Junebuggs Joy

05/25/2022

Summer badge kits now available! $15 per kit plus shipping.

05/25/2022

Now available! Summer badge kits!

Your child will love earning and showing off their summer badges.

The kit includes 1 nylon drawstring backpack (color chosen at random), 33 summer badges and suggestions for activities your child can complete to earn each badge.

Once earned, the badge can be proudly displayed on the backpack.

Add a small notebook and your child can keep track of how they earned each badge.

This is a great way to celebrate summer! ☀️

Special price of $15.00 per kit plus shipping.

05/14/2022

04/28/2022

04/27/2022

This is the consignment shop in Edmore where I’m selling my quilts and key fobs!

04/25/2022

I SPY quilts are available to order. Quilts are 40” x 60”, backed with soft flannel and made with all new materials. Please note, each quilt is unique and the fabrics used may vary from those shown..

$50 plus shipping

I SPY…
This handmade quilt is made to provide hours of learning fun and warm cuddles. The bright colors make it perfect for tummy time!

Use it as a fun way to teach colors, shapes and animals.

Then move on to the classic “I SPY” game. Challenge your child to find things like something red, a butterfly or two squares with the same design.

Next work on counting. Ask your child “how many bees can you find” or “can you find 3 things that are yellow?”.

Practice letter sounds (show me something that starts with “D”) and rhyming (show me something that rhymes with dog).

There are endless ways to use this quilt to encourage one on one “tech-free” playtime.

Care instructions: Machine wash and dry on gentle cycle.

04/25/2022

06/08/2018

A few more ideas for your JAMM binder.

Over the last 2+ years of creating my own personal JAMM binder, there are a few things I’ve found that really help, inspire and motivate me. Let’s start with the one I think is most important.

1. A friend! Creating with a friend really makes a difference. Not only is it a great time to socialize, we encourage each other and try new techniques. It also helps us both stay “accountable” to working on our binders. Sometimes, life just seems to get in the way. But it’s so important to take that time to yourself to journal and create. Having a friend helps me to stay on track and make sure I’m taking that bit of time out of the day for myself.

2. Hole reinforcement stickers – Even though the pages are made of cardstock, any punched holes should be reinforced. As you work on your JAMM and share it with friends and family, the holes may start to look a little rugged. It’s important to start out with reinforcements on your pages to prevent that. I like to buy the hole reinforcement stickers by the sheet and decorate them using paints, ink or stamps before applying. My method is to grab a big piece of under paper (the paper you use to protect whatever surface you’re working on) and then lay out the sheets. Apply paint or ink just as you would on a regular piece of paper. Let them dry thoroughly, then add them to your pages. They give each page a fun little pop of color. I like to take the leftover sticker after all reinforcements have been used, and cover a piece of cardstock or the back of one of my weekly pages with it. It makes for an interesting background plus I hate to “waste” it. Speaking of “wasting” stuff. Be sure to hang onto your under paper. After a while, it becomes a beautiful mess of colors and there just might be an art challenge to use under paper…..

3. Magazines – I’ve mentioned this one before but it’s definitely worth mentioning again. ANYTHING that catches my eye is torn out and saved for use in my JAMM. This includes furniture, paint colors, animals or flowers. Seriously, anything that makes me look twice. These are then added to the back of weekly pages or onto a piece of cardstock and placed into one of the page protectors. Depending on the picture, I may add washi tape, bling or some other little embellishment. I also look for words in interesting fonts or words like “happy”, “smile” or “enjoy”. These are great for adding to the pictures you’ve torn out or to create a separate piece of art. Use magazine clippings is also one of the challenges for your JAMM.

4. Washi tape – I can’t say enough about washi. There are so many patterns available and they really add a lot to the page. Even better, they are fairly inexpensive and fun to share. Bessie and I will share our washi buy wrapping a few yards around a popsicle stick. You can add washi down the side of each weekly page, Fold and stick it together to make a little tab on your page, or use it to fill in blank spots on your weekly pages (like when you forget what you did the last few days!).

5. A Ziploc or similar bag – I seem to always have a few little things laying around that I want to add to my JAMM like scraps of ribbon or a stray button. I’ve found that it’s easier for me to just put these random things into a bag. When I’m ready to create, I pour everything out onto the table and go!

I hope this list will help you along your JAMM journey! Remember to post photos of what you’re working on. Not only is it fun to share what you’ve done, you may inspire someone else.

Next time we’ll talk about embellishments (or embellies as I like to call them). Another fantastic way to add personality, color and texture to your JAMM.

