Eileen Hull Designs Pocket Notebook Blog Hop!

Hi everyone and welcome. Today is the official launch day for Eileen Hull's latest die - the Pocket Notebook - and to celebrate a whole heap of extremely talented creatives have put their own spin on it for a very special Release Party!!! Eileen’s Inspiration and Education teams have combined to show us their amazing Pocket Notebook ideas. Please follow the Blog Hop to see all of the fabulous projects, techniques and videos (more details at the end of this post).

That's just a taste of what can be created with this new die, now here's what the Pocket Notebook looks like - you get all of the pieces you need to make an entire book- the cover, pages, latch and pen loop! The Pocket Notebook measures 6 3/4” x 4 1/2” with a spine that can adjust from of 3/8” to almost 2”! String it with elastic, hemp, ribbon or twine, or even bind it. So many option for this fun die!

For this special Release Party I create a new bound junk journal with a collage style cover;

Whilst visiting That's Crafty for Eileen's recent UK Paper Trail workshop (featuring this fabulous die) there was enough time to check out Laura's huge stock of stencils and I was excited to find many of Rebekah Meier's gorgeous designs (find them online HERE). One of these (called Mini Raven Mosaic) teamed beautifully with the PaperArtsy stamp set ECF05 by Courtney Franich. Below you'll see how four colours of PaperArtsy Fresco Finish Paint (Hey Pesto, Stone, Spanish Mulberry and Haystack) were used to create a rainbow effect background which could then be added to matboard ready for die cutting the covers. I included one of those flexible spines (now familiar from previous smaller Notebooks) covered in lace and string so that the inside text block could be bound properly.

You can see from the photos below how the stamps and stencil were used over the brayered background with a combination of ink, paste and paint to create a layered collage. I also used teabag paper coloured with PaperArtsy Infusions (Golden Sands) lace, string, wire and yarn, and one of Eileen's Journaling Words, die cut from her Thermoweb Foam Adhesive and covered with Thermoweb's Deco Foil Transfer Sheet (Aqua). To make the page holder I used Eileen's Twist n Style Tool to create a twisted braid of contrasting yarns and added charms before attaching it to the inside of the journal spine.

The special part to this die is the new feature of an open ended page cutter - this allows you to cut pages to the perfect size lengthwise, leaving the folded edge free so you can determine how wide you want them to be.

During Eileen's UK Paper Trail we learned how, by folding A4 size sheets of paper in half (as shown above) complete signatures could be die cut easily from one end - since this is a Bigz XL die you can cut multiple pages at one time. For this journal I folded several sheets of tea dyed copier paper, graph paper and scrapbook paper together. Once cut you are left with pieces which, with a minimal amount of trimming, are then perfect to fit inside a smaller Notebook, Wrapped Journal or Passport Book (as shown below). No waste! Perfect!!

Here are a couple of photos showing how the text block was added inside the covers;

That's it for my project - now back to the Release Party and that Blog Hop I mentioned at the top of this post.

Please follow the Blog Hop to see all of the fabulous projects, techniques and videos!

There are also two GIVEAWAYS - the Pocket Notebook die and a gift certificate for Eileen’s Etsy store. To enter to win, leave a comment on each of the posts. Winners will be announced on Tuesday, October 8 on Eileen’s Facebook Live show. Eileen will be on Facebook Live today at 4:00 Eastern at Eileen Hull Designs with a couple of special guests so be sure to tune in.

Thanks for hopping along with us today!

