Showing posts with label Handmade Journals. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Handmade Journals. Show all posts
Tuesday, 17 May 2016
Making Mixed Media Inserts for Travelers Notebooks
I was sat at my desk making a mixed media insert for my travelers notebook when I thought I would turn the camera on and have a chat with you whilst I do it and show you what I did and how I put it together.
Tuesday, 19 May 2015
dear friend...the journal of a lifetime
Dear Friend...
You have been in my life for so long, I can't even remember a time when you weren't around. We have been so much together, we grew up together, did crazy things together. Where has the time gone? I don't know how to tell you how much you mean to me, I just can't seem to find the words to express that and to thank you for being the bestest friend a girl could ever have. You turned 30, how on earth did that happen? The last time I looked we were sitting together under the fort we had made playing with your sylvanian familes and now look. We are all grown up with proper jobs, houses, cars and significant others. You have been through it all with me and you probably know me better than I know myself. You tell me when I am over thinking things again and you plant my feet firmly back on the ground. I don't know what to give you for your birthday so I give us this. I give you the gift of time and memories. I will take you to London for the day shopping, to see the dinosaurs at the Natural History Museum and then I will take you to see Phantom of the Opera. I also give you this, the gift of our friendship...
That was five years ago this coming September. I had no idea what to get my bestest friend in the whole wide World for her birthday. She has everything, short of giving her the moon what could I give her? Then one day I stumbled accross this journal in a gift shop and I had a 'Eureka moment'. I bought it, followed the prompts, wrote my memories down and pasted photos of us in.
She loves it and it sits proudly on her bookshelf. We were talking the other day about something and she said 'hang on a mo' and went and got this book to look at something. You know I had totally forgotten about it until that day, she hadn't, she reads it regularly. I asked to borrow it so I could read it again and remember everything that I had written and to also share it with you as I know my journal and memory keeping friends you will love it too!
The book is by 'from you to me' and they have loads in the range for most relationships so if you are looking for a gift for a hard to buy for person, this might be just what you need!
You have been in my life for so long, I can't even remember a time when you weren't around. We have been so much together, we grew up together, did crazy things together. Where has the time gone? I don't know how to tell you how much you mean to me, I just can't seem to find the words to express that and to thank you for being the bestest friend a girl could ever have. You turned 30, how on earth did that happen? The last time I looked we were sitting together under the fort we had made playing with your sylvanian familes and now look. We are all grown up with proper jobs, houses, cars and significant others. You have been through it all with me and you probably know me better than I know myself. You tell me when I am over thinking things again and you plant my feet firmly back on the ground. I don't know what to give you for your birthday so I give us this. I give you the gift of time and memories. I will take you to London for the day shopping, to see the dinosaurs at the Natural History Museum and then I will take you to see Phantom of the Opera. I also give you this, the gift of our friendship...
That was five years ago this coming September. I had no idea what to get my bestest friend in the whole wide World for her birthday. She has everything, short of giving her the moon what could I give her? Then one day I stumbled accross this journal in a gift shop and I had a 'Eureka moment'. I bought it, followed the prompts, wrote my memories down and pasted photos of us in.
She loves it and it sits proudly on her bookshelf. We were talking the other day about something and she said 'hang on a mo' and went and got this book to look at something. You know I had totally forgotten about it until that day, she hadn't, she reads it regularly. I asked to borrow it so I could read it again and remember everything that I had written and to also share it with you as I know my journal and memory keeping friends you will love it too!
The book is by 'from you to me' and they have loads in the range for most relationships so if you are looking for a gift for a hard to buy for person, this might be just what you need!
Thursday, 16 April 2015
The Letter Bee Box - Stationery, PenPals & Journals - April Unboxing
It's Letter Bee time again!
The Letter Bee box is a monthly box curated by Patty from Furthermore Press. The box is aimed at everyone who loves letter writing, stationery and journals. Each box is themed and all the goodies inside the box relate to that theme in some way. This is my second Letter Bee box and I can tell you I love it!
I filmed my unboxing so that you can get a better sense of the products or do please keep on reading for photos of what I received.
So the theme of this month was 'eco' and recycling which I love (I used to write a blog on Eco stuff called Our Little Eco Journey). My heart started missing a few beats when I saw how much Kraft stuff was in their as I do love my Kraft paper he he!
The massive eco element of this months box is that rather than contain it all in a cardboard box, Patty sent a reusable plastic box which I think would be great for housing supplies and taking them out in the garden with you.
As usual there is a card detailing all of the items inside as well as a sweet treat and some lovely tea.
On to the items then. Please note that there were also some itty bitty bits including but I have stuck to just showing some of the bigger items.
Firstly were reusable page flags, Clips, sticky notes and note cards
As always there is a good selection of note cards, postcards and greetings cards, all centred around this months theme (not all are shown here).
There was a selection of die cuts which is perfect for adding to your journal and if you don't have one don't worry because a handmade one was also included!
A lovely selection of stickers and pens.
And last but by no means least is this gorgeous art work from Patty herself. I love it and it will sit with my one from last month just above my desk where I can see it!
Another super fun box and a delight to receive, use and spread the love when I write to pen pals. Next months theme looks fab too so if you don't want to miss out make sure you head on over to Furthermore Press on Etsy to buy yours!
PLEASE NOTE: I was given this / these product(s) in exchange for my honest review and opinion, the fact that I was given these does not alter my opinion in anyway. This review is my own personal opionion on the product / company, given in good faith and has not be sponsored or endorsed. The photography unless otherwise stated / credited is also my own. None of the links are affiliate links
The Letter Bee box is a monthly box curated by Patty from Furthermore Press. The box is aimed at everyone who loves letter writing, stationery and journals. Each box is themed and all the goodies inside the box relate to that theme in some way. This is my second Letter Bee box and I can tell you I love it!
About the box:
Boxes can be ordered through Patty's Etsy shop - Furthermore Press
Letter Bee box: $35US inc shipping in US $30US + $22.50US shipping for UK which in totaly equates to £36. Patty also offers a Petite Letter Box: $22US + $5.95US shipping, outside of the US you need to get in touch with Patty so she can give you a quote.
As many of the items are unique and hand made there are a limited number of boxes each monthso get in quick if you want one!
I filmed my unboxing so that you can get a better sense of the products or do please keep on reading for photos of what I received.
So the theme of this month was 'eco' and recycling which I love (I used to write a blog on Eco stuff called Our Little Eco Journey). My heart started missing a few beats when I saw how much Kraft stuff was in their as I do love my Kraft paper he he!
The massive eco element of this months box is that rather than contain it all in a cardboard box, Patty sent a reusable plastic box which I think would be great for housing supplies and taking them out in the garden with you.
As usual there is a card detailing all of the items inside as well as a sweet treat and some lovely tea.
On to the items then. Please note that there were also some itty bitty bits including but I have stuck to just showing some of the bigger items.
Firstly were reusable page flags, Clips, sticky notes and note cards
As always there is a good selection of note cards, postcards and greetings cards, all centred around this months theme (not all are shown here).
There was a selection of die cuts which is perfect for adding to your journal and if you don't have one don't worry because a handmade one was also included!
A lovely selection of stickers and pens.
And last but by no means least is this gorgeous art work from Patty herself. I love it and it will sit with my one from last month just above my desk where I can see it!
