Ever since I was a child, I’ve kept a journal. They were one of my first creative spaces, totally private and devoid of criticism. Although I wrote down all my hopes and dreams, I also added stickers, drawings, and stamps. When I found a flower I liked, I’d press it between the pages of my journal. I saved movie tickets, flight itineraries, and every other little thing that held special meaning to me. Now I have boxes and boxes of old journals, and I can’t bring myself to let them go because each one shows not only my thoughts, but also my creative ability.

Imagine my delight, years later, when I discovered the world of art journals. It’s made me revisit my old journals and start planning future projects as well. Now that I’ve seen how layering, lettering, and sewing can be incorporated into the pages of journals, there is so much I want to try.

One project that showcases some of these interesting techniques is the You Are a Miracle Art Journal project. The methods used to create this project are easy to replicate and they will add depth and interest to any journal. One particularly interesting aspect of this project is the repurposing of old calendars, which is a great way to upcycle something that would otherwise be thrown out! We used an old Papaya Art Calendar, but if you don’t have one you can get something similar, along with other crafting essentials, at a great discounted price in our warehouse sale. With bright colors, stunning pieces of ephemera, and handwritten affirmations, this project is one you’re going to want to replicate many times over.

Materials for the You Are a Miracle Art Journal Project:

–PanPastels

–Papaya Art Calendar Pages

–Journal

-Sponge

–Patterned Paper

–Kraft Tissue Paper

–Adhesive

–Washi Tape

–Gel Pen

Instructions for the You Are a Miracle Art Journal Project:

Step 1 — Start by using various colors from the panpastels set and rubbing them onto the pages of a Moleskine journal using a large sponge. For this project, we used the red and blue panpastels from the Donna Downey No.1 Set.

Step 2 — Dig up some old calendar pages (we used a 2012 Papaya Art Calendar) and tear out some of your favorite images. To give your journal a distinct look, tear some of the edges off the images.

Step 3 — Find some coordinating patterned paper and kraft tissue paper and glue down layers onto the pages of the journal. If you’re using a liquid adhesive, allow ample time for the glue to dry before moving on.

Step 4 — Add random strips of various washi tapes as accents. They’ll also add depth to your art journal.

Step 5 — Write various words or quotes using a black gel pen, or a gel pen of your choice. To keep with the “miracle” theme, we pasted a cut-out of the word in the journal.

Want to Recreate the You Are a Miracle Art Journal Project?

Many of the items we used to make this wonderful art journal project can be found in our warehouse sale. We add new items monthly so be sure to come back often to get some of your favorite crafting essentials at greatly reduced prices!

Today on the blog, we are joined by the extraordinary Susan Frick, who has very graciously accepted our invitation to recreate one of her lovely Grain Sack Hearts for Somerset Place. Susan, who has been published in our Summer 2014 issue of Artful Blogging, as well as our Autumn 2013, and Spring 2013 issues of Somerset Life, provides detailed instructions and pictures for this project so that you too can try your hand at recreating these darling little hearts.

I remember the first time I saw Susan’s hearts. I was flipping through our last issue of Artful Blogging, and when I came across Susan’s stunning photographs, I immediately fell in love with the grain sack hearts. There’s something charmingly simple about these little hearts. Maybe it’s the kraft color of the fabric, which makes them look weathered and rustic, or maybe it’s the vintage-inspired stamps that Susan used. Whatever it is, one thing I know for sure is that everything about this project is simply delightful.

I could image stuffing these little hearts with dried lavender or other sweet smelling herbs and hanging them from my bed posts, or even using different stamps to create one-of-a-kind Christmas tree ornaments. My sister in law is about to have her first child and I am already planning to create a unique little baby mobile with hanging grain sack hearts.

What will Susan’s project inspire you to create?

~*~

These simple grain sack hearts are all about vintage texture. They’re made from worn, soft European grain sacks of days gone by, along with vintage hand towels. The towels have a unique texture as well, with pretty trims and faint patterns. Topping each heart with a loop of twine just adds to the nubby, raw, textured look.

Materials for Susan Frick’s Grain Sack Hearts:

– Fabric cuttings from old grain sacks (This is a great way to use up the plain back of a grain sack, or otherwise stained piece. The fabric piece I used had a crease in it which just added interest to the finished heart.)

– Vintage white hand towel (It may be fun to find one with a monogram to use as well.)

– Black stamp ink (Or whatever color you like.)

– Alphabet stamps or any other kind of stamp (I’ve used a key stamp.)

