I am revisiting the idea of micro journaling, not because I didn’t keep up – but because I filled up every single page of my last journal.

Micro journaling is so easy. Nothing profound needs to be written (although some great revelations have occurred). The prompts are provided and are repetitive so you don’t have to think much before documenting a day in your life. Thanks to the ease of keeping up, I now have a treasury of micro memories to leaf through.

Here’s how you can make one for yourself:

Supply

• Free printable: Front | Back [right-click on the link and opt for "save target as"]
• Cardstock – I cut each 12″ by 12″ piece into 6 photo-sized pieces. Use as many as you wish – the thicker, the better.
• Chipboard – you need 2 pieces measured: 4″ by 6″ each.
• Hole punch – to punch through the chipboard I use the crop-a-dile.
• Patterned paper – to cover the chipboard. I used Basic Grey’s Out Of Print paper.
• Letter stickers – for the cover. I used American Crafts’ fabric Thickers.
• Adhesive – I used tape adhesive to adhere the paper and liquid adhesive to secure the letter stickers.
• Book binding rings – to bind the journal. You can also use thread or ribbon, but leafing through will go less smoothly.

how-To

1. Cut the cardstock to size. First cut the cardstock in half, to 6″ by 12″ then cut each strip at 8″ and 4″, to make 6 pieces, measured 4″ by 6″ each.
2. Feed the stack of cut cardstock through your printer, the same way you would put photo paper to print photos at home. I found that using the software that came with the printer is better then using the default printer driver. Start by printing the front page on all pages, then flip the pages (back-side-front) but keep the same orientation they had when you printed the fronts (up-side-up). You might want to try it on a demo page before printing on all your pre-cut cardstock.

   In case you cannot use 4″ by 6″ paper with your printer, or if you simply don’t want the hassle, you can just send the 4″ by 6″ files you downloaded to your favorite printing-service.

3. Punch the holes, as marked on the printable. I use the bigger setting in my Crop-a-Dile and align the bottom of the punch with the bottom of the marked circle, to stay farther from the edge.
4. Cut the chipboard to size. The best tool for it is a plain box-cutter… But any sharp knife will do.
5. Cut the patterned paper to size and adhere to the exposed chipboard.
6. Adhere the letter stickers to the cover. I put a dab of liquid glue on each letter, despite using self-adhesive letter stickers, to secure it in place. After all, it is a journal that is meant to be used – often.
7. Bind all the pages together with the book binding rings and start recording.

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Check out Creativity Prompt’s self paced workshop: “Capture Your Dream”. In this workshop you will capture, follow and make your dream come true as well as document your journey in a fabulous mixed media mini album.

My husband thinks it’s silly but I think it’s super-duper cute, you’ll be the final judges…

Supply

• 5 business envelopes
• Fabric (a 12″ by 6″ scrap will do)
• Chipboard
• Dry adhesive
• Strong liquid glue – I used Mod Podge dimensional magic, but you can also use Glossy Accents or Diamond Glaze.
• Patterned papers – I used Basic Grey’s Hopscotch 6 by 6 pad exclusively.
• Scissors

Step by Step Instructions

Start by folding each envelope in half and then cutting the edge of the envelope’s flap, in an angle, at the half point.

This is how your envelope will look like after its flap was cut.

Next, channel your inner seamstress, stack all the envelopes together and sew the spine at the crease line. You can also pierce 2 holes in the spine and tie it by hand with an embroidery floss, or fasten it with a staple. Sewing is the fastest way to assemble the signature, even for me (you will understand that remark shortly).

This is how your envelope stack will look like, if you are a terrible seamstress. Just like me. Who had to put it through the machine several times… I assume you may only be better than I am at that, because I am the worst, ever.

If you have sewing accidents… fix the spine with a layer of strong liquid glue.

Or just secure the pages with a folded piece of patterned paper that you adhere to both pages’ edges.

Now let’s move on to the cover, shall we? Given that you use business envelopes, cut 2 pieces of chipboard at 4½” by 5″ each. If you use any other envelope, just cut the cover a bit larger than the size of half an envelope (because they will be folded in half).