Another super fun box and a delight to receive, use and spread the love when I write to pen pals. Next months theme looks fab too so if you don't want to miss out make sure you head on over to Furthermore Press on Etsy to buy yours!
PLEASE NOTE: I was given this / these product(s) in exchange for my honest review and opinion, the fact that I was given these does not alter my opinion in anyway. This review is my own personal opionion on the product / company, given in good faith and has not be sponsored or endorsed. The photography unless otherwise stated / credited is also my own. None of the links are affiliate links
Tuesday, 19 August 2014
When you have no inspiration but want to create and journal anyway!
I think they say it is a sign of getting older when you feel like the weeks are rushing by but seriously I really do think that they have. I have not had a chance to get to my journal all week due to various events and then when I have time I don't always have the energy.
I often say though that when I have had times away from my journal that it pulls me back eventually. There is never a very long period when we are absent from each other we just can't bear to be apart for too long, really we can't.
Today I wanted to create. I wanted to spend time in my journal. I had absolutely no idea what I wanted to do and I had no inspiration either. I mentioned at the very begining of this mini series that sometimes you just are not inspired but you want to create for the sake of it anyway and today for me is one of those days.
This is quite a complex page and the process of how it came to be but I explain it all in the video.
Where to start? Well for starters my desk was a right state, nothing was getting done unless that desk got tidied, I didn't physically have the room to work even if I wanted to. Tidying your desk is a good thing though as you sometimes uncover things that inspires you to create and this instance it did. Whooop whooop!
I found some pictures I had ripped out of a magazine that my mother in law had given me. I don't buy magazines my self but now and then I get passed an old one. There were several images that caught my eye so I decided to take them out and save them. I felt like using one of those images today and just collaging because I enjoy nothing more than spending time with a glue stick and scrap paper. I don't know what it is but I find it very therapeutic to sit and stick stuff down. I think it is a time when you can be creative and let go but not have to think too hard, it can be almost medatative.
I often say though that when I have had times away from my journal that it pulls me back eventually. There is never a very long period when we are absent from each other we just can't bear to be apart for too long, really we can't.
Today I wanted to create. I wanted to spend time in my journal. I had absolutely no idea what I wanted to do and I had no inspiration either. I mentioned at the very begining of this mini series that sometimes you just are not inspired but you want to create for the sake of it anyway and today for me is one of those days.
This is quite a complex page and the process of how it came to be but I explain it all in the video.
I found some pictures I had ripped out of a magazine that my mother in law had given me. I don't buy magazines my self but now and then I get passed an old one. There were several images that caught my eye so I decided to take them out and save them. I felt like using one of those images today and just collaging because I enjoy nothing more than spending time with a glue stick and scrap paper. I don't know what it is but I find it very therapeutic to sit and stick stuff down. I think it is a time when you can be creative and let go but not have to think too hard, it can be almost medatative.
Some times it can be hard to use papers as I have a tendency to hoard them so it is also good for me to just let go and stick them down. I like to also give the page some context or meaning with words but nothing was coming to me either but with the help of my faithful Pinterest I was able to find my way with some rather fitting and choice words. I am an over thinker, I am terrible for it which is another reason why journalling is good for me!
Tuesday, 12 August 2014
The good and bad side of journalling - Journalling your everyday life
Hi journal friends, I hope you have all had a fantastic week filled with lots of journalling opportunities. Are you finding it easier to find inspiration to journal about now?
I am back this week with two videos and two different areas to talk about, the good and bad side of journalling. No wait there is no bad side of journalling itself, what I mean is journalling about the bad things that happen or about the bad side of life. Bad things happen to good people all the time and it is how we deal with the bad stuff that defines how much of a happy life we in turn have. We can choose to dwell on bad things and let them fester away inside of us or we can choose to process it and move forward with our life. In a way we sort of need the bad stuff to appreciate the good and it is also the bad stuff that helps to shape who we are as a person, it influences who we are, our attitude and our morals.
We need the bad stuff but we do also need to do something with the bad stuff, we can't let it eat away at us. For me I journal about the bad stuff just as much, sometimes more than the good stuff. I seldom 'art' about the bad stuff, instead I prefer to write it all down. I like to document the event in case I ever need to refer to it and also process my thoughts and feelings relating to the event. Sometimes I need a bit of breathing space between the event taking place and my journalling about it, just so that my head can settle and I can mull things over but I don't like to leave it for too long as then I am starting to get in the danger zone of dwelling on it! Sometimes it can be just to raw and painful to journal about straight away but to me it is important to journal about it as I can get it out of my head so as not to worry and bother me there. I know that is is all sitting in the journal if I want to go back to it. I don't have to forget about it and in some cases you wouldn't want to, either way it is still there if I want to refer back to it at any time, it just means that it is not at the forefront of my thinking all the time. I explain all in the accompanying video:
Of course, in life there are plenty of wonderful things that happen to and I also want to talk about that this week so that it is not all negative! That being said, I think the 'negative' is certainly something worth mentioning, it is important to mental health and sanity, well it is with me anyway! So on to some good stuff and also I wanted to share with you a different way and a different style of journalling. Last week Mr B took the week off as annual leave and we had a lovely week pottering around and it was also his birthday and we went away for a couple of days to London. I saved up all the receipts and ephemera from our trip and I just wanted to show you what I do with them / how I use them in my journal. Some people refer to this method as smashbooking but I prefer not to give it a definition, I just call it journalling. So in today's second video I share with you how I put my pages together and another style of how I journal:
Here are the stills of my pages:
Have a great week and I will see you for more on how I draw inspiration from around me into my journal.
I am back this week with two videos and two different areas to talk about, the good and bad side of journalling. No wait there is no bad side of journalling itself, what I mean is journalling about the bad things that happen or about the bad side of life. Bad things happen to good people all the time and it is how we deal with the bad stuff that defines how much of a happy life we in turn have. We can choose to dwell on bad things and let them fester away inside of us or we can choose to process it and move forward with our life. In a way we sort of need the bad stuff to appreciate the good and it is also the bad stuff that helps to shape who we are as a person, it influences who we are, our attitude and our morals.
We need the bad stuff but we do also need to do something with the bad stuff, we can't let it eat away at us. For me I journal about the bad stuff just as much, sometimes more than the good stuff. I seldom 'art' about the bad stuff, instead I prefer to write it all down. I like to document the event in case I ever need to refer to it and also process my thoughts and feelings relating to the event. Sometimes I need a bit of breathing space between the event taking place and my journalling about it, just so that my head can settle and I can mull things over but I don't like to leave it for too long as then I am starting to get in the danger zone of dwelling on it! Sometimes it can be just to raw and painful to journal about straight away but to me it is important to journal about it as I can get it out of my head so as not to worry and bother me there. I know that is is all sitting in the journal if I want to go back to it. I don't have to forget about it and in some cases you wouldn't want to, either way it is still there if I want to refer back to it at any time, it just means that it is not at the forefront of my thinking all the time. I explain all in the accompanying video:
Of course, in life there are plenty of wonderful things that happen to and I also want to talk about that this week so that it is not all negative! That being said, I think the 'negative' is certainly something worth mentioning, it is important to mental health and sanity, well it is with me anyway! So on to some good stuff and also I wanted to share with you a different way and a different style of journalling. Last week Mr B took the week off as annual leave and we had a lovely week pottering around and it was also his birthday and we went away for a couple of days to London. I saved up all the receipts and ephemera from our trip and I just wanted to show you what I do with them / how I use them in my journal. Some people refer to this method as smashbooking but I prefer not to give it a definition, I just call it journalling. So in today's second video I share with you how I put my pages together and another style of how I journal:
Here are the stills of my pages:
Have a great week and I will see you for more on how I draw inspiration from around me into my journal.