– Twine

– Filling for heart

– Sewing machine, needle, thread

Instructions for Susan Frick’s Grain Sack Hearts:

Step 1 – Cut two heart-shaped pieces from the grain sack fabric using any heart stencil you’d like. My stencil measures about 6 1/2″ wide by 7″ tall. Also cut a 6 1/2″ by 1 3/4″ strip of fabric from the vintage towel. Carefully stamp the towel strip with a word of your choosing, or other favorite stamp image. Pin the stamped towel strip to the right side of one of your grain sack hearts at the widest points.

Step 2 – Sew the vintage towel strip to the grain sack heart fabric on each of the long sides, about 1/4″ in.

Step 3 – Pin the two grain sack heart fabrics right sides together, with 10″ of twine looped in between them. Ensure the ends of the twine loop stick out about 1/2″ at the top center of the heart. Next sew the hearts together, about 3/8″ in all around, leaving about 1 1/2″ opening on one side to be able to stuff the heart. Clip curved edges and any excess towel fabric.

Step 4 – Turn heart right side out and press. Make sure to press the opening inward to line up with your seam. You’ll notice the raw edges of the vintage towel strip start to fray – that’s the raw look you’re going for!

Step 5 – Stuff the heart with your desired filling – cotton stuffing or even lavender for a sachet.

Step 6 – Lastly, sew up the opening used to stuff the heart using a whip stitch. You’re finished!

~*~

Read About Susan Frick in the Summer 2014 Issue of Artful Blogging

Thank you so much Susan for this tutorial and all the wonderful project ideas. To read more about Susan’s Grain Sack Hearts and to get even more inspiring project ideas, pick up a copy of the Summer 2014 issue of Artful Blogging.

Whether you’re well acquainted with wire forms or if you just happened to stumble into the breathtaking and creative world of 3-dimensional assemblage art, we would like to formally introduce our collection. A wire form offers a different type of canvas to showcase your creativity. It’s a challenge that most artists relish because it pushes them out of their comfort zone and allows them to work in new and unique ways. When you’re using wire forms, the creative possibilities are nearly endless.

We have used wire forms in a wide range of projects. We’ve made everything from creative centerpieces for holiday get-togethers to personalized home décor items, and even custom-made gifts for friends and family. Some of our wire forms are the ideal canvas for decoupage. It’s as simple as selecting the type of paper you want to use, picking a strong adhesive, and letting your imagination run wild. Other wire forms provide the perfect backdrop for displaying art, such as artful tags, paper dolls, greeting cards, and much more. You can also incorporate one of our wire forms into a larger work of art, and create something completely new and unexpected.

Have we piqued your interest? Join us and explore our Wire Forms Collection and maybe even pick up some interesting project ideas along the way.

12 Inspiring Wire Forms and 4 Colorful Projects

Let your imagination soar with this Hot Air Balloon Basket. Featured in our Up and Away Project, this wire form can make a charming centerpiece for a child’s birthday party as well as a whimsical home décor accent.

Learn more about our Wire Form Hot Air Balloon Basket.

Is there anything quite as charming as the sound of birds chirping? Bring all the brightness and beauty of your garden right into your living room with this Wire Form Bird House. Add a little potted plant inside and set it on your coffee table, or put the birdhouse on a stand and let some English Ivy wrap around it to create a spectacular garden centerpiece.

Learn more about our Wire Form Bird House.

Perfect for displaying old black and white photographs, handmade jewelry, and any other beautiful little treasure, this Wire Form Tree will look wonderful wherever you put it. If you’re planning a winter wedding, or you want to make a truly unique centerpiece for the holidays, take a look at this Holiday Favor  Tree Project.

Learn more about our Wire Form Tree.

This set of three glass bottles, all perched inside a wire basket, are just waiting to be filled with anything your imagination can come up with. Create an artful flower display, or use the bottles as storage for buttons, beads, and other tiny crafting essentials.

Learn more about our Wire Form Basket with Bottle Set.

Bring Parisian sophistication right into your home with this Wire Form Eiffel Tower. Leave it as is, or add color, paper, and fabric to create a stunning one-of-a-kind accent piece.

Learn more about our Wire Form Eiffel Tower.

If you love shoes then you’ll love this wire figure. Perfect for dressing rooms, shoe closets, and bathrooms, our High Heel Wire Form is just waiting to be personalized to fit your own unique style. Use ribbons, charms, and whatever else you can think of and make your very own shoe design.

Learn more about our Wire Form High Heel.

Summer may be just around the corner, but fall will arrive before you know it! Get in the right mood for spooky shenanigans with this flexible, bendable, and foldable Wire Form Pumpkin. Make it a Mixed-Media Pumpkin with spray paint or acrylic paint, add some Halloween-inspired washi tape, and finish it off with a little scrapper’s floss.

Learn more about our Wire Form Pumpkin.