Then Choose your cover fabric. I had this fat quarter collecting dust and just waiting for this project. So I used it. Use any scrap that covers both pieces of chipboard, a spine and then some.

This is the ratio of fabric/ cover. Just so you will get the hang of it. Cut each edge at a triangle and adhere the flaps to the inner part of the cover with strong liquid glue. You can be messy, it will all be concealed momentarily.

Now, attach your sewed signature by applying a generous amount of liquid glue and adhering to the inner part of the cover. Do it one side at a time and be careful of unwanted spills that may ruin your envelope pockets. Because we use envelopes to embrace and utilize their pockets, right? right.

Embellish and place top secrets and cherished memories in the pockets.

Done.

[Are you still with me or were you lost due to the length of this unearthly post? Please comment and tell.]

Check out Creativity Prompt’s self paced workshop: “Capture Your Dream”. In this workshop you will capture, follow and make your dream come true as well as document your journey in a fabulous mixed media mini album.

Check out Creativity Prompt’s new and unique self paced workshop: “Welcome Little One”. This workshop will provide you with everything you need, and then some, to make a fabulous handmade mini album to record the first moments of a new born baby.

Introduction

Hi, I’m Monika Wright and I’m so pleased to be guest hosting here at Creativity Prompt. I have used Avital’s downloads and have even been featured here on the blog before!

I love the fact that I can capture memories in a format that is lovely and pleasing to the eye. While I do create scrapbook layouts, my first love is really the mini-album. I love that I can create little snippets of our family history in a format that is user-friendly…no one minds flipping through a mini whereas it is somewhat more difficult to pull out the 12×12 scrapbook.

Snapshots In Time

A new year is almost upon us, can you believe it? With a new year, it almost always has us thinking of new ways to reinvent ourselves, to make ourselves better versions of who we already are. With that in mind, I’m sharing with you today a mini-book to help you track your progress throughout 2011.

There are a number of options for this lovely little journal and I’d like to suggest a few ways you might want to use the downloads I’ve designed for you. These and other downloads are all available in the sidebar of my blog. I’m using this mini-album kit from my Etsy shop as the base for my journal.

A sweet way to track and remember the monthly milestones of your newborn baby:

Never forget birthdays again! Use these pages as a place to permanently record important birthdates and anniversaries:

Resolutions? Weight loss goals? Highlight your monthly accomplishments as a reminder of how strong you really are:

Journal your One Little Word each month {my word is JOY} or even Gratitudes:

Jot family highlights each month as they happen and include photos adhered back-to-back:

School related topics:

Begin this journal at the start of the school year and highlight the activities, achievements and milestones of your student

Use it to chronicle the months leading up to your child’s Senior Year of high school

Special Offer

I didn’t purchase anything extra for this journal, using items from my stash and the kit from my Etsy shop. If you purchase a kit, please let me know you saw this tutorial on Creativity Prompt and I will include lots of the little extras that you see here in this tutorial, including the four colors of baker’s twine from The Twinery. Thanks so much for letting me share my project with you today and I hope you’ll have an opportunity to stop by to get your downloads {the downloads begin with “month in review” }.

Check out Creativity Prompt’s new and unique self paced workshop: “Welcome Little One”. This workshop will provide you with everything you need, and then some, to make a fabulous handmade mini album to record the first moments of a new born baby.

Supply

• Cardstock
• Patterned paper [I used specialty paper by Cloud 9 Design]
• Punch
• Paper piercer
• Embroidery floss and a needle
• Gems
• Liquid glue
• Glue pen [you can also use a glue stick]
• Greeting stamp and ink [I used Mixed Messages and Pure Poppy inkpad by Papertrey Ink]

How To

[Go here to watch on YouTube and while there, please rate, comment and subscribe.]