Eileen Hull

Susie Bentz

Pam Bray

Julia Aston

Annette Green

Kathy Clement

Cheryl Waters

Ginger Ropp

Mitsyana Wright

Debbie Bankston

Anita Houston

Maggi Harding

Anne Redfern

Jenny Marples (you are here)

Betsy Skagen

Anna-Karin Evaldsson

Tonya Trantham

Madeline Arendt

Lisa Hoel

Karen Bearse
Sue Eldred
Nicole Wright
Elizabeth Robinson

Treats Not Tricks for The Funkie Junkie Boutique

Hi everyone and welcome. It's the start of a new challenge theme over at the The Funkie Junkie Boutique Blog (formerly the Frilly and Funkie Challenge blog). It's Maggie's turn to host and this time the challenge is called 'Treats Not Tricks'. "Choose a theme and make something that will hold a treat for someone. It could be a Halloween treat bag, a Valentine's candy box, a birthday card for a special person that holds a treat (could be a gift card "treat" or a bite of chocolate), anything that can hold a treat. So, for this challenge, choose a theme and make a vintage or shabby chic treat project to treat your someone special!"

As ever, the Design Team will choose their top four picks, with the winner being invited to join us in a Guest DT spot at The Funkie Junkie Boutique Blog and the next three will receive Top 3 badges to display on their blogs. Everyone who enters and follows the rules will be entered into the draw to have the chance to win a $25 spending spree at The Funkie Junkie Boutique.

For this one I decided to use Eileen Hull's 'House Ornament' to create a gift box that could be used to hold sweets (candy) ready to hand out at Halloween, Christmas or even a birthday.

After cutting out the two pieces from chipboard (white one side, kraft the other) and assembling the basic house ornament shape I added a little brown Archival Ink to the edges to give them definition. To make the bricks on the walls I painted the little pieces that are waste from the windows with a mix of Ancient and Umber Dina Wakley Media Acrylic Paint. The same mix was used to paint the roof.

With the bricks firmly glued in place I followed Brenda Brown's tutorial using Eileen Hull's 'Glistening Glass' Embossing Powder to create a faux enamel pitted surface on the box walls (see original post HERE). Adding and wiping back some Umber Acrylic Paint made the pitted parts really stand out well.

With the basic house complete it was time to add the decoration; I chose to use Tim Holtz 'Santa's Helper' Thinlits Die Set to cut the little elf from black card and scored him in a couple of places to enable him to bend around the corners of the house. A hint - by stacking together several layers you get a more robust shape to work with.

To add the 'gift' element I die cut lots of the present shapes from the Santa's Helper and painted them with a combination of Blackberry, Fuschia, Eggplant and Heather Dina Wakley Media Acrylic Paint. These were then piled on top of each other around the walls and in the hands of the elf.

Here are a few more photos to show you the completed House Ornament in more detail;

So that's my take on the theme 'Treats Not Tricks' for the current The Funkie Junkie Boutique Blog challenge. My fantastic team mates have created lots more amazing treats for this challenge so make sure you hop on over and check them out HERE. And remember to link up your own shabby chic or vintage treats to be in with a chance of winning one of the fabulous prizes.

Products used to create this House Ornament Gift Box are available from The Funkie Junkie Boutique and are listed/linked below.

Thanks for visiting,
Jenny xxx

Eileen Hull Sizzix ScoreBoards L Die - House Ornament

Eileen Hull Emerald Creek Crafts Molten Dimension Embossing Powder - Glistening Glass

Tim Holtz Sizzix Thinlits Die Set - Santa's Helper

Dina Wakley Media Acrylic Paint

Tim Holtz Ranger Distress Archival Mini Ink Pad Kit #3

Ranger Adhesive - Black Foam Roll

Stamperia Oriental Garden Tag for The Funkie Junkie Boutique

Hi everyone and welcome. It's the start of a new challenge theme over at the The Funkie Junkie Boutique Blog (formerly the Frilly and Funkie Challenge blog). It's Ginny's turn to host and this time the challenge is called 'Terrific Tags'. "Add it to a gift, label a homemade tasty treat, or display it with your favorite home decor, tags are not only fun to create they also have a million uses. For this challenge create a tag that's big or small, mixed media or layered, or added to a project as a fabulous focal point. I can't wait to see your creations!"

