Wow! I can't believe it is the second week of November. Seriously, I am not even sure there was an October. At least that is how I feel. In all honesty, it wasn't the best month for me. So, in order to "bring the mojo back" and focus on all the wonderful blessings in my life...I decided that November would be a fantastic time to make a Gratitude Journal or Mini Album. I have seen so many beautiful mini albums this fall (and in the past) that inspiration struck and I couldn't wait to get busy.
Just recently, I received my me & my BIG ideas Design Team box too. Of course it was jam packed with so many inspiring products...perfect for this kind of project. I mean, LOOK at those gold glittery alphas above. Be still my beating (glitter loving) heart!
With gratitude on my mind and mambi goodies waiting to be used, I headed over to Hobby Lobby to find an album. I wasn't exactly sure what I wanted, but I knew I wanted to have some small pocket pages in the album. Well, let me tell you, as soon as I saw this Paper Studio 6x8 chipboard album I may have let out a joyous squeal. (Yes, art & scrapbooking supplies bring audible bursts of happiness. Ha!) The album only costs $6.99 (HELLO) and it was on sale at 40% or 50% off. Amazing deal, especially since it had 10 pocket style scrappy pages inside. Divine!
The best part about a chipboard album is that it can easily be altered. There is an endless list of fun things that can be done to jazz up the cover. Personally, I love kraft just the way it is. But, for this project I wanted to get messy and alter the cover. I used some white gesso and modeling paste on the outside of the album and decided to keep the inside plain.
After I was happy with the texture, I played around with stacking some beautiful mambiSHEETS paper with a white doily and some mambi Die Cuts. The stack was glued together and I used some alphaCHIPS and mambiSTICKS for the title. I added bits of gesso on the edges of the paper and added some thin twine (bakers) along the side. I really love how my Gratitude Journal turned out. I am going to have tons of creative fun reflecting on my many blessings this month. :)
| Journaling for the first page shown is behind the bottom card. I attached a little tab to the journal card and tucked it behind the other. The tab can be spotted on the right side. Sometimes, I like to keep the journaling hidden or make pocket scrapping more interactive. |
Here are a few of the inside pages. Since I plan on documenting my gratitude daily or every couple of days, I didn't want the inside pages to become too "involved." I wanted the process to be simplified, so I could focus on the thankfulness and not become overwhelmed. I think it did help that I spent some time (while watching the 2nd season of Downton Abbey) prepping the inner pages. I just added some pretty papers, journal cards, and a few embellishments beforehand. This makes the actually recording run much smoother.
Thank you SO much for stopping by! I'll be back later with more updates on my Gratitude Journal....plus updates from my shop (Holy smokes it's been awhile), prepping for my December Daily, Art Journal love, mambi Design Team projects, and plenty of fun for a creative Christmas!
Happy Creating,