From Here to There

From Here to There

Journal Kits

and a

GIVEAWAY

giveaway is now closed

PLUS:

Photos of how I've done 

a few of my journal pages!

I love making journals! It's December and I realized that I haven't made a journal in months! Suddenly I was really wanting to make one but this time, after gathering my supplies and setting up a space, I realized that the muse was calling me to accomplish a series of journals. In part this project grew from the abundance of cardboard I had as I just acquired from a toaster I just bought as well as the need for a new traveling journal for myself. Upon opening the box of the toaster I knew that *this* cardboard was destined to be some very special journals! As I began the project it became clear to me that making a few journals wasn't going to completely satisfy my creative urge. I realized that in order to satiate my creative tendencies I had to make the project even bigger and better by making them into journal kits.

I started out by making six journals but knew that I needed to practice and test ideas out on at least one of them. So I ended up really stressing the first journal out and decided I should keep it for my own. I had started out wanting to make myself a journal after all, right? And since I ended up putting it together and tearing apart a few times it was only fair not to pass it off to someone else. I did it this way because I wanted to see just how much the little journals could hold, still look nice, be relatively easy to construct, be portable, lightweight and filled with interesting items for inspiration.



I became aware that it would be a really good idea for me to get a feeling for using a journal kit that I put together. I can asses it strengths and weaknesses and look for ways to improve it. And that's exactly what I did! Nearly two weeks in the making and it's taken me a lot of trial and error to get these perfected and looking sharp! I'm glad that I was able to work through the difficulties and get the journals to be exactly what I wanted. After I got through the experimental stages I was able to apply what I had learned to the other five journals. I had a great time making these and I do believe that I will be doing it again!

the painting stages the covers went through...

I used acrylic paint for the covers, spines and the Washi tapes. Then I filled the journal with mixed media papers for decorating and newsprint for note taking or quick sketches. I included a pocket and filled it with a lot of inspiration like decorative scrap booking papers, paper doily's, manila tags and a few other things. Then a couple of days later I decided there weren't enough elements in the pocket so I added even more! I'm totally going to brag now: I also added a bunch of stickers made from some super cute, hand carved stamp, images that I made! Now the pocket is rather bulky but I feel it holds a lot of potential for a variety of creative expression.

close up of one of the covers

Originally I started out with enough space for storing three Washi tapes but through experimenting I ended up redesigning the holder to make more room and now it holds at least five! I'm totally bragging here again because one of the tapes feature my (BB) hand carved arrow stamp image and the other images are (SB) store bought or from (SU) Stampin' Up!

Washi Tapes

L-R: neon pink with SU swirls; light blue with SU snowmen

purple and pink with SB butterfly & flowers; red & orange

with BB arrow stamp; blue and green with SB stamp

and YES! that's a piece of home made Washi tape holding the end page in place...

This kit consists of a variety of supplies, colors and cheer to help inspire you to document those wonderful memories of your favorite vacation or day at the park and revisit them often. This kit will inspire you and help spark your creative muse. l know it will be just what you need to help you record a special day and to take with you on your next outing. Whether you like pencil, pen, pastels, water coloring, acrylic paint or  to mixed them all together there is plenty of space to experiment and create small works of art.

a look at the inside pages & folder filled with goodies

the button and string closure keep it all in place

you can decorate every surface!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Included in each kit:

6" x 5" hand painted / hand bound journal, with button & string closure and 2 metal corners on front

12 pages (24 counting front/back) of mixed media paper
4 pages (8 counting front/back) newsprint
5 pieces of hand made Washi tape 12" - 17"

