“A Rat Pack Journal”

Hi Friends,

Welcome to June and Winter in Australia. It is the Queens Birthday long Weekend here and it has been lovely having a the weekend off!!

I was checking out Youtube last night and found anew Tutorial from Nik the Booksmith on creating what she called a “Rat Pack Journal” this looked like fun so I thought I would give it a go!  Her Video is “HERE” if you would like to pop over and have a look.

 

I decided to make my journal cover, from some cardboard packaging that I rec a book in. It was sturdy enough that I thought I wouldn’t bother strengthening the covers like  I normally would with extra cardboard. I thought a soft, squishy cover, would be nice for a change and  I measured it roughly 8.5×8.25″ (17×16.5″)  I then mesured out where the spine would be and how wide I wanted it. I just eyeballed it with a pen and ruler as it was too big to place in my trimmer.

I nearly always use book tape which I find at Bunnings, to add a bit of strength to the spine as it takes the load of the signature (lots of papers). and binding.  I decided this journal didn’t need it.

I had some of this nice fabric left that I found ages ago and thought it was lovely, so I used a bit more of it on this journal. I just placed the covers on the fabric and cut around it. I then cut a way a bit of the excesses fabric and cut a few notches so it would fold over the edges properly.

I used some thin double sided tape on it just to hold it, while I machines around the edges with a zig zag stitch. I am pretty happy with how the cover came out.

For the inside covers I used some retired SU DSP that I thought was a good match, of course its Blue!!.  I just adhered it with tape and some strong clear glue.

 

 This was the ‘RAT PACK” part of this journal, as I had been saving these lined scrapbook pages and my coffee stained note paper. ………………. I just cut them down to a good size and sew a few pagers together. I made 3 signatures. Of course you don’t need to sew them together as they will stay in the book once you do your binding.

I made this one into a pocket just by sewing three sides together and punching a spot at the top so I can get bit and bobs out of it.

To bind the signatures in I just used some seam binding and wrapped it around the spine a few times and tied it off on the front of the spine. This is an easy way for beginners also with no sewing.

This is the Easy Twine Binding Method that I use for most of my journals. I like being able to add and subtract pages if they don’t work or suit my project!

As I used fabric for the cover and seam ribbon for the binding I thought a fabric name plate was in order.  I layered it up with some book paper, pattern paper, old curtain and some gauze.  I am very happy with it.

This is my finished little journal ready for me to jot down notes and things when I am watching a tutorial or thinking of ideas for my next creation!!!

I hope I may have inspired you to have a go at making your own journal. The are fun to make and use.

Have a great afternoon, I am off to spend some time with my boys!!

Hugz

Kerri x

“Bloom Journal & OLW Update”

Hi there,

If you didn’t see my post about this journal it is “HERE”  

At the start of 2019, I picked my One Little Word and this year it is CREATE!!! I certainly have been using my OLW and letting myself have time to CREATE”!  I have scrapped quite a bit and made numerous journals for my self and friends plus gifts. I have also made 3 Tutorials for a couple of Facebook groups that I am in and joined in making ATC swaps and some cards for the shop I sell them in also. This has also been great for my mental health with a couple of challenges in that department of late. Craft is great ‘therapy’ and is good for your soul 🙂 I have also managed a few crafty days with my sister showing her different things and she has taught me a few bits and pieces also.

Anyway………………I was intending to use this journal for my mum, but it has now become my Quote Journal as I always had bits and pieces of quotes kept on paper and Pinterest and never all together! I will be making another journal to use for my mum.

I started adding “stuff” to it over the last couple of days and I am pleased with my progress.

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 I have been using my stash for the last 6 months or so and making a slight dent in it!!!  Making some journals certainly helps with my stash of pattern paper and matching sticker sheets. I went through them all and put them to good use to make pockets, tuck spots, collages, tags, and embellishments for my journal.

I also added some tags, flip-out pages, and extra pages to use my own handwriting to Journal in it also.

 

I made a fold-out flip from some pattern paper and it ties up with the ribbon. It’s a nice way to add some more space to journal or add images.

As you can see it has grown a little with all the goodies I am adding to it and it is getting thicker. I love a journal that is loved and chunky….. I will probably be adding to it daily as I find things to add.

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you have a go at making your own Quote Journal. Stay tuned as I am making my boys a Journal each and will share soon 🙂

Happy Journaling

Kerri x

“Common Place Journal”

Hi friends,

I have been a bit absent this week as I am on leave and I spent a couple of days with my sister for her birthday. It was a great time shopping, talking, laughing, eating and generally just doing sister stuff!! Back to work tomorrow!

Over the weekend it has been beautiful and I have been out in the garden, to do some much needed tidying up. So happy it’s now Spring here in Australia!!

As you know I like to make the odd journal or three and they have a specific purpose as art, collage, memory keeping, junking, etc 🙂 I am making my boys a journal each and more on that soon.

Commonplace books (or commonplaces) – are a way to compile knowledge, usually by writing information into books. … Such books are essentially scrapbooks filled with items of every kind: recipes, quotes, letters, poems,  proverbs, etc.  These are also known as Thinker Journals and I am definitely that.

I thought I would like to make two, to have. One on my desk and one in my bag to use as inspiration strikes. A little journal just to add ‘me’ stuff like inspiration, quotes, arty things I try, etc.  I think we all need that one space to collate our thoughts and ideas. I have been doing this for quite a while but not realizing I was.  You can use anything you want to as a journal but I, of course, am making my own special one!!

Thinking about the size of the journal that I want and what I want to put in it, I decided on a 5×7 book and I took the pages out to use the cover.  I am mainly wanting plain and lined papers in this to write on.

If you know me I like to puddle and this is no exception. I Gessoed the cover, as I want to add these gorgeous owl images that my sister gave me when we did a bit of a napkin swap 🙂 Napkins are so much fun to use and give a great look on any projects.

I am using my Tim Holtz glass media mat and it is non-stick but as I make a mess I always put baking paper under it. I usually need to move it so it makes cleaning up easier.

I was going to leave it white but decided on a sage color underneath for a bit of contrast to the napkins. I just sponged some over it randomly!

 

To prepare your napkins you need to make sure you take all the layers of the white tissue off the back. To get the tear in it where you want it, I used a wet brush and drew the tear line. It is much easier than tearing it the wrong way.

It’s up to you where you start. You need a good brush to adhere to the mod podge and smooth it under and over the This glues and seals at the same time.

I then randomly put more of the napkin here and there in a collage. I make sure I have some hanging over the edges. I then let it dry. It hardens as it drys and gives a nice aged effect. The wrinkling of the tissue doesn’t bother me.

 

Here is the cover of my other journal I am making at the same time. It measures approx 7x 9.5. I used the same Napkin technique on this also.

Once dry, I then turn it over and glue the napkin down inside the cover, making sure it is well stuck down. I add pattern paper to the inside, or as I did here a couple more of the images from the napkins. Allow this to dry also before you do anything else to it.

To finish the journal off I cut some lined and plain copy paper to size and then just used some pretty lace to tie it in around the spine and bind it. This way if I want to add or take out pages I can.

Now, his is my finished small 5×7 commonplace journal which I can take in my backpack with and use as I like 🙂

Above is my journal for playing in at home, to journal in 🙂 I just used different lined and plain scrapbook paper in this one from my stash.

 

I made some tags and lots of places to add journaling in the pages. I hope you like this little look at my Common Place Journals and you might like to try keeping one for yourself 🙂

Kerri x