Mixed Media - Awaken the Soul - Journal

Hi, Crafty Friends!! 

I'm back again with another Mixed Media Journal Project today. Since discovering that I can dramatically shorten the length of time I can put these bad boys together I have been even more addicted to making them!

I can't get enough of Eileen Hull's Journal Die! Journals are so on trend but tend to get very pricey when buying pre-made ones. But with Eileen's Heartfelt Journal die from Sizzix I can make as many as I want whenever I want and customize and personalize each one, making them as extravagant or as minimalistic as I want.

This and my last journal are quite detailed. But just because they're detailed doesn't necessarily mean difficult. Let me show you how I made this journal using unexpected materials.

Supplies Used

Big Shot (Sizzix)

Eileen Hull Heartfelt Journal Die (Sizzix)

Eileen Hull Book & Pages, Trinket Box & Frame (Sizzix)- COMING SOON

Mat Board (Sizzix)

Brick Wall Stencil (Little Birdie Crafts)

Chipboard

Natural Burlap Stack (DCWV)

Corrugated Cardstock (DCWV)

Cheesecloth/ Gauze

Creative Station (Xyron)

Whipped Spackle (Faber-Castell)

Black Chalkboard Paint (Prima Marketing)

Art Alchemy AcrylicPaint - Emerald Green (Prima Marketing)

Art Alchemy Acrylic Paint-Opal Magic Blue Pink (Prima Marketing)

Mechanicals Tin Hearts (Prima Marketing)

Art Ingredients Mélange Art Pebbles (Prima Marketing)

Gilded Life Large Heart Bezel (Spellbinders)

Pebeo Gilding Wax- Silver (Crafter's Companion)

Pebeo Gilding Wax- Empire Gold (Crafter's Companion)

Pebeo Gilding Wax- Renaissance Gold (Crafter's Companion)

Pegasus Pony (Dollar Store/ King Dollar)

Mixed Media Glue (Beacon)

I started by cutting my chipboard, burlap sheet, and corrugated cardstock into 6"x 9" pieces.

Then I ran the CHIPBOARD pieces through my Xyron Creative Station. Once I ran it through I flipped it over and ran it through one more time. This way I have adhesive on both sides. I repeated this for both pieces of chipboard.

Once both pieces of chipboard were covered in adhesive, I peeled back the protective film and attached a burlap sheet to one side and a corrugated sheet to the other. I repeated those steps for the second piece of chipboard as well. These will be my covers.

I ran my covered chipboard through my Sizzix Big Shot using my Eileen 

Hull Journal Die (Corrugated side FACE DOWN, against the blade).

Then added Mixed Media Glue to the spine and adhered them together, Lining them up using the pre-cut holes. Then clipped the ends together with a clip and set a heavy object on top till the glue set.

 While that was drying, I ran pieces of cheesecloth and burlap I randomly cut up through my Xyron Creative Station.

Then applied the burlap and cheesecloth onto the front of my cover.

I die cut a frame from Eileen's NEW Book & Pages, Trinket Box & Frame from white Mat Board. 

I used Little Birdie's Brick wall spackle with some Whipped Spackle to stencil on some texture.

 Once the paste was dry, I ran the frame through my Creative Station, Peeled off the protective film and applied it onto the front cover over the cheesecloth. 

Then added a little fleur de lis metal embellishment to the top of the frame.

Here's a little something unexpected... Just like my last journal, I used plastic toys to build my mixed media piece. I found the plastic pegasus pony at my local King Dollar Store. I love her hot pink color but she's not the prettiest looking pony... but upon further inspection, her wings are absolutely GORGEOUS!! So much detail and texture just in her wings... I just had to take her home and sacrifice her for a greater cause.

Yes, I killed a pony. I'm not a bad person (I promise) but I have to say... I most definitely would and WILL do it again. Sorry kids... Just look away!!

I yanked out her wings... which surprisingly were easy to dismember from her body. Then trimmed off the stumpy plugs off the ends.

WOOT WOOT!! A huge pair of pretty WINGS for a little over $1!! WIN!!

Then, I used mixed media glue to attach the wings to the center of my frame.

And glued a metal heart bezel over top using more mixed media glue. There was quite a bit of a gap so I used some craft foam to fill that uneven space under the bezel.

I used more foam under the tin metal heart and glued it onto the top of the bezel.

While the glue was setting I placed an ink pad between my cover flaps to keep it level so the embellishments don't slide before they set.

Then I added these clear art pebbles for added interest.

Once the glue set, I painted the entire cover and embellishments with black chalkboard paint.

I dry brushed on emerald green and opal magic blue pink acrylic paint over the wings, burlap, pebbles, and bezel.

I ended up repainting the center of the heart and the frame black. I didn't like the grout of my brick green and I wanted the gilding wax to stand out. It really stands out and does best over black.

Then I applied gilding wax over all the metal embellishments and random raised areas along the cover. Rubbers lightly over the grooves in the corrugate, mesh, and burlap... and also tips of the wings and over the brick of the frame.

 I brushed on black chalkboard paint over my Tim Holtz Word Band then rubbed off the excess. I just wanted the paint in the recessed areas in the words. then attached it to the front cover under the frame.