Tuesday, 29 July 2014
Finding my inspiration to journal - Clouds
Following on from last week I thought I would continue to share with you how I find my inspiration from my world around me to journal.
We have been having some really warm weather here but at times it has also been really cloudy and also really stormy. I love the weather and I find it really inspiring, I don't know why but I just do and I especially love clouds. I love cloud gazing and marvelling at the different types and formations. I just love it! I have drawn a lot of clouds in my journals and they take on all shapes and forms. Sometimes I have people swinging off of them and also gazing up, clouds are just one of the things I really love to journal about, take photos of and also incorporate into my Filofax. It is safe to say that I just can't get enough of clouds!
So with all of that in mind, the beautiful clouds and my love of clouds I though it would be appropriate to journal about clouds and share it with you and it also gives me a chance to share with you how I created some clouds previously in my journal that a few of you said you would like to know how to do too.
One minute it was really sunny and the next minute the sun went behind the clouds and it was really cloudy. To me this seemed like the sun was trying it's hardest to shine but every now and then had to go and have a nap in a bed of clouds and this is what inspired my journal page...
How are you getting on with finding your inspiration around you?
We have been having some really warm weather here but at times it has also been really cloudy and also really stormy. I love the weather and I find it really inspiring, I don't know why but I just do and I especially love clouds. I love cloud gazing and marvelling at the different types and formations. I just love it! I have drawn a lot of clouds in my journals and they take on all shapes and forms. Sometimes I have people swinging off of them and also gazing up, clouds are just one of the things I really love to journal about, take photos of and also incorporate into my Filofax. It is safe to say that I just can't get enough of clouds!
So with all of that in mind, the beautiful clouds and my love of clouds I though it would be appropriate to journal about clouds and share it with you and it also gives me a chance to share with you how I created some clouds previously in my journal that a few of you said you would like to know how to do too.
One minute it was really sunny and the next minute the sun went behind the clouds and it was really cloudy. To me this seemed like the sun was trying it's hardest to shine but every now and then had to go and have a nap in a bed of clouds and this is what inspired my journal page...
How are you getting on with finding your inspiration around you?
Tuesday, 22 July 2014
Where / How to find inspiration to journal
I often get asked from time to time about how and where I find my inspiration from and also people have asked to see how journal pages come together. I haven't really know in what form I wanted to share this in with you all until now but I am finally doing that.
There are different styles of journalling and I tend to do some of them, all of them, a mixture of them depending on what I want to do that day for example:
What about when you want to journal but don't know what about, or if you want to start incorporating art work into your journal etc well then this can be a bit more tricky. Believe me it does up with ease the more practise you have so please don't get disheartened in the early days and give up, keep with it and I promise you that you will get there with inspiration flying at you all the time. There are times of course when you have blocks and that is natural but something will open you up again. If you do have a mental block which I often do, I just sit with my journal and collage. I love to collage I find it very relaxing and soon an idea comes to me and then I just roll with it!
To start to find your inspiration you need to open your eyes to see as well as look and try and be more present in your day and each moment. Think about the situations you have been in that day and enjoy each present moment before trying to rush to the next one. For me I find my happiness in the present moment, enjoying the everyday and the everyday is beautiful. Of course crummy things can happen and do happen but the key to your happiness is how you deal with those situations, cue your journal - process them in there! Documenting your day or having a 'de brief' with yourself is a great way to process everything that you have been through that day and helps you to clear and refresh your mind.
Every life tells a story and every story is interesting. You may not think it at the time but believe me it is! When in a few years you pick your journal up again you can look back and see how you have changed and grown as a person. Both sets of my grandparents passed away when I was young so I only remember them through a childs mind but I would love to read their journals (if they had them) to find out what life was like for them. How interesting would it be to know about their everyday lives, what they ate, what they wore all that kind of stuff. Of course there may be things that you don't want people to see in the future and that is fine, you don't have to leave your journals behind and of course you should set up boundaries with your family members for your privacy where your journal is concerened. Mr B keeps a journal and we are both respectful of each others journal space.
So start to find the inspiration in the everyday. The above picture shows Mr B on a Sunday morning having a cup of tea and reading the paper. He had had a busy week and work and on the Saturday so the Sunday was really nice to chill out with each other and it was some really special quality time together. Of course I really liked seeing him so relaxed and contented to I took this instagram snap of him which I love, it is so arty and in the journal it went along with some writing about that moment.
So moving on to my process of how I journal and how I find my inspiration and turn it into a journal page. I don't or haven't in the past eaten anywhere near as much fruit as I should, I am so bad at it but that is just the way it is. In the past week or so I have really upped my fruit and I am really proud of myself for doing that and I have gotten to the point where I am really enjoying fruit and I am actually craving it now. I love it! I never thought it would come to that being someone who really wasn't that interested in fruit. So it is so momentous for me I felt like I wanted to capture how I felt about it all and what it all meant to me. I had just been and bought some more fruit and it was a hot day and it all made me feel very happy. See more of my thoughts on this and how I put this journal page together in the video below...
If you are not sure if journalling is for you or not but you are just tempted by it, or indeed if you want to get into journaller or just have a refresher, I have a playlist over on my YouTube channel of inspiring videos all about journals. I just you go check it out as then you don't just have to take my word for it but the inspiration from many other people that journal too. Click here to go to that playlist.
There are different styles of journalling and I tend to do some of them, all of them, a mixture of them depending on what I want to do that day for example:
- Just writing
- Art work on it's own
- Smashbooking (sticking in ephemera like receipts)
- Scrapbooking (using photographs and embellishments)
- Collaging
- Or a mixture like art work with a quote.
- To document my day / debrief
- To record keep (momentous occasions like a wedding or baby etc)
- To process my feelings, good and bad
- For the sake of it, to art and create for fun and because I enjoy it.
What about when you want to journal but don't know what about, or if you want to start incorporating art work into your journal etc well then this can be a bit more tricky. Believe me it does up with ease the more practise you have so please don't get disheartened in the early days and give up, keep with it and I promise you that you will get there with inspiration flying at you all the time. There are times of course when you have blocks and that is natural but something will open you up again. If you do have a mental block which I often do, I just sit with my journal and collage. I love to collage I find it very relaxing and soon an idea comes to me and then I just roll with it!
To start to find your inspiration you need to open your eyes to see as well as look and try and be more present in your day and each moment. Think about the situations you have been in that day and enjoy each present moment before trying to rush to the next one. For me I find my happiness in the present moment, enjoying the everyday and the everyday is beautiful. Of course crummy things can happen and do happen but the key to your happiness is how you deal with those situations, cue your journal - process them in there! Documenting your day or having a 'de brief' with yourself is a great way to process everything that you have been through that day and helps you to clear and refresh your mind.
Every life tells a story and every story is interesting. You may not think it at the time but believe me it is! When in a few years you pick your journal up again you can look back and see how you have changed and grown as a person. Both sets of my grandparents passed away when I was young so I only remember them through a childs mind but I would love to read their journals (if they had them) to find out what life was like for them. How interesting would it be to know about their everyday lives, what they ate, what they wore all that kind of stuff. Of course there may be things that you don't want people to see in the future and that is fine, you don't have to leave your journals behind and of course you should set up boundaries with your family members for your privacy where your journal is concerened. Mr B keeps a journal and we are both respectful of each others journal space.
