All About Me Junk Journal 2021

For the last several days I have been working on a Junk Journal (JJ) that was ordered by someone who has purchased several things from me in the past. This particular one is called, "ALL ABOUT ME 2021". I am having fun with this one!

Now, just because these are called, "Junk Journals" - that does not mean there is junk in them. Yes, there may be tidbits of this and that...but that is what makes them fun. One never knows how the end result will turn out and two are never the same. I have fun creating Junk Journals. I am constantly looking for this and that and in fact, yesterday I made a comment on Facebook that I needed Paper Dolls for crafting! LOL - - a crafters mind...constantly envisioning creativity and thinking outside of the box! At least I do.  

The recipient follows me on my craft page and tells me all the time how much she enjoys looking at the Journals and other papercraft creations I make. After I had created mom's Memorial Album, she reached out to me and asked if I could make one for the memory of her mother.  I obliged...in fact, I sent it to her free of charge for her birthday along with a few extra goodies. 

Several weeks ago, when she contacted me to ask if I would make her a Junk Journal for 2021, I told her I could but it would not be until early 2021 before I could get to it due to prior commitments with other creations I had on my plate.  To make a long story short, I finished up my other projects and have been able to move forward with her Junk Journal.

A few years back before I really got into making Junk Journals, I had thrown some papers together and sewn them together. They were going to be for another large project I had waiting in the wings. Those 7 signatures containing 50 plus pages each have been sitting on my bookcase ever since. I decided to build the current JJ from those signatures. As I sat there flipping through the pages of each signature, I was having this conversation with myself. Talk about faux pas...I was nitpicking my work left and right. I could tell; these items were done long before I knew much about creating a JJ. (laughing out loud)

Even though I had the start of the current JJ, there needed to be a major overhaul on the signatures - but how was this going to happen since I had already sewn them together? I racked my brain and just dove in... grabbing wet adhesive, double-sided tape, my ruler, the scissors, and whatever else I needed to get the job done. 

I started out creating the shell and covers out of chipboard as I always do. I measured the current signatures, and they were 6 x 10, and I had seven of them. I chose to only use five of them. 

After I got the shell assembled and covered, I distressed the covers with inks. A variety of colors as shown here in the photograph. 

The different colors pop with each stroke of the dauber. Building layers upon layers, I continued inking the covers. As you see, the spine (in the center section of the bottom photo) is quite large. That is because the JJ I am making is going to be chunky and I need the space to build upon the already sewn signatures with assorted papers sitting in front of me. 

Continuing to look at the pages that are sewn together, I continue to shake my head and keep asking myself "what were you thinking"? I did have a plan several years ago when I originally chose the papers I had. But knowing what I know now about JJ and other portfolios, that plan quickly went out the window. That is why those signatures have been sitting on my bookcase now for a few years. What I envisioned then is not how I envision that project today. I will save it for another time...

Continuing to look at things on my bookcase, I noticed another tub of stuff. When I was in a crafting/swapping group a few years back, we exchanged Franken Pages and other JJ pages. I had both of these things in this tub. I grabbed a few of them to incorporate into the JJ I am currently making. A few of them had to be reworked, so I had the opportunity to add my twists and turns to them.

Laying the signatures to the side, for now, I went back to the shell of the Junk Journal. 

Staring at me across the room were my tubs of trims, ribbons, and assorted laces. I retrieved all of them and sat them by my desk. I wanted to do something else with the cover, but what? I needed those vibrant colors to pop even more than they already have...I grabbed the two tubs of lace. Looking at this lace and that lace, moving things here and there - my eyes quickly saw a beautiful piece of lace that had blacks, pinks, creams, and a touch of hunter green in it. PERFECT...that is the one I will use. 

That lace popped the inks I had previously laid on the covers...gorgeous! Then my eyes caught a glimpse of this piece of pink frilly lace. Perfect...that added a completely different look. 

Now that I have the cover somewhat started and nowhere near finished, I need to begin working, I mean overhauling the signatures. I had started embellishing and tweaking the five I chose but quickly realized before I get too deep into the overhaul of these signatures, I needed to get them sewn into the JJ. I grabbed my large sewing needle, some baker's twine, and began measuring where the holes needed to go. I began sewing the signatures into the spine. 

Whew, my fingers hurt...and the tips of my fingers, OUCH! Today, they are still tender to touch...sewing them into the spine was painstakingly difficult. Especially since I had already sewn them together and started embellishing them previously. Mistake!!! But I overcame...

I am now working on adding other pages, pockets, tuck spots, and assorted embellishments to the pages along with more trims, fibers, and lace. I am having a blast with this Junk Journal. I hope to have it completed by the end of the year. That is to be determined. 

Without giving up the anticipation of surprise, for the recipient, here are a few pages and what the JJ looks like before I start my day today...it is constantly changing and hopefully, by tonight it will look much different. 

I am off to create more beautiful pages in this JJ. 

Tonight, I am going with my daughter and her family to look at Christmas lights. 

