To Do List Junk Journal

I am a "list" person. However, with an upcoming move impending.. I need a book to make lists, jot notes, reminders etc so I don't have to clutter my brain with trying to remember everything..all the time!  So I made this To Do List Junk Journal. I had this spiral notebook that I got at the thrift store, so.. I just used that and made pockets and will add clips and with the lined pages already there, I should be able to make all kinds of lists, keep track of everything and.. all in one cute little junk journal!

I have a video of it on my You Tube channel....check it out here....

To Do List Junk Journal

Thanks for stopping by and...keep on preserving those memories! Want to read more at Fabric and Memories? CLICK HERE
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A nice glass of Iced tea and....some storage!

As every crafter knows...easy access storage is a MUST!!!  And also, as every crafter knows...money doesn't grow on tress! So, as every crafter knows....we must use what we have very intelligently and wisely and...creatively!

Well, also in the name of recycling...I am always looking at things I throw away in case I can upcycle them. In Junk Journaling that is a must for all food boxes! Cereal boxes make great book covers!

However, here I share this idea that fell in to my lap...and I'm going...."wow...Lipton is so cool!" 
I drink Lipton ice tea... always, 24/7/365!

So I buy the box of 100...last me about 30 days. But this new way they have been packing the tea bags....what a great idea they had for me!!

 Buy a box like this..the tea bags are 25 to a section and wrapped in a gold foil. Tear open the foil (I should have saved it!) and dump the tea bags into another container. I have a mason jar for them.   Cut the top off the box.

 You are left with this (to the left)... four neat, orderly little paper "containers" that fit in the box, perfectly.

 Place papers, small in the front and larger as they go back. Each rectangle "box" hplds a different size paper.  In this picture, I use just papers cut different sizes for journaling cards.    I have 2 of these at my craft table. The other one I have things I have made in it...tags, flip pages, envelopes etc.

Here is a front view....you can clip little binder clips, paper clips, clothes pins to the front of the box. And...you have a perfect view of the papers by size so you know which section to go to based on the size you are looking for! Nice, neat, orderly, and all in a row! You can even take the whole box with you to another room or if you need to work somewhere and then clean up afterwards. It all moves very nicely and you have everything you need at your finger tips!  I think I should have covered the box to make it look pretty, but....even a devoted crafter sometimes has to take a break!

Quick and easy!  Enjoy your iced tea...and organization at your craft table!!!
    Thanks for stopping by and...keep on sewing those memories!

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My Book Junk Journal...AND....My First Video on You Tube!!!!

As a kid, I always wanted to be a librarian..why I never did that, I can't say, but ... I didn't! I loved those card catalogs they had back then...thumbing through the cards to find the book I wanted. Just to cool!
Anyway, I would keep those books  I really liked and re-donate  the others back to the thrift store. I am having a hard time with paper backs as the print is to small for my old eyeballs these days..so hard covers/backs are where I am. However, they are getting few and far between at the thrift store, so I recently got educated about ebooks and getting them for free and downloading them to my tablet to read and leaving other on the Amazon/Kindle cloud so they are there when I want them. I have a nice collection now. I will also be traveling end of this year and wanted to make sure I had books to read... I know I won't be able to take a stack with me, so the ebook on the tablet is a good way to go! However... I will always love a "real" book and hopefully, once settled I can go "home" again to the books I Love

However... I still want to keep my own library and if I could have found a real card catalog, I probably would have recreated one.. however, since I didn't... I just made a junk journal style of "library catalog".  I used the covers from hard backs and 8x11 cardstock and created this book. Pockets and tags I have made will hold the information about the ebooks or any book I read that doesn't have a dust jacket. I am sure this will last me many many years!

 

AND,,,,, my first video!  It is really not very good as far as the cover goes, but I was in a hurry and I know I can do better and will next time. But I just wanted this now....I have read 8 ebooks and need to get them recorded on tags in there before I forget them! So..take a look, please don't laugh.. no, I take that back. Laugh if you want to!  That just means you are having a good time and enjoying the video and I am glad to be able to crack a smile for anyone!! Enjoy!!!

It is to long for blogger to handle, (I only get 100MB...the vid is 373MB) so I had to learn how to do a page and upload it to You Tube... wow... a first time all over the place for me!

Click below to go to video

MY LIBRARY JUNK JOURNAL

And I'd love to hear any comments you might have..good or bad.. I love to learn!!!

Thanks for stopping by and...keep on sewing those memories!

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Make Pages About Things That Tell About You!

