The Wonder of Washi

GUEST BLOG POST - The Wonder of Washi by Laura Evans

Hello!  I just want to take a quick moment to introduce myself.  My name is Laura Evans and I live with my husband, Ryan, our beautiful daughter, and one silly cat. My mom, Terry, lives with us occasionally.  About a year ago, when my mom was vacationing in California, she came across Anna's YouTube Channel.  My mom binged watched every video, logged onto Anna's website, where she immediately purchased a subscription box, and joined Anna's Facebook group.  Then the most important thing occurred, my mom told me all about it.  And ever since, I have joined the wonderful world of creative planning, creative journaling, subscription boxes, lots of shopping from Anna's shop, stickers, Traveler's Notebooks, and much more!

I just currently finished doing my creative journal through 2016.  And I enjoyed making a new Traveler’s Notebook insert with Anna’s cardstock from her December Brimbles Box.  I can’t wait to fill it up with her stickers, ephemera, washi tape, and of course my journaling.  My Traveler’s Notebook inserts are currently being stored in the Webster Pages Traveler’s Notebook shown below, which I was able to pre-order through Anna’s shop.

My world opened up to many new words and phrases and items, including washi tape!  I had never heard of washi tape until I shopped in Anna's store and joined Anna’s Facebook group.  Let's just say since then, I have become a little addicted, okay, maybe a lot addicted.  I own about a never-ending supply of washi tape.

This past late fall, Anna was taking pre-orders for her Advent Boxes.  One of her Advent Boxes was a Washi Tape Advent Box.  Well of course I just had to get it!  She mailed the boxes out so us international folks got it with time to spare, before Dec 1st.

I eagerly waited Dec 1^st, 2^nd, 3^rd, 4^th, and so on…because I couldn't wait to open my beautifully packaged bag to see what washi tape was inside!

The Washi Tape Advent Box was amazing! I absolutely loved how Anna included washi tape that we could use year round and not just at Christmas.  It was also such a great deal because we got 24 full rolls of washi tape.  No washi tape samples at all!!

Here is a piece off each full role, so you can see the details up close!

 I also like to use washi tape in my planner.  Because of our pending adoption, I can’t have anything regarding our daughter on social media.  Since I don’t have Easter filled in yet, I moved ahead in my planner to use the Easter/Bunny washi tape I got in the Advent Box.  This way you could see how I use washi tape in my planner. 

Besides using washi tape to decorate in my creative journal, I like to use washi tape to adhere different items into my creative journal.  For instance, I love using washi tape to adhere the different notecards that come in each Brimbles Box.  I like to keep the card we get in each box.  Anna has her own design on the card and then a message on the back.  So I don’t want to glue or double side tape it down, because then I have to choose a side to no longer see.  But if I attach it with the washi tape, I can keep both sides. 

The exception is if I end up buying two of the same box and end up with two of the same card, then I have the advantage of being able to use both cards and place both sides of the card in my creative journal.  But I still like to decorate around the outside of the card with the washi tape.

Not only did you get the 24 full roles of washi tape, but you also received 24 little bags, that held each individual washi tape.  These bags were perfect to keep and reuse for future projects.

They worked really well as envelopes and not only could you use the washi tape to decorate what you were putting on the inside of the envelope but also as decoration on the outside of the envelope.

I hope you have all enjoyed this guest blog post as much as I enjoyed doing it!  I highly recommend getting Anna’s Washi Tape Advent Box for 2017.  Even better is getting both of her advent boxes, the stationary one and washi tape one.

Thanks for reading!

Laura

Guest Blog Post - Lyn the Plannerbug and how / why she got smitten!

Hello, everyone! My name is Lyn and I’ve been bitten by a planner bug! I was very kindly invited by the oh-so-wonderful Mrs. Brimbles to do a little post about how I got into this crazy paper planner world. I am a huge fan of Anna and have been following her around like an infatuated puppy. Um, virtually following her, not actual stalking (no worries!).

 

I left my corporate job in early October and became a housewife. My life was suddenly quiet and I found myself yearning to write by hand, which was rather strange because I’ve hardly used a pen since becoming dependent on various gadgets to help keep me on track during work. I have no intention of writing a novel but I just thought of jotting my thoughts down. I was browsing through Pinterest and came across a photo of a Filofax. Then I did a search. Then I was hooked.

 

Using a planner is very appealing to a structured person like me. I am quite the organising junkie and am known to be a neat freak. Although I’m not working, I like having a well-planned day so that’s when a planner comes in handy. But you know, it doesn’t stop there. My collection of stationery, notepads, paper products and (more) planners has grown in the last few weeks. It doesn’t help that I’ve been following various blogs, Instagram users and Facebook groups to feed my new addiction.

