January Garden Journal Pages for Happy Planner or Other Discbound Planners
Happy January, Crafty Friends!
In most of the United States, it’s now the dead of winter. Even if you’re an avid gardener, gardening might be the last thing on your mind. However, this month is a fantastic time to start planning this coming year’s garden — and making a garden journal to track your gardening successes and failures. If you haven’t already started a garden journal, now is the ideal time to do it.
When I am actively gardening, I habitually make garden journal pages to keep a record of what I did well (so I can repeat those successes) and about what went wrong (so I can tweak my approach the following year and hopefully fix whatever went wrong). I also like to keep a record of what I planted where, so that I can be sure to rotate crops effectively the next year. My garden journal also incorporates to-do lists that keep me on track on what needs to be done in the future.
If you maintain a garden journal, I’d love to know more about what you record in it and how it has helped you achieve your gardening goals. What do your garden journal pages look like? The floor is open for comments, so please feel free to ask questions or share insights in the comments area below.
Thanks so much for visiting! I truly appreciate your presence here.
Check Out These Free Step-By-Step Instructions for Making a Wedding Card With a Gift Card Holder Inside!
Hello, creative friends!
Today I’m guest designing for my super talented friend, Emily Moore. It’s possible that perhaps y’all already “know” Emily, too; her work is outstanding, and you’ve likely seen it posted around the internet at places like A Cherry on Top Crafts, where Emily is a design team member.
Another interesting fact about Emily: She recently decided to launch the Emily Moore Designs collection of paper craft supplies. So far, the collection includes dies, papers and stamps. If you’d like to try all of the above, you’ll want to check out her Card Maker’s Essential Bundle which enables you to get a “Happy Mail” package delivery of all Emily’s most popular items.
As part of my commitment to be a guest designer at Emily Moore’s website, I made three new wedding cards using her dies. Today, I’m sharing step-by-step instructions for the A2-sized, love-themed wedding card pictured below, but I hope you’ll check out the others, too (I’ve shared a pic of the others at the end of this post plus links to where you can find them on the internet).
Love Themed, A2-Sized Wedding Card With a Gift Card Holder Inside
Love-Themed Wedding Card Making Idea; This Wedding Card Features a Gift Card Holder Inside. You Can Make the Gift Card Holder Using a Die by Emily Moore Designs.
The Wedding Card Interior Featuring a Gift Card Holder:
Handmade Wedding Card With Gift Card Holder and Gift Card Inside
Supplies Needed for Crafting a Wedding Card Like This One
Die Cut Images Made Using the Card Sentiments Die Set by Emily Moore Designs Craft Supplies You’ll Need for This Card Making Project Include a Die Cutter, Dies, Patterned Papers, Paper Flowers, and Adhesive. I’ve Used Patterned Papers From Graphic 45’s PS I Love You Collection.
I recommend the following craft supplies for making these cards:
Patterned Papers: To get the look pictured here, use patterned papers from Graphic 45’s “PS I Love You” paper collection; however, be aware that there are many other paper collections available that could also give you amazing results.
Korker Ribbon: I bought the curly ribbon, known as “Korker ribbon,” from a vendor that sells supplies for making little girls’ hair accessories. I don’t think that particular supplier is still in business, but you can find plenty of similar korker ribbons for sale on Etsy. Also, you do not specifically need the curly ribbon for this card design; if you already have ordinary ribbon stashed, you can use what you have.
Black Ink Pad and / or Black Marker: I used black marker and / or Tim Holtz’s Distress Oxide in the Black Soot color for inking and drawing around most of the edges of my die-cut shapes and cut-out paper pieces on this card.
Flower and Butterfly Embellishments: You’ll need some flower embellishments and a butterfly embellishment to emulate the card design pictured here. There are many ways to achieve this look; you can stamp and die cut your butterfly, or you can buy a ready-made butterfly. For your flowers, you can die cut and assemble three-dimensional flowers, or you can buy pre-made flowers. If you want to go with the exact butterfly and flowers I used, check out Graphic 45’s PS I Love You flower assortment and paper flowers by 49 and Market.