 I have been working hard and as often as I can on  4 junk journals for my 4 grand daughters and one for me. I flip between them to keep inspired and not get bogged down with thinking and matching and structure etc.  I am trying to get out of my "every  thing must have structure and theme and be matching and organized" box.  I am working on understanding that "Junk" journal doesn't meant junk junk, like throw in the trash junk. But it is "junk" meaning...good to keep, just not sure what to do with it but I know I don't want to trash it". And I am trying to be more cluttered (in a good way) and more spontaneous and just...little more...junkie!!!

So here are a few pages I have done. One of these days I will teach myself how to do a video. Until then.. I got pictures.  I wanted to make this book about me and my memories. Things I like, love, did, have, had, etc especially from my past. We all think we will remember things, but time will make the memories fade...so I want to keep them for me and then hand the book to my grand daughters so they will remember me when I am "gone". I have some pages about high school years, some about my kids, some about places I have been, some about the Grand kids etc.  I want my grand kids to have it to remember me by...and I know they all will fight over it but that is a good thing!!!

This first page is  about my favorite TV show and movie of all time. I am a huge I Love Lucy fan and the movie she made in 1957 with Desi Arnaz (where they were NOT Lucy and Ricky Ricardo) called Long Long Trailer, and is my all time favorite movie and the funniest movie ever! The movie kind of hits home with me as  three times in my life, with 2 kids... I had to live in a travel trailer so I know how it is!  And I Love Lucy..funniest sitcom in the history of television...only show to have never let the airwaves since it went off the air in 1957. so for 74 years the world have been loving Lucy! So I made a page out of it. I know most of the dialog of all the I Love Lucy episodes and most of the dialog of Long Long Trailer. So many times in life..something will happen or will be said.. and I will pop up with a Lucy quote or say.."see..Lucy did this too" or something like that. So.. Lucy is a part of me that the kids will enjoy remembering so..... I printed out some pictures of the movie from the internet  - two of my favorite scenes... and made flip flaps out of them, Then I wrote underneath them. The bottom one has the dialog they were saying in that scene in the movie....."I did not tell you to turn right. You didn't let me finish. What I was trying to say is....you turn right here left",  funniest line in the movie! Oh the left side of the page is I Love Lucy, I collected some of the episode cards and printed some of my favorite episodes out from the internet and did the same thing. Under the right side there.. the red showing above the top picture.. is an embroidered heart with the iconic stick figures from the original show's opening credits. I never put it on anything, so...now I did!

This idea is good for your favorite show, book, movie. When I give this to my grand daughters after I am "gone", I know they will all smile and laugh remembering how much I loved Lucy and all the silly show lines I always say. The older GD watches the sitcom with me when she comes to visit. She enjoys it. Her favorite is where Lucy raises chickens. Mine is the Paris Gowns!

When you go to some places, you often see those machines that flatten a penny (cost you 50 cents!) and it makes an impression of  the logo of where you are. I decided to start collecting them when I could. And subsequently, had a few laying around in the corner of my jewlery box.  SO.. I took them and put them in a little zip baggie (get them at the craft store) I put one in, then a double sided stick tape and then another flattened penny. The four on the bottom (2 bags) are glued to the page. Underneath I glued an index card, and wrote where they were from and why I chose to make one. I need three more to do the same on the top. But now, I have them in my memory book and not being moved from spot to spot cause I didn't know what to do with them! I plan  on collecting them anytime I see them now!

I love pockets and small pages, and little flaps etc. So...to add pages, but not be so  structured,....I cut a paper in half, decorated it and then slide it into the signature, same way a full size page is. The red washi tape at the top separates it from the full pages and all four sides are blank.. and ready to be written on! Makes the journal look "junky" but in a fun and unique way! Not to mention..usable way!




                 

 Something else, I love doing... making the tabs on the sides of the pages so they stick out and look all decorative and beautifully cluttered! This is also where "junk" sinks in with me. It looks "junky" and cluttered and all over the place..but it is so pretty and unique and very enjoyable to look at!

I make the tab and then add little stickable rhinestones, colored paper clips, stickers etc to the tab. I bought some glitter and metallic scrapbook paper to cut labels  with a punch. I will be adding some ribbon ends to some tags and those will stick out and look fantastic!!!      

 Thanks for stopping by... hope you find some inspiration to take to your own junk journals and figure out that "junk journal" doesn't really mean junk...it means... memories kept in a very special book!

    Thanks for stopping by and...keep on sewing those memories!

And now also a Junk Journal Addict!

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Want Junk Journal Ideas? Here are some of my favorite You Tube Videos....Enjoy!

