Funkie Junkie Focus – New Sizzix Chapter 1 Dies

The new Sizzix dies have been released and it's an exciting collection! The Funkie Junkie has all the new products from both Tim Holtz and Eileen Hull. I got busy and created a rather involved (= this post is long so get comfy) jungle themed junk journal!

The base of the journal is created using Eileen Hull's new Frame Pocket Journal Scoreboards Plus Die. (A plus die is an oversize die that won't fit into a regular Big Shot machine. You will need a Big Shot Plus, Sizzix Switch or other comparable wide mouth machine.)

The journal can be created with or without the flap (but I think it adds a nice touch).

There is a pocket part on the die that you can cut out of matboard to create a rigid tag pocket as shown above. You can also cut it out of cardstock and use in the pages (shown later). If you don't include the pocket, you can fit more signatures in your journal. I made two signatures, thinking the pocket would take up the space of the third signature. I added so many inclusions to my pages however, the signatures became way too thick! I could only fit one signature into my journal. Oops! I made the extra signature its own little companion book. I couldn't let all that work go to waste. Plus you can learn from me. ;-)

Now for LOTS of detail photos! There are also in progress photos to see how it all went together.

Scroll all the way to the end for a supplies list.

Detail of the tags & envelope from the front pocket.

The envelope is cut from a gel print I first embossed with
the new ML Textured Impressions Embossing Folder - Dotted.

The frame pocket holding the tag on the right page is part of

the Frame Pocket Journal Scoreboards Plus Die. Cut them out of

paper or cardstock and sprinkle throughout your journal. 

My "extra" signature as its own little book. I was so sad when I realized they were too bulky to both fit in the main journal. Oh well, this works!

The covers of the signatures are covered with paper embossed
using the new 3-D Textured Impressions Embossing Folder - Tablecloth
(how-to steps below)

I cut a tag out of a piece of Black Two-tone Woodgrain Cardstock and then
used the Tile Alphanumeric Thinlits Die to cut the letters out.

Another frame pocket to hold a tag. Perfect!

I incorporated a whole sheet of a Tile Alphanumeric Thinlits Die cut
to use as pages in the signature.

How-to:

1) Embossing with the Tablecloth 3-D Textured Impressions Embossing Folder. I had some pre-inked cardstock in my stash so I grabbed that to use. (Having a stash is a time saver!) One of my favorite techniques to use with the 3-D folders is to ink it with archival ink and then emboss my paper. The ink is transferred into the debossed areas and really makes the detail pop.

I also used a brayer to lightly add paint to the tops of the embossed areas. 

2) Journal parts and assembly.

The Frame Pocket Journal Die

I did all my inking and stamping before assembling the parts.

You can use strong dry adhesive like red line tape to assemble the
cover, but I prefer to use a strong wet adhesive.

3) A look at some of the elements I used on the pages:

The Library Pocket, ATC Card & Tabs Thinlits Die Set in action!

I embossed the paper with Dotted first and then cut the envelope.

The tag pocket cut from cardstock and some of the frame pockets.

I decorated all the pages first and then stitched the signatures together.

I made a charm cluster for the closure using 
Prima Marketing Mechanicals - Rusty Monstera and a
broken necklace I had in my stash.

Thanks for stopping by. If you hung in there for the whole post you're a rock star! 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:

New Sizzix Chapter 1:

Eileen Hull - Frame Pocket Journal Scoreboards Plus Die
Eileen Hull - Tile Alphanumeric Thinlits Die
Eileen Hull - Library Pocket, ATC Card & Tabs Thinlits Die Set
Eileen Hull - 3-D Textured Impressions Embossing Folder - Tablecloth
Tim Holtz - ML Textured Impressions Embossing Folder - Dotted

Tim Holtz Die Sets - Brushstroke Butterflies, Framed Tags, Specimen, Collector, Gertrude Colorize, Funky Insects, Paper-Cut Bird, Garden Greens

Sizzix Large Tropicals Thinlits Die Set

Eileen Hull Folio Page, Pocket & Flowers Thinlits Die Set

Eileen Hull 3D Texture Fade Embossing Folder - Woven Leather

Tim Holtz Stamp Sets - Entomology, Field Notes, Specimen, Botanical Sketch, Tiny Toadstools, Mesh & Linen, Halftone & Rings, Bubbles
Tim Holtz Layering Stencils - Ringer, Markings, Dotted Line, Feather, Cells, Code, Nature 

Distress Collage Medium Matte

Distress Halloween Black Two-tone Woodgrain Cardstock

Distress Archival Ink 4-Pack Basics

Distress Embossing Glaze - Twisted Citron
Distress Crackle Paste Opaque

Tim Holtz Idea-ology - Halloween 2022 Design Tape, Label Stickers Thoughts, Snippets Curator, Mini Paper Clips, Hitch Fasteners, Ephemera Field Notes, Clippings Stickers

Tim Holtz Tiny Attacher

Tonic Tim Holtz Deckle Torn Edge Trimmer

Stamperia Amazonia 8x8 Paper Pad

Prima Marketing Mechanicals - Rusty Monstera

Funkie Junkie Focus – Favorite Products of 2022

Happy New Years Funkie Junkie fans! It may be 2023 now, but our Focus theme this time was "Favorite Products of 2022". I had lots of favorites so it was hard to choose but here is a project that features some of them.

