Another 2-fer: The Funkie Junkie Boutique Challenge #11 Oh, Man! and Memory Album Makers Challenge MAY... "The Professor's Travel Log"

 

     May is nearly over already and the first traveling "summer" holiday is this weekend (I leave to join all the Besties at our reserved park - the entire park just for us 8 campers/RVs - for camping as soon as I post this). All I can say is: I am glad May is almost over...what a month! It's been 4 weeks without a washer that spins out, so we've had our share of living like 'back in the old wringer-washer days' and my biceps thank Amana for that. Home Depot finally was able to deliver the ordered washer on Wednesday. And yesterday, after all the yard work was caught up (including a FOURTH stint up on top of the roof for cleaning out the tree buds and messes from my gutters Grrr!) the trees, grass, and finally planted flowers are all growing beautifully...I took down the water-skiing rope that was strung across my back decks that helped drain the excess water from all the washed items. After taking the Maytag (our fourth one in less than 20 years!) outside, we were able to see all the wear and tear this one went through. I have no idea why they wear out for us so fast, but dealing with bedding not washed weekly as usual; I cannot understand HOW a family of more than 4 can get by on one washer and have it last longer than 10 years. Our first washer had been purchased from an Air Force Reserve family who was relocating from Grissom AFB. It was a 30 yr old washer, paired up with a 2 month old dryer. A bargain price was agreed on and that washer lasted us 3 more years- it couldn't pump all the way up the wall hookup after we moved out here to a much newer home and away from it's lower apartment basement hookup that was nearer to the floor. But the point is: it was 33 years old before it bit the dust! One answer may lay in the fact that the bottom pieces of this latest Maytag were PLASTIC. No kidding. Plastic that melted away from the friction. Ummmm… Pardon me, MALE designers... but even we 'silly minded female homemakers' can tell you that sweepers, washers, and dryers just cannot stand up to the pace of family use if they are made of PLASTIC. For Pete's sake...… Rant over.

        On another GOOD note; it's very good to be ALIVE. Just the daily news of the COvid19 and everyone trying to get into some sort of "new normal" is enough to make me look for the good and beautiful in life. Two Momma birds have chosen our front porch light and the back deck shelving to make their homes for laying eggs that have, so far, hatched two furry-feathered, but half-naked babies. Both Mommas have decided to let me look at the babies, but stay on their nests at night while I take the pup out for her business-making. The photos I've gotten just take my breath away! And life itself- with the three Grandbabies all happily growing- is nothing short of WONDERFUL!!! So let's let the bad fall away and concentrate of the GOOD... 

Yes; GOD is SO GOOD!!

Ok, let's get down to the nitty gritty here; the reason for the post. The Funkie Junkie Boutique Challenge "Oh, Man!"

comes just at the time when my ChiefHubby returns to work (party time here, ppl!! LOL!!), so it wasn't too hard to think of "something more masculine". Traveling, camping, and generally any kind of future plans all fall to the category of "masculine" in this household. I just go along with it all and try to keep up, since there are gives and takes in any marriage and in my opinion- that's just a "give it up to him" area. I just show up. And take whatever needs with me that I want to work on as we travel. It all works out very well... for us, anyway. What better person to show "masculine" in anything... than that beloved PROFESSOR?! Back when I was making the most recent book (which missed TFJB Challenge #10 Sew Sweet, but posted for the Memory Album Makers MAY - CLICK HERE to see it), I already had a thought for another book in my head. So when cutting out the covers for that last book, I chose some of the same for the cover of this- Tim Holtz's Memoranda.

As you scroll down the photos, hopefully, you'll be able to see how I formed all of it. Less chatter and more of the matter!

                                                                      So let's get to it!

Again- I'm using Eileen Hull's Pocket Notebook Die for this book.

If you're new to book/album making...this die is a PERFECT starter for anyone!

So easy to figure out and use! Not to mention VERY versatile!

Guess I've got quite a few "traveling" stamps!

And the TH paperie items just kept adding to my table as I crafted. Lol!

These two papers made up the covers and spine.

After cutting simple sets of signatures (groups of folded paper make each "signature"

 that are added together to the spine to make a full book), 

I chose stamps that matched each section to that mode of travel, 

using Ranger Black Archival Ink- which is permanent.

I used quite a few techniques- my favorite is Tim's "ghosting".

And in the middle of the week of making the book- I came upon another color

with a clearance price on it!- for the water and sky travel.

