I’m thrilled to be sharing with you all this week’s ICAD’s. The abbreviation ICAD means, “Index Card A Day.” This challenge was created a few years ago by artist Tammy and her challenge has really grown over the years. Below, is her IG account where you can find out more about her and her art.
Day 41
Day 42
Day 43
It is absolutely wonderful to see the collection of cards I’ve made thus far. I have them sitting pretty on my bookshelf in a ceramic basket. Where is the picture? I’m going to share it on the last post of this challenge. I can’t wait! Like all the previous weeks, I love this week’s cards!
I look forward to sharing the rest of this week’s challenge and the following week with you next Saturday! My wish is for you to be inspired and encouraged. Have a blessed weekend! -Stephanie Hopkins
Check out my art journey on Instagram and at my Mixed Media Art Gallery here at Layered Pages!
I’m currently hosting a unique bookmark swap over at Instagram and I hold giveaways for our group members.
We are still accepting new members to our group! Our next swap is in September and we would love to have you join. Be sure to follow the hashtag below, on Instagram, to keep up with the group and to be in the loop with upcoming giveaways and other fun projects coming soon. We are currently open for US Residents only. More international spots will open soon.
We are swapping 4 bookmarks a piece. You can not only use them for books, but for your journals and notebooks! If you are interested in participating, DM me on Instagram for more information. We would love for you to be part of this group! The hashtag for our swap group: #StephslpBookmarkswap
Stephanie Hopkins
Mixed Media Artist/Abstract Painter/Book Blogger
Check out my art journey on Instagram and at my Mixed Media Art Gallery here at Layered Pages!
My wish is for you to be inspired and encouraged. -Stephanie
“Journal writing, when it becomes a ritual for transformation, is not only life-changing but life-expanding.” – Jen Williamson
I journal quite often but I haven’t made a journal specifically for the weekend in ages!
There are many types of these journals and not only in how you make them but what you do with them. Such as, include photos, day trips, parties, walks in nature, what you are reading, movies, gatherings with friends and family and so forth. In my journal, I recorded a few of my activities I did over the weekend and memories that came to my mind.
While I gathered paper to use as my signature, I came across paper with illustrations of people playing baseball and that took me back to when my family, friends and I use to go to the Braves games all the time down in Atlanta. Wonderful memories to look back on. I wrote that down after I included the pages to my journal.
It is not often I journal about food or drink unless it is a special occasion. Well, I had a reason to make a page about tea that a friend sent me in the mail. She had sent the tea to me a few weeks prior but I wanted to wait for a special moment to drink it. This past weekend was a perfect moment.
I love to explore waterfalls and it has been a while since I’ve been to one. I came across this image of a waterfall and it made me long to visit one this fall. What a great image to add to your journal.
My birthday was in June and my brother gave me a gift certificate to Starbucks. I rarely go buy coffee there anymore so that was a special treat. I took my mother along with me and we ordered special drinks and scones. It was a nice outing with her and I was delighted to have the opportunity to journal about it.
One of the activities I did over the weekend was watch a Youtuber make DIY mini envelopes embellishments to make and bunch together and place in journals. What a great idea! You can even use them as tucks and pockets. I decided to make a page using them so I will remember this technique. I’m thinking about including them in all my journals.
How I made the journal:
I had painted a scrap piece of jute a year or so ago and had put it aside. I had forgotten about it until I came across it on Friday and thought it would make a cool journal cover.
I gathered my paper, thread and needle and crated a floating spin for this journal. The reason for this was because if I had sewn into the jute, it would have eventually unraveled. I sewed the signature onto a strong piece of paper-I usually use fabric-and glued it to the jute. Then I took scrap paper and glued it on the sides of that paper to secure it better.
From there, I decorated my pages and made secret pockets for my writing throughout the weekend. Really simple and fun to make. Not all the pages are shown but it is enough for you to get the idea. I hope you enjoyed this post!
Check out my art journey on Instagram and at my Mixed Media Art Gallery here at Layered Pages!
My wish is for you to be inspired and encouraged. -Stephanie
I’m thrilled to be sharing with you all this week’s ICAD’s. The abbreviation ICAD means, “Index Card A Day.” This challenge was created a few years ago by artist Tammy and her challenge has really grown over the years. Below, is her IG account where you can find out more about her and her art.