So start to find the inspiration in the everyday. The above picture shows Mr B on a Sunday morning having a cup of tea and reading the paper. He had had a busy week and work and on the Saturday so the Sunday was really nice to chill out with each other and it was some really special quality time together. Of course I really liked seeing him so relaxed and contented to I took this instagram snap of him which I love, it is so arty and in the journal it went along with some writing about that moment.
So moving on to my process of how I journal and how I find my inspiration and turn it into a journal page. I don't or haven't in the past eaten anywhere near as much fruit as I should, I am so bad at it but that is just the way it is. In the past week or so I have really upped my fruit and I am really proud of myself for doing that and I have gotten to the point where I am really enjoying fruit and I am actually craving it now. I love it! I never thought it would come to that being someone who really wasn't that interested in fruit. So it is so momentous for me I felt like I wanted to capture how I felt about it all and what it all meant to me. I had just been and bought some more fruit and it was a hot day and it all made me feel very happy. See more of my thoughts on this and how I put this journal page together in the video below...
I hope you found it interesting to see how I gathered my inspiration and then turned it into a journal page. I will do a little series of these to help get you on your way so you can see how I do it and hopefully gain some inspiration yourself.
If you are not sure if journalling is for you or not but you are just tempted by it, or indeed if you want to get into journaller or just have a refresher, I have a playlist over on my YouTube channel of inspiring videos all about journals. I just you go check it out as then you don't just have to take my word for it but the inspiration from many other people that journal too. Click here to go to that playlist.
Tuesday, 15 July 2014
Art journal flip through
I am half way through my current art journal and I have been sharing snippets on instagram and on the Journal Gypsies blog and some of you have asked to see more. Of course I am always happy to share my art journal (or the non private parts of it of course!) but it would be a while before it was completely finished so I thought I would do a half journal flip for you so you can see how this is coming along. I will do a full journal flip so you can see what it is like when it is fully completed.
Hope you enjoy...
Hope you enjoy...
Tuesday, 8 July 2014
My thoughts on Midori Travellers Notebook.
I have for some time, had a curiosity over a Midori Travellers Notebook. I have watched videos on YouTube from Poketfullofvintage, Rhomany's Realm, MissVickyBee and Raven Ink and have enjoyed looking at their set ups but always thought that I didn't need one in my life. I know a lot of people love them but here are my reasons for not getting one myself:
OK so at the very start of this post I mentioned that I have always had a curiosity for them. So after a lot of thinking and researchI now have one. I have been thinking about getting one for a while, I love to journal, I love journals, I like trying new things but all of my reasons above kept on coming to me. Do I want one, do I? I ummmed and ahhhhed for a while. Something kept on pulling me towards them, maybe it is all those people on YouTube selling it to me, I don't know. So anyway I decided to feed my curiosity and take the plunge just to see for myself what it is all about and put my mind at rest. So introducing you to my new Fauxdori...
I bought a Fauxdori from Ebay and I have to say the photos of the item that the seller put up do not do it justice (if you are interersted in purchasing one yourself, she has lots not just this one so go to their ebay here). I decided on a Fauxdori as I just couldn't justify the spend on something I wasn't sure as to whether I was going to like it or not so I thought a Fauxdori would suit me just fine. Who knows, maybe if I love it I will treat myself further down the line. I had also thought about making one myself but when I looked into the cost of the materials it came to about the same as just buying one so I thought I would let someone else make it for me!
I am still having a play with it and getting used to how it works and everything. I currently have two concerns that I want to iron out. Firstly the elastics seem very strong or tight and have cut into my notebook a little bit. I don't know if I have too much in there or not. I currently have three in there. I see so many people have really stuffed ones and I am not sure if mine will be able to take it or if I am just being silly. I don't know if the elastic will continue to cut into the paper and also the leather is also alot smaller so you can see the edges of the notebooks peeking through Is that how it is supposed to be? I am not sure if I am just being fussy or not! Anyway as I said it is all things that I need to play and work with and sort out. Any tips and advice would be gratefully received!
So I went with the travellers notebook size and I have been journalling in there already. So far the size hasn't been an issue for me and it is actually a lot wider than how it appeared in other peoples photos. It is not the A5 size that I know and love but I do like it. A few more days and I will probably be well and truly there. I have journalled, stuck snaps in, doodled and it is working OK so far!
I decided to make myself a folder. I remember seeing other people on YouTube show theirs and after a day or two I realised that this is something that I would really like to do too. I didn't actually watch any tutorials I just sat at my desk looking at my fauxdori and scrapbook paper and the idea came to me. It was really quick and easy to make and it just has a little tuck where I am storing cards with washi tape and some instagram snaps ready for adding to my journal. I even punched a teddy bear in it which I think looks really cute as you can see the paper design underneath, I love it!
So there we are folks, there is an introduction to my new fauxdori and why until now I haven't bought one. I am not sure if I love it yet but I do like it. I am going to continue to use it and see how I go. I am sure I spotted Mr B covetting it himself and I am thinking of buying him one for Christmas, he too is a journaller and I am sure he would like one. If you missed his video on what he journals about you can catch it here.
Do you have a Midori? Let me know what you think about it and if you have any blog posts or videos on it I would love to see as I am soaking up anything midori at the moment! Until next time, happy journalling!
- The size. From looking at other peoples to me they just looked too narrow. I am so used to an A5 size or larger. I knew that I could make a larger fauxdori if I bought the materials and followed a tutorial but I don't feel that I am ready for that yet.
- I don't feel like I need a journal to be transportable. I don't take my journal out of the house, if I do it is on holiday and a larger journal is fine to take with me. That being said I don't journal that much on holidays as I find that I am too busy doing holiday type things!
- What do you do with the notebooks when you have finished with them, they look really small, do you bind them together at the end? I just feel that the journals inside are so small and not very substantial, call me silly but I feel like I would want something 'more'.
- I like changing covers and journals, I find this motivates me. I don't know why but it does, I love the feeling of starting a new journal.
- Price! I just can't justify the price of it at the moment.
- Everybody already has one. I don't like following the herd especially when I am this late to the party, I don't want to 'copy'.
I bought a Fauxdori from Ebay and I have to say the photos of the item that the seller put up do not do it justice (if you are interersted in purchasing one yourself, she has lots not just this one so go to their ebay here). I decided on a Fauxdori as I just couldn't justify the spend on something I wasn't sure as to whether I was going to like it or not so I thought a Fauxdori would suit me just fine. Who knows, maybe if I love it I will treat myself further down the line. I had also thought about making one myself but when I looked into the cost of the materials it came to about the same as just buying one so I thought I would let someone else make it for me!
I am still having a play with it and getting used to how it works and everything. I currently have two concerns that I want to iron out. Firstly the elastics seem very strong or tight and have cut into my notebook a little bit. I don't know if I have too much in there or not. I currently have three in there. I see so many people have really stuffed ones and I am not sure if mine will be able to take it or if I am just being silly. I don't know if the elastic will continue to cut into the paper and also the leather is also alot smaller so you can see the edges of the notebooks peeking through Is that how it is supposed to be? I am not sure if I am just being fussy or not! Anyway as I said it is all things that I need to play and work with and sort out. Any tips and advice would be gratefully received!