 

I created a blog called plannerbug, where I write about planner related topics. My blog is not just about planner this-and-that as I do intend to cover more home and living topics in the future. I also have a beauty blog, which I’m slowly getting back into. I sincerely hope you’ve enjoyed getting to know me a little better. And thanks to Anna for allowing me to blabber a bit on her blog too! I can be found at:

• Planner Bug Blog
• Instagram
• Facebook
• Twitter
• Pinterest

Thanks for reading and hope to see you around! Lotsa luv, Lyn.

Guest Blog post from Blackforest Designs - Filofax interview, inserts & freebies

Hi! My name is Noémi, although I mostly go by Noa, here on the internet. I am a blogger and designer, with a passion for planning and all things Filofax. I create and design Filofax inserts, dividers and other goodies which you can find on my blog. Anna was really sweet and per my request, wrote a guest post on my blog, so, naturally, it was my pleasure to return the favor and aswer her questions about blogging and filofaxing. 

1. Why did you start blogging?

I’ve been a blogger ever since I was a teen and all through my adult life. The only reason I ever had for blogging I think was that I wanted a platform to share my ideas and opinions, so blogging about filofax-related  topics came naturally to me when I got more in to planning and Filofax in particular. I also decided to design a whole collection of Filofax goodies, and I thought a blog on the subject would be a good place to share and post what I come up with.

2. What do you blog abut and why? (I know but I thought readers would like to know!)

Everything on my blog is somehow Filofax or planning-related. I’ve been a planner all throughout my life, there were times when it was almost excessive, but in the long haul, it has helped me overcome issues such as anxiety, panic attacs and self-esteem issues as well. I am also a designer, so combining the two and blogging about it was a natural process I guess. The people surrounding me in my non-virtual life don’t really care about planning or are not into Filofaxing, so blogging was also a way to reach out to a community with people who share some of the same interests as me. On my blog you can find my own designs that I upload on a regular basis, posts about planning tips, DIY projects that can make planning easy, cost-effective and fun. I am also a huge believer in recycling but mostly upcycling, and all my DIY tutorials to come will be based on working with what you have and making beautiful and functional resources out of them.

3. How often do you blog? Do you have a routine / set blogging schedule that you stick to?

When I first started my blog I set myself the goal of uploading at least twice a week, but I quickly found that it was too much for me. I know keeping a somewhat schedule with regards to posting is important for establishing a reader basis, but this is not so important for me, as I think that if people are interested in what I do, they will find me anyway. I upload as much as I can, but without seeming redundant, because let’s be honest, theres only so much one can talk about regarding a binder 

4. How do you organise your blog posts / what to blog about? Do you use your Filofax?

I use my Filofax to write down post ideas that I have, and try to group them in the topics that I have up on my blog. I usually write down what it is that I would like to blog about, and bullet-point some guidlines so that when I actually sit down to write a post I know exactly what to include. I am also working on an „organise your blog posts” insert series, that will be available as a freebie on my blog, so stay tuned! 

5. Where do you get your blog inspiration from?

I love looking at other blogs, but surprisingly not just filofax-related ones. As a hobby, I am also very into fashion, and as far as the look of my blog goes, I was inspired by the sleek and minimalist look and feel of the fashion blogs I follow. In regards to topics and posting, both Pinterest and some of the filofax-related blogs I follow help a lot – they don’t just give me ideas, but with following them I can find out what others are blogging about and make sure that I’m not making the mistake of seeming like a copy-cat or just munching over the same subjects over and over again. Watching other blogs, the beautiful photos some people upload always inspires me to sit down and tend to my blog though, and I am trully greatful that such a community exists!

 

6. I love your woodland collection, what made you decide to create them and where did you find your inspiration from?

Thank you! The reason I wanted to create a collection of my own in the first place was because I always have the tendency to customize whatever I have. When I got my first Filofax, it was no different. I’d be lying if I said I don’t like what’s out there: some inserts and designs that are already on the market are trully georgeous, but I wanted something more unique and fitted to my perosnality and needs. I also think of my planner as a very personal planning tool that basically assists me in my everyday life in whatever I do, so I wanted my dividers to reflect that. I came up with the idea of naming it Woodland collection and using nature as an inspiration because I started designing them right at the beginning of summer, in a time when I longed for the damp, windy woods of my native Transylvania.