I hope you and your family have a safe and Merry Christmas. Remember, none of us are promised tomorrow. Be sure to tell your friends and loved ones how much they mean to you and make those amends before it is too late. 

Have a wonderful day everyone! 

Heart to Heart Soul Creations
H2hsc2020

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Ten Things of Thankfulness - Falling Into Place

Hello, my Ten Things of Thankfulness Friends...it has been a while since I posted here. Nevertheless, I have been around reading many of your posts. 

It is the tenth month of 2020. I suppose the year is "falling into place". Well, I am not convinced it has been the right place - but nonetheless, here we are. 

Thinking about all that I am thankful for these days and the weeks/month I have missed joining in on the Ten Things of Thankfulness I thought I would get a head start tonight and write my post. 

Fall is in the air. #10 - I love Fall. I am thankful we are almost finished with this year. It has been a year that will go down in the books. How many of you have written about it on your family trees? I have since I lost my mother this year. Not to COVID 19, but to cancer. I am thankful she is not here to see the chaos in our world these days. She would be a nervous wreck! 

Picking up the pieces. #9 - I have so many projects in the works. Many of which have been tucked away in boxes left unpacked. For the last two months, I have been determined to empty those boxes and finish those projects. I have made progress. Here is a Junk Journal from one of my daughter's trips a few years back. They have not gotten the photos printed off, but at least the ephemera is no longer in the box and is now in the Journal headed to their home! (they can add their own pictures). LOL

I am thankful I have begun crafting more and more during the last two months. It has brought joy back into my life. 

Sprouting Up! #8 - you are getting too big for your britches "little" guy! How many of you remember my grandson Caiden? Well, he is not so little anymore. He is almost 8 months old and thinks he is too big for his britches. He has been wanting to stand more and more and attempts to let go as if he could just start walking across the room. He never ceases to amaze me. I have enjoyed seeing him daily for the last two months. In fact, my days/nights have been consumed with him since his daddy has been working out of state.  That changed two weeks ago due to accepting a promotion in a new position. We are all very thankful that daddy will now be working in town for his new position. (I know my daughter is VERY thankful). 

Life. #7- Webster's Dictionary states that Life means, "the sequence of physical and mental experiences that make up the existence of an individual". I have had my fair share of both physical and mental experiences in life. Many of which I wish I could turn the clock back in time to create a different outcome. How many of you feel that way? I have learned though, everything in life happens for a reason. Maybe not necessarily for us, the individual living through the situation - but sometimes we go through situations so that others can see our resilience, our strength, our determination, our faith, and our hope. I am thankful I HAVE had many of those moments in life. Sometimes though, I need to be reminded of them.

Thankfulness. #6 - There is not a day that goes by that I am not thankful for something. Lately, it has been those small blessings that appear when I least expect them.

Friendships. #5 - Many friends have come and gone through life. It is nice to know though, that even through distance - just a simple hello goes a long way. Thank you!

Walking with my ancestors. #4 - I have not been able to devote much time to working on my family tree as I would like the last couple of months due to watching my grandson. Last month, I received an email from a lady who unbeknownst to me would end up being my 4th cousin. She wrote to me in ancestry to inquire how I was related to a particular person in my family tree. When I replied to her inquiry, the next message I received from her was a statement that went like this..."I am trying to locate my birth father, can you help me?" Again, I replied and in a matter of one week, we were able to figure out who her birth father was. He had no clue she even existed. Over Labor Day, they met one another face to face and she even had the opportunity of meeting her grandfather who is in his 90's. How cool is that!!! I am thankful I was able to help her put the pieces together so they could "fall" into place.

Becoming. #3 - Have you ever wondered who you were to be or how you got to where you are today? I have many times. In fact, there have been times I knew I was on the right path in life until the crossroads took a detour. None the less, life has always been about lessons learned for me. Each day, I strive to become a better person than I was the day before. Sometimes I succeed and other times I fail. That is the beauty of becoming...it is always a 'transformation'. I am thankful I have had individuals in my life who have not given up on me even though I have given up on myself a time or two. (believe it or not...I AM human!) LOL

Falling into place. #2 - have you ever worked on a Jigsaw Puzzle? Were all the pieces there so you could finish the masterpiece of the art? What if one piece were missing...the puzzle would not be complete, would it. It amazes me how each piece is created to lock into place with another piece to create a beautiful image of something or another. Growing up, I sat my fair share at the kitchen table - squinting my eyes looking for the 'missing' piece to bring an image to life. Hours upon hours. Trying this piece and that piece to no avail. outlining the edges first, then working tirelessly to fill in the missing pieces. I am thankful that when things in life 'fall into place", they fit right! There is no second-guessing. There is no trying to decide if it goes there or not. That is when I know there is peace...because it all works together.

Ten Things of Thankfulness. #1 - - Thank you everyone for allowing me to share my blog with you today. I look forward to reading your posts and look forward to reading your comments on mine.

Heart to Heart Soul Creations
H2hsc2020

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