Funkie Junkie Focus – "Finish It" Undone Projects

It's not quite spring (at least not around here, it's been snowing all day). However, you might be in the mood for some spring cleaning! It has taken a crafty turn for our current Funkie Junkie Focus theme which is "Finish It" – take an uncompleted project and finish it off. I partially completed a junk journal in June of 2022 and then it and all the stuff I had collected for it looked like this until now:

oh my, what a pile LOL

I still had two signatures worth of pages left to fill to complete the journal. You can find the first post about it here. Here is the outside:

The journal structure was created using Eileen Hull's Folio Journal Die and filled with all sorts of stamping, ephemera and die cuts. Here's a sampling of some of the new inside pages:

I had previously added some Waterfall flips to the inside cover but hadn't decorated them yet.

I did do a tutorial for putting the cover together in my first post. Here are a few in process photos from my journey in finishing up the other pages:

 It's quite a chaotic crafty scene! Lots of scraps and bits all over the place ha ha.

I decorate all the pages, front and back, before binding them together. It is much easier that way!

Elastic binding makes it really easy to add the pages. You just slide them under the elastic.

So, mission accomplished! I now have a cleared off tray in my art rack. Hurray! Thanks for stopping by. Keep an eye on the Funkie Junkie Boutique Blog, Inspiration Ave. because you are now getting regular doses of expanded (and inspiring) content each week. Don't miss it…

Supplies used:

Eileen Hull Die - Folio Journal Die 
Eileen Hull Die Set - Faux Postage 
Eileen Hull Die Set - Library Pocket, ATC Card & Tabs
Eileen Hull Die Set - Journaling Cards, Flowers & Leaves 662811 - retired

Eileen Hull 3-D Embossing Folders - Silverware, Vintage Buttons, Crochet Mandala
Tim Holtz Die Set - Vault Lovebirds

Tim Holtz Stamp Sets - Floral Trims, Field Notes, Ornate Trims, Specimen, Bold Botanicals, Eccentric, Papillon, Nature Walk, Ledger Script, Flutter, Bird Feather, Tiny Toadstools

Tim Holtz Idea-ology Backdrops - Vol. 5

Tim Holtz Idea-ology Snapshots Vol. 2

Tim Holtz Idea-ology Layers - Organic

Tim Holtz Idea-ology Ephemera - Curator

Tim Holtz Idea-ology Ephemera - Number Strips
Sizzix Textured Cardstock Pack

Design Tape

washi tape

Distress Collage Medium Matte

Tonic Deckle Trimmer

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!)

Using Up Leftovers with Eileen Hull's Dies

Are you scrap hoarding? We've all got them – those little bits and pieces which we can't bear to part with, the last of a pack of paper, bits of stamping, collected items for recycling… you get the idea! All this monthof June we've seen the Teams creating with leftovers in projects using Eileen's dies. For my project I created a junk journal using the Folio Journal Die as a base (and a whole BIG pile of scraps and leftovers!)

Here's the pile of "leftovers" I gathered to use. I had previously cut the Folio Journal out of burlap covered matboard and then never moved forward with that project. Out it came for this make! Of course I have a large stash of leftover paper scraps, die cuts and ephemera.

A junk journal is a perfect way to use up lots of scraps!

Here's a peek at some of the how-to:

1) First I decorated the insides of the cover pieces. I collaged some book pages onto them, spritzed with Distress Spray Stains and stamped on them.

2) After decorating, I glued the two halves of the cover together. I like to use liquid adhesive for a stronger bond.

3) Here's a look at all the pages in the first signature. I find it easier to decorate all the pages before assembling into a signature.

4) I also used Eileen's Card, Waterfall & Tags Die Set to add a waterfall feature to the right side of the fold out cover.

5) I used another set of Eileen's, the Folio Page, Pocket & Flowers Set, to add a little tag pocket to the other side.

Thanks for stopping by and be sure to keep an eye on Eileen's blog for more inspiration from the Educator and Inspiration Teams!

Supplies used:

Eileen Hull die - Folio Journal  (Sizzix / SB / TFJ )

Eileen Hull Die Set -  Card, Waterfall & Tags (Sizzix / SB / TFJ )

Eileen Hull 3D Embossing Folders - Crochet Mandala (Sizzix / SB / TFJ )

Eileen Hull Die Set -  Folio page, Pocket & Flowers (Sizzix / SB )

Eileen Hull Die Set - Journaling Cards, Flowers & Leaves #662811

Eileen Hull Die Set - Bookplate, Hinges & Label #662356

Eileen Hull Stamp Set - Snail Mail Postage

Whole pile of Tim Holtz Stamps, Distress inks and sprays ;-)

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!) 

Part 2 of the "Unconventional Materials" Project – Submarine Tunnel Book!

This month Eileen Hull's May project theme is "Unconventional Materials". Her design Teams have been hard at work and stretching their creativity by using 'not so normal' supplies and her Sizzix dies to create some really cool makes! Check out her blog if you've missed any posts this month. Last week I shared Part 1 of my Submarine Tunnel Book. You only got to see the cover but now you can see the coral reef tunnel book I created inside!

the 'porthole' cover

Open it up and what do you see?