Here are a couple of You Tube videos that are, in my opinion....FABULOUS in junk journal creation!

I watch these often! Hope you enjoy them too!

Geocaching Junk Journal

Chunky Junk Journal

Making Your First Junk Journal



Thanks for stopping by and...keep on sewing those memories!

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Cute Little Envelopes to make yourself

I love looking through You Tube to see the flip throughs crafters post of their junk journals. It is a great way to get inspired and also get ideas!  I love little things...so these little envelopes I see often, have been something I have been wanting to make. I finally found an little envelope and carefully, tore it apart and used it as a pattern. Last night.. I made all these little guys in about 15 minutes! I used vellum for two for that crackle sound that makes it fun to open it! I can't wait to use them!
Size is about 2inches by 3 inches. And what a great way to use up scrap paper... and I think I am going to use that green ledger paper and make one with that and see how it looks - just to be different!

You could do this with any envelope you find that is unusual and you like for whatever reason. Even a library book pocket..(remember those... on the inside cover of each book with the "return" card in the pocket!!!) Just open one up and use it as a pattern. See a neat envey in your junk mail but don't like all the printing on it? Tear it open and use it as a pattern!  Always be on the look out for things to use in a different way in your junk journals!

Thanks for stopping by and...keep on sewing those memories!

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Junk Journal page...with junk paper!

 Here is a great way to use junk paper to get started on your junk journals!  This page was quick, and easy and literally used junk paper. Took me like 5 minutes to make but it has the memory of my favorite french fries in the whole world.. memories of taking my grand daughters to McDonalds when they were little and having the best time with them and the memories of them and how much they loved the fries too and our time spent together. It is going in my journal!!

The page is an 8.5x11 folded in half and is from a ream of 32lb paper I got at the office supply store. $8 I think it was for 400 sheets and then I coffee stained the paper and used an ink pad (cheapest one at the craft store) to "antique" it on the edges and a few smears on the paper.

I go  to McDonalds for my bi monthly treat of fries.The are the best in the world, but...can't afford to many calories so..they are a special treat for me...instead of Starbucks or some candy! I kept the little paper pockets they put the fries in. I used double sided tape on the bottom side of the pocket and the opening side of the pocket..thus leaving the top open for the journaling tag to slide in!  Then I had a pack of tags from the Dollar Store and tied some ribbon from my sewing stash and slide that into the opening of the pocket itself. I made a journaling "tag"..really just a piece of paper I cut to size to slide in the opening and put a little flower sticker thingy on top for something to pull it out with...inked the sides and slide it in the opening behind the fries pocket. The words are from a page I had that had the words on it as a title, so I cut them individually so they would fit on the page without covering anything, and there you go! Plus..the words..."you make me happy" are perfect in this case because McDonalds is famous for their "Happy Meals" that make people happy, but...the fries DO make me happy!

Here is a view of the page with the tags pulled out so you can see them in full. See... space to write on each of the tags...front and back. Space to write on the page itself!  Lots of memories and all in just 5 minutes! Don't get better than that! And you can turn the pocket so it opens at the top, or fix it so it is a mini page on its own.

Just goes to show what you can do with junk paper! So start keeping those paper things you find/get whether at the fast foods or other places. You might not have an idea right at that moment to use them, but put them in your stash and the right idea will come to you...sooner or later and then you will be prepared to  create!
        Thanks for stopping by and...keep on sewing and saving those memories!

Want to read more at Fabric and Memories? CLICK HERE

A Junk Journal - A New Way to Keep the Memories Alive!

A JUNK JOURNAL - 
A NEW WAY TO KEEP THE MEMORIES ALIVE!

This is the "junk journal" I won in a giveaway last month.  It is made of literally just "junk" papers, cards, tags, labels, odd pieces of paper, etc...all very pretty, cute or otherwise unique. I hadn't a clue as to what it was or what I would do with it but hey.... I won something and.....I sure liked it!

Here are some pictures of some of the pages in the book...all shapes, sizes, themes, colors! Note cards, strips of cards, parts of stationary, tags, labels...kind of like, you name it, there was a "page" of it in there!









But still...what do I do with it? I am not busy enough to make it a planner. I don't have anything to say to journal about. Well, my daughter recently got married and for a very terrible reason, I was not able to get to her wedding. Sad doesn't start to cover how I felt. 1:00pm was the ceremony and at 1:00 I stopped what I was doing and thought about her and then said a little something to her in my mind. I then thought that  I wanted to write that down....but where. Then I thought of this junk journal. It was just a few sentences that I said and a small little prayer, so I needed just a little bit of page...it would be perfect! So I got the book out and looked through for a complimentary page...and found this one of a bride. How perfect.Then I just flipped the card and wrote what I was thinking.