7. What do you see for the future, do you envisage making more designs and inserts?

Absolutely! I am already making plans for a new collection as I am finishing up this one, I have so many ideas! But first and foremost, I’m currently working on finishing up my current filofax-setup and making a video series on it, that explores and gives tips about different types of planning, using different resources etc. There will also be a detaild blog post about my finished setup soon. I am working on setting up an Etsy shop also, where all of my future creations will be available.

8. What sections and inserts are in your Filofax / What do you use your Filofax for?

Okay, let me answer this backwards. I use my Filofax for everything in terms of planning basically, I don’t have separate binders for separate things. My current lifestyle mostly involves university, working, blogging and freelancing, so most of my Filofax is adapted for these aspects of my life. My sections are the following:

1. Misc: my first section in kind of chaotic and contains a lot of stuff, mostly things that need to be at the beginning to be easy to reach. It contains my dashboars, business cards, a section with different colored sticky notes for quick reminders that wait to be filed away, year on 3 pages calendar with a place for notes and marking off birthdays and important e-mails.

2. Diary: my diary section has a month on two pages for every month, followed by week-at-a-glance inserts for every week of every month. I use the month on two page inserts mainly to mark appointments, deadlines or important reminders, and I use the week-at-a-glance ones to write those particular things in more detail. I also have a blank sheet for stickies for every month where I write down the most important things to do in that period of time.

3. To do: My to-do section only cosnists of as many to-do inserts I can fit in my Filofax, that tends to be bulky from time to time. I use them to break my tasks down to smaller mini-tasks, as I tend to work on bigger, more time-consuming projects mostly. And, of course, everything is color-codedJ

4. Goals: I have a goal section with my long term goals broken into small steps that I need to achieve in order to accomplish that big milestone. I also have a separate accomplishments section at the end of it and usually write down every small success I have to keep myself motivated.

5. Finances: Includes a pocket for important reciepts, one for gift cards that I would want to hang on to and inserts for every month with sections for product names and the amount I spent on them. I also set small rewards for myself in this section, fors instance, if I manage to keep my spending under a certain amount in a particular month, I reward myself with something from my Wishlist, which is at the end of my finances section

6. Passwords: pretty self-explanatory I would say

7. Blank sheets of paper that I currently use to write down my blog ideas, will have separate, dedicated inserts for that though!

9. And what about the future with your Filofax? Where do you think that will take you?

I hope that I will never get bored or tired of it, I am really, trully counting on it being the essential tool I need to keep my life from falling apart. I am working on perfecting my setup and making it foolproof, and although it’s easy to get distracted, I know it will be worth it in the long run.

10. What planners do you own? Do you use them all? Which one(s) are your favourite?

I own a Filofax personal Saffiano in Aqua. My first “grownup” binder was a black, faux leather, A6 size Herlits one, but I gave it to my mother when I got my Saffiano. Owning more than one binder makes me feel uncomfortable I think, I like having everything in one place. I love my Saffiano and I think I’ll be using it until it literally falls apart lol!

11. What are your essential planning tools? Where do you shop for them?

My most important planning tools would be my own inserts, which I design to fit my needs and have become absoutley necessary in my day-to-day planning routine. I also am starting to use chronodex, which is obviously not my invention, but there are many free downloadable ones out there. In addition, I buy small sized, colored sticky notes, gel pens and text highliters, which I use for color-coordinating. I also always have a small notebook that matches and fits the binder I am currently using, just to write down things that don’t necessarily go into one of my sections. I do buy the odd cute paperclip to mark one of my sections, but I’m not a big fan of stickers or washi. I usually shop at my local office supply store, but I also don’t pass out a chance to buy something cute online, especially if there’s a sale going on. 

12. I love the planner charm that you recently made, will you be making more?

The reason I made it was to put it on my Saffiano, but in the process of making it I’ve found that I have a crazy huge amount of beads and charms stashed away that I totally forgot about, so I’m definitley making more! visit my blog  check out my pinterest

Thank you Noa, it was lovely to have you over, Anna x

Leelee's Planner Essentials - Guest Blog Post

Hi friends, today I have for you a guest blog post from the lovely Leelee who has just started out her own blog called Leelee's Planner Addiction. Leelee is giving us an insight into her planning essentials, over to you Leelee...

 

Hi Guys, My name is Leelee, and Anna and I are going to do guest blog posts for each others blog, you can find Anna's post over on my blog on the 5th July 23:55 GMT. 

