Eileen Hull Designs Field Notes Accordion Album for #junkjournaljuly2023

Hi everyone and welcome. This month Eileen Hull's teams continue to share projects using her Sizzix Chapter 3 2023 new releases. As part of that today I'm sharing an accordion album made as part of the #junkjournaljuly2023 event, hosted and organised by Meg @megjournals in collaboration with Get Messy Art; details and her video series can be found HERE.

I followed Meg's tutorial to create the basic landscape accordion pages and then began to decorate them before attaching to covers cut using Eileen's new Sizzix Scoreboards 'Field Notes & Specimen Card' Die. You'll be able to see below how the covers have a layer of crackle paste painted over with a decorated frame (from the Sizzix Scoreboards 'Frame Pocket Journal' Plus Die)  embroidered felt flower (using Sizzix Thinlits 'Envelope, Folder & Flowers' Die Set) and lettering (using the Sizzix Thinlits 'Tiled Alphanumeric' Die). You'll see a few more of those embroidered felt flowers on the pages of this journal and I want to thank Lisa Hoel for her original inspiration for these.

Moving on to the first few pages/days you'll be able to see stitched hand-drawn flowers, leaves and brickwork alongside those provided by the base book pages. I've also made use of Eileen's stamps throughout to compliment the die cuts, like the Sizzix Thinlits 'Skinny Mini Elements' Die. Cutting holes through the pages in some places (for example in the window below) gives you a glimpse at what is to come, particularly because I've made use of both sides of the accordion pages.

Eileen can always be relied upon to provide the perfect tag die! I used the ones from her Sizzix Thinlits 'Card, Waterfall & Tags' Die Set for Day 4; it's even worth using the waste, filling it with pink card embossed with the new Sizzix 3D 'Keys' Embossing Folder. And the waterfall element has been used to conceal a drawing of an Italian doorway.

I made use of stencils, stamps and paints from PaperArtsy on many of the pages as each day was documented, and quite by luck discovered a map on which to record my journey south that month.

Getting to grips with some free-motion stitching has been fun and I even got to use some miniature oak leaf die cuts on my tree branch using a die from CoolKatzCraft Ltd.

Stripping things back on Day 10 was a challenge and a complete contrast to the busy buildings drawn for Day 11.

Moving on, more inspiration came from another Eileen team mate; Susie Bentz used the hearts from the new Sizzix Thinlits 'Envelope, Folder & Flowers' Die Set in colourful clusters whilst mine are all in shades of red to fit with the album colour scheme. And you'll see there's another cut away window drawn on Day 13.

The raised texture of the stencilled bricks meant I opted to stamp flowers onto tissue in order to transfer the images rather than stamping directly to the page. And then on Day 15 it was back to Eileen's Sizzix Thinlits 'Envelope, Folder & Flowers' Die Set to create the tuck spot and contents.

Here's where we go back to repeating those felt flowers from the cover, overlaying a busy background created with Eileen's Sizzix Thinlits 'Mini Slimline & Tickets' Die Set. And those same postage stamp shaped die cuts have been used with more of the hearts for Day 17.

I'm really loving adding hand-stitching to journal pages these days and it's in evidence with the embroidered stencil window below. 

Eileen's Sizzix Thinlits 'Journaling Card, Envelope & Window' provided the perfect little envelope in which to add my birthday message to myself, whilst the branches drawn on the following page are a nod to the wisteria I see from my workspace every day.

The pockets prompt was also easily resolved using Eileen's Sizzix Thinlits 'Library Pocket, ATC Card & Tabs', with the Pocket left open on one side to allow for more journaling cards. You'll see that new little Folder is also tucked in the front. And I drew, coloured and glazed the rose to sit on the Specimen Card window for Day 23.

One of the benefits of using both sides in an accordion book is that if you have stitched through the pages there is a readymade base for the design on the opposite side. And so it was that I just needed to add more paper scraps, lace, washi and stitching together with die cut flowers from Eileen's Sizzix Thinlits 'Shadowbox Frames #1' Die Set to complete Day 24.

The pages for Day 25 and 26 are a nod to family history research. Then rather than just add a plain postcard for the next prompt I die cut through it using Eileen's Sizzix Thinlits 'Snail Mail' Die Set.

Nearing the end of the accordion album, I used up bits and pieces from my stash to create the pocket and add altered lace flowers around the window.

Some final felt flowers, hearts and more stitched leaves helped to complete the final pages. I also added a large lace pocket at the end to hold the prompt sheet from the challenge.

Thank you for joining me today. I hope you've enjoyed the tour through this accordion album which is also being shared on my YouTube channel HERE.

Make sure to check out all the fantastic projects featuring the new Chapter 3 2023 releases from the rest of Eileen's team members - links to their posts can be found on Eileen's blog throughout the month.

For now thanks for visiting,
Jenny xxx