Travel Journal and Memory Keeping

I adore keeping a travel journal, what a perfect way to document your holiday and to save memories. My latest journal took advantage of the July and August patreon resources and printables from Anna Brim's patreon goodies. I also sourced ideas from Anna's Adventure Journaling course. It's always a sad occasion coming back from your holiday's and I really loved my latest one in Palmanova, but I also love finishing off my journal and seeing it come together.

I always start my travel journal with a details page of where and when I'm going and staying. I also always set it up before I go. I add printables, ink, stickers and leave a space to write and add in photos. I don't have a portable printer so I always print my photos when I return and then stick them in after it is all filled in. I prepare my page before I go away using Anna's patreon printables, project life cards and a variety of stickers and washi tape. I find the whole process of setting it up before I go away so relaxing and it helps to get me in the holiday mood (not that I need it!). Read about how I set up my journals here - How to Create a Travel Journal 

Completing the journal on holiday

I love the mix of printables this month, some are photos that Anna took and added text to and others are her drawings and journaling cards that she has a space to write on. This month Anna has also included lots of quotes and text too, perfect for my journaling style.

I always fill as much in as possible whilst on holiday, it's a lovely way to relax by the pool (hey, who needs an excuse!). I love Anna's hot air balloon printable and the mix of her own photos merging with mine, which this time I had printed through the post.

I also love adding pockets made with cute envelopes, they are perfect for adding larger photographs and Anna's gorgeous journaling card (which I think came from a Brimbles Box last year). Then of course there's Anna's cute pineapple stickers! Tip in's are also a great way to make the most of your pages and are a great way to add in leaflets and tickets.

I honestly have used so many of Anna's collage sheets this month that I do apologise for the amount of photos in this post... but how cute are they? I love the beach girl and the ice cream, again there is space to write inside the scoop. There are also a variety of papers to print. I am in love with the fruity one in the last picture. 

I hope this has inspired you to get started on a travel or an Adventure Journal and don't forget you can get ALL of these goodies every month when you join Anna's patreon, it really is great value (I used printables from just some of the range from the last 2 months). Now the holiday come down really starts, especially as it's back to school where I teach in less than 2 weeks... ssshhh.

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A New journal

I was sent a beautiful new something to share with you. Spoiler alert....it's lovely ha ha! If you would like to check out this company you can find them at: https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/rkivejournals or https://www.instagram.com/r_kivejournals/

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 opinion on the product / company, given in good faith and has not be sponsored or endorsed. None of the links are affiliate links. Unless otherwise stated, all photography is my own

Making your own travelers notebook and journals

As you know I was recently sent the big shot machine from Sizzix and dies to make a small book and a travelers notebook with. In these videos I show you how to make the books but also give you an in depth chat about the issues I had and my tips on making it.

I was very kindly sent a box of goodies from Sizzix to share with you all and to make and share as a result. The itesa you see are available to purchase from: https://www.sizzix.co.uk/ and https://www.hochanda.com/or https://www.sizzix.com/ if you are in the US as well as other scrapbook companies.

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. None of the links are affiliate links. Unless otherwise stated, all photography is my own.

Making travellers notebook inserts

Hiya folks!

At the end of September I was full of determination to take part in October Daily and journal regularly in a special traveller's notebook insert to celebrate the change in season. Unfortunately I was not able to do the project justice and failed to keep up with writing every day, as October became an extremely busy month for me. One of the reasons for distraction was a wonderful holiday to New York that I took with my fella, the documentation of which has its very own journal that I will be showing you folks at some point soon. However, I did bind together a fun insert and I am excited to show you some of it today. The cover is made from some autumnal scrapbook paper that I have been hanging on to for absolutely ages decorated with Anna's watercolour fox from her September Patreon collection of collage elements that are still available to you should you sign up now - how great is that?!

 

I fell in love with Anna's inviting mug of hot tea as soon as I saw it and it was a given that it would take pride of place at the beginning of the journal. But by the time I had all my craft supplies out for the task I had had a supersonic idea! I decided to create the tag for the teabag, that until now was drawn on but lost when I cut out the cup from the page, and turn it into a bookmark for the journal. In fact I made two.

