What I got for Christmas!

I thought I would share with you my art / craft / journal / planner bits and bobs that I was really lucky to receive this Christmas!

Happy Birthday Brimbles Box

Did you know that the Brimbles Box is now one year old! I first launched the box on 1st December 2014 ready for the first shipment on 1st January 2015 so we have now seen a full 12 months of boxes being delivered to your door!

I want to make 2016 even better and to do that I could do with your help if you don't mind. I have 5 short little questions that it would be great if you could answer. I make these boxes for you so I would love to know what you want more of. All you need to do is just complete the survey using the survey monkey widget below. They are really short and should only take you a minute or so.

Many Thanks in advance
Anna x



Create your own user feedback survey

Decking out your planner all Christmassy

In November I received my Christmas themed Brimbles Box. The contents were not only super handy but super cute too! Check out the planner charm in the photo above! In fact, I couldn't decide which planner to put him in. I ended up attaching him to my Bando Planner as I'm moving out of my personal size planner and into a A5 ready for next year. But he looks great whichever planner he's in...



So, the dilemma with using such pretty stationery is sometimes it's too nice to use! You feel like you're going to ruin it by putting pen to it. This is something I have had to overcome this past year! Take for example these sticky notes. How cute (I'm going to be using that word a lot with these products!) are they...



But being sticky notes they are super handy and the time came to actually use them! The same went for the to do pad...

See the washi tape? How....yes CUTE! And it's all been used to the max! I'm almost out. I used some of it in my Bando and some for wrapping presents.

In the planner box there was also some amazing (see I didn't say cute that time....but they really are cute as you shall soon see!) retro Christmas ephemera. These went straight into my Bando Planner!

Okay, so the planner box just wouldn't be complete without a dashboard! I went for the personal size but next month sees me moving to A5. This art work, (because they are not just dashboards, they're art), really complemented my Jamie Notes planner! The planner is not, strictly speaking, a Christmas colour, but still, it all blends together beautifully! Doesn't he look.....



...cute!

I really hope you enjoyed seeing what I did with the contents of my Brimbles box as much as I enjoyed using them.

  

geraldinejayne.com

Life Designer Planner - Show & Tell

I was approached by the company behind the 'Life Designer Planner' to as if I could do a review / show and tell for you. Enjoy!

For more information on the planner please visit: http://life-designer.myshopify.com/







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.

Christmas Planner decorating with Stef

Hello, there! Stef here from the Noveltea Corner, and this month I wanted to share with you the fun Christmas-themed planner layout I made with my goodies from the November Brimbles Planner Box.

For this layout I used the wonderful stickers from EllieBethDesignsUK, the red and white striped washi, a December Daily stamp set by Jasmine Jones, thin gold washi, green chevron washi, Santa post-it notes, Elf checklist pad, red and white spot washi and some Kikki.K stickers.

I'm really happy with how this layout turned out. I love the red with pops of green! 

Stamps are a really fun way to add a (flat) decorative element in the background, and these stars are a subtle touch that adds something special when you look closely.

I'm a big fan of placing stickers and ephemera across both pages. It's just my style and ties the pages together and says 'I'm complete.' (Or, at least it does to me!)

For more planner inspiration, check out my blog, Instagram and Youtube channel.

I hope you all have a happy and safe holiday season, wherever you are in the world!

xx Stef

A pastel Christmas!

Thought I would swap to gold and pastels this week. I am usually a very 'red' and 'traditional' looking Christmas gal but when I saw these stickers from its paper dear well...you know how the story goes 

Products Used

Planner: Websters Pages Color Crush Planner in Gold with matching folio
Planner Inserts: Websters Pages week on two pages
Washi Tape: Dear Lizzy Fine & Dandy Tape Strips
Pen: Paperchase
Stickers: all by its paper dear

Battle of the Metallic Planners! (Comparisons / Show & Tell)

Battle of the metallics...ever wondered what the 'gold tone' metallic planners look like against each other? Struggling to choose between them but know you want one? I thought it would be fun to compare some of the planners with each other so you could see what they look like and hopefully make your mind up as to which one(s) to get!

