Fun and easy planner

A couple of weeks ago Gina from the Rebookery posted a video on you Tube that was fantastic. Basically she takes old books and alters them to become a planner. I found it to be the best idea ever. I've struggle with using a diary, it's so boring! I've tried bullet journaling but failed miserably as it took to much time and was too precise!

Here is Gina's first video ( she has others which you can pop over and watch):

Gina's idea really clicked with me as it's super simple and you can be so imprecise! This means it's also super fast to do! Let's face it, most of us don't have time to be messing about measuring, drawing up tables, dividing pages with a ruler and so on!

I also made a video to show how I set mine up:

The other cool thing about this planner is that you can also use it as a planner come art journal come memory keeping journal. Which is perfect - you have everything in one spot! Yay! So really it's a planner journal not just a planner.

When I watched the video I just had to go out to the thrift store and find a book the right size to alter. Of course I couldn't buy one but bought three so I would have a choice. By the afternoon half the pages were torn out and the planner was on it's way!

Mine is quite different to Gina's as far as style is concerned but the idea is the same. I did decide to cover my journal with a fabric slip cover which also gives me 2 extra pockets.

Finally a way to keep track of the must dos and appointments combined with a little bit of fun memory keeping. Perfect for those of us who don't really journal on a daily basis but would like to keep some memories!

I made a couple of craft with me videos and updates as well. You can watch them here if you're interested.

So much fun! Make sure you check Gina's channel out she's super fun and creative! 

Would love to hear your thoughts about this great idea! Thanks for reading, best wishes Rachel

To stay up to date join my mailing list here . You'll receive discounts, news on new products and sales, freebies and tutorials.

Felt Flower Wreath

Inspired by the image above that I found on Pinterest, I decided to make my own wreath.

I used these tutorials for a felt wedding bouquet above to start off with; was inspired by other pictures on Pinterest like in my felt board and also made up a few of my own flowers. All the flowers are made from wool felt and the wreath is metal wrapped by more felt. Clearly I like bright colours!!

My version of the felt flower wreath

I think I might make some more but different sizes just like in the original picture. The wreaths look good in a bunch of three.

I absolutely love the book above which I bought a while ago and have made some of the paper flowers from it. I am sure you would be able to adapt some of their designs to make felt flowers. I think I will give it a go! Look how stunning some of the projects from their book are!!!

Subscribe to our mailing list here to receive discounts, first dibs on new products and sales, freebies and tutorials

Project Life Weeks 2-4 2014

So I have been progressing on Project Life like Rach and am finishing Week 5/6. I can't believe how much you can spend on this little hobby! There are such great products out there that is is easy to keep buying and buying and buying. I decided to take out a subscription with Studio Calico so that I have lots of options. Each month I will receive a new kit that I can use. I get lots of inspiration from the Studio Calico team blog and Pinterest Page. I too was initially inspired by Pam Garrison and have been following her progress on PL for a year.

As I have been on holiday, we have been very busy so I have had lots of photos and activities to include in my Project Life pages. I think that Jamie has had a great holiday!!

Week 4 included Jamie's 8th birthday so I decided to to a 4-page spread with a double page devoted to his actual birthday. In future years I think he will enjoy looking back at the folders and remembering what he did!

Rachel's pages are fantastic! Look at the previous post. I am now back at work so my pages probably won't be as packed full of activity as my first weeks but I guess.... that's life.

Oh and if you are in Australia or NZ, check out the Australian & New Zealand PL facebook page. I get lots of great tips from the ladies on there and it is a really great way of finding out about products, sales and special events.

Wonderful Project Life

My sister Sarah told me about Project Life early this year and i didn't really understand what it was. Then mum brought it up again saying Sarah had started hers and again I didn't really respond still not knowing what it was. One day I popped over to have a look at Pam Garrison's blog (one of my favourites) and she had just completed this post . Well did that get me going! I love what she does and she gives all the info, with links, about what you need to get started!

Since reading her post I haven't looked back since! I urgently ordered albums, inserts and a core kit from a site in the UK and was bursting at the seems until it arrived. There are a lot of freebie printables (I have many saved on Pinterest) out there to use and also great sites that sell digital cards as well. I particularly like the Lilypad store . I'm still collecting things here and there so as goodies arrive I may change a few things on a couple of pages. 

I'm keeping it fairly simple, not very good at scrapbooking and journalling but I love the way you can store memories and keep records! Lulu is also involved occasionally writing, drawing and advising me.

I am now up to week 6, 2014 here are a few pages:

I've also started do our wedding album, the photos have shamefully been sitting in a box since 2003!

This is an epic job all my photos are on discs which we never look at so now I plan to go through and slowly put favourite photos in albums! Like I really have time for this!!!! Regardless it's well worth it and great fun. Hopefully as time goes I'll get better at it!!!!!

Project Life 2014

So after seeing the Project Life stuff that Pam Garrison was doing, I was intrigued to find out more about what it was and how to do it. I came across Becky Higgins kits in my local Spotlight store and decided that I was going to give it a try.

My 7 year old son gave me a core kit- Honey, an album and many other things to get me started. Now I am really getting into it. I have never been a scrapbooker but did have quite a bit of scrapbook paper that I used for other crafts. I also have a vast array of craft materials that will come in handy for this project.

As Christmas Day was my 40th Birthday and the day my son gave me my supplies, we started it on that day. He will be contributing each week as well. So I finished my first page on 31st December. It's pretty basic but I am sure that I will get better as I continue to build up my supplies and get more practice in. I want to try an do a double page each week- that's a good idea at the moment whilst I am on holidays but I hope that I can maintain it when I start work again.

Pinterest is a constant source of inspiration and I have been pinning pages and ideas that I like here. I have also joined an Australian/NZ Project Life Facebook page which has been really helpful as well. I was inspired by Pam Garrison to decorate the inside of my folder with my washi tapes. It has made my project very colourful!

I have started Week 2 and will post it when I am done.