Happy Spring everyone! I am very happy to welcome my friend, neighbor and fellow Paper Trailer to the blog today. Karen Bearse shares her Sizzix Grungy Art Journal with us and I am very excited to share yet another way you can use this Passport Book die!

You may remember that Karen was a passenger on our trip this summer to park Scotty at the Paper Arts Show- read about it here, here and here… boy did we run into some adventures… some not so fun.

But everything worked out fine, thankfully! Now, I know you want to see this… so take it away Karen…

Grungy Art Journal Passport Style

Hi out there in blogland! Karen Bearse here using some of Eileen’s awesome dies. Inspiration is a funny thing. When I am in creation mode I find inspiration all over and never know when it will hit. A few months ago I was at my local scrapbook store and saw this metal clasp. Immediately the idea to double the space in the Passport Book of Eileen’s struck. I had so much fun making this book. Made the book in a day & you can too! Grab a cup of coffee, follow along & I will give you a detailed look into how it was put together. If all the inky stuff is daunting just use mat board, covered in scrapbook paper instead! Trust me you can do this!

Here is the money shot. It is shiny and grungy and I LOVE it! There is lots of great journal space in it and a few design ideas to make working in it easier.

First cut 2 passport covers from corrugated cardboard. Using the Sizzix mat board cut 2 spines. Cut a piece of mat board for the back cover, mine is “5×7 1/4”.

Cover both sides of the back cover with scrapbook paper. I made a paper pocket on the inside to put some tags or ephemera in. Cut 1 spine in adhesive lined scrapbook paper. This will be the inside right spine.

Time to decorate the cover. Tear pieces out of the top paper on the corrugated covers. Be careful not to tear through but if you do a little it is ok these pieces will be reinforced. Add a thin coat of gesso, dry. Stamp randomly using color blend ink, dry. Cover in various colors of Glimmer Glam. One of the reasons I like Glam for this is the glitter. The second it acts like a glaze and leaves a shiny, glossy finish but also adds strength to the project. Cover the outside of the spines in the same way – but no need to gesso. Paint a layer of Glam on the inside of one spine. This will be the left spine of the book. Attach your adhesive scrapbook paper to the other inside piece.

You will need 3 signatures for your art journal. For each signature I used 4 pieces of paper & a big Ranger tag size #12. The side of the tags need to be trimmed to 4 ¾’. For paper I used 2 pieces of RENDR, 1 piece of watercolor and 1 piece of canvas paper. Cut paper 4 ¾ x 14”. Fold in half and using an awl poke 2 holes, use the mat spine piece to line up the holes. Stack your papers inside each other for each signature. Set aside.

Time to assemble the book! Glue the spines- You have a choice to either glue the spines on the outside or inside pieces of your covers. I attached mine to the outside. I used glossy accents for this step as it is good and strong. Remember to keep the scrap paper spine on the right hand side. Start with the front covers and glue together holding the pieces together for a few minutes, than attach to hold. I let them sit for an hour. Next add the spines to the back piece and clip to hold as in the photo. I put the book aside a few hours to let the glue set more before sewing in the signatures.

Use wax linen and thread from the inside, holes of first signature and though the first set of holes in the left side spine. If you want you can add beads to the thread before tying off the threads. Make sure they are taut and hold the signatures in well. Do the same for signatures 2 & 3.

I decided to add beads to the right side spine of the book also, using thin wire. Now that the book is together time to decorate the cover. I colored some chippies from Southern Ridge Trading Company using Color Blends ink and covered with a layer of clear embossing. I added my metal clasp.

I made a flower using Eileen’s flower dies- cutting from book pages and spritzing with glimmer mist and painting on glimmer glam. Ah shiny. My first attempt was a little weak. You can see it in the photo where I added die cuts of Sizzix new paper leather and totally random fabrics. I again painted the new die cuts and stacked a random bunch together. Much better! The center is micro beads. I adhered my flower using Velcro so it is removable when I work in my book, making it easier to art journal.

Here is a close up of the flower. Don’t over think it just add a bunch of stuff and voila!  I also added a cut coin envelope to the inside left hand side cover, which had been distressed like the front cover. Now I have somewhere to put cut out stamped images or stickers… I think once I finish my journal I will add more to the cover but for now it is fine. Making this book was awesome and I see myself playing with this layout again soon! Thanks to Eileen Hull for making such great dies and the opportunity to blog for her!!!!

Supplies:

• 660331 Passport Book by Eileen Hull
• 658053 Flower Layers w/Heart Petals by Eileen Hull
• 657721 Borders & Hydrangeas by Eileen Hull
• Paper Leather & mat board by Sizzix
• Color Box Blends inks by Clearsnap
• Easy-Cut adhesive by Therm*O*Web
• RENDR No Show Thru Paper by Crescent
• Glimmer Mist & Glam by Tattered Angels
• Wanderlust 8×8 paper & mini ephemera by 7gypsies
• Chipboard pieces by Southern Ridge Trading Co.
• Tags, wax linen thread, beads, book paper, archival ink, thin wire- from stash.

I so LOVE this project and appreciate Karen for taking the time to share it with us! Please let her know you like it 🙂

See you in a few days!