Put A Good Word In with The Funkie Junkie Boutique Blog

Hi everyone and welcome. Cec is our host for the first challenge of 2021 over on The Funkie Junkie Boutique Blog. She's called this one 'Put A Good Word In!' and here's how she describes it; "Create a shabby chic or vintage projects that includes a word or words that are positive or happy or uplifting in nature. Single words or sentiments/quotes can be used. Given what we have all been through for the last months nothing sad or negative please."

Since this is a new year we have decided to change up the prize package slightly. Beginning with this challenge the Design Team will choose their four top picks as they always do but the overall winner will receive the $25 gift certificate to go on a spending spree at The Funkie Junkie Boutique. We will not have a Guest Designer going forward; instead all four top picks will receive badges to display on their blogs in recognition of their outstanding contributions.

I'm back to making journal pages (for a new journal to be unveiled next month) but this time taking the approach of creating the pages and then adding them to the journal afterwards. This means it's easier to work on them on a flat surface and the completed pages can then be added in an order that looks best at the end.

From the first (above) photo you might be forgiven for thinking these words are not the positive, uplifting ones Cec is after. It is only when you turn the centre flap section that the 'punch line' is revealed and with it that affirming sentiment in full. Wendy Vecchi's words seem even more appropriate given everything that people are facing right now.

These pages have a neutral colour scheme with accents of mauve and violet helping to draw attention to the words and images. The background was created using a mix of white gesso, white acrylic paint, plaster paste, tea staining, staining with Tea dye, charcoal pencil and watercolours.

Card for the heart and words was covered in layers of acrylic paint topped off with an uneven layer of white gesso and edged with brown permanent ink.

The delicate circular patterns were created by using Eileen Hull's beautiful new 'Mandala' Thinlits Die; I cut the shape from a piece of kraft card which could then be used as a stencil through which to scrape layers of plaster paste.

Hint - keep the 'stencil' because it can be used for another project.

To follow Cec's theme extra words were added both by hand (seen above) and with some scraps from a book page (seen below). The small flap section in the middle of the two main pages was made using layers of fabric and gauze tucked in behind the first page. Experimenting with pages of different sizes in my previous journal have shown how these can work well to hide elements, create that 'reveal' moment and help to encourage the viewer through the various pages.

The flowers on the second page (from Wendy Vecchi's 'Art From Us' stamp set) were stamped on a single layer of tissue and adhered to the page using a soft matte gel medium. Another single layer of tissue was dyed with a mauve ink and stuck over the top of the flower layer when dry. You can draw over the stamped image with a fine permanent black pen to make it stand out further and add highlights with a white pen.

Finally touches of gold were used to lift the design; as well as using a gold pen I added a scrap of metallic crocheted ribbon and a gold mandala, created by die cutting Eileen's design from double sided adhesive and covering it with gold foil.

So that's my take on the theme 'Put A Good Word In!' My fabulous team mates have also come up with their own projects for this challenge so make sure you hop on over and check them out HERE.

I hope to share many more projects using Eileen's new dies over the coming weeks and months.

For now, thanks for visiting,
Jenny xxx

Products used to create these journal pages are available from The Funkie Junkie Boutique and are listed/linked below.

Sizzix Thinlits Die by Eileen Hull Designs - Mandala

Stampers Anonymous Studio 490 Wendy Vecchi Stamp Set - Art From Us

Stampers Anonymous Studio 490 Wendy Vecchi Stamp Set - Artful Thoughts

Aladine Seth Apter Izink Dye Spray - Tea

Aladine Seth Apter Izine Dye Spray - Cassis

Prima Marketing Watercolor Confections - Complexion

Ranger Tim Holtz Texture Paste - Matte

Ranger Dina Wakley Media Acrylic Paints and Gessos

Ranger Archival Inks