Tag board pocket filled with:
1 piece, folded, tracing paper
1 small piece of map
1 small piece of magazine page
2 small pieces decorative paper napkins
10 small pieces decorative paper
1 small, two color, picture of Neptune
2, folded, paper doilies,
a variety of hand stamped stickers, nearly all are BB hand carved images
5  manila tags, hole punched
3 mania tags
12 reinforcements
3 TICKET / KEEP THIS COUPON, faded blue
1 piece, blue card stock, decorated with my hand carved doily stamp / embossed in white
two pieces sticky back tape 1 embossed with the word BELIEVE and 1 with the word LOVE
and MORE!!!!
~~~~~
Tag board page with 12" - 17" hand made Washi tapes:

1 purple & pink with butterflies & flowers
1 red, orange, yellow with arrows (my hand carved stamp)
1 blue & green with script
1 light blue with snowmen
1 neon pink with swirl
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

A brief suggestion for additional supplies you may want to use in your new journal: gesso, book pages, newspaper, watercolors, gouache, acrylics, sand paper, scissors, photos, gel pens, distress ink , stapler, glue, glitter, spray inks, rub-ons, lace, ribbon, a brayer, stencils....

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

a look at one of the journals...

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The holidays are upon us and I thought it would be super fun to do a giveaway of one of these sweet journal kits! Wouldn't you agree? If you think you'd enjoy this mixed media journal kit or know some one who would and would like to join my December Giveaway there are FOUR awesome ways to enter and please note: this giveaway is open to everyone everywhere but you should be over 18 because if you win I'll need your address to ship it out to you. Also if you're not in the USA the package may not arrive before Christmas, as you may well know. I also invite you to tell a friend, subscribe to my blog and to like my Facebook Fan Page to get sneak peaks, interesting links and more!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Here's how to enter:

First lease leave me a comment with your name and a valid email address and tell me what your favorite winter sport is and why! (must be a real sport, please) 

Second fulfill the first requirement of leaving a comment. Then re-blog OR tweet OR post on Facebook OR somewhere else about this giveaway and leave me a link where you put it.

Third fulfill the first and second requirements in addition to making a purchase at my Etsy shop and leave me a comment with your Etsy purchasing name and as a Thank You I'll give you a 30% refund!

Fourth fulfill the first and second requirements for this contest and make a purchase at my either my Zazzle shop or my Society6 shop! 

~~~~~

Giveaway starts December 7th and will end December 14th... winner will be announced here and on my Facebook Fanpage. I will also contact the winner by email. If all goes to plan and you're in the USA you should have your journal before Christmas! If I don't hear from you by December 21, 2012 I will select another winner.

~~~~~

Happy Holidays & Best of luck on the contest!

~Stephie

 Tweet

********************************************************
Winter is one of my favorite times of year and I thought you may all be wondering what my favorites are... Well I thought I'd start by telling you all that my favorite recreational winter sports to participate in are dog mushing, cross country skiing, snow shoeing and camping. Yes, I said camping - the kind you do in tents - it's really fun!  I never said it wasn't cold because it totally is but it is really rewarding.

My favorite winter sport to watch is biathlon, where women ski & shoot targets - these are some of the most impressive athletes I've ever seen. I was hesitant at first to watch but it really caught my attention.

Thank you to all who entered this giveaway and shared your favorite winter sports with me I like hearing about you! I'm happy you could all join in the giveaway fun. I counted five entries so I put 5 into Random.org
and Prerna Poojara has won the giveaway! CONGRATULATIONS!  I will attempt to get a hold of you by email. As you did not leave me an email address I will use the one attached to your blogging account. You have until December 21st to get back to me if I do not hear from you I will choose another winner.

*******************************************************

*******************************************************

I've been on an art journaling journey and
here are a few pages I've made in my
Here to There journal kit. I've tried to
use as many of the elements I can
that come with the kit as well as other
ephemera from different events I've been to.

 This one is not finished it's just a jumping off point for inspiration...

 This is a two page spread there's some text; a postcard and a tip-in.

This is a two page spread with a quote and room for more....

 This is a two page spread with a tip-in envelope....

I made the envelope so I could put our concert tickets in it... 

Here's a two page spread dedicated to Cloud Atlas
and I just stapled in my movie ticket.

This is a one page spread I just started doodling

then I added color and text...