An explosion of tropical color!

Some of the unconventional materials used are Tyvek mailing envelopes, paint chips and candy wrappers!

I think this just might be an octopus's garden!

Back on the outside, here are a few details of the cover:

Porthole is a Sizzix Shaker Dome!

Detail of the closure (see Part 1 for the how-to)

The tunnel "frame" is created using Eileen's Bookbinding Die (tutorial below):

Let's see how it came together! Visit my Part 1 blog post for the cover tutorial. This tutorial is about the inside construction.

Step 1 – Playing with Tyvek. Tyvek is a synthetic nonwoven material that is durable and tear resistant. It's used in applications such as shipping supplies, housewrap, and worksuits. However, it is not heat stable which is a property we can exploit for art! I found this video from Sandra Duran Wilson very helpful in explaining what you can do with it. I used mailing envelopes as my Tyvek source.

I used various acrylic paints to color the cut up envelopes. If your paint is too thick it will inhibit the bubbling when heat is applied so I kept my layers thin.

You can use a heat gun or an iron to apply heat to the Tyvek to make it bubble. It tends to curl and move around more with the heat gun so I stuck with my iron because I wanted flatter pieces I could put inside my book.

Watch the video for more detailed directions, but basically you need to sandwich the painted Tyvek between two press sheets (baking parchment or silicon craft mats) and then hover the hot iron over the top. You don't place the iron directly onto the Tyvek or press sheet covering it. It bubbles unpredictably which is part of the fun!

I cut and glued sections onto the insides of the front
and back covers of the book.

Step 2 – Brackets for Tunnel Pages. I cut four of the bookbinding folding spine units, two for each side. I folded them up and glued them together (see below).

'How to fold' detail

To make them easier to handle, I mounted each of the two spine units to a piece of cardstock cut to 3" x 4.75".

Then I glued the units into my cover:

Step 3 – I made a bunch of "reef parts" to have at the ready as I began assembly. I used cardstock and some more unusual materials (as per our May theme!)

Paint chips!

I think the Funky Cactus Die Set is great for 'coral'!

Candy wrappers!

I started by decorating the inside cover with die cuts, more of the Tyvek "bubbles" and "pirate treasure" from my bits and bobs stash.

Step 4 – Making the Tunnel pages. First I cut four pages to create my tunnel. The page die from the Folio Page, Pocket & Flowers Die Set made it really easy! I cut the centers out with the smallest opening for the back page and then gradating out in size to the front.

I checked the fit and made sure I liked the spacing and size of my tunnel openings.

Looks good!

I had some tiny clothespins which were handy for temporarily clipping the pages into place.

Step 5 – Assembly! I worked from back to front, gluing and stamping as I went.

To glue the pages in, I used a quick grab wet glue and applied a thin line to the back of the side edges of the tunnel page. My little clothespins were useful in holding the page in place while the glue dried. (Didn't take long).

Next layer!

Last layer and the little side pieces to cover the front set of spine tabs.

Well, that was a long post again! Congrats, you made it through. ;-)

Thanks for stopping by and next week will be a new month with a new theme! Be sure to keep an eye on Eileen's blog for some more inspiration.

I am also entering this into the Funkie Junkie Challenge Blog "Anything Goes" challenge. They always have fun challenges to enter every two weeks so check them out!

Supplies used:

Dies:

Eileen Hull Sizzix 

Folio Journal  ( Sizzix / SB )

Bookbinding & Label ( Sizzix / SB )

Folio Page, Pocket & Flowers ( Sizzix / SB ) 

Grass, #660326 - retired

Tim Holtz Sizzix

Funky Cactus ( Sizzix / SB )

Holiday Greens, Mini ( Sizzix / SB )
3-D Embossing Folder - Foundry ( Sizzix / SB )

Wacky Transport #1 ( Sizzix / SB )

Funky Festive ( Sizzix / SB )

Funky Festive, Large ( Sizzix )

On the Edge Die - Twigs

Other:

Topflight Stamps, Lavinia Brand stamps - School of Fish, Sea Creatures, Seaweed 2, Mini Fish, Fish Set

Topflight Stamps, Pink Ink Designs - Shell Nymph

Tim Holtz Stamp Set - Sea Life

Sizzix Shaker Domes - 664190
aluminum cans

Sizzix mat board
Distress Ink, Distress Oxide Ink - various colors

Distress Paint - Salvaged Patina, Black Soot
Distress Glaze - Salvaged Patina

Tim Holtz Idea-ology Hardware Heads

Tim Holtz Idea-ology Hitch Fasteners

Crop-a-dile Tool

eyelets

elastic cord

Stickles glitter glue - various colors

Crafter's Pick - The Ultimate! glue

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.

Submarine Tunnel Book
by MonalisaH -Lisa Hoel
Scrapbook.com