 Then I painted over the back flap and insides with more chalkboard paint and set it aside to dry.

After my journal was dried, I threaded elastic strands through the pre-cut holes and tied the ends into a knot. Then inserted black page inserts I had made earlier... to see how I made my journal inserts, please visit my previous journal making post.

I personally think plain white pages in dark journals look awkward but black pages look amazing!! 

But you can use whatever inserts you like.

And here is my finished journal...

Close Ups

I really enjoyed making this journal! I've been meaning to try more Mixed Media art and I'm so glad I have!! 

I hope you enjoyed to this project and it inspires you to give mixed media a try!!

Thanks for stopping by!

Until next time...

HAPPY CRAFTING!!

~Mitsy

***Disclaimer***

This blog is compensated to provide opinion on products, services, websites and various other topics. Even though the owner(s) of this blog receives compensation for our posts or advertisements, I always give my honest opinions, findings, beliefs, or experiences on those topics or products.

The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely my own. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with each manufacturer, provider, or party in question.

Creepy Crawly Skeleton Journal

Hello, Crafty Friends!! Happy Friday the 13th!!

I'm back with Team Xyron to bring you this creepy crawly mixed media project. And surprisingly, despite its appearance, this project was fairly mess-free! Say what?! I know what you're thinking... How can mixed media be mess-free, right?? Well, the secret is in the Creative Station! Let me show you!

Supplies Used

Big Shot (Sizzix)

Eileen Hull Journal Die (Sizzix)

Chipboard 

Burlap Sheets (DCWV)

Cheesecloth

Creative Station (Xyron)

Black Cardstock (Bazzill)

Chalkboard Paint (Prima)

Pebeo Gilding Wax-  (Crafter's Companion)

Plastic Halloween Skeleton and Bugs Toys/ Favors

Tim Holtz Idea-ology Adornments- Wicked

Tim Holtz Ideology Word Bands- Halloween

Mixed Media Glue (Beacon)

Stapler

I started by cutting my chipboard and burlap materials into 6"x 9" (die-cuttable sized) pieces. I cut out 2 chipboard pieces and 4 burlap pieces.

Then ran the chipboard through my Xyron Creative Station. Once through I flipped it over and ran it back through again to get adhesive on both sides.

I peeled off the protective film then applied the burlap onto both sides of each chipboard.

Once my chipboard was covered on both sides, I used my Eileen Hull Journal Die and Big Shot machine to die-cut two journal covers.

Then I used mixed media glue to adhere the two spines together. Iused the pre-cut holes to line them up evenly and set them aside to dry.

This next step saved me a whole lot of mess and dry time. Usually when people add texture to their projects the "decoupage" it onto their project, slapping on a whole lot of wet glue with a paintbrush or squeegee, or spackle. That process is repeated for each layer. and the more layers you have the longer dry time takes.

To combat both the mess and drying time I found that quickly running my materials through the Creative Station to be an absolute dream!

With the cheesecloth, I didn't even have to completely unfold it. I simply left it double layered (Folded in half) and cranked it through.

I peeled it off like a fabric sticker and added it to my cover. I added creases and folds to the cloth while adhering to create even more texture.

SO SIMPLE, MESS FREE, and INSTANTLY DRY!!

Once I got my cheesecloth in place I worked on my embellishments.

I found these plastic skeletons and bugs and my local dollar stores. 

I deconstructed my skeleton. I snipped and separated the bones for easier posting and placement.

Next, I used more mixed media glue to piece together the skeleton into a desired position. And then I adhered the plastic bugs and set aside to dry again.

When the glue dried I painted the journal cover with Black Chalkboard Pain! I painted over all the plastic pieces and made sure to get between the creases.

I applied gilding wax over the raised areas and textured material using my fingertip.

Rubbing the guilding was over top really makes all the raised areas and textured material just pop off all that black!

Then I began the whole process again for the back cover.

I also added a word band that said "bone collector" to the front cover.  I painted it over with more chalkboard paint but rubbed it off so that the paint only remained in the recessed areas.

My cover is so creepy it's giving me goosebumps!

I didn't add texture to the inside but did paint it over with more chalkboard paint and rub over it with more guilding wax.

To fill my journal, I created black paged inserts.

I simply crease an 8.5"x 11" cardstock at the 5.5" and folded in half. I did this for 10 sheets.

Then stapled 5 of those sheets together down the center to create one insert.

Then threaded elastic card through the pre-cut holes and tied them off on the inside. Then simply slid my inserts under each cord to fasten the inserts into the book.

And here is the finished Journal...

FRONT

BACK

How cool is this?!! 

I. LOVE. IT!!

And I hope you do too!!

Thanks for joining me today!!

Hope you have a totally wicked Friday the 13th!!

Until next time...

HAPPY CRAFTING!!

~Mitsy

***Disclaimer***

This blog is compensated to provide opinion on products, services, websites and various other topics. Even though the owner(s) of this blog receives compensation for our posts or advertisements, I always give my honest opinions, findings, beliefs, or experiences on those topics or products.

The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely my own. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with each manufacturer, provider, or party in question.