Travellers Journal Page

Hello my crafty friends

Today I'm sharing a fun project that I did for Chameleon Art Products ... a Travel Journal page! I used a pile of different projects for this one, starting with the fun planner dies and stamps by Elizabeth Craft Designs.

I die cut the page from heavy weight card stock then did some stencilling and inking. The COMING SOON Chameleon Fineliners are really cool - I used them to colour the succulent image. A single marker can write in up to 4 colours that blend into each other, simply by swapping the tops.

I love the desert, so used an Instax photo on my page with a frame die by Lynda Kanase. I also adore this stamp set by Stampin' Up with all the different cacti you can make.

The fineliners work really well to colour in detailed images like the succulent on the label, and of course for journaling.

I stamped the 'Because every picture' image with pale ink and went over it with a green finliner that I swapped the top for a blue one for a few seconds. See how the colour changes from blue into green?

The Chameleon Fineliner has a Kickstarter Campaign that goes until June 13. They met their goals within hours (!!!) but there are some good discounts if you are interested in these cool new fineline markers.

Supplies:
Chameleon Color Tone Pencils
Chameleon Fineliner markers
White card stock
Planner Essentials 1 - Elizabeth Craft Designs
Stencil - Clarity Stamps
Photo Frame, Celebrate - Lynda Kanase
Photo Banner (heart border inside photo frame) - Lynda Kanase
Words (remember) - Elizabeth Craft Designs
Succulent Stamps and dies - Lynda Kanase
Cactus stamps - Flowering Desert, Stampin' Up
Patterns 1 - Elizabeth Craft Designs

Thanks for stopping by today

A Special Gift for a Special Lady

Good morning friends

Hold onto your hats - there are a LOT of photos in today's post. First of all, this was a Christmas gift for our granddaughter's aid at school. Miss F is totally amazing. She is also the mother of a special needs child and she just gets it. She is supportive and understanding and well, amazing. Olivia loves Miss F. And because of that, we all love Miss F. I asked Heather if I could make Miss F a special gift for Christmas and would she like a Travellers Journal. Heather said YES, and said that something very classy would be perfect.  This is what I came up with...

I use my journals daily, and they are hauled around and stacked and piled on etc etc, so I wanted her cover to be pretty without being 'fragile' and bulky. The patterned paper has lots of sparkly, glittery bits in it and I used the Katherine Label Pop-Up to cut the labels throughout. A paper flower from my stash with a silk covered, embroidered brad was pretty much the only cover decoration. I did add a little bling to the spine with a clear drop jewel and black tassel.

I also added a pretty heart charm to the elastic to symbolize the love Olivia has for Miss F.

Here is a look at the inside, where I added a pocket to the inside front cover. I handmade the inserts, printing a dot-grid onto lovely 24 lb printer paper and cutting everything to size. The insert covers are made from the same patterned paper stack and they are also embossed and glittery.

This next photo shows the back of the first insert and the front of the second one. You can sort of see the glittery areas - it was very hard to capture in a photo.

Wrapped around the third insert, is a purchased vinyl pocket wrap. I added a bookmark to the front pocket as a good visual that there was actually a pocket there.

The other side has places for business cards etc. Below you can see the cover on the third signature/insert.

The vinyl pocket wrap also has a zipper bag on the opposite side to the pockets, which is always handy in a journal. It fits under the elastic binding perfectly and wraps around that third insert.

Then I wanted to wrap it up nicely as well - even though it was a Christmas gift I wanted to keep everything coordinated. I decorated a white gift bag with more sparkly paper from the paper stack and made a sparkly layered tag as well.

I can tell you that the gift was a big hit, and Miss F truly felt appreciated and loved. Can't do better than that.

Supplies:

Glittered card stock - My Minds Eye

White card stock
Matboard - Sizzix

Tassels

Charms

White 24 lb copy paper printed with dot grid

Xyron

Journal BigZXL die - Eileen Hull (Sizzix)

1011 Katherine Label Pop-Up (labels) - Karen Burniston

Stamps - Papertrey Ink

Tag die - Papertrey Ink

White gift bag

Thanks for stopping by today

Laminated Travellers Journal Gift

Good morning friends

I have made several Travellers Journal style notebooks using Eileen Hull's journal die. I love them, and use mine daily. I've also made several for gifts. In a previous post I mentioned trying a laminated cover but wasn't crazy about how the lamination sheets barely covered them.

When I was poking around my patterned paper I came across this pretty teal and purple print and I knew I would have to use it for my friend Kim. She loves those colours! I made a laminated cover without using a die at all, just laminating the patterned paper then adding score lines. I did use Eileen's journal die for reference for the score lines and punched holes.