As ever, the Design Team will choose their top four picks, with the winner being invited to join us in a Guest DT spot at The Funkie Junkie Boutique Blog and the next three will receive Top 3 badges to display on their blogs. Everyone who enters and follows the rules will be entered into the draw to have the chance to win a $25 spending spree at The Funkie Junkie Boutique.

For this one I have used Stamperia's new Oriental Garden paper pack to create a vintage style tag with lots of delicate layers.

Before adding any of the gorgeous Oriental inspired paper I began by painting the tag with a base of black gesso followed by Dina Wakley Media Paint in Aloe, sanding it back slightly when dry to match the worn look of Stamperia's designs. The largest piece in the background is actually taken from the front cover - there's no need to waste a scrap of this pack! Texture Paste was then applied through one of Tim Holtz floral stencils before fabric, lace from Linda's store (coloured with more Aloe and Ocean  paints) tea stained copier paper and one of the panels from the paper pack.

After adding one of the circle images from the pack to the centre of the tag it was time to get more texture onto the tag and add some more detail. The lace from Linda's store was coloured with Aloe and Ocean Dina Wakley Media Paints (water it down to get a softer look in keeping with the paper collection). Linda also carries a great range of filigree metal embellishments in her shop and the circular ones fit perfectly with this theme.

The flowers and leaves were die cut using a couple of Tim Holtz Thinlits Die sets - I used paper from the pack for the flowers and painted the leaf stems with a mix of Aloe, Umber and Ancient Dina Wakley Media paints. The tag needed a dimensional focal point so I opted to cover some moldable plastic with red fabric and cut a Tattered Butterfly, shaping it with a heat tool. This was then layered over wire and a word (Dina Wakley Collage Words) and the tag was done!

So that's my take on the theme 'Terrific Tags' for the current The Funkie Junkie Boutique Blog challenge. My fantastic team mates have created lots more amazing tags for this challenge so make sure you hop on over and check them out HERE. And remember to link up your own shabby chic or vintage tags to be in with a chance of winning one of the fabulous prizes.

Products used to create this Oriental Garden Tag are available from The Funkie Junkie Boutique and are listed/linked below.

Thanks for visiting,
Jenny xxx

Stamperia - Oriental Garden 12x12 Paper Pack

Tim Holtz Etcetera Small Tag Thickboards

Tim Holtz Sizzix Bigz Die - Tattered Butterfly

Tim Holtz Sizzix Thinlits Set - Funky Floral #1

Tim Holtz Sizzix Thinlits Die Set 20pk - Funky Foliage

Tim Holtz Layering Stencil - Roses

Dina Wakley Media Acrylic Paint and Gesso

Ranger Texture Paste Opaque Matte

Venise Lace Trim - 3/4 Inch Wide

Antiqued Bronze Round Filigree Pieces - Set of 4

Bits and Bobs for The Funkie Junkie Boutique

Hi everyone and welcome. It's the start of a new challenge theme over at the The Funkie Junkie Boutique Blog (formerly the Frilly and Funkie Challenge blog). It's Suzz's turn to host and this time the challenge is called 'Bits and Bobs'. "Do you have a pile of leftover scraps from projects previously made or even a half finished project waiting for you to get the time to complete it? This is the challenge for you! It is time to pull out those scraps, remnants or half finished projects and pull them together into a fabulous shabby chic or vintage project. Make sure to mention in your post what part of your project was a scrap or remnant."

As ever, the Design Team will choose their top four picks, with the winner being invited to join us in a Guest DT spot at The Funkie Junkie Boutique Blog and the next three will receive Top 3 badges to display on their blogs. Everyone who enters and follows the rules will be entered into the draw to have the chance to win a $25 spending spree at The Funkie Junkie Boutique.

Collaging is a fantastic way to use up those bits and bobs so many of us have lying around (or hoarded - LOL) and having really enjoyed creating a mini collage on an Eileen Hull Designs 'Gift Folder' recently HERE, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to create more for this challenge. Here's the first of three sets;

Before showing you more let's take a look at my scraps pile - oh my word!!! Until doing this I hadn't realised how much had been accumulated in a dis-organised folder. Where to start?! For me projects usually start with the selection of colours so it was important to sort this lot into colour families and separate bags.

