Alice in Plannerland

Hello, Planner Friends! I hope that you're all doing amazingly well! I'm here with some planner inspiration using the Mrs Brimbles Alice in Plannerland sticker kit. I fell in love with this kit as soon as I saw it - I have something of an Alice in Wonderland obsession (mostly of derivative works from the original classic) and anything Alice themed is always a huge hit with me. Fun fact: I even had an Alice in Wonderland themed classroom last year when I was teaching Year 1 students! So, suffice to say, this is a favourite kit and layout. To watch the process, click on the video below to see how this Alice in Plannerland layout came together!

 



It was a lovely opportunity to go back to doing some hand-lettering - which is a hobby/passion of mine that every now and then I come back to. (And every time I come back to it I wonder why I stopped doing it for so long!) The awesome thing about the Alice aesthetic, is that it allows for imperfection, odd and slightly-mismatched letters, which takes a lot of the pressure off!

 

So that is the final layout - I'm thrilled with how it turned out. I love all of the blue tones that came out (it makes me feel calm!). If you're looking for more planner layout inspiration, you can check out my 2019 Planner Layout playlist for the rest of this year's layouts, including many Mrs Brimbles kit layouts! If you have any questions, let me know, otherwise, I hope you follow your own White Rabbit into a wonderful adventure this week! Have a fabulous day! Stef

Planning March

Hello, Planner Friends! In my ever-ongoing quest to use my planner supplies, I stumbled back across the stickers I had left in from the Unicorn Sky bundle. It seemed perfect to use them alongside the very beautiful watercolour/unicorn washi tape that came in the Brimbles Washi Tape box - because I've been waiting to use it on a project since I unpacked it back in December.

I really loved putting together this layout, because it reminded me of my older layouts, back when I first started putting together planner layouts. I used to do a LOT of layering - of washi tapes, scrapbooking papers and stickers - and this really felt like going back to things that I loved. Sometimes, the really straight lines of washi tape just don't work for me - the whimsical nature of the unicorns in this sticker kit really felt like they need something less harsh, which resulted in me tearing my washi strips down the centre to create a less 'perfect' edge, which is an effect I really like.

 

 

I have to confess, that I don't keep up-to-date on what's considered 'popular' in the planning world. I like to plan how I like to plan - it works for me, and that's the point of having a planner: it has to work for you. I'm okay with something that's 'not perfect' because it's mine and let's be honest, it's realistic. I also like to use what I have even it's a few years old or different to what everyone else is using because it's different. Don't be afraid to embrace your own personal planning style. It's so important to do what's right for you! I hope that you're inspired to go out and use your supplies and create amazing layouts that are uniquely you! 

 Happy planning!

Tracking Washi tape - Planner tricks & tips

Every year the wonderful Mrs Brimbles releases a Washi Advent Box for December (not available currently - it's January after all, but stay tuned for later in the year!) and I love getting it because who doesn't love opening a present a day for an entire month? While December is long since gone, I was left with a neat little pile of wonderful washi tapes that will inevitably end up in my two big crates washi tapes and it's entirely likely that I'll forget the wonderful patterns that I have. This year, instead of being entirely forgetful (like I normally am), I decided to go back to doing something I haven't done in ages and that's keeping a washi log. It's pretty simple: I simply use a bit of washi as a sample on some paper in my planner so that I can flip to it whenever I need to find the right washi tape for a project. If you watch the quick video above, you'll see how I do it - it's not rocket science, or even a completely new idea, but it is one that allows you to refer back to it time and time again. Now, so far I've only done the 2018 Washi Box (mostly because my crates of tape are a vaguely terrifying prospect to create samples from) but I do aim to get to the rest of my tapes in 2019.

  What is your tip or trick for keeping track of your washi tapes?

 

 If you like this idea, you may like to follow my videos on Youtube. Each week I post planner videos as well as other content, such as book reviews and crafty projects.

January Planner Layout

 Hello lovely planner friends. Here in Australia, I'm currently sitting in air-conditioning to save myself from the 40 degree weather - and while I'm not a fan of the very hot Summer weather we get here, it's a great opportunity for me to break out my very favourite colours in my planner. Read: pink. While the sticker kit I used for this layout (An English Garden Sticker Bundle) is technically a Spring layout, the bright colours really remind me of Summer, because everything's so light and bright outside.

   

When I use my vertical planner pages, I love to use a quote/motivational sticker in the top left hand corner - it's the first part of the page and I find it really helps to have something inspiring to read and think about each week. I'm also not super strict about using my habit trackers - they're mostly there as a reminder of things I should be doing. (The reality is I probably should be paying more attention to them, but it's ok - life happens!)

   

Another quick tip: this kit came with gorgeous illustrated and photographic full boxes, which I loved using, but sometimes you just need to make your own boxes! The little girl with the watering can in the bottom left corner is one of Anna's illustrations on top of a blank box and I love the way it looks with the girl coming off the side of the boxes. It adds just a touch more whimsy (and makes me so happy!).