It is absolutely wonderful to see the collection of cards I’ve made thus far. I have them sitting pretty on my bookshelf in a ceramic basket. Where is the picture? I’m going to share it on the last post of this challenge. I can’t wait! Like all the weeks beforehand, I love this week’s cards! Which one is your favorite?
Day 34: On the day I called, you answered me; you made me bold with strength in my soul. – Psalm 138:3
Day 35: Tropical Dreams-I love the colors of this card! I used green paints for the background and then inked and stamped it. One of the collage elements is a paper towel.
Day 35
Day 36: Crafting is Therapy- As far as the saying goes on the card, I dare say it might depend on the therapist hourly rate and the brand of crafts you buy. That said, the saying fits the bill. You get achievement in crafting.
Day 37: Be Wonderfully You, Everyone Else is Taken
Day 38: Dream Big, Aim High
Day 39: Weekend Dreams-I used some of my new papers to make this card and the last two. I love the simplicity of the collage and the design of the papers.
Day 36
Day 40: All About Eve- A line from one of my favorite American Movie Classics.
Brilliant, witty and sharp tongue dialogue. Stark portrayal of behind the curtain drama.
Bette Davis, brilliant as always. The fake naivete and conniving ways of Eve (Anne Baxter) is so convincing that I had a hard time caring for her in other films she starred in. Sign of a great actor one must say. Love everything about the film.
I look forward to sharing the rest of this week’s challenge and the following week with you next Saturday! My wish is for you to be inspired and encouraged. Have a blessed weekend! -Stephanie Hopkins
Day 40
Check out my art journey on Instagram and at my Mixed Media Art Gallery here at Layered Pages!
How to make pretty journals made out of trash and leftover or found materials around your home.
Welcome to Layered Page and thank you to those who follow my blog. Today is part three of my mini junk journal series where you will discover ways to use recycled materials to make pretty journals without breaking the bank. It is possible to make pretty journals with junk or recycled materials as I like to call it!
My objective when creating these junk journals is to use old ephemera AKA recycled materials, packaging, scraps of paper that I would otherwise throw out.
In today’s junk journal, I have to admit I used a new material to bind this journal. I wanted to see how Dollar Tree thread held up. I thought the thread would break as soon as I bound and tighten the signatures in the journal. I was shocked it didn’t! So far, it’s held up really well. I’m getting ahead of my self here. Let’s start from the beginning.
I took a cracker jack box to use for my journal. Every time I look at one of those boxes, it takes me back to my childhood. Anyhow, I’ve been wanting to make a denim journal cover for a while now and I had a scrap piece left over from the quilting project. Keep those fabric scraps! The bling on the cover is from an old worn out pair of jeans I kept. It was in no condition to donate to a charity shop and there was no way I was about to throw them away.
The inside of the cover is collage with packaging from the mail. Those are great to keep for your projects.
Signatures in Place
The signatures are made up of junk mail, scraps of construction paper kids use for crafts. I decided to coffee dye those papers to give them an old look and they feel so crinkly! Love it! I will do a post on my coffee dying process soon. Now that the journal is constructed, I will begin decorating and journaling the inside pages.
Be sure to take a look at my Mini Junk Journal: Part I. This post will give you more details in my process of constructing a journal.
Check out my art journey on Instagram and at my Mixed Media Art Gallery here at Layered Pages! Often times, I post my decorated journal pages on Instagram.
My wish is for you to be inspired and encouraged. -Stephanie
I’m thrilled to be sharing with you all this week’s ICAD’s. The abbreviation ICAD means, “Index Card A Day.” This challenge was created a few years ago by artist Tammy and her challenge has really grown over the years. Below, is her IG account where you can find out more about her and her art.
I have to say that this week’s cards really have touched my heart and I enjoyed creating them. I used a lot of my coffee dyed paper for the collage background and even did a little hand stitching. I take my photos outdoors and some of them may appear a little darker, due to cloudy weather we are having. You can get a better look of the cards at my Instagram.
Day 26
Day 27: We’ve been seeing a lot more rabbits than usual this summer in our neighborhood. I thought this card fitting for the premise. It has been wonderful to see them and glad the next-door neighbor cat has been neglecting is hunting!
Day 28: I love adding quotes and sayings to cards. This would go great in a journal or sent in the mail to a love one or friend. I believe the favorite part of this card is the lace I added.
Day 29
Day 29: Everyone Has Secrets- When creating this card, I didn’t have anything in mind as the layers developed. Isn’t it interesting were art can take you sometimes?