I created a little winter scene using Eileen Hull's Shadow Box Frames #2 Die Set to make the frame. It is a handy die set to have in your tool box! Another 2022 favorite is the Holiday seasonal release, Gray Two-tone Woodgrain Cardstock. Love it! It has a great look even without any inking and it was really easy to die cut to make the frame.

The background is the new Tim Holtz 3-D Texture Fade folder Tree Rings (which I LOVE). So much texture! The houses, trees, sky and sentiment are all cut using the Tim Holtz Christmas Cutouts Die Set. It is definitely not limited to Christmas projects. I really like the primitive look of the designs.

Let's take a look at some of the how-to:

Step 1 – First I inked up some Heavystock with Distress Spray Stains to use in the Tree Rings embossing folder.

Step 2 – One of my favorite techniques to use with the 3-D Texture Fade folders is to ink the folder itself with Archival Ink and then emboss. The ink gets transferred to the paper in all the de-bossed areas and really makes the texture pop. I tried three different ink colors to see which I liked best.

Step 3 – Cutting out the Shadow Box frame parts:

Step 4 – The frames aren't too hard to assemble, especially if you build it atop a gridded surface of some sort so you can make sure it glues up squared.

Step 5 – To create the houses and other elements, I applied foil tape over heavy cardstock and then painted over the metal with Distress Paint. (Tip: clean the foil with rubbing alcohol first and the paint will adhere better.) When the paint was dry, I die cut my pieces and then lightly sanded them to reveal some of the metal underneath.

Happy New Years! I hope you are carving in some time to get crafting in! 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:

Tim Holtz Die Set - Christmas Cutouts

Eileen Hull Shadow Box Frames #2 Die Set

Tim Holtz 3D Texture Fade embossing folder - Tree Rings

Distress Collage Medium Matte

Distress Mixed Media Heavystock

Distress Gray Two-tone Woodgrain Cardstock

Distress Woodgrain Cardstock

Ranger Foil Tape Sheets

Distress Archival Ink 4-Pack Basics

Distress Paint - Lumberjack Plaid, Salvaged Patina, Fossilized Amber, Rustic Wilderness, Peeled Paint

Distress Spray Stains - Pumice Stone, Hickory Smoke, Brushed Corduroy

Distress Rock Candy Dry Glitter

2023 – Eileen Hull's Sizzix Chapter 1 Release Party!

 

Welcome to 2023 and the Sizzix Chapter 1 Release Party of Eileen Hull's newest dies. We are celebrating with a Live party and this Blog Hop! Eileen's Teams have been hard at work creating with Eileen's new products and have quite a lineup of inspiration for you. Here is what Eileen has to say,

"Introducing the Chapter 1, 2023 Eileen Hull/Sizzix collection!

Let's start with the ScoreBoards Frame Pocket Journal – this is a Bigz Plus die so you will need a 9” cutting machine. The Journal measures 4 1/2” x 6 1/2” x 1 1/4” with an adjustable spine. What makes this die special are the additional pieces on the die, a pocket to hold ephemera, a frame and flap! These extra pieces may be used in many of my other journals or they can be used independently. The die may also be configured in a few different ways so watch the blog and Facebook live shows for ideas.

There are two Thinlits sets that coordinate with the Journal. You asked for a new alphabet – you got it – and I added numbers too! The Tile Alphanumeric is very versatile because you can use both the positive and negative shapes. Each letter is perforated which makes it easy to create and line up words.

The other Thinlits set is the Library Pocket, ATC Card and Tab Die Set – a journal essential! Use the ATC card die to knock out a bunch of Artist Trading Card bases and add the library pocket to package it up to swap. The Tab die is perfect to add to the Journal pages or on the ATC.

The last item is a 3D embossing folder called Tablecloth which was inspired by a crocheted cotton piece from my Mom. This adds beautiful texture and dimension to card backgrounds, book pages or tags!"

Don't miss the Sizzix Chapter 1 Release Party on Tuesday, January 3rd at 12pm EST!

Find the live Sizzix Chapter 1 Release Party on Eileen's YouTube channel or her FaceBook page! It will be streaming concurrently on both platforms. Eileen will be joined by several of the designers from her Teams so it will be a fun time! UPDATE: Watch the replay of the Release Party HERE.

