Journaling page tutorial & summer photos

i thought it'd be fun to take some photos of my pages as i put them together.  i love seeing how others' journal pages come together, so i thought i'd do the same. ;)   first, i start by adding washi tape to the edges of the pages to create a fun border. there's no rhyme or reason, although i tend to use darker or bolder colors to act as a kind of frame.  i also add scraps of paper to get rid of all the white space. 

paper i like to use:  old book pages, maps, tags, tissue paper (LOVE!!), scrapbook paper, etc.

i fill in smaller gaps with tinier pieces of scraps (like the ledger paper piece on the left).  then i start to add smaller images on top like decorative tags, childrens book illustrations, playing cards, and scrapbook die-cut images.

at this point, i start to add more tape.  i'll add bits of tape to some of the tags and images (to make it look like those things have been taped in).  also, i add tape to the borders of some of the paper pieces.  

then comes the "title" or a quote in large stickers and stamps.  i like to use scrapbooking letter stickers and large letter stamps.  

i also like to include the date somewhere on the page and then i'll journal all around.  or i might stamp a quote or part of a journal entry or a list in the larger areas.  well, that concludes part one!  i'll have to finish the page and show you what i came up with in the end.

meanwhile, i have been thoroughly enjoying taking photos with my android and using fun apps to alter them to look old and artistic!  above, i've used the app little photo.  and below i've used urban camera.

urban camera is so much fun.  and it's FREE!!  you can choose from 5 different "cameras" to take your photos and you get these instant, distressed images!  you can even choose from taking pictures in black and white or color on most of the cameras.

i think these make my photos look so much better! especially since the quality on my phone camera isn't the greatest.

it also saves me hours of time in photoshop or iphoto trying to get my photos to look "just right."

and it's just too much fun! :)  i'm going to print them out to see how they look.  i recently purchased a pogo portable printer (EEE!!!) and so far they print out really nice!  (i'll share my experiences with the pogo in another post soon!)

so fun and mysterious! i love it.

hope you are all enjoying this fabulous summer (or winter, if you're in the southern hemisphere!) :)  here's to another whole month and a half of warm weather, sun hats, cute bathing suits, flip flops, swimming, watermelon, and everything that is fun about summer! :)

life is good!

we are in the midst of summer!  the weather is really kooky this summer... hot, cold, hot, rain, cold, hot.  but we are enjoying all of it!  hot days mean more time in the pool, running through sprinklers, journaling in the shade, ice cream and eating out (too HOT to cook!) :)  the rain and cooler temps come just in time to rescue us from the heat.  and then it starts all over again!

been journaling up a storm, too.   above is a journal spread i did without any glue or adhesive!  all i had was my japanese masking tape and stickers and labels! but i did my best and a wonderful grid appeared! it just goes to show that you can do wonderful things with limited supplies!  just use what you have. ;)

i've been asked about my journaling method and i'm thinking it would be fun to do a whole tutorial blog post about it.  i've taken a lot of online courses that really helped me just get started.  i've taken several classes with hope karney and she really helped with fun prompts and ideas for layering and using fun materials like tape, labels, old paper, etc.

when it comes to what i journal about...usually i just spend a while creating a spread in my journal, not worrying about what will go where.  then i just start to free write.  usually just all about my day, what i'm doing or thinking at that exact moment.  nothing too complicated!

i journal a lot about my girls!  my journals have become a lot like scrapbooks (without photos--i'm working on that, though!)  i find it's just fun to document my everyday life.  it's the little details that we tend to forget over time.  

i must have a million different journals, too!  when i get bored or stuck in one, i move onto another.  so sometimes there are big gaps in between journal entries but that doesn't bother me.  and some journals get filled up really quick! i picked up the new smashbook by k & company.  it's spiral bound with a hidden spine and hardback cover.  it lays flat (a must for me!) and it comes in several different color schemes/themes.  they are loaded with all different kinds of paper and vintage inspired images.  it also comes with an awesome pen/glue stick so you're never without one or the other! :)

my older daughter loves to journal with me.  i picked her up a matching smashbook and signed her up for "kidding around" on big picture classes.  she wrote the note below for me to put in my journal.  so sweet!

summer is also a great time to take colorful photos.  there is so much daylight to enjoy and plenty of afternoon (de)light to take advantage of.  our outdoor picnics often include a cold, fresh fruit snack! yum!

what else can i say? :) life is good!!