Mini Album Makers Challenge for APRIL: The Journals are Blooming all over!

   I was actually relieved to see the note from the Design Team of
APRIL Mini Album Makers Challenge choose to simply extend March into April for the current Challenge entries! Both months have been challenges in themselves, to say the least, and I was a bit behind in the Studio with several things myself.  Having the ChiefHubby at home during this time has been nice, but it does upset the usual 'schedule' that we both normally follow. The good news is- beyond having more time to walk together, take rides on 'the toy' (a huge 4 wheeler he purchased for me to use as transportation down the hill to the lake for sailing in my sailboat)- we've set a record early date working together on getting the place 'summer ready' once again. All that is left is to simply take the cover off the pool (even the leaves are out!), and put the pump on.  That is a huge load of work that normally takes me 2 months to do. I still have the decking to stain, but it's all been power-washed and the stain itself is due to arrive today! That alone is nearly a full month early in itself, and I'll only need a week of dry, sunny days- at the most- to get finished. And then... it's out to wax the already power-washed and waiting sailboat to make her yare, and Momma happy. When Momma is happy- everyone and every thing is happy. 
   If the photo at the top left looks familiar, that's because this project was meant to tie in with my previous post TFJBChallenge#8 Love Grows Where My Rosemary Goes Tags. You'll see a final photo of them all together at the end of this posting, but before that; let's get busy with the "How To" that shows how I brought this set of journals together...

I've had this TH Resist 12x12 Stack since it first came out, but used only a few sheets.

It was time to get it back out- the stiffness of this paperie felt perfect for a journal booklet!

That newly acquired TH Alterations Bigz XL Die Large Stems...

paired up well with TH IdeaOlogy Wallpaper.

A package of new scores; gotta keep that economy going! ;)

For a different add-in, I decided to use the TH Ticket Book for tucking a few tickets

into a TH Stitched Pocket Thinlits die cut out of TH Classic Corestock in black,

and sand it down a bit.

I got out a few other IdeaOlogy items to use on the covers, and add to the inside of the journals.

The TH Small Butterfly Punch was the only thing I ended up NOT using.

I spied this folder on the ChiefHubby's bookshelf (we share a walk- through office) during 

my recent dusting tour, and noticed it was still full of school notebook paper,

While I suspected it belongs to either the ChiefHubby, or the younger Nuclear Engineer Son

(I'm the only one of 6 of us not having a college degree of some kind- and all of them have

gone to PURDUE for some length of their educations, with 2 having PURDUE degrees);

I decided it was "finders keepers" and would volunteer to be used sacrificially 

for these journals. In the end of it all; this paper actually MADE the journals !!

Strange or not, I actually began this project entirely because of the pockets- 

specifically the one that went into the journal book I was keeping for myself.

You'll find out why- if you listen to the video posted at the last of this post.

Copying 2 more pockets, and adding some TH Distress Ink in Faded Blue Jeans-

just for some added color on the inside that matched the lines on the notebook paper.

The left side cut is the COVERING of the TH paper stack!

In retrospect; I was thinking that using that cover ALONE would have looked cool, too!

The resist affect was all over the outside covers of the stack in mini stash squares.

Here, and in the next photo as well...

 you can see the difference after adding some TH Distress OXIDE Ink in Vintage Photo

(my fave "go to" TH ink- both Regular and Oxide)

makes to the paper itself. The right side cuts have been shaded and heat dried.

A few of the same TH IdeaOlogy Pen Nibs- so each has the exact same book marks...

...and some IdeaOlogy Number Brads for closure ties on each journal book.

(The bluish light is from a new necklace type of light the ChiefHubby ordered for the heck of it-

he enjoys the same things EVERY FIREFIGHTER has to collect: flashlights, knives, cutters, and window breakers. *sigh* But once he brought this in and put it around my neck...

Okay; yeah, I was won over with it! It's a Craft Studio light now- LOL!)

Sewing the signatures and pockets to the bind with some upholstery thread.

A peek at the inside backs of the total binders before the back covers were added.

The resulting journals...

Fronts...

Backs;

you can see the light shining onto the resist. I love the way that works!

And here are the matching sets- with 2 additional Tags that go out to a total

of four people as well as one set that will stay in my own box.

(I always keep one of everything I make- just in case I need a reference where a photo 

doesn't help much. When I die- maybe it will bring smiles to whomever they end up with!)

And here's the VIDEO;

From our home to yours: we're keeping our faith that the American people

will be bound together with the golden cord of CHRIST's Love & 

pray for GOD's Will for the USA to turn and seek His face in this time.

None of us can control the future, nor tell what our future holds.

But we can all decide on how we react to what comes to us.

May we all decide to lay down our dislikes and take up the hand of peace.

Until next time...

Stay Safe, Stay Home, Stay Connected, &

HAPPY BLOGGING!!