It suddenly hit me...journaling doesn't always have to be about what I do or have done...it can be about others and my special thoughts of them. Well, as they say, one thing lead to another... and thinking this was a good idea...my grand daughter just turned 9 the week before...and I thought I'd do the same for her...so I chose this card-page. She loves "old time-y" clothes so this was perfect for her. On the back I "talked" to/about her.

 

And then my most recent little grand daughter was born, I wrote welcome to the world note to her and this oval "page" of the little girl was a perfect match for her!

Well, nothing to happen for awhile now...but something occured to me on St Patricks day last week. It made me remember the past St Patrick's Days. For years, my oldest grand daughter loved the leprechauns and all that went with them. I would get green sequin shamrocks and secretly sprinkle them around and she'd think they were from the leprechauns and the trail to the pot of gold or to where they lived.  She'd even make leprechaun traps! I would pick her up at school and as I walked to the meeting place, I'd drop the shamrocks as I walked, so when we walked back....she'd see this trail of the little green shamrocks and think she was chasing the leprechauns! The rest of the day she was with me, I'd secretly drop them around and some green plastic coins and It was such a fun time for us! It was great for many years, but now she is a freshman in high school so of course, it is just a wonderful memory for both of us that we like to recall every St. Paddy's Day.  I chose a green "page" in the junk journal and I glued some of the little shamrocks (yes, I have kept them all this time!) to the front of the page, and on the back..just a little note about our fun St Patrick's Day "tradition". So I intend to write a little something about someone on every holiday or time/event that I had in the past with someone and just write like I am talking to them and recall the memory we made together.

More thinking about bringing past memories into present....I  thought about the little notes that this same grand daughter (she will be 15 next week) wrote to me over the years past. I have many of them taped to the mirror in my bathroom so I see/read/remember them every day. What a perfect addition to the book! This one says "I had fun spending the nite at your house and thanks for letting me bend the rules. I had fun". So I just glued the note to a "page" of its size. I don't remember what rules I let her bend but I apparently let her bend the best ones!

 So, I have decided to use  this junk journal to  bring  past memories,  into my present. When finished, not only will i have a nice book of my favorite memories but....anyone can read it and "walk" through my life and enjoy my memories! Since it is not in chronological order, it will kind of be like a time travel thing! (And I enjoy reading books about time travel!)  One page  might be dated currently and the next page could be dated 3 years later, next page 6 months earlier and the next..a year later and the next 8 months prior and so on. It reminds me of that book "Time Travelers' Wife"...where the  guy popped in and out of time during his girl friend/wifes life.  I liked the point of the story but it sure was a hard book to read and keep track of what was going on! The movie stunk! But my time travel journal.. will be awesome and enjoyable and bring lot of smiles to lots of faces!

I am working on a "prolog" for it and since I have always loved Robert Browning's..."Grow old along with me! The best is yet to be..." quote, I think I shall include that some how.  If this world tarries another 50 years, my great and great great grand children will have a little bit of Nanny in their lives..without ever having met me! Plus, memories about when their mothers and grand mothers were little! A journal through time...in a junk journal!

I am also making fabric lace memory books... you can read about that journey HERE on my blog. More memories to preserve and fun to be had while making them! Here's a few pics to show you what a fabric lace memory book is. I am working on making one for each of my 5 grand daughters.

 

So..this is my start into the world of "junk journals". I love them! They are so cool, neat, groovy, and just really, really amazing...both in how they look and what they are for. And what a great way to use/recycle/upcycle...junk! Granted..."junk" journals are made of literally that...junk...junk mail, junk pieces of paper (see the one page up there...old notebook paper page!) And in this book are pieces of the green ledger paper, graph paper, and things like that. Junk mail days in the mail box are a good place to find junk paper! So I intend to keep looking around and finding things...due to the "no size" limit...anything is possible! I just have to figure how to bind mine. I think like this can be done at Staples and I know there is a kit for sale to do it your self, but I probably won't invest in one of those.  I have since discovered how to make "junk journals" out of my stash of scrapbook papers and embellishments. Different in looks and structure than this style, but still really nice. I have started one and see it is more of a "scrapbook journal" as it looks like double page layouts that I used to do, but hey....it works and looks great!

