Journal Entry: Weeks 8 & 9

The past two weeks have been busy and that's a good thing. Moving forward and toward our goals and vision is a very satisfying feeling. One thing I have to remember is it's not always the things I do, but often the things happening around me that get me where I need to be.

Over the years I've learned to pause and pay more attention to others instead of just focusing on my personal action items. I believe achieving your goals and vision is a combination of personal action and mindfulness. I'm learning to pay more attention to the people, ideas and inspiration that come into my life as I'm trying to get things done. This approach is a lot less self absorbed and a lot more satisfying. 

My journal entries for the past few weeks capture both the things I've personally accomplished and the things sent to me from the universe. I'm learning to take breaks, observe and be more patient. If you'd like to see more details about my journal entries, check out the video below:

Materials used in this week's entry:

Midori Notebook Insert 019 http://amzn.to/1Xt24Nx
Calligraphy Ink (Higgins black) http://amzn.to/1p2UwoL
Calligraphy Nib http://amzn.to/1R3B08c
Calligraphy Nib Holder http://amzn.to/1Qynrua
Washi Tape is MT brand
Rubber stamp is from Letter Writers Alliance

Please be advised that some of the links provided are affiliate links and I do receive a small commission if you make a purchase using those links.  This does not cost you any extra when you make a purchase. Thank you for your support. 

Make Your Journals and Notebooks Unique With a Cover

I've had several people comment on my Midori Traveler's Notebook inserts. I enjoy covering them with paper and ephemera sent to me from pen pals and friends. Using what I have makes the creative process more fun for me. I like to see if I can use items the universe sends and create a common look and feel. 

This past week, some beautiful new paper came to me from Christina at Girl About Downtown. It seemed like the perfect opportunity to share my simple notebook covering process. If you'd like to learn more about my covers, check out this video below:

Outgoing: Bird Mail

This week my outgoing mail theme is all about birds. I'm inspired by the collages of Lee McKenna. I first found her on Instagram. She does amazing things with paper and ephemera. 

Collaging is a great way to use up your supplies and ephemera. Usually, I collage in a notebook, but I had never thought to apply it to my outgoing envelopes and parcels. For this week's design I used a variety of materials around the house: an old Cavallini & Co calendar; a stack of vintage book pages; a box filled with items sent to me from pen pals; and postmarked bird stamps from old letters.  

I used small kraft bags to house a letter and various bird themed pen pal goodies. On the outside of the bag I used good old Mod Podge to paste a sheet of vintage paper and a stamp. My Letter Writers Alliance seal balanced out the design. From my tag stash, I pulled out patterns that were not my style and covered them with paper and bird images to make book marks. I was really pleased with the final product. This may become a continuing look for my future letters.