Mandala Collage Folio Journal featuring Seth Apter for Eileen Hull Designs

Hi everyone and welcome. Last week I shared the progress of my latest mixed media folio journal journey featuring Eileen Hull's 'Mandala' and 'Folio Journal' dies, many of Seth Apter's stamp sets (a mix from PaperArtsy and Impression Obsession) Izink pigment inks, PaperArtsy Fresco Finish Paints and Seth's embossing powders from Emerald Creek Craft Supplies.

This week I'm back to share all 18 completed pages, each an individual collage piece in it's own right and bound together inside the Folio Journal covers. A quick reminder that you can see how the basic journal was created here.

Some of the pages have circular 'windows' in them which means you can see other pages beneath. In the case of the first page that helps to add to the design. Around that window I've used a die cut of Eileen's 'Mandala' to act as a stencil through which texture paste has been applied along with a coating of Seth Apter's 'Rocky Road' Embossing Powder. Underneath the stencilling a little stamping is visible and layered over the top are two die cut rings of  faux rusted card, created using layers of Izink Pigment Inks on top of a base of black gesso. To finish I added fabric/lace scraps, some hand stitching and a word from one of Seth's 'Journal Jargon' stamp sets.

The second page has more faux rusted card, this time sanded back to reveal the layers of ink beneath and, in the case of the central circle around the 'window', stamped and clear embossed for added impact. There is more stamping in the background, an extra die cut circle around the window, more hand stitching and another 'Journal Jargon' word. As the pages progress you may also spot the little trail of 'breadcrumbs' (various card scraps) leading the eye from page to page and linking the designs.

Following one of Eileen's many FB Live tutorials I've used the 'Mandala' die to emboss another piece of faux rusted card. Here it's been teamed with a piece of Gel Plate printed tissue, cotton lace and some hand stitching. I've continued the Mandala pattern across the page with a little stencilling and added hand stitching to the background.

The next page has a heat embossed/stamped piece as the focal point; after stamping the image onto a piece of card and cutting around it I covered the card in layers of 'Rocky Road' Embossing Powder, re-stamping into the final layer to create the deep impression. Re-stamping with Fresco Finish paint made the image stand out even further. Gel Plate printed/stamped tissue, more stamping, more hand stitching and another word completed the layout.

This page has a lot going on, with part of a tea stained postcard in the background covered in embossed stamping and hand stitching. On top is layered the die cut 'Mandala' that had previously been used as a stencil and various die cut circles of inked and embossed card. The 'window' reveals part of the page underneath including another 'Journal Jargon' word.

The 'window' on the other side also reveals the page beneath and in this case it's the embossed/stamped focal point. More stamping and bits of fabric, lace and card scraps are layered up around the window to add to the design. The die cut circles in centre have been clear embossed to make them stand out against it all.

The main elements on this page have been stamped/cut from the faux rusted card, with Gel Printed tissue that has been stencilled in the background alongside some heat embossed vellum. The hand stitching surrounds the 'Journal Jargon' word.

For this page the 'Mandala' has been used as a stencil again with the high spots hit with some darker and lighter Fresco Finish paints to emphasise the the design. There's more Izink Pigment Ink rusted card, some embossed stamping, hand stitching and a heat embossed die cut cog shape in the middle along with another of the 'Journal Jargon' words.

The corrugated card on the page below has had layers of paste, embossing powder and ink applied before I took the decision to sand it all back and reveal the layers below which produced the blended worn look. After cutting a hole through the middle of the page and stamping the crosshatched circle image I've added a piece of coiled wire, some stitching, a leftover piece of rust coloured lace and a 'Journal Jargon' word stamped on a left over scrap of background paper.

The second half of the Mandala embossed card has been added to the reverse side of the coiled wire page. I've used Seth Apter's 'Chunky Rust' Embossing Powder on the circle in the middle, dots have been stamped and embossed to one side and the bands at the top and bottom have been stitched in place.

On this page some of the embossed stamping has been done on vellum and more Gel Plate printed tissue used along with hand stitching and lace. Even the 'waste' from the edge of the background paper has been used to trim one side and add more patterning.

This page is one of those happy accidents where a bundle of mixed paper and fabric over-stamped several times with in and paint have become a focal point when layered with lace and a stamped dial. The stamping on the bundle has been extended across the page along with the stitching and a lot of the background left exposed to reveal yet more stencilling.

This page began with the other half of a Mandala stencilled piece seen previously. This time a larger hole has been punched through the centre of the page to reveal the stamped piece of vellum captured between. More stitching and stamping add to the texture whilst the die cut rings that surrounds the cut out hole have been clear embossed.

The next page has been the trickiest to resolve given its asymmetric layout. The layers of heat embossed stamping, die cut circles and stamped vellum sit to one side of the page leaving the rest of the background exposed as on previous pages. I completed it with a 'Jargon Journal' word sat on top of gauze and Gel Plate printed tissue scraps.

On this page there's Gel Plate printed tissue, heat embossed stamping down one side, lace, hand stitching and die cut elements included. The stamped circle border has been fussy cut and embossed with a larger stamped circle added over the top to draw the eye down the page.

I've used another of the embossed elements as a focal point on the following page, created the same way as the previous one and this time surrounded by some faux rusted card. The Gel Plate printed tissue, fabric and book page paper has been stamped over and heat embossed to compliment the line of hand stitching to the side of it. 

The second piece of tea stained post card has been used in the background of the next page, over stamped either side of the little 'window' and with lots of layers of fabric, paper, lace and hand stitching underneath. As on previous pages the die cut circles have layers of card stacked beneath them to add to their dimension.

The final page combines the other half of the sanded corrugated card along with another die cut 'Mandala'. The circle surrounding the 'window' has been inked and embossed to give the impression that it has been rusted whilst the paper edging, hand stitching and lace once again add to the texture.

I hope you've enjoyed seeing how I've filled this Eileen Hull 'Folio Journal'. Make sure to check out the projects and tutorials from the other Inspiration and Educator Team members using Eileen's Chapter 1 dies in imaginative ways - links to their posts can be found on Eileen's blog throughout the month.

For now, thanks for visiting,
Jenny xxx