This post is talking about some essentials I use for my planner, when I first started planning and organising I searched for the essentials, but they were like washi tape and all things decorative, if your starting with them, you might think oh I've got to buy lots of this, but the truth is you don't need washi tape, or stickers you can get what ever you want for you planner, there is no do's and don'ts with planners you can do what ever you want and that's the best part. This is just what I like to use and I think you should try it out, but you don't have to if you don't like it.

So first on the planner essentials list is sticky notes, these work really well and help pretty up your pages! They help highlight important things as well. But remember if your just starting the planner world then buy a pack and see if you like them, if you do experiment with more!

I use a variety of sticky notes these are the ones that I tend to use:



The next essential (remember you don't have to get this it's just what works for most people.) is washi tape. Lots of people like to use washi tape. Most new planner fanatics get overwhelmed and think that they need to get lots of washi tape and quick but they don't. Most planner fanatics have accumulated it over time. If your not a big decorator, then don't worry buy a roll from the shops to test it out, or you can buy samples for as little as 20p on etsy.

This is some washi tape that I have:



The next essential is a hole punch I have a cheap one but it's lasted through tuff plastic for my planner and it's amazing. This is a definable planner essential if your planner is ring-bound, and you make your own inserts and/or dividers! It's worth the £0.75! Mine looks like this:

The next thing I would try out to put in my planner is... Stickers, I can't live without them however they do tend to get on the expensive side, so I'm sticking with stamps, you can reuse them, it's good for the environment and then once you've got stamps you like you just have to buy ink which, I feel lasts a long time. I've got this stamp:

I also think paperclips are an essential, because you might need to clip paper together. Everyone has paper clips at home, use them! Then if you like them get shaped ones or make your own! I will do a blog post on how to make them, I'm sure Anna has one up. I know she has a youtube video for it. I have a set it looks like this:

The next essential on my list is pens or at least a pen, your going to need this to write. I have a variety of pens for colour coding or just adding colour to my page, but beware some pens bleed through paper and aren't good, some pens are quite expensive, but some cheap fine liners or something like that, see if they work out for you! Mine look like:









I have even more but these are the main ones I use.

The next essential is one that everyone will need and you have to have this and it is a planner, there are different varieties of planners I'm not going to go into detail about this as I will do a corresponding post in a few weeks time on my blog, some planners are Kate spade, Erin condren, filofax, franklin covey, day timer and day runner, there are plenty more these are just a few. that was my planner essentials list and remember... 

Dont worry about what planner users are doing with theirs, do with yours what you wish to do to make it yours!

That's all for now. Check out my blog at www.planneruniverse.wordpress.com

~Leelee xoxo

PS you can find any of these on esty, ebay, Amazon, and any good stationery and craft stores, like staples.

Guest Blog Post: Acetate Dashboards {Filofax, day planners etc}

My name is Becks and having recently manifested what can only be described as “Pinaddiction” - completely addicted to Pinterest. I thought it might actually be time to actually do something with all these boards I have for inspiration, creation and organisation. That way I can justify my addiction as having a useful purpose (well that is what I will tell myself and my partner) and just keep pinning!

 

So in May the JustKeepPinning.com blog was born and serves as a record of my “Pinspired” activities. I hope some of my activities in turn, will inspire others to make, create and do. Pinterest serves as inspiration for my Filofax decoration and customisation. You can't really spend much time in the friendly, Filofax world before you stumble upon Mrs Brimbles wonderful Etsy shop and from their her fab blog and Youtube channel. All of which are great for top tips, and inspiration. I wanted to mention, in particular the first Mrs Brimbles video I watched "Filofax Dashboard - how to make and what with". As it inspired me to try something just that little bit different with my Filofax Dashboards. Mrs Brimbles mentions using a chocolate box acetate that she cuts down to size for a planner with a snowman on and for some reason that sent my neurons firing back to my teaching days when Interactive Whiteboards did not exist and I used (sparingly due to the expense) OHPs you could print onto. I managed to dig them out and find them:

 

 I was aching to try them out as a Dashboard but, what to use as an image? Thankfully Mrs Brimbles could also provide me with the answer..... her FREE Filofax Friday could artwork dashboard, so I quickly printed this and punched it, and it looks great: 

 

The above is just with plain lined paper behind but because of its transparency you can use it in all kinds of ways. I tend to use mine in my journal Filofax with a quote behind it like so: 

 

Which looks even more amazing! That was only the beginning, it got me started creating a whole range of different dashboards with acetates: 

 

Just goes to show how one spark of inspiration can take you so far! Thanks Mrs Brimbles for being such great spark! I am even thinking of selling these in my new Etsy shop to spread the joy of acetate dashboards.