Even if I'm not actively creating, I'm continually filling my well by looking at other artists, work and videos. Part of the fun, to me, is learning and figuring out new stuff, and I've been learning and applying new things in my Mini Junk Journal as I work on it. I've added quite a bit of stuff to the pages since I showed you the last time. Below are two of my favorite page spreads and new techniques so far.
The page on the right is a technique I just learned from a Youtube video made by Treasure Books called DIY Transparent Embellishments with Tea Bags, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=epqnSVpos-U and I love it! I just used a random scrap on my desk to practice with, which happened to be a napkin scrap with the top layer already separated from the other layers. It needs to be a thin paper image (napkins, tissue paper, etc. and non-glossy). I used a used tea bag that I had already dried, emptied, and opened flat. I also used wax paper to work on so it wouldn't stick and would peel off easily when dry. Any non-stick surface would work though.
I think the lady used a glue/water mixture, but I used regular gel medium, which happened to be glossy, because I'm figuring things out and using what's handy. Anyway, I tore the image out of the napkin, brushed a thin layer of gel medium down on the wax paper, then lay the image down on top of it and brushed the image down with a little more gel medium before laying the tea bag on top and brushing gel medium over the whole thing. Then I took the brush and scrunched up the edges and flattened them (like she did) and left to dry. When it was dry I peeled it right off the wax paper and it was ready to use!
I only made this one, so far, as an example, but she made several showing different ways and things to make them. This one is currently held to the page with a paper clip, but I like it here, so I think I might sew it to the page on three sides and make it a pocket to hold secrets!
If you love tea bags, you should check out her video and see how it's done much better. Great ideas! She also has some great videos on junk journaling ideas and techniques! I will definitely be making more of these and trying some of her other ideas...
The other page is a piece of muslin, I think, which I used a wooden fabric stamp from Hobby Lobby to stamp the elephant on with. I stapled it to the journal page with blue staples, and when you lift it up there is a blank page to write on. I will eventually add some stitching or something to the bottom of the fabric, because it still needs a touch of something. It will show me what it needs at some point.
The left page is a book text page, which I had practiced marbling with shaving cream on sometime back. It kind of clashed with the other page, so a couple of days ago I tore a section out of an old paperback dream interpretation book and glued it across the page. It helped, but not enough. Then yesterday I noticed the writing on the cover of a scrapbook paper block was the same dark blue as the page on the right! So I glued it at both ends to make a belly band, and now I can slide notes I've written, or "keepers", under it for safekeeping, plus it makes the pages a little bit more cohesive!
The page on the right is actually a blank thank you card from someone's wedding that didn't happen, or they were left over, they changed their minds, or something. Several years ago, I found the whole box of matching invitations, thank you cards, ribbon markers, envelopes, papers, etc., brand new, for a couple of dollars at Goodwill. All are in the colors of indigo and cream, which I love! The couples' name and address are still on the box. I'm sorry if things didn't work out for them, but it sure gave me a lot of pretty fodder for paper projects!
Anyway, one of the thank you cards became two pages that just fit my little journal! I loved the page, but it needed a little something else, so I found a blank note card from a set of cards with old master art prints on them, that my mom gave me years ago for a birthday. It had a Monet print on it and I cut the lady with the umbrella out and glued her on the page. She helped, but still blended in a little too much, so I went around her with a black marker, and didn't do a good job, but it is what it is, at least for now. The lace on the edge is actually much wider and shows up really well when the book is closed.
My little journal is getting very chunky, as I keep collecting and adding new techniques and ideas to it! I'm almost to the point, though, that I'm going to stop adding things, per se, and I'm going to do some writing, mark making, and other stuff that won't add to the thickness of the book.
So, this is one thing I've been doing since my last post, and in the next post I'll share another thing I played with the last couple of days! Besides watching how-to videos...
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