Last week's Teapot Tuesday was to celebrate the generosity of a couple in Texas. Curtis is a school bus driver. He and his wife did not have anyone they needed to buy gifts for. So Curtis asked each of the students on his buss route what they wanted for Christmas, then he and his wife went shopping. They granted one gift wish of each child - including a bike!
What a wonderful world this would be if more people were like Curtis and his wife.
I had to go with a school bus yellow (SU - Pineapple Punch) and other primary colors. I chose Real Red and Blueberry Bushel in addition to the Pineapple Punch.
I knew I wanted to use It's A Celebration (retired SU set). When I opened the box, to my surprise, the stamps hadn't even been mounted! I guess I get credit for a set never used before LOL. Rather than mount on the wooden blocks, I transferred the unmounted set to a slimmer case and went to work.
I look forward to using this set more as we approach July. A great set for July Birthday cards.
I really hope to do a video tomorrow or Wednesday. I'm still pulling items. Pulling, dying stuff over the weekend. Not sure if the tea dying is allowed. I know we could use coffee/tea-dyed but I didn't have any. I'd never dyed papers before and it's something that I wanted to try and would fit perfectly in this Victorian tea-themed journal. I spent most of Saturday dying items. Today, some of them will take a bit of a press.
This is photo-heavy as I walk you through the items we were allowed for EACH signature and the charms I made for the second mini challenge. Let's start with those.
The cool thing about the mini- challenges is that we are not bound by parameters. We can use anything we want as long as they include fabric. This is a FABRIC junk journal challenge, after all.
I loved putting these together:
Because we could use anything, I could use whatever tools I wanted. This gave me the opportunity to use the new Tea Time Framelits dies (free with a $100 purchase from our catalogs/ clearance) from the Stampin' UP! Sale A Bration catalog as well as the coordinating Tea Together stamps from the Occasions Catalog. If you need a refresher in the bead shopping, you'll find that HERE
Okay.. the pictures of items for my signatures. I've decided based on the multiple things we are to include, that three signatures will be plenty.
5 Copy Paper
5 assorted from the following:
Ledger
Mulberry
Tissue
Vellum
Five light-weight scrapbook/ digital:
I've had this package for years, just waiting for the perfect project.
Five from each of the following:
Five plain cardstock:
Five printed cardstock. This one confused me a bit. Julie pulled from a paper pad, calling it printed cardstock. So, while all of the items look like traditional scrapbook paper, they all came from a variety of three different paper pads:
Five assorted card/ index/ greeting:
Tea-dyed large index cards. The MemoryDex belong in the 5 for the whole journal category. The 5 'cards' in the front were cut from the back of the calendar I pulled the pages from. I also found some vintage greeting cards last night I can pull into this one.
Bags and envelopes
For the remainder of the Five for the WHOLE Journal, I've not pulled those yet. I should have them to show next Monday as well as how the signatures come together.
One more picture. Our final mini-challenge is to make five tags. All must include fabric. I cut the tags in two different sizes from the Tim Holtz tag dies. One of the frames (haven't decided on the size) will be turned into a shaker card.
So my projects for this week is to do the tags and put my signatures together. I still haven't put my cover together. I think while I have the iron out today, I'll get fusible adhesive on the floral sections I want to use as cut-outs so I can get the cover finished and the signatures in place.
I will have Teapot Tuesday cards up tomorrow. I need to catch up to the one from last week. A very special story to share, as well as the one for this week.
First off, I apologize for not getting around last week. I was waiting a day for the numbers to settle into place so I wouldn't be claiming to be someone else (sorry Caro hehe) then I found the project you'll read about in a moment and that became my focus for the week. I have blog visits on my list for Friday when the weather turns crummy and I can't get anywhere else. The weather is ALWAYS pleasant in WOYWW.
The remnants of my station after creating 6 cards yesterday then depositing the mail on top of the lot following a trip to the mailbox. That wind was bitter. I just wanted to dump the mail and find a hot cup of coffee. This will all be cleaned up this morning as well as (finally) the big work table.
Aside from having a month to finish the rough draft of Book 2, I'm playing in a challenge all this month. The February Fabric Junk Journal Challenge - ##FFJJC
HERE is the link to the blog post I did on Monday about the challenge and what I've done so far. I'm pulling the last of the supplies today and filming the video. While the challenge looks daunting to some and not much of a challenge for others (there have been comments on both sides of the spectrum), I'm finding the overall project fun. There's still time for you to join us. Watch the video, join the FB group then grab your list and jump in!
We are to be in the 60s today and tomorrow then a new wintery mix moves in for the next several days. So today is all about detailing floors, prepping for the fabric challenge and finishing some details I need for the book.
A Question for you:
Have you ever made a junk journal? If you have a post/ video showing one, please link or add a picture to your WOYWW post next week. I'd love to see.
That's it for my desk this week. Who's Miss Julia and why am I here? When you are done visiting me in the Ozarks, please hop on over to Stamping Ground for all the details. Miss Julia has a long list of other studios you can peek into. No standing on an up-turned milk pail to look in the window. We open the doors wide and welcome you. Please leave your number and you'll be among the first on my list.
Yes, I'm a bit behind. But I was determined that while I could find the envelope I would get these cards done. I think this image from Stampendous (Country Snowman) is just adorable! Plus, I now have two Christmas cards for 2019.
I used SU Stampin' Blends to color the images. Stickles to dust the cuffs of his mittens the snow at his base and the snowflakes on the second card. Everything used came in the kit except for the card base and the Cherry Cobbler for mats.
