The Funkie Junkie Boutique Challenge #12; StuckInTheMiddle...File Box with Mini Files!

     I'm loving every minute of June and the hot weather it brings! I always keep out a bowl of water in case anything happens by in the night who gets thirsty. I do the same all winter. It was officially 101*F today, yet I hardly felt it since I spent most of the day trying to get ahead paper-wise, then an eye Dr appt. I saved my pool time for the cool of the evening at 10pm. The long days are my favorite, but they start getting shorter in just a few more days already. We're currently 'recovering' from 2 Family Reunions over this past weekend and have one more this next weekend. With those done, we look forward to some time for just our own family in July and then Besties together again, at the end of July.

      June brings two of the last family birthdays until the Fall; younger Daughter will turn 31on the 26th, and is still having morning, noon, and night sickness in her 7th month with Baby Girl. I keep hoping it gets better for her, but I went through that also, and sadly- it doesn't end till Baby gets evicted. Our older Daughter has been having so many pain issues and hoping the Drs will finally get to the bottom of it, I lived through THAT also and it's like you are the mouse for whom they put cheese on the end of a string and pull it around for you to allllllmost grab it before they yank it away; promising that this time they've got it figured out. Right. But no matter how they both are feeling, they still manage to do what needs to be done as much as they both can- that's what real Moms do. It makes me so proud of them, on one hand, and on the other, I wish I could wave a wand and make it easy for them. Older Daughter put up decorations and went all out for Peanut's birthday party: the BIG HALF DECADE!! If there is any milestone number that shows how fast time goes, it's that year 5, because the big bad school bus tries to come around and take them away. But not this boy just yet. A just turned 5-year-old is ready for a HALF day, but ALL day?? Yeah- if it was half day care and half learning. Both our boys just turned 5 when they went in but we were very blessed that both were gifted and well ahead of the average; even being the youngest in their classes. Why schools had to go and mess up a good thing and make Kindergartens into 'the new' 1st Grades, is beyond me. But then.... a lot of things are upside down these days. At least Peanut will have more time to use his first new fishing pole to catch more fish, until then. Here he is with his very first catch from our lake!

 

      Suzz is leading the way for this new TFJB Challenge; "Stuck in the Middle" in which she's challenging us to "showcase something in the middle. It can be a pop up card with a surprise in the middle, it can be a mini journal with pages inside, it can be anything that highlights the middle of something"! I've had two of the new Tim Holtz Vignette Card Files but not a chance to use one of them yet. I took up her challenge with one because...well... it DOES have a MIDDLE! So I started with that. 

                    Scroll down and let's get to it!

I started out with 5 out of these 6 items.

The Tim Holtz Paperie came as a surprise: a gift to me from one of my Besties

who is de-stashing. You cannot believe how EXCITED I am over these stacks!!

The one on the far left (TH Correspondence) is one of my all-time fave stacks!

The other two; I've only seen these in photos, having never gotten my hands on either!!

THANK YOU, DEBB!!!!! 

That middle stack (Yep; that's a "MIDDLE" for ya!) is one of THE coolest I've ever seen...

and FELT with my fingers! It's got vellum paperie included among the regular TH cardstocks.

Yet- this 'old' stuff is different than his paper stacks of this day and age;

the old paper is 'layered' as if there's a top and bottom with a cardstock in the middle.

Sanding or tearing had to be done gently, as one of the layers would seperate.

But, it's one of the reasons I LOVE that old paper!!!

 Be sure to click on any of the links below for help to find these products I used:

Ranger Inkssentials Ink Blending Tool + 2 Blending FoamsTim Holtz Tonic Studios Kushgrip Snip w/Non-Stick Blade & Cap 7"-SmallRanger Inkssentials Glossy AccentsRanger Tim Holtz Distress Oxide Pad - Ground EspressoRanger Tim Holtz Distress Oxide Pad - Vintage PhotoRanger Tim Holtz Distress Paint - Antique LinenRanger Tim Holtz Distress Paint - Bundled SageRanger Tim Holtz Alcohol Blending Solution 2ozRanger Tim Holtz Alcohol Ink Mixative - GoldTim Holtz Idea-ology Vignette Card FileTim Holtz Idea-ology Paper Dolls Solo

I'm starting with the box- taking out the screws from the pull handle.

I advise taping those screws down so you can easily find them when it's time to put them back in.

I gave the top edges a couple of layers of Antique Linen Distress Paint,

since it soaks in quickly- as you can see in the lower left corner.

Then gave a full coat inside and out of Bundled Sage Distress Paint.

After the paint coats were all dried (I air dried as well as heat dried), I measured 

for the paper covering. I'm lucky in that it's easy for me to "guess" sizes without too much

measuring. Most people have to precisely measure to the point, but I can eyeball it and it fits.

I'm also pretty good at "middling" which is what we call finding the middle of anything.

That gift comes in handy when the ChiefHubby is building or hanging anything. 

I did sand all the outside edges by laying the paper flat and gently going over

with the TH Grip Sander. I made sure there were peels from the first layer

to allow an aged look to each piece. I LOVE that look

and decided only the box would have a touch of Distress Oxide in Vintage Photo.

I wanted it to rest on legs. I dug these TH Mini Foundations from last year-

waiting in my drawer till I found time to do a file box like

 Paula Cheney on her One Lucky Day Blog did last fall!!

At first, I thought it was a no-go. The Gold Metallic Alcohol Ink was a very old bottle,

and came out somewhat gummy at first. I thought I might have ruined the 

feet, and wiped it down to start over. And then it happened: one of those

crazy mistakes you didn't count on, but fall in love with!

The pastiness came out looking just like the pull handle on the box!

I simply allowed it to dry and then polished them up with a tissue.

Now, we're getting into the mini folders I made.

I actually made them the same day I die cut & made the 

Junk Journals for TFJB Challenge, Reuse & Upcycle.

Photos say a thousand words, so if you need to read how- just click on the link above.

The only difference in these booklets made into files:

I left the string on the spines.

I simply tied them together at the opening and you have a tied file.

But the gift of the Tim papers made all the difference in the look!

I sanded the paperie and edged the files in Ground Espresso Distress Oxide.

I did not use anything else to distress the papers.

There was one full sheet of calendar (probably 1989 as my dial date showed) 

which was the year our older Son was born- Tuesday, May 2nd. 

So that was cool! I sanded all of the pieces after I fussy cut all the months out.

Got out the TH Paper Dolls (listed above in Materials but not shown in photo).

This is where I chose 

the MIDDLE compartment of the box

with its MIDDLE mini file

to junk journal

the MIDDLE pages!

I spend waaay too much time when I get these out. They're so FUN!

And this is what the results are:

the MIDDLE compartment of the box

with its MIDDLE mini file

to junk journal

the MIDDLE pages!

Backsides of the files match the box- using the smaller images of the same papers.

I also die cut some TH Tags from his Tag Thinlits Set and 

trimmed them down a bit shorter. Now I can make the odd Tag when I want

and file it behind the right month in the correct compartment.

I chose to display the finished Vignette Card File to the left upper corner of my main work desk.

Shoutout of THANKS! for all the wonderful feedback, support,

and lovely comments on my recent projects!!!

Now it's YOUR turn!

Create and take your make over to The Funkie Junkie Boutique Challenge Blog

post it up on the "Stuck in the Middle" Challenge page,

and you may be surprised how easy- and pleasing- paper crafting can be!

Our Sponsor,

The Funkie Junkie Boutique,

has rewards for Winners/Top Picks, as well.

You've got two weeks, and your own imagination is the limit!

Until next time...

Stay Safe &

HAPPY BLOGGING!!!