Saturday Showcase - Underwater Love

It's another Saturday Showcase! Lyla here, taking you into another cool project with a very cool product: Underwater Love, a Ciao Bella Paper with a sweet summery theme! Like many others, I pass over paper after simply glancing at the photos since I know what usually will work as far as color shades with a planned project. But even as I passed over this particular paper, something kept drawing me back to it; there was just something about that particular shade of blue... aside from the 'flowery' images that I usually don't care much for. Wow, wow, WOW; was I set up to be surprised! No sooner had Tim Holtz come out with the newest shade of Distress Ink, Unchartered Mariner, than it began to click together; that beautiful shade of blue was the same in Underwater Love! And more surprise was in store for me once I got the latest 'happy mail' from The Funkie Junkie Boutique. This paper is not only beautiful, double-sided, and very sturdy (I'm even going to go as far to say it's as sturdy as Tim Holtz's newer Kraft Stock), it's a pleasing perfect match for the Unchartered Marine Distress Oxide! Follow along with me and see if you agree!

This project is using the Eileen Hull Folio Journal Die and Eileen Hull compatible thin die sets as shown in photos below. The 'star' of this Showcase is the Ciao Bella Underwater Love 12x12 Paper.

The camera simply does not do the colors in the photos enough justice. We're talking a beautiful shade of blue, and I've put my Unchartered Mariner Oxide Ink into the middle of the double-sided papers so you can compare with your own. I fell in love with the 'wood' as well as the 'map' papers and there are 2 of each! The other side of the stack is just as pleasing, but to get better views than this, you really need to see it HERE (BONUS: It's on SALE for $10.00 !!)

I chose one of the 'wood' sheets for my outside with one of the 'map' sheets for the inside. Normally, I am one of those who insists on putting another cardstock in between these layers, just for stability. Not this time; this Underwater Love stock is all that's needed!

I did my normal opposite layering (left blue to right blue then left wood to right wood) since it always gives a good spine. I did use my usual Glossy Accents for adhering. I also had a plan for the leftover strip up there at the top of this photo...you'll see.

After getting the outside and inside covers together, I chose a plain ribbed white ribbon for closure. A 'slice' of that wood leftover became a sweet board to overlay onto the spine- inside and out. It hid the holes as well as secured the closing ribbon.

I got out the compatible Eileen Hull Thin Die Set Page Pocket and Flowers to cut pages and corner pockets. The leftover pieces of stock were cut into one-inch strips - just short of the length for the pages - for use in making the pages into tuck pockets themselves.

Next, I used the other two compatible Eileen Hull Thin Die Sets (Card Waterfall/Tags and Bookbinding/Label) for waterfall pages, the tags I planned to fill several pockets with, and the binding for the pages to layer onto.

Then it was time for the assembly of all the inside. I gave all the edges and corners (including the cover) a bit of the Tim Holtz Unchartered Mariner Oxide Ink, and heat dried everything.

I'm showing how I put together my pages to form a pocket in the middle of them. This page above, was to have nothing else on the outside. Others will have tuck pockets on the outside lower corners. You can see in the next pic, how I added the corner tuck spots before putting the pages together.

Making the top-to-bottom waterfall pages was easy. I inked them up all around the edges and that Unchartered Mariner just PERFECTLY matched!

I used ALL the pages except for one: the mermaid/secrets page. I did have plenty of leftovers even after cutting more tags than I initially had. That 12x12 stack went pretty far! Now, my only problem was to figure out what I wanted on the front of the entire book. Flowers? Nah. Tim's Paper Dolls? Much as I love them...nah. More wood cuts stacked up? Nah. Everything I suggested got flat-out rejected by my ArtMuse. A memory came out of nowhere, along with a voice in my head saying, "Less is more. Less is more!" The memory is so peaceful: my favorite Happy Place...

I spied the bag of Tim Holtz goodies I have for a future project on my desk. The package of Idea-ology Window Frames caught my eye. Why not? So I went to my computer, looked up the date to find that set of photos, and found IT - the perfect shot.

After printing it out on regular white cardstock, I laminated it with clear shelf paper. I used only one thing on the Window Frame: Distress Crayon in Speckled Egg all around the edges.

And it looked simple and simply amazing to me!

This is where that one strip of wood went to... cute, eh?

Some of the other 'wood' and fish paper...

... and more of the other side of these papers.

These are probably my favorite designs of the Underwater Love 12x12 Ciao Bella Paper. I hope you enjoyed this Saturday Showcase as much as I enjoyed making this folio!

