A Gardener's Journal

Welcome.  I hope you are enjoying this beautiful weekend.  I wanted to share a covered journal I recently created.  A fellow blogger had sent me an email about a submission call to an International crafting magazine, and suggested that I apply. So, I did.  The submission guidelines stated to create an altered project with a 'summer-time' theme.  Sounds easy.  Sounds fun!

I altered a hard-cover journal for writing down notes, from my garden.  I thought the whole thing sounds wonderfully summer-y!

here is what I made:

I really had fun altering this hard-cover journal.  I purchased the 'book' from the $1 bin @ a big box craft store.  And altered the front cover.  Because who wants some random image with horrible yellow stripes?

To start, I covered the front of this hard-covered journal with white cardstock.  I adhered it right to the cover, and sanded the edges, so it would be flush.

I used pattern paper from the Secret Garden collection of G45 (Graphics 45).  I just love this paper.  The images are so sweet, and pretty.  Very appropriate for a summer growers journal {smile}.

I layered a large scale floral print to the blue matt, for my 'base' piece.  From there I added all the layers and pieces.  In this G45 collection are some framed images that coordinate with their collection.  So I selected my favorite.  Are you surprised that there is a bird cage in the image?  I love the bird and floral piece, with the background text.  I looks so vintage, and pretty.

I matted it with a blue checkered piece.  I really wanted to do alot of blue accent pieces.  They contrasted so nicely with the corals.  I added a white resin architecture piece, from Melissa Frances, to the top of the framed image.  I also distressed some blue buttons in varying sized.  I tied each button with cream twine and added a pearl to their centers.  I stamped the sentiment on this piece, 'Plant a SEED.  GROW a dream.' in basic black classic ink, right onto the paper.  

I added a chipboard piece, that is also with the Secret Garden collection.  The clock image reminds me that we don't always have enough time, and planting season is pretty short.  I kept with the vintage-theme, and distressed the edges with white distress paint and glitter.  I tied a piece of peach-coral colored ribbon to this piece and added a color spritz paper blossom.  I made the leaves with a piece of green pattern paper from this collection, and distressed the edges of the leaves with paint and glitter.  And adhered it to the chip board piece.

I made a small trim piece with soft suede cardstock and the text pattern paper.  I love the contrast between the text and the floral images.  I machine stitched some tea-stained trim and seam binding to the accent piece.  I added a multi-loop bow with my own collection of trinkets.  I added a tag to the bow.  I stamped 'Fleurs' (french for flowers) in basic black classic ink, on to the tag, and distressed the edges with paint and glitter.  I added a 'crystal' dangle, from 7gypsies, to the tag.  I added a flat back jeweled 'button' from Webster's Pages, to the center of the bow.  And I topped the bow with another spritzed paper blossom with hand-made leaves, those edges were distressed with paint and glitter.

I had alot of fun creating this altered journal.  But, my creation was not selected to be published.  I'm sure their crafting magazine is packed with gorgeous creations, maybe next time.

Thank you for stopping by and having a look.  

Best Friends

There are a few great things happening today! First, I'm the hostess again this week over @ Our Creative Corner.  Second, it's my birthday!  And third, my family is sharing a meal with me this evening!  When I say family, I mean it, in every sence of the word: my folks, my husband, my daughter and her family (including two of my grandchildren), my husband's mother, and my son-in-law's mother.  

But, first things first.  I am hosting again this week @ Our Creative Corner.  The challenge that I have for you this week, is to create a paper craft item (a card, scrapbook layout, 3-D item, an altered item) for a Best Friend.  It can be for a Birthday, Thank You, or any other occasion.  The only requirement I have for this week, is to include a flower.  But it can be a hand-made flower, or an embellishment, or a floral stamp.  Sounds pretty broad, but that is so you can make a papercraft item that is special to your Best Friend.

Here is my card:

Now, for some words about my card.  I love some specific paper craft companies.  But, I probably own products from almost every paper craft company out there.  So, I am a big fan of using what you have.  You loved the product enough to spend your hard earn cash on it.  Use it!  

To create this card, I used paper from Stampin' Up!, Webster's Pages, Cosmo Cricket, and Echo Park.  I stamped a script text from Hero Arts onto the center panel, to give it some 'weight' on the lower third of the cardstock, since the top portion of the card is pretty busy.  The reason I mentioned the different paper companies, is to show you that even though the greens and blues aren't a perfect color match, they are from the same color families and look great together!

The bird is actually a glitter rub-on.  The stamped sentiment, 'best FRIENDS to the end' is a collaboration of two different stamp sets from two different companies:  Stampin' Up! and Paper Trey Ink. 

The 'ribbon' is seam binding from Stampin' Up!  I made the multi-loop bow by hand and used a CTMH rhinestone brad to hold the bow together.

I used a 'lace' hand-held punch to create the decorative strip at the top of the main panel.  I punched this delicate piece out of text pattern paper.  This was to mimic the text script at the lower third of the same panel, and to introduce a soft beige color of the flowers that encircle the medallion.

Thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule, to stop by and view my Best Friend card.  Enjoy the rest of your weekend!  I'll have a piece of birthday cake for us all  :)