All of the planners shown I personally own and / or I stock in my shop and are available here: http://www.mrsbrimbles.co.uk/product-category/planners/

What to get the Planner Addict / Stationery Lover - Mr B's Christmas Gift Giving Guide!

If you have a planner addict, journal junkie or stationery lover in your life and you have no idea what to get them for Christmas, don't panic! Mr B (aka Jonathan / Jon) is here to help!

I gave him free run of the stock room and asked him to choose what he thought, from his perspective would make good presents. This video is entirely his thoughts / his words. I had no imput into this at all, he even filmed and edited it on his own. I have to say that Mr B is actually a really good shopper and gift giver and as one of those aforementioned persons, I would be pretty chuffed with his choices!
So no more unwanted presnts, just get your significant other to watch this video and you are sorted!





Products mentioned

Stocking Fillers:
Washi Tape: http://www.mrsbrimbles.co.uk/product-category/washi-tape/
Stickers: http://www.mrsbrimbles.co.uk/product-category/stickers/
Project Life Cards / kits: http://www.mrsbrimbles.co.uk/product-category/p/

Carpe Diem range: http://www.mrsbrimbles.co.uk/product-tag/carpe-diem/

High End Stationery
Emma Bridgwater Sticky Notes: http://www.mrsbrimbles.co.uk/product/emma-bridgewater-rose-bee-sticky-notes/
Rifle Paper Co List Pad: http://www.mrsbrimbles.co.uk/product-category/rifle-paper-co/
Kate Spade Pen: http://www.mrsbrimbles.co.uk/?s=kate+spade+pen
Ban.do Stickers: http://www.mrsbrimbles.co.uk/product/ban-do-sticker-booklet-700-stickers/
Ban.do Sticky Note Set: http://www.mrsbrimbles.co.uk/product/ban-do-sticky-note-set-thumbs-up/

Planners
All the planners mentioned: http://www.mrsbrimbles.co.uk/product-category/planners/

A Brimbles Box either a one off: http://www.mrsbrimbles.co.uk/product/august-big-brimbles-box-single-box-stationery-only/ or a rolling subscription: http://www.mrsbrimbles.co.uk/product/brimbles-box-stationery/

And if you are really stuck we can put together a collection for you, just let us know how much you would like to spend and we will do the rest! http://www.mrsbrimbles.co.uk/product/gift-box-you-choose-the-value/

Project life (My first attempt / show & tell)

In vlogs and such I keep on talking about my Project Life album but hadn't gotten round to sharing with you how I was getting on. I kept promising a video but never seemed to get round to it. December is here and I thought I had better share before it is soon January! In this video I talk about how I came to Project Life and how I am doing it. I also share some of my favourite layouts, photos and techniques.

Project life tips, treats and tricks!

Hi, guys! Stef here, from the Noveltea Corner, and I'm back to share some tips for using your Brimbles Box for Project Life, in particular, the fun Halloween-themed Project Life cards you might have received in your October box. I've only been memory keeping using Project Life since March this year and I have to admit, I'm still trying to find my groove with it. Some weeks I'm really happy with it, others I look at my layout and wonder where I went wrong. Most weeks I try to limit myself to one 12x12 page layout per week (I take a lot of photos. Sometimes it gets out of hand!), but for October, I decided to just print out all my photos and run with it, and surprisingly, I was very happy with how it turned out. I'll be sharing some photos and some of my tips for you!

Supplies (links provided where available):

Halloween Project Life Cards // Black Doilies // Alphabet Thickers

Assorted Halloween Stickers (from my stash) // Black Sequins // Enamel Dots

MAMBI Stickers // Maggie Holmes // Washi Tape // Design F Pocket Pages

For my Project Life, I collate my photos using the Collect app on my iPhone. This allows me to journal right underneath the photo and it records the date for me.

Because my journaling was already on the photos, I decided to leave the photos unembellished, and focused on creating small clusters of embellishments on the filler cards.

Before I started, I went through the Project Life cards included in the Brimbles Box and decided which ones I really wanted to use, and then which ones I wanted to embellish a lot, and which ones I wanted to let the designs show through on.

Tip #1: I don't use a lot of 6x4 photos or cards (except for titles) - use those pockets by taping two 3x4 cards together, or backing them on a 6x4 card/scrap and popping them in those pockets.