To create each folder I began by die cutting them from Dina Wakley Cotton Watercolor Paper because it is robust enough to take paint, gesso and water and has a soft, fabric feel to the finish. After applying White Gesso across the main body of the folder some yellow ochre watercolour wash was painted onto the edges and dabbed dry with a paper towel. You can see from the photo below how the gesso acts as a resist to the watercolour wash to create an uneven aged border.

Before folding and gluing the sides and bottom together on each folder the main inside flap was painted (as shown below). Dina Wakley's pastel shades are perfect for retaining that delicate vintage look to a project like this.

The first folder finished was the one painted with 'Heather' Acrylic Paint inside and I teamed some purple bits and bobs with green and neutral ones to match.

Rather than making a gift card holder insert each of these folders contain coordinating mini gift cards measuring roughly 12.5cm by 9cm (5 by 3 1/2 inches). The one below features Wendy Vecchi's beautiful 'Faded Floral' background stamped with her Thistle Archival Ink and a butterfly from her 'A Million Thanks' Stamp/Die/Stencil set with other bits and bobs. You'll also see more of those altered metallic leaves that were made for a recent Saturday Showcase added to each of the folders and mini cards.

The folder itself features the gorgeous butterfly from Wendy Vecchi's 'Artful Thoughts' stamp set on more die cut foliage, book paper and calico. The bent wire stitched to the centre of the butterfly is a rusted hairpin I found on the floor when taking the dog for a walk and I added an old shirt button underneath one of its wings.

The second folder to be completed was the one with 'Aloe' Acrylic Paint inside and this time I went for a more autumnal feel using orange, green and neutral coloured bits and bobs on it.

The background to this mini gift card is a piece I've had for the longest time, just waiting for the right project. It was created using Tim Holtz Alcohol Lift-Ink and the rings background from his stamp set 'Halftone and Rings'. The flower stamp is from Wendy Vecchi's 'Delightful Art' stamp set and was applied to gel plate printed paper left over from a previous DT project HERE.

You can see a couple more of those flowers on the coordinating folder, alongside some orange painted paper embossed with one of the images from Tim Holtz 'Fragments' stamp set (ideal for using with your scraps!) and a fabric painted leaf using his 'Nature's Wonder' stamp set.

The final folder was the one painted inside with 'Mineral' Acrylic Paint and I added blue bits and bobs with neutral and contrasting gold ones on it.

The background for this mini gift card was created using Wendy Vecchi's graphic style 'Tic Tac Toe' background, whilst the little butterfly image comes from her 'Country Flowers' Stamp/Die/Stencil set. Gold die cut foliage added a touch of bling against the matte blue Tim Holtz 'Crochet' die cut lace border.

As with the previous two folders I used the same bits and bobs on the front as I did on the mini gift card, adding a large flower stamped using Wendy Vecchi's 'Country Flowers' set again.

So that's my take on the theme 'Bits and Bobs' for the current The Funkie Junkie Boutique Blog challenge. My fantastic team mates have created lots more amazing projects using up their scraps and leftovers for this challenge so make sure you hop on over and check them out HERE. And remember to link up your own shabby chic or vintage projects to be in with a chance of winning one of the fabulous prizes.

Products used to create this Notebook are available from The Funkie Junkie Boutique and are listed/linked below.