White or Solid-Colored Cardstock: To make the gift card holder, you could use either patterned paper from your paper collection, or you could use white or light-colored cardstock that matches your patterned paper.
Using the tag die from Emily Moore’s Card Sentiment Die set, cut out 3 different tags, positioning the dies so that you get an appealing pattern from each.
Using the decorative scissors or a border die, cut out a border design to use along the lower edge of the card. Ink around the edges of the die cut shape with contrasting but matching ink.
Ink around the edges of your tags with an ink color that complements the colors of your patterned papers. Let the inky embellishments dry before using them.
To make your card front, cut one rectangle of patterned paper measuring 5 1/2″ by 4 1/4″, and a second, smaller rectangle in a contrasting color measuring 5″ x 3 3/4″. Ink around the edges of all these rectangles with a coordinating ink color to add visual interest. Then set the pieces aside in a spot where they will be undisturbed while the ink is drying, and move on to the next step: creating the card bases.
For each card base, cut a piece of patterned paper measuring 11″ x 4 1/ 1/2″. Score and fold down the middle so you end up with a card base measuring 5 1/2″ by 4 1/4″.
When the inked edges are dry, layer your patterned paper rectangles on top of each other and attach them to the card front with adhesive.
Attach your gift card holder shape inside the card.
Arrange your tags, flowers, butterfly, ribbon and other elements on your card front. When you’re happy with the placement, attach them to the card front with adhesive.
If you know who the card recipient is, personalize the card and place the gift card inside it. It is ready for giving.
Where to Buy Emily Moore Designs Dies and Other Craft Supplies:
There are two places I know of where you can buy Emily’s craft supplies:
If you need one-stop shopping for these dies plus other types of craft supplies, I recommend shopping at A Cherry on Top Crafts. At a Cherry on Top, they stock a broad range of supplies for paper crafts, fine art, needlecrafts and other crafts. You can grab the gift card holder die HERE, and the card sentiment dies HERE. I am a regular customer at A Cherry on Top and highly recommend them!
So that’s one possible wedding card making idea you can try. I’ll leave you with a picture showing this one plus a couple of other similar wedding card making ideas.
Handmade DIY Wedding Cards
Find More Wedding Card Making Ideas From This Series:
You’ll find the free step-by-step instructions for making the “Congratulations” A2-sized wedding card posted at Emily’s blog:
Please check back here tomorrow morning (Thursday, 12-21-2023) if you’d like to read the free tutorial on how to make the slimline wedding card pictured above.
For an overview of these projects, and more details on why you might want to select a gift card as a wedding gift instead of selecting a gift from the happy couple’s gift registry suggestions, you’re invited to check out the following post at my other website:
The floor is open for comments! So if you have questions or insights to share, you’re invited to drop us a comment and let us know what’s on your mind.
Thanks so much for your presence here, and for your interest in these projects.
More Paper Craft Projects Featuring Craft Supplies by Graphic 45:
There Are Zillions of Possible Ways You Could Make a Slimline Wedding Card. In This Post, I Offer Free Step-By-Step Instructions for Making a Slimline Wedding Card Using Emily Moore’s Card Sentiment Dies, Plus Patterned Papers From Graphic 45’s PS I Love You Collection.
Hello, crafters!
Today I’m sharing a project I created as part of a guest design gig I worked on for my super talented friend, Emily Moore.
Emily’s brand new collection of paper craft supplies is amazing! Emily’s product line consists of a versatile grouping of dies, papers and stamps. If you’d like to try all of the above, you’ll want to take a look at her Card Maker’s Essential Bundle, which enables you to easily receive all Emily’s most popular items.