Add a charming touch of femininity to any space with this racy little corset. This corset is the perfect addition to a vanity, and will look great sitting next to your jewelry box and makeup tray. We took this wire form corset and created a romantic little candle holder  that would look lovely in a woman’s bathroom or bedroom.

Learn more about our Wire Form Corset.

Are you a fashionista? Do you live to alter clothing into unique designs? Relive all the joy of creating one-of-a-kind dresses and come up with brand new pattern designs with this detailed Wire Form Mannequin. We were doubly inspired by this figure so we ended up creating a butterfly-inspired project as well as a spring blossom skirt. What will you come up with?

Learn more about our Wire Form Mannequin.

Celebrate all the wonder and beauty of motherhood with this enchanting Pregnant Dress Wire Form. Add a little ribbon and a few buttons and make a one-of-a-kind centerpiece for a baby shower or create a personalized gift for a mother-to-be.

Learn more about our Pregnant Dress Wire Form.

Hang this vintage-inspired wire form basket outside and display tiny potted plants, your favorite gardening tools, or some pint-sized garden gnomes. Inside your home, you can use this basket to store mail, photographs, vintage perfume bottles, and much more.

Learn more about our Wire Form Vintage Basket.

This Victorian-inspired Oval Bird Cage Wire Form will add a romantic touch to any living room, and will be a definite wow-factor as the centerpiece for a garden or tea-party inspired get-together.  If you want to give it a modern or even spooky touch, take a look at this Black Bird Project.

Learn more about our Wire Form Bird Cage.

Do You Want to See Even More Wire Forms?

After reading about wire forms and all the artistic projects that you can undertake, we hope  that you’re thoroughly inspired and ready to start working on your own projects! To see even more of our wire forms, please visit our Wire Forms Collection.

If you’re craving even more inspiration, take a look at our other ready-to-alter categories. From paper mache to storage containers, blank cards to journals, our ready-to-alter categories offer all the crafting essentials you’ll need for your next big project.

Make your kitchen bright and beautiful with this Stamped Summer Tea Tins Project! Not only are these tins incredibly functional for storing all of your favorite summer flavored teas — like pomegranate, citrus, and mint — but they’ll also look fantastic sitting on your counter. Best of all you can customize them to fit any décor design or color palette. Make them for yourself or create them as the perfect summertime gift, or summer gathering party favor.

Materials for the Stamped Summer Tea Tins Project:

• Tea Tins
• White Gesso or White Acrylic Paint
• Gel Pen
• StazOn Ink
• Washi Tape
• Clearly Impressed Acrylic Mounts
• Rock-a-Block
• Fanciful Outline Lowercase Alphabet Clearly Impressed Stamp Set by Susan Houseman
• Unity Stamp Christy Tomlison Cling Mount Stamp – Quilted Blooms
• Unity Stamp Christy Tomilson Cling Mount Stamp – Classified Newsprint

Stamped Summer Tea Tins Project Tutorial

1. Start by painting the tea tins white. You can use white gesso or alternatively use white acrylic paint, or even spray paint. However, if you are going to put food or drink products inside your tins, be sure to use something that is non-toxic.

2. Once your tins are painted and dried, you can stamp a colorful design of your choice onto the outside. Some of the Christy Tomlinson stamps are the perfect height for the tea tins. Put the stamp onto a rock-a-block, and then ink the stamp with various StazOn Ink colors. For this project, we used Teal Blue, Blazing Red and Mustard. Once your stamp is properly inked, gently roll the stamp on the outside of the tin (the rock-a-block makes this super easy). Remember to re-ink the stamps carefully between each application.

3. Apply some of the mustard StazOn Ink to the lids of your tins, and allow them to dry.

4. Stamp the Christy Tomlinson stamp design onto white cardstock (this time using just one ink color), and then punch the design with a circle punch and glue it to the center of the lid.

5. Stamp the word “Tea” onto white cardstock using black StazOn Ink and the Fanciful Outline Lowercase Alphabet with an acrylic mount.

6. Carefully color the letters in with yellow gel pen and then cut the word out in a rectangular shape.

7. On the outside of the tea tins, place a few strips of blue washi tape, and then glue the cut-out word onto the center of the tape.

Want Even More Colorful Home Décor and Artful Living Inspiration?

Visit The Studio to explore even more unique and creative Home Décor and Artful Living Projects.

Sandy beaches, crystal-clear blue waters, the swaying shade of tall palm trees, and a tall stack of bright and inspiring June issues — that’s our idea of paradise! Enjoy this summer in style, even if you’re not beachside, with a full collection of reading materials that’s jam-packed with creative ideas, thoughtful stories, and gorgeous images. Get yummy recipes for all your summertime gatherings with Where Women Cook, and find beautiful invitation ideas inside our latest issue of Take Ten. If you just want to kick back and relax, try the stunning work that’s featured in our June issue of Somerset Studio Gallery, like Susan Travares’ Lost & Found Art Dolls, Michelle E. Black’s Summertime Image Transfers, and Deborah Company’s Mosaic Collages.