Happy creating

06/01/2018

Hello again!

Last time we talked about ways to decorate your JAMM binder and I hope that you’ve found the time and inspiration to do that. Today we’re going to talk about belly bands and di**le dangles. Besides being fun to make and a little silly to say, they are very important parts of your JAMM.

First, the belly band. The belly band is the band around your JAMM used to hold it all together. As you start adding things to your binder, you’ll find it starts to expand and needs something to keep the covers together. The belly band is best made from elastic ribbon or trim.
You can choose to coordinate the band with your newly decorated cover or do something totally different. Use whatever makes you happy!

When making your belly band, simply wrap your chosen ribbon or trim around the binder, making sure to stretch it a bit. Mark this spot, tie the knot and slide it on. You can trim down the ends of the knot or leave them long for a more decorative touch. Be sure to save any “good” left over pieces to use in your JAMM later.

Now the di**le dangles. This is the term Bessie and I use to describe the charms and such that we attach to the belly band. The di**le dangles can be made of absolutely anything that you want. Some of the things we’ve used in the past are;

Keychains
Charms
Beads
Bracelets
Cabochon pendants
Rings
Flair

Just about anything that you can pin, sew or clip to the belly band are fair game. Right now I have a few things set aside to incorporate into my future di**le dangles; some polished rock pendants from a necklace one of my kids made for me a long time ago, some cute turtle beads and cabochon pendant with hot air balloons on it. When you’re getting ready to make yours, double check your jewelry box, the junk drawer and even maybe the garage (small bolts and washers can add a steampunk look to your di**le dangles) for things to incorporate. Remember that you can continue to add things until you find “your” look.

Below are some example of belly bands and di**le dangles Bessie and I have made. Please share yours on my page, Junebuggs Joy. We would love to see them!

Also, remember to visit my Etsy store, Junebuggs Joy for flair, cabochon pendants and more to make your own belly bands and di**le dangles!

Hugz and happy Jamm’ing

05/25/2018

Let’s talk about your new JAMM!

Sometimes, the “blank slate” can be a little intimidating. Where to begin?? So, today, I’m going to talk a bit about how you can decorate your binder once you get your JAMM goodies.

First, there is no right or wrong way to JAMM. You can make the contents as detailed or as simple as you want. This is the best part about the process. Each person starts with the same binder, yet each one quickly becomes a unique expression of that person. Full of personality and tidbits of everyday life.

Bessie (who is my BFF and co-creator of the JAMM) and I absolutely love to go through each other’s binders every single time we get together. It’s so fun to see how we each interpreted the challenge and what materials we used. We definitely recommend getting a few of your friends to get their own JAMM and join in on the fun. Another great bonus of having a friend or two creating with you is that you can share your supplies. For example, we routinely buy decorative napkins for use in our binders. We each buy different patterns and split them up so we have double the options.

Let start! The binder is set up to capture 3 months of journaling, art and creativity. I usually start by decorating the binder. I like to do mine to reflect the seasons and one of my favorite ways to do this is to start with clippings from calendars or magazines. I start by grabbing an ink pad and inking up the entire binder inside and out. I may grab a couple of coordinating colors just for fun. Once that’s done, I’ll set up my clippings to make sure I like the layout and then Mod Podge those into place. I personally like to apply a thin layer to the entire binder for a finished look, but that’s completely up to you.

Another method is to paint the binder. Standard acrylic craft paints work great for this. Paint it all one color or a variety of colors. You can even lay some of the paint on super thick or use gesso to add texture. I’ve used stencils along with the paint as well.
Once the “base” is done, I’ll add some embellishments such as bling, buttons or flair. Sometimes at this point I’m done and other times it may be a work in process for a few weeks until I find just the right thing to add.

Once everything is dry, put all the pages back in and sit back and admire the first step of this journey.

I’ve included some photos of completed binders for inspiration. Please share yours on my page: Junebuggs Joy. I would love to see them!

Next time, we’ll talk about belly bands and di**le dangles…..

05/18/2018

Let's talk about "Add ons".

Add ons take your JAMM to the next level. Things like bling, buttons, washi tape and ribbon. Inventory changes fast and the same items may not be available again. If you see something you like, it's best to get it before it sells out. Here are some of the add ons we have in stock right now:
* Washi tape - Add a little sparkle to your pages.

* Ribbon by the yard - perfect for adding to tags or pages.

* Adhesive rhinestones (bling) - Bling just makes everything better.

* Project life card packs - Great to fill the page protectors.