Day 30: The quote on the card comes from the novel Possession by A.S. Byatt. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve read the story and watched the adaption based on the novel. Making this card tempts me to read the story again.
“Possession is an exhilarating novel of wit and romance, at once an intellectual mystery and triumphant love story. It is the tale of a pair of young scholars researching the lives of two Victorian poets. As they uncover their letters, journals, and poems, and track their movements from London to Yorkshire—from spiritualist séances to the fairy-haunted far west of Brittany—what emerges is an extraordinary counterpoint of passions and ideas.” -Book Description
Day 30
Day 31
Day 31: Housekeeping- I love writing sayings, quotes and poems. I thought I would write a quirky saying about housekeeping.
Day 32: The card below reminds me of one of my favorite childhood stories The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett. Imagine finding a walled in garden and the only way in that garden is by using a key. The story is charming, mysterious and elements of childhood imagination, adventure and emotions.
Day 32
Day 33: I love the outdoors and I still think on the fond moments of playing outdoors as a child. Those days, we could venture far from home, as long as we were together and home in time for dinner. The adventures we had! The bird and flowers on the card below reminds me of those days. Many great memories to cherish.
I look forward to sharing the rest of this week’s challenge and the following week with you next Saturday! My wish is for you to be inspired and encouraged. Have a blessed weekend! -Stephanie Hopkins
Check out my art journey on Instagram and at my Mixed Media Art Gallery here at Layered Pages!
My birthday was on Father’s Day on the 20th. Forty-five years ago, I was born on that special day. It has been a while now since my dad and I celebrated both events on the same day. I gifted him two paintings and a handmade card and so happy he loves them!
The following day, I woke up in good spirits. Though the sky was still cloudy from a recent storm, the birds were joyfully singing their song, I just knew it would be a good week.
For my birthday, I was given gift cards and I’ve had a few craft items on my wish-list for a long time. I was able to get a few of them with the cards and I can’t tell you how excited I was to order them. I kept going to my on-line order to check the tracking status every day until I received them! Needless to say, I was eager to get my hands on the ASAP!
Today, I am sharing that haul with you, my thoughts on each product and I hope you find inspiration for your crafting adventures! I’d have to say that this is probably the biggest craft haul I’ve had, outside of Dollar Tree that is, in ages! There is so much! This haul will last me a long time, me thinks! These items are available on Amazon for purchase. I do believe some of the items are low in stock, so if you want them, I’d get them as soon as you can. I’m not sure how long it takes the companies to re-stock them.
Nuanchu Real Dried Pressed Flowers Leaves Natural Pressed Chrysanthemum Daisy Flowers with Tweezers for Scrapbooking DIY Candle Decoration Resin Jewelry Crafts Making: I’ve ordered a ton of botanicals this time around. I’m running low and came across a ton on Amazon that I wanted to give a try at some point. I was hesitating on a few of these products but decided to take the chance because they look beautiful in the pictures! I rate this product five stars.
Knaid Vintage Floral Washi Tape Set, 12 Rolls of Decorative Solid Color Paper Tapes for Scrapbooking, DIY Arts and Crafts, Bullet Journal, Planner, Junk Journal, Gift Wrapping: Like I need more washi tape…I couldn’t help myself! These are beautiful! There is not a lot on the rolls but nonetheless, they will last me a while so I feel the price is fair considering… I rate this product four stars.
MOLNESO 360 Sheets Vintage Journaling Supplies, Scrapbook Paper Supplies for Writing, Drawing, Aesthetic Decorative Stationery Paper for Scrapbooking, Travel Journal: I’ve been collecting paper for over two decades and still have lots. Actually, since I was a kid. Yes, I love paper. That said, I’m running low on my vintage style collage paper and I really don’t want to use any more of my 12” x 12” paper unless I’ve already cut into them for journal pages. I thought I’d give this pack a go. The paper is thin so I will use glue sticks to adhere them (carefully) to my craft surface. Liquid glue would be too much for them. I love the verity of patterns and how vintage they look. I wonder how long these will last before I run out? Can’t wait to find out! I rate this product five stars.
60PCS Mushroom Laptop Stickers Decals, Doraking DIY Mushroom Plants Decoration Stickers Decals for Windows, Refrigerator, Decoration (Mushroom Collection, 60PCS/Pack): These stickers are beautiful! I wish I had purchased these before now. I rate this product five stars.