As part of my commitment to be a guest designer at Emily’s website, I made three new wedding cards using her dies. Today, I’m sharing step-by-step instructions for the slimline wedding card pictured below, but I hope you’ll check out the others, too (I’ve posted a photo of the other card designs at the end of this post plus shared web links to where you can find these craft project ideas).
Slimline Wedding Card
Slimline Wedding Card Making Idea
Supplies Needed for Crafting a Wedding Card Like This One
Die Cut Images Made Using the Card Sentiments Die Set by Emily Moore Designs Craft Supplies You’ll Need for This Card Making Project Include a Die Cutter, Dies, Patterned Papers, Paper Flowers, and Adhesive. I’ve Used Patterned Papers From Graphic 45’s PS I Love You Collection.
I recommend the following craft supplies for making these cards:
Patterned Papers: If you have your heart set on getting the look pictured here, use patterned papers from Graphic 45’s “PS I Love You” paper collection; otherwise, feel free to choose other patterned papers that you love.
Black Ink Pad and / or Black Marker: I used black marker and / or Tim Holtz’s Distress Oxide in the Black Soot color for inking and drawing around most of the edges of my die-cut shapes and cut-out paper pieces on this card. The Black Soot color looks fantastic with the papers and embellishments from Graphic 45’s PS I Love You collection, but if you are using a different paper line, you’ll want to use an ink color and marker that complement the papers and embellishments you’re using; in that case, Black Soot might not be the right choice for that.
Flower Embellishments: You’ll need some flower embellishments to create a card similar to the one pictured here. If you want to use the exact flowers I used, check out Graphic 45’s PS I Love You flower assortment and paper flowers by 49 and Market.
Cardstock: You’ll need a paper to use for making your card base. This can be light colored, not-too-busy patterned paper or cardstock. I used Neenah Solar White 110 lb. Classic Crest Cover cardstock, which I highly recommend getting if you do not already have suitable cardstock or paper available in your craft supplies stash. There are many different cardstocks and papers that would work well for this, so use what you have if you have one that’ll work.
How to Make This Wedding Card:
Using the tag die from Emily Moore’s Card Sentiment Die set, consider where you will position the die on your patterned paper to get an appealing design. Emily’s tag die is designed with a “window” on it that allows you to see through to the paper underneath. This empowers you to easily place the die right where you want it, without having to guess if it’s in the right spot. I recommend moving the die around on your paper to get an idea of how your tag will look. Graphic 45’s cut-apart patterned papers give you many amazing options for making eye-catching tags.
Once you’ve selected a suitable design to be the tag’s focal point, cut out a tag.
Ink around the edges of your tag with an ink color that complements the colors of your patterned papers.
Use the other Card Sentiment Dies to cut other shapes and embellishments from patterned paper. Then ink around the edges of the die cut shapes with contrasting but matching ink. Let the inky embellishments dry before using them.
Die cut the mini slimline scalloped rectangle frame from patterned paper. You will use the inside piece and the middle piece, but not the outer piece; save that for some other project. When you attach these to the card front, you’ll turn the middle piece over to the back so you can use the contrasting designs together.
To make your card front, cut one rectangle of patterned paper measuring 3.5″ x 8.5″. Ink around the edges of the rectangles with a coordinating ink color to add visual interest. Then set the piece aside in a spot where the ink can dry undisturbed.
Cut another rectangle measuring 3″x8″ out of contrasting patterned paper. Ink around the edges and set the piece aside so the ink can dry.
For the card base, cut a piece of patterned paper measuring 7″ x 8.5″. Score and fold down the middle so you end up with a card base measuring 3.5″ x 8.5″”.
Layer your patterned paper rectangles on top of the card base and attach them both to the card front with adhesive.
Arrange your tag, flowers and other elements on your card front. When you’re happy with the placement, attach them to the card front with adhesive.
If you know who the card recipient is, personalize the card. It is ready for giving.