Yes, there is a giveaway!

Enter the giveaway! Comment in the Release Party video chat and answer this question, "What would you create with these dies?" We loved hearing all your amazing ideas last time and want to hear more! 

Find the list of links to all the Designers' blog posts on Eileen's blog!

Whew! Now that the business is out of the way, let's take a look at the projects I made using Eileen's new dies and 3D Embossing Folder. I'll have a tutorial post later in the month.

First I made a card using the Tile Alphanumeric for the background with embossed Tablecloth and a message pocket cut using the Library Pocket, ATC Card and Tab Die Set.

Next I dug into a journal project with the fab new ScoreBoards Frame Pocket Journal Die. I created a forest themed nature junk journal packed full of forest-y bits and pieces!

Be sure to visit the blogs of the other designers and see all the inspiration! Tune in for the Live Release Party too. It will be fun as always! Don't forget the chance for prizes! ;-) UPDATE: See the video below for a slideshow of all the great projects…

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!)

Eileen Hull Projects – Favorites of 2022!

Hello there! Our final Eileen Hull Inspiration Team "assignment" for 2022 was to pick our three favorite projects made with Eileen's products from the past year. That is a hard assignment! I finally managed it though and here are my top three of 2022…

First up are a pair of Phone Stands decorated with alcohol inked papers. You can  find the details and tutorial on this post.

Second is an embroidered felt journal cover made using Eileen's Book Box Die. I had so much fun stitching this up! Maybe 2023 will be the year I finish all the insides ha ha. Find all the details here.

Lastly, we have a Skinny Mini Book Box project filled with mixed media postcards. I used a ton of other dies and stamps of Eileen's in this make as well so check out all the details and tutorial in the original post.

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

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!)

Funkie Junkie Focus – Tim Holtz Christmas Cards

Hello there, Christmas is almost here! Crafting is continuing around here at a breakneck speed ha ha. Our focus for Funkie Junkie's Inspiration Ave. is 'Tim Holtz Christmas, Anything Goes'. I found myself in need of some extra Christmas cards so I got going…

Time is valuable right now so I utilized a "use what I have ready" method. The 3-D embossed backgrounds were extras from a previous project. Couldn't let those go to waste! They were the perfect backgrounds for layering lots of Tim Holtz Christmas ephemera and die cuts. (I also have a box of extra die cuts so those were all ready to go too.) Efficient creating is a must five days before Christmas. ;-)

I really love the Tree Rings and Pine Branches 3-D Texture Fade embossing folders. 

My Tim Holtz ephemera stash is a mix of years past and present so I'm not sure if this deer is in the current 2022 pack. There are plenty of great images in each years' collection though so no worries.

The background is Opaque Distress Crackle Paste applied through the Festive Layering Stencil. When dry, I added Distress Holiday Mica Stains for color and shimmer.

The embossed pine branches are highlighted with the pearlescent Seasonal Distress Crayons.

The Christmas Paper Dolls are so cute to use on cards as well. If time wasn't so short, I would have colored them using the new Distress Watercolor Pencils. Compromises must be made in times of need!

Here are a few peeks at the behind the scenes. Mostly it's a matter of pulling everything out, digging through piles and playing around with elements until I'm happy.

I did prepare all the card bases first:

I cut the leading edges of the cards using the Deckle Torn Edge Trimmer. I think it gives it a nice finished look.

Note the creative mess lol!

Merry Christmas! I hope you are inspired to get some holiday crafting in! 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…

The Funkie Junkie Boutique is having a December BOGO & Overstock SALE right now. Shop now for some great deals!

Supplies used:

Tim Holtz Die Set - Bold Text, Christmas

Tim Holtz 3D Texture Fade embossing folder - Tree Rings

Tim Holtz 3D Texture Fade embossing folder - Pine Branches

Tim Holtz Layering Stencil - Festive

Distress Collage Medium Matte

Distress Crackle Paste - Opaque

Distress Holiday Mica Stains

Distress Crayons Seasonal

Distress Ink - Ground Espresso

Distress Mixed Media Heavystock

Tonic Tim Holtz Deckle Torn Edge Trimmer

Tim Holtz Idea-ology Ephemera Pack Christmas

Tim Holtz Idea-ology Paper Dolls Christmas

Tim Holtz Idea-ology Sticker Book Christmas

Tim Holtz Idea-ology Layers Christmas Botanicals 2022

Charlie Brown's Christmas Tree Lot

Merry Christmas everyone! It's nearly upon us! I have a project to share today that I wanted to make for last year but it didn't happen. But it did for this season…

I present, Charlie Brown's tree lot!

