Link Love

Diane from CraftyPod and Tammy from daisy yellow art like to share creative ideas and projects.  They have invited others to share 5 posts that Inspired Us to Try Something New.

Diane's article on How to turn a Soda Can into a Spring Brooch inspired me to make a wreath.  

Her mom, Pam from Gingerbread Snowflakes has inspired me to try things like felting and challenged me to make garden markers.  She is always working on something fun!

Sandy Allnock, founder of Operation Write Home has inspired me to learn to color with Copic Markers.

Monika from  I Love it All has inspired me to use an old Reader's Digest book to make a "1st Year Journal".

 

Renee from I came, I saw, I created has inspired me to make a "Welcome to the Area" booklet.

Thank You ladies for being such crafty inspirations!

Cruise Journal ~ part 2

This is a continuation of yesterday's post of a Cruise Journal I made for my mom.

Enamel Dots, Stamps and Brads all add a little something...

There are plenty of places to put pictures or mementos

Little pockets hold little notes

Knowing there would be people to thank, I made some cards with the leftover scraps.

Supplies Used:
Transatlantic Collection ~ Graphic 45
Far & Away Collection ~ Teresa Collins
Black Cardstock ~ Bazzill Basics

Cruise Journal ~ part 1

My mom asked me to make a journal for a cruise she was going on.  Of course she wanted a size I had not done before.

She wanted to have an 8 x 8 size to be able to have plenty of room to write

 

and pockets to store things

Cards fastened with washi tape make good places to write.

I like having different sized papers

Some paper was accordioned and fastened with a brad and twine.

 

Little pockets with a library card add a little place to make a note.

Thanks for looking...I'll show the rest tomorrow.  It's the same, only different.

1st Year Together Project

Have you seen these old Readers Digest books?  They are popular right now as decorative accents.  I saw a post by Monika Wright on the My Mind's Eye blog a while ago and fell in love with her re-purposed use of one as a mini album. 

Monika has a tutorial on the MME blog that I followed for my book.  {Book Lovers please forgive me for gutting the pages, I will use some of them later.}  I covered the wounded area with several patterns of washi tape.

The oldest son of some good friends of ours is getting married soon so I thought I would make a "Our 1st Year Together" Journal for them.

Sheets of 12 x 12 patterned cardstock are cut into different formats

Flat Page: 7.25" tall x 4.25" wide

Side Fold Page: 7.25" tall x 8.25" wide

being scored  at 4.25" and then folded forward or back

so inside can be decorated too with room for pictures or memorabilia.

Washi Tape works well to make a Flapper Page, possibly for more privacy.

 

Remember the original book pages?  Adhere three of them together and use them as a Flat Page.  This one has a pocket attached --> Love that wood paper

Another Side Fold Page

with a stamp that can be used to personalize the date.

The details on the paper were used as guidelines for cutting.

One of the special things about a journal like this is you can document everyday sorts of things like going to the grocery store or the first time you had your folks over for dinner.

Any sort of horizontal card can be turned into a pocket.

The first year of marriage is a chance to discover all sorts of things about each other such as what would be on your Top 10 Bucket List?

 

A Flapper Page and Pocket Book page with two inserts.

This page reminds me of a little Dutch door.

Fold Up Page: 12" tall x 4.25" wide

scored at 7.25" and folded up

Pocket Page: 12" tall x  4.25" wide scored at 7.25" and made into a pocket.

I like having a little bit of the tags extending past the normal page edge.

Arrows point the way --> to something more.

I tried to leave plenty of room for whatever pictures, ticket stubs, receipts or memorabilia might need to be attached.

A little sewing to add some texture along with an embellished brad.

 A 12" tall x 4.25" wide can be a Pocket Page or

a Fold Up Page

Really like how the chipboard stickers add some interest, color and texture.

Like being able to personalize the journal with all sorts of stamps, tags, colors, papers and embellishments

as well as page configurations and hidden places.

Here is how the back of the book looks with the rings in place.

Thank you Monika for your inspiration and tutorial.  

Thank you Jeff for your photography skills and help {& for making dinner}.  

Hope the newlyweds have fun filling up this journal as well as looking back at it in years to come.

Supplies Used:

Papers, Brads, Enamel Dots, Tags, Stickers, Washi Tape ~My Mind's Eye

Patterned Paper ~Pink Paislee

Lyrical Letters Cartridge ~Cricut

B99 ~Sketch Copic Marker

Ink ~Hero Arts & Memento

Summer's Best Stamps ~Unity

Smitty's ABCs Stamps ~Lawn Fawn

Journal It-Top Ten Stamps ~My Favorite Things

Readers Digest Condensed Book

1" Book Rings ~Office Depot