Step by Step Instructions

1. Cut you cardstock at 4¼” lengthwise and fold in half to create your card base.
2. For each ornament, punch 5 punched pieces of patterned paper and fold each one in half.
3. Adhere only one half of the punched piece to the second one, making sure the edges are aligned and repeat on all five punched pieces.
4. Repeat for all the ornaments you want to add to your card.
5. Decide how you want to lay your ornaments on your card and pierce a hole on top of each ornament and another hole on the fold of the card in a straight line above each ornament.
6. Thread your embroidery floss through both pierced holes and tie at the bottom, close to the top of each ornament.
7. To secure the knot, apply a glob of a strong liquid glue on each knot and attach a gem to it, to conceal the glue.
8. Adhere the ornaments below each knot.
9. Stamp your greeting.

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What holidays are you celebrating in the next couple months? I am really excited about Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights. Share yours by leaving a comment below.

Check out Creativity Prompt’s new and unique self paced workshop: “Make Your Own Planner”.
This workshop will show you how to make a beautiful handmade planner for the year 2012. Not only are you going to get the entire meticulously designed planner kit for instant download, but you will also get a high resolution video tutorial as well as step-by-step instructions to guide you on each step of the way. Either treat yourself with a fresh and creative start for the coming new year, or get it to create wonderful gifts for your family and friends.
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Thanksgiving Day is quickly approaching and I thought that a great way to give thanks is to collect all the things and all the people we are grateful for and write about them in a mini journal.

This Giving Thanks journal is what I came up with. It is 4″ by 6″ so it fits perfectly with 4″ by 6″ standard size photos and therefore quick and easy to put together.

I made the journal kit for you and created a video showing you how to put the journal together – in REAL TIME. You wouldn’t believe how easy it is to make.

Feel free to use it as many times you need, for personal use only and don’t forget to link back here, if you show your project online

The Journal Kit

To download each of the journal pages – right click on the link below and opt for “save target as”:

1. Cover page. [Print once on 4" by 6" piece of cardstock]
2. Insert page. [Print as many time as you want, on 4" by 6" paper. You can also use the backside of your photos to print on]

Supply

• Cardstock – to print the journal pages on. You can also use patterned paper or the back side of your photos for the inner pages. Each sheet of 12″ by 12″ patterned paper yields 6 pieces of 4″ by 6″ paper.
• Cover pieces – I used 4″ by 6″ transparency and 4″ by 6″ piece of chipboard.
• Hole punch
• Small binding rings (or ribbon, twine, etc.)
• Pencil

How To

[Go here to watch on YouTube and while there, please rate, comment and subscribe.]

Step by Step Instructions

1. Print the journal pages. You need 1 cover page and as many inserts as you please. It is simpler to first cut all the pages to 4″ by 6″ and then use them with your printer, the same way you would use photo paper.
2. Punch all the punching holes by aligning the black punching marks with your hole punch. Make sure both the mark and the hole punched are centered together – then punch.
3. To punch the chipboard piece (and your insert photos) align any of the punched pages with the chipboard piece and mark all the holes with a pencil. Then repeat the previous step with the chipboard.
4. Put together all your pages and bind with the binding rings.

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What are you thankful for this year?

This layout is of my 7 year-old niece and her friends playing dress up.

These pictures remind me how every time I put on a costume (Halloween, anyone…) it makes me feel like I am also getting super powers.

By dressing up as a princess I can also call upon the stars and make a wish.

Have you ever felt that way too?

Anyhow, this is why I thought these photos will be perfect to be used in conjunction with Karla Dudley’s newest kit “Wish”. [UPDATE: Karla's kit is no longer available, but she offers all the digital patterned papers from the kit as a FREE download on her blog.]

Have you made a wish lately?

If not, now is the perfect time to do so.

Just because.

I also wanted to show you how I used the transparent frames that came with the kit, and more precisely – how I fit the photos to the frames.

You can use the same technique to any transparent digital element that you want to use as an overlay.

How To

[Go here to watch on YouTube and while there, please rate, comment and subscribe.]

Check out Creativity Prompt’s new and unique self paced workshop: “Make Your Own Planner”.
This workshop will show you how to make a beautiful handmade planner for the year 2012. Not only are you going to get the entire meticulously designed planner kit for instant download, but you will also get a high resolution video tutorial as well as step-by-step instructions to guide you on each step of the way. Either treat yourself with a fresh and creative start for the coming new year, or get it to create wonderful gifts for your family and friends.
Join now

I always last after beautifully composed photos of beautiful tape.

