Spooky Halloween Pocket Notebook Journal

Happy Monday y'all! Cool stamps from Topflight Stamps and Eileen Hull's new Pocket Notebook Die are a match made in heaven! Perfectly spooky, this journal is full of the Halloween vibe:

You know me; I can't resist adding charms to my journals.

I love the owl stamp!

The Pocket Notebook can be made in variable spine widths. For this one, I made it so it could hold five signatures:

Tutorial time!!

Step 1 – I created some Gel Press monprints to adhere to Matboard substrate that I cut the journal out of. I used lighter paint tones for the outside cover sheets and more warm fall colors for the inside sheets. After using Eileen Hull Easy Cut Adhesive to attach the prints to the matboard, I die cut the Notebook cover pieces out. I also die cut my front "frame" piece and painted it with the Fresco Chalk paints so it would look rusty.

I also added some of Seth Apter's Chunky Rust Embossing Powder for even more texture.

Step 2 – I stamped on the covers and embossed the leaves with detail black embossing powder. I used   watered down DecoArt Media Liquid Acrylics to paint inside the embossed images with vivid fall colors. The owl image I watercolored and then glued into its "frame".

Step 3 – I assembled the cover and glued on the rusty frame pieces.

Step 4 – I used black elastic cording to lace up the binding for the signatures. I need to play around with this and come up with a better lacing pattern for a five signature configuration. I don't like how there are two empty spaces on the outside of the spine.

Step 5 – The signatures are simple. I used pattered paper from my stash for the signature covers and a brown recycled stock for the inside pages. Using the elastic for binding makes it really easy to insert the signatures. After I stitched each little signature booklet, I just had to slip it under one of the elastic bands in the spine of the journal.

Thanks for stopping by! Check out Eileen's blog and if you are not already a member, join the Facebook Eileen Hull Fan Club group. It is a warm, supportive group with lots of inspiration and sharing going on. You'll just have to answer a few simple questions when asking to join (to keep out spammers) and then you'll be added. ;-) Also be sure to check out the Topflight Stamps blog for even more inspiration.

I am entering this journal in the It's Halloween! Challenge over at the Funkie Junkie Blog as well as the Mini Album Makers October Challenge.

Supplies used!

Topflight Stamps Products:
IndigoBlu stamp set - Autumn Nights
Crafty Individuals stamp set - The Crow Plate
Visible Image - Scripted Streets
Seth Apter Baked Texture Embossing Powder - Chunky Rust
PaperArtsy Fresco Paint - Mahogany, Chalk, Smoked Paprika
Gel Press Plate

Dies:
Sizzix
Eileen Hull Pocket Notebook ( Sizzix / SB )
Tim Holtz Voltage ( Sizzix / SB )
Tim Holtz Postage Stamp Frame - retired

Other:

Sizzix Sizzles Matboard
Eileen Hull Easy Cut Adhesive
owl charm
DecoArt Media Liquid Acrylics - Diarylide Yellow, Cadmium Red Hue, Cadmium Orange Hue, Quinacridone Burnt Orange, Burnt Sienna
Tim Holtz Halloween Clippings stickers
Detail Black embossing powder
elastic
watercolors

Some links in this post are affiliate links which do not affect the price you pay but allow me to earn a small percentage of a sale. Thanks! (My husband also thanks you!) If you shop at Topflight Stamps, use my coupon code LISAHOEL for 12% off your order.