Products Used:

Ciao Bella - Underwater Love 12x12 Paper Pad CBPM050

Sizzix Scoreboards XL Die - Folio Journal by Eileen Hull 664884

Eileen Hull Page Pockets & Flowers Die 664883

Eileen Hull Bookbinding & Label Die 665153

Eileen Hull Waterfall Pages & Tags Die 665154

Ranger Inkssentials Glossy Accents GAC17042

Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Oxide Pad - Uncharted Mariner TDO81890

Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Crayons - Set #11 TDBK76407

Tim Holtz Idea-ology Baseboards Window Frames TH94248

Graduation - Spotlight on Ciao Bella 'The Muse'

Good morning!

When I saw the paper pack 'The Muse' by Ciao Bella I knew I had to have it! I know by looking at the papers you could think that it is perfect for feminine projects like the project I created earlier this week for the current 'Die-na-mite' challenge.

But this paper creates awesome masculine projects as well!

Look at how gorgeous these papers are!

To create this layout;

1 - Tear 3 papers and adhere to a fourth sheet like shown. Distress the edges of the background sheet.

2 - Use Ground Espresso Distress Oxide Ink and heat emboss using 2 colors of embossing powder some chipboard from your stash

3 - Fussy cut these images from one of the papers.

4 - Take some flowers and a piece of cheesecloth from your stash and spray with the new Tim Holtz Crooked Broomstick and Flickering Candle Mica Stain

5 - Adhere everything as shown

Here are some details!

 

Thanks for stopping by

Laura

Saturday Showcase - Envelope Journal Using Ciao Bella - Sicilia Papers

Hi everyone, it's Sara Emily here for today's Saturday Showcase! Today, I'm sharing an Envelope Flip Journal featuring the some of the new beautiful papers from Ciao Bella that Linda carries in The Funkie Junkie Boutique. I've used the 6x6 Sicilia paper pack, which will be back in stock shortly. The A4 size of the same design is currently available, along with many other designer paper collections by Ciao Bella. I've listed links to the products I've used below, as well as links to the entire Ciao Bella line and the A4 pad. Always check back at the shop, and don't be shy about using the 'e-mail me when back in stock' button, as Linda replenishes her offerings quite frequently.

***Click on any photo to enlarge***

Journal opened with left flap opened.

Journal with both left and right flap opened.

After shuffling through the generous pack of 24 double sided papers with designs reminiscent of the Island of Sicily and viewing Kathy Clement's You Tube videos Envelope Flip Book Tutorial and Shaker Folio Tutorial, I was inspired to step out of my mixed media comfort zone and create this 4.25 x 5.75 inch album for my daughter complete with a shaker on the cover and lots of pockets and such inside. The bunny image is what stole my heart when I first saw this collection, since Lauren is a proud pet-Mom of a lop eared rabbit named Nugget. Having visited Italy last semester, I thought this little journal would be a great place for her to record the events and photos of her trip.

I want to send out a big thank you to Kathy, who so graciously gave me permission to use her design for my journal.

Let's get started!

The base: 

1. Make base for the album following Kathy's steps. My envelope measures 4.25 x 5.75 inches, and I trimmed a panel of Bristol board measuring 11.5 x 5.75 inches to form my album's base. After inserting the Bristol board into the envelope and gluing the envelope flap down, I scored at 4.25, 4.75, 9 and 9.5 inches, leaving me with an inch flap at the end. I demonstrated on a scrap of waste paper in the photo below.

2. Crease on score lines, burnish and blend all edges that will show with Frayed Burlap Distress ink.

3. Blend spines with  Squeezed Lemonade Distress Oxide and adhere Design Tape with Collage Medium.  (My tape is pretty old, and I wanted to be sure it stayed down.) Allow to dry.

The pages, pockets and inserts:

 It's easier to decorate the inside first so the decorations on the cover don't get messed up while you are working. Here are the steps I took:

***Notes: All papers were blended with Frayed Burlap Distress ink before adhering. Please excuse my phone's shadow photo bombing in almost every process photo.

1. Like Kathy, I used an oval die to cut the oval from double sided two toned blue card stock (stash) and this gorgeous Ranunculus design from the pack to make the pocket out of the opening of the envelope.

2. Line interior portion of pocket that shows with a scrap from the collection.

3. Trim the pack's cover page to make a little journaling wallet to tuck in the pocket. I used a corner rounder to trim the corners.

View of outside of wallet when opened.

