Sketchy Flower Notebook by Liz Wheeler

Happy Monday lovely That's Crafty! Creatives. 

What a beautiful autumn day it is too. For today's project I wanted to make an autumn themed mini journal using my Journal It! Templates Set 4. 

I started by drawing round template 2A onto white card and cut out. For the background I used a selection of Distress Oxides in autumn colours: Candied Apple, Tea Dye, Fossilized Amber, Carved Pumpkin, Peeled Paint.

I spread some of the ink onto a piece of foil and spritzed with water, then dabbed my cover onto the ink. I didn't have full coverage on the cover and heat set the first layer with my heat gun. I spritzed the remaining ink with water again and dabbed onto the areas I had missed the first time, again heat setting. 

To decorate I used a selection on my Sketchy Flowers and Words stamps to create a random background, inking with VersaFine Clair Fallen Leaves.

I then went in with my paintbrush and using some of the Distress Oxides spritzed with water, coloured in the flowers and leaves.

Using template 2B, I traced two sections onto white cartridge paper to create 15 pages, folded in the centre. I added an extra spine to the centre of the cover to add strength so I could sew the pages into the cover. I lined the pages up with the spine and marked both to create stitching guides and pierced through with my pokey tool. 

I stitched the pages into the cover with a simple pamphlet stitch, starting in the centre of the pages, to the outside, then back to the centre tying off with a knot. 

To add a bit of sparkle to the cover, I added Pentart Ice Crystal Paste which really made the colours of the flowers and leaves pop.

Finally I added some elastic to the cover as a binding. 

A quirky little journal that will fit in a pocket for when you are out and about!