Retro Floral Stickers Set (120 PCS) PET Transparent Flower Stickers for Scrapbooking Planner Journaling Wrapping DIY Crafts Cards Album Water Bottles Phone Cases Laptops: I started crafting with these stickers immediately. They are stunning! They are delicate so be careful with them. The adhesive is strong. I rate this product five stars.
50 Yards Lace Trims Vintage Lace Ribbon Crochet Lace Scalloped Edge for Bridal Wedding Decoration Package DIY Craft Supply, 10 Styles Assorted: You get a lot for your money and the lace is beautiful! A must for your craft supply. I will be buying these again in the future. I rate this product five stars.
138 Pcs/3 Sets Post Stamp Stickers Retro Cute Plants/Animals Decorative Sticker Square Adhesive Sticker Envelope/Bag Seal by EORTA for Diary Planner Bottles Scrapbook DIY Craft Gift, Forest Theme: I have a bit of an addiction when it comes to collecting stamps whether they are real or faux. I adore them and I’m always on the lookout for different designs. They are fun to add to your craft and art projects. If you can’t afford to purchase them from craft stores, I highly recommend collecting them from your mail. I do that as well as purchase them, though I’m selective on the company. I rate this product five stars.
D-worthy Retro Wooden Handle & Base Roller Date Stamp, Rubber Stamp for DIY Craft Card Making Planner Scrapbooking (Navy): I’ve been wanting a date stamp for sometime now. I’m just surprised I never got one sooner since I craft so much. I love this product and it stamps really well to paper! A must have for your craft supply. I rate this product five stars.
The Botanist’s Sticker Anthology Book: I’ve been wanting to purchase a sticker book like this for a long time. My only issue with the book is that there is only one side of stickers to each page. The back is a pattern paper. However, I can use them once I’ve used all the stickers. The book itself would be cool altered to make a journal. Do keep in mind, that many of these stickers are quite large and the stickers adhesive is not very strong. I rate this sticker book, four stars.
Knaid Butterfly Stickers Set (360 Pieces) – Decorative Colorful Assorted Insects Decals for Scrapbooking DIY Arts Crafts Album Bullet Journals Junk Journal Planners Water Bottles Phone Cases Laptops: These butterflies are stunning! I have been fussy cutting many of them for my craft projects. They have a white border around them. They do stick really well to paper. I rate this product five stars.
Wooden Rubber Stamps, NogaMoga 12pcs Plant Patterns Rubber Stamp with 11 Sizes, Decor Stamps for Card, DIY, Paper Craft, Bullet Journal, Photo Album, Hand Book, Planner, Scrapbooking:I have not bought wooden stamps in a long time, or stamps in general, and I was thrilled to come across these designs! Keep in mind, they are small but perfect for your paper crafting, card making and journal pages. I rate this product five stars.
Vintage Collection Postcard Set: Pack of 30 Retro Style Botanical, Nature and Ephemera Postcards by Wintertime Crafts: The images on these postcards are stunning and the cards is sturdy! I rate this product five stars.
Tim Holtz Idea-ology Thrift Shop Ephemera pack: This is the third or fourth time I’ve purchased this pack. I love them and they go with the themes I use in my crafts. I rate this product five-stars and recommend it as a must add to your craft supply.
8″ x 8″ 25 PCS 100% Cotton Fabric Bundles for Quilting Sewing DIY & Quilt Beginners, Quilting Fabric Squares: AS soon as I go these in the mail, I started using them and forgot to take a picture! The picture shown is from Amazon and they are accurate. These are great for paper crafting, journal and mixed media projects. I rate this product five stars.
Wilton 30 Count Grease Proof Doilies, 4-Inch, White: Normally I get my doilies at the Dollar Tree but these were a pretty good deal and I loved the design and style. I rate this product five stars.
Fun Express – Orange 50 Cents Single Roll Tickets – Party Supplies – Entertainment – Admission Tickets & Wristbands – 1 Piece: These tickets did not come with a wristband. Not that I’m concern about that. I just wanted the tickets. Orange is a great color because I can distress them to make them look old for my paper crafting projects. Most likely I will coffee dye them. They are sturdy and perfect. I rate this product five stars.
I will use these products for journaling, card making, journal tags, embellishments, collage, bookmarks, happy mail and all sort of other craft ideas I can think of.