Thanks for visiting,
Jenny xxx

Eileen Hull Designs Sizzix Scoreboards L Die - Gift Card Folder & Label #2
Studio 490 Wendy Vecchi Stamp Set - Delightful Art
Studio 490 Wendy Vecchi Stamp Set - Artful Thoughts
Studio 490 Wendy Vecchi Background Stamp - Faded Floral
Studio 490 Wendy Vecchi Background Stamp - Tic Tac Toe
Wendy Vecchi MAKE ART Stamp, Die, Stencil Set - A Million Thanks
Wendy Vecchi MAKE ART Stamp, Die, Stencil Set - Country Flowers
Tim Holtz Stamp Set - Fragments
Tim Holtz Stamp Set - Nature's Wonder
Tim Holtz Stamp Set - Halftone & Rings
Sizzix Tim Holtz 3-D Impresslits Chapter 2 Embossing Folder - Leaf 

Sizzix Tim Holtz Thinlits Die Set - Crochet

Sizzix Tim Holtz Thinlits Die Set - Funky Floral #1

Sizzix Tim Holtz Thinlits Die Set - Funky Floral #3

Tim Holtz Idea-ology Metallic Confections Kraft Stock

Dina Wakley Media Acrylic Paints and Gessos

Dina Wakley Media Cotton Watercolor Paper

Floral Collage Gift Folder for Eileen Hull Designs

Hi everyone and welcome. This month Eileen Hull's Inspiration Team continue to share ideas for using the latest Sizzix Scoreboards Dies from Eileen Hull Designs. The first is called 'House Ornament' and the second is 'Gift Card Folder & Label #2' and both are so much fun to play with. Make sure to check out all the team's fabulous posts on Eileen's website HERE.

Today I have a new Gift Card Folder to share with you, showing how even on the smallest of packages can be decorated in a collage style;

On one of Eileen's recent Facebook Live videos HERE she showed how you can cut the folder from paper or card and fold to make a thinner pocket version so I gave it a go.

The painted card came from the leftovers of a project I made for PaperArtsy HERE using a mix of Fresco Finish Acrylics (Chalk, Venice Blue, White Fire, Lilac and Pansy). The reverse side of the card was untreated so after painting it with a coat of the Lilac Fresco Finish Paint I stamped script from PaperArtsy's Scrapcosy ESC18 set with Eileen's Colorbox Blends Ink in Coconut and embossed it with clear embossing powder. To give this side more of a marbled finish I diluted some Pansy Fresco Finish Paint and dropped it onto areas of the embossed side, spritzing with water to make it run randomly across the surface.

The stamping on the folder and gift card holder were done using the same PaperArtsy's Scrapcosy ESC18 set in combination with Tim Holtz Archival Inks in Dusty Concord and Hickory Smoke. I stamped the leaves onto card painted with Tinned Peas, Venice Blue and Chalk Fresco Finish Paints, whilst the flower was stamped, painted with the Pansy and Chalk Fresco Finish Paints and re-stamped before being stuck to some mouldable plastic. After cutting it out I could then heat the flower and manipulate the petals to create more dimension.

You'll notice the centre of the flower has been glazed and it has a yellowish purple hue - this is what happened when I applied Glossy Accents over the Archival Ink and some of the pigment coloured it. To emphasise it further I added a strip of tea bag paper that had been dyed with PaperArtsy's Golden Sands Infusions and a small gold cabochon from The Funkie Junkie Boutique. You may also spot from the photos below that a small piece of lace trim and some waste from a used paper pad spine were also included in the floral collage.

That's it for this month's Eileen Hull project. For lots more from the Inspiration Team make sure to check out Eileen's website this month HERE. And the 'House Ornament' and 'Gift Card Folder & Label #2' will be available at your retailers now.

Thanks for visiting,
Jenny xxx

A list of PaperArtsy stockists can be found on their blog HERE.