So I went with the travellers notebook size and I have been journalling in there already. So far the size hasn't been an issue for me and it is actually a lot wider than how it appeared in other peoples photos. It is not the A5 size that I know and love but I do like it. A few more days and I will probably be well and truly there. I have journalled, stuck snaps in, doodled and it is working OK so far!
I haven't put my elastic on properly that holds the books round the middle as I want to find a nice charm to go on there. I have seen other people put charms on theirs and so now I want one!
So there we are folks, there is an introduction to my new fauxdori and why until now I haven't bought one. I am not sure if I love it yet but I do like it. I am going to continue to use it and see how I go. I am sure I spotted Mr B covetting it himself and I am thinking of buying him one for Christmas, he too is a journaller and I am sure he would like one. If you missed his video on what he journals about you can catch it here.
Do you have a Midori? Let me know what you think about it and if you have any blog posts or videos on it I would love to see as I am soaking up anything midori at the moment! Until next time, happy journalling!
Tuesday, 1 July 2014
My Current Journal Collection {Part Two}
Following on from last week I wanted to share with you the remainder of my current journals. If you missed last week you can see it on this blog post.
So let's get straight into it, here are the rest of the journals that I keep...
Anniversary Journal
When we got married I had a picture of us printed onto a notebook from Photobox and I only ever write in this journal once a year on or around our wedding anniversary. Mr B and I went to school together and we have known each other since we were 11, only getting together as a couple age 16 when we left school and realised that we missed seeing each other everyday. We then married in 2007 and this journal was started on our one year anniversary.
In this journal I record how we celebrated our actually anniversary and I also record things like where we are at in our life, what we have done or accomplished that year and our goals and aspirations for the coming year. I also like to record some factual data as follows:
I think these things would be really interesting to look at in years to come because it is those simple every day things that we take for granted when we are currently living them that would be fascinating in 50 years time!
Ideas Journal
I have an ideas journal for jotting down and recording all of those little things that one day I may want to refer to.
Home decor ideas
I have a journal dedicated to the house with ideas and inspiration for possible decoration. Whenever I see something in a magazine I clip it out and stick it in. I didn't want to make any rash decisions when it came to decorating the house as this is a long term project so we want to make sure we get it right and take time to formulate our ideas!
Character journal
My character journal is a journal written by my alter ego 'Elana'. It is kind of a work of fiction but also an outlet when I was going through a very rough time in my life. I could write as this person and have fun in a mystical world. To be perfectly honest I haven't written in this for way over a year, which is great in a lot of ways but also I feel it is a shame as I liked her and the story. Maybe I could pick it up again now I am in a better, brighter place?
Meditation / Dream Journal
I like to meditate frequently so I have a journal beside me so that I can jot down anything that comes to me afterwards. I also have some funky dreams sometimes so I like to record those in their too.
Faces Sketchbook
Last but not least I have a sketchbook dedicated to my drawing study of faces. I was always told off at college for drawing what was in my head rather than what I saw so every now and then I like to have a practise and as I very often like to draw / paint faces in my art journal then this is great practise for me. Again I haven't used this one in a while but it it there if I want to. This is a sketch from about a year and a half ago...
And that folks sums up my current journal collection. For now. It will change, I know it will, the reason I know it will as I have something on order currently so that will add to my collection in a matter of weeks. And then of course I will finish my art journal so it will be on to a new one. So it kind of changes in as much as the book itself will change but the format may not. Who knows, lets just wait and see!
I would love to see your journals if you would like to share them with me :D
So let's get straight into it, here are the rest of the journals that I keep...
Anniversary Journal
When we got married I had a picture of us printed onto a notebook from Photobox and I only ever write in this journal once a year on or around our wedding anniversary. Mr B and I went to school together and we have known each other since we were 11, only getting together as a couple age 16 when we left school and realised that we missed seeing each other everyday. We then married in 2007 and this journal was started on our one year anniversary.
In this journal I record how we celebrated our actually anniversary and I also record things like where we are at in our life, what we have done or accomplished that year and our goals and aspirations for the coming year. I also like to record some factual data as follows:
- Who was no 1 in the music charts
- The price of a pint of milk
- The price of a load of bread
- The price of a litre of fuel
- Who is Prime Minister
- Our place of employment, job title and salary
- Our address
I think these things would be really interesting to look at in years to come because it is those simple every day things that we take for granted when we are currently living them that would be fascinating in 50 years time!
Ideas Journal
I have an ideas journal for jotting down and recording all of those little things that one day I may want to refer to.
Home decor ideas
I have a journal dedicated to the house with ideas and inspiration for possible decoration. Whenever I see something in a magazine I clip it out and stick it in. I didn't want to make any rash decisions when it came to decorating the house as this is a long term project so we want to make sure we get it right and take time to formulate our ideas!
Character journal
My character journal is a journal written by my alter ego 'Elana'. It is kind of a work of fiction but also an outlet when I was going through a very rough time in my life. I could write as this person and have fun in a mystical world. To be perfectly honest I haven't written in this for way over a year, which is great in a lot of ways but also I feel it is a shame as I liked her and the story. Maybe I could pick it up again now I am in a better, brighter place?
Meditation / Dream Journal
I like to meditate frequently so I have a journal beside me so that I can jot down anything that comes to me afterwards. I also have some funky dreams sometimes so I like to record those in their too.
Faces Sketchbook
Last but not least I have a sketchbook dedicated to my drawing study of faces. I was always told off at college for drawing what was in my head rather than what I saw so every now and then I like to have a practise and as I very often like to draw / paint faces in my art journal then this is great practise for me. Again I haven't used this one in a while but it it there if I want to. This is a sketch from about a year and a half ago...
And that folks sums up my current journal collection. For now. It will change, I know it will, the reason I know it will as I have something on order currently so that will add to my collection in a matter of weeks. And then of course I will finish my art journal so it will be on to a new one. So it kind of changes in as much as the book itself will change but the format may not. Who knows, lets just wait and see!
Tuesday, 24 June 2014
My current journal collection {part one}
This week I thought I would share with you my current journal collection as it has been a while since I did that. I last shared them with you in May last year and I like to take stock every now and then and look at the journals that I am using. I do this because I like to take time to think about whether they still serve a purpose for me and whether I still want to use them. I hope you also find this interesting and that it might inspire you to journal in some way, whatever way that would be for you.
Art Journal
I call my art journal such because it is the term that most people will understand or recognise, however I prefer to call it just my journal, my visual journal or indeed an artiststs journal. In that journal I like to create art as well as incorporate collage and writing.
Sometimes I paint for paints sake just because I have a desire to be creative, sometimes I use it for concept art to develop something else or to learn new techniques. I also like to part scrapbook by using photos and smashbook by adding receipts and flyers from places we have been.
Whatever it is, it is my journal and it is the documentation of my life, my place to process feelings and emotions and a place to be happy or spend time with myself.
No pressure journal
I won't go into this too much as I wrote a whole blog post dedicated to this last week
Written journal
I like to keep a written journal solely for, you guessed it, writing! I like to write reams and reams when the mood takes me and at the moment I am using my A5 Finsbury Filofax for that. I love the feel and quality of the leather and I also like the flexibility of the rings for changing things about. In that journal is my life documented in writing and everything that goes with that good and bad!
