Twelve Days of Christmas Journal

My journal-loving Etsy customer commissioned one more custom journal using her Graphic45 Twelve Days of Christmas papers. She sent me her paper pack with embellishments and stickers, and I used them to create her journal. It involved a lot of fussy cutting and challenged me to come up with different ideas for each page, but I thoroughly enjoyed the process.

For the cover I layered Sizzix Holiday Greens Mini die cuts over a Spellbinders Grand Scalloped Oval die cut. The Graphic 45 die cut is on top, and I added striped ribbon from Paper Crown. Click on any photo for an enlarged view. I had a hard time getting the coloring adjusted, so the photos aren't as vibrant as the actual pages.

I loved layering the fussy cut flowers, holly, and other images on many of the pages. 

For Day Two I added a piece of lace from a vintage curtain panel.

The background papers from this set were really busy for the most part, so I incorporated some other papers here and there for interest and contrast.

Also included were various embellishments I had in my stash, like the gold wreath and vintage lace.

I added a pocket page at the back and inserted some images that I didn't use in the journal.

This was another enjoyable project, and the purchaser seemed to love it as much as I did. She doesn't write in her journals, so no need to leave blank spaces or journaling spots. 

A Beatrix Potter Journal

The second journal my very kind Etsy customer requested was a Beatrix Potter journal. She sent me some note cards and other pieces she had collected and I created the journal using those along with papers from My Mind's Eye's Gingham Gardens collection (I got mine from Paper Crown Waco here,) some of the wonderful images from rubyandpearl.xo's Antique Garden book pages collection, and assorted vintage bits and papers. Click any photo to see an enlarged view.

The cover features vintage lace and millinery flowers. 

The Vegetable Seeds list is a rubyandpearl.xo download. The little cottage scene is a copy from a old greeting card. It made the perfect pocket for the little Peter Rabbit cut-out.

The intricate doily on this page is very old and came from a large estate sale lot several years ago.

The page on the left has a bit of vintage wallpaper border from Haunted Lamp Vintage. The little vintage ads on the right were the wrapping for some ribbon ordered from Monahan Papers.

The pretty produce ad on the left is from rubyandpearl.xo. The rabbit with his basket of carrots fit perfectly in the corner.

The pretty vintage vegetable page is from JunkJournalClub on Etsy and is part of a set that includes mushrooms, florals, and more.

More vintage doily behind the pennant. The blue embellishments were from a estate sale.

This spread includes ribbon from Paper Crown, a vintage photo album frame, a bit of sari fabric, and I believe that's a Prima flower. 

The Vegetable Gardens print is from rubyandpearl.xo and trimmed with tatted lace. 

The little embellishments on the left came from a class kit. The mouse image is mounted on a piece of handmade paper I made with some friends a few years ago. It has bits of leaves and seeds, and seemed appropriate for this journal. 

Here's a better view of the handmade paper, and another sweet Beatrix Potter image.

The little folder is made from a rubyandpearl.xo print and inspired by one of her YouTube videos. The right side includes includes some Sizzix winter greenery die cuts. I find so many uses for these!

The folder opens to show two more Beatrix Potter images. 

The rose print is from rubyandpearl.xo, and the lace is one of my favorite estate sale finds.

Benjamin Bunny adorns a page covered with a vintage napkin, and the pocket page contains a tag I forgot to photograph. 

I love using old index cards in my journals. 

The image on the inside cover, taken from a vintage greeting card, depicts a perfect Beatrix Potter cottage and garden. 

I'll have one more journal to share in a future post, a few projects from earlier classes and retreats that I've finished in the last few months, and some IG-inspired creations. 

Thanks for stopping by!

 

Christmas in Wonderland Journal Project

I haven't posted since February so need to do some catching up. I've watched more TV this year than I have in the last ten years, have read about 70 books so far, and know more about government and politics than I've thought about since civics class a lifetime ago. While sheltering in place is fairly easy for an introvert like me, Covid has had a devastating effect as it claimed one of my sisters-in-law in August, and as I worry daily about the rest of our family members and the world. The state of our country causes almost daily tears, and prayers that things will change for the better soon.

Crafting has been the best part of this otherwise bleak year, and while I've shared most of my projects on Instagram, I wanted to have them on my blog for posterity. 