Inside I made coordinating notebooks/inserts and a pocket for the inside cover.

Just for fun, I also added a hand made folder that she can use for receipts etc. The bookmarks were cut from patterned paper scraps.

The notebooks all have a dot grid pattern inside, that I printed on my computer.

Kim just loved her Travellers Journal! She was unfamiliar with the concept of being able to slip out a notebook to take with you, then slide it back in the elastic & cover when you are back home. It's such a great idea.

Supplies:
Patterned paper - K & Company
Label dies - MFT Stamps
Ribbon
Laminator
Lamination sheet
Elastic, 2mm
Tag Topper punch

Thanks for stopping by today

Ocean Themed Travellers Journal

Good morning friends

Today's share is a Travellers Journal (also called a Travellers Notebook) I made for my friend B. She loves the ocean and she loves to travel so it seemed like a perfect fit. I had been hoarding this lovely patterned paper in order to make something for her and since it was large enough to make a journal cover I went with that.

B is quite practical so I didn't want to add a bunch of dimensional elements to the front that would catch when the journal goes in and out of bags. There are tons of gorgeous journals online, made with this Journal Die by Eileen Hull - decorated to the hilt with lots of bling, sari silk ties, layers of 3-d flowers & leaves, metal bits and bobs etc etc. I love looking at them, but any of the journals I have made get USED. So I don't decorate them like crazy and especially when I'm gifting them as I want the recipient to be able to use it without worrying about flattening the decorations, fussing with long silk ties or things catching on the metal elements.

I added some copper foiled acetate bits to the front though, for some shimmer and shine. The journal is held closed with the same black elastic cord that holds the three insert/booklets inside. It's easy to slide off and back on yet stays attached at the spine, and is one of the features I really like about this style of journal.

Inside the front cover is another acetate decoration ...

... and a 3-d shaker sticker. I added it inside, as it is protected by the front cover!

Below you can see the journal open with the three inserts.

The patterned paper for this first insert has glossy embossed bits - it's so pretty.

While the cover and inserts were made by hand, I included a purchased vinyl pocket folder. One side has a pocket that goes the length of the cover and I included some tags that she can use in the journal or for something else.

The other side of the large pocket has three smaller pockets, and I added some decorated scraps to them as well.

Oh, these inserts. This was only the second Travellers Journal I had made and I was still learning. I had a rough time making these inserts. One was cut completely wrong, but I couldn't bring myself to toss it in recycling so I'm using it for rough note taking etc. Then I broke a cutting plate - first time ever! And one is cut uneven, with the top a little wider than the bottom. OMGoodness it was a struggle. But I persevered and I thought that maybe it added to the handmade charm of the gift. Grin. I found this sweet metal seashell charm, so added it to a label on the front of the second journal.

Practice helps and I'm happy to say I am much better at making inserts now. In fact, I really enjoy making them and have a couple done to replace full ones in my own personal journals.

The vinyl folder folds around an insert, and can be inserted in the same elastic as the insert/booklet. Below is the vinyl zipper pocket that is on the opposite side to the pockets. I thought she could tuck all kinds of things in that pocket, and I included a copper seahorse for her to use as well.

I wanted to try cutting down some Zentangle tile sized pocket page protectors to see if they would work as journal pockets and included a few more ocean themed embellishments for her to use.

Finally, I added a glittered sticker and die cut label to the third and final insert (booklet).

While I don't use my journals for travelling, if we ever get this RA under control and can travel again I will certainly make one for that. So many people use them for their trips, because if you are going on a day trip it's easy to slip out one of the insert/booklets and just take that one with you. People add sketches, tape or glue in ticket stubs, maps etc as well as notes on where they are and what they've seen that day. Some leave spaces for printed photos (2 x 3" size) to add when they return home, others bring a little instant printer with them and complete their journal while they are out and about. The inserts themselves easily fit in a purse or bag and when you get back they slip right under the elastic in the cover for safekeeping. Such a brilliant concept!

I have three Travellers Journals on the go now ... one is for paper crafting ideas, wish lists etc etc. One is a Gratitude Journal. When all three inserts are full, they will be easy to store and look back on in the years to come. And I can make new inserts to continue to write about my gratitude for this amazing life. The third one has meal plans, meal ideas and recipe successes with tips for the Pressure Cooker. All three of them get used daily!

I have decided not to keep track of supplies when I make these journals but the Sizzix BigZ XL die is by Eileen Hull and most of the patterned papers and embellishments are by K and Company from my stash.