Here's a time-saver...stamping two different pages at once.

And most of the time, I can get them to match up- without even trying!

And sometimes; NOT. But remember to embrace BOTH!

I wanted to try lots of different ideas on each section...

...to give fun, little "surprises" on each turn of a page.

Then, my ArtMuse just wouldn't stop there: we had to add TH's Texture Fade Set- Travel;

which matched right up with his Stamp Sets!

Making a pocket of my own- thinking on TH's Pocket Die...

...and then actually getting the die out just to make a HALF die cut 

which made another side to the one I hand-cut.

Adding in some extras for pockets.

Then TH Distress Oxide Inking everything with my fave go-to; Vintage Photo.

I decided I wanted to make a little 'folder' for the plain school paper, so I went to my

computer to print out a few do-dads to use...

...and cut out the folder's shapes with the TH Thinlit Die- States.

The cover and spine came after the pages, strangely enough, but they were already

cut and stacked for assembly long before anything else.

For making 5 holes from the 3-holes-each-die-cut-pages...I layered them together.

But I found that by cutting the middle sheet down to just two holes, the overlapping

not only worked out well, but it also ended up the same paper thickness all the way across the spine.

I'm going to use this trick in the future!

Getting out that first-ever-TH-thinlit that I still ADORE !!

And getting some love on rust going!

Lastly...the masculine man himself: The PROFESSOR!!

Making sure it's all properly distressed and ready to put together...

...with some hemp string!

I even TH (very early ones) Alcohol Inked some mechanical pencils!

Now that's a new idea for me!! They match perfectly with this 'aged' travel log!

And HERE'S the RESULTS...

The one on the left was made to another Bestie- Susan Marks. She'll be camping along with us, and

I'm hoping to get a photo of her and her Husband with this Travel Log and post it down near the bottom- along with a photo of the TH Paper Dolls I chose for their last page. (The ones I chose for mine are the "Driver Boys".)

I'm not only entering this make into The Funkie Junkie Boutique Challenge "Oh, Man!"

(in which $25 Gift Certificate is sponsored by The Funkie Junkie Boutique )

But, also entering it into Memory Album Makers Challenge - May, 

where Eileen Hull's dies are not just spotlighting during this month,

but Eileen is also giving away a $35 GC for her Etsy Shop!

In fact, stop in to the site to check out Eileen Hull's Tiny Book and Box in a tutorial on MAM.

THANKS! to all those who come in and view my crafts, and join along

with the craziness here. It's such a wonderful thing to share together; 

this thing called "life", and CRAFTERS are the BEST PEOPLE to share it with!!

Until next time...

Stay Safe, (Try Your Best To) Stay Connected, Stay Home (Until Bans Are Lifted)

and

HAPPY BLOGGING!!

  

Mini Album Makers Challenge: "She Sews Sails For Ships Along The Seashore" (What was also supposed to be Challenge #10 of The Funkie Junkie Boutique Challenge Blog)

While I was hoping to make this post in time for The Funkie Junkie Boutique Challenge- Sew Sweet, 

busted my little behind sewing my way up to the last minute with adding quite a bit of cute sewing details.

But my procrastination- and preoccupation with Morel Mushroom Hunting, as well as time spent out in my 

sailboat in these past 2 weeks- had me leaving my project laying on my desk and missing the deadline.

All's well in my crafting, but my timing really does suck.

Especially when I didn't realize Blogger decided to update and I was trying to fly by the seat of my pants

in learning the new layout. I really do hate updating anything anymore.

Although... updating a new washer will have it's perks; we ordered a new one, which will not be a Maytag this time.

The problem is that we thought the old one would keep spinning until the new one gets delivered. Riiiiight.

Always 'best laid plans', and those plans always get shot out of the sky on you... in threes, usually.

Didn't we already declare 2019 as "The Year of Replacements"?!

 (I've had FIVE Maytags in the past 20 years and I QUIT- 

we're giving up on their excuses as to why they wear out so easily for us.)

Not to mention the fact that this "Lock Down" is getting old...fast.

Now, don't get me wrong; our Cass County is still among the worst. It's third in leading positive COVID19 cases.

That's behind Indy and Gary. That's BAD. Really bad. And just as of this typing, there were 4 more cases.

Only 3 deaths, but still, ya know?

So I'm not complaining as in "Get me the H out of here, or else!" because it's still not safe for those

of us with compromised health. We all still need to stay chill. It's for the safety of ALL of us.