I backed the mug on some lovely blue card stock and used a bookbinding awl to make a precise hole in the teabag drawing. I threaded two different coloured threads through that hole and tied knots to secure them and taped them in place. To hide this I then stuck the cover of the journal in place, causing the image to be on the inside front cover of the insert. At the other ends of the threads I tied a knot and fixed some grid washi tape.

Throughout the journal I have used autumnal papers and colours, including bits and bobs from Anna such as these adorable acorns, pumpkin and watercolour owl journal spots.

Thanks, as ever, for reading. Until next time. Steph x x x

Beginning a new Journey

Hi guys! It's been a couple of weeks since my last post and I'm feeling a little rusty! Today I thought I'd catch you all up on my progress with Anna's fantastic Adventure Journaling course. Just a little bit about the course before we get started, for those of you who may not have seen it. Anna takes us through what adventure journaling is and what it can be, quick jaunts out to the park to fabulous holidays away. Anna shares some great tips and tricks from which supplies to pack to how to create beautiful pages documenting the things you have done. 

What is adventure journaling to me? Well, because I journal most days, about the day to day goings on in the household I tend to view adventure journaling as something separate. Adventures, for me are any event or occasion that removes me from my everyday routine or where I find my myself in someplace new.

Sometimes, that'll be something big like a family holiday but mostly it's when my partner and I take the day to explore a new town or park or a road trip to visit friends or family. Although they are both adventures, I still view them differently, mini excursions for the latter is perhaps more appropriate as they happen more frequently. I also tend to journal when I am back home, in my cosy little (and messy) office. At the minute I don't have a dedicated adventure journal and these tend to go in my everyday journals.

Synchronicity at it's finest. The day I picked to make a start on the classes I  headed to the supermarket to pick up some bits for dinner. I couldn't face doing a 'big shop' so I headed to the little local one. I wandered over to the magazine section, generally speaking there is never much more than a couple of newspapers and the celebrity type magazine which are not my thing. However, that day they had a few copies of  Project Calm featuring travel, adventure and storytelling! Snapped that up quick. It is a really lovely magazine, full of all sorts of things, mostly craft related, writing and stunning photography. It is a little on the expensive side but it is definitely worth purchasing a copy if you see one. 

This year it is all change in my family for Christmas, my siblings are off to their respective inlaws for the festive period, we are having our roof reroofed (that sounds funny!) and so we are all in different places, usually we all head to my parents for Christmas Day but this year that's not possible. So J and I decided we'd take the opportunity to go away somewhere. With the pets holidays can be a little difficult, not impossible, but logistically it is added stress. We have also spent the last couple of summers working on doing up our house, so realistically over Christmas is the best opportunity for us to go somewhere together. Definitely a cold somewhere, can't be doing Christmas in a hot climate!!

As this will the first holiday away we've had together I wanted to go with something a little more special than my everyday journal. Then came the age old problem for a stationery addict....which notebook should I use? I had a rifle through my stack of unused journals and notebooks, which I'm a tad ashamed to admit is huge. I settled on the one below, which is rather fitting seeing as it is a handmade journal I picked up whilst on adventure earlier this year. J and I, after many years (and I'm talking about 8 years or so!) of driving past and me saying I'd like to go, finally visited the Imperial War Museum North on a very wet and miserable day! Ever since I was a wee thing I've always bought myself a pencil or pen from the gift shop. It is something that started when my parents would take us on outings and we'd always visit the gift shops after. I was allowed one small item, which would always, always be a pencil or a pen! I've hoarded these pencils..haha and I now have quite a collection in my pen pots.

I digress! I'm looking forward to cracking this beauty open and filling it with all the things I get up to on my holiday! I'm often nervous about starting on the first page and will often skip to the first double page spread. I'm going to follow some of Anna's tips, for example I love the idea of having a master To Do and To Pack list at the front and a list of places I'd love to visit! There are several signatures of recycled cotton rag paper, it'll be the first time I've used this kind of paper in a bound journal so that'll be an adventure in itself!

I'll be back to update you on my progress soon. But for now, thankyou for stopping by and getting to the end of the post! One of these days I will learn the art of being concise..haha. Don't forget to check out Anna's course if you haven't already!!

In a bit guys xx

You can also find me on Instagram and over on my own blog here.