Thanks for stopping by today

Laminated Travellers Journal

Good morning friends

I'm back today with another Travellers Journal made with Eileen Hull's Journal die. A couple of people have been making laminated covers, instead of the heavy chipboard or mat board ones, so I thought I'd give it a whirl. I had been poking around in the basement and came across the box with my laminator so the timing was perfect!

Before we moved, I had quite a large room with tons of storage and all my tools and supplies were in there and easy to get to. Even with all the STUFF, I knew where everything was. But that room was in the basement, and I could no longer do stairs with my RA. My new craft room is on the main level of our home so I can easily duck in and work on a project - but it is smaller and has only about a third of the storage. So I had to be really picky about what went into that room, and a laminator just doesn't get used enough.

I used Southwest themed papers for my journal and inserts - and use this one for jotting down card ideas, sketches, journal ideas and additions etc etc. Because it was for me to use, I didn't mind cutting onto these patterned papers that I would normally hoard. I get to enjoy them every time I use the journal, which is almost daily!

You can see below that there are four signatures in the journal. These inserts are easy to write on in the journal, but slide out if you want to take just one insert on the go with you. I am in love with the whole Travellers Journal idea - it's so flexible and customizable and you can use it for anything you want! Some people use it to record favourite recipes, other's for books and movies they want to read/see or notes about the same for clubs. People have made them for travelling notes, some for sketching and others fill the inserts with mixed media papers and use them to practice techniques.

Below is the inside front cover and the first signature. I made my own signatures (inserts/booklets) with a dot grid paper inside, done on my computer. It took awhile fiddling with the size and shade of grey (some pages are too dark, but I'm using them anyhow) but now the file is saved and it's easy enough to print more dot grid pages for additional inserts .

Here is the back of the 3rd insert and the front of the 4th. I also used a page protector to make a pocket page, which worked well. The pockets are held closed with Washi Tape - it did not photograph well but it turned out better than I hoped and I will use that idea again. Pockets in a journal are very handy!

For some of the inserts, I folded over the cover edge and trimmed the top at an angle. When the bottom edge is adhered it creates a nice tuck spot.

I do like how lightweight this journal is - it's sturdy enough because the inserts add strength - and I haul it back and forth camping and the inserts are taken in and out multiple times with no issues. However, unless I took it to Staples to see if they have a larger than letter sized laminator, I found the top and bottom edges don't stay sealed. It's fine for my use but I wouldn't use it as a gift for anyone.

The idea of a laminated cover started my brain going and I ended up making several more laminated journal covers in a smaller size. I didn't use the Journal Die for these, instead taking the idea of a scored spine and holes for elastic threading and customizing the size. Those covers worked like a charm! I still need to make coordinating inserts/signatures for those, but I have a couple of people in mind that I would like to gift one too.

Thanks for stopping by today

Let's Eat Journal

Good morning friends

I'm back with another journal made with Eileen Hull's Journal die. Honestly, I am having so much fun with this die! It is part of Eileen's new Heartfelt Collection, and has been so popular Sizzix is having to play catch-up with their stock. If you are trying to get your hands on one they will be available again sometime next month.

Here is a photo of the journal opened out. I love these fun, happy colours. Since it is going to be used (by me!) multiple times a day I have kept the embellishments to a minimum so nothing catches or wears out. Once I had adhered the stamped journal card & banner, die cut spoon and row of houses - I gave the covers three coats of Mod Podge. I expect using it around food there is a chance of splatters and finger prints. The Mod Podge should help with that.

I made 3 inserts for the inside, utilizing some of the journal cards in the paper stack as labels. The first insert is going to be used to plan my meals & snacks for each day.

I made a pocket folder out of more coordinating paper in the stack ...

... and the second insert is for our weekly dinners.

Finally, the third insert is for things like Pressure Cooker successes. I love that appliance, and that I can cook 3 frozen chicken breasts in 15 minutes. But I don't always remember how long it takes and usually have to look up how long to cook Basmati Brown Rice (15 minutes with a natural release) and how much water to add. All of those things and anything new I try will go in here.

The dot grid pages were printed from HERE. Thank you to Ray Blake for making this file and others available for printing.

I am enjoying using this journal, and it will help me be more organized in the kitchen. I should be able to keep track of leftovers, and what's in our deep freeze as well as helping me plan to eat healthier.

As I've said with my other journals, these are completely customizable and you can use them however you want. They stand really well on my kitchen desk area where I can easily grab them. It's no wonder Eileen Hull's Journal Die is so very popular!

Thanks for stopping by today.