Jeannie Marie & Company

Working on a Christmas Junk Journal.  It's called a junk journal because it's made from junk papers.  The pages are not junk, the thoughts are not junk, the embellishments are not junk.  Only the materials it's made of are leftover papers, envelopes and cards that are normally tossed out. Actually the embellishments are sometimes junk materials, like used wrapping paper...stamps and stickers on the envelopes I receive.  I peel them off and reuse them! Why not save everything and creatively use it!

This is a new thing among scrapbooker's and junk journalists, Sharing your stash of papers and clippings you've saved! We all have access to different stores, magazines, Mail and vintage papers so why not share what you have in abundance  with someone who has an entirely different supply?  That's what I thought too, yay!!!   Did ya hear that??  YAY!   I was browsing around YouTube and saw a video and went and joined the Facebook group Trashy Junk Journals and signed on to do a journal swap of papers and other stuff we have in our stashes.  I had a blast making the journal cover and filling it.  Rules are...no real rules  but you are supposed to not buy a thing.  You just pick from whatever you already have saved.   As you know usually half of what you save never gets used so what could be better?  I'm looking forward to my journal arriving.  My swap partner LOVED the one I sent.  Here it is: Sharing with Pink Saturday

I have found it's much more fun to make one large background for a number of ATC cards than trying to do each one individually.  Each card is still different from all others and had painted. Artist Trading Cards are fun to make and trade too.  They are perfect to include in a Christmas card as well.  Everyone enjoys receiving a gift! I couldn't add the much shorter "part two" to the original so had to make two videos.  Hope you enjoy!! This summer we visited some magnificent cemeteries looking for family.  I was astounded at some of the beautiful markers.  Shadows over family graves.   Sharing with Shadow Shot Sunday2

This one is a little structured as far as "junky" goes.  I truly love my really junky ones!  I will be doing videos on the seven journals I'm currently playing with.

Watch the process of doing this journal page! This is the double page spread so far.  I haven't embellished the Houdini page much yet but did get it painted and "napkined"  Haha! The 1 ply napkin I added over the other pumpkins is like a ghost pumpkin! I love how that turned out!!  This is a sneak peek at my newest junk journal! I have decided, and most journals do this as you work on them, that it is going to be my  holiday and vacation journal.  I love the randomness of the other journals that I'm pasting everything under the sun into, but this one is going to have a bit of structure.  It will be my go-to place as holidays approach.  I already know I'll have a blast working in it!  

This was so fun to do!  It's not pink but this is fall! Sharing with  Pink Saturday!

I have a good start on this journal and I have enjoyed working on it so much!

Oh, I love this little notebook turned into a great little junk journal for fall.  My summer journal is stuffed to the gills and I love each page.

Lauren and I had a little adventure the other day.  It was a bit challenging because Lauren does not like to spend time in the city.  The traffic, the heat and numerous other reasons surfaced when I proposed this jaunt but she humored me and off we went to visit the Carew Tower.   The shadows were amazing in the sunshine of Cincinnati however my camera didn't seem to pick up on them very well. It wasn't difficult at all.  Street parking for two hours gave us ample time to walk the two blocks and travel to the observation deck.   The views were stunning.  This is the second tallest building in Cincinnati. I have never seen this deck before and I even stayed at The Netherlands  30 years ago this summer.  How we missed this, I'll never know.  We even had time on the parking meter to dine in one of the restaurants inside but  someone else even had a better idea .   This couple was having a lovely picnic on the deck!  

