Journal pages

Journal Basics

When I make a journal I start with blank pages and a few basic patterned papers that I want to work with.  With this journal I took the colors from the cover paper as my cue for the colors inside the book.  I picked about 5 other papers (a balance of large print with small prints), a couple transparencies and a few key embellishments, such as the large black "A" and the "report card" to start with.   Then I just start cutting.  I make a few of the main pages (no other embellishments yet), meaning pockets, flaps, etc.  I don't make any of the cards for the pockets till I have the basic pages done...then I decide what each page need.  At this point I like to start putting the book in some kind of order.  It may not look like it, but each page plays off the next and so on.  If I do flap on one page, I do a pocket on the next or leave it plain.  If I sew on a page I have to take into account what the back of the page is going to look like.  Once I get an order of sorts (and I do change my mind) I start adding embellishments and stamping.

1.  I used pieces from a puzzle to represent the journey.  Most of the word stamps in the journal are from the 7gypsies Disclaimer stamp set. 

2.  I love Curly Girl cards for the great sayings and whimsical artwork and that is just what the journal needed, a bit a of whimsy to go along with the Sassafras patterned paper.  Why not use artwork that is easily accessible?  I added the card to the page leaving it intact (so it can still be opened like a card) and just added a bit of stamping/scraps to the inside.  The colored strips bordering the card are strips of Japanese masking tape.  I buy mine from Happy Tape.
I used the Tiny Attacher to staple all the pockets to the 8 x 8 pages (and just a bit of glue for the edges).  LOVE this stapler!

A stamped card for the pocket.

3.  Flap with a fabric edge.  The polka dot side is a transparency.

The pink polka dot Happy Tape is my favorite because it's super sheer.

Inside the flap

4.  Another super cute Sassafras paper makes a foldout page.

5.  On the back side of the yellow polka dot paper was this great pink color so I just left it as is.  I used the gaffer tape strip with the numbers to secure the seam where the flap comes around the page.  I added a blue envelope with a card inside on top of another pocket page with 'fashion' report card.

6.  Turn the pocket over to a section on "Friends".  A leftover piece of the transparency is stapled to the next page for yet another pocket.  The stamp is from Catslife Press Rubber stamps...they have some great stamps.  They also make the writing lines that were pictured inside the Curly girl card.

7.  This one is also a fold out page.  The words are a transparency, then the fold-out starts with the green border edge.  The paper is held on with black/creme stripe gaffer tape.

We're halfway through...more pages tomorrow!