* Flat back pearls - A great little accent to add a pop of color and texture.

* Flair - EEK! We love flair! It can go anywhere.

* Cabochon pendants. - Remove the chain and add to your JAMM band to personalize your JAMM. Or, replace the chain with some ribbon and glue it onto one of your pages.

*Buttons - A variety of buttons to add to your pages. Inventory changes often, but has included cats, flowers, butterflies and even pirate ships.

* Original artwork - These are scans of our original artwork and mixed media projects. You can download them, resize them and use them to fill the page protectors, decorate the back of your weekly pages or even add them to the cover of your JAMM.

* Paper packs - Assorted paper and cardstock pieces can be used throughout your JAMM.

~ Here are few items we have in the works:

*Journal pages - full size sheets for when you have a little more to say. Great for journaling about a visit with friends or a weekend getaway.

* Monthly scripture reflections - Pick a verse or two that speaks to you this month. Take a minute to write about how this relates to your life right now and what lesson you can take away from it.

* Old book pages - These can include old dictionary pages, children’s books or music sheets. A variety of themes are available.

* Di**le Dangles - These are beaded accent pieces that attach to your JAMM band. Stay tuned for a detailed post about these :) Personalize your JAMM!

Check it out @ http://www.etsy.com/shop/JunebuggsJoy

You searched for: JunebuggsJoy! Browse the unique items that JunebuggsJoy creates, and discover the perfect gift! At Etsy, we pride ourselves on our community of creative sellers, like JunebuggsJoy! Each Etsy seller helps contribute to a global marketplace of creative goods. By supporting JunebuggsJ...

04/30/2018

This little piece of art started as an ad in a magazine. Something about it caught my eye so I ripped it out and put it on the back of one of my weekly pages.

I like the look of ripped and distressed paper, but I really did a number on the right hand side of this one. Washi to the rescue!! I added little pieces of washi in similar colors to fill in the parts that were missing. This project was quick and easy.

Magazines are such a great source for pictures, words and inspiration! I get several subscriptions and when I see
that one page (or five) that catches my attention or makes me smile, I always tear it out. I may end up using just a section of it or it may become the focal point of my next project. It all depends where that moment takes me.

When you start your JAMM, you’ll begin to look at things with your JAMM’ing eyes and realize there are so many possibilities in every day things!

What have you JAMM’ed lately?

04/19/2018

Here is the finished product for the challenge of “use metal”. I really had no idea where this one was going when I started. My JAMM BFF (aka “my Bessie”) had just gifted me those sweet metal flowers so I decided to incorporate them as my metal component.

The crossword puzzle background is a scrap of paper from Bessie’s amazing collection of scrapbook paper. A second scrap of grey paper was run though an embossing folder to add some texture. Once I added the metal flowers, a scrap of binder twine and some word stickers finished off the piece.

Remember, sometimes it’s hard to get your JAMM on, but keep trying different things and I’m sure you’ll find your way.

Happy JAMM’ing!😊

04/18/2018

This is an example of one of the art challenges from earlier this year. For this one, I used the back of one of my weekly pages as the starting point. The challenge was to use book paper. After tearing out a page from a dictionary I bought at the thrift store, I folded and played a bit when I realized that the folds I made in the paper kind of looked like a dress. That was all the inspiration I needed! A few more folds and the bottom of the dress was done. Then I grabbed a piece of scrap paper and sketched out the top half. I colored the hair and skin with markers, cut it out and covered the bodice with more scraps of book pages. A few flower die cuts and of course a little washi 😉 and this challenge is done! This is one of my favorite pieces so far this year.

By the way, we are getting very close to launching the JAMM book in my Etsy store! I hope you’ll join in on the fun. 😁

http://www.etsy.com/shop/JunebuggsJoy

04/02/2018

Many of my mixed media photos are also available at Cafe Press. You can choose the ones you like best and have them printed on t-shirts, keychains, mugs and even bedspreads!

https://www.cafepress.com/dd/112596056

CafePress has the best selection of custom t-shirts, personalized gifts, posters & art, mugs, and much more. Get your unique or funny gift, t shirt, or other cool promotional merchandise for any occasion. High quality. 24 hour shipping available.

04/02/2018

Some great new digital downloads now available in my store! These photos were taken by me and with the addition of vintage lettering, they will make a great print for your home or for use with your JAMM. I "think" this one is my favorite. Take a look at them all and let me know which one you love! ❤️

https://www.etsy.com/listing/590860034/reflect-reflection-fall-trees-water?ref=shop_home_active_6