Pirate’s Life Junk Journal

Hey, everyone! Brandi Knebel of Brandi Bel Arts, one of our amazing new Junk Journal Design Team Members, created a fabulous  Junk Journal for us this week. As you know, we feature one new Junk Journal project each week created by one of our creative team of artists. Our Design Team Members select from the 100’s of Vintage Image Bundles on our Premium Membership Site, for their creations, in order to show you beautiful ways to use those images. We hope you will be totally inspired by this series!

Please make sure you check out the video tour at the bottom of the page…please scroll all the way down to see it. Are you ready to be inspired? I will step out of the way and let Brandi introduce herself and tell you all about her incredible project…

Hello everyone! My name is Brandi Knebel and I am the owner of Brandi Bel Arts, a small Art and Craft business in Utah, USA. I am excited and honored to be a part of this year’s Graphics Fairy
Design Team and to show you my first project!

My first Journal for the Team is Titled “Pirate’s Life”. I made use of several different bundles in this journal, but first we will explore the cover! This is a soft cover that I created using an old paper bag, and many sewn layers of different fabrics and lace. On the spine I attached some netting and used the netting to hang old fake Pirate coins, from a mini cruise I took a few years ago with my family. On the front of the cover I have used one of the Graphics Fairy Images (Image 1 from the Pirate’s Cove Bundle) and layered it with a transparency sheet that I sewed on. I also attached the Pirate Flag (Image 6 from the Pirate’s Cove) that I printed on Canvas, then tore and weathered. I used a book plate to house one of the Printables from the Pirate’s Cove Bundle, that includes a sheet of words and sayings that go perfectly with this theme. I also added a few of my shells collected over the years, as well as some sand for a bit of texture. The closure is a mock treasure chest closure, that I attached to another piece of printed canvas using Image 14 from the same collection. The measurements for this journal are approximately 7 ¼” by 5 ½” with a 1 ¾” spine. There are 4 signatures.

I covered the inside with a mix of my tea dyed papers, the map Image from the Pirate’s Cove and created a pocket with a torn section of Image 4 from the Sea Captain’s Voyage Bundle. The wheel on the bottom I found using the search function on the website. Inside I have placed a vintage German postcard, a few layered Image Transfers from the Pirate’s Cove and Sea Captain’s Voyage and the mermaid ATC Printable from the Pirate’s Cove, which I backed with one of my gel prints, and added pearl drops to. On the right you can see one of the Journal Page Printables from the Pirates Cove, which I have distressed and added white and bronze splatters to. At the top is a small flag from the Planner Stickers Printable (Ocean Blue Ephemera Bundle), that I distressed and stapled on.

Featured on the left side is Image 14 from the Pirate’s Cove, that I have layered with acrylic paint onto a vintage Italian Aeronautical Paper. I added some mark making with more acrylic and paint pens, as well as adding a vintage stamp. On the right side, you can see some of how I add layering to the journal, with my gelli prints on rice paper, my tea stained graph paper, which I have drawn faux topographic contour lines on. Attached to the graph paper are the same fabrics I used on the front, as well as a bit more netting, to which I have attached a small starfish charm. Behind that you can see one of the ledger papers I found on the site by using the search tool.

Here, on the left, you can see the other half of the first page, that was the Journal Page Printout from the Pirate’s Cove, I added a tuck up spot behind a paper cluster that features an Image from the Shell Collage Printable from the She Sells Sea Shells Bundle, printed on canvas. In the tuck spot I have housed one of the Bookmark Printables from the Sea Captain’s Voyage. To the right is one of the Journal Page Printables from the Sea Spray Bundle. I added white and blue splatters, some more pearl dots and an additional flag from the Ocean Blue Ephemera Bundle. I am absolutely loving how well all these different bundles work together!

To the left for this spread, I have used another ledger printable from the website, that I have distressed and folded to create a pocket. I accented it with some of this blue lace from a vintage scarf, which is used throughout the journal. In the pocket I have stored a journaling card I crafted, using another of the ATC Printables from Pirate’s Cove, that I backed with one of my gelli prints and stained graph paper. I added a little additional netting and a small cluster, including one of my foraged Starfish and a pearl. And who can resist just a little bit of bronze splattering? To the right is an additional Journal Page from the Sea Spray Bundle. I painted in the sky, water, birds and her dress using watered down acrylics, just to bring a little more life to the page.

Here you can see a Spread I created using an antique German Bible page. I did a little mark making with acrylic paints and a few splatters. On the left is a collage using the Circle Ephemera and the
Planner Sticker Printables from the Ocean Blues Bundle, as well as a Shell Image from She Sells Sea Shells. I layered the background circle and shell with some embossing glaze, and topped it off with a pearl for some texture. On the right is another little collage using the Journaling Stickers from Ocean Blue, and the Shell Collage Printable from She Sells Sea Shells, as well as some constellation washi, that I thought went perfect with this Journal.

I made sure to keep plenty of pages more for journaling, so here you can see a much more subdued spread. The left is some of my tea-stained Rice Paper, to which I have added an Image transfer of one of the sayings available in the Sea Captain’s Voyage Printables. I transferred it onto some transparency and attached it to the page. The right is the inside of one of the Journal Pages, which I have stamped on and painted with acrylic wash. I added a piece of scrap for a “rock” and glued on Image 4 from the Pirate’s Cove. I added a little extra “sea spray” and love how effective yet simple this comes across.

This Spread is another great layering example. The left you can see another of the ledger papers, as well as another tea-stained graph paper. I used just a simple collage on the bottom, and used more of that fabric from the front as an edger. On the right is a little tip in page that I attached with more of the vintage lace, made from the Shell Arts Printable from the She Sells Sea Shells that I have printed on canvas and stained. Behind you can see more of my gelli prints, as well as more mark making on vintage paper.

To the left here I have one of my vintage Italian Aeronautical pages. To the right I have created two tuck spots. The one on the top is made from a cluster of one of my gelli prints, a scrap from an antique Italian Law Book and another of the saying from the Sea Captain’s Voyage. Inside I used one of the Label Printables from the Sea Captain’s Voyage, that I backed with the same Map image used for the inside covers and Journal closure. I also added a layer of clear embossing glaze for a little extra shine. The bottom is the same paper as the front cover pocket and inside I have added an image from the Altoid Tin Printables from the Sea Spray Bundle, backed again with a gelli print and sewn. I topped it with one of the Planner Stickers from the Ocean Blues.

The left side of this spread is one of the Journal Pages from the Sea Captain’s Voyage, stained and splattered. To the left I have used another folded ledger page, which contains a Journaling Card. This card is made from a transfer of Image 17, which I then superimposed over another of the ATC cards from Pirates Cove. I attached a brad and a small extra bit of cloth.

I hope you’ve enjoyed my journal, please take a look at the video tour below!

PIRATE’S LIFE JUNK JOURNAL SHOW  & TELL VIDEO TOUR

Premium Membership Bundles used in this project:

• Pirate’s Cove
• Mermaid’s Cove
• Sea Spray
• Ocean Blues Ephemera
• Sea Captain’s Voyage
• Sea Turtle Cove
• She Sells Sea Shells
• Junk Journal
• Parcel Post

I hope you will visit me here:

Brandi’s Instagram

Brandi’s YouTube

Brandi’s Online Shop

Brandi

Check out the Graphics Fairy Premium Membership Site HERE!