My Filofax
I am using my daily Filofax to complement my written journal. In the back of the Filofax I have blank paper (lined) in case the urge to write hits me when I don't have my journal with me. I just write in her and then add it into my journal later on.
Sea Journal
This was a book that I picked up from a charity stand for 50p. Whilst I started this and intended it to be an altereed book all related to the sea and mermaids, I literally did two pages in it and then run out of motivation for it. I still keep it in my collection of current journals because I really like the book itself. One day I may go back to this but I am not sure but don't want to part with the gorgeousness of it just yet!
BOS
My BOS is my book of shadows
Sketchbook
This is just a cheapy sketchbook that I use for you guessed it, doodling. I use it to test and work out the little characters that then become the ones you see on my Filofax inserts and dashboards.
I hope you have enjoyed a little look into some of my journals. There are many more to come and I will share these with you next week!
So here are my journals:
Art Journal
I call my art journal such because it is the term that most people will understand or recognise, however I prefer to call it just my journal, my visual journal or indeed an artiststs journal. In that journal I like to create art as well as incorporate collage and writing.
Sometimes I paint for paints sake just because I have a desire to be creative, sometimes I use it for concept art to develop something else or to learn new techniques. I also like to part scrapbook by using photos and smashbook by adding receipts and flyers from places we have been.
Whatever it is, it is my journal and it is the documentation of my life, my place to process feelings and emotions and a place to be happy or spend time with myself.
No pressure journal
I won't go into this too much as I wrote a whole blog post dedicated to this last week
Written journal
I like to keep a written journal solely for, you guessed it, writing! I like to write reams and reams when the mood takes me and at the moment I am using my A5 Finsbury Filofax for that. I love the feel and quality of the leather and I also like the flexibility of the rings for changing things about. In that journal is my life documented in writing and everything that goes with that good and bad!
My Filofax
I am using my daily Filofax to complement my written journal. In the back of the Filofax I have blank paper (lined) in case the urge to write hits me when I don't have my journal with me. I just write in her and then add it into my journal later on.
Sea Journal
This was a book that I picked up from a charity stand for 50p. Whilst I started this and intended it to be an altereed book all related to the sea and mermaids, I literally did two pages in it and then run out of motivation for it. I still keep it in my collection of current journals because I really like the book itself. One day I may go back to this but I am not sure but don't want to part with the gorgeousness of it just yet!
BOS
My BOS is my book of shadows
Sketchbook
This is just a cheapy sketchbook that I use for you guessed it, doodling. I use it to test and work out the little characters that then become the ones you see on my Filofax inserts and dashboards.
A whole lot more information on these journals as well as glimpses into them can be found in the video:
I hope you have enjoyed a little look into some of my journals. There are many more to come and I will share these with you next week!
Tuesday, 17 June 2014
My New No Pressure Journal
If you are anything like me or you are into journals yourself, you will often find that your journals change, how you journal changes and you you feel about journalling changes too. I go backwards and forward and in and out of love with not just the different types of physical journals I have but also how I am journalling in them. I guess different things suit me at different times and for different reasons.
Next week I will do an update on my current journals but just to give you a brief idea of my current journals, I am using an art journal and a 100% written journal but I was finding increasingly that I wasn't having any motivation for my written journal, I was finding that I didn't have the time, or perhaps more importantly that I wasn't finding or making the time to journal and when I did I just wasn't feeling it or in the mood.
Then one day I decided to set myself a no pressure journal.
I have a few new, empty notebooks / journals on my shelf and so I just went and grabbed the first one I felt drawn to with little thought into it, this was to be my no pressure journal so I didn't want to spend ages pondering over the cover, the paper quality the size and all that jazz. I was creating a new way of journaling, well new to me anyways.
So I set myself some rules for my no pressure journal:
No pressure to write
No pressure to art
No pressure to decorate at all
No pressure to have beautiful neat handwriting
No pressure to use any type of pen
No pressure to write long entries
No pressure to make eloquent entries
I told myself that I could just write whenever and wherever I wanted, multiple times a day if I wanted to. I can just grab any pen that is kicking around the house and just write until I want to stop writing. If I run out of time, or motivation I can just stop and not worry about it making sense or having to pick up where I left off the day before.
This is to be my no pressure, 100% fun journal and you know it is. I am finding myself wanting to pick it up and write in it all the time. Sometimes I will just write a sentence if it comes to me, other times I will write several pages but above all I am not worrying about it and just enjoying the process. I think this is a great tip for those just starting out or wanting to start journalling. Don't overthink it and don't worry about hoarding that beautiful notebook or worrying about not making it look nice and pretty. Who cares! It is just a notebook, it is there to be written in and loved.
I have been journalling for years and often go in peaks and troughs with my journals but I think you need to enjoy it and not force it. If you are forcing yourself to journal you are not being true to you and your reasons for journalling are all skewed. A journal is your companion for telling your woes, your fears, getting negative emotions out, rejoicing in the good times, documenting your life and record keeping. It is all there or should all be there, the real you, the place where you can truly be you and not worry about what anyone else things, so why should you worry about coherrent sentences? You shouldn't, you should just write, write whatever needs to come out and just go with it!
I hope that has helped you in some way, let me know if you have various journals that you use for different reasons, I would love to know.
If you would like to know more about how and why I journal you can watch this video. This is a video that I created in May 2013 but I realise that newer subscribers may not have seen this before and may find it interesting.
Next week I will do an update on my current journals but just to give you a brief idea of my current journals, I am using an art journal and a 100% written journal but I was finding increasingly that I wasn't having any motivation for my written journal, I was finding that I didn't have the time, or perhaps more importantly that I wasn't finding or making the time to journal and when I did I just wasn't feeling it or in the mood.
Then one day I decided to set myself a no pressure journal.
I have a few new, empty notebooks / journals on my shelf and so I just went and grabbed the first one I felt drawn to with little thought into it, this was to be my no pressure journal so I didn't want to spend ages pondering over the cover, the paper quality the size and all that jazz. I was creating a new way of journaling, well new to me anyways.
So I set myself some rules for my no pressure journal:
No pressure to write
No pressure to art
No pressure to decorate at all
No pressure to have beautiful neat handwriting
No pressure to use any type of pen
No pressure to write long entries
No pressure to make eloquent entries
I told myself that I could just write whenever and wherever I wanted, multiple times a day if I wanted to. I can just grab any pen that is kicking around the house and just write until I want to stop writing. If I run out of time, or motivation I can just stop and not worry about it making sense or having to pick up where I left off the day before.
This is to be my no pressure, 100% fun journal and you know it is. I am finding myself wanting to pick it up and write in it all the time. Sometimes I will just write a sentence if it comes to me, other times I will write several pages but above all I am not worrying about it and just enjoying the process. I think this is a great tip for those just starting out or wanting to start journalling. Don't overthink it and don't worry about hoarding that beautiful notebook or worrying about not making it look nice and pretty. Who cares! It is just a notebook, it is there to be written in and loved.
I have been journalling for years and often go in peaks and troughs with my journals but I think you need to enjoy it and not force it. If you are forcing yourself to journal you are not being true to you and your reasons for journalling are all skewed. A journal is your companion for telling your woes, your fears, getting negative emotions out, rejoicing in the good times, documenting your life and record keeping. It is all there or should all be there, the real you, the place where you can truly be you and not worry about what anyone else things, so why should you worry about coherrent sentences? You shouldn't, you should just write, write whatever needs to come out and just go with it!