Meanwhile, I may get more TIME back: the ChiefHubby is FINALLY slated to go back to work

on May 18th!!! When you're a Homemaker, there's no such thing as "extra time". 

Every single day is a "work day" and the same things have to be done in order for the household to keep going.

Now, I may have missed out on TFJB Challenge...

BUT, I really nailed it this time for the

Mini Album Makers MAY Challenge

where the Design Team is not only using several book dies by Sizzix Designer Eileen Hull,

the PRIZE for the May Challenge is $35 in Eileen Hull's Etsy!

I'm pretty new with these dies, but I'm also totally hooked by them!

I've gotten 2 of her dies, since January, and most of my previous MAM posts have used the EH Passport Die.

Last month, I came across a good deal for another of her book dies and decided to use it for this May MAM Challenge

before they even came out with the theme. Now THAT'S great timing- for once, on my part anyway. lol

The die used is Eileen Hull's Pocket Notebook.

It's a nice, large cut for a book and the possibilities are endless!

The nicest part about this die: the holes just pop out all by themselves, making easy-peasy, quick work

in cleaning off the die for reusing in your die-cutting machine. I absolutely LOVE this!!

I do think the name of this XL Scoreboards Die is kind of misleading in a way; "pocket" makes it sound 

smaller, when it's actually larger than the Passport cut.

(Next on my "Want List": I'm hoping to get either EH's newest book die; Tiny Book, or her Journal die.)

Definitely a lot of FUN with these dies, and I've got more already cut out and waiting to be inked up

and stitched together. Just waiting on setting a definite theme to them... hmmm...

Here's how it came about...

I decided to open up that brand new stack of Tim Holtz Memoranda Paperie for this.

It has more full sheets and I can still use the old stack for scraps- which is really all that's left!

I also wanted to use more of that school notebook paper- found this tablet in with it all.

And some Bo Bunny Americana papers leftover from another project.

Some leftover cotton 'ticking' material- think Primitive Americana bedding- 

would make a cute sail for a boat on the front of the notebook.

Some machine stitching was easy to do... zig-zagging all around to form a simple long triangle.

Why not use Tim Holtz's Alterations Thinlit Die; Stitched Pockets,

and add a few of his Ticket Book tickets?

I thought the lace would look cute with a stitch running through it...

and a second cut of the book's back would make a cute pocket below that.

Stitching straight this time- for the pocket to the inside covers.

I used only one ink for the entire book- TH Distress Oxide Vintage Photo.

My simple, fave, go-to, must-have color of Tim's!

Instead of keeping the binding as it was cut (Eileen Hull's book dies have simple, clean lines

that make it easy to cut LESS, by cutting the book's cover with the book's bind attached.

I simply chose to cut this part off of both and add only ONE to the middle by using

TH Tissue Tape and a bit of Glossy Accents (for good measure) to create a loose-fitting bind.

It allowed the book to stay open easier for me. While this was my first time with this die,

I was taking a little advantage of the experience I've gained from Eileen's Passport Die.

Using some clear Duck packing tape to smooth out the closure elastics.

(Elastic Ties by Tim Holtz- IdeaOlogy)

More sewing- by hand this time- to attach the TH IdeaOlogy Word Band

by using some Quilting Thread. I find Quilting Thread more heavy duty and easier to use.

I also used the Quilting Thread to put together the selected pockets made that hold tags. 

Getting the boat itself put together- tie the threads to the 'beams'.

And here's what resulted...

Sewing on the sail.... where I got my title from.

My own real sail is actually a rugged plastic that is taped with sailing tape.

Aaaaaand...she really needs a new sail. Soon!

Sewing done with this pocket- by machine, and hand-sewing quilting thread on the closure.

Real sewing machine stitched pocket above and Tim Holtz's Stitched Pockets Die below.

And YES; there's a pencil holder cut in this die (very top of photo here), as well as a closure cut!

Tim's IdeaOlogy mixed in with some stitches on the sail, as well as on the closure.

The rope knotting is replica of my own on my boom sail tie.

The backside of the book.

Please join us;

you still have until May 31st to add your own book to this Challenge!

And if you're interested in more of Eileen Hull's dies, or designs...

CLICK HERE for Eileen Hull

May you have fair winds and following seas...

Until next time:

STAY SAFE, STAY CONNECTED, STAY HOME (until opening!), &

HAPPY BLOGGING!