But I don’t have any of them beauties.

I guess their price doesn’t translate well when I think of their utility…

Then, you can imagine my utter delight when I stumbled upon this DIY Deco Tape Tutorial by my favorite diy-er, Sara.

As my doodling skills are not as impressive as Sara’s, I immediately thought of using patterned paper strips with Mod Podge. It is so easy and the result is quite pleasing.

Although it doesn’t look exactly like “the real deal”, it is very close to it and much more affordable, not to mention – more flexible as for what colors/patterns you’ll be using.

Don’t stop there, you can also ink the tape, stamp on it or just leave it as is and boost its confidence with some pep talk… (Where am I going with that?)

Supply

• Plain masking tape
• Mod Podge
• Patterned paper – use whatever you have at hand, even plain newspapers.
• Non stick mat.
• Foam brush
• Water mister
• Optional – distress ink and perfect pearls.

How To

[Go here to watch on YouTube and while there, please rate, comment and subscribe.]

Step by Step Instructions

1. Measure the width of the tape you’re using and cut paper strips, the same width as the tape.
2. Prepare the strips by inking them with distress ink (optional) and conditioning them with water. To do that saturate the strips with a couple spritzes of water using a mister. To add some sheen I added 2 tiny scoops of golden perfect pearl medium to the tap water, but that’s optional too. Blot the excess water with paper towels.
3. When the strips are completely dry, temporarily adhere the masking tape, in the length of your choice, to a non-stick mat.
4. Apply a layer of Mod Podge to the tape – not too thin and not too thick – and adhere the paper strips to it. Apply more glue, if necessary. Eliminate all air bubbles by applying pressure with your finger on top of the paper strips. Use your finger, as if it was a brayer. Then let it dry – COMPLETELY.
5. Apply a second, top layer, of Mod Podge. Apply it generously – it will be used as a sealer. Let it dry COMPLETELY.
6. Remove the excess glue by going over it with your fingers and peel off the tape from the non stick mat. Transfer the tape to a non stick sheet you use in the kitchen. You can also roll them against a round handle (the brush’s handle is perfect for that) to make your own tape-roll.

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Do you work with deco tape? What do you use it for? Please share by leaving a comment.

Check out Creativity Prompt’s new and unique self paced workshop: “Make Your Own Planner”.
This workshop will show you how to make a beautiful handmade planner for the year 2012. Not only are you going to get the entire meticulously designed planner kit for instant download, but you will also get a high resolution video tutorial as well as step-by-step instructions to guide you on each step of the way. Either treat yourself with a fresh and creative start for the coming new year, or get it to create wonderful gifts for your family and friends.
Join now

It didn’t take me long to come up with another carfty recycling project. After all, making mini books and albums is much more fun then carrying all the empty boxes that arrive each week from Amazon to the recycling bin, isn’t it? (I refuse to admit I have an ACOD – ‘Amazon Compulsive Ordering Disorder’… Plus one of them boxes must be my husband’s me thinks.)

Anyway…

Here is another recycling project I share with you, in which I transform 5 small lunch bags and a small box into a super cute shabby mini album with room for memorabilia, ephemera, photos, hidden journaling and what not.

Supply

• box
• 5 lunch bags (or as many as you want…)
• Patterned papers – I used Crate Paper ‘Restoration” paper as well as vintage Basic Grey.
• Mod Podge
• Foam brush
• Craft knife
• Centering ruler
• Crop-a-dile
• Ribbon
• Adhesive

How-To

[Go here to watch on YouTube and while there, please rate, comment and subscribe.]