Where to Buy Emily Moore Designs Dies and Other Craft Supplies:
There are two places I know of where you can buy Emily’s craft supplies:
If you need one-stop shopping for these dies plus other types of craft supplies, I recommend shopping at A Cherry on Top Crafts. At a Cherry on Top, they stock a broad range of supplies for paper crafts, fine art, needlecrafts and other crafts. You can grab the gift card holder die HERE, and the card sentiment dies HERE. I am a regular customer at A Cherry on Top and highly recommend them!
So that’s one possible wedding card making idea you can try. I’ll leave you with a picture showing this one plus a couple of other similar wedding card making ideas.
Handmade DIY Wedding Cards
Find More Wedding Card Making Ideas From This Series:
You’ll find the free step-by-step instructions for making the “Congratulations” A2-sized wedding card posted at Emily’s blog:
For an overview of these projects, and more details on why you might want to select a gift card as a wedding gift instead of selecting a gift from the happy couple’s gift registry suggestions, you’re invited to check out the following post at my other website:
The floor is open for comments! So if you have questions or insights to share, you’re invited to drop us a comment and let us know what’s on your mind.
Thanks so much for your presence here, and for your interest in these projects.
More Paper Craft Projects Featuring Craft Supplies by Graphic 45:
November Garden Journal Pages for Discbound Planners Including Happy Planner, Tul and Arc
Happy November, Crafty Friends!
Did you plant a fall garden this year? Or, if you planted a spring and summer garden, did you enjoy a bountiful harvest? If so, I hope you harvested a satisfying variety of pumpkins, gourds, herbs, flowers, and other crops.
Have you been keeping a garden journal to track your gardening successes and failures? If you haven’t already started, now is the ideal time to create a garden journal while all the details are still fresh in your mind. By planting time next year, you might have forgotten some of the details about what you did and how you did it.
Sadly, I didn’t plant a garden this year. 🙁 But when I am actively gardening, I habitually make garden journal pages to keep a record of what I did well (so I can repeat those successes) and about what went wrong (so I can tweak my approach the following year and hopefully fix whatever went wrong). I also like to keep a record of what I planted where, so that I can be sure to rotate crops effectively the next year. My garden journal also incorporates to-do lists that keep me on track on what needs to be done in the future.
If you maintain a garden journal, I’d love to know more about what you record in it and how it has helped you achieve your gardening goals. What do your garden journal pages look like? The floor is open for comments, so please feel free to ask questions or share insights in the comments area below.
Thanks so much for visiting! I truly appreciate your presence here.
FREE Video Tutorial on Making an Easy Pocket Page Scrapbooking Layout for Beginners to Paper Crafting
Update 11-2-2023: When I originally made the video for this project and shared this blog post, I was waiting for some of my photos to put in the photo pockets for the left-hand side of the spread. I didn’t have the entire two-page layout ready to show you at that time. However, I just finished the left-hand side of the page, so I’m updating this post to show you how both pages look together. The video only covers the right-hand side of the page, but as you can see, the left-hand side is easy; it’s mostly photos in the photo pockets with just a little bit of extra embellishing.
6×8 Sailing Themed Pocket Page Scrapbooking Layout Featuring Supplies by Graphic 45, Altenew, Pinkfresh Studio, Simple Stories and Tim Holtz for Ranger Industries
Free Video Tutorial for How to Create This Sailing Themed 6”x8” Pocket Page Scrapbooking Layout
My husband, Mike, and I sailed from Colonial Beach, Virginia all the way to the Mediterranean region in a 10 meter / 34’ sailboat called Viva. I’m making a series of mini scrapbook albums to document the experiences from our journey.
This is a pocket page scrapbooking layout that I created to fit in a 6”x8” page protector made by Scrapbook.com. This configuration features two 3”x4”pockets stacked on top of each other on the right-hand side of the page and one taller 3”x8” pocket on the left-hand side of the page.
On the facing page is another pocket page; the page is mostly made up of photos in pockets, and I didn’t do much embellishing to them. So on this page, I’m going to devote most of the space to journaling blocks so I have space to write about all the photos from both pages.
