Journaling with out a junk journal! It can be decorative AND simple!

I got tired of writing in a "junk journal".. or maybe I should say it just became to much to deal with to write in one with all the embellishments and decorative things. and the book not opening flat for writing on the pages and a few other issues. So in my new endeavor of branching out from "junk journaling" to just writing down  thoughts, memories, ideas etc, I found a new style of decorating pages. Washi tape, stickers (so no bulk) and a bound book! I always hated making the covers of a "junk journal" but if you put bulk embellishments in a bound book, you end up with "alligator mouth" journals.. which are also more trouble than they are worth! So in participating in several online craft groups, I discovered the perfect journal. Mildly decorated pages with just washi tape and stickers - and a bound book!  I got these amazing bound 6x8 books on sale at Michaels for $3.00!  Of course, I bought several!

Until I was able to collect some washi tape, I used pattern paper left over from the scrapbook days and cut strips of paper to make (what I call) "mock washi tape"! Then I realized... I can now print IN COLOR up to 100 pages a month and unlimited ink because of the ink program I am on.. and got the idea to print out images to mimic as stickers and glue on the page! So I scouwered Pinterest for images I wanted and copied them (as long as they didn't have a copyright issue) and made my own stickers!

Then, recently, when I was talking to my grand daughter and told her what I was doing, she mentioned that it was odd that we were on the same wave length, that she had recently been thinking that she thinks she wants to start to write things down too! Well, that was my cue! I had made her 2 "junk journals" and she never really got into writing in them, and I thought maybe it was because they were very distracting and overwhelming and more fun to look at than to write in, so I thought... why not a book like the one I made myself? Just mildly and simply decorated pages and plenty of room to write! This book is 8x9inches.

 So this is what I came up with. I really think she will like it and I really hope it will encourage her to just jot a little down every now and then! It's a start! I will be sending it to her next week, (we are on opposite sides of the country) and will wait for that phone call!!!  There are quite a few pages, so just scroll down and check it out! if you see any ideas or style you like, feel free to copy to your own book/journal!

The first page I wrote to her about why the book and what I hope for her..

 I used a daily devotional book I got at the thrift store and cut out phrases, including the person that said it. I used ones of people she would know... John Wayne(Her father is a HUGE JW fan!), Helen Keller. Eleanor Roosevelt, Albert Einstein, Ann Landers, JK Rowlings (she was a huge Harry Potter fan) and just a few good phrases and glued them to the pages.

Had these large stickers left over in my scrapbook stash... John Deere and puppies

This page has just a phrase of simplicity and then the washi tape. I did cut a few of each "girl" in the tape, made like a single person sticker and put them on the edges of the page....

  These are printed logo kind of pictures about home grown foods. 

 

She told me she wanted to do some traveling after she grads high school so I printed out some postmarks from various countries and decorated this page with them.. intending that it might encourage her to write down NOW what she hopes to do in the future and hopefully one day.. she can make it happen!

PLENTY of room for writing or even if she just wants to draw a picture or glue/tape something on the page!

This page is washi tape and some stickers I found at the Dollar Store

A post mark from Santa Claus... I did this page and wrote on it for her as every year I would write them letters from "Santa" and send them for a "Santa's Workshop, North Pole" postmark and every year she and her sisters each got a letter from santa So that is a memory I hope she keeps so I wrote about it on this page

So much space for her to write her own thoughts and memories.

As I got into the decoration of the pages, I thought to use things she liked.. she loves to read so I made this page with printed out books  - I usually choose the asethetic look of "looks real" instead of cartoony or drawing style. These stacks of books are "real" looking and I thought she could start a list of books she reads through high school on these 2 pages.

These mushrooms are off Pinterest and I just printed them out and did alot of "fussy cutting" and they are perfect "stickers"!

More Pinterest images!

I saw one lady in a group, doing decoration in the middle of the pages.. and thought.. "why not?" so this is what I did.. just printed out the image of the flowers, fussy cut them and glued them to the center of the pages. I have to say this is my favorite "style" or "way" to do a page!

More fussy cut images of retro signs.

Quick, easy and beautiful!  Just take coordinating washi tape and make different length and cut the end to look like the end of an "arrow" and line them on the page!

She loved hedgehogs so I printed these out and made cute little hedgehog in the lawn!

She likes Panda bears so this is 3 different images from Pinterest. The bamboo in one, the mushroom and then the bears.. all fussy cut and then put into a "scene" on the page!

