Ah Nature - Let It Be Your Inspiration

 

How can a "theme" like nature not be inspiring?  For this months post, it was suggested to use any of Eileen's dies to create a nature themed journal, other then the dies specific for journals. It seems my idea could not be made without the use of those journals dies! The thought behind this project was to make a version of a "star book" with a few twists. Like many of the projects I create, sometimes there is a need to change, or a want to change things up in the "making process". Crafting can sometimes bring a flow of ideas and then it does it's time to “go with the flow”!

This post will share more of the process with tips, hints and hacks to use as you create your projects with any or all of these versatile dies for any theme.  

Materials

Eileen Hull die, Folio Journal

Eileen Hull Notebook Journal

Eileen Hull Waterfall & Tag Thinlit 

Eileen Hull Journal card Thinlets Flower, Leaves, Hearts

Eileen Hull book plate Thinlit

Sizzix Thinlit Alphabet, #665182

Mat board

Decorative textured papers

Water color papers

Assorted decorative papers

Card stock, neutrals

Rinea solid foil, merlot

Double sided adhesive sheets

Double sided adhesive tapes

Gel Medium, matte

Verse stamp

Stamp ink, black permanent 

Distress inks, assorted, coordinating colors

Fabric strip 

Fine jute cording

Rubber bands

Paper brads

Brush

Dried naturals (optional)

BEFORE STARTING, PLEASE READ

The process of cutting and assembling the book will be given throughout the explanation of this project for the most part. Tips and hints used for this journal will follow the symbols *** and typed in italics. 

Choose papers for the covers and inside pages. ***Because of the Nature theme, the papers I chose where natural and organic looking. 

Cover the mat board for covers with double sided adhesive on both sides before adding you the papers and die-cutting the pieces. ***Because of the texture of the papers, the use of double sided adhesive gives a good bond. A wet adhesive could warp the mat board (but the warp may give the project even more of a natural look!)

Cover watercolor paper with a lighter weight paper for the pages, adhering with gel medium and allow to dry well before die-cutting the pieces needed. ***The papers used were more the weight of rice papers. If only white is available color with inks or dyes, use sheets of torn tissue paper, use sheets of paper towels that were used for wiping up paints or inks. Collage torn scraps to the watercolor paper.

Die cut the mat board pieces for the covers with the Folio die.  Die cut the watercolor papers for the pages with the Notebook die. ***When cutting the 2 cover pieces, the entire cover does not need to be cut since it will be trimmed at the end with that joins the covers and Six pages were cut for the narrow book that I made. (The explanation for this will be referenced further on.) Refer to photo showing what parts will not be needed. 

When cutting the inside watercolor sheets, only the collaged or decorative paper side will be seen and these are all folded down the center of the die cut piece. The top folded edge will need to be glued or adhered to hold with doubled sided tape. 

To go along with the Nature theme, four of the inside pages will have a reference to the four seasons. ***On one side of each of these pages, 5 cuts from other light weight decorative papers were made  with the Waterfall die in coordinating colors. Fold the papers in half and place the folded edge just to the inside of the lower edge of the waterfall die, hold in place with washi tape to keep it from moving, cut shapes. Tag shapes are cut from a solid neutral colored card stock.  They can be inserted into the pocket that is created when the decorative papers are cut on the fold. **Refer to photo for cutting.**  

For the opposite side of the page, die cut letters from an alphabet die for each season and add to the top with gel medium. Later a poem, verses, photos or quotes can be added onto the page as well as the tags if desired. 

Each of the page inserts will be adhered together except for the ones at the front and back of the book remaining unattached. ***Connect one to the other with either glue (and clamping till attached) or use double sided adhesive tape on edges of top, front side and bottom to hold together. (Do not add any adhesive to back/folded spine.) 

ASSEMBLING THE COVERS AND ADDING PAGES

Pierce or punch a small whole into the center of both front and back covers to push a paper brad through.  

Use rubber bands to attach each of the pages to the back cover. Add a strip of double sided tape down along the inside and outside of the narrow spine of the back cover.  Remove backing paper on each.  Add each page, with rubber band at center fold, to the book spine with the bands fitting into the top and bottom slots. ***Carefully place each rubber band onto the spine so they line up next to each other on the adhesive front and back. Press the bands into the adhesive strip on both sides of spine to hold in place. **(They will overlap each other at the area of the slots on the top and bottom.)**  

To add the front cover, align the holes of the front and back covers on the spine. Add one paper brad into the added center hole to the inside and spread the ends to hold together.  Add a paper brad into the top and bottom holes from the inside spine to the outer spine and spread the ends open to hold the covers in place.  ***Before adding the covers, the inside pages may have to be clamped into place firmly with binder clips or similar to compress the pages tightly. This should help in adding the covers with the paper brads. 

View of open book and pages

FINISHING THE FRONT COVER

For additional texture, if desired, add a few pieces of dried natural elements to the cover with gel medium. Layer interesting elements to the center of the front cover.  This project used a scalloped cut (Journaling card) of Rinea merlot foil sheet, topped with a Book plate cut in a heavily textured brown paper, finishing with a stamped verse as the top piece.  Flowers and leaves are cut using the dies from other Journaling cards. Color added with inks and glued to the cover.  Add  closure of any type to the book.  ***The closure for this project is a strip of torn cotton fabric that coordinates with the colors of papers for this project.  It’s layered between the pieces on the front cover in a way to have it wrap around the opening of the book and back, then tied in a bow at the side spine.  

TIPS & MORE

The double sided tapes used are 1/8”, 1/4” and 1/2”.

Using mat board for pages would made them too thick to place in a one thickness spine, making a heavy weight watercolor paper a better choice and also sturdy.  

Using mat board for the covers makes a sturdy book but not easy to turn back on itself and tie like a normal “star book”.  An idea to make this possible would be to use something different. A heavy canvas, paper leather or heavy interfacing could be flexible substitutions for the covers.