This layout is a super easy paper crafts project that is reasonably quick to put together. If you want to try making a scrapbooking layout similar to this one, you’ll need a photo, a 6”x8” page protector, a 6”x8” album to put your page in, some adhesive, and whichever pretty papers and embellishments you’d like to use for telling your story.
I used stamps, inks, a die cutter, and dies to use for decorating my pages, but these are not necessities. You might prefer to use stickers, washi tapes or actual memorabilia from your life; I think it’s better to use embellishments from your actual adventures, in cases where you have them, than purchasing ready-made embellishments. You can embellish your pages from meaningful things in your life; use items like concert tickets or theater tickets from an event you attended, bits of confetti from a wedding or party you went to, or bits of dried botanicals saved from a bouquet your sweetheart gave you.
Below, I’ve provided a complete list of supplies I used in case you want to duplicate any of the elements shown on this page; however, there are many other options that would probably be better suited to complement your photos when you document your own life experiences. So please use the supplies that would work best for you.
Craft Supplies You’ll Need for Duplicating This Scrapbooking Layout:
Craft Supplies for Making a 6×8-inch Pocket Page Scrapbooking Layout Featuring a Sailing Photo and Ocean-Themed Scrapbooking Supplies Stamps Needed for Making the Sailing Themed Pocket Page Scrapbooking Layout Ink Pads for Making This 6×8-Inch Pocket Page Scrapbooking Layout
Full Disclosure: Some (but not all!!) of the products I used to make this layout were provided to me for free by Graphic 45, Pinkfresh Studio and Scrapbook.com. I love all 3 of these companies’ products and typically pay the usual asking price for them; I am not recommending them because I got them for free, but because they are absolutely perfect for my projects and because I really, truly, wholeheartedly love them!!
Also, please be aware that the links I’ve used in this post are affiliate links. What that means: I will make a small commission, at no additional cost to you, if you click through these links and make a purchase. My heartfelt thanks to the many readers who support this blog with your purchases! I am truly grateful!
Ordinary Lined Paper: I grabbed an unused piece of lined note paper from an old planner; you can use any paper with grids or lines that would work for the journaling you have in mind for your page.
Put a Photo in the Upper Right-Hand Page Protector:
This pocket page layout features a picture of me that Mike took of me standing on the deck of our boat with the sails down. I put this picture in the upper right-hand pocket of the page. Easy peasy! But you can embellish your photo if you like; sometimes if I have a photo with lots of “dead space” in it, I’ll adhere a stamped embellishment, a sticker or a group of enamel dots onto it to dress it up a bit. In this case, I just put the plain picture into the pocket protector and called it good.
How to Make the 3″x4″ Journaling Block to Put in the Lower 3″x4″ Pocket:
In the lower right-hand pocket, I made a layered journaling block. Follow these steps to make a similar journaling block for your own layout:
Make the Lower Layer: Cut a piece of patterned paper to 3″x4″ and ink around the edges with a coordinating ink color. I used the “Sail Away” paper from Graphic 45’s 8″x8″ “Sun Kissed” Collector Edition pad, but you can use any patterned paper you like.
Make the Middle Layer: Cut a piece of solid-colored cardstock to 2.5″ x 3.5″ and ink around the edges with a coordinating color. I used a piece of cardstock from the “Warms” collection by Scrapbook.com and “Carved Pumpkin” Distress Oxide ink by Tim Holtz for Ranger Industries.
Make the Upper Layer: Stamp a journaling block image and a sentiment together onto the same piece of white cardstock using a dark color of ink. I used Altenew’s Sapphire ink for this (not pictured). The stamps I used are Altenew’s Journal Card Builder stamp set (now discontinued) and Altenew’s Magical Memories Outlines Stamp Set. Die cut the stamped cardstock into an interesting shaped journaling block. I used one of the label dies from Echo Park’s Happy Day Labels Die Set, but there are many other dies that could work for this.