And there is a style to use junky stuff like this...and include it in a junk journal with binding..which is the way I intend on going. So...I am excited and anxious to make these.. and hopefully.... preserve more of my memories. I will be posting more about the scrapbook journal next week.. have a few pages done..so if you want to follow along...join to follow my blog up there on the left side at the top pf this page. I have joined a few Facebook groups that have just the best ladies chatting about their journals and the how-to's and what to do's and things like that. I love sharing, learning and helping other with this amazing craft! Come on and follow along with me! In the mean time... do as I plan to do.. and collect some junk!

And when all is said and done...... since dementia "runs" in my family... when I am old, I think that I will be living the happiest times of my life..since my memories are where my happiest times were!

Thanks for stopping by and...keep on sewing those memories!

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35 Tote Bags, Book Bags...Done! For the kids!

Last year I volunteered to make little tote/book bags for the kids at my church's Daily Vacation Bible School session. I created this style and figured it all out and I whipped up 30 bags in no time! The kids loved them, the teachers were happy to have something for the kids to take things back and forth with and the totes just worked out so perfectly... I decided to do it again the next year! So, with money being very tight, since last summer, I have been frequenting my local thrift store and watching for fabrics to make them again this year. I finished 35 bags for the kids this year!

The bags are 12x12 inches with double 22 inch handles with crayon/pencil slots on the front and a poly/cotton lining.  I use baby receiving blankets for the backing of the front to help stability of the crayon/pencil slots.  I swear by the "assembly line" method. Cut all of each thing at one sitting. Then sew the front and crayon slots and sew to the back of all 35. Then sew all 35 linings together, Then sew the 70  handles. Then press everything. Then assemble pieces for each bag and sew the bag together...handle to the front and back, then the lining. Pull bag through the lining, sew bottom open in the lining shut and push the lining into the bag, press and sew 1/2 inch from the top all around the top to hold it all together and ..YOU ARE DONE!!!!

I used my faithful 12,1/2 inch x 12,1/2 inch template and rotary cutter and collected fabric and one day... just sat and cut 35 sets of fronts and backs. Then got out my stash of poly/cotton and cut out 35 sets of the lining. I cut out 35 single pieces of the baby receiving blankets....all 12,1/2 x 12,1/2 inches. I took my also faithful 3,1/2 inch by 22 inch template and cut 2 strips for the handles.

For the fabric I used:   I spent this year collecting fabrics and the receiving blankets at my local thrift store. I"d get the blankets for 79 cents or 2/$.99. I can get 2 bags out of one blanket and sometimes 3, if the blanket is a bit larger. I found some near new sheets - Disney and Mickey Mouse. I found some near new curtains of Minnie Mouse and Mutent Ninja Turtles and some pillow case (Cars). With the pillowcases and sheets, I chose the image and placed the template over it to get just that specific image and cut it out so the image was on the front of the tote bag.  I also went through my stash and found a few fat quarters I used that. I tried to make 10 boys theme, 10 girls theme and 10 neutral...and added 5 of whatever theme. I just wanted to make to satisfy all!  If you would like better or more specific instructions or have a question...leave me a comment and I'll get back to you. Wednesday is 25% off day at the thrift store so I will start collecting for next year!!

 I cut 35 slot pieces...using the 12,1/2x12,1/2 template on a single fabric, I cut 12,1/2 x 10 inch piece and then folded it in half and positioned it on the bottom half of the bag front, folded edge going up, raw edge included in the bottom seam.

For the bag:     I placed a receiving blanket piece down, then the front, then the crayon slot piece. Using my sewing machine quilt measure attachment, I sewed straight lines from the top to the bottom and measuring 1 inch over each time, made 9-10 slots. Then sew the front to the back, matching right sides and leaving the top open.

For the lining:  I sewed the two pieces together, leaving top open and an opening in the bottom for turning right side out later

 

For the handles:   I took each strip and folded it in half and just sewed the side seam and turned right side out. This little life saving tool was my best friend! I turned those handles inside out in minutes! No more pushing with scissors or other pokey stick...just push through, pull out! I turned 70 units literally in about 2 minutes. Can't praise this enough! And for cutting the handles, I used this template...just so quick and easy for turning the handles. And... this is the ruler I use for cutting the handles. Again, quick and easy and they are all the same size. 



If you don't believe me on this Quick Turn Tool... check out my You Tube video about it! I swear, I love turning handles now!!!

A couple more designs. Frozen and the black one is glow in the dark star constellations! And from Cars...Tater is the back of Lightening McQueen above.

    
Thanks for stopping by and...keep on sewing those memories!


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