Inspiration Journal

Have you ever wondered what my secret is for creating my unusual sketches? I'm ready to share; but only with you, no telling anyone else. ;o) I keep an inspiration journal.

I'm always on the lookout for scrapbooking ideas. Where do I find inspiration? Everywhere. Magazines, newspapers, catalogs or even junk mail and spam can hold a treasure just waiting to be scraplifted. Also, look at music album covers, video covers and billboards. Advertisements are wonderful to use. Why? They usually include a photo, headline (title) and a blurb (journaling).

But, don't just look for complete layout ideas. Also look for color combinations you like and designs that could be translated to your background paper or embellishments.

I cut the item out and stick it in my journal. So, whenever I need a creative kick-in-the-pants, it's there waiting for me.

Here are the step-by-step instructions to make an inspiration journal just like mine:
1. Buy a spiral notebook or composition book.
2. If using a spiral notebook (like I did) use a permanent marker to color the edges and spine of the notebook.
3. Place white cardstock on your work surface and place your notebook on top. Trace around the notebook with a pencil.
4. Cut the cardstock along the pencil line you drew.
5. Stamp the cardstock using black Colorbox pigment ink using the script writing stamp from Fancy Pants' Bella Brush stamp set.
6. Next, stamp the vine using Fancy Pants' Bella Brush stamp set and red Colorbox pigment ink .
7. Stamp the flowers using both size 8-petal flowers in the Fancy Pants' Bella Brush stamp set and the red Colorbox pigment ink .
8. Outline the vine and each flower using a black pen. Also, use the pen to add a center to each flower.
9. Ink the edges of the background paper with red Colorbox pigment ink .
10. Cut a large circle out of red cardstock using Coluzzle's large circle template. To get just the edge of the circle, you cut the paper using the last channel of the Coluzzle template, then without moving the template, cut a second circle using the template channel that is three channels from the channel you just used.
11. Using white stickers, spell your title for your journal cover (i.e. Inspiration) and place the stickers on an empty sticker backing sheet. Using StazOn ink stamp the stickers using another of the stamps from the Fancy Pants' Bella Brush stamp set.
12. Using the Dots All Around template from The Crafters Workshop, mark every other hole for the spacing of the letter of the title. Place each sticker on the appropriate mark.
13. Glue your stickered circle to the background paper.
14. Glue your cover to the notebook's cover.
15. Tie some ribbon to the spiral spine of the notebook.
16. Start filling your notebook with inspiration!

I hope I have inspired you.

Colleen