Step-By-Step Instructions

1. Adhere the flap of the lunch bag, inwards, by applying adhesive just to the edges of the flap, so you create a small pocket. Fold in half and repeat with all the bags.
2. Measure the height and width of the folded bag and cut the cover pieces to the same size out of the box, using a sharp craft knife. Don’t apply pressure on the knife, just use shallow back and forth movements with the knife until the cardboard is separated.
3. Cover the cover pieces with patterned paper – start by applying a thin but thorough layer of Mod Podge with a foam brush. Adhere the paper onto the cardboard. Flip the piece and cut off the excess paper by using the edges of the cardboard as a straight edge for your craft knife. Lastly, apply a thick layer of Mod Podge to seal it off. Repeat on both sides of both cover pieces.
4. Cover the inside pages of the lunch bag signatures with patterned paper, make sure you keep the flap pockets opened.
5. Measure 1 inch above and below the center point of the edge of the cover and mark it. Punch holes through these tick marks and repeat on all pages and the back cover.

Check out Creativity Prompt’s new and unique self paced workshop: “Make Your Own Planner”.
This workshop will show you how to make a beautiful handmade planner for the year 2012. Not only are you going to get the entire meticulously designed planner kit for instant download, but you will also get a high resolution video tutorial as well as step-by-step instructions to guide you on each step of the way. Either treat yourself with a fresh and creative start for the coming new year, or get it to create wonderful gifts for your family and friends.
Join now

After making yesterday’s cards I felt inspired to play around with Hero Arts’s Circle Doily cling stamp some more. Plus, in the meantime I got invited to another birthday party of a very dear friend…

Then again, do I really need a reason to make another card? I didn’t think so either.

This time I thought I will use autumnal colors to indicate the season.

Supply

• Stamps – Circle Doily cling stamp, Friend Definition cling stamp, Happy Greetings clear acrylic stamp – all by Hero Arts.
• Cardstock – Bazzill kraft and American Crafts Earth Tones cardstock pack.
• Ink – Versamark and Distress Ink in Antique Linen.
• Embossing powder – Ranger.
• Tools – Corner Chomper, Precision scissors, Heat tool.
• Other - string, paper flower, jewel.

How To

1. Start by cutting and folding the card base (cut at 8½” by 5½” and fold at 4¼”).
2. Stamp the big definition stamp on the card base with a very light ink color (Antique Linen).
3. Stamp the doily with Versamark ink on the red cardstock and pour over some white embossing powder. Tap off the excess and heat emboss with a heat gun.
4. Cut around the doily with precision scissors and adhere to the card’s front.
5. Cut a small slit on the card’s fold and feed a string through it, make sure both end will “meet” at the front of the card.
6. Feed the ends through the flower, add a couple foam adhesive dots to the flower for an extra hold and adhere in place.
7. Feed the ends through the button holes and tie in a bow. Secure the bow with a dot of clear adhesive and conceal the adhesive with a gem.
8. Stamp the greeting with white embossing powder on the same red cardstock. Apply embossing powder. Tap off the excess powder and heat emboss.
9. Cut around the greeting, leave some more room at the end pointing inwards and round both corners of that end with a corner rounder. Adhere in place.

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What is your favorite stamp or stamping technique? Do you rather make cards without any stamping involved? Please share your opinions and thoughts by leaving a comment.

Check out Creativity Prompt’s new and unique self paced workshop: “Welcome Little One”. This workshop will provide you with everything you need, and then some, to make a fabulous handmade mini album to record the first moments of a new born baby.

The Story

You know how much I love recycling and turning my trash into treasure so it’s no surprise that I came up with this project after my bathroom got filled with empty boxes of soap.

When Amy from Mod Podge Rocks e-mailed me and asked if I wanted to use some of the Plaid products on my future projects I knew this mini book idea would be perfect for the test run. The funny thing is that just before Amy e-mailed me, I already bought a huge bottle of Mod Podge Gloss for paper just the week before so I had a chance to try out 2 other products that got sent to me by the company: Mod Podge Hard Coat and Mod Podge Sparkle.

I really, really, really loved the Mod Podge Hard Coat. I initially chose it for another project. I accidentally ruined a set of coasters I had and thought the Hard Coat formula will be perfect to restore them. However I used this as a top coat for the mini book and it is amazing. It is a bit thicker than the original formula and it dries clear into a hard coat (just as its name suggests…) that seals the cover and secure the binding of the book. I really recommend this for book makers.