4. Dip opposite side  of the trimmed cover page and a sheet of thin drawing paper (stash) into green Distress Oxide sprays thinned with water and dry. I believe this is Shabby Shutters or Crushed Olive, or maybe both -- I use my over sprayed Oxide palette sheets, (see my tips for using Oxide sprays) and I don't know what exactly colors are on them.

5. Accordion fold the colored drawing paper and adhere to front inside of wallet.

6. Cover this adhered flap with a scrap and one of the cut aparts included in the pack. Lauren loves doing calligraphy and bullet journaling, and this pull out feature offers her lots of space to do that front and back.

7. I used the oval portion from the pocket matting and some scraps to make the pull for the accordion folded pages.

8. To make the thumb tab for the cover, cut a scrap using a small oval die as shown below.

9. Having completed the first page (left flap), I moved onto the central panel. I lined it with one of the more subdued papers from the collection and made a horizontal band from a scrap to hold a removable flap page.

10. On the front, a tiny blue/white scrap hides the join line of the two panels used to make the elongated page.

11. Now I move onto the remaining right side 1 inch flap.  Adhere one of the designer papers trimmed to just under 4.25 inches wide x 5.75 inches long to the 1 inch flap to make an additional page that will fit when the album is closed. In hindsight, I should have made this panel no more than 4 inches wide. The fit is a little more snug than I would have liked. Just like my jeans.

12. Score both narrow ends of a dainty floral and script scrap from the collection and adhere a tiny scrap to either end making tabs at the bottom and top. Adhere just the tabs to the right page; this allows room under the strip to slip in a couple of journal cards made from the papers. I hope the side angle close up shot below better explains this.

13. On the opposite side of the last page, I made another pocket similar to the one on the left , adhering this cute bunny image to the page on just three sides.  The lemon paper you see peeking out is the reverse side of the paper used on the previous page.

14. I made a pull tab using three remaining oval scraps layered together and sandwiched it between two tags.

The following photos show the front and back view of the completed tag removed from the pocket.

The cover:

1. Measure out a length of seam binding ribbon that will wrap around the closed book and allow for a fluffy bow to keep the book securely closed when not in use.

2. Dye the ribbon with Oxide sprays as shown.  Dry.

3. Mark down half way on spine, front and back covers, and lay a strip of super sticky double sided tape around the back, spine and front of the album using these guidelines. Adhere ribbon.

4. Trim and adhere this gorgeous lemon design paper to the back cover over the ribbon.

5. Trim and tear a panel to adhere to the front. At first I fussy cut the flowers from the lower left, but later decided to take a different route, so it may look a little funny. It will be covered later, so no need to worry about this goof.

6. I made a shaker following Kathy's video, but chose to use adhesive weather stripping to line my frame and hold the shaker contents in place. I just picked up the yellow sequins at an estate sale this weekend -- they are a perfect match and work nicely with some micro beads from my stash!

7. In addition to flowers and gauze bandages from my stash, and die cuts from Tim Holtz Funky Foliage, Wildflowers and Wildflowers #2 Thinlits die sets, I used a Tim Holtz Transparent Wings butterfly to decorate the Lace Baseboard frame. I tapped the back of the wings with Picket Fence paint and heated the wings with my heat tool to shape them.

And guess what? I still have all this paper and then some left over to play with! The weight of this paper lends itself perfectly to a project like this -- not too heavy, but not at all flimsy. Now I can't wait to make some cards!

So that wraps up this week's Saturday Showcase! I hope you've found some inspiration from my play with these stunning Ciao Bella papers! There's still time to play along in our Aquamarine challenge, and you can link up your project HERE. Thanks for stopping by! Sara Emily


These products were used and can be purchased at The Funkie Junkie Boutique:
Ciao Bella Paper
Ciao Bella - Sicilia A4 Paper Pad
Ciao Bella - Sicilia 6x6 Paper Pad
Sizzix Thinlits Funky Foliage by Tim Holtz
Sizzix Thinlits Wildflowers by Tim Holtz
Tim Holtz Idea-ology Transparent Wings - Clear & Color
Tim Holtz Idea-ology Baseboard Frames Lace
Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Oxide Pad - Squeezed Lemonade
Distress Oxide Sprays -  Shabby Shutters, Crushed Olive, Squeezed Lemonade, Mustard Seed
Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pad - Frayed Burlap
Tim Holtz Ranger Distress Paint - Picket Fence
Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Collage Medium Matte
Seam Binding Ribbon
Tim Holtz Idea-ology Design Ruler Clear 12 Inch