Hi crafty friends! Amber Mitchell here on the Simple Stories blog today to share with you a handmade journal that's perfect for documenting any and all types of summer memories! I used the new Simple Vintage Linen Market collection which has the most beautiful shades of reds, blues, and yellows. It also has a lot of fun summer icons, flowers, and butterflies. I think it's safe to say that I fell head-over-heels for this collection and had so much fun creating with it!
When it comes to making journals, the size and shape of the pages is completely versatile. I'll share the sizes of the pages I used but remember that you can change them to be any length or width that you want.
- The paper I used for the cover of this journal measured 8.25 x 8.25 inches.
- One of my inside pages measured 6.5 x 8 inches. I scored this on the 6.5-inch side at 2.5 inches to create a smaller page.
- The next page measured 8 x 8 inches.
- I used a circle with a diameter of just under 8 inches to create two half-circle pages.
- For a bit of extra fun, I included a pair of tags to create two small, tag pages.
All of these pages were folded in half, with the exception of the one I scored. Also, all of the papers I used in this journal were from the 12 x 12 Collection Kit.
I stacked my pages, one on top of the next in the order I wanted them to go, with my cover on the outside. I then used a ruler and pencil to mark one-inch intervals down the length of the spine. I then used an awl to puncture holes on these marks. To bind the journal together, I used white embroidery floss and a saddle stitch.
With the base of the journal done, I moved onto adding photos and embellishments.
I first started by adding photo mats, kind of randomly, throughout the pages. These photo mats varied in size. I print my photos at home, which makes it easier to choose custom sizes when it comes to photos.
I used the Floral Bits & Pieces and the regular Bits & Pieces die cut packs to build small clusters around these photo mats. I then added a few of the Decorative Brads, as well as some sentiment stickers from the Cardstock Stickers. I made sure to include butterflies on nearly every page of this journal, because, well, why not?! They're just so beautiful and add so much color!
To create some larger titles throughout, I added some sentiments from the Foam Stickers. The Foam Stickers are always one of my favorite pieces from any Simple Stories collection. I love how large they are and how they vary in colors and fonts. They really just draw the eye in!
I also added some journaling spots to this journal as well. The two tag pages worked great for this! I added some of the smaller Decorative Brads, along with some of the Enamel Dots, to these pages to create bullet points. I followed this same pattern with a few journaling cards that I cut from one of the patterned papers in the collection. I clipped these cards in using various clips in coordinating colors.
For some finishing touches, I added a bunch of different trims to the edges of my pages! I used lace trim, pom-pom trims, and a fun, shimmering heart trim that I've had in my stash for years. These all matched so well with this collection! I also added a clip of some homemade pom-pom charms to the front cover. I added some lemon charms from my stash to this as well since they matched the theme of this collection perfectly.
When it came to embellishing the cover, I used some big florals and some large butterflies to really make a statement! I then tucked in some Decorative Brads and small hearts from the Foam Stickers. For the title, I used a couple of sentiment stickers to spell out "Happy and Good Times", because I think that's what summer is all about!
Thanks so much for stopping by my post today! I hope you feel inspired to create with this beautiful collection!
SUPPLIES: SV Linen Market, 12 x 12 Collection Kit, Cardstock Stickers, Chipboard Stickers, Foam Stickers, Page Pieces, Bits & Pieces, Floral Bits & Pieces, Decorative Brads, Enamel Dots, Rub Ons, Layered Chipboard Stickers.
1 comment
This is really cute. Making this will surely be a fun thing. Thank you very much for providing such wonderful information here. It would be nice if you share more information like this.
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