January Journal

welcome to my 2013 journal as I begin to fill the blank pages ...

With my focus statement clear & prominent at the beginning ...

The hummingbird is cut from my craft dictionary.

The centre of the flower swings on a brad
to reveal the hidden journalling.

The beautiful words are from Papyrus ...

In the second week of January, I tried a new recipe ...

Chocolate Orange & Walnut Brownies

The tag is held in the journal by two paper corners.

I took seven ingredients ...

Followed the recipe ...

Well almost ...

They were delicious.

In January I learnt something new & made my first hand stitched book.

I began a new challenge for 2013, which utilises my craft dictionary.

The image of the girl is from the Graphics Fairy.
The crown & word stickers are handmade from a Sunday Times supplement.
The butterfly image is from Dover.
The head image is from Michelle Ward.

I will continue to add to these pages until February, when I will start a new section.

Curious?

The Craft Barn has revealed the next letter in the Alpha Challenge, which will run throughout the year.

The second alpha is C.

This is the front of my tag, using a definition torn from my dictionary.

This is the reverse side.

"Curiouser & curiouser !"

cried Alice
Lewis Carroll

I have used patterned papers Life's Journey Pansy by K & Company, Distress Ink (antique linen) & an image from the Graphics Fairy.

I am creating a tag for each letter of the alphabet & you can see more detail here.

Alpha Tag Book

The Craft Barn has started a challenge which will run throughout the year.

The Alpha Challenge is to use one letter from the alphabet

as inspiration for our creativity.

The original challenge idea was to alter a dictionary, which some participants are doing.

I decided to use my remaining Krammers tags (from Pink Porcupine) to create a small alphabet tag book.

I have completed the front & back covers together with the first tag.

I cut up the title page torn from my well used crafting dictionary, to create a washi tape sticker for the front cover. You can see how I create my washi style tape here.

We are starting the challenge with the letter V.

I chose the word variety for my tag & used the word definition torn out from my dictionary. I have also punched out the title letter, with a small circle punch.

On the reverse I added the quotation

"Variety is the spice of life"
William Cowper

I am using patterned papers Life's Journey Pansy by K & Company, Distress Ink (antique linen), with a few extras along the way.

A new challenge letter will be revealed every two weeks.

Book of Memories

A project for 2013, which will last the whole year, is to create a journal & make an entry once a week on something that has struck a cord with me during the previous week.

I have already begun making the blank journal, using a lovely set of double-sided papers by Scribble Scrabble from their Felicity range.

I cut each 12 by 12 inch scrapbook page in half & then folded it into a folio. I trimmed the folio down so that each page is approx. 6 by 4 inches. Each folio was pierced with six holes down the spine. All the folios were then hand stitched together to create my journal.

The journal will be closed using brown grosgrain ribbon, which allows dimensional elements to be used.

At the end of the year I will have a book full of new memories ...

2012 Review

Time to reflect on what I have created during this year

& I am glad to see that I have found new ways to use up my paper stash,

with very few non-paper purchases along the way.

A thorough sort out reminded me what was in stock,

which was a good place to start thinking about how I would use up my supply.

My mantra has been "No new paper until this is used up".

I have also worked on projects started in the previous year,

which is always satisfying.

Looking through all the projects, my favourite is the shadow box made in June,

which is the first shadow box I have made.

Another first for this year was making a video.

There are two short videos on my You Tube channel.

I have changed computers, which means I have lost the use of my Photo Impact software

& therefore restricted in what digital work I can produce.

I should embrace change, but sometimes that is easier said than done.

I miss the software & the creativity it gave me.

I found one new challenge site, Color Stories Inspiration,

which inspired me to record special memories from my life.

I enjoyed the journey through time & the memories rekindled.

It is important to reaffirm positive memories & not dwell on negative ones.

I am looking forward to what the new year will bring

& still have a few of this years projects to work on ...

Wonders of Nature

I am ending the year with details of a long term project that I have been working on.

my Wonders
of
Nature Journal

Last year I bought an old book from a charity shop to make into a journal.

The book is The Wonders of Nature by C F Tunnicliffe.

To enable me to add dimensional elements to the journal pages,

I cut away the spine & punched three holes into the cover & each page.

I edged the covers with crocheted lace ribbon by American Crafts,

using Pinflair Book Binding Glue.

The journal is held together with three silver coloured book rings,

which need a few ribbons & fibres tied to them.

To create each new journal page, I glued six pages together.

I covered each page with Vintage paper by Hot Off The Press

& created my own hole protectors to co-ordinate.

Each page is turned using a butterfly tab.

I decided that this journal would be used to collect & publish my Haiku poems,

which are usually nature based, thus highlighting the theme of the original book.

The tags added in throughout the journal will hold secret notes,

hidden journalling, adding visual interest & an interactive element.

As there are so many photographs to look at, I recommend clicking on any of the photographs to open up the image library in a new window, then you can view each image in turn.

I hope you enjoy this glimpse into my

Wonders of Nature Journal.

There are many spaces left to fill as & when new Haiku poems are composed.

I used rub ons & stickers by Kaisercraft from Merly Impressions

& dew drops by The Robin's Nest.

The spine, also edged with the crocheted lace ribbon, is now a bookmark

& I have saved a few of the original pages to incorporate into the journal.

A work in progress ...