   

We all know there's no one 'right' way to plan in your planner - your system and your decorations (if you choose to decorate) have to suit you and your lifestyle. Being happy with what you create is the most important thing! I love how this layout turned out, and every time I see it I smile. That's how I know it works for me.

Have a wonderful day and keep on planning!

If you like this idea, you may like to follow my videos on Youtube. Each week I post planner videos as well as other content, such as book reviews and crafty projects.

Otterly Fantastic planner pages

2018 will henceforth be known as the year that I became obsessed with otters. And it's entirely the fault of a good friend and colleague of mine who is also obsessed with the cute little hand-holding critters. We became so obsessed we did an information project on them with our students at school because it was something different to the traditional Australian animals we might normally have covered. So, when I saw the gorgeous painted otters in one of the Patreon packs that Anna has on her Patreon account, I was SO excited and had to use them in a layout. Because who doesn't love a bit of cuteness staring up at them from their planner pages? Full disclosure: while I am a member of Anna's design team, I subscribe to her Patreon account of my own accord, because I love her extra content and the digital designs that she releases. I adore cutting out cute pictures and creating layouts with them. If you'd like to watch the process of this layout, check out this video:

This was a pretty simple layout to create - all I needed were some washi tapes and the printable from Anna's Patreon account, from which I just fussy cut out the images. I wasn't too worried about the whitespace (it's my planner, it's for me, and I don't get hung up on too much perfection... otherwise I would be a lot more stressed out on a daily basis!). All the washi tapes are ones I have collected from various places including Etsy and instore here in Australia and I picked them because the purple-y tones matched the purple on the teacup. Look, otters in a teacup! My layout is a monthly layout on two pages that's my own design and works for me, with larger boxes for Saturday and Sunday because those are usually my busiest days in my personal planner (my work planner is usually weekday heavy, naturally) and I wanted something relatively crisp and clean and easy to work with. A few strips of washi, a bit of glue for the cut-outs and some hand lettering to add a tiny bit more interest and I was done!

 

How do you like to plan? Do you like stickers? Cut-outs? Minimalist? A combination of any of the above, or something completely different? I love switching it up on a regular basis. I find it keeps life interesting and makes my weeks a lot of fun. If you like this video, you can find plenty of other planner layouts (over three years' worth now!) on my Youtube channel. 

 Have a wonderful week, planner friends! 

 Stef

Stef's planner pages

Hello, Planner Friends! While the Northern part of the world is gearing up for Winter, here in the Southern Hemisphere, we're bracing for Summer, which has sporadically stuck it's head out a few times only to retreat behind some Spring rains. Which makes for a difficult time predicting weather, but I love Spring rains so I don't mind too much. It's also the time of year when I really think about gardening. I don't have too big a garden - just a lot of plants on my balcony - but it's nice seeing them come into flower after Winter. As a result, I've had a lot of Spring-themed planner layouts recently, and they make me so happy! This week I used the English Garden sticker bundle by Mrs Brimbles to create a fun, horizontal layout. The kit has stickers that would work for both horizontal and vertical layouts, but I really wanted to play with the illustration stickers this week, and this is the result. For the full process, check out this video:

It's been a while since I played with a LOT of coloured washi tapes and I have to say, it was a lot of fun and I really enjoyed it. There's nothing like pops of colour to really brighten your day. I find it impossible not to look at this layout without smiling, because everything about it is so cheerful, and that's exactly what I need at this time of year when everything starts to get hectic in the lead-up to the holidays.

 

I wish I could say I had a formula to where I placed the stickers, but I honestly don't (and I'm pretty sure I break a lot of design rules, too... but hey, rules are meant to be broken, right?). I just wanted to make sure I not only had a pretty layout, but a functional one, too, with plenty of room for my to-dos and upcoming events.

 

My horizontal layouts always have eight boxes - the eight being for a 'notes' section. Which in my layouts is always more decorative than 'notes' (because that's just how I roll!), and it's position in my layout tends to fluctuate depending on how much space I need. So this week it's in the middle of the week and I really don't mind that!

 

I hope that wherever you are, you are being inspired and living your best life, and that your planner helps you to do that. If you're looking for more planner inspiration, I post planner videos every week on my Youtube channel. 

 Happy planning, friends! 

 Stef

Plan with me 'Magic School'

 Hello, planner friends! I love October. It's such a fun month to decorate in my planner with all the fun Halloween-themed items out there. When Mrs Brimbles released her Witch School sticker set I was so excited, because it combines the ideas of a much-loved book series, school and Halloween-vibes without being just one or the other. Plus, I love the blue theme. I don't often go for an all-blue theme in my planner, but it is a colour I really love and pulling out all the stops for it on a layout just makes it all the more special. And yes, it's definitely a calming colour! You can check out my process video here:

 

 Don't forget to check out the rest of Anna's stickers here. For more planner inspiration, you can follow me on Youtube. Have a fabulous weekend, and happy planning!

Motivational Layout

Hello, planner friends!