The Sparkle formula has fine glitter in it and it adds a fun glittery top coat to any surface. What i like about it is that it adds the glitter without the mess that usually goes with it… You just need to apply it with a foam brush and the glittery particles doesn’t rub off of it after it dries up.

The recycled mini book can be made out of any box, of any size, so I purposefully left out exact measurement, so you can use the same technique on any empty box that comes your way.

So if you feel like playing along and learn how to make this recycled mini book, keep on reading.

Tools and Supply

This project uses MINIMAL supply, as it’s mostly recycled.

• Empty cardstock or chipboard box.
• Scraps of paper for the signatures (each insert much be double the width of the cover and the same height)
• Mod Podge Paper Glossy
• Mod Podge Hard Coat (optional, but HIGHLY recommended to secure the cover and binding)
• Mod Podge Sparkle (optional)
• Scissors
• Foam brush (or a wide brush)
• Paper piercer
• Ruler
• Pencil
• Scrap of copier paper – the same width and height of the spine.
• Needle + thread

How To

[Go here to watch on YouTube and while there, please rate, comment and subscribe.]

Step by Step Instructions

1. Flatten the box by carefully disconnecting the connecting flaps at the bottom and inside the box. You may also use a craft knife for that.
2. Use your scissors to cut off the flaps, as well as the inner flap and the short edge attached to it, so you are left with 3 sections: 2 cover sections and a spine, already creased for you…
3. Measure the width and height of the cover sections and the spine and cut pieces of patterned paper at the same size for the cover. If you want to conceal the binding you will need one piece the size of the cover section and the other size larger by the width of the spine plus an additional inch. If you choose to conceal the binding, adhere the outer cover papers at the end.
4. Apply a thin layer of Mod Podge to the cover section and the spine, lay the pattern paper on top of it and apply an additional layer of Mod Podge on top to seal it off. Put it aside to dry.
5. Take a plain copier paper, the same width and height of the spine and mark 3 horizontal lines on it – one at the center and two additional ones, about an inch apart. If you work on a larger box, you may want to add more lines, equally separated from each other.
6. Next mark equally separated vertical line, each line stands for one signature. I used 5 signatures, so I drew 5 vertical lines, one at the center and the rest in ¼” intervals.
7. Cut your signature inserts to double the width of the cover section and the same height and fold each signature of paper inserts in half.
8. Line up the paper guide with the inner crease of the signature and poke holes on the crease next to each of the 3 horizontal lines. these holes will help later with the binding process.
9. After the inner cover is layered with paper with a base and top coat of Mod Podge and completely dry, line up the paper guide with the inner spine and poke a hole at each of the intersections of the horizontal lines with the vertical lines.
10. Start binding the signatures together. Take the first one, insert the needle through the center hole and into the center hole of the signature, than to the upper hole and back from the bottom hole, into the center hole to the outer cover – repeat on all the signatures.
11. Once you finish binding all the signatures together, weave the thread through the center line of threads until it meets the initial loose end and tie them together in a tight knot. Cut the excess thread and tidy up the knot to look as smooth and straight as possible.
12. Lastly, apply a layer of Mod Podge Top Coat on top of the outer cover and the spine, it will secure the binding as well. You may also apply an additional layer of Sparkle Mod Podge if you want a fun glittery finish to your mini book.
13. Enjoy!!!

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If you have any question, suggestion or remark – don’t hesitate to contact me – either leave a comment here, use the contact form or start a new thread on the Creativity Prompt Flickr Group!!!

I would also be very happy to see your own creations, so don’t be shy and share

Check out Creativity Prompt’s new and unique self paced workshop: “Make Your Own Planner”.
This workshop will show you how to make a beautiful handmade planner for the year 2012. Not only are you going to get the entire meticulously designed planner kit for instant download, but you will also get a high resolution video tutorial as well as step-by-step instructions to guide you on each step of the way. Either treat yourself with a fresh and creative start for the coming new year, or get it to create wonderful gifts for your family and friends.
Join now

Check out Creativity Prompt’s self paced workshop: “Capture Your Dream”. In this workshop you will capture, follow and make your dream come true as well as document your journey in a fabulous mixed media mini album.