You can add emphasis around the edges of the die-cut shape by drawing around the edge with a marker; however, I recommend doing this with a marker that is getting dried out and close to the end of its life, because this technique can wreak havoc on your markers. You don’t want to wreck a brand new, expensive marker by doing this.
Tape the 3 layers together, complete your journaling, and add the journaling block to your page protector.
How to Make the 3″x8″ Journaling Block:
To fill the pocket that extends down the entire left-hand side of the page, I made a separate layered journaling block using the “Turtle Time” patterned paper from Graphic 45’s Sun Kissed 8”x8” Collector’s Edition Pack, plus a die-cut frame, die cut ephemera, stamped images and stickers.
Follow these steps to make a similar journaling block:
Cut your background paper to 3″x8″.
Ink around the edges of your background paper and set it aside until the ink is thoroughly dry.
Attach a border sticker close to the upper edge of the background paper. I used a cardstock sticker from Graphic 45’s “Make a Splash” collection, but there are many outstanding border stickers or similar embellishments like washi tape that you could use for this.
Make two die cut pieces using Pinkfresh Studio’s Mini Slimline Stitched Scalloped Rectangles: You’ll make the inner piece using ordinary lined paper and the frame piece using the Graphic 45 “Make a Splash” navy blue paper, or the papers of your choice. Attach them at an angle to the background paper using paper-friendly adhesive.
Stick a sticker at the lower edge of the framed journaling block. I used a sticker that says “Sail Away” from the Simple Vintage Seas sticker book by Simple Stories.
Stamp a sentiment, cut it out and attach it near the top of your journaling block. I stamped “Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway” on white cardstock using Weathered Wood Distress Ink.
Stamp an oval label using “Carved Pumpkin” Distress Oxide. Allow it to dry.
Stamp a sentiment using “Pearlescent Sky Blue” Brilliance ink onto the stamped oval label image. Allow it to dry.
Cut out the stamped oval label image using your decorative scissors or the die that corresponds to your oval label stamp.
Attach your stamped sentiments and die-cut embellishments to your background paper, layering them over each other and over the other elements on the paper.
Complete your journaling and put the finished journaling block in its pocket.
Finishing Touches for This Pocket Page Scrapbooking Layout
I have a love/hate relationship with pocket page scrapbooking. I really love the ease and simplicity of this approach to scrapbooking, but there are a couple of things about it that drive me bonkers. First, I hate it that you can see the page beneath the one you’re looking at through the seams of the pockets. And second, I sometimes get annoyed at the rigidity of the grid-style layouts.
There’s a simple solution for both of these annoyances: Don’t feel limited to sticking your page elements inside the pockets. You can embellish outside the pockets, too. Once I figured this out, I started to enjoy pocket page scrapbooking a LOT more.
On this page, after all three of my pockets were filled, I stuck a sticker strip in between the two 3″x4″ pockets.
I didn’t stick any stickers overtop of that other gap between page elements because I still have to make a layout for the other side of this page protector, and I will need to use the opening to add stuff to the other side. The jury is out on whether I will stick more stickers overtop of this opening or leave well enough alone. We’ll see how it goes!
So go ahead and stick some extra stickers on the outsides of your pockets if you want to (or not). Just don’t block the opening to the other side if you want to have a layout on the back of your page.
Voila! Your pocket page scrapbooking layout is now complete. I hope you’ll enjoy adding it to your scrapbook and reliving your memories as you look at it.
Thanks so much for taking a look at my project. I hope you enjoyed it, and I appreciate your interest!
Find More Sailing and Travel Themed Scrapbooking Projects:
Seas the Day 6×8 Pocket Page Scrapbooking Layout Featuring Beach, Sailboats, and Seagulls
Enjoy the Journey Sailing Themed Scrapbooking Layout by Amy Solovay
Road Trip to Colonial Beach — A Travel-Themed 6×8 Scrapbooking Album Featuring Nautical and Road Trip Themed Layouts