So...hope you got some good ideas or some inspiration to keep on being creative and making journals! Memories fade in time.. no matter what anyone says! Keep them close.. write them down!!!

 

Thanks for stopping by and...keep on preserving those memories! Want to read more at Fabric and Memories? CLICK HERE
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Emily Junk Journal

I made this Junk Journal for my 8 year old grand daughter that is an outdoorsey kid. I am trying to teach my grand kids.. you don't need to sit and write pages .. write as much as you want.. but really, just a name, date and a sentence or two is enough to keep that memory for later! So far, they are not listening!! Enjoy the video and feel free to collect some ideas for your own! Most every thing in this journal is hand made, scrap/junk stuff I found. ... meaning... not much store bought or digi downloaded! Just stuff I had around the house or Dollar store

Thanks for stopping by and...keep on preserving those memories! Want to read more at Fabric and Memories? CLICK HERE
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Memories from the Past Junk Journal Part 1

I am making a junk journal of memories from my past.. starting with childhood. So many memories I know I have forgotten but I want to keep those I remember so I am putting them together.
I am also trying to get out of the structured, organized, in-order "box" I am in.. and trying to teach myself that things don't have to be perfect...just nice, fun to look at or just "there" to be used! I am making this junk journal in signatures, one signature at a time. I am doing good in that chronologically... I am not in order!  I figure... get it down before I forget! However, the signatures are seemingly being put in date order anyway! So that satisfies a little of my "need to be in order" demand... and making it easier to get out of that box!  This is part 1...the first signature of earliest years. Next signature (part 2) will be middle years and so on. I am finding I can make about a decade per signature! And.. if not in order... I don't care! I have the memory and that is all that matters! (I do date the memory tho!) So... hope you enjoy watching this and get some ideas and inspiration to preserve your memories!  Don't forget to subscribe if you want to follow along and leave me a comment if you want to! I would love to hear how you are preserving your memories!

This video is about making a single signature...and finishing that one, and then.. make another. When I have 3-4 signatures.. I will then bind them into a book

This video is "part 1" of how to get your memories on the page... and forget about organization and chronologically correctness! Just get them down!

Thanks for stopping by and...keep on preserving those memories! Want to read more at Fabric and Memories? CLICK HERE
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#5 Mini Junk Journal Done! For a teen girl!

FINISHED! DONE!!! FINALLY!!

My quest to make a mini junk journal for each of my 5 grand kids.. has been completed! 4 girls and 1 boy... all different ages, but still able to make them  with a little bit of theme they each like!

This is #5 - for my step grand son.. who is 17. I made him a larger one last year and he liked it, but I am pretty sure he isn't going to want a mini, but to be equal to all the kids... I made this one for him... to give to his girl friend!  What young girl wouldn't love one! She'll think he is great! Problem solved!

So I just did teenage 17 year old girl "theme" because I don't even know her but I am sure she will enjoy this mini junk journal.   3"x3"-ish in size. Being so small, it is hard to write on the actual page, so I put a pocket or tuck spot or paper clip on each page to you take the card/tag out...write on it, then tuck it back onto the page. Makes for easy writing!

Here is the video of it you you'd like to see the flip through.

What's next? At first I didn't like altered books but now... I had a sudden Epiphany! My issue was to write all my memories in my own handwriting so when the kids look back on them after I am gone, they will be touched by reading my actual handwritting...etc, etc, etc. Well, I finally realized... what about my memories? They are all fading because of my sloppy handwriting! SO...I decided to just type them out.. and put them on a page. Memories are now getting recorded and EVERYONE can read them!  So.. I used an altered book for the book and learned how to cut out the pages etc. Plus...when I am old and maybe with Alzhiemers...I can look at my own memories and remember, or if I don't know they are mine, I can have a nice "read" about a woman who had some great memories about her really great kids and grand kids!  SO... stay tuned ... join my blog to follow and get notice as soon as I have it done!










If you'd like to see the other 4 mini junk journals I made....here are the YouTube links...

Harry Potter Theme Mini Junk Journal
Mine Craft Theme Mini Junk Journal
Lace and Frills Mini Junk Journal
Elephants Theme Mini Junk Journal


Thanks for reading and watching and.... back to the scrap bin now!!!!


