Circle Journal - 2012 Part 1

What can I say... I love Circle Journals and swaps. I also find them easier to do and at the moment, way more inspiring than scrapbooking or any other crafting.
Much of the reasoning behind this is because of my current infliction of "Lack of Inspirationitis". 
There is also less pressure with a swap. They're smaller, easier, less daunting. And I can use them to test out new techniques before using them (eventually) on "real" scrapbook layouts. So what is to dislike about them?
This past weekend was postal day number 1 for my current Circle Journal which I am doing with a number of lovely ladies from the Crafting Passionz forum. This is a forum for scrapbookers from New Zealand and Australia. We have monthly swaps, challenges and of course our annual Circle Journal.
These scrappers are some of the most amazing and talented crafters I have ever had the pleasure to meet (in some cases IRL) and one of the other reasons I love doing swaps is because their creations are just so cool and totally amazing, and I wish I could craft as wonderfully as they do.
I digress...
There are six of us doing the Circle Journal this year. A couple of repeat offenders from last year as well as some ladies not only new to our forum but new to Circle Journals.
This year my theme is "Inspiration". My album is 8 1/2" x 6" (the pages a teeny bit smaller.) The covers are created from recycled light weight card board which I covered with papered paper, added a little distress ink and a glitter title the thought I was done. Simple... but sweet. 
Then I saw some pictures of someone else's journal and knew I needed to pump it up a notch or two. So in true Emeril Lagasse style I added a bit of BAM, BAM, BAM... and this is what the finished cover looks like.

 OUTSIDE

INSIDE

On the outside of the cover, over the top of the distressed patterned paper, I added a 3D relief pattern using texture paste and a The Crafter's Workshop template - Cosmic Swirl. I left the texture paste over night to dry then spritzed the hell out of it using Adirondack Colour Wash and Tattered Angels - Glimmer Mists in several colours. Being my normal impatient self I dried this off with my heat tool. I then added some highlights on some of the swirls using Radiant Rain paint. On the inside of the cover, I just misted, no texture paste.
I really LOVE the end result. It was the first time I'd used texture paste and the first time using a template like this. I'd used them with paint but that was really about it. 
And I really, really LOVE the dark moody colour scheme I ended up with.