We are a little over a week away from showing off the February cards. I'll get those done up this weekend so I'm on time. :-)
I am really excited about my current mixed media project. For one, this project has a deadline. I have until February 28th to complete this journal. To make this more fun, there are mini challenges along the way - with deadlines. Each of the mini's have to be done by the Friday following their posting. Let me tell you about the project then I'll show you where I am right now. I had intended to have a video for you today but I did not get all of the supplies pulled yesterday in time to film. That is on my list for today.
The project is called the February Fabric Junk Journal Challenge - #FFJJC if you want to look for pictures on social media.
Each month Youtuber, DearJulieJulie posts a month-long challenge. In January they did a junk journal challenge using junk mail (I didn't see that one). But this February challenge got my attention. I have TONS.. or should that be TUBS of fabric I've been wanting to sift through and do up some things. That's one of the bullet points on my 2019 UFO list.
I'm posting the video here if you'd like to check out what we're up to. There is still time to join in.
Okay.. this list is going to be a bit long, but this is what I will be pulling today:
We can use ANY fabric. I've already pulled mine except for the fabric for my cover.
We must include
15 Fabric Functions.. meaning these items must be made from fabric:
1 - fabric cover
1 - fabric flip (I'll show this in a future video)
1 - fabric page
2 - different fabric edges (can NOT be lace. has to be made from fabric)
2 - different fabric tuck spots or pockets
4 - different fabric tags
4 -different fabric embellishments
While Lace/ Tulle and ribbon are not fabric, we can use those in any way.
Paper Items (for EACH signature and we can have as many signatures as we want)
5 - pens - any color/ type (if we use a multi-color pen, that counts as 1)
4 - washi
2 - colors of thread (if using a machine with different color bobbin/ top that is your two)
5 - Total (flowers/ erasers/ buttons/ beads)
5 - Total (pins/ eyelets/ washers/ 6" wire
Items for the cover - book/ box/ craft board, etc)
Any Ruler
Stapler and staples
Iron and ironing board
Any type of glue (this includes adhesive backed trim and wonder under)
Any type tape
Gesso & brush
Mod podge
4 stencils
4 sprays
Binding Kit
Our first Mini Challenge was to make a tassel. All of the challenges must include fabric.
Here's mine:
You'll notice the tea charms. My book is going to have a Victorian tea theme. I initially tied the charms on the narrow ribbons in the tassel but would prefer a chain charm.Our second mini challenge is to make up to 10 dangles/ clips. I didn't have any chain in my beading box. A trip to Hobby Lobby on Saturday and their 50% off some of the jewelry lines took care of that!
I also added some Tim Holtz items:
I spent most of yesterday clearing out my beading box, which I hadn't touched but probably twice in over 12 years.
I have a standards size bead/ embroidery thread style box with chunk charms and a couple of small bead boxes from $Tree for the smaller items. The 2 smaller boxes fit down in the center of the bead box.
I've put the first coat of gesso on my book cover. I will be using fabric but the original cover is black and I'm positive that would show through the fabric. I'll add a second coat later. I'm thinking 3 signatures, possibly 5. Whatever I will need to fill the spine space in the cover. My other project for today is to tea-dye the 5 sheets of copy paper. I already have the tea steeping.
I haven't forgotten the Whispers of Me. The tote I thought contained all of my saved items to make that journal, isn't where I thought.. and this fabric journal has a deadline so it's what I'll be showing you this month.
I'm still working at the filming table. Seems every day has had something else to keep me from clearing off the work table. Planned for that today while the rain pours outside. Then I remembered that the first 2019 Tour schedule has to be on the music blog tomorrow. Putting that list together is about a 6-hour job. So no cleaning for me today.
In the mean time, this is it. My planner is open to keep me on task, a Bass Pro coupon I may need, a couple of cards I got to make this week and the cheaters. That cutting mat is perfect for small spaces. Sold at Hobby Lobby by Sewology. When Sewology items were 50% off, I paid a whopping $2.50 for the mat. 7" x 9". One side is the slate with soft blue lines then the colors reverse on the other side so you can work on a light or dark surface. I like that option
Thank you all for your lovely comments about my video last week. 'Brave' is a good word to describe that adventure, Marit. LOL You made me smile.
That's it for my desk this week. Who's Miss Julia and why am I here? When you are done visiting me in the Ozarks, please hop on over to Stamping Ground for all the details. Miss Julia has a long list of other studios you can peek into. No standing on an up-turned milk pail to look in the window. We open the doors wide and welcome you. Please leave your number and you'll be among the first on my list.
Over the past few days my sister and I have been watching endless runs of art journaling videos. Ones we've been most captivated by LorriMarie Jenkins. Check out her channel if you really want to be inspired. She takes you through step-by-step through a series of videos for EACH project. For now, I'm on Altered Book #2. A lot of the things I already know but I just love watching her.
The videos have inspired me to pull out an ancient project and get it finished! You can read complete posts about the Whispers Of Me project
If you read the posts linked above you'll see I started this book about 14 years ago as a teaching venue for a class I was teaching. That's a LONG time to have a project in process.... and not going anywhere. As I look at the picture, I'm not sure I'm happy with the cover.. or some of the project itself. I'll know more when I look at the book later this week. I may wind up rescuing pages from inside and starting with a fresh book. Because I started this as an alphabet book (this was an old dictionary), I'll need to be able to incorporate at least 26 2-page spreads. But then again, maybe just 1-page spread per letter will work.
See, I don't think I was happy with the direction the book was going and may be why I stalled.
To see more pictures, check out the second link for sure. There are a couple in the first link where you get more background.
I will be working on two Mixed Media projects for this month. The other is a February Fabric Junk Journal Challenge. Look for hashtags on IG - #FFJJC to see all the creativity. You can also jump in. Watch the video below for all the details. I'm not sure how much of it I will do as I still have a book to finish writing but I really want to play in this one so we shall see.
I have cards to get done so should have something tomorrow. I've finally begun to find my desk!