I hope you enjoyed today’s post! -Stephanie Hopkins
Check out my art journey on Instagram and at my Mixed Media Art Gallery here at Layered Pages! There are pictures on Instagram of what I’ve used from this haul so far.
It feels like this year is flying by and sometimes I feel like I’m not going to get all the reading in that I planned. According to my goodreads reading challenge, I am 16 books ahead of schedule, but still…
I listened to this one and took my time with it.
I’m not reading this series in order. Maybe I should.
My daughter’s book.
Anyhow, I wanted to mention that I’ve been thinking after this year, not participating in the reading challenges anymore. That said, I do like to keep track of my yearly reads but not on demand. I have not enjoyed reading this way for a while now. I have something else in mind to keep track of the number of books I read in a year that I might discuss at a later time.
This book was strange and not my favorite of the authors.
I took my time with this one. Not really sure how I feel about the story.
I’ve read this book before.
My daughter’s book
In myHome Library Bookspost, I talked about reading books from my own bookshelf at home and reading stories my daughter has read. I was able to get in two of her books and I quite enjoyed them. This month, I read seven books total and you will notice that I’ve veered away from historical fiction somewhat. I’m frustrated with the direction the genre is going in and the censoring going on in the publishing industry. That is for another time to discuss, if at all.
A few of these books I have read at a leisurely pace and the one by Dean Koontz, I’ve read before a couple times.
I have dozens and dozens of magazines and catalogs that I’ve harvested for images. Once I was done with them, I couldn’t bring myself to throw them away. They still had quite a few pages in them. I’ve been trying to decide what I want to do with them and recently I came across a Youtuber who makes mini glue books out of them. I was thrilled to discover Nicole’s channel! I did know other ways to create with them but I wasn’t thrilled with the sizes nor did I feel inspired. Making mini glue books out of them is such an inspiring idea, a way to use your scraps, and they make great travel companions!
But what is a glue book exactly? A glue book is a collage journal. You take any book you to glue any sort of images, everyday items and pattern papers to the pages. Anything goes, really and you can create any sort of theme or no theme if you so desire. I love this way of creating. It is so relaxing and freeing! I’ve decided to use this glue book for random layouts for inspiration.
Nicole’s instructions on how to turn a magazine into a glue book is easy to follow. She has two videos for you to watch. If you have limited time, she has a short video on how to fold & cut the magazine, but I highly recommend watching both.
This craft project is great for kids as well. Happy gluing!
Next week, I will be blogging a craft haul that are new products to me and will be reviewing each item. Be on the lookout for that post!
My wish is for you to be inspired, and encouraged. Blessings to you and yours.
Check out my art journey on Instagram and at my Mixed Media Art Gallery here at Layered Pages!
Today I’m am sharing a new craft organization I’m implementing in my crafting endeavors.
I’ve always made my own ephemera packs with various supplies I have on hand and I put them in gallon size Ziplock bags or large make-up bags. That system is not working for me any longer. I want to simplify to make it easier to manage and carry in a smaller to- go tote. I can honestly say that reducing my craft kits in size to little leaves of goodness, makes all the difference and inspires creativity.
I like to work with a good deal of colors and different styles, so I sort every pile with a little of everything. For instance, some crafters like to-do strictly vintage style whereas I like to blend contemporary, grunge and abstract with vintage. Juxtaposition, if you will. Then I secure them with baker’s twin or ribbon. This method reminds me of how the Victorians secured paper and letters. I’ve decided to store them in a photo box and when I want to close the lid, I layer them flat in the box. This box sits nicely on my craft table or desk. Later on, in another blog post, I will show how I store and tote them when I’m crafting on the go or in another area of the house.
Do you make ephemera packs? What ephemera do you find adding to them the most? Scraps of collage paper, tags, flowers, butterflies and my homemade painted papers are my go-to.
One can create all sorts of things with these mini packs. For example: Embellishments, journal cards, collage, tucks, belly bands, tags and pockets. The ideas are endless!
One other thing before I leave you until next time. I’m also gearing up for the first giveaway in my bookmark swap group at Instagram on starting July 1st! There will be four giveaways between July and September! The first giveaway theme colors are pink and purple.
This giveaway is for the members of the #StephslpBookmarkswap group. DM about the details on how to join. Next bookmark swap is September 15th. We would love to have you!
There are two spots left available for people who live outside the US to join.
Layered Pages 