We love our blog followers, and we want to show just how much we appreciate them! That’s why we’re offering an exclusive promo code to receive $5 off any of our wonderful June issues. Simply make sure you copy and paste the coupon code BLOG0614 when prompted at checkout.

Belle Armoire Jewelry

This summer issue is full of summer styles. Sink into a Designer Collection filled with Nina Morrow’s unique jewelry made from driftwood, and indulge in a gorgeous porcelain jewelry set perfect for the season. You’ll be amazed by the colors, symbols, and shapes – like spikes, leaves, geometric shapes, glitzy rhinestones, and more – that line these pages. In addition to being pretty to look at, our features divulge unique techniques that call for trapping wire inside earrings, folded metal, faux netting, pottery, wire wrapping, foldforming, and stamping.

Take Ten

Grab your sunglasses and ice-cold lemonade and soak in the Summer 2014 issue of Take Ten, filled with refreshing techniques and card designs. In this issue you will learn how to quickly make five cards in five minutes, creatively incorporate book text into card designs, and add moodiness to cards with careful inking. Also featured is a dreamy collection of pastel-hued cards that is sure to leave you starry-eyed. Trust us — you won’t want to miss out on this gorgeous issue!

Somerset Studio Gallery

We’re thrilled to announce a 15-year milestone for Somerset Studio Gallery – a special publication that features everything you love about Somerset Studio in 200 lush pages. In this issue, explore Deborah Company’s mosaic house collages, Cat Kerr’s unique shadow box collection, and a must-see sewn bird panel by Colette Copeland. Perfect for stepping into the summer season, we also share Michelle E. Black’s beach-themed image transfers on repurposed wood and Coral Lee’s colorful mixed-media envelopes made with gesso, watercolors, paint, and patterned papers. Mixed-media artists of all levels will love the hundreds of creative art samples that line these pages.

Sew Somerset

The summer issue of Sew Somerset is filled with exciting mixed-media designs that incorporate stitches in new and interesting ways. Adorn your outfits with Viv Sliwka’s vintage patchwork bow brooches. Learn new and creative journal stitching techniques from Ellen Wilson, Caterina Giglio, and Roxanne Padgett, as you flip through pages filled with their captivating art, photos, and fun-filled embellishments. Fly away with Colette Copeland’s simply adorable mixed-media kites. These projects and so much more will inspire you to grab a needle and thread and create your own lively creations!

 Art Quilting Studio

Kick off the new season with the industry’s most innovative fiber inspiration inside Art Quilting Studio. This issue’s Artist Profile shares Elizabeth Barton’s vibrant landscape and cityscapes, Liz Alessi’s free-motion-stitched mini quilts, and Susie Zolghadri’s mixed-media wall-hanging “Gratitude.” You’ll be quite intrigued by Helen Richard’s “Black Quilts” series that we reveal in our Series Showcase, and do not miss how Laura Glass captures everyday moments so beautifully and realistically with fabric.

Where Women Cook

This June issue is brimming with famous faces and fresh kitchen spaces. Get an intimate look into the home of Korie Robertson of A&E’s TV Reality series “Duck Dynasty,” and dish with news personality Elizabeth Ries. In addition to mouthwatering food and drink recipes, we reveal where Lynsey Kramer of Yonder Way Farms makes her meals and where Candice Pittman of Blue Eyed Daisy bakery has turned her passion into her profession. Last but not least, we’re featuring TV chef Andrew Zimmern in this edition’s “Men We Crave” column.

Your Chance to Win One of Our June Issues!

[This giveaway has ended.]

We’re giving away brand-new June Issues to THREE lucky winners! Simply follow these steps to enter for your chance to win:

1) Click on your favorite spread above.

2) Pin or “Like” that particular issue. 

3) If you pinned to Pinterest, share the link in the comments section below. If you “liked” on Facebook, tag us so we can see. 

4) If you don’t have Facebook or Pinterest, please comment below and tell us which issue you find most appealing and why.

*Winners are selected at random and will be contacted via email. *$5 off discount applies to purchases of any of the following 2014 June Issues only: Art Quilting Studio, Belle Armoire Jewelry, Sew Somerset, Take Ten, Somerset Studio Gallery, and Where Women Cook. Discount code can be used only one time per customer, and expires 06/30/14. Contest is open to U.S. residents and ends 06/30/14 at 11:59pm.

Congratulations to Our Glimpse Inside Winners for the Month of May:

Karen Schroeder, Jaclyn Reynolds, and Michelle Mathey