Let's Do It Again at The Funkie Junkie Boutique

Hi everyone and welcome. It's the start of a new challenge theme over at the The Funkie Junkie Boutique Blog (formerly the Frilly and Funkie Challenge blog). It's Sara Emily's turn to host and this time the challenge is called 'Let's Do It Again!"Have you ever made something that you wish you could do over? Perhaps it was a technique you tried and didn't get the results you were hoping for. Maybe you didn't have just the right product you wanted to make your project just perfect. Or maybe a friend asked you to make something like it for them. Now's your chance for a do-over. Choose one of your own posted vintage or shabby chic projects and do it over with a bit of a twist. Be sure to link back to the post of the project you are making over and tell us why you wanted to do it a second time and what's different about it this time. We like to see your entry be in the vintage or shabby chic style we prefer. "

As ever, the Design Team will choose their top four picks, with the winner being invited to join us in a Guest DT spot at The Funkie Junkie Boutique Blog and the next three will receive Top 3 badges to display on their blogs. Everyone who enters and follows the rules will be entered into the draw to have the chance to win a $25 spending spree at The Funkie Junkie Boutique.

This was a tricky one, trying to decide which project to 'do over'. I opted for seeing how a different choice of colour scheme and embellishments would change the look of a recently completed notebook - so glad I did! Here's how the new book turned out;

In the original version (first seen HERE) I covered a notebook cover with a mix of die cuts, embossed panels, lace and burlap, adding a moulded clay label to the spine. The whole surface was then covered in a combination of paints to give it a verdigris look.

For this new version I covered the notebook covers with almost identical trims and textures (omitting the clay label on the spine) and covered the lot with a coat of White Gesso. To add colour a layer of Tim Holtz Collage Paper was added using Distress Collage Medium Matte to seal it in place to reveal the patterning beneath.

Once the Collage Paper was glued in place I gently dry brushed some White Gesso over the raised areas to reveal the different patterns below.

Here's a photo showing the back of the finished notebook so you can see in more detail;

With the basic finish completed I re-imagined the embellishments on the front cover, this time opting for lots of die cut elements in place of the clay flowers and cabochons used on the first version. After placing a large die cut Skeleton Leaf over some Tim Holtz Layers I added on a couple of metallic leaves (from the Saturday Showcase tutorial HERE) and some die cut Large Funky Floral elements. The die cut pieces were coloured with Dina Wakley Media Acrylic Paints and everything was given an aged look with Acorn Archival Ink blended onto the edges.

To finish the book I added a couple of metal embellishments (an Index Clip Fastener and a Mini Paper Clip) and wound burlap string around the spine. A little dilute Black Gesso was painted around the edge of the Layers to add a shadow and make them stand out further.

That's my take on the theme 'Let's Do It Again!' for the current The Funkie Junkie Boutique Blog challenge. My talented team mates have created lots more amazing projects for this challenge so make sure you hop on over and check them out and find out which ones they are doing over again HERE. And remember to link up your own shabby chic or vintage projects to be in with a chance of winning one of the fabulous prizes.

Most of the products used to create this Notebook are available from The Funkie Junkie Boutique and are listed/linked below.

Thanks for visiting,
Jenny xxx

Sizzix Chapter 2 ScoreBoards L Die - Notebook by Eileen Hull 663635
Sizzix Chapter 2 Tim Holtz Thinlits Crochet

Sizzix 3-D Texture Fades Embossing Folder - Elegant

Sizzix 3-D Impresslits Chapter 2 Embossing Folder - Leaf 663293

Tim Holtz Sizzix Thinlits Die Set 6PK - Funky Floral Large

Sizzix Thinlits Die Set 5pk - Skeleton Leaves by Tim Holtz 663094

Tim Holtz Idea-ology 8 x 8 Metallic Confections Kraft Stock

Tim Holtz Idea-ology Collage Paper - Document
Tim Holtz Idea-ology Layers Remnants

Tim Holtz Idea-ology Mini Paper Clips

Tim Holtz Idea-ology Adornments, Index Clips Fasteners

Dina Wakley Media Acrylic Paint/Gesso - White Gesso, Black Gesso, Olive, Sedona, Eggplant, Blackberry, Sand, Umber, Ancient

Burlap String - 12 Colors
Venise Lace Trim - 3/4 Inch Wide

Venise Lace Trim - 1/2 inch wide