I hope that has helped you in some way, let me know if you have various journals that you use for different reasons, I would love to know.
If you would like to know more about how and why I journal you can watch this video. This is a video that I created in May 2013 but I realise that newer subscribers may not have seen this before and may find it interesting.
Tuesday, 10 June 2014
My Acrylic Muse decided to pay a visit!
It is funny how your muse works, well mine is anyway. She comes and goes and dictates when and what she wants to do and sometimes there is just no stopping her. When she wants to do something she just does it without a care in the World. And when she is here, she is here to stay and all hell breaks loose and we just have to move over and let her get her own way.
So for quite some time now I have not been at all interested in my acrylics. Part of that is due to the mess and that I made a pact with myself that I would only use them in my room where it doesn't matter if I get paint everywhere, but then of late I have been journalling downstairs in the evenings whilst watching TV or if Mr B is reading or such like. My watercolours and a couple of pencils are much more transportable than a whole load of acrylics and pallettes. I know so lazy but then sometimes in the evenings I want easy, I don't want to have to think about all this stuff, I just want to sit there and create or journal about my day and not have to worry or think too hard about it.
Then at the weekend my acrylic muse decided to drop in and she stayed for quite a while, in fact she hasn't left yet, she has her feet well and truly up on the desk! So there I sat on a rainy Saturday afternoon in my room wandering what to do (Mr B had a cold and was watching TV on the sofa) so I reached for some acrylics and popped them on the desk. I opened my journal and I just started dropping and drizzling paint and so this happened...
I was quite startled myself as this is so out of character for me but you know what I thoroughly enjoyed it and I love the colours and well quite frankly I love how it is. Just how it is. I may just leave it like that but at the time I was like 'you silly bean now it is all wet you can't turn the page' so I ripped a page out and smooshed it down into the paint to take some of it off. It just didn't sit right so I took my pallette knife and started mixing it all around the page which looked really unsightly so I went old school. I call it old school because for me this is something that I used to do a lot but now no longer do, and that is I took some gesso and went over the page but just left a heart shape showing...
Again this really surprised me as I ended up loving the process, not so much the finished article but definitely the process and that is what struck the chord with me. So that then opened me up and it just went on and on. So I had a purple pallette, I tore another piece out of my journal and just got playing and that playing resulted in this coming out...
And I truly love him, I think he is a cutie pie. He is now actually available in my Etsy Shop as a day planner dashboard so it is funny how a little bit of play time to free your mind can result in a whole load of art!
There is more that I created and I shared my weather Goddess over on the Journal Gypsies Blog if you would like to check that out you can do that here.
Well I hope she is here to stay for a while longer as I am loving what we are creating together. Do you find that you have a muse who dictates what you should be doing? I would love to know!
So for quite some time now I have not been at all interested in my acrylics. Part of that is due to the mess and that I made a pact with myself that I would only use them in my room where it doesn't matter if I get paint everywhere, but then of late I have been journalling downstairs in the evenings whilst watching TV or if Mr B is reading or such like. My watercolours and a couple of pencils are much more transportable than a whole load of acrylics and pallettes. I know so lazy but then sometimes in the evenings I want easy, I don't want to have to think about all this stuff, I just want to sit there and create or journal about my day and not have to worry or think too hard about it.
Then at the weekend my acrylic muse decided to drop in and she stayed for quite a while, in fact she hasn't left yet, she has her feet well and truly up on the desk! So there I sat on a rainy Saturday afternoon in my room wandering what to do (Mr B had a cold and was watching TV on the sofa) so I reached for some acrylics and popped them on the desk. I opened my journal and I just started dropping and drizzling paint and so this happened...
I was quite startled myself as this is so out of character for me but you know what I thoroughly enjoyed it and I love the colours and well quite frankly I love how it is. Just how it is. I may just leave it like that but at the time I was like 'you silly bean now it is all wet you can't turn the page' so I ripped a page out and smooshed it down into the paint to take some of it off. It just didn't sit right so I took my pallette knife and started mixing it all around the page which looked really unsightly so I went old school. I call it old school because for me this is something that I used to do a lot but now no longer do, and that is I took some gesso and went over the page but just left a heart shape showing...
Again this really surprised me as I ended up loving the process, not so much the finished article but definitely the process and that is what struck the chord with me. So that then opened me up and it just went on and on. So I had a purple pallette, I tore another piece out of my journal and just got playing and that playing resulted in this coming out...
And I truly love him, I think he is a cutie pie. He is now actually available in my Etsy Shop as a day planner dashboard so it is funny how a little bit of play time to free your mind can result in a whole load of art!
There is more that I created and I shared my weather Goddess over on the Journal Gypsies Blog if you would like to check that out you can do that here.
Well I hope she is here to stay for a while longer as I am loving what we are creating together. Do you find that you have a muse who dictates what you should be doing? I would love to know!
Tuesday, 20 May 2014
Outdoor art journaling - what is a girl to take?
It was an absolutely gloriously hot and sunny day on Saturday and I made the most of it by spending time out in the garden. We had nothing that we needed to do, not a single thing so why not make the most of it is what I say! You never know when and how long the good weather lasts here in England so enjoy it each and everytime it is here!
So going outdoors and doing a bit of journalling, what is a girl to take? It is a hard choice sometimes, especially when you don't know what you are going to create. Limiting yourself to a few items is great because it forces you to get creative with only what you have but that can also be hard if your muse has decided to go and sunbathe and is not interested in helping you one bit! At least being only in the garden I could nip inside if I wanted to grab something so that is not a big deal but even so you have to limit yourself a bit because you can't take it all out there with you. Well you could but I would have to spend ages carting it back and forth. You get the picture!
I recorded an impromptu video on what I took out with me as I really enjoy watching those types of videos and thought you might like to see what I take with me. It was so bright out there so excuse the squinting me.
Did you like my shed? It is not quite finished yet, I want to chintz it up and put some girly touches on it (which Mr B is very happy for me to do I hasten to add). I want to change the scaggy perspex window for nice clean one but Mr B needs to tidy up his randomness in the shed first. Then I want to put bunting up and I want to also put a nice decal on the door and maybe some wooden scalloped edging to the window. I haven't quite decided yet but in my mind it looks lovely, just a bit of a long term work in progress kind of thing.
Would you like to see a couple of the pages that I created? I am going to show you two here which are collage type pages and then another page that I create you will find over on the Journal Gypsies blog on Wednesday!
If you would like to know where any of the products show came from please do ask and I will try my best to remember.
If you would like to see our vlog from that day you can watch that below. Or over on my Ginger Juice YouTube channel where I vlog about twice a week along with book reviews, vegetarian food, hauls and tag videos.
So going outdoors and doing a bit of journalling, what is a girl to take? It is a hard choice sometimes, especially when you don't know what you are going to create. Limiting yourself to a few items is great because it forces you to get creative with only what you have but that can also be hard if your muse has decided to go and sunbathe and is not interested in helping you one bit! At least being only in the garden I could nip inside if I wanted to grab something so that is not a big deal but even so you have to limit yourself a bit because you can't take it all out there with you. Well you could but I would have to spend ages carting it back and forth. You get the picture!
I recorded an impromptu video on what I took out with me as I really enjoy watching those types of videos and thought you might like to see what I take with me. It was so bright out there so excuse the squinting me.