This week I wanted to go back and create a layout that was inspiring and that reaffirmed a positive outlook. This time of year can be quite chaotic and it's easy to fall back onto negative outlooks and feel like everything is happening at once, so it's nice to take a step back and have something positive staring at my (in planner form) during the week. This layout features some older stickers and Brimbles box items - but they're super versatile and can be used any time during the year, which I really appreciate.

Marble Sticky Notes // Marble and Gold Planner Stickers

Along with some stamping, I've revisited an old favourite technique of mine - washi tape layering. The awesome thing about washi tape is how it can be torn into all sorts of shapes and layered to create interesting effects. Because of the gold foiling on the stickers, I wanted a hint of gold in the washi tapes (so as not to overpower the layout itself) so I just tore the strip in half and added it on opposite sides of the page!
 





I hope you've enjoyed this layout. As always, if you want more planner inspiration, I post planner videos every Sunday (AEST) on my Youtube channel, Noveltea Corner. Until next time, happy planning! Stef

Unicorn Planner Pages

 

 Welcome to Part 2 of my Unicorn Sky sticker kit layouts. I loved this set so much that I made two layouts in the same month to celebrate them because I just couldn't help myself (you may have seen my August layout earlier). Again, I mixed and matched Anna's stickers with papers and washi tape I already had lying around, and for a change I decided to be sparse on my stickers to make them stand out more.

Up until this year I've never been a big fan of vertical planning although now that I've been playing around with it for a few months I can see the appeal and it definitely ticks a lot of my list-making boxes (planner pun intended) because I am such a list person. I've been experimenting with different layout styles and have settled (for now) on a half-page columns for Monday-Thursday - because, honestly, I'm so busy working that there's not a whole lot happening on those days! - and full page columns for Friday-Saturday where I need a lot more space to document what's happening.

   

 It was also really nice to get back and grab some pens and do some doodling on my pages. I haven't done that for ages, either, and it was a lot of fun to just fill in a few little spaces that popped up in the layout.

   

 I'm a huge fan of layering pieces together to create something different and I loved using Anna's unicorns to pull the whole thing together. Look and this precious one - it's like she's waiting for all the amazing things to happen in this week!

   

 All the extra paper, ephemera and washi tapes come from stores locally here in Melbourne (and some of it is quite old now so tracking them down was tough) but I'm a firm believer in using what you have and mixing and matching where you can. It just creates a lot of visual interest.

   

 I'm looking forward to putting down all my plans in this week's layout. I think it's going to be a great week! 

 Stef

https://novelteacorner.com/

August Monthly Set Up

 

 Everyone needs a little magic in their life, and nothing says magic like unicorns. This month I took the stickers from the Unicorn Sky collection and created two layouts, the first which is this monthly layout. I love mixing and matching craft supplies I already have and I found an old set of papers and ephemera pieces from a collection I bought ages ago from a local store and paired it Anna's stickers to create something I think is fun and whimsical and enjoyable to look at.

 

 

 

 

 There's nothing like creating layers on a planning page and it's been ages since I used scrapbooking papers to do so. I love the mix of the commercial products and Anna's illustrations to provide 

contrast.

   

 I hope this provides you with some ideas to just play in your planner. There are no rules, no right ways to create magic. 

Be inspired and inspire yourself constantly! 

 Stef

https://novelteacorner.com/

Bright & Cheerful planner pages

Hi friends!

What do you do when the weather turns grey and miserable? (Shh, it's Winter here in Australia!)

Me, I like to make things as bright and cheerful as possible in my planner to try and take my mind off the fact that it's gotten pretty icy outside.

This week I dug out the remains of my Hop To It sticker collection and put it to good use along with some washi tapes from my collection.

Every now and then I like to just play with washi tape - layering it up and tearing it to create different effects, and this week was no different. I love how it turned out with different patterns and colours contrasting with one another to create a look that a single washi tape on it's own couldn't do.

My tip to you all is don't get stuck doing things the way you've always done them - it's so much fun to change things up and just play. And if we can't play in our planners, where can we?

Check out my planner video below to watch how this layout came together, and scroll down for more close-up photos of the pages.

As always, feel free to follow me on Instagram or Youtube for more planner inspiration.

Until next time, happy planning!

Stef xx

June Plan with me!

Happy June, everyone!

This month I was inspired by 2 older Brimbles sticker kits that I had leftovers from and I have to say, they go pretty nicely together. The two kits in question are the Cats in Bloom and September Garden kits, which both feature lovely neutrals and muted colours.

June is the start of Winter here in the Southern hemisphere... but I might be in a bit of denial, going with such a Spring-y themed month. I can't help it, though, I love the colours and the personalities of the little cat stickers, which just inspire such a sense of whimsy.

(And who said thematic planning has to happen all the time - or ever? Go with what you love, right?)

I hope this layout inspires you to go back to all the leftover stickers you have lying around. See what you can mix and match into something brand new and fun!

As always, if you're looking for more planner inspiration, check out my Youtube channel, or head on over to Instagram and say hi!

Until next time, planner friends, have a wonderful day!

Stef