A customer from Seattle purchased a journal from me on Etsy in March, and soon after she contacted me to ask if I'd make her a custom Christmas in Wonderland journal made from digital images she had purchased. She mailed me the printouts (my printer wasn't working well at the time) and, while it was a bit different and challenging working with pre-printed pages, we were both pleased with the results. Get ready for lots of photos with information at the end on the images used. Click on any photo for a enlarged view.

Images used came from DigitalCurio on Etsy, and can be found by clicking here.

I hope you enjoyed looking through the journal, and that it may have inspired you to create. The same customer, and now long-distance friend, requested two additional journals that I'll be sharing in future posts. 

A Finished Project Six Years in the Making

In 2014 I made pink fabric journals for two friends, Laurie and Terry. Click their names to see those journal posts. While making their books I started one for myself. I'd pull it out occasionally and work on a page or two, but mostly all the makings have occupied a plastic bin in the corner of my craft room for the last six years. Right before Christmas I decided that thing was going to be finished! I worked on it for about a week and a half, and finally (ta da!!!) here it is! Fair warning - this is a very long post with lots of photos.

The cover is made from what I think is a placemat or dresser scarf. I'll show a close up at the end of the post. The beautiful heart collage was made by a friend and seemed the perfect adornment for this book.

The first page is French General fabric. The Paris fashion image is printed on muslin. The wide band of pink daisies is edging cut from a vintage tablecloth.

For this page I used a vintage hankie with a embroidered T, because this page features a three inchie I made for a Valentine swap organized by Laurie. The book includes my inchie as well as the ones I received from my swap partners. I won't list each maker here, but you can see them all in my post about that 2014 swap here.

This lovely lady was cut from a pillowcase. I used her twin in Terry's book.

The cutwork above is from a vintage pillowcase. If I recall correctly, the beautiful wide pink ribbon behind the three inchie came from an estate sale.

The cherry fabric on the page above is part of a 1950s Baar and Beards chiffon scarf. A piece of this was also used in Terry's book.

More French General fabric, with another swap inchie and a bit of trim from a vintage slip.

Above, various vintage fabrics, a vintage hankie made into a pocket to hold a swap ATC (more on that swap here) and some wonderful pleated trim I purchased from Dawn.

Yet more French General fabric, vintage trim, another swap inchie, and embroidered floral trim. This trim is one of my very favorites and getting harder to find. I'm always on the lookout for it in every color.

This vintage rose fabric was given to me by Wanda Clark when we attended The Art of Craft at French General in 2011. It's topped with a very old dusty rose doily, picot-edged ribbon, and wonderful embroidered roses cut from a moth-eaten sweater.

This page was cut from a embroidered pillowcase. The little yoyos at the bottom came from a old and damaged throw pillow.

Vintage pink eyelet fabric from an estate sale, topped with a swap inchie with a sweet little bonus doily.

More French General fabric. Can you tell I love them? The top fabric is a striped satin. Trims include crushed velvet ribbon, ruched rayon seam binding, more green picot ribbon, and a bit of green crochet along the edge.  It's all topped with a swap inchie.

The page above has a vintage hankie base with part of a pink plisse baby dress made into a pocket. The swap ATC is stored in the pocket.

Another swap inchie on not-so-old fabric - a scrap from my part time job - trimmed with a strip of vintage curtain and some cute ribbon trim.

Another page made from a old pillowcase. The larger flowers were added, along with velvet ribbon and pom pom trim.

This page is a mix of pink linen from an old tablecloth, a vintage glove used as a pocket, crushed velvet ribbon, and three different types of vintage trim. The pocket holds the swap ATC.

This piece of vintage lace hankie is sewn over pink linen, with vintage pink trim at the bottom and newer pom pom trim along the edge.

The embroidery on this page is from a vintage dresser scarf. The crochet flowers were cut from a damaged pillow case. The trim along the bottom edge is another favorite, made from intertwined pink and white rick rack with crochet. I love what some people could/can do with rick rack, and have collected quite a few examples.

This pocket holds little art pieces from several Valentine swaps over the years, including my contribution to the Valentine ATC swap mentioned earlier.

The embroidered organza for this page came from Laurie. The little "basket" is actually a sleeve from the plisse baby dress mentioned earlier. The bow and the edging came from another baby dress.

And lastly - you made it! - here's a close up of the placemat or table runner I used for the cover. I'm so glad I wasn't the one to tie all those little strands of nylon together!

Thanks you so much for taking the time to read all the way through! It's a lot, but a lot of time and love went into this so I'm happy to be able to share it.