Did you like my shed? It is not quite finished yet, I want to chintz it up and put some girly touches on it (which Mr B is very happy for me to do I hasten to add). I want to change the scaggy perspex window for nice clean one but Mr B needs to tidy up his randomness in the shed first. Then I want to put bunting up and I want to also put a nice decal on the door and maybe some wooden scalloped edging to the window. I haven't quite decided yet but in my mind it looks lovely, just a bit of a long term work in progress kind of thing.
Would you like to see a couple of the pages that I created? I am going to show you two here which are collage type pages and then another page that I create you will find over on the Journal Gypsies blog on Wednesday!
If you would like to know where any of the products show came from please do ask and I will try my best to remember.
If you would like to see our vlog from that day you can watch that below. Or over on my Ginger Juice YouTube channel where I vlog about twice a week along with book reviews, vegetarian food, hauls and tag videos.
Tuesday, 22 April 2014
I made a new journal!
Following on from last weeks ramblings about whether to make a new journal or whether to buy a ready made one, I came to the conclusion on my own, you will be so proud of me! So here it is! I just thought I would do a video to show the process on how I made it and what it looks like when it is finished.
I am liking it already. No I am loving it and can't wait to get started now. It is filled with watercolour paper and I am chomping at the bit to get it started. Such a change from last week don't you think lol!
I am liking it already. No I am loving it and can't wait to get started now. It is filled with watercolour paper and I am chomping at the bit to get it started. Such a change from last week don't you think lol!
Tuesday, 15 April 2014
Emotionally Attached to my Journal
I need a new journal. I don't want a new journal, I like this one! Are you as emotionally attached to your journal as I am to mine? The spine is coming apart, it is bruised and battered and has been through stuff, a reflection of me I guess. I am just crazily attached to this journal and I would go as far as saying that it is the best journal that I have worked in so far. I don't know why in particular. The paper in it isn't the best but I think for me it is the perfect size and snugglyness. I know that is a weird thing to say but I just like holding it and being with it. I am sad that it is coming to an end.
But coming to an end it is and I need to now start to think about making or buying a new one. It is like a book though, you can't start a new one because you are so wrapped up in and still digesting the old one. It has to be done though and I am just having that internally struggle as to whether to make a new one or buy one. There are pros and cons to both. Making your own does give it a soul before it has even been worked it but then I do like the quality of a shop bought bound one. Oh the decisions!
Only a jounaller knows the feeling of the emotional attachment to your journal!
But coming to an end it is and I need to now start to think about making or buying a new one. It is like a book though, you can't start a new one because you are so wrapped up in and still digesting the old one. It has to be done though and I am just having that internally struggle as to whether to make a new one or buy one. There are pros and cons to both. Making your own does give it a soul before it has even been worked it but then I do like the quality of a shop bought bound one. Oh the decisions!
Only a jounaller knows the feeling of the emotional attachment to your journal!
Tuesday, 25 March 2014
Spring Journal Tag {Original}
Spring is here in the UK and flowers are bursting into bloom everywhere. We had been lucky with the weather warming up although it has turned a bit cold again this week. That being said, I am really into the Spring frame of mind and I have found that this has had an impact on my journal and what I am journalling about and I wondered if any of you have found that too?
I thought it might be fun to create a tag so that I can share some Spring journalling with you and also because I want to know if Spring has brought about a change with you too! I tag any of you who would like to do this tag too. Here are the questions if you fancy doing this either in video or blog form but let me know so I can come and see yours!
1. Does the season or weather have an impact on your journaling? How?
2. Do you journal outside in the warmer weather?
3. What do you take with you when you journal outside?
4. Do you draw on any Spring inspiration in your journal?
5. It is Spring cleaning time, what do you do with all those old journals?
6. What journal will you be using this Spring? Do you change with the seasons?
7. Please (if you can / want to) share some recent Spring journaling / Art journal pages / smashbook pages
8. Spring is a good time to try something new, what would you fancy trying?
9. What habits would you like to change / get rid of / introduce now that Spring is here?
10. What music are you journaling to this Spring?
I thought it might be fun to create a tag so that I can share some Spring journalling with you and also because I want to know if Spring has brought about a change with you too! I tag any of you who would like to do this tag too. Here are the questions if you fancy doing this either in video or blog form but let me know so I can come and see yours!
1. Does the season or weather have an impact on your journaling? How?
2. Do you journal outside in the warmer weather?
3. What do you take with you when you journal outside?
4. Do you draw on any Spring inspiration in your journal?
5. It is Spring cleaning time, what do you do with all those old journals?
6. What journal will you be using this Spring? Do you change with the seasons?
7. Please (if you can / want to) share some recent Spring journaling / Art journal pages / smashbook pages
8. Spring is a good time to try something new, what would you fancy trying?
9. What habits would you like to change / get rid of / introduce now that Spring is here?
10. What music are you journaling to this Spring?
Monday, 3 March 2014
Following my obsession! - Journal Gypsies
As you know I am now blogging on Journal Gypsies but I also want to share on my blog what I have posted over there too. So I am going to post that post on here too but only a little later that it appear over there. Confused? Yep me too!
I find that when I look through past journals, I have had obsessions, or influences if you will, that follow me pretty much throughout my journal. Sometimes they are a big influence or inspiration and they make it into other journals, sometimes it is a small stage of my life and they just stay in the one. Does that happen to anyone else?
I was looking back through my current journal and it suddenly became rather obvious to me that I was being heavily inspired by stars, the night sky and galaxies. Every other page has some sort of star symbol in it! I need to look into symbology and find out whether my inner self is trying to tell me something. After all I don’t always intentionally set out to create stars, many times I am idly drawing whilst watching the TV and then I look down and a star has emerged and I very much do paint and draw intuitively. Something for me to look into for sure. Why are all these stars popping up?
I have also moved from just stars to whole galaxies and have been totally obsessed with creating girls who have galaxies as their hair. I just love it. It is so therapeutic to create, just watching all the watercolours swirl into each other and at the end you are left with something really mysterious and magical. Well to me they are anyway.
I am a massive dreamer and believer in magick!
I am really enjoying my star gazing journey. I have no idea where it will take me next in this journal or if it will follow me int the next but for now I am enjoying traveling with the stars.
I find that when I look through past journals, I have had obsessions, or influences if you will, that follow me pretty much throughout my journal. Sometimes they are a big influence or inspiration and they make it into other journals, sometimes it is a small stage of my life and they just stay in the one. Does that happen to anyone else?
I was looking back through my current journal and it suddenly became rather obvious to me that I was being heavily inspired by stars, the night sky and galaxies. Every other page has some sort of star symbol in it! I need to look into symbology and find out whether my inner self is trying to tell me something. After all I don’t always intentionally set out to create stars, many times I am idly drawing whilst watching the TV and then I look down and a star has emerged and I very much do paint and draw intuitively. Something for me to look into for sure. Why are all these stars popping up?
I have also moved from just stars to whole galaxies and have been totally obsessed with creating girls who have galaxies as their hair. I just love it. It is so therapeutic to create, just watching all the watercolours swirl into each other and at the end you are left with something really mysterious and magical. Well to me they are anyway.
I am a massive dreamer and believer in magick!
I am really enjoying my star gazing journey. I have no idea where it will take me next in this journal or if it will follow me int the next but for now I am enjoying traveling with the stars.
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