Today, and Journal instuctions

Today was a good day. My mom and I went to the Women's Health Expo at the Oregon Covention Center. Loads of fun freebies! And it was free to get in...did I mention I love free stuff? It was fun. then tonight we got together with our Rosemary's Racers team for the Race for the Cure and ate (not really gonna help us with the race, but it was good!) and ironed on our team patches on our shirts and prayed for Rose and other loved ones battling Breast Cancer. It was fun to hang out with the girls!

On the fam front...Jackers really went after the crawling today. For the first time he was really getting the hand-leg coordination down. He kind of kicks out his little left leg, as if he were imagining he's riding a scooter. pretty funny. He's growing up WAAAAYY too fast.



OK,Here is the directions for making a journal, Eryn-style.

Supplies you'll need:
-old school composition notebook (black and white spekles with black binding) although the one pictured is purple...
-Modge Podge(I like the Matte finish)hereafter referred to as MP
-foam brush (for applying MP)
-your choice of a few coordinating papers (I try to avoid cardstock...to stiff for bending around the spine part of the journal)
-any embellishments you wish to use
-xacto knife or box cutter utility nknife
optional: sanding block and ink pad



Step 1: Paper. lay out your papers how you want (I usually trim the paper down to about 1/2 in ch overhang beyond the edges of the book).



Step 2: smear a layer of M.P. over the cover of your book. Not too much, not too little. I like to line up my first paper over the speckley part, lining up to the black binding part. Smoothe it out pressing firmly to try and remove all bubbles make sure the edges are securly stuck down. then i smear more MP over binding and smooth down the accent paper, only slight overlapping the first paper already stuck down. Let that dry for a minute or two before flipping over to do the back side. (If you don't let it dry, you may get funky snags in your wet MP on the front.)Repeat the same process of applying MP and smoothing on the back.





Step 3: Trim excess paper with your xacto knife or utility knife...as close as possible to the cardboard cover. Then if you want (i LOVE this step)use a sanding block to shave off the excess paper, making your paper line up perfectly with your journal cover, and a little bonus is it gives it a little bit of a distressed look to it (so it doesn't have to be perfect!)A second option to this step is to take an inkpad and smear that around the edges you just sanded, giving even more distressed look to it. I like to use black or brown ink.



Step 4: your title. I take a complimenting paper and stamp or write, or use stickers or a rub on...your choice of title. On Jacks I used a rub on and some chipboard letters that I painted...Hayden's I used foam stamps, which, may I say, I LOVE. I like to get that all ready ( I also like to ink the edges of my title paper to make it "POP"). Then put a thin layer of MP over your already stuck down paper and stick down your title before it gets too dry. Sometimes, in the second layer of MP the paper gets pretty wet and sometimes bubbles up looking funky. Don't freak out! That usually goes away when it's totally dry. Don't go touching it, trying to make it lay flat...you'll just make finger prints in your Modge Podge. Then brush another light layer of MP over your title.






Step 5: Embellishing. On Jack and Hayden's, I used some ribbon. While the MP was still wet, I just stuck the ribbon down and it stuck beautifully! I didn't MP over it. I also added the chipboard to Jacks at this point. they were sticky backed and the Mp was still sticky so the also stuck down beautifully. I also lightly glazed the chipboard letters with MP. On the journal pictured here, I added the flower to the still sticky MP.




Voila! a custom journal. Nicole did the cover of her planner/calendar to make it beautifullly customized! I love it! Let me know if you want to come over and I'll craft with you!



Nighty Nite!