling a mail envelope. Simply glue left over pieces of the paper, distress edges add some ephemera. The butterfly is a fun way to add a tab to my tag, cut using one of Eileen's dies.

Using some of the paper from the collection & the Journal Card, Flower & leaves die to cut some leaves out. These make great embellishments & a journal card or photo mat. 

Add A Mini Book 

How about a book in a book? Using Eileen's Tiny Book diecut to make this cute mini book, is quick & easy. Simply cut & decorate the cover. Don't you love that wax seal???? Yup from the Emerson Lane Collection. This booklet can be tucked in a pocket or clipped to a page.

Loose leaf paper, book print & music paper was used for the inside signature. Punch 2 holes & bind with wax thread adding a few beads & charms.

Here is the inside cover of the booklet. I used a mat board rick rack piece from the new Mitten die cut. Plus the kits ephemera. This book is tiny! 

  

Let's Add a Tuck Spot!

Cut a shape & adhere it to your page so you can tuck envelopes or tags in there. The butterfly die cut was added to give the tuck some pop along with a quote from the kit. These are just a few ideas for you. 

If you want more inspiration you can check out my flip though video of my December Junk Journal.

Thanks so much for joining me today. Thanks to Heidi for bringing Light the Fight into the world and sharing her story to help others. Make sure you check out her Instagram & website for much more info & inspiration. 

Remember to check back all month to see what my Inspiration Team Mates are up to. Don't forget to join the Eileen Hull Fan Club on Facebook and enjoy Eileen's creative live videos & projects Tuesday & Thursdays. Now go get inky!!

Supplies:

Eileen Hull by Sizzix- Pocket Notebook, Tiny Book, Mitten Box

"          "- Birds & Butterflies, 

Colorblends

Heidi Swapp Emerson Lane Collection

Tim Holtz Tissue Paper

Collage Medium by Ranger

Junk Journal Card for Topflight Stamps

Hello Topflight Stamp Fans, Happy Mix Media Monday!! This week we are playing with Dots to Diamonds. Watch on to see how you can make a fairly fast, yet very inky project in just a few steps. 

I have been doing a lot of Junk Journal lately. This piece would be great as a flip or pocket page. You could turn this into a card really easily too. '

This card started with a Dots To Diamonds paper from their paper pad#1. The card is heavy, but smooth card stock, that takes wet media well. The pad comes with 48 sheets, 3 of each design. Simply add your media and the bling. Makes for easy card making etc. 

Let's Go!

As I would be adding a messy background the image needed to be protected first. Using a fine paint brush and 2 coats of Super Matt Varnish will seal the image. Dry thoroughly.

Next up was color. Using Infusions by PaperArtsy creates a 1 step inked background that looks like it took many layers to achieve. Simply shake out the powder randomly on the paper.

Then add spritzes of water. The more water you add the more the walnut crystals activate so if you like a brighter color use less water. I also moved some of the color with a paint brush to get full coverage.

The color is so vibrant! Dab excess color or muddy water with a paper towel.Here is a super quick video to show the impact of water!

Make sure to wipe off the image area with a damp towel. Time to dazzle! Adding the Diamond Sparkles is easy just follow the pattern. 

If you want less gems simply cover some of the dots with a white paint pen. You won't notice this when the card is finished. Using a journal pen doodles can be added to make the piece look more finished. 

Finally it is time to add some cool imagery. All of this was done with 1 stamp set! The AALL & Create set #159 called Mail Art. 

This was stamped on a parchment paper & fussy cut out to fit where I wanted. Some of the images were stamped directly on the paper like the ink bottle & post cancellation. Love how this page turned out! 

Thanks for joining me & remember to check out the Topflight Stamps blog to see what my team mates will create with this the rest of the week! 

Supplies:

Dots To Diamond Paper Pad 1
Diamond Sparkles-Brilliant Blues, Classic Pearls
PaperArtsy Infusions in Lemoncello, A Bit of Jade
AALL & Create Mail Art Stamp #159  
Super Matt Varnish