I also made this to enter into Lucy Foxworth's annual Miniature Christmas House Contest. I'm so glad I got it done in time!

Do you spy the little tree?

Of course I had to light it all up, including making mini "blow molds".

The trailer is made using Eileen Hull's Sizzix 3-D Camper Die with some modifications.

Let's take a look at some of the 'behind the scenes'. The tree lot is staged in a vintage picnic tin. I made it so the whole thing can be disassembled and stored inside of it in the off season.

The supports for the scene base are made of pieces of foamcore slotted together:

The bent tabs at the back support the lid when it's propped up as a background.

A piece of watercolor paper colored with Distress Spray Stains forms the background in the lid. A diecut city scape and stenciled snow (Snowfall Grit Paste with glitter) complete the scene. (The stenciling doesn't show up in the photos but is a nice glittery accent.)

One string of white Tiny Lights runs through the trailer and the mini blow molds.

The lot light string is held up by two paper straw 'posts' that slide over large nails punched through the foam core base and glued in place.

FYI, the garland strung between them is a set of Christmas Tiny Lights wrapped around a piece of Pine Twine. 

Snow tip, I worked from the back to the front, gluing the various pieces into place as I went. For the snow I used a tub of Snow Tex I had on hand and gave it all a coating of dry Rock Candy Glitter with a Glitter Duster when I was done. 

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you are able to carve out some creative time in this busy holiday season. I know it can be a challenge! Merry Christmas to you all!

Supplies used:

Eileen Hull Scoreboards Die - 3-D Camper Die

Tim Holtz Die Set - Cityscape, Metropolis #661804 - retired

Tim Holtz Die Set - Dash Away All #665468 - retired

Idea-ology Christmas Tiny Lights

Idea-ology Pine Twine

Idea-ology Fringe Christmas

Idea-ology Tiny Lights

Distress Spray Stain - Faded Jeans, Speckled Egg

Distress Oxide Spray Stain - Cracked Pistachio

Distress Paint (trailer) - Picket Fence, Antique Linen, Cracked Pistachio

Distress Collage Medium Matte

Distress Grit Paste - Snowfall

Dry Rock Candy Glitter

Glitter Duster

Funkie Junkie Focus – Tim Holtz Christmas Stampers Anonymous

Hello and welcome to the current Product Focus at the Funkie Junkie's Inspiration Ave! We are taking a look at Tim Holtz's 2022 Stampers Anonymous Christmas stamps. There are some great new sets released this season and I used one of my favorites (Festive Collage) to create a Christmas card.

I created lots of layers for this card! Let's take a look:

Step 1 - I used the new Pinecones stencil to create the background layer. I used Heavystock as my substrate and did one piece with Opaque Crackle Paste and one piece with Translucent Crackle Paste. I wanted to compare the two and wasn't sure which I wanted to use in my card.

Step 2 - I spritzed each piece with Antique Linen, Old Paper and Tea Dye Distress Stains as well as Fresh Balsam Mica Stain. The Opaque paste resists the stains more than the Translucent. I decided to go with the Translucent piece for my card.

Step 3 - The next layer was a piece embossed using the 3D Tree Rings Folder. The next was a Heavystock Tag to do my stamping on. I prepped it by smooshing Oxide Iced Spruce and Antique Linen onto the tag.

Step 4 - Stamping! Using a stamping platform, I first stamped my image with Archival Black Soot ink. Then I used some of the Seasonal Pearlescent Distress Crayons like watercolors to color the image in. (Scribble on a craft sheet and use a water brush to pick up the color and paint.) When the crayon was dry, I stamped again over the top with Black Soot to make the details of the stamped image crisp again.

Step 5 - I used the Vintage Labels Die Set to make a little label to stamp the sentiment on (from the Darling Christmas stamp set).

Thanks for stopping by! I hope you are inspired to get some holiday crafting in! 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:

Tim Holtz Stamp Set - Festive Collage

Tim Holtz Stamp Set - Darling Christmas

Tim Holtz Die Set - Vintage Labels

Tim Holtz 3D Texture Fade embossing folder - Tree Rings

Tim Holtz Layering Stencil - Pinecones

Idea-ology Linen Tape Patchwork Christmas

Ranger Archival Inks - Red Geranium, Black Soot

Distress Spray Stain - Antique Linen, Old Paper, Tea Dye

Distress Collage Medium Matte

Distress Crackle Paste - Opaque, Translucent

Distress Seasonal Mica Stains - Fresh Balsam

Distress Crayons Seasonal - Tree Lot, Tart Cranberry, Crooked Broomstick

Distress Ink - Lumberjack Plaid

Distress Ink Oxide - Iced Spruce, Antique Linen

Distress Mixed Media Heavystock Tags

Distress Mixed Media Heavystock

Brayer