Tip #2: Sometimes less is more. This is a lesson I sometimes forget. I deliberately tried to keep my embellishing minimal in one part of the card (see the "So Scary" card above). No need to go overboard.

Tip #3: Keep a simple colour palette. You're less likely to overwhelm yourself!

Tip #4: Use reoccurring items - like the black doilies - to tie the whole thing together.

Tip #5: Raid your stash! Pull out your paper scraps, your box of sequins and leftovers. Use them. Anything can be added with a bit of glue or double-sided tape.

Tip #6: Trust yourself. Don't be afraid to experiment. And most of all? Have fun!

Christmas Planner Set Up (Process, How to & Tips!)

It is time to set up my A5 Red Filofax Original Planner for Christmas Plannning. In this video I talk you through the sections and types of inserts that I use in my planner and what other creative things I do and use to make it all Christmassy. I will be doing another video to show you the final thing, a set up tour if you will. This video shows the process of how I set it up and what I did along with some tips that you might be able to use in your own planners.

Create your shining year!

As many of you know if you were around last year that I have been using the 'Create your shining year' workbooks from Leonie Dawson. I did a video last year showing the book when I first got it and that can be watched here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wKN4ATwddqw I never did a follow up video on using that and I never intended too because once you get using it, lots of personal information goes into those pages, info that I didn't want to share (no offence like!). I decided to get the work books again for 2016 and I posted a photo on instagram and in my Facebook group asking if you guys would like to see this years and so here we are. Here is a look at the 2016 workbooks.



*PLEASE NOTE: I am NOT affiliated (although I know you can be). I am sharing because I like the product and thought some of you would too. I DO NOT earn any more if you buy from this link: https://shiningacademy.com/2016-workbooks/

*DISCLAIMER: These work books really work for me but like all planners etc it may not work for you. Just saying as some people bought the 2015 one after my video and said they didn't like it. I on the other hand love it!

December Brimbles Box Reveal Time!

**If you haven't received your box this month yet, you might want to not read!!**

It's time to reveal what was in the Brimbles Box this month, the month of December! if you haven't received yours yet you might want to stop reading! UK boxes should be with you by 2nd and 3rd December and International after that.



If you would like to watch videos of unboxings from genuine customers as well as honest reviews from bloggers you can watch the YouTube Brimbles Box playlist As I say they are all very honest so you can get a better feel for what was inside. Here is my unboxing and video talk through of this months box:

Happy Mail Edition:

See you next month for January’s box. Remember if you would like to order a subscription or a one off box and you would like that box to be the January one you can order up to and on 31st December 2015 from: www.mrsbrimbles.co.uk/shop  January boxes will be shipping a little later, on the 4th due to bank holidays here in the UK.

Elf on the Shelf....

Today I am on Mrs.Brimbles blog and this is not necessarily a typical "Planner" post but kinda cause if you do the Elf on the shelf you might have "planned" how you were going to stage buddy everyday.  We don't have little kids at home anymore but my daughter has a step son and everyday she tried to make his morning special by finding something different to do with her elf on a shelf. Hope you find these ideas cute and funny! Loads of ideas you can get from others and from Pinterest.

This is how Jordan found Buddy the first day. 

She did have cute captions which not all the photos show but this one she said Buddy didn't get enough cereal so he decided to go into the box for more and Santa was watching!

A caravan of his toys and Buddy was in the lead

Buddy made a mess making snow angels

 Buddy was bad and decided to TP Jordans game playing area!

 Buddy decided he needed some coffee to make it through the day

 This had me laughing then and still does! Making a mock of a Miley Cyrus song!

 Santa waiting to see if Buddy makes it before he tries! 

 Buddy playing games and eating cheetos!

Buddy went Panty raiding this night 

She titled this one "Group Poop" and if you look you can see hershey kisses in the cup!

So have fun finding some cute ways to stage Buddy. She had several that were cute. Loads of ideas on the internet and pinterest.

Journal Chat & bit of a flip!

Hey guys! I just thought I would have a bit of journal chit chat with you today as it has been ages since I did that. Also I am sharing with you my journalling from November with a bit of a flip of my journals.