Thanks for stopping by and...keep on preserving those memories! Want to read more at Fabric and Memories? CLICK HERE
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Emily's Mine Craft Mini Journal

Emily's Mine Craft Mini Junk Journal

My grand daughter loves Mine Craft game, so when making her mini junk journal.. I thought I'd do the best I can (I know NOTHING about Mine Craft!) and try to include that theme into her junk journal.  I am making one for each of my grand daughters, and kind of a surprise so I can't ask to much without giving the surprise away!

 But my problem was...I only have a black ink printer so I couldn't print Mine Craft Images from the internet. So.. I decided, why make them for her.. let her make her own favorite characters! So I included smal (2"x3") squares of graph paper so she can draw her favorites herself! Then I added sticker letters for some of the characters and then.. just pages and embellishments that I thought she would enjoy. The video is below, but here are a few pages!   And YES!  It is a "chunky Monkey" style - my favorite style!

 One thing about making junk journals for kids... some aren't quite understanding how to use the junk journal. I am trying to get them to write about things.. memories, events etc so in their later years.. they will have those memories. But.. they tell me they forget to write, or don't know what to write, so I thought.. make it simple, easy and QUICK and they (hopefully) be more apt to use the journal.. and get the idea for later years when they do know what to write!

 So.. I just made small pages, small journaling cards/papers so they only have to write for instance, event name, date and a "this was so much fun" or something like that, then stick the little note card into a pocket or tuck spot!

So here is the video of Emily's Mine Craft Mini Junk journal. I made the pages 3"x5". I do tend to go over board and don't know when to stop adding things. I keep telling myself.. LET THEM fill it with what THEY want or that matters to THEM.. not me! Hopefully one day I will listen to myself!

If you like it, give it a thumbs up and leave a comment. Love hearing from everyone.. your likes or dislikes! That is how we learn! Join my blog here to follow (I don't put everything on YouTube!) and join to follow my You Tube channel (Junk Journals to Hold Your Memories) and I'll be posting from time to time. Thanks for stopping by!

Thanks for stopping by and...keep on preserving those memories! Want to read more at Fabric and Memories? CLICK HERE
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Junk Journal for my Grand Daughter with a K You Tube Video!

I have been working on 4 junk journals to give to my grand daughters. I am encouraging them to jot down their memories or favorite things or special thoughts and things that happen. Most people don't journal as they just don't have time to write a whole page or more. With a junk journal.. you don't have to spend alot of time if you don't want to! A junk journal  is all paper so you can literally write anywhere on the book pages! Pockets and tuck spots and envelopes...perfect for putting "things" in ...forget writing about a movie you saw...save the ticket that has the movie name, date on it and slide that into a tuck spot. Only writing you need to do is the name of the person you were with or why you liked the movie so much etc.    Anyway...I am coming down the home stretch in getting the four journals done. I now have them all with covers and stitched together.  I just have to decorate the covers and add the blingy dangles!

So...here is a video of what I have gotten done so far in the first one. This one is for my 16 year old grand daughter.  Take a look, get some ideas and I hope you enjoy the show!!! However, it is only my second video I have ever done, and holding the camera with one hand while flipping the pages with the other...a bit cumbersome, but...still...came out okay! I will be posting more videos as I get the other journals done, so if you want to follow me...make sure you join my blog in the upper left side of my main blog page or subscribe to my YouTube channel after you watch it! Thanks for watching!

Junk Journal for my Grand Daughter with a K

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

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Junk Journal for a Teen boy (masculine theme) Chris - Part 2

I have been working on getting junk journals for my grand kids to have when I relocate out of state so that they can keep some of their memories in a safe place. This one is part 2 of the one I made for my (almost) 16 year old grand son. He is a step grand son, so we are just getting to know each other so this journal is also one where he can take out what I use if he doesn't like it but still have the use of the page for things he does like. It is on YouTube.. but here it is also... hope you enjoy watching it, get some good ideas for pages and embellishments. A masculine theme  can be a little difficult sometimes, because manufactures seem to cater to the female theme more,but we crafters always find a way around that! 

Plus... this junk journal also includes embellishment from ...actual junk mail, some actual "things" that have been used, some cash - in unique form and description and how I used magazine pages as pages in the journal. So.. take a look! Let me know what you think!

If you missed (or want to watch again) Part 1....here it is!

Thanks for stopping by and...keep on preserving those memories! Want to read more at Fabric and Memories? CLICK HERE
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