I first heard about Junk Journals from Cheri at Fabric and Memories  but she was writing from myLot where I write also.   I was fascinated about using up my mountains of junk papers in an artistic way, by way of making something functional.   She uses papers from everywhere and I have linked to her page (above) where she blogged about her first Junk Journal  I looked on YouTube and watched a dozen videos about people showing their junk journals then yesterday I found one that showed me how to make one.  It was painfully slow though!  She digresses, doesn't finish sentences, pets the cat, has a hard time getting the glue going.  In short it was like sitting with her in person while she showed me everything.  The the video was an hour long!   But I learned the steps about taking all kinds of junk papers and turning them into subscriptions, which are small groups and how to glue them into a book cover.  It looked easy peasy.   Well, yes and no.    Just a wee

Mikoka Washi Tape I wanted this set of Washi because I absolutely loved the antique look when making pocket letters.  My favorite pocket letters are vintage ones and this Washi tape is from the Antique Bright set from Mikoka.  I like it because it's very easy to work with.   This is a pocket with bunting.  It's so easy to do.    I chose a piece of vintage cardstock  and just put Washi across the bottom. I just tear it off and then trim the ends. I scored it about every quarter inch using the corner of a metal ruler. I use what I have!   Then I just folded it accordion style.   I placed a piece of matching Washi all along the bottom to hold it in this position. (even when crafting I notice shadows!) It really makes a beautiful pocket embellishment!  This one was placed right on the card, and fit inside the pocket. You can also affix them to the outside, it will give it a bit more dimension.  Ano

I was out thrifting yesterday and I always try to bring back a new cup for my morning coffee when I thrift but yesterday I couldn't stop at one!  This beauty from Lenox China has a completely different butterfly on the other side and a blue flower.  I chose it for my  birthday cup of morning coffee this morning!   It sips like a dream, the cup is thin and delicate.  I was afraid the scallops would be awkward but you would never know when sipping!  Even on eBay it sells it's priced anywhere from $22 to $7.00 All the cups are even prettier in person than shown.  Now this one is a great cup, with a flared top that leans out.  It holds the most coffee and the retro styling is a favorite of mine.  I always love this 30's look.   This one has the beautiful pattern, gorgeous border that extends to the handle.   Inside the cup is the Pawpaw blossom!  I love that. Again it's a beautiful porcelain cup of the highest quality.   I

My last visit was in the summer and most of the blooms were different.   This is what is blooming in April in Florida!  While there I had to stop and pick up a geocache! An interesting Mother Child sculpture  This was quite the strange flower!  A bit further back so you can see how it grows. It was a nice visit but I missed many areas due to time constraints. Sharing with  Pink Saturday Shadow Shot Sunday2

There was a request for a swap for a Winter, Spring, Summer and Autumn Pocket letter and I was lucky enough to get the Autumn one!  I've been dying to do one for the fall, not that I'm tired of Easter Bunnies, Leprechauns and spring flowers!  I'm not!  I'm looking forward to receiving some beautiful springy PL's!   But I just had a hankering to do a fall one. I immediately stamped out some cute witches, pumpkins and owls.  I looked forward to diving into my Thanksgiving stuff I had acquired in anticipation.....but you never know where the journey will take you when you begin creating.   What is Fall?  It's back to school, Thanksgiving, w itches and goblins and hunting season. It's colorful leaves and nuts and berries, rich browns, oranges and maroons.  It's apple season.   Can you pick out the pockets that represent the various categories?  I hope she likes it.  I really enjoyed putting it together!  I imagine it will get

I am so into making pocket letters I can hardly think of anything else!   It's not that they are so awesome, actually many are received with a perfunctory thank you, but I am just enjoying the process of creating!   I might like to keep the one's I've made but I love receiving them too much!  I have a fat notebook now with about fifteen P.L.'s stuffed with goodies for me to use in creating more of them!  It is just so much fun to go out to the mailbox these days!   This is one of my recent Pocket Letters that I sent out this week.   The front of the Pocket Letter has a theme.  This one has a Frenchy Poodle theme.  The back is stuffed with interesting items  that may or may not be part of the the theme. When the goodies are removed, a nice background compliments the front.   I keep the goodies intact and use them as needed and the background slowly appears on the ones that I have received.   This week I did two Etegami post